.baking sesh- rhubarb, rose and dark chocolate tart.

The moment I laid my eyes on this recipe from Joie De Vivre I knew I had to make it. I made this tart a month or so ago, and even now I am salivating over the photos. Need. More. Now.

Serves 8:

Ingredients:

¼ cup cacao + plus extra, for dusting

1¼ cups self-raising flour

125g chilled butter, cubed

½ cup icing sugar

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons iced water

2 teaspoons dried rose petals

Baked rhubarb:

400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 10cm lengths

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon rosewater

Dark chocolate ganache:

300g dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup thickened cream

Method:

1. Place the cocoa, flour, butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the egg yolks and process to combine. Add the iced water and process until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll pastry out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm-thick. Line a 24cm-round loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry, trim the edges and prick the base with a fork.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper, fill with baking weights, or uncooked rice if you don’t have baking weights, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 10–15 minutes or until the pastry is light golden. Allow to cool in the tin.
3. To make the baked rhubarb, place the rhubarb, sugar and rosewater in a bowl and mix to combine. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until tender and just starting to fall apart. Set aside to cool.
4. To make the dark chocolate ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Place the cream in a saucepan over low heat and stir until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Place the rhubarb in the base of the pastry case and pour over the ganache. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours or until set. Dust with extra cacao and dried rose petals to serve.

.baking sesh- dark chocolate chunk, pistachio and sea salt cookies.

These cookies are TO. DIE. FOR. When I stumbled upon the recipe on two peas and their pod I thought it was too good to be true. And it kind of is. I mean how many cookies are fluffy in the middle, a little bit salty, a little bit sweet and contain a whole lot of chocolatey goodness? 

Yields: Around 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachios, shells removed
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
Sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

3) Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.

4) Stir in the pistachios and chocolate chunks. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, form tablespoons size balls of cookie dough. Place balls on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle cookie dough balls with sea salt.

5) Bake cookies for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

.baking sesh- cherry ripe slice.

So what does one do when there is baking to be done, but not enough time to go buy a bunch of ingredients? I do a little thing called cupboard cooking. Loose translation? 'Ummm, so I have cherry jam and biscuits and coconut, what can I make with this stuff?' This cherry ripe slice is the end result.

I so wish I had taken proper photos before I had bought in the best of it to work. But you know, one must prioritise. Eating first, photographing later.

Ingredients:
3/4 packet of Milk Arrowroot biscuits
150 grams butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut essence
1/2 cup cooking cocoa powder
1 jar of dark cherry jam (about 280 grams)
5-6 tablespoons of cream cheese
3/4 cup icing sugar
100 grams chocolate, melted

Method:
1) Line a 20-25 cm tray with baking paper (depending on how thick you want the biscuit layer).
2) Crush the biscuits roughly and then place in a blender to form fine crumbs (alternatively, get all that anger out and use a rolling pin).
3) Pour the melted butter into a bowl containing the crushed biscuits and mix together. Add the shredded coconut, coconut essence and cocoa powder. Push the biscuit mix into the bottom of the tray.
4) In a separate bowl mix the cherry jam with the cream cheese until there are no lumps (there may be lumps of cherry, this is totally fine! You just don't want lumpy cream cheese). Add the icing sugar and combine until all the ingredients are mixed together. Pour over the biscuit base and smooth.
5) Pour melted chocolate over the top of the slice and run a knife through it, creating a marbled effect with the cherry cream cheese layer and the chocolate. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until you feel the cherry layer has started to set.
6) Gorge yourself.