caster sugar
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp pink food coloring gel (you can use pink or red food coloring)
1 tbs strawberry flavoured topping
For chocolate ganache:
2/3 cup thickened cream
150g Plaistowe dark cooking chocolate, chopped (you can also use dark chocolate melts)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. To make the ganache, place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the cream over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place in the fridge until thick and spreadable.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until stiff peaks forms. Add sugar, strawberry topping and food coloring. Beat until sugar dissolves. Mixture should be stiff and glossy.
4. Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 24 (5cm-6cm) rosettes, about 3cm apart on the prepared trays. Turn oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius. Bake meringue for 1 hour or until firm and dry to touch. Turn off oven and leave the meringues to cool with the oven door ajar for 1 hour.
5. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of ganache over the back sides of half of the meringues. Sandwich the remaining meringue rosettes on top.
Ingredients:
2 cups self – raising flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tspn vanilla essence
1 x egg
2 Tbls fruit sugar or caster sugar
1/4 tspn cinnamon powder
Method:
1.Whisk milk, egg, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a jug until combined.
2. Sift flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add milk mixture and whisk until combined, adding a little extra milk if necessary. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minute to rest.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush pan with butter. Cook pancakes for 3-4 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture, brushing the pan with butter between batches.
To serve: Drizzle pancakes with maple syrup or honey. Garnish with your favourite fruit.
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.
