Banana Split Icecream Torte

An icecream torte may seem a little untraditional as a Birthday Cake  but when I was planning a birthday cake for Miss 4’s family birthday dinner, we had already had her party and her actual cake.  We still needed something cake-like to cut on her real birthday.  I had been eyeing this recipe for some time and felt it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go.  Warm February evenings could definitely cope with the cooling-down-deliciousness of a Banana Split Ice Cream Torte!

It’s the first time I’ve made an icecream cake and there were multiple steps to its’ creation.  My photo taking of the actual torte was atrocious, so instead I’m sharing pictures of my precious girl who was excited about apportioning herself the largest piece of cake {and who had also had her ears pierced earlier that same evening.  It had only been a whooooole year of asking for them to be done!  Not one tear shed, but plenty of smiles!)

The melt in your mouth amazingness of this torte was incredible.  The combination of the flavours and textures was so perfect.  The crunch of the chocolate base, the bite of the banana, the richness of the hot fudge sauce and the (obviously) creaminess of the icecream, along with the delicate flavour of the crushed pineapple all combined to create a serious taste sensation! My father in law appreciates most of my sweet treats and is always complimentary.  But he made sure  to mention of his appreciation for this cake several times over the course of the evening!

Pots of Gold {Individual Butterscotch Puddings}

Dessert is my favourite part of any meal.  I’ll forgo an entree to order dessert, and thankfully my beloved is usually of the same mind – so we get to share.  I don’t really discriminate when it comes to sweets.  I would generally choose sticky date pudding or tiramisu over creme brulee, but I will never turn dessert down.

Last night we had family over for dinner and I wanted to serve a dessert that would round the meal out perfectly, without being overly sweet or too heavy. Individual servings are very in right now, and I understand why.  Having your own beautifully presented dessert makes it seem that bit more special. Spooning bite-sized mouthfuls of creamy, silky, butterscotch flavoured deliciousness into your mouth  doesn’t get any more amazing than this.

Collapsed Pavlova with Poached Peaches & Mascarpone

I realise being a Kiwi, that making a Pavlova is almost a rite of passage.  Especially for someone who loves dessert and who loves to cook as much as I do.  And yet, I’d never ever made one before this. It’s another one of those things that I have always been afraid of {much like this risotto I shared with you a while ago!}

During my first hosting experience of the incredible Cuisine Club I belong to, I made this Collapsed Pavlova as my dessert course.  I loved that I could tackle the almighty Pav without the pressure of it looking perfect.  This version is meant to be a bit haphazard, it’s supposed to look as though it’s imploded.  That right there takes a whole lot of pressure off, don’t you think?

Perfect Chocolate Mousse

What can I say, my Mr and I both adore Chocolate Mousse.  And yet oddly enough, I’ve never made it.

He returned from a week in Sydney late on Thursday night so Friday nights’ meal was to be our first together again as a family.  Miss T has recently assigned herself as my Sous Chef and excitedly asks to make dinner with me every night.  Last night, together, we made yummy beef skewers, accompanied by a nice summery tomato, fresh corn & cucumber salad and fresh tortillas from the Mexican Specialities store in Ellerslie.

Although it had been my intention throughout the week to make this for dessert, I clean forgot until 5.30pm!  After putting the kids to bed and watching a bit of my guilty pleasure that is American Idol, the three hours waiting time was up.

I’m delighted to tell you that it’s incredibly easy to whip up and after licking a spoonful before presenting it to him, I announced to my husband “You may want to marry me all over again after tasting this”.  🙂

I made a half portion of this recipe and it made two perfect little ramekins worth for our dessert.

Perfect Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 tbsp. water
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
Pinch of coarse salt

Directions
Combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted, and stir occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and let it cool to near room temperature.

In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the salt. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. They should be thick and smooth.

Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the bowl with the chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.

Portion the mixture into 4-6 individual serving dishes. Cover with glad wrap and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Serve with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Mmmmmm

Honey & Buttermilk Panna Cotta

I’ve made this dessert a few times now and it always receives a lot of praise and over-enthusiastic expressions of “mmmmm, yum, mmmmm”.

When I was putting together my menu for the little cocktail soiree I recently threw for some girlfriends, I wanted something subtle, sweet and easy that looked lovely but tasted sublime.  This was it.  I doubled the mixture and made them in baby food jars which meant the portions were smaller than the recommended 1/2 a cup, but they were perfect as a four or five spoon treat.  The flavours are subtle and creamy and the honey at the base is like gold at the end of the rainbow.

I always thought Panna Cotta was one of those impossible to master desserts – like Creme Brulee or a Pavlova – but I have to say, it’s pretty much the easiest dessert I’ve encountered.   Please try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Honey & Buttermilk Panna Cotta
Ingredients
1 teaspoon gelatine powder
2 tablespoons water
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1 cup (250ml) pouring cream
½ cup (80g) icing sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tablespoon honey

Directions
Place the gelatine and water in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed.
Place the buttermilk, cream, sugar and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the gelatine and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes or until the gelatine is dissolved.
Strain and allow to cool completely.
Place 1 teaspoon of honey in the bases of 4 x ½ cup-capacity (125ml) glasses or ramekins. Pour over the cream mixture and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Makes 4

Source:  adapted from DonnaHay.com.au