Rhubarb Crumble

A rhubarb crumble consists of two parts: the filling and the crumble.

Below quantities are for 4 people. I used half for the crumble as shown in the photographs and the other half the next day.

The crumble is easy. Combine 200 grams of flower, 120 grams of butter, 120 grams of sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until the crumble resembles sand.

For the filling I used 400 gram rhubarb (in season till late summer) cut in one centimetre chunks. Mix with sugar (I used 100 gram sugar but only added the sugar which stuck to the rhubarb (approx. half was left). Rhubarb has a tart taste but if you use too much sugar the dish becomes too sweet. Add a couple of spoons of flower, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom. Mix well.

Spoon into a buttered baking dish.

Spread crumble over the dish.

Bake in the oven for one hour at 180 degrees Celsius. Check after 45 minutes in case the oven is too hot. The rhubarb crumble is best served with vanilla ice.

Made in my old gas oven without a grill.

Raymond Blanc's apple tart

A basic apple pie/tart, French style.

Four elements: the pastry, the apples, calvados butter and custard filling.

First make the pastry

Mix 250 gram flower, salt and 125 gram butter. Mix.

Add one egg and a dash of water. Mix and set aside for half an hour in the fridge.

Roll the pastry until it's 2 mm thin. Line the pastry in a tart form. Make holes in the bottom with a fork.

Apple
Peel four apples, take out the core and cut in chunky slices. Arrange in the tart form.

Calvados butter
Melt butter, squeeze a little lemon, add sugar and some calvados. Brush over the apples in the tart.

Bake in the over for 10 minutes (220 degrees) and 20 minutes (200 degrees).

Custard filling
Double cream, egg and 50 gram sugar, whisk.

Take tart out of the oven. Sprinkle a little sugar and pour the custard filling over the tart and bake for another 10 minutes.

Not perfect yet, the oven temperature was a bit too high at one point. The pie wasn't quite "golden brown". And I didn't have any double cream, so I made the custard filling with milk, sugar and egg yolk.

Garjarela (sweet carrot dessert)

I haven't cooked much in the previous months but during the Sikh Vaisakhi festival in Amsterdam I stumbled upon a great tasting desert. It turns out to be garjarela and it's really easy to make. I haven't tried it yet, but will soon.

Ingredients
10 large carrots, peeled and grated
7 tbsp butter
5 cloves
green cardamom, crushed
a small piece of cinnamon sticks
75 ml milk
115 g granulated sugar


Method
1. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add in the grated carrots and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain into a colander.

2. Melt the butter in a pan with the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon on a very low heat.

3. Add the milk and stir well.

4. When you can smell the cardamom, add the sugar.

5. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then add in the drained carrots.

6. Cook gently, stirring, until the liquid has cooked off, around 5 minutes.

7. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes.

Cold brewed coffee

Time: 5 minutes, plus 12 hours' resting

4 x 7 grams ground coffee (medium-coarse grind). A standard coffee spoon contains 7 grams of coffee.

In a cafetière (= French press), stir together coffee and 350 ml cold water. Let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. Let the ice melt and remove last bits of ice.

Add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream for German Eiskaffee.

Cold brewed coffee contains very little caffein and doesn't have a bitter taste.

Rhubarb (Rabarber) dessert

Cut rhubarb sticks in 2 centimeter pieces. Butter an oven dish. Add rhubarb sticks, sugar (250 gram for 500 gram rhubarb) and top with shortcrust pastry or: kruimeldeeg. Boil in oven until rhubarb is soft and shortcrust pastry is done.

Kruimeldeeg:
200 gram flower, 150 gram butter, 100 gram sugar, 10 ml water, 1 gram salt.

Mix butter with wet sugar and salt.

Add flower and make 'crumbs'. Keep in fridge for one day.

Variation:
Add lemon peel to rhubar.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Flan Catalan

Ingrediënten
Voor de karamel:
6 el suiker - 4 el water

Voor de Flan:
750 ml melk - 1 vanillestokje - 2 eieren - 6 eidooiers - 200 gr suiker

Bereiding
Verwarm in een hete oven de suiker en het water in de vorm(pjes) waarin u de flan gaat maken. Wanneer de suiker begint te kleuren de vorm of vormpjes draaien zodat ook de zijkanten worden bedekt met de karamel.

Laat de melk met het vanillestokje 15 minuten op een klein vuurtje trekken.

Klop de eieren, dooiers en de suiker door elkaar en doe er langzaam de melk bij. Zeef het mengsel en doe het over in de vormpjes.

Verwarm de oven op 175°C. Plaats de vorm of vormpjes met de flan in een gote ovenschaal en vul deze voor 2/3 met kokend water. Plaats de ovenschaal gedurende 1 uur in de hete oven. Laat de flan afkoelen en serveer hem omgekeerd op een platte schaal.

Zonneballetjes

Literally: 'sun balls', but any name will do.

1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup dessicated coconut
2 - 3 tablespoons raisins (or more)
Around 1/3 cup of sunflower seed paste (similar to peanut butter but made from sunflower seeds) Use as much as you need.
1 - 2 tablespoons of Canadian maple syrup (or more)
1 teaspoon almond essence
1 teaspoon coriander powder

Grind roasted sunflower seeds in a blender and mix with other ingredients. Make 2 - 3 cm balls. No need to cook. Makes around 20 little balls.

Since they're sticky you can roll them in some dessicated coconut or roasted sesame seeds.

Rum, sugar & banana's

Ingredients:

9 firm bananas

zest of 1½ limes and juice of 3

4 tbsp soft dark-brown muscovado sugar

75ml dark rum


To serve:

juice of ½ lime

2 tbsp rum

ice cream or whipped cream

Peel the bananas and halve lengthways. Sprinkle the lime zest, half the juice and half the sugar into a shallow baking-dish. Lay the bananas on top in a single layer. Pour on the rest of the lime juice and all of the rum, and add the remaining sugar. Put in an oven preheated to 220°C and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bananas are soft. Stick the dish under a hot grill until bubbling – about three minutes. Drizzle on more lime juice and rum and serve immediately with ice cream.

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The Ultimate Brownie

Tall like a cakey-brownie, but dense like a fudgy-brownie.

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

* 200 gram 70% dark chocolate
* 125 gram butter
* 4 or 5 eggs
* 400 gram raw sugar
* vanilla [ First read this: http://www.vanillareview.com/ ]
* 200 gram flour + baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 150 gram chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Preparation:

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat; set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour and salt until just mixed. Stir in the nuts. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Don't overbake.)