Moroccan almond pastries

Phyllo pastry is one of those ingredients that I always have tucked away in my freezer. You can transform just about any ingredient into a super impressive and moreish meal by layering it with lashings of butter and wrapping it up in the flaky pastry. These nutty pastries are inspired by a Moroccan favourite called m’hencha  which means ‘the serpent’. It’s crispy coils hide a sweet orange-scented almond filling doused in a generous drizzling of honey. Replace the orange-blossom water with rose water and top with crystallized rose petals or rose syrup or swop out the almonds for ground pistachios for something special. Served with a simple glass of mint tea, it’s an exotic teatime treat that will transport you to a bustling Middle Eastern market with platters piled high with flaky phyllo delicacies.

Moroccan almond pastries

Serves 6-8

2½ cups ground almonds (see TIP)

½ cup castor sugar

1t ground cinnamon

2T orange-blossom water (or rose water)

250g unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs, separated

16 sheets Mediterranean Delicacies phyllo pastry

100g orange blossom honey

Combine the almonds, sugar and cinnamon.

Add the flower water, half of the butter and the egg yolks.

When combined chill for about 1 hour to firm.

Divide the almond mixture into eight portions.

Brush a phyllo sheet with butter and place another on top. (Cover the remaining sheets with a damp cloth to avoid them drying out).

Cut each sheet lengthwise into 3 long strips.

Place one portion of the almond mixture along a thin line along the one edge of the phyllo and roll it up, brushing the end with egg white to make it stick.

Roll the phyllo roll into a coil like a snake then arrange on a lined or greased baking sheet, making sure that the coils don’t unravel.

Repeat with the remaining phyllo and almond mixture.

Brush the top with butter and bake at 190˚C for 30 minutes or until golden.

Paint immediately with the warm honey. Serve with mint tea, if desired.

TIP: This is a great opportunity to use up all the rough ground almonds leftover from making macarons!

*This post has been sponsored by Mediterranean Delicacies who make a fabulous range of yummy pesto, dips, phyllo pastry, olives and other delicious Med-style goodies. 




{GIVEAWAY} Mediterranean Delicacies are giving away TWO Morphy Richards Induction Cookers! Follow this link to enter their latest competition.

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Deep-fried ravioli with baked feta and pesto

Deep-fried ravioli - I must be going crazy right? 
I first got the idea to deep-fry the little pasta pockets when a memory came flooding back to me. It is one where my sister and I are sitting under the tablecloth of a table laden with fresh vegetables from my parent’s farm at a farmer’s market one chilly morning. We sat huddled together, stuffing sugary deep-fried pastries from a paper bag into our mouths. I loved those little morsels so much; they were crispy and sweet and so simple. The little old Italian lady who sold them each morning frugally kept the scraps leftover from her batches of fresh tortellini or fettuccini and transformed them into a delicacy by dunking them in hot oil and dredging them in icing sugar. I now know they’re called crostoli, but the memory gave me the idea to give filled pasta the same treatment (minus the sugar, of course). Then I discovered that everyone had been doing this already and nobody told me! So now, I'm sharing the joys of deep-fried pasta with you. 

I like to call this creation my posh chip ‘n dip because it’s fancy enough to look like you went to some effort, but doesn’t involve any form of kitchen slavery. Perfect with a glass of wine and good company to share it with.

Crispy ravioli bites with pesto-baked feta

Serves 4

2 slabs feta cheese, drained

Olive oil

3-4 springs thyme

4-5 garlic cloves, whole

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tub Mediterranean Delicacies Basil Pesto

250g store-bought fresh butternut or cheese ravioli

Oil, for deep-frying

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Place the feta on a large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, a few sprigs of thyme and some whole garlic cloves, season well before wrapping up and baking for 10-15 minutes or until soft.

TIP You could easily do this on the braai - pop the foil parcel over the coals and you'll have a delicious warm dip in a few minutes. Oh, and don't forget to play around with flavours - chilli, smoked paprika, lemon zest - you get the idea...

Deep-fry the ravioli in hot oil (about 180C) until golden brown and crisp, then drain on paper towel. 

Serve the warm feta drizzled with lashings of basil pesto and the crispy ravioli for dipping.

*This post has been sponsored by Mediterranean Delicacies who make a fabulous range of yummy pesto, dips, phyllo pastry, olives and other delicious Med-style goodies. 






{GIVEAWAY} Mediterranean Delicacies are giving away TWO Morphy Richards Induction Cookers! Follow this link to enter their latest competition.

Visit my Facebook page, The Kate Tin, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest to get all updates on my posts and other sweet ramblings.

Cannoli with homemade ricotta

Ah, cannoli. How your deep-fried pastry flecked with crispy bubbles and stuffed with fluffy ricotta has stolen my heart forever. Oh, I had seen you from a distance, in pictures, of course, and admired your soft dusting of snowy icing sugar, and imagined the crunch of your pastry crumbling into the smooth creamy filling, but never did I realize just what I was missing out on. Silly of me really, considering that all things deep-fried and stuffed with cheese are delicious. That's a given.

As you may have noticed recently, my blog posts have had a decidedly Italian twist to them which may or may not have something to do with an Italian man in my life. While I have yet to school him in South African malva poeding, koeksisters and melktert, mostly because I don't have time, he has not-so-subtly been teaching me the art of Sicilian cooking. Probably so I can cook for him. Sneaky I tell you! 

Italian's are fiercely proud of their regional specialities and Siciliy is known for, among other things, their cannoli where the pastry was invented. The first thing I learnt about this delicacy is: two cannoli, one cannolo. Get it right. The name means 'little tube' which not surprisingly refers to it's shape. But, wait, it gets more complicated because different sizes have different names. Some are small and no bigger than a finger while others (like the cannoli from Palermo) are as big as a hand. 

Proper Sicilian cannoli, I'm told, is always made with homemade ricotta cheese made from sheep's milk. But because you won't catch me milking a sheep in a million years, cow's milk will do (and no I didn't milk that myself either). The trick to a deliciously creamy filling (one that doesn't make the cannoli shells go soggy too quickly), is to make the ricotta a few days beforehand and hang it in muslin cloth to get rid of as much moisture as possible. (I know, I know, I hear you, 'a few days' is a pain, but we're talking traditional here. If you want to cut the corner, then do so, just don't tell an Italian you did.)

Homemade ricotta cheese

1L full cream milk

1/2t salt

3T fresh lemon juice

Slowly bring milk and salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan.

Add lemon juice and stir constantly over low heat until the mixture curdles.

Carefully scoop out the curds using a sieve or fine slotted spoon.

Pour the remaining mixture into a sieve lined with muslin cloth and let it drain for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Discard the liquid.

Now for the best part, the cannoli! I would suggest making these on a weekend, and definitely invite a group of friends over because you'll want the "oooh's and aaah's" as a reward for your hard work. Unless, of course, the heavenly taste of the cannoli is enough, then by all means curl up on the couch with the whole batch and devour them. Just be sure to have a glass of red wine afterwards, because as Italian tells me, that's the secret to  staying slim (and I'm not about to argue with that logic!)

Cannoli

Makes 25-30

300g cake flour

30g butter, softened

15g cocoa powder

1 tsp ground coffee 

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

1 glass white wine or marsala

1 egg white, for brushing

oil, for deep-frying

Filling

500g ricotta cheese

500ml milk

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

40g cornstarch
125g castor sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Candied orange rind, to decorate

Icing sugar, to dust

Combine the flour, butter, cocoa, coffee sugar and salt then gradually add the white wine or marsala until a stiff pliable dough forms (the dough should be a similar consistency to pasta dough). 

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic then cover and rest for 10 minutes.

Slice off pieces of dough and roll through a floured pasta machine starting at the largest setting and working your way through the notches until your each size 4 thickness.

Cut out circles of dough using a cookie cutter or cup then wrap around a cannoli mould or wooden stick. 

Overlap the edges and stick them together with a little egg white. 

Continue until all the dough has been used up. 

Heat the oil to 180 degrees celcius and deep-fry the cannoli, in batches, until deep-golden brown. Drain on paper towel and allow to cool. 

Now for the filling: 

Heat the milk gently with the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon until just simmering. 

Add a little water to the cornstarch to make a thin paste then gradually whisk the paste into the warm milk, whisking continuously until thick. Add the sugar. 

Simmer for a few minutes until cooked before spreading on a baking tray to cool. 

Pass the ricotta cheese through a fine sieve to get a smooth mixture.

Mix in the cooled white sauce (remove the spices) and stir well.

Add the chocolate chips and cinnamon powder. 

Place the filling into a piping bag and pipe into each cannoli.

Dust with icing sugar and decorate with candied orange rind, if desired. 

Serve immediately. 

TIP:

• The cannoli shells can be stored for up to a month in an airtight container. To get them super crispy again, pop the shells into the oven for a few minutes. 

• The ricotta filling can be freezed - simply freeze the mixture in a ziplock bag.

Liquorice Macarons

Your search of the perfect French macaron ends here, with this Italian-inspired recipe. 
Macarons are notorious for making even the best bakers cry. I, myself, have shed many a tear while sitting on my kitchen floor in the dim light of my oven whilst peering through the warm glass while praying that my macarons would make feet. If my relationship with macarons was on Facebook, my status would be set to 'it's complicated' but hey, that doesn't stop me from dating them (totally normal analogy I just used there, by the way).

On my brother's last visit, his Milanese girlfriend brought me a beautiful black glossy bottle of Italian liquorice liqueur. The bottle was so gorgeous I simply had to create something that was just as jet black - enter the liquorice macaron with black sesame seeds. I added the sesame seeds because Italian boyfriend brought me 1kg of them the other day (he brings me foodie things in leu of flowers). And yes, our family obviously has a thing for Italians.  

Liquorice is one of those tricky flavours, like banana, that people either love or hate. There are no in-betweeners. Apparently 53% of people don't like it (and 66% of people who don't sleep on their side don't like the treat either - yes, you needed to know that) and although scientists have tried to figure out why, they've agreed it probably comes down to how you were brought up. If liquorice Allsorts were a regular part of your family's sweetie tin then you're probably a fan and it's no biggie. But if you don't care for the treat, then by all means, omit it from the recipe and replace it with whatever other liqueur takes your fancy! 

Liquorice macarons with black sesame

Makes 25

120g ground almonds

200g icing sugar

3 tbsp black sesame seeds, crushed into a paste

100g egg whites (about 3 large eggs)

1/4tsp cream of tartar

35g white sugar

black gel food colouring

Liquorice ganache

60ml cream 

250g white chocolate, chopped

40ml liquorice liqueur

Line 2-3 baking sheets with baking paper.

Sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar to remove any clumps. Blend any leftover mixture then sift again until nothing remains. 

Begin beating the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed. Once the egg whites are very foamy, begin sprinkling in the sugar as you beat. Increase the speed to medium, if necessary, and beat the meringue to stiff glossy peaks. Beat in the sesame paste and black colouring until desired shade. 

Add about 1/4 of the almond/sugar mixture and fold until no streaks remain. Continue to add the almond mixture in quarters, folding until incorporated. 

Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle and pipe rows of batter onto the baking sheets, giving them space to spread. Tap the pan on the counter to bring up any air bubbles and quickly pop them with a toothpick.

Allow the cookies to rest on a level surface for 30-60 minutes until they are no longer tacky to a light touch. 

While they rest, place an oven rack in the lower 3rd of your oven and preheat to 150C. 

Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 16-20 minutes.

Make the ganache by heating the cream until just simmering. Pour over the white chocolate and stir until melted then stir in the liqueur and colouring. Allow to set until spreadable.

Sandwich the macarons together with the ganache. 

Ginger, custard and red wine pear tarts

The second part of my obsession with red wine poached pears continues with this fabulously simple tart. Because who doesn't love a pretty tart? Erm. This dessert has everything going for it, simplicity, beauty and a delicious variety of textures - the crunch of ginger biscuits, the smooth custardy-creamy-airy filling and the soft bite of those gently poached pears. Heaven on a fork I tell you! The red wine pears add a lovely flavour to the dessert but feel free to experiment with other seasonal fruit and biscuits. Dark chocolate biscuits and pomegranate rubies or coconut and caramelised pineapple or buttery shortbread and stewed vanilla guavas!  

Ginger, custard and red wine pear tarts

Makes 4-6

200g gingernut biscuits, crushed 
75g butter or margarine, melted
3 egg yolks 1⁄3 cup castor sugar
1 cup cream

1t vanilla extract 
21⁄2T corn flour 
2 cups milk
4 pears poached in red wine, sliced (click here for the recipe)

Mix the crushed biscuits and butter or margarine and press into 4-6 small springform tart tins then refrigerate until set. 
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour to form a paste. 
Slowly add the milk, place in a saucepan and simmer until thickened. 
Cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely then refrigerate for 1 hour. 
Whip the cream until thick and stiff peaks form then fold in the custard. 
Spoon into the tart cases and top with thin slices of poached pear. 

Father's Day Chocolate Meringue Crunch Cake

I often credit my mother and grandmother for my love of food and baking but seldom do I mention the person who gave me my insatiable sweet tooth (and good genes to tolerate a sweet tooth!) My father is still the only person who can finish a slab of chocolate faster than I can and he has always been my unofficial taster; I judge how good a recipe is by how long the treats sit on the kitchen counter after baking! And as they say, if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, this chocolate cake should get you there as quickly as my dad made this cake disappear when I baked it.  Jokes aside though, what I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need to make a frosting as the meringue is baked right on top of the cake. It’s light and crispy and not overly sweet or decadent - a superb way of cutting down the fat content of a cake. And it's also gluten-free! One of my absolute favourites! Happy Father’s Day!

Chocolate meringue crunch cake

(serves 8)

150ml butter

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

 6 eggs, separated

4 egg whites

360g dark chocolate, melted and cooled, plus 120g roughly chopped

1T vanilla extract

pinch salt

1T cornstarch

 1/4t cream of tartar

1 cup castor sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 22cm spring form cake tin and sprinkle with flour. Cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla. Set aside. Whip 6 egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form, stir 1/3 into the chocolate mixture and fold in the rest. Pour batter into tin and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile mix hazelnuts, chopped chocolate and corn flour. Place remaining 4 egg whites in a bowl with cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks. Add the sugar gradually until stiff. Fold in hazelnut mixture. Remove cake from oven, spread meringue on top and return to oven, bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp about 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Decorate with chocolate curls, if desired.