GCSE Food Technology – Layered Deserts: Tiramisu:

1. GCSE Food Technology – Layered Deserts: • Tiramisu: • A traditional Italian layered desert flavoured with coffee • and chocolate. Fruit can be added as a layer or as • decoration. Piping bags could be used to pipe the last • layer as a finishing technique. • Ingredients: • 1 cup strong coffee (2 teaspoons coffee, 100ml hot water) • 1 tablespoon caster sugar • 1 packet ready made sponge fingers. • 250g mascarpone cheese (found in the cheese section of supermarkets) • 75g icing sugar • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract • 100ml double cream, whipped until soft peaks form • cocoa power, for dusting • Optional: • Chocolate grated/curled to decorate • Layer of fruit added eg: black cherries, bananas, strawberries. • Method: • 1. Mix the coffee and caster sugar to taste, in a large bowl. • 2. Place the sponge fingers into the coffee mixture - set aside. • 3. Place the mascarpone, vanilla extract and icing sugar into a separate bowl and mix together. • 4. Whisk your double cream until soft peaks form. • 5. Add the double cream and fold into the mascarpone mixture. • 6. Place a piece of soaked sponge into each container. Add a layer of the mascarpone and cream mixture on top of the sponge, then place another layer of sponge on top to make a sandwich. (You could add sliced abana/cherries at this stage) • 7. Spoon more cream over the top and sprinkle with the cocoa powder and chocolate shavings/layer fruit on top. • 8. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.

2. GCSE Food Technology – Layered deserts: • Trifle: • Trifle is a traditional desert consisting of layers of sponge, cream, • jelly and custard. Fresh or canned fruits can be used. Here is a • basic trifle recipe that can be built upon in many ways. I have • listed only a few of the MANY variations you can make using this • recipe. • Ingredients: • 1 x packet of sponge fingers OR a basic sponge cake eg: Madeira cake • 1 x packet of jelly • 200ml or 1 x packet vanilla custard (you could make you own by researching recipes) • 200ml double cream • 1 x punnet strawberries (or any fresh/canned fruit of your choice) • Chocolate/fruit to decorate • Optional: • Different cakes used as bottom layer eg: brownies, swiss roll, fruit cake, angel cake • Different custards – strawberry/vanilla – OR make your own. • Home made jelly rather than packet – research recipes. • Method: • 1.Slice sponge cake and place into the bottom of chosen container in a singe layer. • 2.Make your jelly and layer evenly over the sponge base. • 3.Make your custard (packet or home made) and layer this over the jelly. • 4.Whip cream until thick, cover the custard layer with whipped cream. • 5.Decorate the top with sliced fruit/chocolate according to your design. • You Could…. • - - create ‘double layers’ – keep layering ingredients to create more interest. • - - slice fruit and place against edges of your container like the picture above. • - - use whatever fruit you like/more than one fruit to create a colourful trifle. • - - use chocolate flaked/curled on top as a finishing technique.

3. GCSE Food Technology – Layered Deserts: • Cheesecake • A layered desert that can be ‘fridge set’ or baked. • A layer of crunchy biscuit and butter is topped with • cream cheese. This can then be topped with ingredients • of your choice – usually fruit, sometimes with a fruit • glaze. • Ingredients: • 100g digestive biscuits • 40g unsalted butter • 200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature • 150g mascarpone, at room temperature • 100g icing sugar, sifted • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • Optional: • A variety of fruits eg strawberries, raspberries, kiwis to decorate/create the finial layer • Chocolate to grate/sprinkle/curl/melt & drizzle over the top. • Use different biscuits for the base eg: cookies, chocolate digestives • Method: • 1. Place the digestive biscuits into a sealable freezer bag. Push all the air out and seal the bag. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, being careful not to break any holes in the bag. OR place into a bowl and break gently with the end of the rolling pin. • 2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Tip the biscuit crumbs into the butter and mix well until thoroughly combined. • 3. Press the buttery crumbs into the bottom of your container/s. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the topping. • 4. Combine the cream cheese and mascarpone in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric handheld mixer, blend the cheeses together until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar a little at a time and blend to incorporate. Finally, mix in the vanilla. The mixture should be very light and fluffy. • 5. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base and smooth the top with a palette knife or spatula. • 6. Thinly slice/prepare your fruit and decorate the top layer. Garnish with chocolate/extra fruit if using. • 7. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least four hours.

4. GCSE Food Technology – Finishing techniques: Consider the following ways of presenting your final layered desert Remember: It MUST have at least 3 layers and contain fruit. It MUST have a finishing technique.