Angel Delight - not just for pretty sundae glasses! Angel Delight 'Cheesecakes'.

 

 

Angel Delight. I must have eaten gallons of it when I was a kid. I wasn't fussy about which flavour - I just used to love the way that within minutes there was something to eat that sweetened the mouth after having my tea - I suspect that my mum loved it as much as me, as it was a quick and economical way of putting something on the table for us all to enjoy.

 

And, as it goes, things haven't changed. I know it's nice to make everything from scratch but you know, sometimes it doesn't happen that way, and that's okay because Lola and Finn adore Angel Delight, so I find myself, like my mum used to, whipping up a pack of Angel Delight to sate the sweet cravings of my bubs once dinner is over, secure in the knowledge that it is made using only natural colourings and is suitable for vegetarians.

However, Angel Delight does not just end at the bottom of a pretty sundae glass. In one of my more creative moments (it does still happen...) I decided to experiment with the versatility of the Bubblegum flavour, as stocked by Tesco's, and make something resembling a cheesecake, minus the cheese of course, but with the cakey biscuit base. Using moulds, I melted some butter whilst getting rid of any pent up anger by smashing up some digestive biscuits with a rolling pin. Once butter and biscuits were mixed, I whipped up a packet of bubblegum Angel Delight, following the instructions on the packet, and then poured it into the mould, on top of the biscuit base. A couple of hours in the fridge to firm everything up and a scattering of hundreds and thousands later, and there it was, a pretty little dessert which Lola and Finn (and dad and me, actually) devoured.

It was like being a kid all over again.

Angel Delight 'Cheesecakes'

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad.

Ingredients:

8 sweet digestive biscuits

50g melted unsalted butter

One pack of Bubblegum Angel Delight, made up using the packet instructions

Hundreds and thousands, or decorations of your choice.

I also used four circular moulds.

Method:

 

Melt the butter and crumble the digestive biscuits until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.

 

Mix the melted butter and the biscuits together to make kind of paste.

Put your moulds on the a flat surface that you can transfer into the fridge; a plate would do.

 

Put some of the biscuit mixture into the moulds and press it down so that it forms a base.

 

Mix up the Angel Delight until it becomes quite thick.

 

Spoon the mixture into the moulds. (If your mixture is still similar to 'pouring' consistency then you need to mix further).

Flatten the tops using the back of a teaspoon and place into the fridge for a couple of hours.

 

When ready to serve, scatter some hundreds and thousands on top of the Angel Delight mixture and then run a sharp knife around the inside of the mould to release the biscuit base. A quick wobble of the mould should see the whole thing drop out of the mould and on to the plate.

This post is an entry for #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge, hosted by Britmums. You can learn more here: http://bit.ly/angeldelight

Small but perfectly formed - Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake

 

...though yours doesn't have to be small to be perfectly formed. Indeed you could follow the recipe below and get something far more substantial but, you see, I am not really a cheesecake fan. In my mind, there are better and lighter puds and something in me thinks that if a pudding is going to be substantial then it has to be warm. However, what I will say is that as cheesecakes go, I liked this and I think it was because of its baked, mousse like texture and because I made it small and could take a small piece and not think about how I was going to have to eat the rest. I should say here that Phill is a cheesecake aficionado and would have willingly hoovered up the rest. In fact, the small cheesecake I made here he thought was a single portion but I think that was just an amazed response to the fact that I had actually made a cheesecake.

The quantities below are from the original recipe in Hummingbird Bakery's 'Bake Days', because it is unlikely that you would want to make something so small. I halved all the quantities below and used a 4 and a half springform tin. It served Lola, Finn, dad and me in one sitting, although Phill said he could have eaten all of it again. Maybe next time I will make one just for him.

Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake, taken from The Hummingbird Bakery 'Bake Days' by Tarek Malouf.

Serves 8

 

 

FOR THE BASE

220g (8oz) digestive biscuits

100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE TOPPING

200g (7oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus 100-200g (3 1/2-7oz) extra strawberries, cut in half to decorate

180g (6 1/2oz) caster sugar

600g (1lb 5oz) full-fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)

2 large eggs

100g (3 1/2oz) mascarpone cheese

20g (3/4oz) icing sugar

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) double cream

 

Method:

 

 

Line the base of the tin with baking parchment. Using a food processor with the blade attachment, blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs. Alternatively place them in a plastic bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin.

 

 Pour the biscuit crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter and stir together, then tip into the lined tin and press into the base with the back of a spoon.

 

Place the tin in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to allow the base to set.

 

Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a saucepan with 80g (3oz) of the sugar and 30ml (1fl oz) of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the strawberries are soft and the liquid has reduced by half. Take off the hob and set aside until completely cold.

 

 

Preheat the oven to 160c (320f), gas mark 3. Prepare the topping by using a hand-held electric whisk or a free standing electric mixer with the paddle attachment to beat together the cream cheese and remaining sugar on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl now and then. Tip the cooked strawberries and stir in by hand, ensuring that they are evenly dispersed.

  

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin - it should be about two-thirds full. Place in a roasting tin (first wrap the cake tin in foil) and fill this with water up to about 5mm (1/4in) from the top of the cake tin. This creates a water bath in which to bake the cheesecake, preventing it from drying out and cracking in the oven.

 

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until firm on the top with a very slight wobble in the centre. Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature still in the tin, then place in the fridge to chill and set for 1-2 hours.

 

Using the electric whisk or free standing mixer, beat the mascarpone and icing sugar on a medium speed until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until soft peaks form, then fold it into the mascarpone.

 

Remove the chilled cheesecake from the fridge and pour the mascarpone cream on top, spreading it evenly. Place back in the fridge for a few hours, or preferably overnight, to set.

 

When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and top with fresh strawberry halves.

Untried but trusted and in praise of the Barefoot Contessa: Chocolate Pudding Cream Tart

 

 

So there I was, trying to be kind and suggesting to Phill that when we were invited around to his sister's house for something to eat that I make a pud. And it was more an offer than my actually having something in mind that I wanted to make necessarily. So, when I actually got round to thinking about it I actually started to wonder about what I really was going to make. It had to be something the kids would eat, I had to transport it 40 miles and I wanted to make it in advance, with stuff that I had in the cupboard. And it had to look the part. I love setting myself easy tasks such as this.

 

But, when I am in a spot cooking wise, there is a kind of mantra that I like to repeat to myself to solve my problems. Just what would Ina do? The fact is, whilst I can trace my interest in cooking back to the dim and distant, it was only watching Ina Garten on the UK Food Channel that really got me hooked. Firstly I loved her house and whilst one shouldn't covet another person's goods I could really see myself breezing about in a kitchen like hers. She also conjured up good stuff to eat that looked so easy and tasty and if she didn't get round to doing that she assembled it 'cos when it all comes down to it, it isn't worth the faff. And, she makes cocktails by the pitcher...

 

So, I consulted Ina, and I decided to use 'How Easy is That?' which I have to confess is one of her cookbooks I haven't used as often as say, 'The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook' which is actually very nearly destroyed, and 'Barefoot in Paris' because of my 'francais' fixation. One thing I can always say about Ina Garten recipes is that they work out. I may have been extraordinarily lucky but everything I have chosen to cook from any of her books has been spot on, which can't be said for some other cookbooks which I won't mention here. You do get the feeling that these recipes have been tested to within an inch of their lives, which is why my 'What would Ina do?' thought dropped into my consciousness.

 

In the end I chose 'Chocolate Pudding Cream Tart', a rich, chocolatey custard encased (on this occasion) in digestive biscuits and topped with chantilly cream. the custard and biscuit base sat quite happily overnight in the fridge covered in cling film ready for adorning with thick chantilly cream just before transporting, via the 'coolbox on its side with several tea towels and freezer packs stuffed either side to stop it moving' method.

 

The photos you see below were before the tart went in the coolbox. I want to reassure you all that at the other end, the tart came out of its tin with little effort. I could have taken my camera I suppose but people already find it amusing that I have the urge to photograph food I eat in my own home. To turn up at someone else's house and start snapping was probably a bit too weird.

 

Chocolate Pudding Cream tart, adapted from 'Barefoot Contessa - How Easy Is that?' by Ina Garten

 

Serves 8 generously.

 

Ingredients: (Note: US recipe, so measurements in cups)

 

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used 16 digestive biscuits, blitzed)¹⁄³ cup sugar
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
4 cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
5 extra-large egg yolks
¹⁄³ cup cornflour
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (I used Menier)2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, diced
1 tablespoon Kahlúa liqueur (I used Tia Maria, 'cos I am that kinda girl...)1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
Sweetened whipped cream (see note)
Shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish

 

Method:

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

Combine the digestive biscuits, sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Lightly press the mixture into an 11-inch metal tart pan with removable sides. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.

 

 

 

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until almost simmering.

 

 

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, egg yolks, cornflour, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the milk into the bowl. (I pour the hot milk into a large measuring cup first to reduce spills.)

 

 

 

Pour the mixture into a large saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is very thick. (It did take 10 minutes. Be patient. it will happen!)

 

 

 

Off the heat, add the chocolate, butter, Tia Maria, and coffee. Beat with a whisk until smooth and pour into the cooled crust. Place plastic wrap directly on the chocolate filling and chill the tart for 6 hours, until cold.

 

 

 

Decorate with whipped cream and shaved chocolate and serve cold.

 

Note: To make sweetened whipped cream, place 1 cup double cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until it forms firm peaks.