Chocolate Truffles

January 28, 2023January 27, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Homemade French-style chocolate truffles. Made with dark chocolate, cream, butter and a touch of brown sugar. These fudgy truffles will just melt in your mouth. They make a wonderful gift or after dinner sweet treat.

At Christmas and for my birthday, during the summer, for the last couple of years, I received a box of chocolate truffles from friends and family, as a gift. The people close to me know just how much I love a good chocolate truffle.

We’ve been working our way through all the confectionery we got recently for Christmas and the other day, I finished the last of my latest box of dark chocolate truffles.

Whilst I was eating them, I thought about making chocolate truffles for the blog. In the past, I’ve made these 3 Ingredient Oreo Truffles, but today I have a classic chocolate truffle for you.

Chocolate Truffles are a decadent treat made from dark chocolate and double cream. These two ingredients, when heated and combined, make a chocolate ganache.

I use ganache to spread on top of Chocolate Fudge Cake, pipe on cupcakes, but in this case, you can roll the ganache once it’s chilled into balls to make truffles.

Making your own chocolate truffles is super easy. This recipe requires a fair bit of patience, as the ganache needs to chill in the fridge for a few hours or even better, up to overnight.

What Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Truffles

Dark Chocolate – I use a supermarket’s own brand chocolate bar. Honestly, you don’t need to spend lots on expensive chocolate – use whatever fits in with your budget. I tend to go for a chocolate that is at least 50% cocoa solids or thereabouts. You can make chocolate truffles with chocolate containing over 70% cocoa solids. These will be slightly more bitter in taste, so bear that in mind.
Double Cream – Full-fat double cream is essential for these chocolate truffles. The cream will make your truffles extra decadent, will give them that soft, melt in the mouth texture.
Butter – Use either salted or unsalted butter – I prefer to use salted butter. The butter adds even more richness and will help make the chocolate truffles easier to roll. Once the truffles come to room temperature ready for serving, the butter, just like the cream, gives them that soft texture.
Brown Sugar – Just a tablespoon of brown sugar brings a touch of extra sweetness to balance out the dark chocolate. You can omit it if you want.

Transfer your chocolate mixture to a shallow baking tin, cover and chill. Chilling time is very important.

The ganache needs chilling for at least 3 hours. I would recommend longer, even up to overnight.

These are indulgently creamy chocolate truffles. The only downside to that is that they’re very sticky when rolling.

Scoop the truffles into 2 teaspoon sized portions. You can roll them smaller and use 1 teaspoon instead and therefore make double the amount of truffles. Roll them as quickly as you can, as soon as the chocolate hits your hand, it will begin to soften/melt slightly, so the trick is to roll as quickly as you can – they don’t need to be the perfect round shape.

Once you’ve rolled your truffles, roll them in sifted cocoa powder. Alternatively, you can roll the truffles in chocolate or colourful sprinkles. Desiccated coconut, chopped nuts, crushed biscuit/cookies, or even some crushed freeze-dried fruit would contrast really well.

Once the truffles are coated, finally, place the truffles back in the fridge again for a further half an hour to set. After that, the wait is finally over and the truffles are ready to eat!

The longer they sit in the fridge, the firmer texture your truffles will have.

These make a lovely edible treat for your friends and family for a special occasion.

Our truffles only lasted just over a day. I loved them even more the next day when they’d been in the fridge overnight and the chocolate flavour definitely intensified.

Chocolate Truffles

Homemade French Chocolate Truffles. The perfect, indulgent chocolate treat made with 4 ingredients.

Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 18

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g dark chocolate use chocolate containing at least 50% cocoa solids
150 ml double cream
25 g butter (salted or unsalted)
1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder for coating the truffles

Instructions

Chop the chocolate into small pieces - the smaller, the quicker the chocolate will melt. Transfer the chopped chocolate to a medium sized mixing bowl.
Place the cream, butter and brown sugar (if using) in a small pan. Heat gently until bubbles just begin to appear on the surface. You don't want this mixture rapidly boiling.
Pour the warm cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Transfer the ganache to a shallow baking tray, cover and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When ready to roll the truffles, sift about a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder on a plate or in a small bowl. Take 2 teaspoons worth of the ganache, very quickly roll into a ball using your hands - try to limit how long the mixture is in your hands. Drop the truffles in the cocoa powder and roll around to coat. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining ganache.
Place the truffles in the fridge to set for a further 30 minutes before serving. The truffles will keep stored in the fridge for up to one week.

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Baking · Dips and Sides · Gluten-Free · Vegan

Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

January 20, 2023January 19, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Spanish-style almonds flavoured with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic. A quick recipe to prepare ready for snacking on.

Almendras Fritas is a traditional Spanish tapa. The almonds are usually fried, but instead I’ve roasted mine and once lightly toasted and still hot from the oven, I’ve mixed the almonds with olive oil, garlic and paprika seasoning, and flaky sea salt.

In Spain, you’ll typically find fried almonds (only seasoned with salt) on the side in bars, ready to devour with a beer or glass of wine.

They also make a fabulous, healthy snack to munch on. They’re perfect for all occasions, whether it be for a mid-morning/midday snack to re-engerise yourself with, or served up at a party alongside other tasty nibbles.

Last summer, I went on a holiday to beautiful Nerja in Andalusia. It was on that trip that I discovered the Spaniards’ love of savoury and sweet nuts.

Walking around most cities or towns, there are many stalls selling warm almonds. We also found a shop that sold caramelised nuts. They took anything from almonds, to cashew nuts, to sunflower seeds and coated these nuts and seeds in caramel – some with salt added too.

I brought back a few packs to eat at home, but this is something I’ve wanted to recreate for the blog since my holiday.

But first, I chose to make a savoury version of roasted nuts.

I intended to share this recipe before Christmas/New Year and wanted to post it alongside these Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels. In the end, time got the better of me, but I made sure this recipe went straight to the top of my 2023 recipe planner.

Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

Spanish-style roasted almonds, flavoured with smoked paprika and garlic.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

300 g raw almonds
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt I use sea salt, but table salt is fine too
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Evenly spread the almonds out on a large baking tray. Toast the almonds for 5-8 minutes until slightly darkened in colour - watch them carefully as the nuts toast very quickly.
While the almonds are toasting, prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic granules, smoked paprika and the salt.
When the almonds are ready, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and the spice mix and toss to combine.
Serve the almonds warm or at room temperature. The almonds will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The recipe makes enough almonds to generously fill a medium sized serving dish and will roughly serve about 6 people.

Deliciously crunchy and each almond has a tasty coating of smoky paprika and garlic.

You’ll find these addictive and will be eating them constantly by the handful…

Similar recipes to try next!

Patatas Bravas – my most popular savoury recipe

Paprika Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels (3 Ingredients)

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Gluten-Free · Main Meals · Rice Dishes · Vegan

Red Lentil Curry with Pilau Rice

May 30, 2022October 5, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.

I’m serving you up not just one recipe, but two with my Red Lentil Curry and Pilau Rice recipes.

I absolutely love Indian food. My friend, Niketa, is from India and, as you’d guess, she makes the most incredible, traditional Indian food. On my visits to her house, she’s cooked me homemade samosas and fried pea kachori, lots of amazing curries and also vegan biryani.

Her food has a beautiful blend of spices and tastes out of this world!

When Niketa isn’t making me her tasty Indian recipes, we love to get into the kitchen and create some of our Indian favourites at home.

We make this Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe very often. Now I’ve turned my attention to perfecting a red lentil curry/dahl. You can’t beat a good curry, whether it be for a quick weekday dinner or a homemade takeaway-style meal at the weekend.

Lentils are a fantastic source of protein for anyone following a vegan lifestyle. I always have a big pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboard and there’s numerous ways to incorporate them into recipes. I make many vegan dishes using red lentils, including pastistio (an amazing Greek pasta bake), vegan bolognese and curries.

Vegan food certainly isn’t boring or repetitive, it’s every bit as tasty and exciting! Lots of vegan recipes are also super affordable and make filling and satisfying meals you’ll want to make again and again.

This lentil curry goes with many different sides. Bombay potatoes, onion bhaji, samosas and rice. We often eat this curry with basmati rice, but make it extra special and serve with pilau rice.

Pilau rice is rice that’s flavoured with bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and turmeric. The last ingredient gives the rice its glorious golden colour. I braise my rice in the oven. This is the method I was taught at culinary school and I’ve stuck to preparing it that way ever since.

Serve the curry with Bombay potatoes, poppadoms or naan bread. I make my homemade naan bread using this recipe

This curry tastes amazing on the day you make it, but if you do happen to have any leftovers, taste the curry the next day – it’s even better!

The amount of times, I’ve made a bigger batch and we’ve had leftovers, all I need is a bit of bread to tear and scoop this curry up with! We’ve even been known to eat this straight from the fridge and spread it in a sandwich!

Serve the curry hot or cold, sprinkle with extra nigella seeds or some chilli or coriander.

Red Lentil Curry with Pilau Rice

Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Red Lentil Curry:

200 g (1 cup) dried red lentils washed and drained
1 vegetable stock cube or pot
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1 medium brown or red onion diced
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger I use frozen ginger for ease
Salt and pepper to taste
3 teaspoons curry powder I use medium curry powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin (ground or seeds)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
3 tablespoons tomato purée
400ml can coconut milk I use full-fat
1 tablespoon mango chutney
2 very generous pinches of nigella seeds (roughly one teaspoon) optional

Pilau Rice:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cardamom pods
5 whole cloves
2-3 bay leaves tear to release even more flavour
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
300 g long grain rice
600 ml boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon baking block or dairy-free spread optional

Instructions

To Make The Red Lentil Curry:

Take the rinsed lentils and add them to a medium saucepan. Add the vegetable stock cube/pot and cover the lentils with boiling water - add enough to just cover and go above the lentils by about 1 cm. Bring up to the boil, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low and gently simmer the lentils for 10 minutes. When the water is absorbed, take the lentils off the heat.
Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger along with salt and pepper for 5 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Add the spices to the pan and toast for a minute until fragrant. Now add the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Add the coconut milk, mango chutney and nigella seeds (if using), stir to combine, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
Now add the lentils to the pan and stir the lentils into the curry sauce. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pilau rice or your choice of sides.

To Make The Pilau Rice:

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a large (oven safe) saucepan on a medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, turmeric and cumin seeds. Gently cook, just toast lightly stirring constantly for a minute until fragrant - be really careful not to overheat the spices.
Now add the rice and toast for another minute and coat thoroughly in the spices. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with the boiling water. Stir the rice, with a fork, turn the heat up to high and leave on the heat until the rice comes up to the boil. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid and braise in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once the rice is ready, remove from the oven and if desired, discard the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and the cinnamon stick. Using a fork, finish the rice by mixing in the tablespoon of dairy-free spread or baking block. Leave the rice on the side with the lid on for 5 minutes to allow the spices to infuse, then serve alongside the curry.
The curry and rice will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chickpea Tikka Masala

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Baking · Breakfast · Gluten-Free · Granola · Vegan

Basic Homemade Granola

March 30, 2022December 16, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next40 Comments

Easy and healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!

Originally posted in January 2015, recipe and photographs updated March 2022.

Looking for an affordable, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe? If so, I have a great granola to share with you – a recipe my Mum created. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it’s what sets you up for the day ahead.

Granola just like cake and cookies is another one of my favourite things to make. Most granola recipes I make usually tend to be crunchier, clustered-style granola, which is typically higher in fat and sugar. But since I like to keep as healthy as I can I wanted to share a healthier and lighter granola that can be eaten for breakfast or that could also even be enjoyed as a nourishing snack.

To make my granola, oats are combined with maple syrup, oil and vanilla, the last ingredient of which is an optional addition, but I love the flavour it adds.

Granola is one of my go-to breakfasts to enjoy before heading to work and my favourite way to eat this granola nowadays is with vegan milk or yoghurt and fresh berries or some sliced banana. If you wanted to try something different you can even layer the granola with yoghurt and fruit compotè in a jar and make yourself a granola parfait.

With this basic recipe you can add anything extra you’d like such as different nuts or even dried fruit like apricots, cranberries or raisins. If you’re a chocoholic just like me you can add chocolate chips once the granola is baked and cooled.

This is a speedy breakfast recipe idea, it takes around 15 minutes to prep ready for the oven and then only needs 10 minutes in the oven to bake!

You can adjust the recipe to your taste, add less or more maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it and add a different mix of nuts/seeds you enjoy – this recipe is super customisable.

The recipe makes one large and one small jar of granola, so plenty to keep you going for breakfast throughout the week and beyond!

Basic Homemade Granola

Healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

350 g jumbo rolled oats
150 g mixed chopped nuts I use 50g of each almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
2 tablespoons milled or whole flaxseeds optional - you can also use other seeds you like
5-6 tablespoons maple syrup
5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil I use rapeseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the oats, chopped nuts and flaxseed (or seeds of choice if using) in a large mixing bowl.
Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla to the oats. Stir the ingredients together until the oats are moistened. Spread the granola out on a large baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
Allow the granola to cool before transferring to a jar or airtight container to store it. The granola will keep for up to a month.

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Gluten-Free · Italian Cuisine · Main Meals · Rice Dishes · Vegan

Roasted Tomato Risotto

August 31, 2021March 11, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Roasted tomato risotto: a gluten-free and vegan dinner. It’s comforting, warming and rich in tomato flavour. Delicious served up in bowls and garnished with fresh basil leaves or crispy garlic breadcrumbs.

As we start to see out the last few weeks of summer, I wanted to share a dinner we’ve loved all summer long. A tasty creamy and flavourful tomato risotto you’re going to want to cook not just in the summer, but throughout the year.

I’ve made a few rice dishes for the blog including Mexican Red Rice (the very first recipe ever posted on this blog), Saffron Rice and Lemon Herb Rice. Apart from sharing these Double Cheese Arancini, I’ve not shared a risotto recipe, which surprises me as risotto is something we eat quite often and a go-to dinner of ours.

If you’re not familiar with risotto, it’s a traditional Northern Italian dish of rice cooked in broth/stock. Traditionally arborio or carnaroli rice is used because these types of rice absorb liquid and release starch, they’re both sticker in consistency compared to long grain rice. It depends on what I have in, but I tend to use arborio, but sometimes I’ll use carnaroli – the latter will produce the creamiest risotto.

I’ve eaten different risotto recipes and my personal favourites include mushroom (risotto ai funghi), butternut squash/pumpkin risotto (risotto alla zucca) and now this tomato version.

We made this risotto only a couple of weeks ago and we enjoyed it so much. Roasted tomatoes are a veggie can’t get enough of, I have them roasted and spread over toast for breakfast, with pasta, on top of polenta or blended up in soup.

The flavour of this risotto reminded me of tomato sauce I used to eat when I was younger, it had sweetness, tangy tomato flavour and the rice/sauce was creamy without needing any butter or cream.

Serve the risotto with some grated cheese (if you’re vegan then just use your favourite dairy-free alternative or nutritional yeast flakes) with a side salad and garlic bread. When we first made this, we ate the risotto with vegan sausages and homegrown green beans and recently with roasted onion and bell peppers.

Dish the risotto up and garnish with some fresh basil leaves or another herb of your choice. I love how vibrant the basil looks on top of the risotto. If you don’t have any basil on hand, even just a sprinkle of dried oregano will look and taste great.

Roasted Tomato Risotto

Roasted tomato risotto is delicious served with a side salad and garlic bread for a dinner your family and friends will love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

325 g baby plum or cherry tomatoes left whole
2 tablespoons olive oil one for the risotto and the other for roasting the tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 red or white onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
300 g risotto rice
500 ml tomato passata
900 ml vegetable stock, plus extra if needed I use a mix of vegetable and white wine stock cubes

Instructions

To prepare the roasted tomatoes: Take the baby plum/cherry tomatoes and place in a small baking dish. Drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil and season well with salt and black pepper. We will roast these later on once the risotto has started cooking.
To make the risotto: Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan (I'd recommend using a frying pan). Over a medium to high heat sauté the onion and garlic for a 2-3 minutes until softened. Season well with salt and black pepper.
Now add the risotto rice to the pan and toast over the heat for another minute.
In a large jug mix together the pasatta and vegetable stock until combined. Turn the heat down slightly and add a ladel of the tomato/stock liquid to the risotto. Keep adding the liquid bit by bit until it's absorbed, stirrring well in between each addition.
Once the risotto has been cooking for about 10 minutes, pop the tomatoes you prepared earlier in the oven at 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes. Once they're ready, take out from the oven ready for later.
Cook the risotto for roughly 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked through, add more boiling water or stock to get the consistency as you desire.
Once the risotto rice is cooked, add 3/4 of the roasted tomatoes and stir through. Serve the risotto in a large bowl or seperate bowls, garnish with the remaining roasted tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Gluten-Free · No-Bake

Passionfruit and Lime Cream Pots

December 1, 2020April 23, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

These 4 ingredient tropical inspired cream pots are flavoured with passionfruit and zesty lime. They’ll make a lovely addition to your Christmas menu.

Happy first day of December! It’s the last month of the year and what a rollercoaster 2020 has been. It’s crazy to think Christmas Day is less than a month away!

Have you started planning your Christmas festivities yet? I’m feeling quite organised this year, I’ve nearly got all my presents sorted out and we have our menu planned. We put our Christmas tree and all the decorations up this past weekend and I’m loving how bright and festive the house is looking with the twinkly lights and ornaments hanging on the tree.

This year we’re going partly vegan ready for starting Veganuary in January. We’ve discovered so many vegan recipes and are excited to find more. My sister and I made some delicious mushroom wellingtons for dinner one evening and they went down so well we decided they’d make a fabulous Christmas dinner, we have those planned to enjoy on Christmas Day along with all the trimmings – aka the best part of a roast dinner!

Last month I shared this divine Terry’s Chocolate Orange Traybake. That cake is super delicious and chocolatey, admittedly I can’t believe anyone could dislike chocolate, I do understand that not everybody likes chocolate as much I do and might be looking for an alternative idea. After a heavy main meal that’s rich in different flavours, it’s nice to end your meal with something light and refreshing.

For this recipe I took inspiration from these Lemon Posset. I’ve changed the flavours by adding a tropical twist and made it into a mousse textured dessert. It’s not like a manufactured mousse, these cream pots have more body and substance.

What gives these cream pots a tropical vibe is the delicious combination of passionfruit and lime. I know passionfruit can be a little pricey but it is Christmas after all and 2020 has been a year with plenty of ups and downs, so we deserve to treat ourselves as much as possible. Passionfruit is one of my favourite fruits, but when paired with a citrus fruit such as lime, it comes to life!

So let me do a run through of how to prepare these cream pots. Don’t worry if you don’t have much experience in the kitchen, this recipe isn’t overly complicated!

Start by straining the passionfruit pulp into a sieve set over a bowl or jug. Discard the seeds and squeeze and stir the lime juice into the passionfruit juice. Heat half the cream with sugar, stir until the sugar has dissolved then bring the cream mixture up the boil and simmer gently for 3 minutes exactly. Once the cream has cooked pour it into the fruit juices and stir – it will thicken up quickly and you’ll now need to leave this mixture to cool for 20 minutes. After it’s cooled, whisk the remaining cream until soft peaks have formed and then fold the passionfruit lime cream into the whipped cream. Fold until there’s no lumps of cream left and then transfer the mixture into your serving dishes.

I use a few recycled ramekins that you get those popular gooey chocolate puddings in (UK readers will know what I’m talking about) and some small glasses that had chocolate hazelnut spread in them. You can use whatever serving dishes you have, even small espresso cups would be great if you’re planning to serve more or want a petit fours sized treat.

A delicious Scottish-style shortbread biscuit is the perfect accompaniment to these tropical cream pots

Serve these cream pots with homemade Shortbread Biscuits. I wasn’t sure whether to add some desiccated coconut to the shortbread dough but in the end I stuck with my shortbread recipe as it’s always popular with my taste testers and this classic biscuit allowed the flavours in the cream pots to take centre stage. But who knows, next time if I’m feeling slightly more adventurous, then I might be tempted to give that idea a try!

Once the cream pots have had at least 6 hours to set (overnight is best as this allows the flavours to develop) they’ll be ready to serve. I recommend taking the cream pots out of the fridge and letting them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy these cream pots as much as we did. They’re a refreshing end to a meal, aren’t too heavy and leave you wanting more!

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 lime, zested

5 passionfruit

100g caster or granulated sugar

600ml double cream

Decoration:

1 passionfruit – spread this out on the top of the cream pots when serving

Fresh berries – blueberries are my favourite to serve with these but raspberries or chopped strawberries taste great

Method:

Firstly start by zesting your lime and set the zest aside for later on. Scoop the flesh from the passionfruit into a sieve that’s set over a bowl or jug. Push the passionfruit pulp through the sieve using the back of a spoon to extract all the juice. Discard the seeds. Squeeze the lime juice into the passionfruit juice and mix together.
Put the sugar and 300ml of cream in a pan. Heat this mixture gently over a medium heat until the sugar has all dissolved, bring the mixture up to the boil and allow it to gently bubble away/simmer for 3 minutes. Take it off the heat and pour into the passionfruit and lime juice stirring to combine. Set this mixture aside to cool for 20 minutes.
Now in a large mixing bowl whisk the remaining 300ml of cream until soft peaks form. Take the passionfruit and lime cream mixture and fold gently into the whipped cream. Finish by folding through the lime zest.
Transfer the mixture into glasses, ramekins or small pots. Loosely cover the tops (make sure the cling film doesn’t directly touch the tops of cream pots) and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight ideally if you have the time.
Serve the chilled cream pots with shortbread biscuits. The cream pots will keep stored and covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Christmas · Dips and Sides · Gluten-Free · Vegan

Caramelised Onion Chutney

November 12, 2020October 5, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Homemade caramelised onion chutney is a tasty addition to a cheeseboard. This onion chutney pairs well with bread or crackers and mature Cheddar cheese.

Making homemade chutney is another Christmas food tradition of mine, every year in November or at the start of December I make a batch of caramelised onion chutney ready to enjoy over Christmas on our festive cheeseboard.

You can change around the flavourings in this chutney to suit your own palate. This time I added wholegrain mustard, smoked paprika and chilli flakes for a little kick of heat. On previous occasions when I’ve made this I’ve added fresh thyme but you can add herbs that you like or have in like thyme or rosemary. You can also add a couple of torn bay leaves for extra fragrant flavour – but remember to remove these before you put your chutney into the jars!

This condiment is extremely popular here in the UK, particularly at Christmas when served on a cheeseboard. I’ve eaten lots of readymade chutney however none of those compare to this wonderful recipe – some usually have sultanas added which is a no-no for me as I despise dried fruit like raisins and sultanas, so making your own allows you make a chutney that’s tailored to your taste requirements.

This chutney is sweet, sticky and delicious spooned on top of a cracker and some sliced cheese. But you don’t just have to serve chutney with cheese and crackers, we ate ours with vegan hot dogs on Bonfire Night last week and also we made a tasty lunch with slices of homemade Irish Soda Bread buttered then topped with sliced cheese and chutney.

Also, just an idea of something I’m planning to make for lunch using this chutney – I’m thinking of toasting a couple of slices of bread, topping the bread with a generous helping of the chutney then topping the chutney with grated cheese to make a yummy cheese toast with a difference.

We also made an epic toasted cheese sandwich only the other day for our lunch and filled the toasties with chutney. There’s loads of different ways of serving this chutney, so go ahead and experiment!

I was dubious sharing this recipe as regular visitors to my blog will be used to me sharing lots of sweet baking recipes, I rarely share savoury recipes but that’s something I like to do from time to time to keep things interesting and cater to different tastes. This recipe isn’t all savoury though, I did manage to incorporate my sweet tooth into this chutney with all the brown sugar that was added…

Lastly, if you’re trying to think of Christmas present ideas for your loved ones, then gifting someone special a jar of homemade chutney is a fantastic and thoughtful gift to include in a hamper.

(Serves 20 / Makes approx. 1 litre)

Ingredients:

1.5kg onions, thinly sliced – sometimes I use red but this time I went for brown onions

2 tablespoons oil – I used olive oil but vegetable oil is fine to use

300g dark or light brown sugar

200ml red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard (optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika – regular paprika is fine to use

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Sauté the onions for 30 minutes until softened and reduced by half – the onions don’t need to colour at this point.
Now add 3 tablespoons of the sugar and continue to cook the onions for a further 10 minutes until they’re starting to turn golden and caramelise.
Next add the remaining ingredients (the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, paprika, salt and the remaining sugar). Cook the onions for a further 30-40 minutes until the liquid has reduced and is generously coating the onions. You can check the chutney is ready because it’ll coat the back of a spoon.
To sterilise the jam jars, place your jam jars in an oven heated at 140°C / 120°C Fan / 275°F / Gas Mark 1 for 10 minutes.
Carefully fill the hot jars with the chutney and leave to cool before securing the lids. The chutney will store at room temperature for up to one year, but once the chutney is opened it will need to be stored in the fridge and will keep for up to two months.

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Baking · Cakes · Chocolate · Gluten-Free

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (Torta alla Gianduia)

December 14, 2018October 7, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next14 Comments

Flourless chocolate hazelnut cake – this Italian cake originates in Piedmont, a region in North-Western Italy known for its hazelnuts. This gluten-free cake is a chocolate lovers dream dessert!

Christmas is now less than two weeks away and if you’re anything like me and want to be organised regarding food this cake will be perfect for an alternative pudding this Christmas Day.

As much as Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year, I’m not the greatest fan of traditional Christmas food. I don’t have the typical Christmas roast dinner as I’m vegetarian and because I’ve never enjoyed mince pies, Christmas cake or pudding that means Christmas Day dessert is usually a creation involving chocolate in some form or another.

Some years we have a yule log, however this year we fancied a change and decided on this classic Piedmontese cake, Torta alla Gianduia.

This torte is simply divine and it has an incredible soft, truffle cake texture that’s simply too hard to resist.

Because this cake is flourless that means it’s suitable for anyone following a gluten-free diet. I was a bit skeptical making this cake, it was one of the first times I’d baked a flourless cake but I was extremely happy with how it turned out! My sister who usually dislikes gluten-free bakes even said this was the only gluten-free cake she has ever liked.

The texture is mousse-like and beautifully light and fluffy – it really does melt-in-your-mouth. You’ll have the urge to eat slice after slice of this cake just like I did!

You know this cake is good because it rivals my favourite chocolate fudge cake. I used Nigella Lawson’s recipe from How To Be A Domestic Goddess, but I used the dark chocolate ganache recipe from SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. The ganache is rich, glossy, silky and has all the qualities a good chocolate ganache should have.

This cake is made differently to the usual cake recipes I make and I love that I’ve discovered a brilliant gluten-free chocolate dessert. I know this cake will most definitely be appearing on our table on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, but I also know it’ll be a year-round favourite for parties and other celebrations.

Serve this showstopper cake with pouring/whipped cream or ice cream. I always serve chocolate bakes with fresh raspberries, but you can also eat it with different berries on the side. If you want you can garnish the top of the cake with extra hazelnuts, chopped or whole.

Torta alla Gianduia is a big hit with my taste testers and I’m sure it will be with yours too! If you adore the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts, then this is the cake recipe for you.

(Serves 10-12)

Ingredients:

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake:

6 large free-range eggs (whites and yolks separated), at room temperature

Small pinch of salt

125g butter (salted or unsalted)

400g chocolate hazelnut spread

1 tablespoon frangelico, rum or water

100g ground hazelnuts (can be substituted with ground almonds)

100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

200g dark chocolate, chopped into 2cm pieces

200ml double cream

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)

Method:

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 23cm / 9-inch springform cake tin with parchment paper and grease well with extra butter. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. In another bowl, beat together the softened butter, chocolate hazelnut spread and the frangelico, rum or water (just a tablespoon of whatever one you’re using) – I used water for a non alcoholic version.
Now mix in the ground hazelnuts and the egg yolks. Fold in the melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a large dollop of egg white – at this point you can beat the mixture as vigorously as you like. Gently fold in the remaining egg white a third at a time, continuing to fold until no egg white is visible in the cake mixture.
Carefully transport the cake mixture into the cake tin, bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is beginning to come away from the sides and a cake tester when inserted into the centre of the cake comes out completely clean without any uncooked batter attached. Leave the cake to cool in the tin completely.
To make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Heat the cream and golden syrup in a small saucepan until bubbles just begin to appear on the surface and just before it starts to come up to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until mostly melted. Now add the butter and continue to stir until smooth. Directly place a piece of clingfilm on the top of the ganache and leave it at room temperature for about two hours until spreadable.
Decorate the cake by covering the top and sides with the ganache. Decorate the cake with chopped, toasted hazelnuts and serve. Keep the cake stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Baking · Gluten-Free · Rice Dishes · Vegetarian Recipes

Lemon Herb Rice

February 22, 2017October 7, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next17 Comments

This one-pot rice pilaf is bursting with Mediterranean flavours! Baked and then garnished with herbs and lemon just before serving – you’ll want to eat this tasty rice straight from the pot!

I love that in food there are memories. Tasting a certain food can transport you back and allow you to reminisce about somewhere you travelled to or a time you really enjoyed and have fond memories of.

That’s exactly what this recipe does for me.

I first had a taste of rice very similar to this a number of years ago on holiday on one of my first visits to the glorious Mediterranean island of Cyprus. My family and I would visit this one restaurant a couple of times during our trip, the restaurant specialised in souvlaki, which consists of various meats and vegetables grilled on a barbecue. Each diner received a massive plate that included a jacket potato, souvlaki meat of your choice such as beef, chicken or pork, a corn on the cob and a small portion of rice. The rice wasn’t just boring plain boiled rice, it was incredibly buttery and rich in sensational flavours.

Greek is one of the many cuisines I really enjoy. A few of my personal Greek food favourites include spanakopita, tzatziki and tiropitakia – we used to buy these from bakeries on the way to the beach and would sit eating these amazing cheesy pastries whilst feeling the gentle sea breeze and sun on us. Just thinking of that I’d desperately like to be transported back there right now!

Wave goodbye to the winter blues by making this rice, it’s sure to bring a touch of sunshine to your day!

We recently enjoyed this rice again served with Greek salad (minus the feta cheese) and some vegetarian sausages. The rice makes a super tasty dinner everyone will love!

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

30g / 2 tablespoons butter

Drizzle of olive oil

1 white onion, diced

2-3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

1-2 dried or fresh bay leaves, torn – tearing the leaves releases the flavour

450g (2 cups) long grain rice

900ml (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

Zest from half a large lemon and a squeeze of the juice

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Few sprigs each of fresh thyme and rosemary, finely chopped

Small handful of fresh parsley (approx. 2-3 tablespoons), finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. In a large ovenproof saucepan over a medium heat melt one tablespoon of the butter and the oil.
Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and a touch of salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and translucent – you don’t want this to colour too much.
Now add the rice and stir until all the grains of rice are moistened by the butter. Then add the stock, cover the saucepan with a lid and allow it to come up to the boil.
Once boiling take off the heat and place in the oven to braise for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is completely cooked through.
Add the chopped herbs, lemon zest and a generous squeeze of the lemon juice and season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
Leave the rice with the lid on and allow the flavours to develop for about 5-10 minutes prior to serving. Garnish the rice with extra chopped parsley if desired.
Rice is best served straight away or at room temperature. Don’t reheat rice more than once. If you’re reheating it check temperature has reached at least 75°C before consuming.

Recipe Notes:

If your saucepan lid is not ovenproof then you can cook this rice in a dish covered with tin/aluminium foil.
If you’re planning to make this rice dairy-free you can substitute the butter for a dairy-free alternative or just use oil.
I’ve tested this recipe out a few times and I’ve found adding the zest from half a large lemon adds more than enough lemon flavour without being overpowering. If you want you can add the zest of the whole lemon if you’re a lemon lover!
This rice doesn’t have to the braised in the oven you can cook it by boiling it the stove top instead if you’d prefer to do that. I baked it as this is how I was taught how to cook the best rice at culinary school. Just check how long your rice needs to cook, each brand can cook differently. There’s nothing nice about overcooked rice and you won’t want this rice to be the texture of rice pudding!
Rice can be eaten on its own but it’s also great served with chicken or fish such as salmon or prawns/shrimp.
This recipe will typically serve 4-6 people generously but it can serve up to 8 smaller portions.

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Gluten-Free · Vegetarian Recipes

Oven Roasted Corn

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016 What Jessica Baked Next7 Comments

Buttery baked sweet corn roasted in the oven until tender. Easy and delicious – this will make a great BBQ side dish.

I love food that transports me back to holidays. I first tried this corn in Cyprus last summer and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. I remember seeing street vendors selling corn and one evening I couldn’t wait any longer and I decided to try some out for myself because it seemed so popular with the locals.

The experience of watching the corn be prepared was not like any way I’d seen it done before. I watched as the man removed the cooked corn from a large pot of water then he started to charr it on a grill. The next step is what left me completely puzzled, the man started to use a hairdryer! Presumably this is used to help speed up the cooking process and make the corn crisp?

So after all that malarkey I finally got a chance to try it and it was love at first bite. I adored the sweet and salty flavour and the caramelised butter. We enjoyed it so much that every time we headed to the supermarket to get groceries I would pick up some sweet corn and recreate the corn I had from the street vendor. Even my sister who used to dislike corn now can’t get enough of it, that’s why I knew this recipe was a winner and one I wanted to share in time for the summer.

To prepare it take each corn and place in a piece of aluminium foil, season generously with salt and pepper and then top with a tablespoon of butter. Wrap it all up and then bake for 20 minutes in the foil, then uncover and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until it’s starting to colour slightly.

My corn recipe is a much easier and simpler version of the original. It doesn’t require much effort to make and the oven does all of the work, which means you can spend more time outside enjoying the weather rather than being stuck inside a hot kitchen. If you want you can cook it on the barbecue, it will be equally as delicious.

This corn makes a great side dish for the upcoming BBQ season. It goes brilliantly with burgers, chicken and ribs. I love this simple and inexpensive recipe and so will you – you’ll be making it all summer long! 🙂

Ingredients:

4 sweetcorn or 8 cobettes

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180 Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Line a baking dish with aluminium foil and evenly spread out the corn. Top with butter and season well with salt and black pepper. Cover and seal the corn in the foil, then roast for 20 minutes. Uncover the corn and continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the corn is lightly coloured and the butter is starting to caramelise.
Before serving brush corn with excess melted butter. Serve immediately. The corn is delicious served both hot or cold.