It's the little things: Date Night

I have a little tradition with my boy, we always make time to have 'Date Night' every week.  Often it's just small things like going to the movies, reliving our childhood playing arcade games, or something a tad more competitive like mini golf - which I won, not often I beat my boy at ANYTHING!

However this past week we've both been sick so we're having a night in, just the two of us, making dinner together.  He's handling the main and luckily he's not doing roast vege's as his last attempt at that didn't go well at a recent family dinner, with the veggies being on the rather crunchy side. 

Of course, I'm doing dessert, I've made some pastry cream (recipe to follow in a future post), so I'm thinking of doing a tart and I've also set the table up to make it more of a 'Date Night' evening, with flowers and candles, as really it is the little things that make a normal evening in something special.

Recipe: Lemon Curd

I just love lemons, from their gorgeous smooth yellow skin, to their versatility, I always make sure I've got some of these gorgeous yellow gems in my kitchen.
As promised here is the lemon curd recipe I use for cakes, tarts, whatever your heart may desire.
Lemon Curd
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
1/4 cup butter

In top of a double boiler whisk sugar and eggs together. With a wooden spoon stir in the lemon juice and zest until well combined. 
Add butter and continue cooking until thickened around about 15-20 minutes.
Once thickened pour the curd into sterile jars and store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!

Little Lemon Meringue Pots

So I was making Lemon Meringue Pie the other day and had a little bit of lemon curd and meringue left...so it got me thinking, hmmm what to do with these oh-so-yummy remnants.

So I decided it'd be nice to have a little bit of a "chef's treat", you know after working so hard in the kitchen, I completely deserved it...so I popped the curd in the bottom of some cute little egg cups and filled it up with meringue and gave it a little blast with my torch and...simply divine!

Mango Passionfruit Sponge

I love sponge cakes - they're so versatile and simple to whip up.  This is the cake I turn to when I need to get something fabulous together in a short time.  I've been asked to make this cake for simple afternoon teas and elegant dinner parties alike and with just a few adjustments it can work for any occasion.

Below is the recipe, give it a try and I'm sure it will become one of your favourites too...

Mango Passionfruit Sponge

Ingredients:

• 50g cornflour
• 100g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 4 x 60g eggs (at room temperature)
• 150g caster sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins and line with baking paper. 
2. Sift the cornflour, flour, baking powder and salt together.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl for around 6 minutes or until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume.
4. Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneously folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide mixture between prepared tins.  
5. Bake for around 20 minutes or until cakes have shrunk away from the sides slightly and spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Turn out on to a baking paper lined cooling rack, peel away baking paper and leave to cool.

Filling:

250ml cream lightly whipped

1 x can Mango halves (sliced and reserve the juice/syrup)

100ml Passionfruit pulp

Spoon several spoonfuls of the reserved mango juice/syrup on to each cooled cake.

Place cream in to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a border around the inside of the bottom layer of sponge.  Then fill in border with cream (this can be piped or spooned straight on top), gently arrange mango slices on top of the cream, and then spoon passionfruit pulp on top.

Place second sponge on top of the first sponge layer and pipe a border of cream around the outside, then fill in with cream as per the first layer.  Then spoon remaining passionfruit pulp on top.

Simple, elegant and delicious!