Hi Victoria,
Pastry chef Paul Young here, and I have made caramel pavlova many times and produced ib well by using muscovado sugar in place of caster in the meringue and for a toffee cream filling make a caramel with sugar and water simmered until quite dark brown but not burnt. Add a little more water to stop the cooking of the caramel and cool thoroughly. Whisk double cream and add icing sugar to sweeten. Mix in some of the caramel until you reach your required caramel flavour.
Fill the pavlova and chop fudge pieces to muddle in with the cream and drizzle the remaining caramel over.

Hope this is of help, im sure yours will be a success.

bests, Paul

Dill seed praline recipe,

Take 2 tbsp dill seeds and toast until golden brown in a medium hot oven. This takes about 5 minutes

Meanwhile in a large sauce pan melt 8 tbsp caster sugar and cook to caramelize until golden brown.
Pour the seeds into the caramel stir well and pour onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Leave to cool thoroughly

This can then be crushed for ice creams, desserts and crumbles.
or broken into bite sized pieces and eaten when you fancy it.

Hope you like it, its an interesting flavour.

bests,

Paul Young

Hi stephiehome,
I am currently developing lots of recipes for my new book due out next year and one of next years big ingredients will be Dill seeds. So dry some and try adding them into short bread biscuits, pastry, in salads, in dumplings, dill seed praline and caramel for desserts. are only a few but they are great with sweet and savoury dishes.

bests,

Paul Young, Pastry chef, GFL

Hi Jennifer, Adding chocolate can be done in two ways, either with cocoa powder combined with the icing sugar. Or melted chocolate can be added once the mixture is fully combined, simply fold in the required amount of warm melted chocolate. Be careful not to over mix at this stage as it can cause the butter cream to split.

Frexy you are totally correctm ny typing error it is a 2lb cake tin or 2 x 1lb cake tins.

Love,

Paul

How about this spiced pear cake, its easy and stores well as it gets really moist and improves with flavour.

1lb self raising flour
1tspn cinammon
1tspn nutmeg
8oz butter
8oz light muscovado sugar
10 oz chopped pear
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 eggs
7 tablespoons milk

Pre heat oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4
Line a 1lb loaf tin with parchment paper
Sift the flour and spices together.
Rub in the butter to form a bread crumb like mixture.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients, pour into the tin and bake for 1 hour 30 mins approx

Apologies for the old money weights, its an old family recipe to use up wind fall fruits in Autumn.

Paul Young

Dear Frexy, Thanks for the comments.
I have made this recipe for years and I assure you it is not awful. I always encourage everyone to try recipes before coming to such opinions.
In my recipe I explain that it is passed through a sieve for a smooth jam, leaving any stones and fibarous matter behind.
Also not all recipes for jam are equal sugar to fruit. The pectin levels in fruits vary resulting in very different sets. I also try to simplify all my recipes and with this one the recipe does not require the maker to find the setting point. Its a soft and delicate jam, easy to make and easily enjoyed.
Jelly is wonderful too and if clare has enough sloes then making both is a nice treat.

kindest regards,

Paul Young

Hi Jennifer, The recipe you are talking about is Creme au beurre which is the french recipe and its heavinly and not chalky or powdery that sends so many peoples teeth on edge. Its slighly more complicated than butter cream but worth the time and effort.

160g caster sugar
85ml water
1 egg
2 egg yolks
250g soft butter
vanilla extract.

Make syrup with the sugar and water and simmer to soft ball stage,114c a sugar thermometer is the safest way to chech this temperature. Although if you drop teaspoons of syrup into a bowl of iced water and the syrup hardens to a pliable ball then its ready.
Using a whisk or mixer beat together the eggs and yolk.
With the mixer on full speed gradually add the hot soft ball syrup in a slow but steady stream.
Keep the mixer on until the mixture is cold.
Finally add the vanilla and butter in small knobs mixing well between each addition of butter.

Store in a tupperware in the fridge or ideally use straight away for best results.
Hope this helps, and that you enjoy it.

Paul Young.

Hello everyone,
And many thanks for the lovely comments.
I have made a concious decision to share all my skills and knowledge. 15 years of working from chopping sacks of onions to becoming Head Pastry chef for Marco Pierre White has given me, I think a real gift I can now share with everyone. Im now freelance and teach, write, appear on GFL, consult and run my own celebration cake business, so busy but I finally have the time to chat with such passionate food loving people as yourselves.
All of you having dreams of being chefs/opening deli's etc should dip your toe in the water by trying a cookery course of work part time in a food establishment. Its great experience being hands on.

I also feel passionate about passing on recipes, skills and regional and seasonal recipes. We are fast losing
original recipes from our grandparents childhoods.
I am recording a series of 6 short feature to be shown on GFL later this year focusing on Cakes. Making them trendy, fun and cutting edge but all from the classic recipes. We need to share as much as posible with each other.

keep up the great conversations and sharing of information. I feel truly gifted and still relish sharing any recipes and help any of you may need.

bests, Paul Young

Hi Clair2,
Im a sloe fan and have this recipe for sloe jam.
2.5kg sloe's
2kg granulated sugar
500g golden delicious apples

Place the sloes in the deep freeze until fully frozen. This is too soften the harsh flavour that some sloes have.
Place the sloes in a bowl of hot water and leave over night.
wash and grate the apples into a large saucepan, add the sloes and cook until soft .
Add the sugar and cook until reduced by a quater to concentrate the flavours.
Taste for sweetness.
For a smooth jam pass through a sieve using a wooden spoon.
Jar up and seal well.

Hope this helps, have fun,

Paul Young Pastry chef GFL

Hi Doreen,
I have never come across Burnt White chocolate sauce it sounds fantastic. Leave it with me and I will consult my Pastry chef friends and see what we can find.

On the grated pastry front, You can grate most pastries savoury and sweet. Then gently push the grated pastry into the pie dish or tart tin.
I have done this on a number of occasions when developing recipes for speedy results with out rolling the pastry out.
Try this chocolate pastry

150g plain flour
35g cocoa powder
35g caster sugar
100g butter
cold water

mix the dry ingredients together and rub in the butter to form a breadcrumb like mixture.
Use enough cold water to form a soft dough.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

I hope this fits your requirements.

bests,

Paul

Hi Mark, The most effective way and easiest way to create a white chocolate gateau is to use plain/vanilla sponge layers. either shop bought or a home made genoese sponge.( let me know if you need this recipe)
You will need 3 layers of sponge.
Make a sugar syrup with equal amounts of water and sugar and slosh a good amount of grand marnier or cointreau.
Witha pastry brush evenly coat each layer of sponge with the syrup.
For the filling.
800mls double cream
600g white chocolate
1 vanilla pod split and scraped
100g icing sugar

Take the white chocolate and melt gently over a bain marie.
Mix in 200g of the cream andvanilla seeds, leave to cool for 30 minutes.
Whip the remaining cream until just starting to come to soft peaks.
when the white chocolate has cooled fold into the whipped cream. Do not over mix as this will cause the mix to split.
Next take a sponge layer and evenly spread with the chocolate cream. Repeat with the remaining layers.
Spread the white chocolate cream over the entire cake in a thin layer.
Cover the sides of the cake with either white chocolate shavings, dark chocolate shavings (grated chocolate), chopped pistachios, hazelnuts or toasted almond flakes.
The top of the cake can be decorated in many ways, with fresh fruit, berries, piped cream, chocolate shavings.
You can also layer the sponge with fruit such as sliced poached/tinned pears, orange segments, strawberries.

I hope this helps as there are so many variations of this lovely gateau. If you need more help then drop me a message.
Good Luck and happy cooking

Paul

Hi Huggy,
Try this choc icing recipe its really easy and is absolutely decadent.

Its a recipe based on the American favourite frosting.

200g full fat cream cheese at room temp
200g butter softened
400g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk
real dark cocoa powder.

Mix together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until pale and light. Gradually add the icing sugar until all incorporated.
Now add your required amount of cocoa powder depending upon how chocolatey you like it.
Add milk to make a spreadable soft paste.
Beat well in a mixer or with a wooden spoon this will ensure a smooth and even icing.

It may not have melted chocolate in the recipe but use a good quality dark cocoa powder. This will give a true chocolate taste with out any of the additives that some chocolates contain.

I also have a chocolate glaze that you pour over the cake to cover it. Its not a thisk icing but is glossy and dark. let me know if you think it is more what you had in mind.
Have fun.

Paul

Hi Karen,
Yes you can add raisins, You simply need to coat them in a little flour first then mix in to the mixture after the flour has been folded in. This prevents them from sinking to the botom of the cake when baking.

Victoria Sandwich pre heat oven to 180c/350f
150g butter
150g caster sugar
150g self raising flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffyusing a wooden spoon.
Gradually add the egg and vanilla mixing well between each addition to prevent the mixture curdling.
With a metal spoon fold in the flour carefully.
Spoon into a silicon paper lined 8" cake tin and level the mixture into the tin.
Bake in a moderate oven 180c/350f/gas 4
until golden and springy to touch. about 30-40 mins.
cool for 5 mins then turn on to a wire rack
cool thoroughly.
With a sharp knife slice the cake horizontally and spread your favourite jam on the one half of the cake and spread butter cream ( as for chocolate butter cream but leave out the chocolate and add vanilla to taste)on the other half of the cake.
Sandwich the 2 cake together and dust with icing or caster sugar.
Store in an air tight tin for up to 5 days.

for chocolate chip cake you can use this recipe with the addition of chocolate chips, dark, white or milk.
For double choc chip cake substitute 25g of flour for real cocoa powder and make as usual and then add choc chips.

You can use an electirc mixer for the creaming of the butter and sugar and adding the egg but still fold in the flour by hand using a metal spoon.

Happy baking :-)

Paul.

Hi Food lovers, If you have any dessert/sweet/chocolate questions then I can help.

Keep up the fascinating chat.

Paul Young pastry chef

Hi Karen,
Im glad you have discovered baking and now experimenting with the chocolate sponge.
Here is a step by step chocolate butter cream recipe

Take 150g soft butter and place in to a large mixing bowl.
Take 200g icing sugar and sift well.
Gradually mix the icing sugar into the butter.
Mix until light and creamy.
Add 2 tablespoons milk and mix well.
Take 50 to 75 g melted dark chocolate and mix well into the butter cream. Add more chocolate if you like a more intense chocolate flavour.

Once you have mixed the above amounts of butter and icing sugar together you can add any flavours. eg, orange and lemon zest, lavender, cinnamon, lime juice and zest, rum, brandy etc. desicated coconut, ginger, white chocolate.

It sounds like you are really enjoying baking?
Watch Good Food live in October as I will have a section on GFL dedicated to baking cakes. It will be very new and fun.
Have fun and good luck with your chocolte sponge.

Paul Young, Pastry chef

Hi Deborah, Turron Fondue!!

Ive been thinking and how do these sound?
It would be great on skewers by its self or alternated with fruit and dipped into a chocolate fodue.

You could gently melt it down in a bain marie with chocolate and make a new version of chocolate crispy cakes. Is this too naughty? They would be to die for though. :-)

bests

Paul Young

Hi Deborah,You lucky thing, isnt it absolutly scrummy. I have something similar from Sardinia but not as soft.

Its one of those things that is so delectable on its own that I feel its a shame to hide its delicate flavour. Saying that try making a thick hot chocolate with 250mls double cream, 250mls milk, 50g light muscovado sugar and 200g dark 60% ish chocolate.
Bring the cream and milk to the boil pour onto the chocolate and sugar. add a drop of your favourite liqueur and pieces of Turron. Its a reall treat.

Also its great if you take broken up meringue, whipped double cream sweetened, raspberries (frozen are ok) Vanilla and pieces of Turron. Fold them together and put in to pudding basins lined with cling film, semi freeze them ( semi freddo)
Remove from the freezer and serve with berries or fruit sauce. Great with sweet liqueur laced over too.

On the samphire pickling try this its heavinly.

Take half clear vinegar and half white wine vinegar, bring to the boil with lemon slices, thinly sliced fennel, white pepper corns, and sugar until it is just slightly sweet. Let this liquid cool slightly. Fill your jars with samphire and top up with the vinegar mixture. temeber to get some lemon and pepper in each jar. Leave for at least 1 week for a delicate pickle or longer for a sharp pickle. Try it with poached fish, especially oily fish such as mackerel or salmon. You will loose some of the green colour from the samphire as the vinegar get to work but this has no effect on the quality of the finished pickle.

I hope this helps some,

Happy cooking,

Paul Young

Its that great time of year to start preserving and pickling your fruits and vegggies.

Any questions relating then fire away as im currently developing some very interesting combinations.

I also apart from doing TV, teach at cookery schools, give live demonstrations, write and run my own celebration cake business so any cake dilemas or new decoration ideas or top tips then I will be grateful to help.

Keep cooking,

Paul Young

Hi jenifer 264, Yes you will be ok with soya dream. If you are using the sweetened soya dream then adjust your sugar levels accordingly.
The eggs are the setting agent so all will be ok.
Also I have found that cooking them in a bain marie in the oven at 100c helps as the Soya dream and other cream substitutes are not as heat stable.

You may find that they are slightly softer when cooked, if you want a firmer set next time add an additional egg, and yolk to enrich the mixture.

Good luck

Paul Young

Hi Nick1965, Try using a bitter sweet chocolate 64% cocoa solids. It balances well with fruit as it has its own fruits back notes.
Aslo you could try a very good quality milk chocolate ( valhrona or lindt) with a small percentage of dark blended in to help the balance of falvours.
Some of the cheaper brands of chocolate can contain gluten traces but pure true chocolate such as Valrhona should be safe.
Love to try you finished jams, they sound great.

Paul Young

Hi Paul Young Pastry chef from Last Thursdays GFL. If you have any dessert, chocolate, pastry ar sweet dilemas then post me a question and I will answer all. Keep up the great discussions, its so nice to see so many enthusiastic foodies out there.

Bests,

Paul Young

Hello everyone, Paul Young here, Pastry chef and appeared on the show last Thursday. Just to say how great it is to see so many foodies sending in questions and quiries. If you have any dessert, pastry, sweet and chocolate questions then send them in. I promise to answer all.
Keep up the great discussions.

Pastry Paul.

Hi Ken, Paul Young pastry chef from todays show here, and a solution to your caramel sauce problems.
Make a caramel as usual with sugar and water and simmer until your required darkness is reached, remembering the darker the colour the more bitter the caramel.
Then standing well back you need to dilute the caramel until it becomes more of a light syrup.
Cool and you will have a cold liquid caramel.

good luck,

Paul