We test out recipes from Just Desserts
Today we tested out a selection of recipes from Charlotte Ree’s adorable and yummy new cookbook, Just Desserts, and we invited Charlotte to come in and select the best one! Here are the results…
Rosalind McClintock made ‘Peach & Raspberry Tray Cake’ (pg. 88):
I didn’t have any peaches, I ran around the shop in a panic. I laid my eyes on a mango and thought peaches? Mangoes? Let’s do it. So I did. The baking was quick, the recipe was simple, my toddler clung to my leg and Charlotte didn’t spit it out. Win?
Judge’s comments: I love that this baker showcased the adaptability of seasonal produce. The texture of the cake was great.
Bronte Coates made ‘Chocolate Amaretti’ (pg. 26):
I was drawn to this recipe as I love a cookie and I
especially
love a chewey meringue-like cookie. The recipe was easy to follow, and I always enjoy the way whisking egg white into a stiff froth makes me feel like I’m performing an experiment. The final result was a delight to eat.
Judge’s comments: These smelt and tasted really good! I’m so impressed that the baker made them smaller in size, yet they were still perfectly moist and super sweet.
Megan Wood made ‘Raspberry Friands’ (pg. 58):
Raspberry and almond meal is one of my favourite flavour combinations when baking, so this was a natural choice. Very easy to make, this is a one-bowl (does a jug to melt the butter count?), hand-whisk, quick-to-put-together delight. I had to get creative and use a mini loaf tin as I didn’t have a friand tin, but they still turned out beautifully soft, light and delicious. Other than this slight variation, I followed the recipe and it worked out perfectly. Get your hands on this book and give this recipe a try. Friands are our friends.
Judge’s comments: The texture was really great and the tin improvisation was admirable. Fresh raspberries were a bonus.
Chris Gordon made ‘’ ‘Chocolate Chip Cookies’ (pg. 43):
Because my week was frantic I asked my lovely bloke to pick up the ingredients to make Charlotte Ree’s fab lemon olive oil cake. ‘Get hazelnut meal and lemons!’ I yelled to him, as I left for the day. I arrived home 14 hours later to find a bag of hazelnuts and a lemon on the kitchen table and an entire rack of sweet-smelling, fabulous-looking chocolate chip cookies! He said they were easy to make. I reckon he’s brilliant and those cookies are a winner. It’s true that Charlotte recommends putting ice-cream between the bickies to make an ice-cream sandwich, but goodness, they’re perfect as a standalone munch attack. And so much easier than pulsing nuts at midnight!
Judge’s comments: The ratio of salt is absolutely perfect. The chocolate chips were bigger than I normally use, which I really liked.
Ford Thomas made ‘A Nod to the King of Biscuits’ (pg. 30):
I bake regularly but I’ve never made biscuits before, so I was well out of my comfort zone. I found these really easy to make though.
Judge’s comments: These were excellent and tasted exactly as they are supposed to.
And the winner is…
Chocolate amaretti! With runner-up going to A Nod to the King of Biscuits!
Please note, there was also a shocking and controversial disqualification. Chris Gordon was withdrawn from the running because her husband baked the cookies (which some would call extremely smart delegation).
