Author: WorldGourmetHome

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Chocolate Fondue Recipe

A simple and fun dessert idea that only takes minutes to make!

Did you know? The Chocolate Fondue was actually invented in New York City and not Switzerland.

Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur in NYC, created it in the 1960s as he wanted to add a dessert version of the fondue to his menu. The rest, as you know, is history.

What you’ll need:

  • 180g high quality chocolate (dark or milk, depending on your preference
  • 80g heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of himalayan or sea salt
  • Optional – 2 tablespoons kirsch, brandy or Cointreau (leave this out if you’re preparing a kid-friendly version)

How to make it:

  1. Put all the ingredients other than the liqueur in the top of your double boiler (or in a bowl of a makeshift double boiler).
  2. Heat the water to a simmer, then stir the chocolate constantly till everything is melted. Ensure no water gets into the mixture, otherwise the mixture will curdle.
  3. Add the liqueur just before serving and stir to combine.
  4. Put it into a fondue pot or ceramic dish, and serve with a variety of cut fruits, marshmallows and pretzels!
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Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Hearty and flavoursome, this Moroccan stew recipe combines the goodness of tender lamb, aromatic spices, sweet apricots and vegetables — gently simmered over two hours. Don’t fret if you don’t have a tagine/tajine – this dish can also be prepared in a dutch oven or casserole!

What you’ll need

  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground tumeric
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 kg lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, cut in chunks
  • 4 tbsps olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 600ml lamb, chicken or vegetable stock
  • 200g tinned chopped tomatoes with juice
  • 100g dried apricots, halved
  • 60g sliced almonds
  • 1 tsp saffron
  • 1 small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

How to make it

  1. Place black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine.
  2. Place the lamb in a ziplock bag and toss together with the spice mix. Marinate overnight or at least 6 hours in the fridge.
  3. Heat olive oil. Add the sliced onions and carrots and cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured.
  4. Add lamb and lightly brown. Add garlic. saute together for 3 minutes.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes, apricots, flaked almonds, saffron, and stock. Bring to the boil, cover with lid, and cook on low heat for 2 hours or until the meat is soft and tender.
  6. Sprinkle over chopped herbs and serve.

Notes:

  • If you don’t have a tagine, this dish can also be made in a casserole or dutch oven.
  • In addition to the above spices, you can try adding ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cardamom and cumin too.
  • In addition to apricots, you can also include other dried fruits such as raisins and prunes.
  • This dish goes lovely with the batbout – a moroccan pita bread, as well as a zesty Moroccan salad.
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Rustic Carrot Swirl Bread

Freshly baked bread with carrot swirl

The carrot is such a beautiful and wholesome ingredient. When baked as a bread, the carrot exudes an irresistible hue and injects a subtle sweetness. Try this simple recipe to infuse a healthy and fun twist to your regular bread loaf, with a beautiful swirl of carrot dough!

What you’ll need:

White Bread Dough

  • 150 ml milk (room temperature) 
  • 15 g sugar
  • 3 g dry instant yeast 
  • 10 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 200 g bread flour 
  • 5 g salt

Carrot Dough

  • 50ml carrot juice (bottled or freshly pressed and nicely filtered)
  • 5g sugar
  • 1g dry instant yeast
  • 3g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 60g bread flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

How to make it:

White Bread Dough

  1. Dissolve sugar in warm milk then stir in the yeast. Rest for 10 mins until mixture becomes foamy.
  2. Add the mixture, bread flour and salt into a stand mixer bowl.
  3. Attach the kneading hook onto the stand mixer and combine all ingredients on low speed 1.
  4. When all ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to 5 or 6 and knead the dough for 20 minutes, until smooth.
  5. Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl.
  6. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F(30°C) or until doubled the size.

Carrot Dough

7. While the white dough is resting, make the carrot dough using the same steps for the white dough above. Ensure the carrot juice is slightly warmed before mixing with the sugar and yeast in step 1.

Combining the Two Doughs

8. Punch the doughs down. Using a rolling pin, roll out roughly to separate rectangles.

9. Place the carrot dough on top of the white dough, then roughly roll the doughs together. Fold the dough at the sides tightly, then place in a greased loaf tin.

10. Cover the combined rolled dough with a wet cloth and stand for 30 minutes.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 365 °F/ 185°C for 25-30 minutes

12. When the dough has risen to be level with the tin, it’s ready to bake.

13. Remove the bread from the tin and cool it down on a rack.

Notes:

  • Have fun and replace the carrot juice with other brightly coloured vegetable or fruit juice (make sure it’s been filtered if freshly pressed).
  • Never mix salt into the yeast mixture as salt slows down yeast fermentation

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Pomegranate Molasses

Molasses of Pomegranate

An essential ingredient for Middle-Eastern cooking, you would be surprised at how easy it is to make pomegranate molasses and how versatile it is!

What you’ll need:

  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 25g sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

What to do:

  1. Bring the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice to boil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the juice boils, reduce the heat to low.
  2. Let the mixture simmer for about an hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
  3. To check if the molasses is ready, dip a spoon into the molasses. It is done when the molasses coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Turn off the heat and cool before pouring into a jar. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
  5. Store in fridge for 3-6 months.

Notes:

Use as a topping on ice-cream or yoghurt, to dress a salad or to marinate meats! You can also mix it with orange juice and soda for a refreshing mocktail!

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Lapis Legit/Kue Lapis/Thousand Layer Cake

Kueh Lapis (Thousand Layer Cake)

Lapis Legit, also known as the “thousand layer cake”, literally means “sweet layer cake” in Indonesian.

This delicate and delicious cake was first introduced to Indonesia during its Dutch colony days, and ironically can hardly be found in Holland today.

Ultimate patience is key to creating this masterpiece, comprised of 15-20 layers, baked layer upon layer. A complicated process indeed but well worth the effort, for it brings both the baker and gourmet lover absolute delight when making its grand entrance.

Its ingredients are as noteworthy as its elegant look – a high ratio of butter and eggs to flour, and an eclectic mix of spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and anise. Because of its rich decadence (aka high fat content), thin slices are usually served, often as a snack, and to be enjoyed with tea and coffee.

Makes 1x20cm (8 inch) square cake

What you’ll need

  • 250 g high quality Dutch butter (cold and cut into pieces, plus extra to butter the layers while baking)
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 8 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 185g cake flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 3 tbsp rum
  • 2 tsps vanilla essence

What to do

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees/ 325 degrees F.
  2. Generously butter the cake pan, then line the base with baking paper and brush with melted butter. Dust with flour and tip out excess.
  3. Sift flour and spices together.
  4. Egg yolk mixture: Whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until light and thick
  5. Butter mixture: Cream butter with 3/4 cup sugar, rum and vanilla
  6. Meringue mixture: Whisk egg whites on medium speed till foamy, then add rest of sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form
  7. Mix egg yolk and butter mixtures together
  8. Fold in flour, followed by the meringue mixture
  9. Measure approximately 1/3 cup of batter and spread onto the baking tin with a spatula. Tap the tin to remove air bubbles and also to ensure a thin, even layer. Bake the first layer until firm, about 10 minutes.
  10. Turn the oven to grill mode, then grill until brown, about 30-40 seconds.
  11. Brush with butter.
  12. Spread a second layer, tap the tin, cook for 10 minutes and repeat the above process for all subsequent layers until all the cake batter is used up.

Notes:

  • Between each layer, press the cake down well using a spatula or fondant press.
  • If you spot any air bubbles as you are baking the layers, poke them with a toothpick
  • Let the flavours continue to develop and it will taste best after 3-4 days.
  • Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for 3 weeks.

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Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine

Poached Pear in red wine and spices

Simple and elegant, this dessert accentuates the floral aroma of the pear, by simmering it in red wine and beautiful spices.

What you’ll need:

  • 5 medium sized firm pears (these were made with Packham pears)
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

What to do:

  1. Put the spices, wine and vanilla extract in a saucepan
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer
  3. Peel the pears just before the poaching liquid is ready and add them in to avoid any discolouration
  4. Ensure pears can fit snugly in the saucepan as there needs to be enough room for the pears to be submerged.
  5. Poach the pears on low heat for 20-30 minutes, and rotate them every now and then to ensure they poach evenly on all sides, including the tops.
  6. Allow the pears to cool down in the poaching liquid, then remove the pears.
  7. Reduce the poaching liquid on low heat till it becomes a syrup, coating the back of a spoon.
  8. Serve pears chilled or at room temperature. Drizzle with syrup and serve with vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream or mascarpone cheese.

Notes:

  • For variations, add citrus peels or swop the red wine out for white wine
  • Do not overuse the spices, to prevent them from overpowering the pear’s sweet fragrance
  • Serve with walnuts or almond to give this dessert an additional layer of texture!
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Sweet Potato Mousse Recipe

Murasaki Imo Taruto

Sweet Potato Mousse Recipe⁠
⁠
What you’ll need:⁠
200g sweet potato, skinned and cut into 1 inch rounds⁠
1 tbsp sugar⁠
10g unsalted butter ⁠
1 tsp vanilla essence⁠
1 tbsp maple syrup⁠
⁠
What to do:⁠
1) Soak the peeled and cut sweet potatoes in water for about 10 mins to eliminate any raw, bitter taste⁠
2) Rinse the sweet potato pieces and boil in water until tender⁠
3) Drain and mash (or puree) while it’s still hot⁠
4) Add the sugar, butter, cream, maple syrup and vanilla essence while it’s still hot⁠
5) Pass through a sieve⁠
4) Pipe onto shortbread⁠
⁠
Enjoy as a snack or dessert! ⁠

Notes: ⁠

  • Purple sweet potato is pictured here, but any variety of sweet potato will work. Go for the moister, sweeter varieties for a more aromatic product.⁠
  • Get the kids involved with the piping!