The Corkless Mind

Tag: dessert

  • Banana and Date loaf.


    I love bananas and always end up buying way more than I actually need. So if you, like me find yourself with too many slightly overripe bananas than this is the perfect solution for you. Of course you could do just about anything else with overripe bananas like, banana flapjacks as seen previously on Off Beet Blog, or separate the batter into a muffin tin to make smaller portions of the tasty loaf. I sometimes mash up one or two into a granola bar mix of which I make on a weekly basis. 
    Recreating classics is what excites me although mindfully keeping the said ‘classic’s’integrity in tact.The recipe is from Woolworths Taste by Clement Pedro, who is now on Afternoon Express as their resident Chef. As always, I tweaked the recipe and added two more bananas, chopped walnuts and dried Medjool dates. I love the added texture the dates and the walnuts lend to the banana loaf,that said it has a ‘cake like’ soft texture too. I added a few Pomegranate rubies for a pop of colour, why not?


    The photos were taken yesterday at noon once again. As you can tell by now this is one of my favourite times to shoot during the day. Natural light was rather moody with it being overcast out but with a few reflector boards perfectly positioned, a white sheet on the table to create texture and bounce the light I made it work. 

    Happy baking! 🙂 

  • Nigella’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Pots.

    Nigella’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Pots.

    Naturally I love cooking and baking things that I love to eat, I think that is one of very few secrets of good cooking, that and simplicity. I love Nigella Lawson’s style of cooking it’s quick and no fuss, humbling yet soulful. I don’t think anyone could resist a ‘straight out of the oven’ freshly baked Chocolate chip cookie, never mind eating the raw cookie dough out of the mixing bowl. 

    This recipe is from Nigella’s latest cookbook titled ‘Simply Nigella’ there are so many recipes I simply must try when I gift myself this aesthetically inviting book! I’ve read that the book is something of a celebration of life. 


    Lying in bed dreamily yearning for summer and listening to Nigella’s latest series of podcasts(Summer Sound Bites) all I can think of is entertaining this summer. The thought of laughter together with cocktails and good food shared with family and friends, definitely excites me and makes my heart smile. 


    As always, I added a little something extra, a touch of Nutella in the middle to make the cookie that more gooey and indulgent. The recipe for the Chocolate chip cookie pots is up on Nigella’s website.

  • Buttery Popcorn Ice cream

    Buttery Popcorn Ice cream

    Popcorn ice cream with a dark miso caramel

    I’ve been wanting to recreate this recipe for some time now, and it’s just another excuse to use my awesome Ice cream attachment for my mixer. Combining two things I just can’t go without… 
    I’m a frequent cinema goer and for me no movie is complete without my tub of butter flavoured popcorn, the same can be said for long walks on the Promenade on a gorgeous sunny day with my favourite local artisanal ice cream. I love all the effort that goes in to making good ice cream, however it is rather complicated if tempering egg yolks is not your thing then may I suggest a no-churn ice cream, something which Nigella Lawson masters quite effortlessly, amidst many other things! (Spot the Nigella fan) Thus I can only aspire to being consistently great at making ice cream, I will however leave it to the experts. I found that the fat in the butter and double cream, if not passed correctly through a sieve and at the exact temperature it needs to be when churning, can create clumps in the mixture and thus gives a ‘sticking to your palate’ type of feel (face palm) I decided to add copious amounts of the most umami caramel I’ve ever had to make it acceptable for consumption and of course styling. I made a really dark caramel with a touch of miso and flaked sea salt. I quite like taking the caramel further, again it all depends on your palate. I love how the miso complements the dark velvety smooth caramel and makes it even more indulgent! The correct recipe can be found in the book NOPI by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully. I however used a basic ice cream guideline and deviated from there… When deviating sometimes is not the right idea, and  I certainly learned that. 

    Styling tip 101: if making a dish for a shoot that needs to be styled, the dish should look appealing and equally taste good if you want great results for the shoot. If all else fails, try and style the dish to look like the desired result that you require by (like me, if you made ice cream) drizzling over caramel or chocolate sauce with a few toppings like 100s/1000s sprinkles or chopped up chocolate or flaked/ toasted nuts or berries. 

    Popcorn ice cream with a miso dark caramel

    The photos were taken yesterday morning, taking advantage of the perfect light in my living room and that my partner was home yesterday to help pour over the caramel whilst I shoot. This I call a win-win! 

  • Not your average doughnut

    Not your average doughnut

    I always crave doughnuts, it’s my absolute go to, like ice cream I never say no to either! These are only just a few on my list of comfort food dishes. 

    The doughnuts in the post were purchased (yes, I know store bought) shamefully so, they taste just as good anyway. Lately there’s been something of a doughnut frenzy in South Africa, with Krispy Kreme finally making its way to our shores, and a dessert bar called My Sugar in Sea Point, that creates the most insane looking doughnuts and milkshakes. With that in mind I thought I would take inspiration from all the doughnut hype and put together a few that is so easy to recreate at home with some of the store bought treats. 

    I really wanted to show how the meringue frosting should look when ready to spread over the doughnut, stiff glossy peaks is what you need. I also think that it looks so pretty gracefully glossed over the balloon whip. Please pardon the reflection in my mixer bowl, I’m not quite there yet with editing…
    The photos I took are just after 13:00 and styled and set in my usual little corner in my living room. 

  • Unusual Suspects: Celery.

    Unusual Suspects: Celery.

    For as Long as I can recall has this tall green beauty been overlooked as just a snack for dieting fundies, a flavour packed punch for many a mirepoix or that dreadful ants on a log image that comes to mind. Celery is a vegetable that derives from the Apiaceae family. That being the same family as carrot, parsley and coriander. Prior to writing this post, I had no clue that there were so many health benefits attributed to Celery. Packed with Vitamins A, C, and K and also contains folate and potassium which is good for cardiovascular health. 

    Today I decided to put this hardworking underdog on a much deserved pedestal. Instead of going the traditional inside the box route of just using celery for savoury dishes, I wanted its true beauty and potential to shine through in a dessert. This refreshing recipe is straight from Food52
    Waste not want not tip: don’t throw away the sprouting inner little ribs of the celery, remove the core place in a glass jar with a little water, just covering the base of the core and leave to fully sprout for a week then transplant into potting soil, and just like that you’re growing your very own celery! Those lush green aromatic leaves are also perfect scattered over a simple salad to add texture and taste! 

    The Granita recipe from Food52, is tweaked of course, I added fennel and Apple. I might have said this before, but I like using recipes only as a guide and adding my own unique twist to it. I think this is how one discovers what kind of cook you are. 
    The photos were taken in the early morning, with some much needed sunshine. Nothing beats natural light, especially in the early morning. I find this is when I take most of my shots that I love. 

  • Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    This week to compensate for no ‘unusual suspects’ installment, I’ve been fixated with coconut and lime, so very versatile, from sweet to savoury there’s no limit to what you could do with these beautiful tropical ingredients. Even though it’s full on winter, during the day the sun has been making quite an appearance however with a bitter cold snap lingering. With that in mind, my palate needed some relief from the wintery, hearty stews and rich soups. Inspired by the rich and creamy texture and earthy flavour of coconut and infatuated by the perfumed zesty flavour profile of Lime, I made a coconut and lime Panna Cotta.
    The recipe is a simple Panna cotta one, of which I borrowed off of Delicious. Possibly one of my favourite sites at the moment, so many ideas and inspiration that keeps changing on a weekly basis. I tweaked the recipe a bit to taste. That’s the best thing about recipes, they are mainly guidelines to which you can make it your own and experiment.

    I took these photos in two different sessions in the same day, so as to get an indication for when the best time for the best kind of light is (in winter that is)…  Respectively taken Early morning and late afternoon. I find I am still trying to figure out my style of shooting and styling, this may take some time together with experience.

    I used toasted coconut shavings, coconut milk and lime zest as a garnish.

    “What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good foodies a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn . I love it!” – Jamie Oliver.