food|baking PINA COLADA COCONUT HATS
POMEGRANATE PAVLOVA
FESTIVE CARAMEL CHEESECAKES
80ml cream 400g white chocolate, pieces or buttons 20ml rum or Malibu 50g crystalised pineapple, chopped finely 100g dessicated sweet coconut, plus a little extra Sliver balls to decorate
8 large egg whites 500g caster sugar 1 tbsp cornflour 2 tsp white vinegar 3-4 pomegranates 250ml cream 2 tbs icing sugar
FOR THE BASES: Cooking spray 350g digestive biscuits, crushed 150g unsalted butter, melted 3 tbsp soft brown sugar
Melt 300g of the chocolate over a bain-marie. Slowly add the cream stirring gently until incorporated. Soak the coconut and pineapple pieces in the rum or Malibu then add to the cream and stir well. Allow it to cool until firm, then scoop out with a soup-spoon and shape into a hat or bell shape. Roll in the extra coconut and chill for an hour. Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate in a small deep bowl. Dip each hat into the chocolate and stand on a wire rack to set. Decorate the top with a silver ball.
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Make it yourself
In a clean dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly whisk in the caster sugar one tablespoon at time until it is all incorporated and the mix is stiff and glossy. Sieve in the cornflour, followed by the vinegar and fold in gently. On a baking sheet lined with parchment draw a circle the size of a dinner plate. Pile the meringue mix into the centre and spread it out to fill the circle. Alternatively, you can use a piping bag to create a fancier base. Bake in a pre-heated oven 150°C/130°C fan for 50 minutes until crisp on the outside but still marshmallow like within. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, deseed the pomegranates and collect any juice that’s released. Place / of the seeds in a saucepan with / of the icing sugar and heat gently until the seeds have released all of their juice and the sugar has dissolved. Strain the juice and allow to cool. Whip the cream with 1 tsp of the remaining icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Pile the whipped cream in the centre of the meringue base and drizzle over the cooled pomegranate juice. Sprinkle over the remaining pomegranate seeds and some icing sugar and serve.
Dulce de Leche You can buy this or make your own as follows: Heat oven to 220°C. Place a rack or shelf in middle. Pour 400ml of sweetened condensed milk into a 23cm wide, deep pie dish and cover tightly with foil. Place the plate in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up pie dish. Place on the middle shelf and bake for 45 minutes. Check the water level and top-up if necessary, then bake for 45 minutes more. The milk will have cooked to a thick folden caramel. Remove from the oven and cool, uncovered. Makes about 300ml.
FOR THE FILLING: 450g cream cheese, room temp. 110g golden caster sugar 3 medium eggs 2 tbsp cornflour ½ tsp vanilla extract FOR THE CARAMEL: 300g dulce de leche (or see make it yourself below) TO SERVE: 200 ml whipping cream 6 small white chocolate stars Icing sugar
FOR THE BASES: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray the insides of four individual ramekins, approximately 8 cm in diameter, with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients for the bases in a large mixing bowl, stirring well until the mixture resembles wet sand. Use a tablespoon to pack half the mixture into the bases of the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes until the bases are golden-brown and set. Remove from the oven and set aside until needed. Keep the remaining base mixture covered to one side. FOR THE FILLING: Beat together the cream cheese with the caster sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one by one, until thoroughly incorporated. Add the cornflour and vanilla extract, and beat again until well-incorporated, about 1 minute. Divide the mixture between the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting tray lined with a tea towel. Fill the tray with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. FOR THE CARAMEL: Use a warm tablespoon to spoon the dulce de leche over the cheesecake fillings in the ramekins. Carefully spoon the reserved base mixture over the top of the caramel. Bake the cheesecakes for about 45-55 minutes until golden-brown on top and puffed around the edges. Remove from the oven and then remove the cheesecakes from the water. Loosely cover with clingfilm and chill overnight. TO SERVE: The next day, remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and carefully turn out from their ramekins. Whip the cream until softly peaked in a mixing bowl. Spoon on top of the cheesecakes before topping with a chocolate star and dusting lightly with icing sugar.
26 | ICA HOME & LIVING | WINTER 2016
ICA Winter 2016 _ Baking.indd 26
01/12/2016 12:28