Desserts
Ingredients:
2 x eggs
2 x egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
90 g butter, chopped
2 x lemons juice and zest
Method:
1. Whisk whole eggs , yolks and sugar in a small saucepan until smooth.
2. Place pan over a low heat. Add butter, juice and zest and whisk continuously for 5-7 minutes until thickened.
3. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes and place mixture in a hot sterilized jar. Place in the refrigerator.
Lemon curd is a versatile filling for tarts, pastries, pancakes and cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 x ripe mango, thinly sliced, plus extra for mango coulis
3 tbls lemon juice
1 tbs water
1 cup caster sugar
300 g packet marie biscuits or any plain sweet biscuit
4×250 g cream cheese
120 g butter, melted
2 tsp gelatine powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
Method:
1. Line a round 6.5cm-deep, 23.5cm (base measurement) springform pan. Place biscuits in a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse until combined. Using base of glass, press biscuit mixture into the base and sides of the springform pan. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth and glossy (be careful not to over beat). Add the cooled gelatine until combine. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan. Chill for 2-3 hours or overnight.
3. Place mango slices and currants on the cheesecake and drizzle with mango coulis.
To make mango coulis:
Place 1 cup mango flesh, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1 tbs. lemon juice and 1 tbs. water in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Strain and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes, or until required.
Ingredients:
115 g butter, softened, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
3 x eggs
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 tspn lemon essence
2 x egg whites (for meringue)
1/4 tspn cream of tartar (for meringue)
1 tspn vanilla essence (for meringue)
1/3 cup caster sugar (for meringue)
1/4 cup lemon curd (refer to my recipe)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line twelve 1/3-cup (80ml) muffin pans with paper cases.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition (the mixture will look curdled at this stage). Add the flour and milk, in alternate batches. Continue mixing for another 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon essence with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Spoon mixture evenly among the lined pans and smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Use an apple corer to cut a small hole out of the top of each cake (you can use a small knife if you don’t have an apple corer). Use a teaspoon and place the lemon curd evenly among cupcakes.
Place egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric mixer to whisk until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well between each addition. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes or until sugar completely dissolves. Place meringue in a piping bag fitted with your favorite nozzle. Pipe onto the cakes. Use a blowtorch to cook the meringue until lightly golden. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 200°C and bake the cupcakes for 3-5 minutes until meringue is golden.
* You can use store bought lemon curd for this recipe.
Ingredients:
200 g macadamia biscuits or any sweet biscuits
250 g Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
120 g butter, melted, cooled
1 x 395g condensed milk
2 tspn gelatine powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
55 ml fresh lemon juice
200 g peach slices
200 ml strawberry sauce
Method:
1. Place macadamia biscuits in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Add the melted and cooled butter and process until combined. Divide the mixture and press into 6 lightly greased cake rings (75mmx45mm) on a tray lined with baking paper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until set.
2. Beat the Philly, condensed milk and lemon until smooth and creamy. Add the cooled gelatine and beat for 1 minute or until combined. Divide mixture evenly into the prepared bases. Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until set.
3. Remove cheesecake from the cake rings. Top with peach slices and drizzle with strawberry sauce.
Note: You can use a round 20cm springform pan lined with baking paper for this recipe if you don’t have cake rings.
Ingredients:
6 x egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 Tbls cornflour
2 tspn white vinegar
300 ml thickened cream
2 tspn icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tspn vanilla bean paste
150g cherries, for decoration
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds, for decoration
Method:
1.Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Place egg whites in a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, whisking on medium speed (beating at this speed will make sure that the meringue won’t split and will dissolve the sugar properly). Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk on high speed until stiff and glossy and sugar is completely dissolved. Test by rubbing your fingers together with the mixture. If it’s still gritty, continue to whisk. Fold through the cornflour and the vinegar and whisk until just combined.
2. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and shape the meringue into an 18cm round. (you can draw a circle on the back of the baking paper as a guide)
3.Reduce the oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius and bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes. (the pavlova should be dry to the touch) Turn the oven off and allow the Pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
4.To make the Chantilly cream, beat the cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form.
5.Transfer Pavlova onto a serving plate, top with Chantilly cream and decorate with pomegranate seeds and cherries. Serve immediately.
