Nigella at her best!

Hi Everyone. This Post is a little special as the chef in this video is one of my idols when it comes to baking.Nigella Lawson is an English Journalist and television personality who has been wooing the world with her passion and art of cooking and i am one of her biggest fans!Her recipes are simple and very clearly understandable.So i am sharing this episode of her's,from her show.This episode is all about desserts and i hope all of you can see this and learn!

Apple Pie

APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Pastry dough
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

2. METHOD

3. 1. Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
   2. Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar and gently toss with apples and lemon juice.
   3. Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch (4-cup) glass or metal pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out dough for top crust.
   4. Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.
   5. Spoon filling into shell, then cover with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle all over with remaining tablespoon sugar. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
   6. Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie to warm or room temperature on a rack, 2 to 4 hours.

Mocha Brownie

Mocha brownies

INGREDIENTS 

1. • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
   • 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
   • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2. • 2 cups sugar
   • 6 large eggs
   • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
   • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1/4 cup sour cream
   • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• Powdered sugar

1. METHOD

   Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line with waxed paper, extending over 2 sides of pan. Spray paper. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat just until blended. Add flour and next 3 ingredients; beat just until blended. Stir in sour cream and nuts.
3. Transfer batter to pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool completely. Cut into squares. Top with powdered sugar.

Chocochip Cookies

 CHOCOCHIP COOKIE 

INGREDIENT 

• 225g (8 oz) butter, softened
• 200g (7 oz) caster sugar
• 225g (8 oz) dark brown soft sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 dessertspoon vanilla essence
• 375g (13 oz) plain flour
• 
  

• METHOD

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 dessertspoon hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 350g (12 oz) dark chocolate chips
• 125g (4¼ oz) chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.
2. Cream together the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased baking trays.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

CHOCOLATE MARBLE CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS 

1. Crust
   • 2 tablespoon slivered blanched almonds
   • Vegetable oil cooking spray
   • 6 chocolate wafers
2. Filling
• 15 ounces (1 3/4 cups) part-skim ricotta
• 8 ounces lowfat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
• 1 large whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon amaretto (if desired)
• 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
• 3 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips

3. 1. METHOD 

   2. Heat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on a small baking sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325°. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan in foil to prevent seepage. Process chocolate wafers and almonds in a food processor until fine crumbs. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoon crumbs onto bottom of pan (just enough to coat bottom lightly). Shake pan to distribute evenly. Reserve remaining crumbs.
4. Filling:
   1. Purée ricotta in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, egg, egg whites, almond extract, flour and salt; puree until smooth. Whisk amaretto, if desired (or same amount of hot water), 2 tablespoon hot water, cocoa powder and espresso powder in a bowl until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Stir 1 cup plain filling into chocolate mixture. Set aside. Pour remaining plain filling into prepared pan. Drizzle chocolate filling in a circular pattern over plain filling. Using a knife, make circular strokes to create swirls in the plain filling. Add 1 inch hot water to a shallow baking pan; place springform pan in baking pan. Bake until cheesecake is firm around the edge and slightly soft in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan. Remove foil; let cool on a rack. Chill 6 hours or overnight before removing sides of pan. Press reserved crumbs onto side of cheesecake.

Caramel Custrd

Caramel Custard

INGREDIENTS

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 6 large egg yolks, room temperature
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Whipped cream (for serving; optional)
• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon, for serving; optional)

METHOD

1. 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place cream in a medium saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; set aside.
   2. Bring 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 4 minutes; remove caramel from heat.
   3. Remove vanilla pod from cream; discard. Slowly add cream to caramel (mixture will bubble vigorously). Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 2 minutes.
   4. Whisk egg yolks, kosher salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Slowly stream in caramel cream, whisking constantly. Divide custard among eight 6-ounce ramekins or ovenproof bowls and place in a kitchen towel–lined large baking dish or roasting pan. Fill pan with water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custard is just set but still jiggly in the center, 60–70 minutes. Remove ramekins from baking dish; place on a wire rack and let cool. Chill custards, uncovered, at least 3 hours.
   5. Top custards with whipped cream and sprinkle with sea salt.

BlackForest Cake

Black FOrest Cake

INGREDIENTS 

Cake

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for buttering cake pan
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting cake pan
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
Pinch of salt
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (4 3/4 ounces) superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) kirsch

Assembly

4 cups heavy cream
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups Spirited Sour Cherries , drained, or a 24-ounce jar sour cherries such as morello or amarena
8 fresh cherries with stems (optional)
About 2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao) in a single block
About 1/2 cup ground dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao) or chocolate cookie crumbs
Powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD

To Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour a 10-inch cake pan that is 3 inches deep such as a springform mold.
Sift the 1/2 cup flour, the cocoa, and the salt together onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla at high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and is very thick, about 8 minutes. When the whisk is lifted, the batter will form a thick ribbon as it falls back into the bowl.
Lower the speed to stir and carefully tap the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. As soon as all the flour has been added to the eggs, stop the machine. Pour in the melted butter, making sure to leave the white, milky solids behind. With a large rubber spatula, using as few strokes as possible, finish folding the flour mixture and butter into the batter until evenly mixed.
Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared pan, place the pan on a baking sheet, and bake until the cake feels just firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then turn the cake upside down onto a rack to cool. This will flatten the slightly domed top.

To Make the Syrup:
Place the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the kirsch and remove from the heat. Pour the syrup into a small cup or bowl and set it aside.

To Assemble the Cake:
In a large bowl, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until it holds firm peaks. Do not overbeat; the whipped cream should be smooth and firm. Divide the cream into 4 equal portions and set them aside. (This helps prevent getting to the last bit of decorating and discovering you have run out of cream.) Drain the cherries and divide them into 2 equal piles. Reserve 8 to 12 cherries to garnish the top of the cake if you do not have fresh cherries.
Place the cake on a work surface with its original top up. Trim off any hard crusts. With a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into 3 even layers. Transfer the top layer to a serving plate, arranging it top side down. Brush it liberally with the syrup. With an offset spatula or rubber spatula, smooth on a 1/2-inch layer of whipped cream. Push the cream a little beyond the edge of the cake. (This prevents gaps when you settle the next layer on top.) Nestle half of the cherries into the whipped cream, scattering them evenly over the top.
Place the middle cake layer on top of the cherries, pressing it lightly into the whipped-cream layer. Brush with syrup, spread with whipped cream, and scatter the remaining half of the cherries over the cream.
Finally, add the last cake layer, cut side up, on top of the cherries, again settling it into the whipped-cream layer. Brush with syrup. With an icing spatula or a large rubber spatula, spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the top of the cake. Spread a thicker layer onto the sides.