from my orchid kitchen

The ingredients

• Sweet potatoes - in this "mousse" I used orange pulp sweet potatoes, but white pulp can also be used. The best way to cook sweet potatoes is steamed, or baked in the oven so that they retain the vitamins. If cooked in water, it must be allowed to cool completely so that the excess moisture evaporates.
• Powdered cocoa - powdered chocolate can also be used, but it is advisable to adjust the amount of syrup since chocolate already contains sugar.
• Maple syrup - can be substituted for agave syrup or another similar sweetener of natural origin. Since sweet potatoes already have some sweetness, you don't need much sweetener.
• Vanilla - an (almost) indispensable ingredient in many desserts.
• Port wine - is optional and serves only to improve the flavor of the "mousse", and can be replaced by another alcoholic beverage to taste. I have also experimented with this chocolate liqueur.
• Milk - the amount needed is variable depending on the texture (thicker or lighter) that is desired for this dessert.

How to make

• Start by cooking the sweet potato: if steamed, the potatoes are peeled and cut into medium cubes and cooked for approximately 20 minutes (the smaller the cubes, the faster the cooking); if roasted in the oven, they are peeled and roasted whole at 200ºC for about 30 minutes; if cooked in water, peel and cut into cubes and cook for 15 to 20 minutes (also here the smaller the cubes, the faster the cooking will be) allowing to cool so that the excess moisture evaporates.
• The sweet potato pulp is then pureed. Those who don't have a food processor can use a pass-vite or potato masher.
• To the puree are then added cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, Port wine (or another drink), and 80ml (1/3 cup) of milk, and wrap everything until you get a homogeneous cream.
• Depending on whether you like a thicker or lighter cream, gradually add (or not) more milk.
• Place the cream in bowls or other containers and leave it to set and solidify in the refrigerator.
• In this version, the bowls were decorated with some whipped cream (fresh cream with a bit of sugar).

Sweet potato chocolate "mousse" recipe

400 gr of sweet potato (boiled or roasted)
30 gr of cocoa
80ml to 150ml of milk (of any type)
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon of Port Wine, Brandy or chocolate liqueur (optional)
Whipped cream (optional - to decorate)
Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional - to decorate)

1. After roasting or boiling the sweet potato, mash until pureed and cool. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients: cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla, Port wine, and 80ml of milk, and mix everything.
3. Adjust the creaminess to taste with the addition of more milk.
4. Divide the preparation by cups or glasses, and place in the refrigerator. 
5. Decorate to taste.

This gluten-free dessert is a great light and moist cake made with an uncommon key ingredient - chestnut flour, with a very pleasant taste and making you want some more.

I already had the recipe for this chestnut cake saved a few years ago in my files, because at the time it was still difficult to find chestnut flour on stores. Nowadays this is no longer the case, at least in large urban centers, with sections of healthy food in supermarkets increasing in size and variety of products, and also with the increase in the number of stores that sell products for alternative diets.

What captivated me in this simple cake was not only the fact of using chestnut, an ingredient that I quite like, but also the use of cream instead of butter or oil as a source of fat on the recipe.

Here at home, everyone loved the cake, which is quite soft and slightly moist, and contrary to what you might think, the chestnut flour doesn't give the cake that flavor we find when we eat other desserts made with fresh chestnuts, but a soft flavor that contrasts very well with the lemon. Despite everything, anyone who wants can make this cake without adding the lemon zest and replacing it with vanilla.

The Ingredients

• Eggs
• Chestnut flour - this flour belongs to the group of alternative flours to serve in gluten-free diets, and basically results from finely ground dry nuts. There are many traditional recipes of Italian origin that use this flour, not only in sweet recipes but also in some savory and even bread.
• Baking powder - in addition to the whipped egg whites, baking powder is used to make this cake even fluffier.
• Sugar - the amount present allows it to be pleasantly sweet. Can be substituted for brown sugar or coconut sugar.
• Lemon zest - the lemon flavor in a cake is always pleasant, but it can also be optional and replaced with 1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
• Creme fraîche - this dairy is nothing more than fresh cream, but with about 30% (and up to 50%) of fat to which a culture of bacteria has been added. Due to bacterial fermentation, its texture is thicker and creamier, thus avoiding the presence of thickeners, and has a slightly acidic flavor.

How to make

• Start by beating the egg yolks together with the sugar until it dissolves and the cream is pale and fluffy.
• To this cream are added the lemon zest and then the creme fraîche.
• Then, the chestnut flour (previously sifted and mixed with the baking powder) is involved in the preparation. When sifting, we will avoid the formation of lumps.
• Apart, beat the egg whites.
• The egg whites are involved in the preparation, little by little, so that they don't lose air and collapse.
• The preparation is then poured into a greased and sprinkled with sugar pan (the one in this recipe is 20cm).
• Bake at 180ºC between 35 to 40 minutes.
• Decorate with some powdered sugar after cooling and when serving, as the cake has some moisture and it'll gradually dissolve the sugar we apply.
• In this decoration, I used the crochet/lace technique, in which we basically use those old lace cloths or towels (washed and cleaned) and put them on top of the cold cake and sift some powdered sugar on top. Not all cakes are good candidates for this type of decoration, but it is quite original. In light coloured cakes, you can also make the design by replacing sugar with cocoa powder. 

Chestnut, cream fraîche and lemon recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
125 gr of sugar
200 gr of creme fraîche
125 gr of chestnut flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you get a soft cream.
2. Add the lemon zest and creme fraîche, wrapping well.
3. Apart, sift the brown flour and add the baking powder.
4. The flour is then incorporated into the previous preparation.
5. Whip the egg whites.
6. The egg whites are gradually well wrapped in the preparation with the help of a whisk or spatula.
7. Place in a greased and sprinkled with sugar pan.
8. Bake at 180ºC between 35 to 40 minutes.
9. Decorate with some powdered sugar.

Adapted from "Lemon, creme fraîche & chestnut cake recipe" / Originally posted in 2019

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This homemade dessert is nothing more than pure and ripe mango puree with a bit of natural pineapple juice combined with gelatin and prepared in a pudding mold.

In these summer days, fresh desserts are always more prevalent, but sometimes they aren't the healthiest ones. Children mainly love fresh jellies and puddings but for the most part, there is no real fruit involved, just color and artificial flavors.

It is not the case of this mango pudding made only with fresh fruit, yogurt, and little (if any) sugar.

The ingredients

• Mango - in the pudding you see here was used fresh ripe mango, however, it can also be made with canned mango pulp.
• Pineapple juice - in this recipe I used this juice but you can use any other as long as it is from real fruit. It is not recommended to use pineapple-flavored soda because, in addition to being nothing more than a liquid full of sugars/sweeteners and additives when exposed to heat, it will undergo changes that can be harmful to health and also the taste may change.
• Yogurt - as I had no yogurt in my fridge, I replaced it with 0% quark cheese that has approximately the same consistency, but both natural flavored and/or vegan yogurts, as well as those with mango or pineapple flavor.
• Sugar - the amount of sugar used will depend on several factors: if the pineapple juice has sugar, if the yogurt is sweetened, the natural sweetness of the mango, and finally, the personal liking of each one of us.
• Agar-agar - when it comes to preparing this type of fresh puddings, I prefer to use agar-agar algae instead of gelatin sheets not only because they are of vegetable origin (unlike gelatin sheets that are of animal origin) but also because they set better and its structure and consistency better withstand not so cool temperatures.

How to make

• If using natural fruit (as I did), start by peeling the mango and removing the stone.
• All the pulp pieces are crushed, using a food processor, blender, or hand mixer, yielding approximately 400ml of mango puree.
• The puree is then passed through a strainer in order to remove the filaments that may have escaped the blending (this step is optional and depends on the blending method and equipment used).
• If you prefer to use the canned pulp, just measure the same amount that I obtained from the fruit.
• Add the puree to the yogurt (or quark) and mix well.
• Sweeten it with some sugar to taste (depends on the amount of sugar present in the ingredients used).
• In a proper container, bring the water together with the agar-agar to the heat, stirring constantly to dissolve well.
• Let it boil for approximately 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat and pour in the pineapple juice, stirring constantly.
• Without stopping stirring, add the 2 preparations (agar-agar with pineapple + mango with yogurt) until everything is homogeneous.
• The interior of a pudding mold is rinsed with water, and then the prepared mixture is poured into it.
• Place in the refrigerator until solid, at least 4 hours.

Fresh mango pineapple pudding recipe

1. Peel the mango and remove the core.
2. In a food processor, blender or hand mixer, grind the pulp well.
3. Pass the pulp through a strainer to remove filaments that have not been crushed (optional).
4. Add the pulp, sugar, yogurt or quark and mix well.
5. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil together with the agar-agar, stirring constantly so that it dissolves well.
6. Let it boil for approximately 1 minute.
7. Turn off the heat, and stirring constantly, add the pineapple juice.
8. Always stirring, preferably with a whisk, add the 2 preparations until everything is homogeneous.
9. The interior of a pan is rinsed with water, and then the prepared mixture is poured into it.
10. Place in the refrigerator until solid, at least 4 hours.

Made with just 5 main ingredients, it is the perfect crepe to taste simple with a hint of cinnamon or on these hot days with ice cream.

The ingredients

• Egg - to connect the elements and give some consistency to the crepes. I estimate that it can be replaced by a "flax egg" but I still haven't tried this alternative.
• Banana - it is advisable to use ripe bananas, which will give crepes a softer texture in addition to the flavor and also allow the recipe to be sweetened naturally.
• Milk - animal or vegetable milk can be used, and I usually use oat or almond milk.
• Corn starch - this ingredient will replace wheat flour, making this a gluten-free recipe.
• Coconut oil - since the banana is present, only one tablespoon of fat in the dough is needed.

How to make

• In a blender, food processor or hand mixer, place the liquid ingredients first: milk, egg, and coconut oil (melted).
• Cut the banana into pieces and add.
• Then add the remaining ingredients - sugar and corn starch.
• Crush everything until you get a homogeneous liquid and without banana pieces (you may find, especially those more used to making crepes, that the preparation is more liquid than in other recipes, but it is normal because as they use bananas they have a slightly moistier texture but similar in consistency compared to simple crepes).
• Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 15 minutes.
• Heat a frying pan or crepe pan, over low heat and lightly oil it with a few drops of oil or a little butter.
• When it is hot, pour part of the mixture into the pan to form a thin film of dough.
• Once it is cooked, turn it over carefully and let it cook for a few more seconds.
• It is very important to grease the pan whenever you are preparing another crepe, as they can easily stick to the bottom.
• This recipe yields approximately 10 to 12 crepes of about 22 cm in diameter.
  

Banana crepes recipe

Ingredients

1 medium banana
1 egg
250 ml of milk (of any kind)
1 cup of corn starch (approx. 140 gr)
1 tablespoon of sugar (optional - I don't usually add)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter)

1. Place all ingredients in a blender, food processor or hand mixer glass.
2. Grind everything until a homogeneous liquid is obtained.
3. Allow to rest, preferably in the refrigerator, for at least 15 minutes.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan or crepe pan, lightly greased with a little oil.
5. Pour about a soup ladle (barely filled) of the mixture, covering the bottom of the pan.
6. When it starts to show some "bubbles", and with the help of a spatula, loosen the edges of the crepe, and turn to get color on the opposite side.

Adapted from "Crepes de banana" from the portuguese book "O Verde" by Olívia Santos

The ingredients

• Loquats - For this recipe, I calculated about 2 to 3 ripe medium-sized fruits per person.
• Cream - as always, I prefer heavy cream without additives; between 15 to 30 minutes before starting the recipe, you should put the cream in the freezer to make it cooler and whip faster.
• Gelatine - helps to fix the whipped cream while maintaining its lightness, since the purée loquats are added (a moist and heavy element).
• Condensed milk - I prefer to use skimmed condensed milk or else condensed coconut milk, in a proportion of about 1 tablespoon per person.

How to make

• After the cream has cooled, start whipping the cream and then add the condensed milk.
• Soak gelatin sheets in cold water, then drain.
• Place them in a bowl and melt in the microwave (defrost function) for a few seconds, enough to melt completely but without boiling.
• Mix a few spoonfuls of the cream preparation with the gelatin and mix everything well. Gelatin is never added directly to the whole of the cream and condensed milk preparation because we risk that the gelatin might solidify very quickly (due to the thermal shock) and we'll have some solid pieces of gelatin in the middle of the mousse.
• As the content of the gelatin bowl is added to the remaining cream, everything is well wrapped so all is uniform.
• Place in the refrigerator while the loquats are being prepared.
• Fill a bowl with water and some lemon juice, in which we will place the pieces of fruit as we peel and pit, to prevent them from oxidizing (which happens very quickly) and thus keep their natural color.
• With the help of a hand mixer, blender, or food processor puree the loquats.
• Finally, this puree is added to the remaining ingredients, mixing well until the mousse is homogeneous, and is distributed in bowls or cups that are placed in the refrigerator until serving time, simple or decorated to taste.

Loquat and condensed milk mousse

1. Whip the cream along with the condensed milk.
2. Soak the gelatin sheets in a bit of water, and when they are moist, drain.
3. Place in a bowl, and take it about 10 to 15 seconds to the microwave (defrost mode) to melt (but don't let it boil).
4. Add a few tablespoons of the cream+condensed milk mixture to the gelatin and mix well.
5. Pour the contents of the gelatin bowl into the bowl of cream+condensed milk and wrap it well with a whisk or hand mixer.
6. Place it in the refrigerator while peeling and pitting the loquats into a bowl with water and some lemon juice.
7. In a food processor, blender or hand mixer, puree the loquat pulp.
8. Using a whisk or mixer, wrap the fruit pulp with the mixture of the cream+condensed milk+gelatin.
9. Divide it into bowls and return to the refrigerator until serving time.

The ingredients

• Peanut butter - is the fat source of the recipe, and since it has a creamy texture it will give (besides flavor) less crunch to these cookies. It should be a very creamy and not too thick peanut butter. It can be replaced by almond or cashew butter.
• Egg - it conects all the ingredients of these cookies.
• Coconut sugar - you can use other type of sugar, but I prefer to use this one or brown sugar.
• Vanilla - is an optional ingredient, but I like to add it to many of my sweet recipes.
• Chocolate - I preferred to use chocolate sprinkles because it looks better in the format I chose for these cookies, but if they are made in a cookie shape, you can use chocolate chips, or else chopped/grated chocolate in small pieces. It is also an optional ingredient.
• Coconut flour - is the ingredient that builds the biscuit, rich in fiber and low in carbohydrates, and as in other recipes with this flour, it will also allow the texture to be slightly moister and less crunchy.

How to make

• Start by beating the egg very well together with the vanilla and the sugar, until it is well dissolved.
• Add the peanut butter and mix it well. If it gets thicker, it will probably be easier to mix everything with the help of a hand mixer.
• Then add the chocolate, either in sprinkles, chips, or simply chopped.
• Finally the coconut flour is added, incorporating everything very well.
• If you are going to use a mold (as in my case) just divide the preparation by the cavities.
• If you prefer to make it in the shape of round cookies/biscuits, I recommend placing the preparation into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (it may be more) or freezer, so that it becomes less soft and easier to shape. Soak your hands in water and remove portions, forming small balls that you then place on a tray lined with parchment paper. With the help of a fork, hand or bottom of a glass, flatten them slightly.
• Take them to the oven at 180ºC, for 12 to 15 minutes until they brown slightly.
• Allowed them to cool completely before removing it from the mold or tray because only afterward  they harden.
• Yields between 10 to 12 cookies, depending on the mold used (mine is a few years old and I bought it at Lidl, but there are similar ones for sale).

Coconut flour biscuits with peanut butter and chocolate recipe

1. Beat the egg along with the sugar and vanilla.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat well until everything is well mixed.
3. Add the chocolate sprinkles.
4. Wrap the coconut flour.
5. Divide the preparation into the mold cavities.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 180ºC.

The ingredients

• Lemon - for the preparation of this curd, it's required freshly squeezed lemon juice but also its zest, the latter providing the lemon flavor and aromatics.
• Egg - most lemon curd recipes use only egg yolks, but this recipe uses a large whole egg. For the curd to be bright yellow, it is advisable that the eggs have yellow-orange yolks, because, with light yellow yolk eggs, the lemon curd will become paler in color.
• Butter - along with the egg, will give that creamy characteristic of lemon curd and also when cooling will also give consistency to it. Can be used butter with or without salt, but if using salted, always be aware that there are brands with a higher salt content than others (and so it isn't necessary to season with a pinch of salt).
• Sugar - the amount presented here doesn't make it very sweet but just enough to counterbalance the acidity of the lemon; however, you can add a little more sugar, (I use 100gr of a sugar-stevia blend which will be equivalent in terms of sweetness to 200gr of common sugar.)

How to make

• Start by zesting one or more lemons, and then squeeze its juice until the necessary amount is obtained.
• In a bowl, or even directly in a saucepan or casserole, beat the egg along with the sugar, the pinch of salt (if you use unsalted butter, if you use one with salt you can omit the pinch) and the lemon zest.
• Gradually, and always stirring with a whisk, add the lemon juice.
• It is then taken to low heat, stirring continuously until it starts to thicken after about 8 to 10 minutes. The heat should be really low, and the process should not be accelerated because the end result will not have the right texture if the egg cooks too quickly. For me, the most reliable way is to use a cooking thermometer and stir the mixture slowly until it reaches 75ºC.
• Remove the pan or casserole from the heat, add the butter in pieces (to melt faster) and whisk it until completely melted.
• While still hot, the cream is passed through a strainer into a bowl in order to remove the pieces of zest, which has already released all the flavor to the curd and so that the cream becomes thinner and smoother.
• Place a piece of cling film directly on top, so that it touches the surface of the cream (this prevents a skin from forming on top).
• Allow to cool to room temperature and once cold, the plastic can be removed. Then it can be stored in a previously sterilized jar and placed in the refrigerator for the cream to thick (as in puddings).
• The shelf life is about 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but it can also be frozen for future uses.

Lemon curd recipe

1. Beat egg with sugar, and the zest.
2. Gradually add the lemon juice.
3. In a casserole or pan, bring this mixture to low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk.
4. Let it slowly reach the temperature of 75° C, still stirring.
5. Remove from the heat, and add the butter, mixing well until melting completely.
6. With the help of a fine sieve, strain the cream into a bowl.
7. Cover with film, but so that it touches the surface of the cream (so that it has a uniform creamy texture and does not get a thin solid layer on top) and take it to the refrigerator for a few hours.
8. Place in an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator after each use.

For those who love to try different and healthy cookies, this is a gluten-free option that uses a very tasty alternative fat source.

At home, we must always have cookies to go along with coffee, and we like to change every now and then, so I once in a while try other cookie recipes, as it is the case with these gluten-free cookies.
They can also be vegan and paleo if you choose to use vegetable milk.

Ingredients for these Almond Butter Cookies

How to make

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

1. In a bowl, mix almond butter, milk and vanilla, and incorporate well.
2. Then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Baking soda and cornstarch are added, as well as a pinch of salt.
4. Finally, include the chocolate chips.
5. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 15 minutes to make the mixture more consistent (this step is optional, but helps to shape the cookies).
6. The preparation is divided into about 20 units.
7. Moistening the hands with water, form small balls and spread over 2 trays (10 units per tray) lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake at 175ºC for 12 to 15 minutes.

Ingredients for these coconut cookies

Coconut flour vs shredded coconut

How to make

Coconut flour soft cookies Recipe

1. Beat butter with sugar until it becomes creamy.
2. Add the eggs one by one.
3. Add the milk and vanilla.
4. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Gradually wrap the flour mixture in the egg, butter and sugar preparation.
6. Using your hands, form small balls of dough, and then flatten them into a circular shape.
7. Place them on a tray, and bake at 190ºC for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown in the edges.