Indulgent, Chocolate Brownies, easy to make, easier to eat.
These Chocolate Brownies never fail to please and rarely are there any leftovers. They are easy to make for a great dessert. Or afternoon treat.
Tag: home made
Try A Beautifully Light Helston Pudding, My Easy Christmas Dessert.
Beautifully light Helston Pudding. It’s easy to make comfort food which makes a light alternative to Christmas Pudding. I have put in a couple of minor changes to make it even more Christmassy, and served it with an orange brandy sauce.
Making The Best Basil Pesto.
In my opinion this is the best basil pesto you can make. I hate the off green sludge sold as pesto in the supermarkets. You can be sure its not made with the best of ingredients. It’s dull, flat flavour could put you off pesto for life, if you didn’t know better.
I want to see the ingredients I am using. This version of pesto has diced Parmesan Cheese and whole pine kernels though the sauce to give texture and added interest to any Pasta Pesto.
To put this into perspective, I once bought a jar of Harissa. A Smokey, peppery, red chili paste used in middle eastern cookery. When I studied the ingredients on the jar the main ingredient was not peppers or chilli, but Beetroot! Working on that basis the best part of my shop bought pesto may be grass clippings…..
The Best Basil Pesto.
This is my version of a classic Italian Pesto alla Genovese. Rather than been totally smooth I like my pesto to have some texture and show off the ingredients it made with.
If you’re a traditionalist this is a job for the mortar and pestle. If not, or if time is short use a small food processor. DON’T use a blender it will take all the character out of the pesto and emulsify the cheese into the oil.
A word on Parmesan Cheese.
For the cheese use a Parmesan or Pecorino as you prefer. I use Grana Padano Parmesan as I think it’s a waste to use good Reggiano in the sauce. Keep that for serving on the pasta or treating yourself with a glass of wine.
DON’T whatever you do buy the small tubs of ready grated cheese. You can get good pre-grated parmesan buy the stuff in the tubs smells like old socks. I have a theory relating the contents of the tubs. If you grate your own cheese, you will have noticed the thick skin that sits just under the thin rind. Grate a little of the skin and you will find it smells just like the cheap grated cheese. And personally, I think that’s what is in the tubs. Its Parmesan Jim, but not as I know it!
Rant over, let’s get going.
You will need.
Mortar and pestle or small food processor.
Chopping board and knife.
Small frying pan.
Fine grater.
Bowl scraper.
Small jar or ice cube tray for storage.
The Best Basil Pesto.
Makes about 300ml – 345g.
80g basil leaves – no stalks.
70g pine kernels.
40g grated parmesan cheese or pecorino if you prefer.
45g Parmesan cut into 4mm dice.
125ml light fruity olive oil.
large pinch flaky sea salt.
2 good cloves of garlic, 3 if they are small.
Extra sea salt and mill pepper as needed.
Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pine kernels and toast them gently, keeping them moving all the time, turning from top to bottom. We only want to toast the pine kernels to a light golden brown. Its very easy to burn them so be careful. If you burn them, don’t use them. It’s a good idea to have some spare on hand just in case. Keep any leftovers in the freezer to keep them fresh until you need them. When the kernels are ready tip them onto a plate to cool down completely.
Peel the garlic and remove any green shoot from inside the clove. Add the sea salt to the garlic and crust to a smooth paste.
Place the garlic / salt paste into the mortar or processor and add 40g of the toasted kernels. Throw in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and work to a smooth paste. Use a light olive oil, not a dense peppery one or it will mask the fresh flavours. DON’T as some chefs advocate use vegetable oil! They will argue that the vegetable oil allows the flavour of the basil to come through. Bull%**t, they are just trying to save money and increase their profits.
Add the basil leaves to the mix and break down to a paste adding more oil as needed. I only use the basil leaves to make the pesto. Some people will add the finer stalks to the mix, again to save money. The choice is up to you, but I find the stalks can cause the pesto to discolour.
I wouldn’t mind betting the stuff in the jars has the stalks included, and God knows what’s in the mix.
Now we have a nice green sauce add the grated parmesan and any remaining oil. Don’t overwork the mix, we don’t want the cheese to become emulsified into the oil.
Finally, stir in the diced cheese and reserved pine kernels, check your seasoning and your ready to go. Store the pesto in a narrow-mouthed jar with a layer of olive oil on top to keep the air out. It should be good for about a week in the fridge. To store it longer its best frozen, again ice cube trays are the most convenient method.
TIP,
If you don’t have a greenhouse or polytunnel to grow your Basil don’t worry. Buy two or three fresh plants in the supermarket. Keep then in the kitchen near a window and out of draughts. Water them regularly with some house plant food and they will triple in size. That will give you a steady supply of fresh basil, cheaper and fresher than buying it in packets.
For me this is a essential store cupboard staple. Never mind pasta, it’s a great accompaniment to vegetable dishes like my Courgette and Tomato Tarts. Brilliant with fish, and a spoonful of pesto transforms a simple mashed potato. Give it a try….
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Make your own Easy Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce.
Make your own Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce, it’s easy! Enjoy the flavor of italy at home in less than 45 minutes.
How to make your own Tomato and Chilli Jam.
Easy to make Tomato and Chilli Jam. One taste and your hooked! Great with meats and shellfish. The possibilities are endless
How to Make Blackberry Jelly, and why fruit jellies work.
Want to know how to make Blackberry Jelly? It’s not that difficult, and so satisfying to make the best of the (free) autumn harvest. If your north of the border you will know this as Bramble Jelly. Whatever you call them it’s great fun collecting the fruit on a warm sunny afternoon.
When your collecting, expect a few war wounds from the spiky stems and keep away from the main roads. Stick to country lanes where the traffic is light. The berries won’t be covered in pollution from traffic and you’re less likely to be flattened by a passing lorry. Do be sure what you are gathering is edible. There are plenty of good books and websites to help you. The golden rule is if you’re not sure, don’t use it.
Gather with care and don’t strip a bush of fruit, take a few here and there and move on to the next bush. There will be plenty for all and remember that wildlife needs the autumn harvest more than you do.
Blackberry Jelly.
You will need.
Wide thick based pan.
Colander or sieve.
Heatproof spatula.
Saucer and / or probe thermometer.
Jam funnel.
Jelly bag or sheet of muslin cloth.
Measuring jug.
Sterilised jam jars and lids. Check out the food files page on how to do this.
Waxed paper jam covers.
Makes Roughly 600ml.
Stage 1.
750g Blackberries
1 Bramley cooking apple (roughly 200g)
225ml water
1 lemon
Stage 2.
Granulated or preserving sugar.
Why Jelly and not Jam?
Why go to all the trouble of straining all that fruit and then only using the juices. Why not just make jam? Well, you can, the classic recipe is equal weights of fruit and sugar cooked together with some water and lemon juice. Cook the fruit to 105˚c and transfer to jars just as we will do with the fruit juices.
So, what’s the problem? It’s those damn seeds. There are so many small hard seeds in the fruit that the jam almost becomes crunchy. You will be flossing the seeds out of your teeth for ages. And the texture of the seeds overtakes the flavour of the fruit.
To press or not to press.
Those of you that follow my ramblings will know I like to do things a little differently if I think it’s an improvement on the classic method or recipe. No change here. Recipes for fruit jellies will tell you to stew the fruit. Then hang the stewed fruits in a jelly bag or muslin overnight to let the juices drip though. Never press the fruit!
Well, I do. The above is fine is you want a nice clear jelly, and you have a fridge large enough to support a jelly bag and bowl. I don’t and I like to get the maximum flavour and yield from my efforts. The choice is up to you.
It’s all about the pectin.
Pectin is the key to a jam or jelly setting. Once the fruit has released its pectin and we have a specific density of sugar the two will react together and begin to gel. Adding a little acid (lemon juice) helps the reaction and gives the flavour a boost.
So where do we get pectin?
Well, some fruits are naturally high in pectin. These include Blackberries, Redcurrants, Quince, Tart Apples, Rowanberries, Lemons, Limes, and Cranberries.
Low pectin fruits include. Raspberries, Strawberries, Pears, Blueberries, Peaches, Apricots and Pineapple.
So how do we make a jam or jelly with a fruit that is low in pectin like strawberries? We simply add pectin. This can be done in different ways.
The simplest is to method is just to use jam sugar.
You can make a stock with a high pectin fruit like Redcurrants and add that to your fruit instead of water.
Or you buy Pectin Powder or liquid and add it in to the pan. Liquid can be added with the fruit to the pan. Powder should be mixed in with the sugar before its added to the fruit.
Know your sugar?
You will come across recipes that ask for granulated, jam, or preserving sugar, but what’s the difference?
Granulated Sugar is the basic for of refined sugar and a good economic choice for jams and jellies.
Castor Sugar is simply more finely ground sugar producing finer crystals. Normally used for pastry and deserts. Not recommended for jams and jellies as it contains an anti-caking agent to avoid lumps forming. This produced more foam and waste when cooked with fruits.
Preserving Sugar is a pure sugar with larger crystals. This dissolves a little slower than granulated sugar, reducing the chance of burning. The sugar also produced less foam while still allowing the impurities to rise to the top.
Jam Sugar is preserving sugar with added pectin. This is the easiest way of working with low pectin fruits. Don’t use it with high pectin fruits though, or you will end up with a fruit brick.
Know we know, so, let’s get on with it.
Have a probe thermometer on hand or place a couple of saucers in the freezer to get really cold. I do both.
Give the Blackberries a wash and drain well in a colander. Wash the apple and cut into rough dice about 1.5 cm across. Keep the skin on and include the pips. Tip the apple into the pan and add the fruit on top.
I like to add a little of the zest of the lemon as well as the juice to boost the citrus notes. Using a peeler slice off four strips of zest from the lemon then remove the juice.
Add the juice, zest and any pips liberated to the pan. Bring the pan to a simmer over a medium heat stirring from time to time. Pop on the lid and cook gently for twenty minutes.
I like to press the fruit lightly during cooking. A potato masher is ideal, just press lightly here and there, don’t overdo it and puree the fruit.
Draining the juices.
When the fruit is cooked set up your jelly bag or muslin over a suitable container to catch the juices. Ladle in some of the mixture and leave to drain. After about 10 minutes or so I give the mix a stir with a spoon then Lightly squeeze the bag to extract as much juice as possible.
When you are sure you have as much juices as possible empty the bag and repeat the process until all the mix is filtered.
Wash the pan and return the filtered juice to the pan measuring the volume as you do so.
For each 100ml of juices you will need 75g of sugar. I had 600ml of juice so used 450g of sugar.
The second cooking.
Bring the juice to the simmer then add the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar then turn up the heat to a fast simmer / gentle boil. Have your sterilised jars ready and turn on the oven to 100c.
As the juices simmer, a scum will be produced on the surface of the jelly. Use a small ladle or kitchen spoon to lift off the scum and discard. You may need to repeat this as the jelly cooks and reduced down
As the jelly cooks, water will evaporate, the flavour will be concentrated, and the sugar content will increase. When we reach the optimum sugar density, gelling will begin.
How do we know when we have reached setting point?
One way is to pour a little of the jelly onto a cold plate and as the jelly cools push a finger through it to see if it ripples up. If the jelly flows back together it’s not ready. If it ripples up to form a mound it’s ready to go into jars and be sealed.
This can mean quite a bit of messing about. Experienced jam makers can tell by the size of bubbles and how they move in the pan during cooking. Most of us however don’t make jams or jellies enough to be that familiar with the process.
Use a thermometer to insure setting.
I think the best and easiest method is to use a probe thermometer. As the contents of the pan become denser the boiling temperature increases. This means by knowing the boiling temperature of the liquid we know the density. Once the juices reach 105˚c your jam or jelly is ready.
You should get to 102˚c quite quickly but it can take an age to get up to 105˚c. Be patient, stopping the cooking too early means it won’t set correctly. As you get close to been ready pop your jars in the oven to warm up.
When ready, lift off any final scum that has formed and fill the warmed jars. Place a paper disc on the surface of the jelly and seal with the lid.
Let the jars cool then store in a cool dark place. Unopened it should last long enough to see you through to the next berry season.
Nothing beats homemade preserves. A couple of hours work will fill your cupboard with flavour it’s almost impossible to buy!
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Simple, Summertime Courgette and Tomato Tarts
Its mid-summer, the tomatoes are ripening, and the courgettes are going wild. These Courgette and Tomato Tarts are an ideal way of using up this seasonal bounty. And impressing your guests.
How to make, Rosemary and Red Onion Focaccia Bread
Homemade Focaccia bread is a joy and very versatile. It’s sure to become a family favourite, and a great accompaniment to a BBQ or picnic.
The Best, Walnut Bread, Rich, and Delicious
Rich, and delicious, Walnut Bread is a perfect bread to serve with cheese at a casual lunch. Or as part of a dinner party meal. Savoury yet sweet it’s very moreish and is just as good lightly toasted and served with butter.
If you’re not familiar with making bread. Read our page on Making Bread at Home for all the information and tips you need to make your own great bread.
Makes two small loaves.
Ferment.
2tsp – 7g dried yeast
3 tbsp water at blood heat
Good pinch flour
The dough.
330g granary flour
½ tsp- 3g Salt
45g unsalted butter
25g dark brown sugar
190ml milk at blood heat
60g chopped walnuts
60g sultanas
Oven temperature 200˚c 395˚f
You will need.
2 x 1lb loaf tins with liners
Mixing bowl or mixing machine
Small saucepan
Bowl for the milk
A fine sieve
Small bowl for the ferment
Measuring spoons
Chopping board and knife
This is a complex bread enriched with brown sugar, sultanas, and walnuts. All of this can be a struggle for the yeast to cope with, so a ferment is used to help the bread prove. Look up our post on ‘What is Yeast a baker’s guide’ to get the lowdown on how to use yeast and get the best from it.
How to make, a ferment.
Put the flour into a clean mixing bowl and add the salt. Mix the yeast with the lukewarm water in a small bowl add a good pinch of flour stir in and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes. The contents of the bowl should be light and bubbly when ready for use.
Getting organised.
To enhance the ‘nutty’ flavour of the bread we are going to toast the butter and make nut brown butter. The French term for this is ‘Beurre Noisette which is commonly used at a dressing for fish, pasta, and vegetables.
Before you start whisk the milk and sugar together in a small bowl. Have a small fine sieve ready and keep both to hand.
How to make, Beurre Noisette.
Dice the butter and pop into a small saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat and watch it closely. This will need your undivided attention. You can go from Beurre Noisette to Beurre Noir (black butter) very quickly.
Watch the pan like a hawk. The butter will begin to foam and make a crackling sound as the moisture is driven off. After a couple of minutes, the foaming will slow down the noise from the pan become quieter. You are now seconds away from been ready. The butter will start to become golden brown with a light crust on the surface.
Immediately strain the butter through the fine sieve into the milk and stir well.
If you think the butter has gone too far DON’T put into the milk. You will just waste everything. Get some fresh butter and have another go. Don’t worry once you have mastered it its quite straightforward.
Making the dough.
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl with the dough hook attached and mix on a slow speed. Pour the milk and butter mixture into the flour a little at a time. Then add the ferment water which should now be actively bubbling with yeast.
Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes to stretch the dough after which it should be soft and elastic.
Roughly chop the walnuts and add them to the dough with the sultanas.
Remove the dough hook then cover the bowl with a cloth leave in a warm place (about 25°C/75°F) for the dough to rise. This will take about 1 hour.
Moulding the dough.
Tip the dough out onto the work surface and ‘knock back, the dough. Do this by punching it with the heel of your hand 2 or 3 times; this will release some of the gases in the dough. Then fold the dough over three or four times to spread the yeast cells through the dough.
Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape and divide into 2 pieces. Place the dough ‘sausages’ in the lined tins and cover with a tea towel. leave the tins in a warm, draught-free place to ‘prove’ for about 45 minutes. When ready the loaves should have almost doubled in size.
Alternatively, the dough can be formed into small loaves on a baking sheet.
Baking the bread.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
When baked turn the loaves out of the tins onto a wire rack to cool completely before use. Use within three days or freeze for later use.
Tips.
A packet fast action yeast can be used instead of the dried yeast if wished.
To add even more flavour, try the addition of ½ tsp of chopped fresh rosemary leaves into the dough.
Do give this bread a try. I guarantee once you have, it will become a regular treat.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Making Bread at Home.
Making bread at home? All your questions answered here. Together with hints and tips to help you.
A Simple Springtime, Pea and Wild Garlic Houmous
Pea and wild garlic houmous. A versatile taste of spring, fresh and light.
Yet easy to make.
Sinful but Nice, Clotted Cream Brûlee with Grenadine Rhubarb.
Clotted Cream Brûlee with Grenadine Rhubarb is a great dinner party dessert. It’s both light and rich at the same time. The sharp, sweet fruit cutting through the rich comforting cream of the brûlee. What’s even better, you can make both components the day before. Leaving only the glazing of the brûlee to be done on the day. I have always had a fondness for clotted cream. Going back to my days in the west country where we used to collect it straight from the farm. The shop bought version is not the same but works perfectly for this.
You will need.
2 medium sized Pyrex bowls
A suitable saucepan- see below
Whisk
Flat bottomed heatproof silicone spatula
Probe thermometer
Fine strainer
Suitable serving containers.
Clotted Cream Brûlee.
Makes 4 x 150ml
200ml double cream.
150ml clotted cream.
80ml whole milk.
1 vanilla pod.
5 large egg yolks.
40g golden caster sugar.
Caster sugar to caramelise.
This is not technically a true crème brûlee, as we are not cooking it in the oven. This is a stove-top or cheats brûlee. This method has some advantages. We can add more delicate ingredients into the mix that would be spoilt in the oven. It also allows us to serve the cream in a non-oven proof container. A positive change from the everyday ramekin presentation. These are best made the night before you wish to serve them, so they are fully set for your guests to enjoy. The Food Files page on Eggs will give you more information on eggs and how to use them
How do I cook the Clotted Cream Brûlee?
Choose a saucepan where it’s easy to access the corners of the pan. One with curved edges is ideal. Add the milk and double cream to the pan. Split the vanilla pod and release the seeds from the husk with the back of a knife. Pop the pod and seeds into the liquid and bring the pan to the simmer over a medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand to extract the full flavour of the vanilla.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk, together the egg yolks and the sugar until well blended. And insure you have a second clean bowl large enough to take the whole mixture when its cooked. Pyrex is perfect for this and if its possible stand the bowl in some iced water so we can cool the finished mixture quickly
Return the pan to the heat, and as it nears the simmer whisk in the clotted cream, do not let the pan boil.
Give the egg and sugar mix one last beat then pour the hot clotted cream into the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Tip the mixture to the pan scraping it all out of the bowl with the spatula ten set the pan over a medium heat. Cook the mix stirring all the time with the flat – bottomed spatula. Do not use any spoon shaped tool for this. Too little of the pan’s base is touched by a curved tool. Resulting in the contents of the pan sticking to the bottom and burning.
Clotted Cream Brûlee, The Tricky Bit.
Heat the mixture until you see steam starting to rise from the surface. Now pay close attention to the pan as the egg will be close to overcooking. Bring the temperature of the mix to 82°C and cook for three to four minutes. At which point the mix will have become quite thick a little like plain yoghurt. As soon as the temperature reaches 84˚C strain the brûlee into the waiting bowl with the help of the spatula. Give the mix a stir in the bowl to remove the heat as quickly as possible
Now this can all be a bit daunting the first time you try it. The trick is to be well organised; you can’t afford to be looking for things while you are cooking the brûlee. Put the cat out, lock up the kids, tie up the dog, and turn off the phone.
If at any point you think the mixture is getting too hot. Tip it directly into the bowl, if your wrong it doesn’t matter. You just have one more bowl to wash up.
Once the mixture has cooled down a few minutes, fill your serving containers and let them cool completely. Do not cover the containers until completely cool. If you do condensation will form and spoil your attempts at caramelising the surface of the brûlee. This is one occasion when you do want a skin on your custard!
For the Grenadine Rhubarb.
80ml grenadine syrup.
20 pieces of rhubarb, split and cut inro 5cm sections on an angle.
For the rhubarb, in a wide pan, bring the sugar, water and grenadine syrup to the boil. Add the rhubarb and cook gently at a simmer for a minute or so – any longer and it will lose its shape.
Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and continue to reduce your syrup. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow to cool.
You can dip the rhubarb back into the syrup, once both are cool, then remove again. This will help intensify the flavour and hold the shape of the rhubarb pieces.
The best way to glaze a Clotted Cream Brûlee.
‘Burnt Cream’ is a common translation for a brûlee but the very last thing we wish to do is burn it. The target is to produce a light, crisp coating with a rich caramel flavour, which also add texture to the dish
The traditional way of glazing the surface of a brûlee is to set the container into ice and water to keep it cool. Cover the surface with refined sugar and glaze them under the grill. It’s quite messy. Water everywhere and of course useless if you have not served your dish in an oven proof container.
Using a gas blowlamp.
I think the best option use to use a gas blowlamp. They come in all sizes, with the smaller ones been popular at home. I find these a bit small with too narrow a flame to get a nice even glaze on the sugar. Go for a medium sized blowlamp with a removable head. Not only can you use it to glaze your sugar. But they are also ideal for finishing Naan bread, Chapati and of course the BBQ.
To glaze the tops, using a small sieve sprinkle evenly with caster sugar. Don’t overdo the sugar or it will be impossible to dissolve it all. This will result in a sandy texture to the topping and poor flavour.
This process needs to be done close to serving the dessert to avoid the crust becoming soft and chewy. And don’t use brown sugar as many recipes suggest. Only white refined sugar will make caramel, the rest are a poor substitute. Take the blowlamp and get a good fierce flame. Wave the flame over the sugar working back and forth watching the sugar. As the sugar begins to melt sprinkle once more with sugar and return the flame. The trick is to keep the flame moving all the time. Don’t let any one part of the surface get too hot or it will burn. Imagine you are using a can of spray paint and attempting to get a nice even coat of paint without runs. It’s very much the same movement.
Safety.
Using a blowlamp indoors needs care and attention: –
Do Not attempt to tough or eat the dessert until the caramel is completely cooled down. Hot caramel is roughly 185˚c and will give you very nasty burns.
Do Not attempt to glaze or work with cooked sugar with pets or children around.
Be aware of where the flame of the blowlamp is pointing work far away from any flammable items. In fact, when possible, work outside.
When storing the blowlamp always remove the head from the gas canister. This will prevent any slow leakage of gas that may develop.
Clotted Cream Brûlee To Serve (optional)
Chopped skinned pistachio nuts.
Crisp shortbread biscuits.
A rectangular plate suits the dish well if you have one. Lift the rhubarb from the syrup and set a small pile to one end of the plate. Place a brûlee at the other end with a shortbread biscuit propped up against it. Coat the rhubarb with some of the syrup letting it drizzle across the plate and finish with a sprinkle of chopped, skinned pistachio nuts if wished.
F.A.Qs.
My Brûlee cream isn’t setting, What’s wrong?
Your mixture hasn’t been cooked enough. It must reach 84˚C for the egg yolk to set and thicken the cream. Also if you are using a probe thermometer make sure you don’t touch the base of the pan. This will give you a false reading
Can I make the Brûlee in advance and freeze it for later?
Unfortunately not. If you try to freeze the mix it will separate as it defrosts. You can of course make the Brûlee the day before. In fact I would encourage you to do so. The mix will firm up overnight and you have plenty of time to repair any disasters.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Quick and Easy, Ricotta Hotcakes.
Quick and easy Ricotta hotcakes. perfect for breakfast with honey butter and berry fruits. Alternatively serve them to enhance a full cooked breakfast.
Easy Potato And Spinach Curry.
My easy potato and spinach curry ( to make at home. Quick, easy and very tasty, what’s not to like?