Desserts
Pavlova Wreath
Ingredients: 6 egg whites 1 ½ cups caster sugar 1 ½ tsp white vinegar 2 tsp corn flour 300ml thickened cream 250g raspberries 250g cherries 3 tbsp. toasted, coarsely chopped pistachios Method: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Set aside a 35 cm round porcelain flat plate with a lip. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk for another 6 minutes until the meringue is stiff and glossy. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and corn flour. Add this mixture to the meringue and whisk for another 2 minutes until well combined and glossy. On the porcelain plate, spoon heaped mounds of meringue to form a ring shape by placing spoonful's of even amounts at the top, bottom, and sides, then filling in the gaps. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and bake for 1 hour, or until the meringue is crisp to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool completely inside with the door closed. In a clean bowl, whisk the thickened cream until soft peaks form. Once the pavlova is cooled, top it with the whipped cream. Sprinkle raspberries, cherries, and toasted pistachios over the top.
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Maple Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients 900g Cream Cheese, chopped and softened 1¼ cup Caster Sugar 4 Large Eggs 1½ cups Greek Style Natural Yoghurt ⅓ cup pure Maple Syrup 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste 1½ tablespoons Plain Flour Method Preheat the oven to 220°C. Prepare a 22cm round springform cake tin or a 22cm skillet by lining it with three large overlapping sheets of non-stick baking paper, ensuring the paper extends above the rim of the tin. With a large bowl and an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and soft peaks form. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until fully incorporated. Incorporate the yoghurt, maple syrup, and vanilla, mixing until just blended. Gradually add and blend in the sifted flour until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 15 minutes. Then, rotate the tin and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes. The cheesecake should rise like a soufflé and develop a caramelized top, while maintaining a slight jiggle in the centre. Allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour after removing it from the oven (it will settle slightly), then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Garnish with a dollop of yoghurt & maple syrup. This recipe serves 10–12 people.
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Almond Cream Cake
INGREDIENTS 1 cup salted butter room temperature 1.5 cups granulated sugar 3 cups Plain Flour 1.5 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk 1 tsp almond extract 7 egg whites 300g Flaked Almonds Cream Filling 300ml Thickened Cream ½ cup icing sugar 1 tsp Vanilla extract Almond Glaze 1 Cup + 2 tbsp icing sugar 1/2 tsp almond extract 2 tbsp milk METHOD Pre heat oven to 180degrees. Place flaked almonds on a lined baking tray and into oven. cook until golden brown. Remove from tray from oven and set aside. Begin by using a stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until they become stiff and form peaks, which should take approximately one to two minutes. Transfer the whipped egg whites to a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed. In the same mixing bowl used for the egg whites, add the softened butter and beat it using the beater blade attachment until it turns white and creamy, about two minutes. Incorporate the sugar into the butter and continue beating until the mixture becomes fluffy, which usually takes another one to two minutes. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl, ensuring precise measurement, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and almond extract. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the butter and sugar mixture, ensuring to incorporate each addition thoroughly. Gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the cake batter, being careful not to overmix to avoid denseness in the final cake. Prepare two 23cm round cake pans by greasing and flouring them. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans. Bake the cakes in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 25-27 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before carefully removing them and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling Using an electric mixer², beat ingredients on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks form. Don't over-beat, but don't stop beating until cream has reached a thick, billowy consistency Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate, spread cream filling on top, then place the second cake layer on top with almond glaze and toasted flaked almonds
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Lemon Posset
Ingredients: 2 lemons (100ml juice lemon and zest) 600ml evaporated milk 1 x packet Cottees instant pudding mix Caster sugar for top Method: In a mixing bowl, combine the evaporated milk and lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Add the instant pudding mix to the bowl and continue to whisk until fully incorporated. You can also transfer this mixture to a separate bowl if needed. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on high speed for about one minute until it becomes creamy and well combined. Spoon the pudding mixture into individual glass coupes or serving dishes, and use a spatula to smooth the tops. Garnish each serving with lemon zest. Cover the glass coupes and refrigerate the desserts overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the pudding to set. When serving sprinkle a thin layer of caster sugar on top and use a blow torch to caramelise.
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Lemon Meringue Cake
Ingredients: Cake 225 g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 220 g sugar 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice 185 g sour cream 2 large eggs 125 g unsalted butter, melted Lemon curd 3 eggs 2 egg yolks 220g caster sugar 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind 125ml lemon juice 150g cold unsalted butter, chopped Italian meringue 200g sugar 1/2 cup water 4 large egg whites, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar Method: Cake Preheat the oven to 180°C Lightly grease 2x 23 cm spring from tins. Line bottom with baking paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine the sugar with the lemon zest and rub together with your fingertips. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and the lemon juice until well blended. Using a spatula, add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to blend. Fold in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown, the edge pulls away from the side of the tin, and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean - around 30mins. Lemon curd Makes 1½ cups. Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved Reduce the heat to medium and gradually add the butter, 3 pieces at a time, stirring continuously until melted. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 4-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Strain immediately into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Tip: You can store this lemon curd in an airtight container or sterilised jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Italian Meringue In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 115°C on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Be cautious not to stir during this process. If sugar crystals appear on the sides of the pot, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush them down into the syrup. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Set the mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form. This means that when you lift the mixer's whisk, the peaks in the egg whites should gently form and slowly collapse back into themselves. This process should take about 2 minutes. With the mixer still running, carefully and slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture. Safety note: Hot sugar can cause severe burns, so exercise caution while doing this step. After adding all the sugar syrup, increase the mixer speed to high and whip the mixture until stiff peaks form. This should take a few minutes. You'll notice that the mixture becomes glossy and holds its shape when the whisk is lifted. Assemble: Place one cake onto a cake stand: Start by placing one of the cake layers onto your cake stand or serving platter. Spread lemon curd over the cake: Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread a generous layer of lemon curd evenly over the top of the first cake layer. Place the second cake on top: Gently place the second cake layer on top of the lemon curd-covered first layer. This creates the cake's base structure. Spread Italian meringue over the top: Carefully spread a thick layer of Italian meringue over the top cake layer. Use a spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. This not only adds a decorative touch but also allows the meringue to caramelize beautifully. Torch the meringue: Using a kitchen torch, evenly torch the meringue all over. Hold the blow torch about an 3cm or so away from the meringue and move it in a circular motion until you achieve a golden brown, caramelised finish.
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Naked Gingerbread cake
Gingerbread cake 250g butter 400ml Golden syrup 480ml milk 4 eggs 20g ginger, ground 10g cinnamon, ground 5g mixed spice 5g salt 500g self-rising flour 20g Baking powder 5g Bicarb soda Caramel Sauce 150g caster sugar 150g brown sugar 3g sea salt 135ml water 150g cream 75g unsalted butter Cream cheese frosting 750g cream cheese 1 vanilla extract 80g caster sugar 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp mixed spice 350ml cream 1 lemon juiced Cake Grease and line base of 3 x 20cm springform cake tins and set aside. Melt butter with golden syrup, then add the milk and whisk in the eggs Sift together the dry ingredients and then fold into the wet mixture. Pour equally into the lined baking tin and bake for about 30 minutes until the centre is cooked. Set aside to cool. Caramel In a saucepan, combine the caster sugar, brown sugar, sea salt, and water. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the mixture to come to a boil without stirring. Let it cook until it reaches a deep amber colour. Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully whisk in the cream and butter. Be cautious as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Continue whisking until the caramel sauce is smooth and well combined. Let the caramel sauce cool slightly. Poke holes into top of cakes and pour over caramel sauce. Cream cheese frosting In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth. Add ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice and mix until smooth. Add the cream and whip until thick and then add the lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. To Assemble Place a first cake on a cake stand and add frosting. Keep layering until you have used the last cake. Spread the rest of the frosting around side of cake until smooth. Scrape some frosting away to reveal cake layers (giving that naked cake look) Decorate top with rosemary trees.
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Shortbread
Ingredients 250g butter ⅓ cup icing sugar plus extra for dusting ⅓ cup corn flour plus extra for dusting ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 2⅓ cups plain flour Method Preheat the oven to 170°C. Melt the butter over low heat and let it cool slightly. Sift icing sugar and corn flour into a bowl, then add sugar. Add the melted butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat the mixture until it becomes thick and creamy. Mix in the sifted flour until well combined. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1cm and cut out desired shapes. Re-roll any leftover dough and continue cutting shapes. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, dust the cookies with a mixture of equal parts icing sugar and corn flour.
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Strawberry Pie
Ingredients Crust Ingredients 2.5 cups multi-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter cut into cubes 1/2 cup cold buttermilk Strawberry Filling Ingredients 5-6 cups fresh strawberries sliced in half 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch Salt 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 large egg, beaten Method 1. Whisk together flour, granulated sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add cold cubed butter to mixture and combine ingredients using clean hands. Break down the butter into the flour mixture until it replicates small peas. 2. Create a well in the middle of the middle and pour in the cold buttermilk. Using a fork bring the dough together, ensuring all flour is moistened. 3. On a floured countertop place the dough mixture and split it in half. Gently knead two disk shaped doughs. Wrap each disk in gling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 4. While the dough is cooling, mix strawberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and ground ginger. Toss ingredients together until cornstarch is no longer visible. Rest mixture for 10 minutes to allow strawberries to produce juice. 5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. 6. On a well-floured surface, roll one of the disks into a bottom crust of 12 inches diameter. Lay is flat in a pie baking dish and let it lay over the edges of the dish. Trim overhanging edges of crust, so it is even with the edge of the pie dish. 7. Spoon the strawberry filling into the pie crust. 8. Roll out other dough disk into 12 inches diameter on a floured contertop. Use a pizza slicer to slice the dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Place the strips on top of the pie in a weaved lattice pattern. 9. Whisk egg and brush egg wash on the top of the pie. Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar. 10. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 175 degrees celsius and bake the pie for 30 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
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Baked Croissant French Toast
Ingredients 8 x large eggs beaten 1 cup of milk 1 cup thickened cream 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 10-12 medium-sized croissants 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup butter thinly sliced 1 punnet Blueberries Method 1. Lightly grease your cast-iron pot. 2. In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. 3. Cut all croissants in half length ways, similar to how you would when preparing a sandwich croissant. Place half the cut croissants evenly at the bottom of the pot. 4. Pour half the egg mixture over the croissants in the cast-iron pot and drizzle some maple syrup all over. 5. Place the other half of the croissants on top of the croissant mixture and pour remaining egg mixture over the top. Cover the pot and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 30 mins. 6. When you are ready to bake the mixture, remove the pot from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 mins. 7. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. 8. Top the croissants with thinly sliced butter and place in the oven for 45-50 mins or until the bake is golden on the top. 9. Serve the baked croissant french toast with some maple syrup drizzled on top, blueberries, and ice cream if you would like. Enjoy!
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Espresso Martini Pavlova
Pavlova 6 egg whites 1½ cup caster sugar 2 Tbsp corn flour 2 tsp white vinegar Espresso Martini Syrup 200ml Wheel&Barrow Espresso Cocktail mix 2 Tbsp vodka 1 tsp arrowroot Cream Layer 600 ml thickened cream ½ Tbsp cocoa powder 100ml VOK coffee liqueur 200g Greek yogurt 100g 70% Dark chocolate cut into shards. PavlovaPreheat oven to 180°C. Draw 20cm circles onto 3 separate sheets of baking paper and place each onto baking trays. Beat egg whites in the large bowl of an electric mixer, starting on low speed and gradually increasing the speed as they get foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat for 8 minutes or until thick and glossy. Fold in corn flour and vinegar. Dollop mixture onto baking paper. Use a spoon or spatula to spread and cover the circles. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C. Bake the meringues for 1¼ hours until crisp. Turn off oven and prop door ajar. Leave in the oven to cool slowly, for several hours or overnight. Espresso Martini Syrup Pour Espresso cocktail mix into a small saucepan and bring to boil, then remove off heat. Combine the vodka and arrowroot in a small bowl, stirring to make a smooth liquid. Add vodka/arrowroot liquid to Espresso mix and stir to combine. Add back onto heat and bring to boil continually stirring, take off heat and let cool. Cream Layer Using an electric beater, whip thickened cream into soft peaks. Sift in cocoa powder and pour in coffee liqueur and Greek yoghurt. Whip to stiff peaks. AssemblePlace one pavlova base on cake stand and cover with 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat each layer finishing with Espresso Martini syrup drizzle on top followed by chocolate shards.
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Tiramisu
For the syrup 300ml Wheel&Barrow Espresso Martini mix 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder For the Cream 3 large eggs (150g) 100g sugar 250 mascarpone cheese 2 tsp VOK coffee liquor Vanilla extract to taste 200g heavy cream (whipped) Lady fingers (Savoiardi) Cocoa powder for dusting Method Place a small pot of water on stove and bring to a light simmer. In a large heat proof bowl add cracked eggs and sugar and mix together. Place the bowl of egg mixture over the saucepan and whisk constantly so the eggs don’t cook. The mixture should thicken and have a pale colour after approx. 5 minutes, temperature reads 55-66C. Take mixture off heat and place into stand mixer, whisk until cool, 3-5 mins. Slowly add the mascarpone, coffee liqueur and vanilla extract, whisk to combined. Fold in the whipped heavy cream and refrigerate mixture for 1-2 hours. Assemble In a small bowl whisk together espresso martini mix and cocoa powder and put aside. Using a dish 35x23cm (lasagne dish), soak the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture for no more than 1-2 seconds and arrange them in one layer in dish. Spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the lady fingers. Repeat another layer with lady fingers dipped into the espresso mix, followed by the rest of the mascarpone mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Dust off with cocoa powder to serve.
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Floral Sponge Cake
Ingredients Sponge Cake 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar 1 ¼ cups salted butter, softened 7 large egg whites, at room temperature 3 ½ cups plain flour (plus, a little extra for dust the pan!) 4 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 1 cup water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Copha Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing 7 large egg whites 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened 2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt Edible flowers to decorate! Method (Icing) In a medium pot, add at least 2.5cm of water and bring to simmer Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless-steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer (you don’t want grease touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups of sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over pot of barley simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bow should be over the steam, not touching the water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 71 degrees Celsius (takes about 3 minutes). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between your fingertips). Mixture will be hot to touch Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to stand mixer. Beat on medium high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 mins) and bottom of bowl feels completely at room temperature and not warm. (Important: warm meringue will melt the butter) Once the bowl is at room temperature, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency. If it looks lumpy or any kind of liquid, keep beating until smooth, whipped and thick. Add 2 tsp of vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt and mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 minute). Method (Cake) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Beat sugar and butter with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg whites in thirds, beating well after each addition. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and water alternately to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter evenly among 4 greased (with Copha) and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cakes from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spread Buttercream Icing between cake layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate iced cake with your edible flowers with your design of choice – be creative!
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