vanilla
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pouring cream
400 ml. coconut milk
1 tsp. Queen vanilla bean paste (or use 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped)
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 tsps. gelatine powder
Seasonal fruit, to serve
Method:
1. Place the cream, coconut milk, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan. Cook stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove form heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over gelatine powder and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the warm cream mixture. Strain cream mixture into a jug.
3. Lightly oil (I used coconut oil) 6 x 6cm (tall) dariole moulds. Place on a tray and pour in cream mixture. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
4. To serve, turn onto a serving plate and serve with fresh seasonal fruit and micro herbs (optional). You can also serve this with raspberry coulis if you like.
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.
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:
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.
