douro valley

We were recently in Portugal and spent a day visiting one of the most magical places, the Douro Valley. Row upon row of vines as far as the eye can see towering over each side of the Douro River. It's unlike any other place I have ever been.

Pinhão in the distance

 View from Pinhão looking west

 Looking east

 Looking west

The sky seems to go on for ever...

white chocolate and passionfruit cheesecake

So I love to cook. and bake. Although I do very little of the latter, as once there is baking in the house it needs to be eaten... But here is something I made on Christmas day and again by special request on my husband's birthday. It is absolutely delicious.

White Chocolate and Passionfruit Cheesecake

250g Digestive Biscuits
120g melted butter
6 gelatine leaves (soaked in cold water)
2 tablespoons of hot water
10 passionfuit
300g cream cheese
300ml double cream
150g sugar
150g white chocolate

Line a 22cm round baking tin with non-stick baking paper. I use one with a detachable base, which makes removing the cheesecake easy once set.
Place biscuits in food processor to finely crush them and add melted butter. Press mixture firmly into baking tin. Refrigerate for an hour.
Halve passionfruit and remove pulp.
Dissolve gelatine leaves in the hot water, cool slightly.
Beat together cream cheese, cream and sugar. Add passionfruit pulp.
Melt chocolate in bowl over pan of boiling water. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix quickly. Add gelatine mixture. Mix well.
Spoon mixture over base. Refrigerate several hours to set.

The recipe was adapted from the one here (www.luuux.com/fashion/chilled-passionfruit-cheesecake). I'm not sure that the gelatine adds anything to the recipe. Living in England I can only find gelatine leaves rather than gelatine powder, which is what I'm used to. The gelatine leave packet says never add gelatine to a cold mixture, rather add the cold mixture to a pan of gelatine. I'm not sure why. I added it to the cream cheese mixture and quickly mixed it well and it seemed to be ok.

Enjoy. In small pieces. X

where does the time go...

So after making a new years resolution to start a blog, somehow half the year has gone with minimal blog output. I have excuses...a PGCE course, returning to work, a wedding - my wedding which included making my own dress and a kitchen renovation. So it has been a busy few months. But now with the wedding over and more free time on the horizon I'm planning to make blogging a more regular past time. There is lots to tell.