Apples with custard (Appeltjes onder een deken)

I decided to participate in another foodblog event. I especially liked this one, because I have an excuse to use this delicious and typical Dutch dessert. The event was started by Raven's blog (which is a very nice blog to check out).
I never had this dessert before I met my boyfriend. It is one of his favorite desserts of his childhood and it is perfect on a cold winter night.
One other advantage of making this is that I once again get to try to make custard. I never seemed able to do it. Maybe it is because of my impatience or just that I never get it right. But I managed this time! Not perfect yet, but I found the method that works for me.

Ingredients (2 persons)

2 apples (I used Elstar)
3-4 tbsp raisins
2 tsp sugar
pinch of cinnamon
Custard:
300 ml milk
200 ml whipping cream
5 egg yolks
60 g sugar
1 tsp cornflour

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Peel the apples and remove the core. Mix the raisins with the sugar and cinnamon. Fill the apples with this mixture and put in the oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the custard. Heat the milk. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour together.
When the milk is at the boil add the mixture to the eggs. Put the mixture in a clean pan and heat on low heat. Keep on stirring until the custard thickens, but do not let it boil.
When the apples are done put them on a plate and pour the custard over the apples.

Autumn Dinner

Sometimes it is a little boring to be just cooking for myself or my bf. Especially when I received a wonderfool cookbook: My favorite ingredients by Skye Gyngell. I have already read the book three times and enjoyed both the beautiful pictures as well as the wonderful recipes. I picked out three recipes from this book that are perfect for the season and produced this dinner for my family:

Sweet-and-sour pumpkin with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella

Steak with hazelnut-orange picada with rösti and endive

Pear stewed in Marsala

The absolute winner of this dinner was the pumpkin. If you want to impress your guests, this is the recipe you should make:

1 small Butternut Squash, 1,5 kilo (I used a different kind that also gives a sweeter taste), cut into small wedges

220 g sugar

200 ml red wine vinegar

1 bottle of white wine, (750 ml)

small bunch of thyme

3 laurel leaves

1 chili pepper

Put al the ingredients except the pumpkin into a pan and bring to the boil. Put the pumpkin wedges into the pan and let slowly simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on the pan. The pumpkin should be cooked but still firm. Let it cool down to room temperature in the syrop before serving. 

Chocolate Mousse

As long as I can remember I am a fan of chocolate mousse. It has always been my favorite dessert. But I haven't always been very succesfull in making it. But I guess I had the wrong recipes. This recipe gives a great result and is so easy to make! And it is also fast if you do not count the washing up...

Ingredients


120 g of dark chocolate
6 eggs

Melt the chocolate au bain marie. Occasionally stir.
Split the eggs. While the chocolate is melting whisk the eggwhites until stiff.
Add chocolate to the egg yolks and mix well. Add 1/4 of the whites to the chocolate mixture and carefully combine.
Add this mixture to the rest of the whites and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate. Transfer the mousse to a bowl or small serving bowls (whatever you like) and put in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Lime Panna Cotta

I love desserts and I love making them. I just don't like it when it takes so long to make them. Panna cotta is probably the fastest dessert ever to make (if you do not count the waiting time). Preparing should not take more than 10 minutes. So you can make it in the morning and eat it when you come home in the evening!

You can make the panna cotta with all cream or more cream than milk; it is a matter of preference. I find the panna cotta with only cream too rich.
The original panna cotta is made with vanilla, but you can make your own variations. This is my variation; one of my favorite green things: limes!

Ingredients: (4-6 portions)

3 sheets of gelatine
250 ml milk
250 ml whipping cream
4 tbsp sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime

Soak the gelatine in cold water and put aside. Heat the milk with the whipping cream and add the sugar and stir. As soon as the mixture starts cooking, turn off heat.

Add the zest and juice of the lime. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and add to the mixture. Stir well until the gelatin is dissolved.

Now put it in a 4-6 different cups and put them in the refrigerator and chill until firm (at least 2 hours, but preferably 4).

No picture of the panna cotta, because I finished it before I could get my camera!