Posted on

South African Peppermint Crisp Pie

Peppermint Crisp Pie

Peppermint Crisp Pie is an old favourite for me. It is rich and creamy and comforting, a little reminder of a once-was-home, of my mother, and of many a dinner party, barbeque or braai where it’s been consumed with gusto. The main problem with this recipe however, is that most of it’s parts are – originally – Nestle products, and we are Nestle boycotters, so for many years I stopped making it.Peppermint Crisp Pie

 

These days, however, I’ve found some pretty decent substitutes and I’m happy making it again. This recipe is very forgiving. If you get the amounts slightly wrong, it won’t matter too much. While you can serve and enjoy Peppermint Crisp Pie immediately, making it the day before is ideal as it allows the moisture to soak into the biscuits and gives you more of a firm pudding. Either way, it’s moreish.

1aab8e5a785addf17013bb73f3bd0137

Peppermint Crisp Pie
Recipe Type: Desert, Pudding, Sweet
Cuisine: South African
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 pack [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003N7QNU8/tag=diaofafirchi-21″ target=”_blank”]Tennis Biscuits [/url]
  • 2 cups/ 500g fresh cream
  • 1x 397g tin of Caramel (or Condensed Milk)
  • 200g mint chocolate (traditionally[url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003N7USJA/tag=diaofafirchi-21″ target=”_blank”] this one[/url], but I prefer [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E5XI6T0/tag=diaofafirchi-21″ target=”_blank”]Green & Blacks[/url] from an ethical point of view
Instructions
  1. If you’re not using caramel, place the condensed milk in a pot of water and boil for three hours. Allow to cool completely (preferably overnight. If you use hot caramel the whole desert will be ruined.)
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Break the chocolate into blocks and place in the Thermomix bowl. Speed 7/10 seconds
  2. Wash & dry the bowl and add the butterfly and then the cream
  3. Whisk the cream for 1 – 3 minutes, depending on how fresh it is. Keep an eye on it as you don’t want butter. Speed 4/ 1 – 3 minutes.
  4. Add the caramel and two-thirds of the chocolate and mix speed 1/ 30 seconds – just enough to mix but not to whisk again.
  5. Add a layer of biscuits to the base of a glass dish.
  6. Add about a quarter of the cream mixture above the biscuits and spread it evenly.
  7. Add another layer of biscuits
  8. Add another layer of cream, and repeat until it’s all finished.
  9. End on a layer of cream, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate
  10. Cover and refrigerate till it’s ready to be eaten.
Regular Instructions
  1. Grate the chocolate
  2. Place the biscuits in a shallow glass dish
  3. Beat the double cream till it is stiff, then add most of the grated chocolate and caramel and stir in gently. If you beat it again, the cream will fall flat and won’t set properly.
  4. Spoon a layer of the cream mixture on to the biscuits, then add another layer of biscuits, topped again with the cream. Repeat the process 3 or 4 times, depending on the depth of your dish.
  5. Finish with the cream mixture and sprinkle with chocolate.
  6. Place in the fridge for an hour to set, and keep refrigerated.

 

Posted on

Six Minute Soft Centered Chocolate Pudding Recipe

chocolate puddingIt’s yet another rainy afternoon here on the Hampshire/Surrey border and I am feeling whimsical. I’m remembering a time in our lives where we travelled a lot, and thinking about the future, all at the same time. I want to indulge my senses and my tastebuds and all I can think of is…. soft centred chocolate puddings.

This is an old Ainsley Harriot recipe I’ve made a hundred times. It’s perfect for dinner parties – we used to have those a lot too, once – as you can mix the batter and put them in ramekins and in the fridge. When your guests arrive, take them out of the fridge so they return to room temperature, and when dinner is done, put them in the oven for just six minutes and serve. It is always a talking-point desert. I don’t normally top them with chocolate swirls like in the picture, but you can, or a dollop of cream – whatever takes your fancy. They are pretty awesome.

Six Minute Soft Centered Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
If you butter the moulds or ramekins before you pour the batter in, you should be able to turn them out onto a plate. I tend to serve them in the ramekins. It’s pretty enough.
Ingredients
  • 90g dark chocolate
  • 90g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 extra egg yolks
  • 40g brown sugar
  • 15g self raising flour
  • (optional) cocoa powder to dust
  • (optional) cream and chopped hazelnuts to decorate
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8.
  2. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and leave to melt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until thickened. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture, then sprinkle over the flour and quickly fold in .
  4. Divide the mixture between six moulds or ramekins.
  5. Make sure the oven is fully heated.
  6. Bake the pudding for 6 minutes until the outside is set but the centre is still soft.
  7. You may be tempted to leave it for longer than six minutes. It will make a nice enough chocolate cake, but you really need to take it out immediately and give it a few minutes to ‘rest’ before serving.
  8. Turn each pudding on to a plate, then gently lift off the moulds. Place a spoonful of cream on top of each pudding, sprinkle with nuts and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8.
  2. If you have two bowls, melt the chocolate and butter in one and do the rest in the other. If you only have one bowl, melt the chocolate and butter as above – in a glass bowl over a pan of water.
  3. Put the butterfly in the Thermomix and add the eggs, extra yolks and sugar. Whisk on Speed 4 for 90 seconds.
  4. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the bowl and add the flour. Whisk at speed 2 for 20 seconds.
  5. Pour the mixture between six moulds or ramekins.
  6. Make sure the oven is fully heated.
  7. Bake the pudding for 6 minutes until the outside is set but the centre is still soft.
  8. You may be tempted to leave it for longer than six minutes. It will make a nice enough chocolate cake, but you really need to take it out immediately and give it a few minutes to ‘rest’ before serving.
  9. Turn each pudding on to a plate, then gently lift off the moulds. Place a spoonful of cream on top of each pudding, sprinkle with nuts and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.