Desserts – Page 10 – Nat's Ladle

Raspberry Champagne Sorbet with Mint

Published on November 7, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

It's decadent, it's pink, it's tangy, it's refreshing, it's Nat's Raspberry Champagne Sorbet! — It’s decadent, it’s pink, it’s tangy, it’s refreshing, it’s Nat’s Raspberry Champagne Sorbet!

I thought it was time to venture into new areas of dessert making that did not involve an oven, and since I have had an ice-cream maker for a while, sitting unused on the bench, I thought it was a good idea to make use of it instead of just dusting it, as usual – and I think I am gonna do this more often now! It came in handy that we had some champagne left from a gathering a couple of nights ago, and the mint in our yard is overgrowing, so my mind came up with this concoction. It is a raspberry champagne sorbet with mint, and it is divine, whether you are entertaining the in-laws or having a girl’s night. It is lovely and pink and yummy. It is especially refreshing in summer, but also great on New Year’s Eve. In fact, you can just have it anytime, and it could not be easier to make!

It contains regular sugar though – in ice-creams and sorbets, you cannot really replace the sugar, as the texture won’t work out any more, and you need the sugar to keep it smooth, or it gets brick hard (I learned that the hard way). I know there are sugar free ice-creams out there, but not only are they made in high-power machines which are able to whip more air in than an ice-cream machine for home use, but they are filled with nasties, and we would rather have sugar than thickeners, fillers, emulsifiers, starches, preservatives, and who knows what! Trust me, this is worth every calorie! And the sugar content is rather low when compared to other ice-cream recipes anyway.

375 g frozen raspberries
375 ml champagne
70 g sugar
juice of 1 lemon
mint to taste

Dissolve the sugar in the champagne and bring to the boil; then add the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the syrup from the heat, add berries and mint and puree everything with a stick blender. Transfer to a container and chill thoroughly (for several hours or according to the instructions by the ice-cream maker’s manufacturer). Churn in your ice-cream machine according to instructions.

Enjoy!

mhh...straight off the spoon is best! — mhh…straight off the spoon is best!

Vegan Frosting II

Published on November 7, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

I experimented a bit more with my dairy and soy free frostings, as I found that Xanthan does not only get lumpy, but is also a bit hard on the stomach for some folks!

This coconut frosting is relatively easy and quick and tastes great! It also has a better texture than my previous frosting and uses arrowroot instead of Xanthan.

1/2 tin of coconut milk
a bit of erythritol to taste
pinch of salt
teaspoon of arrowroot, dissolved in a teaspoon of water
a drop of vanilla
100 g coconut oil
20 g Nuttelex or other dairy free spread (you can use butter if not strictly vegan or dairy intolerant)

Simmer coconut milk, sweetener and salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the arrowroot paste and vanilla, bring back to the boil and swiftly whisk out any lumps. The mix becomes shiny and of goopy texture. Remove saucepan from the heat source and quickly stir in coconut oil. Let cool, transfer to container and chill for 2 hours. Once nice and cool, remove from fridge and beat with the spread until it looks like frosting. Voilà! Your vegan frosting is ready to use! Great on my carrot cake! Be careful: This frosting gets very firm in the fridge, but will melt very quickly when outside the fridge.

Enjoy!

Sweetened Condensed Milk – Dairy free and sugar free!

Published on November 7, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Who doesn’t like puddings, custards, fudge or millionaire’s shortbread (aka caramel slice)? And who wouldn’t want to have these treats sugar-free, dairy free and low-carb? Who of you vegans, low-carbers and dairy intolerant folks has not pondered old favourite recipes calling for condensed milk – only to resign yourself to the fact that no dairy and no sugar means saying good bye to your favourite treat?

Don’t fret! Rescue is nigh! Would you have thought that you can create a sugar free dairy free worry free version of this yummy ingredient (I prefer it straight from the spoon!) all by yourself? All you need is yummy-tummy almond milk – which you should have in your fridge at all times anyway, some erythritol, stevia, honey or other sweetener of your choice, a pinch of salt, and a drop of vanilla, as well as an hour or so of your precious time – so if you are like me, you don’t even need to leave the house! The great thing about almond milk (and other non-dairy milks) is that the risk of burning is considerably reduced.

Makes approx. 400 g sweetened condensed milk (equivalent to 1 tin from the shop)

1 l unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp erythritol or other sweetener (I have used honey and agave before, which also works well, it just gets a bit more runny than with sugar crystals, so if you make condensed milk for fudge or millionaire’s shortbread, I would use a solid sweetener like erythritol, stevia or palm sugar.)
pinch of salt
drop of vanilla

Place all ingredients in a saucepan (the bigger it is, the quicker you will have your condensed milk!), bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring every few minutes until the mixture has reduced by about half and has turned a slight amber colour (this takes between one and up to two hours). At this stage, it will still be slightly runny, but that is okay – it will firm up, promise! Let cool in the pot for a few minutes, covered by a clean teatowel, then transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate. Enjoy straight from the spoon or in your favourite recipes. Lasts about one week in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Dairy free frosting

Published on October 30, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

For all frosting addicts out there who cannot or don’t want to have milk, yes, I created a dairy free frosting that tastes like a cream cheese frosting! And no, it does NOT contain Tofutti or any other GMO-laden soy crap. It is made with coconut milk – however, you won’t taste the coconut much in the final product so don’t fret if you are not the biggest coconut fan in the world – you will still like it, I promise. You can find the recipe below.

1/2 can of coconut cream (full fat or light – both work fine)
1 teaspoon of honey
pinch of salt
80 g coconut oil
80 g vegan margarine (Nuttelex) or butter
1/8 teaspoon xanthan to thicken

-Heat coconut milk, honey and salt, bring to the boil and let simmer for 10 minutes
-add xanthan, stirring continuously, bring to the boil and remove from heat – the mix should have a shiny surface
-stir in coconut oil, whisking or using a blender
-set to cool for 15 minutes and transfer to fridge for another 2 hours (the longer, the better), until mix has firmed up
-when it is thoroughly chilled, transfer coconut mix to a mixing bowl (you might need to blend it again with a stick blender to make it really smooth), add the margarine or butter and mix with hand blender for 2 minutes until thick and fluffy
-decorate muffins with the frosting using a cake decorator or silicon spatula