Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (set method)

Equipment

·      Small round tin

·      Baking paper (to fit in the bottom of tin)

·      Measuring cups/spoons

·      Small mixing bowl

·      Rolling pin

·      Chopping board

·      Whisk/ egg beater

Ingredients

·      Biscuit crumbs (from 7 biscuits)

·      Butter, 50g, melted

·      Cream cheese, 2 Tbsp

·      Icing sugar, 1 heaped Tbsp

·      Cocoa powder, 1 tsp

·      Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp

·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp

·      Gelatin, 1 tsp

·      Hot water, 3 Tbsp

·      Cream, ¼ cup, whipped

·      Chocolate chips, 1 ramekin.

Method

1.    Crush up the biscuit with the rolling pin on the chopping board.

2.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave and then mix it with the biscuit crumbs.

3.    Line the bottom of the tin with the baking paper.

4.    Pack the buttery biscuit crumb into the bottom of the tin.

5.    Place into the fridge.

6.    Beat the cream cheese, cocoa and icing sugar until they are soft.

7.    Mix the lemon juice, vanilla essence and hot water together.

8.    Dissolve the gelatin in the lemon juice mixture. Heat in microwave if necessary.

9.    Stir the gelatin mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.

10. Fold in the whipped cream.

11. Add the chocolate chips to this mix and pour into the chilled base from the fridge.

12.  Return to the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.

13. Carefully remove from the tin, cut up and serve.

Fish Cakes (Tuna and Potato nuggets)

Fish cakes

Equipment

·      Pot and lid

·      Chopping board

·      Sharp knife

·      Peeler

·      Potato masher

·      Mixing bowls

·      Measuring spoons/cups

·      Small frying pan and fish slice

·      Bowls for crumbing

Ingredient

·      Potato, 2-3 peeled, boiled and mashed

·      Tinned fish, 2 Tbsp

·      Onion, 1/8 , finely diced

·      Mixed herbs, ¼ tsp

·      Salt, good pinch

·      Parsley, a sprig, finely diced

·      Egg, 1, beaten

·      Breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup

·      Oil for frying

·      Flour, ¼ cup, for moulding fish cakes.

Method

1.    Wash, peel and wash the potato’s before cutting them up and boiling them. 

2.    Drain the potatoes when they are soft. Mash when they have dried out a bit.

3.    Dice up the onion and lightly fry in a little oil until soft

4.    Mix the fish, onion, parsley, herbs and salt in a bowl. Add the mashed potato and mix well.

5.    Set up the 3 crumbing bowls (flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs)

6.    Divide the mix into 6-8 even portions. Shape into rounds.

7.    Carefully dip each fish cake into the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.

8.    Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown on both sides.

9.    Drain on a paper towel.

10. Serve with Tartare sauce.

Food Academy- Ultimate Chocolate cake.

Ultimate Chocolate Cake- Annabel Langbein.

Prep time: 5 min,/ Cook time : 30-45 minutes/ Makes 1 medium cake

·       1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (or 1 1/2 cups flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

·       1 cup sugar

·       3/4 tsp vanilla extract

·       1/3 cup cocoa powder

·       1 tsp baking soda, sifted

·       100g butter, softened

·       1/2 cup milk or unsweetened yoghurt

·       2 eggs

·       1/2 cup boiling hot coffee

To ice:

·       1 recipe Chocolate Ganache (a ramekin of chocolate chips melted in ¼ cup cream) or chocolate butter icing. (1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tsp cocoa, 2 knobs of melted butter and 2-3 tsp hot water).

·       Mandarins/Oranges to garnish

Heat oven to 160°C.

Grease the sides and line the base of a 30cm round cake tin or 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.

Place all ingredients, except Chocolate Ganache, in a bowl and mix until the ingredients are combined and the butter is fully incorporated.

Pour mixture into prepared tin or tins and smooth top.

Bake for 30-45 min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. When cool, carefully remove from the tin.

When you are ready to ice the cake, slather chilled Chocolate Ganache/icing over the top. Arrange segmented mandarins/oranges on the top.