Coconut Macaroons. Gluten-free and easy to make!

Feb 19, 2014

These lusciously sweet and moist coconut cookies are a heavenly mouthful and fancy enough for tea time with the ladies. Better yet, the recipe doesn’t call for flour so they’re also perfect gluten-free treats.

Makes: Approx. 20-22 cookies   Prep. Time: 10 min   Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, warmed to room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites and salt with an electric mixture on high speed until medium-firm peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites gently into the coconut mixture.
3. Using a large spoon, drop approximately two teaspoons of the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Leave mounded. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Sam Stern's Chilli-Chocolate Orange Cake

Feb 10, 2014

We love interesting food combinations, so this Valentine’s Day we thought finding a recipe with an unexpected ingredient that just may raise your sweetie’s eyebrows might be fun. It didn’t take us long to settle on Sam Stern’s recipe – we love the concept of heat meets sweet, especially for a Valentine’s Day dessert.

Divine Chocolate asked top chefs to create chocolate cakes as part the UK’s Chocolate Week 2013 (October 13-19) celebrations. Chef Sam Stern created his Chilli-Chocolate Orange Cake – a decadent cake that we think is perfect for wooing your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. And, if you love chocolate you owe it to yourself to spend some time browsing recipes on Divine Chocolate’s website. Oh, YUM!

Putting this cake together has been a labour of love. It’s been through a load of variations and I think this one is pretty much perfect. Customise the cake to suit you – add more chilli if you like more heat. Go for the fudge icing for a sweeter tooth or the bitter chocolate for a sophisticated taste and finish. — Sam Stern

Ingredients
150g (6 ounces) plain chocolate
½ tsp coffee granules
1 tsp chilli flakes (or more if you like), crushed
125g (9 tbsp) butter
125g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
75g (2/3 cup) self raising flour
1 pinch baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp rum or orange juice or water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs water
Peel of half a medium orange, finely grated

Glaze:
2 tablespoons of good orange marmalade

Fudge icing:
300g (3 cups) icing sugar
25g (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) cocoa powder
125g (9 tbsp) butter
4 tbsp of water

Bitter chocolate icing:
180g (6.5 ounces) dark chocolate
125g (9 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 tbsp golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 320°F.

Line and grease a 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate by placing the pieces in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, not allowing the bowl to touch the water. Add the coffee granules and chilli. Let the mix melt then stir with a wooden spoon. Remove bowl and leave to cool.

Cream the softened butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gently stir in the cooled chocolate and four egg yolks. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and then add the grated orange rind. Fold the mix gently together with a large spatula. Add the rum, vanilla and water.

Whisk 5 egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Add to the mixture by beating in the first tablespoon to loosen the consistency. Then fold the rest in very gently using a spatula. Do not over mix you want the mixture to maintain some airiness.

Pour the mix into the pan and put it in the oven for 45-50 minutes (if your oven is hot – check after 35 minutes). To test it, prick with a toothpick. It should come out clean. Remove and place on a cooling rack. Remove cake from pan after five minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack. Brush the glaze on while the cake is still slightly warm.

To make the glaze, put the marmalade into a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it’s runny. Brush this onto the cooling cake base with a pastry brush.

To make the fudge icing: combine the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Melt the butter and water and pour into the icing sugar mix. Beat until combined. It should be easily spreadable but not runny, so you might not need all the liquid. Cover the top of the cake and sides generously with the icing. Go for a smooth or a rough finish. You can decorate with cherries, grated chocolate, or chocolate curls (peel from a bar of chocolate with a potato peeler).

For the bitter chocolate icing: melt chocolate pieces over a water bath with butter and golden syrup. Pour it over the cake for a smooth finish. Let it set. Pipe sweet Valentine messages on top or decorate with cherries, or a chili pepper. Eat and enjoy!

Philadelphia Classic Cheesecake

Feb 10, 2014

So creamy, rich and delicious, Kraft’s Philadelphia Classic Cheesecake topped with cherries or fresh fruit is an easy, go-to recipe for Valentine’s Day.

Prep. time: 20 min   Total time: 5 hr 45 min   Serves: 16

What You Need

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4  eggs

Directions:

1. HEAT oven to 325°F.
2. MIX graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3. BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
4. BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F if using a dark nonstick springform pan.
Special Extra
Top with fresh fruit just before serving.

For more Valentine recipes and ideas visit: kraftrecipes.com