Sunday, January 3, 2010

Ultimate Mac N Cheese Challenge

Well here it is - my original recipie Ultimate Mac N Cheese challenge entry for the competition on The Cheeselover's Blog.  Please remeber - The proof of the pudding is in the eating and enjoy it.


Chocolate Macaroni &
White Chocolate & Lime Cream Cheese
with Caramelised Demerara Disc



My children are my inspiration for this take on Macaroni Cheese.  I got a pasta roller attachment for my Kenwood Major this Christmas and the kids have been badgering me to make chocolate pasta ever since.  I was thinking about the "cheese" sauce and then had a eureka moment - Key-Lime cheese cake.  The only thing missing would be a crisp crunchy top - the best bit of a proper macaroni and cheese.  Inspiration this time from my grilled grapefruit breakfast and the caramelised demerara disc was born.


I know this is a bit whacky and off the wall but, I hope, not too much for the competition!?  The kids really liked it, as did the grown-ups.  I think the flavours really work - you certainly don't need much!  Serves 10. 


Chocolate Macaroni



Ingredients:

  • 200g 00 flour
  • 50g good Fairtrade cocoa powder
  • 50g Icing Sugar 
  • 2 Free Range Eggs
  • 60ml water
Method: 
  • Sieve the the powdered ingredients intio a food processor add the eggs and blitz.  The mix should resemble course breadcrumb - add extra water if too dry or flour if too wet.

  • Remove  mix from the processor and squish it together then knead for 5 mins until smooth.  Cover with Clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour or so.

  • Split the mix into 4 parts and pass through a pasta machine several times on the widest setting folding the pasta ingot in half, turning 90 degrees and stretching it before each pass.

  • Roll the pasta down to about 1mm thick (6 on my pasta roller) then lay the sheet out, trim and cut rectangles approx 15mm x 30mm (the excess can be re-rolled in with the next 1/4 batch) using a mix of cocoa power, icing sugar and flour to dust.

  • Brush a line of water at one end of the rectangle and roll the pasta round a chopstick or pencil.  Slide off onto a cooling rack and let dry a little.
White Chocolate & Lime Cream Cheese



Ingredients:
  • 200g Good quality White Chocolate
    I use Amedei Toscano White: 29% cocoa & real vanilla. It is nothing like the White Chocolate for kids!
  • 360ml Double Cream
  • 200g Full Fat Creamcheese (Philadelphia)
  • The Zest and Juice of a lime
Method:

  • In a double boiler melt the white chocolate with the double cream.

  • In a separate bowl whip up the creamcheese with the zest and juice of the lime.

  • Allow cream and chocolate mix to cool and then combine into the creamcheese and lime mix.

  • Set aside until ready to serve.
Caramelised Demerara Disc


Ingredients:

  • Demerara Sugar
Method:

  • Lay a teflon non stick sheet over a wooden chopping.

  • Using a cheffy ring or biscuit cutter create a thin circle of demerara sugar.

  • Carefully remove the cheffy ring and using a blowtorch (or under a grill) melt the sugar gently until you feel it will stick when cool.

  • Allow to cool in a dry place until ready to serve. 
Serving Up:


Ingredients:




  • Large pan of water
  • 1 Cup golden cater or granulated sugar
  • Mint leaf and grated white chocolate
Method:





  • Gently warm the "Cheese sauce" in a double boiler.

  • To cook the pasta add the cup of sugar to the water and bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer.

  • Place prepared pasta gently in the boiling sugar solution and cook until aldente (This will depend how thick your pasta is) Scoop out with a slotted spoon.

  • On a plate spoon out a portion, spoon over the cheese and place a demerara disc on top.

  • Grate white chocolate and garnish with a mint leaf to serve.






6 comments:

  1. I can imagine the flavours. Very interesting indeed. :)

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  2. Wow - looks amazing! Will have to try...

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  3. This insanely inventive and quite quite gorgeous ;)

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  4. This really does sound amazing! So inventive :)

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  5. Thanks for the inspiration. Trying this with normal (i.e. non chocolate) pasta dough.

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  6. Thank you for your comments - there's a fine line between genius and insanity - I'm not sure which side of it I stand!

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