It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these blog posts. This is a combination of a few of the things I’ve made over the past few weeks, along with some cool finds and recommendations.
I made these gluten-free ice cream sandwiches. My favourite vanilla ice cream recipe is this one by David Lebovitz. For the chocolate biscuit, I used my gluten-free Tim Tam recipe but cut the dough into squares.
After the ice cream is churned, press it evenly into a square tin/loaf pan and then allow it to set overnight before slicing into squares. To ensure the biscuit sticks to the ice cream, you want to melt the surface of the ice cream slightly. I then dipped the sandwiches into melted chocolate mixed with some neutral oil.
I was not completely happy with these sandwiches. The chocolate detracted from the beautiful flavour of the ice cream and some of the creaminess was lost. I actually prefer to serve this ice cream with these gluten-free tuiles. Sometimes the simple things are the best.
I also made crème brulée, which I need to experiment with further. Most recipes involve similar quantities of ingredients and identical methods.
To make the custard, I used 420g cream, 70g milk, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 100g egg yolks (about 5) and 90g sugar. I like to use a combination of cream and milk so it is less rich, and you do not want to add too much sugar otherwise it will be overly sweet. The eggs and sugar should be whisked together lightly, because too many bubbles will adversely affect the crème brulée (I recommend straining the custard and skimming off any bubbles). These shallow ramekins too about 25 minutes to bake at 160°C.
For the brulée topping, I’ve read that white sugar is the best, some say brown sugar is better and others use raw sugar. After trying these options, I actually like to use this trick from Sorted Food. It basically involves making a caramel (100g sugar and 30g water), pouring it onto a lined baking tray and allowing it to harden before blending in it into a powder. You then sprinkle this caramel dust in a thin layer over the set crème brulée and blow torch it (alternatively, you can put it under the broiler). The sugar should caramelise quite quickly without heating the custard underneath. I believe this method creates the perfect crack (the only downside is that the caramel tends to stick to your teeth.).
On sunday, we made pizza for lunch. My favourite gluten-free flour for bread and pizza is the Caputo Fioreglut gluten-free flour blend (it is expensive, but well worth it). It is available at Harris Farm Markets and on Amazon. This focaccia and dinner roll recipe from The Gluten-free Austrian which use this flour are phenomenal.
For the pizza dough, I simply use the recipe on the Caputo flour bag but halve the quantities (500g flour, 10g salt, 18g olive oil, 400g warm water, 7g yeast). I like to activate the yeast in the water with 1 tsp of sugar. On the day of baking, remove the dough balls from the fridge and allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours. Your oven should be preheated to the highest temperature possible (mine is 230°C fan-forced), with one rack on the top and bottom. Whilst it the oven is preheating, put two baking trays/steels on each rack so these can get really hot.
I like to gently press the dough out into a circle on a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour. I then use a tray to slide the pizzas onto the hot baking sheets and cook them for about 10 minutes total, rotating halfway through. These are my favourite toppings:
- Prosciutto and burrata – add some grated mozarella to the base of the pizza and bake for about 5 minutes on the top rack. Top with prosciutto and bake for 5 minutes on the bottom rack. Tear some burratta and put it generously over the pizza, and bake for 1 minute to slightly melt the cheese. Finish with some fresh basil, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Pepperoni – spread pizza sauce on the base of the pizza (I like to use this simple recipe by Recipe Tin Eats using tomato paste), add some grated mozarella and finely sliced pepperoni. Bake for 5 minutes on the bottom rack, then 5 minutes on the top rack.
- Garlic butter – melt some butter with crushed garlic cloves (you can do this in a pan or microwave), then add some chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, basil and parsley). Bake the pizza base for 5 minutes on the top rack, spoon over the garlic herb butter and bake for 5 minutes on the bottom rack.
When reheating the pizza, I recommend doing this at a low temperature (around 160°C) for about 8-10 minutes.
We served the pizza with this rocket, pear and parmesan salad. For the dressing, I simply mixed some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together.
Now onto some recommendations and cool finds from the past few weeks.
- I highly recommend visiting the two exhibitions at GOMA by Michael Zavros and eX de Medici. Both artists have so many beautiful pieces.
- I’ve been really into kimchi lately, but a lot of the ones I’ve tried are too spicy. My favourite kimchi is this vegan one by The Kimchi Company. It has a wonderful flavour and the perfect amount of spice. It is available at Harris Farm Markets.
- Samson by Regina Spektor is one of my favourite songs at the moment.
- I adore all the tableware and ceramics by Wingnut & Co. There are so many stunning bowls and cups.