This hors d'oeuvre would pair wonderfully with a berry-red wine, port or sherry. Or try serving them as a first course with a winter salad. Enjoy!
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Here is our version of the Chocolate Biscuit Cake that Prince William has chosen for the royal wedding. We hear as a boy this was his favorite dessert when he visited his grandmother, the Queen. The palace recipe seems to be a well-kept secret, but we found one by former palace chef who describes the no-bake cake as a chilled chocolate-butter mousse speckled with crushed tea biscuits. We think Effie’s Oatcakes make a splendid biscuit for this extremely rich, chocolaty dessert.
Pear and Blue Cheese Hors d'oeuvres
- 4 Effie's Oatcakes or Nutcakes, cut in half
- 3 oz. Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
- 2 T. heavy cream
- 2-3 fresh pear, stemmed and sliced in 8
- 1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley or chervil or chives
Pre-heat the broiler on high.
In a small bowl combine the blue cheese and heavy cream. Use a sturdy rubber spatula or small metal spoon to blend the cream into the cheese, making a smooth spread.
Place the oatcakes or nutcakes on a baking pan and top each one with some blue cheese spread. Top the cheese with a pear slice slice. Place the sheet pan under the broiler for 15-30 seconds. Use a metal tong to rotate the pan as needed, making sure the pears and cheese turn bubbly.
Top the fig hors d’oeuvres with the fresh chopped herbs and serve.
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
- 1/2 teaspoon softened butter, for greasing pan
- 1 bag Effie’s Oatcakes
- 4 ounces good quality dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, cut in pieces
Lightly butter a small springform pan. In a medium bowl break the biscuits into almond-sized pieces and set aside. In another medium bowl combine chocolate and butter and place on top of a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water. Stir mixture occasionally until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan; set aside. In a third bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, and vanilla. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk until pale, fluffy, and thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the melted chocolate. Let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fold biscuit pieces into the egg and chocolate mixture and pour into prepared pan. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
When the cake is chilled, prepare the glaze. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Just as it reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Carefully remove the sides from the spring form pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, then remove the bottom of the pan from the cake. Set the rack over parchment paper to catch drips. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing it to drip down and completely cover the top and sides. Allow to firm up, then transfer to a cake plate. Slice and serve.
Here is our version of the Chocolate Biscuit Cake that Prince William has chosen for the royal wedding. We hear as a boy this was his favorite dessert when he visited his grandmother, the Queen. The palace recipe seems to be a well-kept secret, but we found one by former palace chef who describes the no-bake cake as a chilled chocolate-butter mousse speckled with crushed tea biscuits. We think Effie’s Oatcakes make a splendid biscuit for this extremely rich, chocolaty dessert.
Citrus and Dried Fruit Cheesecake
Crust:
- 1 pkg. Effie’s Oatcakes
- 2 oz. melted unsalted butter
Filling:
- 1 # cream cheese
- ¾ c. sugar
- ½ t. salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1 T. tangerine or orange zest
Topping:
- ½ c. apricot preserve
- 2 tangerine or oranges, juiced and strained
- ¼ c. brandy or cognac
- 1/3 c. dried cranberries
- 1/3 c. dried cherries
- 1/3 c. golden raisins
- pinch salt
- 2 T. brown sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan, leaving the bottom un-buttered.
Break the Oatcakes with your hands into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse and grind the Oatcakes into an even mealy crumb. (Alternatively, place the Oatcakes in a strong plastic bag, such as a Ziploc, and use a rolling pin to crush the oatcakes into an even mealy crumb.)
Transfer the crumb mixture into a bowl and add the melted butter. Toss together until evenly combined. Press the crust mixture into the sides of the spring-form pan, going up as high as 1 inch along the sides. Then gently press the crust mixture over the bottom of the pan. Be aware that if you press too firmly your crust will be tough. Chill the crust in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 – 15 minutes.
Set up your mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese on medium until soft and smooth, stopping to clean the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Once the cream cheese is smooth add the sugar and salt and beat on medium until evenly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to evenly incorporate after each addition.
Beat in the cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the zest. (Note the batter is rather loose.)
Pour the filling into the chilled crust and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes and rotate the pan in you oven. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the center is puffed and slightly firm to the touch.
Shut the oven off and open the oven door 6 inches or so. Let the cheesecake set in the cooling oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan and remove the spring-form sides. Refrigerate the cheesecake to cool at least two hours before topping.
Set the oven on broil and position the rack in the middle-top portion of your oven.
Combine the apricot preserve, citrus juice, cognac, dried fruits and pinch of salt in a small sauce pan and heat on a medium-low flame. Simmer on a low flame for 3-4 minutes while the dried fruits reconstitute in the liquids. Pour the fruit topping over the chilled cheesecake and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the fruit topping with brown sugar and transfer to a baking pan. Brown the cheesecake in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it and rotate the baking pan as needed using a metal tong. Once the sugar begins to brown and caramelize, remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool in the refrigerator.
This cheesecake has a wonderful light creamy texture and perfect on its own or with a fruit topping. In the winter we prefer to use the dried fruits that are so readily available to us. Sprinkling the cheesecake with the sugar to “brulee” the top adds a nice caramelized flavor.
Effie's Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 2 Oatcakes
-
1 scoop of your favorite ice cream
Place a scoop of ice cream on top of one Oatcake. Place the second Oatcake on top and gently press. If ice cream has softened, we recommend refreezing for 10 minutes to avoid dripping.
Enjoy!
My nephew, Tommy Costello, inspired this creation. After tasting Oatcakes for the first time he commented, "It's the best thing I've ever had!"
Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp
1 qt. gratin dish
1 t. butter
2 c. rhubarb cut ½ in pieces
1 ¼ c. strawberries cut in half
½ c. sugar
¼ t. grated nutmeg
2 t. cornstarch
½ pkg. Effie's Pecan Nutcakes or Oatcakes
2 T. melted butter
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the sides and bottom of the gratin dish.
In a bowl combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and nutmeg. Toss the fruits to macerate then add the cornstarch and toss to coat. Set aside.
In the meantime place the Nutcakes or Oatcakes in the bowl of a food processor or Cuisinart and pulse to a coarse crumb. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the melted butter forming a moist meal.
Pour the rhubarb filling into the buttered gratin dish and top with the Nutcake or Oatcake topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover the gratin dish with aluminum foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes or until there are syrup-y bubbles oozing to the top.
Cool and serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
The easiest crisp ever...
Yogurt Parfait with Effie's Oatcakes
- 2-3 Effie's Oatcakes, crumbled into pieces
- 6 oz. plain or vanilla yogurt
- ½ apple, cored and diced fine
- 2 T. dried cranberries
- 2 T. unsweetened coconut
In two glass bowls evenly layer the bottom of the dish with some yogurt. Top it with diced apple, cranberries and unsweetened coconut. Layer the crumbled Oatcakes over the fruit and then repeat the layers again.
Use any fun clear glass container such dessert bowls, martini glasses, pilsner glasses or parfait dishes to show the colorful layers. Be creative and have fun!
Individual Apple Crisps with Oatcake Topping
- 4- 8 oz. ramekins
- 1 t. butter
- 5 crisp tart apples (MacIntosh, Macoun, Cortland)
- ½ c. sugar
- ½ t. cinnamon
- 1 t. lemon juice
- 1 t. corn starch
- ½ pkg. Effie's Oatcakes
- 2 T. melted butter
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the ramekins and set aside.
In a bowl combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss the apples to macerate then add the cornstarch and toss to coat. Taste the filling. Add more sugar or lemon juice to taste. Set aside.
In the meantime place the Oatcakes in the bowl of a food processor or Cuisinart and pulse to a coarse crumb. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the melted butter forming a moist meal.
Pour the apple filling evenly into the 4 buttered gratin dishes and top with the Oatcake topping.
Transfer the ramekins to a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover the gratin dishes with aluminum foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes or until there are syrup-y bubbles oozing to the top.
Cool and serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Adult S'mores
- 6 Effie's Oatcakes, cut in half
- 6 All natural Marshmallows, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 High quality dark chocolate bars, cut in thirds
Preheat oven to low broil.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Arrange oatcakes in center of cookie sheet. Place a half marshmallow on each oatcake.
Put cookie sheet under broiler. Rotate as necessary for even browning. Remove from oven when marshmallows reach a toasty, caramel-y color. Immediately top 6 of the toasted marshmallows with the chocolate, then top the chocolate with the remaining toasted marshmallows, sandwiching the chocolate between toasted marsh mallows.
Carefully transfer the S'mores to serving plates and drizzle with the raspberry sauce (recipe below). Serve immediately while the chocolate is melting!
Raspberry Sauce
- 1 10-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
- 2-3 T. sugar
- 1 t. lemon juice
Place the thawed raspberries in a food processor or blender. Add 2 T. of sugar and lemon juice. Puree the berries until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer.
We love all-natural marshmallows that brown so beautifully under the broiler. Experiment with other varieties and flavors of chocolate, and create your own S'more.
