The Corkless Mind

Tag: Delicious

Helen Goh’s Chocolate ‘O’ Cookies.
I recently purchased myself a copy of Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s book, Sweet. Having read the book numerous times cover to cover, and making mental and actual notes of what to bake and when. For me, Sweet reminds me of one of those CD’s (yes, I am that old) that you could listen to without skipping a track. The only dilemma I face, is to not scoff my face with all the deliciousness from this decadent book.

One of the first recipes in the book, is that of Helen Goh’s. The decadent Chocolate ‘O’ cookies. The chocolate ‘O’ cookie, came about by Helen setting herself a challenge of creating a cookie that could rival the infamous chocolate chip cookie at Ottolenghi. The ‘O’ is a nod to a few things, namely to Thomas Keller, whose own version of the oreo biscuit inspired the base of this biscuit, and of course the obvious ‘O’ on Ottolenghi’s shop door. The ganache made in this recipe is an absolute genius new way to make it, and at the risk of sounding clichéd , life-changing!

I thought sharing this recipe this time of year would be a great addition to all things chocolate being baked, tempered and shared! This recipe takes a while to make, but is oh so worthwhile!

Helen Goh’s Chocolate ‘O’ Cookies.

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
- 190g unsalted butter, cubed (at room temperature)
- 130g caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes (I used Maldon smoked sea salt flakes)
- 220g plain flour
- 75g cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
For the water Ganache:
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- shaved peel of 1/2 clemengold mandarin or orange
- 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes
- 90ml boiling water
- 125g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped into 1 cm pieces
- scraped seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g liquid glucose
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into 2 cm cubes
Method:

To make the cookies, place the butter, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer or stand mixer(with a paddle attachment). Beat on a medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into another bowl, reduce the speed of the mixer to low, then add the dry ingredients in two batches until a dough forms. Tip the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth and uniform. Wrap the dough in cling film, press to form a disc, and set aside in the fridge for up to 1 hour to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/160 fan. Line two baking trays(or if you like me, have only one, then bake them in batches) with parchment and set aside. Remove the dough from the fridge 10 minutes before rolling, to make it malleable to roll. Divide the dough in half, then on a clean, lightly floured surface roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm. Using a 6cm round cookie cutter, cut out 44 circles and place them on the parchment lined tray/s. Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the baking tray halfway through baking. Set aside and leave to cool in the baking tray.

To make the ganache, place the cinnamon, orange peel and chilli flakes in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to infuse for 30 minutes. After the water has infusing for 20 minutes, prepare the sugar syrup. Place the chocolate, vanilla seeds and salt in a separate bowl(medium sized) and set aside. Place the sugar and glucose in a small pan and melt over a medium heat. Do this until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the caramel turns a light amber colour, this takes about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the infused water and aromatics. (Don’t worry if the sugar seizes in the pan, just return to the heat and stir until all sugar has dissolved). Return the caramel to the boil, then strain the liquid over the chocolate and vanilla; the aromatics can be discarded. Leave for 2-3 minutes until the chocolate has melted, then stir to combine.

Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring continuously one piece at a time, stirring until all butter pieces have been incorporated and the chocolate mix is smooth. Place in the fridge until the ganache is firm. Using a teaspoon, take a heaped amount of the ganache and spread onto the underside of the biscuit, spread evenly toward the edges of the biscuit using the back of the spoon, then sandwich with another biscuit and set aside. Repeat this with he remaining biscuits and ganache.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate! x
March 27, 2018
Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.
At the moment I am cooking my way through Nigella’s book, At My Table. I admire her careless abandon and prowess in the kitchen. One of my favourite recipes so far is the Roasted Salsa, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding.At My Table is perfect for anyone who wants to cook good, simple food.

Tomatoes are a favourite of mine. My cousin introduced me to eating it in a whole different way. She would take an enormous bite of a juicy tomato and sprinkle salt on as she eats her way through the deliciously plump fruit. This to me was foreign and strange, seeing my mom only ever cook with it and never seeing anyone eating it as is. Now to this day, that is exactly how I enjoy eating a tomato. I love this recipe because I always have surplus tomatoes, and who doesn’t want salsa they know exactly what ingredients are in it!?

Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.

Ingredients:
- 10 Medium sized Roma Tomatoes (halved across the equator)
- 4-5 Red Chillies, I used dried ones, you can of course stick to the original recipe and use fresh if you have any on hand.
- 1 large Red Onion, peeled and chopped into eighths
- 2 Red peppers, de-seeded and chopped into strips
- 4 large Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed or bruised with the back end of a knife
- 1/4 teaspoon of Smoked Sweet Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Smoked Sea Salt flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
Method:

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C/200 fan. Add the halved tomatoes cut-side up in a large roasting dish. Add the chillies around the tomatoes, then the red onion wedges, strips of red pepper, and the garlic. Season with the salt, paprika and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 40 – 45 minutes, until everything is soft and slightly charred around the edges.

Take out of the oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Pull off the stalks of the chillies and discard. Transfer everything into a large bowl or blender(If using a blender wait 10-15 minutes for the roasted mix to cool down further, to avoid explosions across your kitchen) and blitz with a stick blender or stand blender. Until smooth but with a little chunky texture. Blitz according to preference. Add a little more salt and store in a sterilized jar or wait to cool completely before serving with tortilla chips or spread over a breakfast burrito.

I used this salsa in every way imaginable, to get the best out of it. I spread a generous amount over chicken breasts with garlic, parsley and a lemon juice, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes on high. This was such a great way to add moisture and flavour to the lean and sometimes bland part of the bird.

Let me know in the comments section if you love salsa and the different ways you use it.

Have a delicious week x
March 12, 2018
Fig and Speck Salad with Parmesan Crisps.
This recipe is inspired by two amazing women, Donna Hay, and my sister. My sister texted me some food inspiration when I really had none at all, she had a vision of me making something delicious with luscious figs she spotted in store, with that in mind I recalled a recipe from Donna Hay I have been saving, not sure why though. With Figs in peak season, I knew this was the perfect time to make this gorgeous recipe.

I’ve noticed and made a mental note that the figs I see in store are a lot smaller than previous years, and makes me wonder, if at all, there is some sort of correlation between that and the ongoing drought the City of Cape Town is experiencing.

Recently I have started a journey of mindful eating and fitness, so whilst I won’t be posting as many indulgent recipes any time soon, I will surely not deprive myself, nor you! I am on the hunt for delicious yet healthy recipes. If you have any ideas on how to spruce up healthy foods with ‘oomph’ please do let me know in the comments section, I would love to hear from you!

Fig and Speck Salad with Parmesan Crisps.

Ingredients:
- 4-6 Black Figs, or any figs for that matter
- 4 slices of Speck or prosciutto roughly torn into strips
- 100g Rocket and Baby Spinach
- 5 Samphire sprigs
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 100g Grana Padano, or any other Parmesan
- a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve
Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grate the Parmesan and spread out evenly on a silpat on lined baking tray. Bake for 5-6 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool and harden. To assemble, wash the rocket and spinach and place onto a plate. Place the speck, then the figs and samphire, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Break the Parmesan crisps into shards and add a little salt and pepper. Serve as an entree or snack.

*side note: if it does happen that you have any leftover Parmesan crisps, you can keep it in an airtight container for a week.*

Happy eating and happy weekend! x

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February 23, 2018
Chocolate brownie waffle sticks

We all have that one or in most cases, couple of kitchen appliances that gather up dust in a room or at the back of a cupboard becoming more of a clutter issue than something that can add value to your daily cooking lifestyle. Mine shamefully, is my slow cooker, vegetable steamer and waffle maker. All very useful and handy in their own rite! But take up far too much space on my already tiny kitchen counter.

This week, I’ve cracked out the waffle maker and challenged myself to use each appliance at least once a week for something different, something unconventional. I got the idea from a Food network show called ‘The Kitchen’, Sunny(one of the hosts) made the most delicious looking brownie waffles in a waffle maker! I of course had to try this out with one of my favourite brownie box mixes, I usually don’t do box mixed goodies, but I am such a fan of Nomu, I couldn’t resist the temptation to skip a few steps 🙂

The waffle machine I used is an electronic one. If you hate mess, this comes with a caveat. This might be because I put a little too much batter into the machine, or might be the machine itself, I found the batter drips and funs along the sides of the machine on to my counter. The result however, is a crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside type of texture. I of course added a little bit more chocolate chips to my batter, because chocolate! Chocolate will always be a vice that I would have no restraint over.I made a quick chocolate ganache and a strawberry coulis/syrup to dip the brownie waffle sticks into. You can of course add your own dipping.

Chocolate brownie waffle sticks:

Ingredients:
– 1 chocolate brownie box mix

– Extra chocolate of your choice

– 1 punnet of strawberries

– 1 cup of sugar

– 1/2 cup water

– 4 eggs

– 140g butter melted

– dipping of your choice

Method:
Mix the brownie mix per instruction. Gently stir in extra chocolate chips. Lightly brush the waffle machine with oil or butter to ensure the waffle will easily pull apart from the edges. Heat waffle machine per manufacturers instruction using a big spoon, spoon in a bit of batter in each section and close until the machine notifies you it is ready and cooked. Set aside to cool and serve with a dipping of your choice. To make the strawberry coulis/syrup. Cut the strawberries in quarters and add to a small pot with sugar and water. Cook until macerated and a syrupy consistency is achieved. Drizzle over the waffle and cut into sticks.

**This post is in no way sponsored and projects my honest opinion**

August 18, 2017
Grilled strawberries and cream.

There’s something so unmistakably classic about the combination of strawberries and cream, that will always transcend food trends. That to me is the very definition of classic food. Inspired by the breathtaking food photography and styling in the March issue of delicious Australia, I couldn’t resist recreating this recipe at home. This recipe is by chef Matt Wilkinson for the March issue of delicious.
Like many others scrambling to the stores to indulge in the last little bit of summer produce available before its all vanished off of shelves for a good couple of months and before regret sets in that I didn’t attempt this gorgeous recipe, I knew I had to give it a go!
Grilled strawberries with cream and meringue shards.
Ingredients:
– 250g strawberries

– 1 tsp of olive oil

– Black pepper to taste

– A few basil leaves to garnish

– Vanilla ice cream to serve

– 2 egg whites

– 120g castor sugar
Method:

Preheat oven to 95 degrees C. Starting on the meringue shards first, in a stand mixer or with an electric beater, beat the egg whites until soft peaks have formed. Gradually adding the sugar a little at a time, whilst the mixer is on. Beat until stiff and glossy. On a parchment lined/silpat lined baking tray spread the meringue thinly on the baking tray, and bake for 40 minutes. Break into shards and set aside.
Coat the strawberries in olive oil and a little freshly ground black pepper. On a high heat, sear the strawberries until black grill lines are visible (take care to space the strawberries apart)
Serve with the meringue shards, a scoop or two of ice cream, basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

March 15, 2017
Aubergine fries with a honey balsamic drizzle.
I’ve recently started to broaden my food magazine perusing to international territory, reading online is one thing but I’m a sucker for good old paging through an actual book/magazine. Yes, I know not very Eco-friendly, but I’m tradionalist at heart! Sadly, we don’t have much of a wide selection of food magazines here in South Africa, so because I scour Delicious Australia’s site on a weekly basis, I spotted the UK version and rushed home to immediately page through it( I do love the smell of fresh magazines) I am quite proud of our food mag scene in S.A but there are so many fresh ideas in the international ones I am so excited to try out all before reading the entire magazine, my excitement seems to get the better of me sometimes…

This recipe comes straight out of the September issue of Delicious UK, chosen and submitted by a reader, she described the fries as ‘light, crisp, but not greasy’.

Ingredients:
- 3 medium aubergines/eggplants sliced into batons
- 1Tbsp of Salt
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 250ml iced water
- 90g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 litre sunflower/canola oil for deep frying
- Balsamic glaze to drizzle
Method:

Place aubergines batons in a colander and sprinkle over salt.set over a bowl, then place in a fridge for 1-2 hours so the aubergines can release some of their juices and firm up. When ready, lay out on a kitchen towel/paper, and blot firmly and rub to remove excess salt, then set aside.For the batter, whisk the egg and iced water until frothy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, then slowly add the egg mixture in a thin stream into the flour, whisking to combine. Immediately stop whisking when combined.Heat the oil in a deep large pan, the oil should be approximately 180 degrees Celsius, reduce heat to keep at this temperature. In batches, dip the batons in the batter, and with a slotted spoon lift out to place gently in the oil(always away from you) and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve with balsamic glaze, or like me, you can mix a little balsamic vinegar with honey and drizzle over the fries. As an extra special touch I finely grated Grana Padano Parmesan cheese over the fries, because why not, right?

These fries are life-changing, and such a great substitute to potato fries. The crunch on these fries are incredible, the flavour is that of a natural umami coupled with a sweet twist! I’m hooked! And definitely making these for when I have friends or family over.

Let’s all make Meat-free Monday’s exciting again!

Dominique x
November 14, 2016