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meringue stacks with delightful strawberry toppingW

meringue stacks with strawberry toppingW

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2/3 cups caster sugar

500ml thickened cream, whipped

1 punnet raspberries

1/4 cup Aeroplane Delightful Strawberry Topping

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Draw 4 x 12cm circles on each sheet of baking paper, leaving space between each circle for spreading.

2. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks forms. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until sugar dissolves. Mixture should be stiff and glossy.

3. Spread the mixture evenly among the circles on trays. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave meringues to cool in oven with the door slightly ajar.

4. Spoon a little of the whipped cream on a meringue disc and top with another meringue disc. Repeat until the stack is 4 discs high.

5. Finish with whipped cream, top with raspberries and drizzle the strawberry topping  over the meringue stacks.

cupcakes with raspberry coulis 009-3W

 

 

cupcakes2 003fix1W

 

 

cupcakes2 002fxcropW

Ingredients:

115g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1/2 cup milk

 

Raspberry coulis

1 cup frozen raspberries

2 tbs caster sugar

1 tbs water

 

Buttercream frosting

125g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture

1 tbs milk

1/4 tsp yellow food coloring

1/4 tsp red food gel

 

 

Method:

Makes 14-16 cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line muffin pans with patty cases.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and beat in the vanilla until just combined (mixture will look curdled at this stage).  Add the flour and milk in alternate batches and beat until combined. Always remember to start your mixer on low speed when adding ingredients, or you’ll get flour everywhere!

3. Divide mixture evenly among the prepared cups (I used a large ice-cream scoop and it is the perfect measurement for the large patty cases). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

4. To make the coulis, combine raspberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, while mashing with a wooden spoon. Simmer for one minute on low. Place raspberries in a food processor and process until smooth. Use a spoon to press puree through a sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds. Place in the fridge until required.

5. Use an apple corer to cut holes in the cupcakes – but don’t go all the way through (you can use a small knife if you don’t have an apple corer). Spoon coulis in the center of each cupcake. Top with a small piece of cake that was cut out.

6. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar and milk, beating constantly until combined. Place in the fridge until required.

7. To achieve the swirl, carefully squeeze a few drops of red food gel down the side of the piping bag and use a skewer to spread it down in a line. Sprinkle a few drops of yellow food coloring on the buttercream mixture and mix slightly. Put the frosting in a piping bag fitted with your desired nozzle and pipe on top of cupcakes. Decorate with maraschino cherries or fresh raspberries.

 

churros 010fixW

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups water

150g butter

4 eggs

1/4 cup caster sugar

2 tsps ground cinnamon

rice bran oil or any cooking oil, to deep-fry

 

Hot Chocolate Sauce:

3/4 cup thickened cream

180g packet dark chocolate, chopped

 

Method:

1. Combine sifted flour and salt in a large bowl.  Place the water and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and cook stirring, until butter melts. Bring to the boil. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the side of the pan. Transfer  mixture into a clean mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly.

2. Using an electric mixer , beat the eggs into the flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition until well combined (mixture should look glossy and thick). Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm star fluted nozzle.

3. Half-fill medium heavy-based saucepan with oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat (you will know when the oil is ready when you drop in a cube of bread and it turns golden brown in a few seconds).

4. Pipe mixture into the oil and use scissors to cut the dough to a desired length. Cook for 2 minutes and turn using tongs and cook until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle churros with cinnamon sugar.

6. To make the chocolate sauce, bring cream almost to the boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Serve churros with chocolate sauce.

lemon curd

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

lemon meringueW

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.