Black Forest Souffle

85 g sugar
85 g dark chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
4 egg whites
1 egg yolk
200 g fresh black cherries
butter for greasing the ramekins, sugar for sprinkle
vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven at 200C. Place the baking sheet into the oven to warm up.
In a bowl  whisk together melted chocolate & egg yolk until combined well.
Whisk egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate.
Butter the ramekins, cover with sugar, shake off any excess.
Place on to the bottom of the ramekins the cleaned cherries. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cherries, level off, run your thumb around the edges.
Place ramekins onto the hot baking sheet. Bake ca 10 min or until well risen.
Do not open the oven door too early or they may collapse.
Remove the souffle from the oven, place 1-2 tsp of vanilla ice cream into the middle & dust with icing sugar.
Serve immediately with some extra cherries.

Chocolate Cake with Grapes

200 g butter

200 g dark chocolate

4 eggs

250 g sugar

250 ml flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

50 g pecans or walnuts

300 g green grapes, seedless

Melt the butter & chopped chocolate. Stir until melted.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with sugar.

Combine the flour, cinnamon & baking powder. Sift it into the eggs mixture, whisking at same time.

Now add the chocolate mixture, stir well.

Pour the batter into the 26 cm prepared round spring form.

Sprinkle over grapes & nuts.

Bake at 175 C on the low shelf in the oven for ca 60 min, or until its ready.

Its even better if served with  some vanilla ice cream .

Cinnamon Cake

75 g butter
2 dl sugar
3 egg yolks
250 ml flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
125 ml milk
3 egg whites
Topping:
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp  butter
1 tbsp flour
1 Bramley apple, cored, peeled, chopped into small pieces or slices as you like.

Preheat the oven to 220C
Whisk butter & sugar, Add egg yolks one by one, whisking at same time.
Mix together flour, baking powder & salt. Add it to the butter mixture along with milk.
At last add the whisked egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the 24 cm baking tin.
Scatter over the apple pieces.
Chop together all ingredients for the topping, sprinkle over the cake.
Bake ca 30 min.

Profiteroles

makes 2 baking trays

100 g plain flour
80 g butter
4 eggs, beaten
160 ml water

For the filling
350 ml fresh cream
vanilla extract
75 g sugar
handful of frozen blackcurrants & redcurrants

Preheat oven to 200 C.
Line 2 large baking trays with grease proof paper.
Put the butter & water into a small saucepan & cook, stirring with wooden spoon for 3-4 min or until the butter melts & the mixture is just coming to the boil.
Add flour at once & beat quickly with the wooden spoon until well combined.
Place over a low heat & cook, stirring, for 1-2 min or until the mixture forms a ball & begins to come away from the side of the saucepan.
Set aside for a 5 min to cool slightly.
Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition to form glossy & thick paste. Last egg whisk at first & then add bit by bit, beat until the mixture just falls from the spoon but still holds its shape (you may only need half of the egg or so).
Form the dough into walnut-sized balls using 2 dessert spoons (or pipe it) & place them well spaced on to the trays.
Bake for 20-25 min. They should be well-risen & golden color when baked. Make sure they are nice & dry in the center too.
Remove from the oven & use a sharp knife to make a slit in the side of each puff. Cool on the wire rack completely.
When ready to serve, whip the cream with vanilla & sugar, stir in the berry's. Pipe cream into each choux bun.
Serve with chocolate sauce or icing sugar.

PINEAPPLE & SMOKED HAM FILLING:
200 g cream cheese
100 g smoked ham
small can pineapple pieces
Fresh dill for decorating
Chop ham & pineapples, stir it into the cream cheese. Season as you like.

SALMON FILLING:
200 g cream cheese
100 g smoked salmon
1 tbsp chopped dill
ground white pepper
Blend it all & season.

ROASTED TOMATO FILLING:
200 g cream cheese
2 tomatoes
butter
parsley, chopped
salt, pepper
Place sliced tomatoes under the grill on to the buttered baking tray. Season with salt & pepper.
Grill until done. You can just fry chopped tomatoes on the pan in the butter.
Blend in a bowl, add cheese, parsley & season if you like.

Samhain

Its time to get in mood with all these carved pumpkins, dancing skeletons, smiling ghosts & witches riding on brooms.
Samhain is the most important holiday of the Celtic calendar. It is the start of the Celtic New Year. This is a good time to make new year resolutions (I make them twice in a year now, just in case I fail, I'll still have 1.January for a second chance :)). In addition to celebrating the year’s end, it is also a celebration of the beginning of Winter.
The doors are opened between the worlds & the paths are travelled by the spirits going back & forth on this night. This world & the Otherworld become equivalent to each other & no barriers exist between the dead & the living, that is, the “Veil” is at its thinnest.
Light a candle for a loved one who has passed on.
Don't forget to leave out food for the fairies on Halloween night at home or at the nearest hawthorn or white-thorn bush to appease the spirits.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Whilst carving your Jack O’Lantern,save the seeds. Roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious & are rich in nutritious minerals such as zinc.
Preheat the oven to 120C.
Wash the pumpkin seeds to remove all the pulp & place in a bowl. Melt a bit of butter in a pan & then pour in the seeds slowly, tossing while you go. Do not use too much butter, but just enough to lightly coat the seeds. Add salt, spread the seeds out over a baking pan & bake, turning occasionally, until crisp & lightly golden browned. Overcooking causes the nuts to toughen and lose flavor.

Irish Champ:

Classic Irish recipe of mashed potato & scallions or spring onions (you can use leeks instead).
750 g-1 kg potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 cup scallions/spring onions
55-75 g butter
75-100 ml milk
Salt and pepper
Simmer the potatoes in lightly salted water until cooked.
Finely chop the white part of the scallion/spring onion & roughly chop the green part. Keep to one side.
Drain the potatoes & add the butter & milk & mash until smooth & creamy.
Add the finely chopped white part of the onion and mix well.
Season well with salt and pepper. Serve with the green part of the onion sprinkled on the top.

Colcannon also has a special meaning at Samhain. On Samhain, colcannon has divination properties, it contains charms -- a ring to symbolize a marriage, a coin to symbolize wealth, a pea to symbolize poverty, a thimble to symbolize spinsterhood & a stick to symbolize "one who will travel far."

1 kg (2 lbs) potatoes, freshly cooked & mashed
250 g ( ½ lb) kale or white cabbage, just cooked, drained & finely chopped
Milk, butter, salt & black pepper
Mix potatoes & kale or cabbage together. Heat some milk with a generous knob of butter. Beat it into the potato mixture until smooth & creamy. Season well.

Did You Ever Eat Colcannon?*
(Traditional)

Did you ever eat Colcannon
When 'twas made with thick'n'd cream
& the greens & scallions blended
Like a picture in a dream?
Did you ever scoop a hole on top
To hold the melting cake
Of clover-flavoured butter
That your mother used to make?
Did you ever eat & eat, afrain
You'd let the ring go past,
& some old married sprissman
Would get it at the last?
Gods be with the happy times
When trouble we had not
& our mother made Colcannon
In the little, three-legged pot.

Scary Shortbread Cookies:
SCARY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Another Halloween treat is a Barmbrack, a rich Irish fruit bread. Again, the “charms” baked into each loaf would foretell the future of the recipient. Placed in the barmbrack were: a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth & a ring. Whoever received in their slice the pea, would be unmarried; the stick, would be a fighter; the cloth or rag, would be poor;& the ring, would get married within the year.

Barmbrack is usually baked in a round (20 cm or 8″) cake tin with a loose base.
2 tea bags, or 3 tsp. loose tea (a strong black blend works best)
350 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins/sultanas, currants, candied peel)
240 ml milk
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. dried active yeast or 25 g fresh yeast
450 g strong bread flour
1 tsp. salt
25 g brown sugar
75 g butter
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. mixed spice
Make 2 cups of strong black tea.
Soak the dried fruit in the tea for few hours or up to overnight.
Warm the milk until it is hand-hot. Stir in the teaspoon of sugar & the yeast & leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
Mix the flour, salt & brown sugar in a large bowl.
Rub in the butter or margarine.
Add the yeast, the beaten egg & the spice.
Drain any remaining liquid from the fruit, then add the fruit to the mixture.
Mix well to make a smooth dough (add extra flour if the mixture is too wet).
Turn the dough onto a floured board & knead it thoroughly.
Place it in a buttered tin, cover with a clean towel or cling film & leave in a warm place to rise for 45 – 60 minutes; the dough should have doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Place the tin in the oven & bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the tin, turn it upside down & put it back in the tin or directly on the oven shelf.
Bake for another 20 minutes or so. The loaf will be ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on each of the sides.
Cool the loaf on a wire rack before serving.

Delicious Carrot Cake

3 eggs
250 ml sugar
400 ml flour
0,5 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
200 g butter,melted
400 ml grated carrots
100 ml pineapple in juice,drain,crush with back of the fork (you can use pears instead)
Glaze:
350 g soft cheese (Philadelphia)
200 ml dusting sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar or drop of vanilla essence
Handful of pecan nuts

Slightly whisk the eggs with sugar.
Mix the rest of the dry ingredients.
Add to the flour mixture the crushed pineapple & grated carrots.
Mix a little.
Now mix in the butter & eggs. Don't over mix just to combine everything.
Pour the mixture to the prepared baking tray (ca 25X35cm).
Bake at 200 C for 20 min.
Check with toothpick if comes out clean, its ready.
Cool on the wire rack.
For a filling mix soft cheese, sugar & vanilla. Cover the cake.
Decorate with pecans.

Baked Boozy Apple Bombs

4 big apples

Filling:
70 g butter, soft
50 g roasted hazelnuts
50 raisins
3 tbsp sugar
brandy for taste

For serving:
vanilla ice cream
chocolate sauce
2 passion fuits or passion fruit syrup

Crush the nuts slightly.
Mix the filling together.
Cut off the top ca 1 cm of the apples, core & scoop out some flesh.
Divide the stuffing among the apples.
Cover with foil & bake at 200C for 15 min, take foil off & bake until ready.
Serve with ice cream, chocolate sauce & passion fruits on the side.

Raspberry Mille-feuille

Base:
500 g puff pastry
250 g raspberries

Cream:
100g flour
200 g sugar
0,5 tbsp corn flour
5 egg yolks
750 ml milk
1-2 tsp vanilla sugar
50 ml Vana Tallinn or brandy

At first make the custard as it needs time for cooling.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar.
Combine flour & corn flour,carefully mix in the eggs.Pour the mixture into the thick-bottomed sauce pan.
In another pan heat the milk to the boiling point.Gradually pour the milk into the egg mix.
In a very low temperature heat the custard all the time mixing until it becomes thick like sour cream.
Take it off the heat,add the alcohol & vanilla sugar.Cool .Whisk it time to time.
Divide the puff pastry into 4-5 layers,roll it out very thin.Bake the layers separately at 225C for 5 min or until golden brown.Cool.
Cut all the layers into equal sizes.Keep the crumbs for covering the cake.
On to the first layer add cream & spread over fresh raspberries,leaving few for decorating later.
Put the second layer over.Cover that with cream again.
Top with third layer.Cream.Fourth layer.Cover with cream all over.Sprinkle crumbs on to the cake to finalize.
Cover the cake & chill 24 h.

Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Coulis

So spring has sprung & we have these big fat clouds all over the place,so i decided to make my own piece of sunshine..

3  eggs

300 ml  flour

1 tsp baking powder
250 ml milk
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar

2-3 bananas

juice of half lemon

Whisk the eggs a bit with pinch of salt,add sugar & mashed bananas.

Combine the  flour, baking powder and milk with the eggs & mix until it forms a smooth, thick batter.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat with knob of butter.

Pour some of your batter over the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. Turn the pancake over. Continue frying until golden.

Stack up the pancakes with loads of Strawberry Coulis between:

250 ml  strawberries
75 ml sugar
juice of half lemon

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Purée until smooth.

Black Forest Cake

Base:
150 g butter
150 g sugar
15 g vanilla sugar
6 eggs
100 g chopped almonds
150 g dark chocolate
75 g flour
75 g cornflour
3 tsp baking powder

Moisten the cake:
cup of fresh strong coffee,cooled
~50 ml brandy

Filling:
375 g blackcurrant jam
2-3 cups of pitted cherries in syrup,drained
500 ml fresh cream
75 g dark chocolate

Oven 180C.
Cream the butter with sugar,add egg yolks,grated chocolate, almonds,mix of flour & baking powder & cornflour.
Whisk the egg whites separately until stiff & gently add to the rest of the ingredients.
Line the 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Transfer the mixture to the cake tin & bake in preheated oven for 45-50 min or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool.
Cut the cake into three horizontal layers,it wont be easy,so be careful.
Place the first layer onto the serving plate,moisten ,spread over half the jam,then 1/4 of the whipped cream & half of the drained cherries.
Put the second layer over & same way moisten,spread with jam & add the rest of the filling.
Top the cake with third moistened layer.
Cover the sides & top of the cake with the rest of the whipped cream.
Sieve over the cake some cocoa powder or sprinkle with grated chocolate.Decorate with cherries..

Curl up on the couch with slice or two & enjoy..

Nuts & Raisins Cake for Kate

2 eggs

250 g sugar
100 g butter
300 ml sour cream
150 g nuts & fruits mix,chopped
360 g flour
3 tsp baking powder

Oven 200C.

Whisk eggs & sugar,add chopped nuts mix(i just broke it up with meat hammer),sour cream & cooled melted butter.
Mix flour & baking powder,add to the egg mixture.

Butter 20x20 cm baking tin,sprinkle over some bread crumbs.
Turn the dough into the baking tin & bake in the preheated oven for ca 40-50 min.

Before serving sprinkle over some icing sugar.

Always best on the next day!

Malteser Cake

1 Base:
100 g butter
0,5 dl sugar
2 dl flour
0,5 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg yolk

2 Base:
3 eggs
1 dl sugar
3 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp cocoa powder
80 g chopped pecans
3 tbsp cornflour

Between:
300 ml Blackcurrant Jam

Top:
500 g cream cheese
75 g dusting sugar
0,5 tsp vanilla essence
Grated rind & juice of 1 small orange
50 g dark chocolate,grated
12 g gelatin powder
100 ml hot water

Maltesers

Heat the oven 200 C.
Rub the butter,sugar & flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add egg yolk & vanilla essence,work to a smooth dough.
Roll the pastry out on a floured surface & use to line a 23 cm tart tin,lined with baking paper.
Brick the bottom with fork.
Bake for 15-20 min until golden.
Cool on wire rack.

For making the second base,separate the eggs.
Whisk the egg yolks with sugar & warm water until creamy.
Mix together cocoa powder,cornflour & chopped walnuts.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
Mix together egg yolks & nut mixture.
Gradually stir in the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the 23 cm round baking tin,lined with baking paper.
Bake 20 min or until ready.
Cool on wire rack.

Now make the cream for the top.
Mix together cream cheese & dusting sugar,then add the orange rind & -juice & vanilla essence.
Beat until smooth,then stir in the chocolate.
Pour 100 ml of boiling water into the cup.Sprinkle the gelatin over,stir it around until completely melted.
Add the melted gelatin into the cream,stirring all the time until well combined.

Place the first cake base on to the serving plate.Spread over the blackcurrant jam.
Put the second cake base on top.
Spoon the cream over the cake.Decorate with as many Maltesers as you like.
Let it chill for few hours before serving.

Goji Berry & Hazelnut Cheesecake

100 g butter
200 g sugar
2 eggs
250 g soft cheese
grated rind of 1 lemon
100 g hazelnuts
100 g goji berries
250 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
butter & semolina for covering the baking tin with funnel.

While the nuts are roasting, cream the butter & sugar  until fluffy.
Add eggs,lemon rind & cheese.
Pound the roasted nuts with a hammer to coarsely crush them & add to the mixture along with berries.
Finally mix in the combined flour & baking powder.
Butter the baking tin & sprinkle with semolina,dry breadcrumbs or flour.
Spoon the cake mixture into the tin & bake at 200C for ca 45 min.

PLUM PAVLOVA

Plum Compote:
500 g plums
100 g sugar
1-2 oranges juice

Cream:
250 g Fresh cream
1 tbsp sugar
vanilla

Meringue:
5 egg whites
250 g caster sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp lemon juice

Heat the oven 180 C.
To make the meringue,whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form,then add sugar a bit at a time,whisking until glossy & thick.Whisk in the lemon juice & corn flour.
Use a dinner plate to trace a circle on a piece of baking paper then fill with meringue & use a large palette knife to draw up the edges.Turn the oven down to 120 C. bake for 90 min. & leave to cool completely.
To make the plum compote halve the plums,place them on to the frying pan cut side down.scatter sugar all over.Cook on high heat until plums start to caramelize, turn over & squeeze orange juice over.cook for few min.Take off the heat.Cool.
To serve,pile the cream on top of the pavlova,top with plums & drizzle of syrup.Scatter some toasted almonds or pistachio nuts all over.Serve immediately.

German Sauerkraut Pie

Crusty Bottom:)

3 dl flour
125 g butter
50 g grated cheddar cheese
1 egg

Filling:

100 g bacon,ham,cabanossi or chorizo sausage
1 grated carrot,optional
1 onion,chopped
3 eggs,boiled
1 chicken stock cube
1-2 cups of sauerkraut,drained
1 cup of sour cream
2-3 eggs
parsley

Sift the flour into the bowl,add cold butter & grated cheese.
Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg & combine to form dough.
Roll out on floured surface & line the bottom & sides of the 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
Chill for 20 min & pre-bake at 175 C for 10 min.Take out of the oven.
At the same time make the filling.
Fry  the bacon or cabonossi (whatever you decide to use) & onion in the butter.
Add carrot if using,sauerkraut & stock cube.Season.Cook everything through for few min.
Mix in chopped boiled eggs.
Spoon the filling onto the base.
Whisk together the eggs & sour cream until well combined,season with little salt & pepper.
Pour it over the filling.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175 C for 35-40 min or until crisp & golden on top.
Sprinkle over some chopped parsley.

CREAM CHEESE BUNS

Dough:

2,5 dl milk

o,5 dl sugar

1 tsp salt

25 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast

1 egg

100 g butter,room temperature

6-7 dl white flour

Filling:

500 g cream cheese

2 eggs

1 dl sugar

1 dl raisins

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

1 dl sour cream or natural yogurt

Warm the milk to the hand temperature, add sugar, salt, fresh yeast, mix until dissolved then add egg & butter.
Knead dough until smooth & elastic,cover with towel & let rise in warm place for ca 40 min.
If you use dry yeast then follow the instructions given on the packet.

Make little balls about the size of the golf balls,let to rise another 10 min.

Make the filling:press the middle of the bun down with the bottom of the glass & spoon the cheese mix into each bun.
You can scatter over some cinnamon if you like.Brush the sides with beaten egg.

Bake in the oven 225 C 12-15 min.

Let them cool under the clean towel.You should get ca 16-18 buns.

GERMAN GINGERBREAD COOKIES "LEBKUCHEN"

Syrup:

300 g sugar
1/2 l water
1 kg sugar
Melt the sugar until it starts bubbling,then stir with wooden spoon until brown in colour.
Lift the pot into the sink.
Pour in quickly the hot water,be very careful as it will be very dramatic!
When all the steam is cleared,lift the pot back to the heat,stir until all the caramel is dissolved.
Add the rest of the sugar & boil slowly few minutes until you get the syrup right.
This will make about 1,7 kg syrup.

Cookies:

Vol.1:

3 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
3 tsp cinnamon
or allspice
orange peel,grated
500 g butter
300 sour cream or plain yogurt
6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp bread soda
2 tsp citric acid
2 kg flour
Pour all the spices into the hot syrup,mix well & cool a bit.
Add butter,cut into smaller pieces & mix until smooth.
Now add the sour cream,egg yolks & salt,mix well.
Mix flour with baking soda & citric acid,sift into the dough,knead.
You get 4,8–5 kg dough,will keep in the fridge wrapped into the cling film 1-2 weeks so you can make one big patch & then just use as needed..
Bake at 200C for ca 8 min,depends how thick your cookies are.

You can use the baking powder instead baking soda & citric acid,just it wont be as crispy.

Vol.2:

Syrup from 600 g sugar
50 ml water
Make same way as described above.

400 g butter,softened
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
ca 30 g allspice,it really depends how you like it,you can add some extra cinnamon
1/ tsp baking soda
1 kg flour
Mix the spices with hot syrup,cool until room temperature.
Beat egg yolks into the softened butter,add salt.
Pour in the syrup.
Add flour mixed with baking soda.
Mix well.
Wrap into the cling film & keep in the fridge overnight before using.Or at least 3 hours.
Keeps in the refrigerator for ca 3 weeks.

DECORATING:

Now to the best part :)

Glaze:

3 egg whites
300 g dusting sugar
1 tsp citric acid
Whisk until you get the thick cream.
Place into the piping bag & then just decorate your cookies.
You can use plastic sandwich bags,cut small hole into the bottom corner.
Very good also for making the gingerbread houses!

You can cover the cookies before baking with chopped nuts etc.
Melt some white chocolate & dip cookies in half way.
You can make sparkling cookies:sprinkle some sugar over the cookies(pat in slightly) before baking.

Dried sliced orange or sliced apple,pear,banana etc. are very decorative along with cookies!!
Just finely slice your fruits (you  can dip them into the syrup) & place the single layer over the baking paper onto the baking sheet & slowly bake in the oven at lowest temperature for a few hours until firm.
You can keep the oven door slightly open with the wooden spoon to keep the low temperature.

Ganache:

300 ml fresh cream
300 g dark chocolate
or white chocolate
Bring the cream to the boil,add chopped chocolate & stir until well melted & smooth.
Cool.
Use it as a filling between two cookies.
Or cover the cookies with a bit of the ganache & sprinkle over with roasted nuts or dried cranberries.

Lemon Glaze:

1 egg white
1 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Beat egg white, powdered sugar & lemon juice until smooth.
Brush onto still warm cookies & can then be decorated with diced mixed candied fruits & peels.

These are invitingly spicy cookies, which can be baked ahead.
Roll & cut out rectangles, fun gingerbread folk, trees, stars etc.
We make these every year, continuing a family tradition. They are our favorite holiday cookies.

Cream Cheese & Summer Berry Roulade

3 eggs
175 g sugar
50 flour
15 g corn flour
vanilla extract  or grated lemon rind

For filling:

250 g soft cheese
100 g sour cream(you can use 100 ml whipped cream instead)
2 tbsp sugar
~300 g mixed summer berries

Whisk egg whites with half of the sugar until stiff.
Whisk egg yolks separately with rest of the sugar until pale yellow.
Carefully mix the eggs together & sift in the flour & cornflour,add some vanilla extract or grated lemon rind.
Cover the baking sheet 30x40 cm with baking paper,spread the mixture all over.
Bake at 200C for 7 min or until ready.
Place on the table the sheet of baking paper,sift over some icing sugar.
Turn the cake onto the sugary baking sheet,carefully remove the old baking paper & let it cool.

Now make the filling by mixing together soft cheese,sour cream & sugar.
Spread it over the cooled cake,leaving a 1cm border.
Scatter the berries over the filling.

Roll up the roulade, starting from the long edge, using the baking paper to help you.

Chill at least 2-3 hours before serving.
Dust with icing sugar.

Delicious......

Chocolate & Mixed Berry Cake

Shortcake base:
 
150 g flour
100g butter
50 g sugar
1 egg yolk
grated rind of lemon
vanilla extract
Using your fingertips pinch together the butter,sugar & flour until it resembles the breadcrumbs,add egg yolk,lemon rind & vanilla extract,then knead it into the smooth dough.
Press the dough on to the bottom of the 26 cm baking tin.
Bake at 200C for 10-15 min.


Spongecake Base:
 
5 eggs
180 g sugar
150 g flour
70 g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp warm water
vanilla
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form,gradually add 1/3sugar while still whisking.It is ready when egg whites hold its shape on the spoon.
Whisk egg yolks with 2/3 of sugar & warm water.
Gently fold egg yolks into the egg whites.
Sieve in the flour,cornflour & baking powder,mix as little as possible until its combined.Add vanilla for taste.
Bake in prepared 26cm round tin in preheated oven at 190C for 30 min or until its ready.
Cool. 

Cut the base into 3 circles.

Cream:
 
500 g soft cheese
200 g white chocolate
200 g mixed berries(frozen)
100 ml fresh cream
2 tbsp sugar

Melt the chocolate in bain marie.Whisk the cream.Mix everything together.

~200 ml Raspberry Jam for filling

For cake:
  
Place the shortbread base on to the serving plate.
Cover it with raspberry jam.
Place one of the sponges over the jam.
Spread 1/3 of cream & 1/2 of berries on to the first sponge circle.
Put second circle over.If you wish,you can moisten it with some juice.
On second layer place 1/3 of the cream & the rest of the berries.
Put the third sponge circle on top.
Cover the cake all over with remaining 1/3 of the cream.

Chill the cake(covered) for at least 1 hour,but its best to leave it overnight.

How To Make The Chocolate Collar From:

The pink whisk
SinFoodie
make a chocolate collar for a cake  

How To Make The Fondant:

recipe-for-home-made-fondant-sugar-paste

How To Decorate The Cake With Chocolate:

how & why to temper & melt chocolate
how to make chocolate garnishes
how to make chocolate garnishes decorations tutorial PART 2

 

RASPBERRY LAYERED CAKE

Shortcake base:

150 g flour
100g butter
50 g sugar
1 egg yolk
grated rind of lemon
vanilla extract
Using your fingertips pinch together the butter,sugar & flour until it resembles the breadcrumbs,add egg yolk,lemon rind & vanilla extract,then knead it into the smooth dough.
Press the dough on to the bottom of the 26 cm baking tin.
Bake at 200C for 10-15 min.

Chocolate sponge:

5 eggs
200 g sugar
8 tbsp corn flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
vanilla extract
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form,gradually add 1/3sugar while still whisking.It is ready when egg whites hold its shape on the spoon.
Mix egg yolks with 2/3 of sugar until its doubled.
Gently fold egg yolks into the egg whites.
Sieve in the flour,cocoa powder & baking powder,mix as little as possible until its combined.
Bake in prepared 26cm round tin in preheated oven at 220C for 20-30 min or until its ready.
Cool.

Raspberry-Cream Filling:

1 cup of raspberries
1 dl dusting sugar
500 ml double cream
vanilla extract
4 tsp gelatin
3 tbsp water
Whisk the cream with sugar until stiff.Add couple of drops of vanilla extract.
Prepare the gelatin by following the instructions on the packet.Add to the cream.
At last gently fold in the raspberries.

Some apple juice or cooled coffee for moisturizing the sponge
ca 200 ml Blackcurrant Jam
flaked coconut to decorate

Bringing it together:

1.Bake all the cake`s bases.Cool.
2.Make the cream.
3.Place the shortbread base on to the serving plate..
4.Cover it with Blackcurrant Jam.
5.Cut the chocolate sponge into two circles.
6.Place one of the chocolate sponges over the jam.
7.Moisten the chocolate base with some juice or coffee.
8.Cover it with half of the cream.
9.Lift the second sponge onto the cream.
10.Moisten.
11.Cover the top & sides of the cake with the rest of the cream.
12.Let it set in the cool place for few hour or overnight.
13.Sprinkle the cake with shredded coconut & decorate as you like just before serving.