Pistachio & Raspberry Financiers with Raspberry Sauce

Recipe Exclusively for WhyNut by Littleloaf

(makes 12)

If you’ve been making a lot of custard or ice cream recently, these little cakes are the perfect way to use up all those leftover egg whites. Light and bite-sized, financiers make for an elegant tea-time treat with their signature flavour of nutty brown butter. They also make a wonderfully simple dessert – as shown here - drizzled with a simple summery sauce, topped with whipped cream and a scattering of crunchy pistachio nuts.

Ingredients:

For the financiers

90g unsalted butter

120g icing sugar

40g plain white flour

Pinch salt 

4 large free range egg whites

85g Why Nut pistachio paste

50g ground almonds

12 - 24 raspberries (depending on size)

For the raspberry sauce

120ml water

100g caster sugar

250g raspberries

To serve (optional)

Whipped cream

Pistachios, chopped

Method:

For the financiers:  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease 12 small financier moulds (a cupcake/muffin pan will also work well).

·         Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
·         Once melted, continue cooking until the milk solids begin to brown and the butter smells nutty.
·         Remove from the heat, strain through a mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
·         Sift together the icing sugar, flour and salt.
·         In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until lightly frothy.
·         Whisk in the pistachio paste and ground almonds, followed by the cooled brown butter.
·         Lightly fold in the flour and icing sugar mixture with a large spoon.
·         Divide the batter between your moulds and place one or two raspberries in the centre of each, depending on how much space you have.
·         Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until lightly brown and slightly springy to the touch.
·         Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the moulds for 5 minutes before turning out. Dust with icing sugar.

For the raspberry sauce

 
·         In a medium pan, bring the water and sugar to the boil.
·         Lower the heat and continue to cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
·         Add the raspberries and cook for another minute, then blend the whole mixture until smooth before passing through a fine mesh sieve to remove any last bits.

     

      To serve

·    Place financiers on individual plates. Pour over the raspberry sauce and top with a little whipped cream and chopped pistachios, if using.

Tips:

       The fat in the pistachio paste replaces some of the butter in this recipe, but is not a substitute. The combination of ground pistachios and nutty brown butter is what gives these lovely little cakes their amazing flavour.

It’s very easy to burn brown butter so cook it carefully, never using more than a medium heat to achieve a rich, amber colour. As soon as it looks done, remove from the heat and strain: If you leave the butter in the pan it will continue to cook and may burn.

Pistachio and raspberry is a perfect combination for the summer months. When the weather gets a little colder, why not try substituting the pistachio paste with Why Nut hazelnut paste, adding a few chocolate chips to each financier instead of the raspberries?

Pistachio Soufflé

Recipe Exclusively for WhyNut by Littleloaf

Makes 4 ,

Standard size ramekins (9 cm diameter, 5 cm height)

The ultimate dinner party dessert, the perfect soufflé has edges that are puffed like a pillow with a middle that melts in your mouth. It also has a reputation for being tricky to make, but if you follow the simple steps below we promise that pistachio soufflé perfection will be yours before long.

Ingredients:

For the pastry cream

3 large free range egg yolks

35g golden caster sugar

15g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

120ml milk 

40g WhyNut pistachio paste

For the soufflés 

25g unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 quantity of pastry cream (see above)

3 large free range egg whites

35g golden caster sugar

Method: 

For the pastry cream

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. 
• Sift in the flour and vanilla paste and whisk for a further minute, making sure there are no lumps.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 100ml milk to the boil then remove immediately from the heat.
• Leave to cool for one minute, then gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture. 
• Return the whole lot to the saucepan and cook for about 3 minutes over a medium heat - whisking continuously - until thickened. 
• Remove from the heat, cover with a layer of cling film to prevent a skin forming and set aside to cool.
• Once the pastry cream is cool, whisk together the pistachio paste and remaining 20ml milk then fold together until smooth.

For the soufflés

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Brush four ramekins with melted butter, dragging the pastry brush in upwards strokes (this will help the soufflés to rise). 
• In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and caster sugar, then use to dust the inside of each ramekin.
• In a large, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm. Add the sugar and whisk again until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Using a metal spoon, stir one quarter of the whisked egg whites into the pistachio pastry cream (this will help to loosen the mixture) before carefully folding in the remaining egg whites.
• Divide the mixture between your prepared ramekins, then use a palette knife to level the tops. 
• Wipe the rim of each ramekin clean by placing your thumb on the rim and rotating it. This will help to ensure an even rise.
• Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until golden and risen. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately. ENJOY !!!

Tips: 

• Use eggs at room temperature for the best results. It’s hard to achieve the perfect lift with cold egg whites.
• Dusting the ramekins with a mixture of cocoa and sugar helps achieve extra lift and also adds a lovely crunchy texture and sweet, chocolaty flavour.
• This recipe uses an equal number of egg whites and yolks. To make an even lighter soufflé, use one or two additional egg whites and save the yolks for ice cream (link to ice cream recipe).
• For the ultimate indulgence, place four scoops of ice cream (chocolate, hazelnut or even pistachio for a double hit of nutty flavour) on a tray and freeze until firm. 
• Fill each ramekin half way with soufflé mixture, top with a frozen ball of ice cream then continue as per the recipe above.
• Chocolate and pistachio are perfect partners. Try stirring a handful of chocolate chips into the batter or serve each soufflé with an individual jug of hot chocolate sauce or a scoop of cold ice cream.

Pistachio & White Chocolate Macarons (Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate alternative)

Recipe Exclusively for WhyNut by Littleloaf

Makes about 30

If you have ever eyed up the incredible displays of multi-coloured macarons in Ladurée, now’s the time to have a go at making these beautiful sweet treats yourself.

Macaron-making isn’t easy, so below you’ll find what we hope is a simple, foolproof recipe. Once you've mastered the basic art, feel free to experiment by introducing a percentage of ground pistachios or hazelnuts to the mixture or changing up the ingredients in the buttercream. And keep an eye out for our macaron recipe using the cooked Italian meringue method, coming soon.

Ingredients:

For the ganache

125g white chocolate, chopped

75ml double cream

45g WhyNut pistachio paste

For the macarons

175g icing sugar

90g ground almonds

7g natural green foodcolouring powder (optional)

90g egg white (about 3 eggs)

60g caster sugar

Method:

• Start by making the ganache filling. Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit for one minute then stir until smooth and combined. Stir in the pistachio paste and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Line two large trays with baking parchment.
• Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the icing sugar, ground almonds and food colouring (if using) into a clean, dry bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites and caster sugar to form a meringue that is thick and glossy, but not dry. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture until smooth and combined.
• Use the mixture to fill a large piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe the macarons onto your two trays in shallow discs, about the size of a two pound coin.
• Hold the tray (and baking parchment!) firmly and tap once on the worksurface. This will help to get rid of any trapped air bubbles and even out the macarons. Leave uncovered for 15 minutes, then bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until the macarons can be easily peeled away from the parchment paper using a palette knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• To finish your macarons, transfer the ganache to a small piping bag. Pipe a small amount of ganache onto the underside of one macaron shell then sandwich together with the other half, squeezing gently. Repeat until all the shells are filled, then leave to set at room temperature for a couple of hours, or pop in the fridge to firm up quicker.

Tips:

• Egg whites that are a few days old can help create a more stable macaron mixture. If you’ve made an ice cream custard, why not try leaving the leftover egg whites for a couple of days before making macarons?
• Don’t be tempted to tip the ground almonds straight into the mixture without sifting. It will take a few minutes to do but is absolutely necessary for a smooth mixture and even bake.
• To help keep your macarons a uniform size, trace circles onto the underside of your baking parchment using a two pound coin to act as a guide.
• If any of the macarons have a little bump on the top where your nozzle has made contact, use a slightly damp finger to tap it down.
• Macarons taste even better the day after baking when the creamy filling and soft meringue have had a chance to melt into each other: the perfect contrast to the crisp outer shell.
• For a hazelnut and dark chocolate version, replace the green food colouring with natural brown food colouring and substitute white with dark chocolate and pistachio paste with hazelnut in the ganache.

Egg-less Ice Cream (Pistachio or Hazelnut)

Recipe Exclusively for WhyNut by Littleloaf

Custard based ice creams are delicious, but if you’re looking for a cleaner, creamier flavour, this eggless recipe might just be the one for you. Egg-free ice creams can come out a little icy, so here we’ve used corn flour (or starch) to thicken the mixture and absorb any extra water, resulting in soft, smooth ice cream where the nut flavour really shines through.

Ingredients:

500ml full fat milk, divided
250ml double cream
125g caster sugar
15g corn flour (starch)
50g full fat cream cheese

Pinch salt
70 - 85g Why Nut pistachio or hazelnut paste

Method:

• Create an ice bath by adding ice cubes to a shallow dish of water or sink big enough to accommodate the bowl containing the cream cheese, below.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the corn flour and 2 tbsp milk until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and salt.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk, double cream and caster sugar and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat once boiled and whisk in the corn flour mixture.
• Return the saucepan to the heat and cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Pour the warm mixture into your cream cheese, a little at a time to avoid any lumps. Whisk in the Why Nut pistachio or hazelnut paste until thoroughly combined, adding between 70 – 85g to taste.
• Place the large bowl containing your ice cream mixture into the ice bath, stir until cool then chill the mixture in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, preferably overnight.
• Churn the ice cream according to your manufacturer’s instructions.

Tips:

• Corn flour (or starch) is a natural thickener which absorbs the water in the ice cream base, preventing ice crystals from forming. Make sure to mix it with a little milk s instructed before adding to the wet ingredients to prevent any lumps.
• The addition of cream cheese is a technique borrowed from ice cream expert Jeni Britton Bauer. If you’re looking for more egg-free ice cream ideas, make sure to check out her book Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
• To make a ‘stracciatella’ version of this ice cream, melt 150g milk or dark chocolate with one tablespoon of vegetable or coconut oil and drizzle slowly through the opening at the top of your ice cream maker when the ice cream has almost finished churning. Allow to churn for a couple of minutes longer so the chocolate breaks up then transfer to a container and freeze. 

Custard-Based Ice Cream (Pistachio or Hazelnut)

Recipe exclusively for WhyNut by Littleloaf 

Elegant, rich and smooth, custard-based ice cream is a classic. Here we have included a little skimmed milk powder which contributes to an even smoother, almost mousse-like texture. Perfect eaten on its own in a cone or sprinkled with a few chopped nuts, for crunch.

Ingredients:

400ml full fat milk
200ml double cream
3 tbsp skimmed milk powder
Pinch salt
115g caster sugar, divided
4 large free range egg yolks
70 – 90g Why Nut pistachio or hazelnut paste

Method:

• Create an ice bath by adding ice cubes to a dish of water or sink big enough to accommodate the medium bowl, below.
• In a saucepan, warm the milk, cream, skimmed milk powder, salt and 60g caster sugar over a medium heat until the sugar and milk powder are completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 50g caster sugar.
• While the milk mixture is still warm, gradually pour into the egg yolks, whisking continuously. Scrape the whole mixture back into your saucepan.
• Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula. Remove from the heat and strain back into the medium bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
• Whisk 70g Why Nut pistachio or hazelnut paste into the mixture. Taste a small amount and, if you like it a little stronger, add up to 20g more paste.
• Place the bowl in your ice bath and whisk until cool. Refrigerate the mixture for a minimum of two hours – or preferably overnight – then churn according to your ice cream machine manufacturer’s instructions.

Tips:

• The addition of skimmed milk powder helps to stabilize the emulsion by absorbing the extra water in the ice cream. This produces a beautifully smooth texture, giving body to the ice cream without the addition of too much extra fat. Skimmed milk powder is available in most supermarkets or online.
• The perfect custard requires patience and should be cooked slowly over a gentle heat to prevent splitting. Make sure the mixture never comes to the boil and stir constantly for the best results.
• The amount of nut paste used can be adjusted to taste. Remember that when the custard is frozen the flavour is muted slightly, so you want your mixture to taste a little stronger and sweeter than you might think before it is churned.

Macaroons or Macarons - delicious either way!

I have seen and heard about macarons  (I am not going discuss the etymology or the meaning of the word, as the British seem to use either Macarons and macaroons to describe the same thing) long before I tasted them - maybe I was unfashionably late to start enjoying these little delicacies ! My first encounter was on a trip to Dublin three years ago. We were lucky to be staying at the Shelbourne Hotel by the Stephen's Green. In the afternoon tea, they were serving wonderful pastries, including  macarons.

High Tea at the Shelbourne Dublin

I didn't think of it much at first, I thought it just looked pretty, but it was unexpectedly delicious as well. The slightly crisp outside, melt in the mouth inside and the creamy filling- overall quite impressive...Then again, another surprising encounter in the famous Brown Thomas which had a Laudree concession - despite the hefty price tag, I got a small box. With Laudree, I think it is more than the macarons you are buying into - the feeling of having a piece of a luxurious, indulgent Parisienne patisserie. Another famous French institution synonymous with macarons is Pierre Herme, who owns boutiques in Selfridge's and Lowdnes Street in London.





Pierre Herme at Selfridge's London

 

If you don't want to pay as much, good supermarkets like M&S (£10 for 24 mini macarons), Waitrose (Maison Blanc Macarons, £ 6.79 for 12) are also selling macarons . They have become so popular now that even they may be coming to a McDonald's near you !!!

Mc Macaron - Whatever next ?!!!

However, the best must be making it yourself !! I always thought it a daunting task to turn out those beautiful round discs - after my first trial, I realised even if they are not perfect looking, they can still be yummy ! My customers were always making macarons and using WhyNut Pastes for flavouring their cream fillings. So I thought, I better learn how to make them myself. I wanted to it to be an experience as well and attended a course at OnCafe. Loretta Liu, the owner, was great and they make the most delicate, light and impressively decorated macarons in their premises in London.

OnCafe's Easter Macarons

 

 

Making macarons, was especially a straightforward task when all the ingredients were measured and laid out and someone else was doing the clearing and washing! I won't go into the details, as macaron lovers would already have their own recipes (if not, this one,can be a good start) . The key is mixing ingredients in the right time and then piping them in the right way.


Cigdem with her macarons

One thing that seems to be important - from my experience at Oncafe- is the fineness of the ground almonds. In other words, if the almonds are not very finely ground, the macarons turn out to be rustic looking. Loretta mentioned that they have used another supplier for the delivery of the almonds and obviously they were coarser than their usual supply.

Now that I have mastered the art of making macarons, I will soon be following in the footsteps of WhyNut customers and making my own pistachio and hazelnut macarons.

WhyNut try yourself as well, you might be happily surprised and feel a  sense of baking achievement !

The BBC Good Food Show 2012, (London Olympia) - Part 2

One of the most interesting parts of the BBC Good Food Show was when I stumbled across a stall and had no idea what they were selling or indeed any idea what they were about.  So I had to stop and ask. To my amazement what I had discovered was a bunch of scientists sponsored by the Wellcome Trust.  I was told by Mandip (a biochemist) that at Flavour SenseNation, their aim is to give the public a chance to explore all the different elements (Taste, Smell, Sight, Touch and Sound) that contribute to the experience of food and eating.

The sensation when we chew our food and 'mouthfeel' of it when it breaks up in our mouth - and the corresponding sound - is essential for our experience of pleasurable eating.  If a food has an expected sound, but is not heard when consumed, the explanation often assumed is that there is something wrong with the quality of the food.

SOUND - With the headphones on, the crisps we tried did not seem as crunchy and therefore not as satisfying.

Ever heard the term, 'You eat with your eyes'?  Well we all do it.  Would you rather tuck into a a fresh green looking apple or a slightly browned one.  I know which one I would rather have.  And therein lies the reason why chefs the world over agonise over the presentation of their food.

SIGHT - The same drink just different colours yet the green drink tasted more sour

I had the pleasure of listening to Heston Blumenhthal on Radio Berkshire a couple of weeks ago.  In the interview he discussed how important it  was to incorporate all the senses when eating eating food.  To maximise his efforts he looked to science to help him.  With the help of neuroscientists he learned that often, sights and smells of the environment of where you first experienced a particular type of food can heighten the experience of it in later life.  For example, when having fish and chips, the smell of the sea and the sound of sea gulls can make the experience of eating the humble fish and chips all that more pleasurable.

Heston Blumenthal in his kitchen laboratory, with tubes of gooseberry juice being reduced, to be used in his roast fois gras recipe

So this Christmas, try and soak up all those festive smells, from the mulled wine, boiling sprouts, spiced nuts and the roasting meats.  Enjoy all the sights, from the present wrapping, christmas lights to the steamed up kitchens.  Appreciate how everything feels, from the cold breeze on your face, writing all the Christmas cards, to your wet hands from all the washing up.

But remember that all these senses we enjoy over the festive holidays is enhancing our enjoyment of all that Christmas food.