Cream caramel

Ingredients:

• 1 tin condensed milk
• 250ml cream
• 250ml milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup nuts

How to:

1. Place the sugar in a pan with a little water. Bring it to a simmer and allow it to melt and go golden. Remove from the heat and place 2/3rds of the sugar in a greased mould. Pour the balance of the sugar onto a tray/silicon mat. Sprinkle with diced nuts and allow it to set to create a chard.
2. Place the 5 eggs, milk, cream, condensed milk and vanilla essence in a blender. Whisk until well blended.
3. Pour this over the molten sugar and place the mould in a sub-dish/bain marie with water 1/3 up the sides of the mould.
4. Bake for approx 20 min
5. Place in the fridge for an hour min and de-mould before serving.
6. Decorate with chards

GINGER & VANILLA CREME BRULE WITH SESAME TUILLE

( MAKES 6)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1 vanilla bean- split lengthwise
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3 Tbsp sugar for topping

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Mix cream, sugar and ginger in a saucepan.
3. Add vanilla seeds and pod to mixture and place over heat until sugar is dissolved
4. Simmer on reduced heat for 10min to infuse
5. Strain
6. Whisk egg yolks until light in colour
7. Add hot mixture to eggs and continue to whisk
8. Pour custard into ramekins and place them into a water bath
9. Bake until centre is still wobbly but outer edges are stiff. Approx 35min
10. Remove from stove and allow to cool for about 3hrs
11. Sprinkle sugar over custard and Brule top until melted…….allow to harden.
12. Refrigerate

TUILLE

Ingredients:

• 50g butter
• 50g icing sugar
• 30g egg whites
• 50g flour
• Sesame seeds

HOW TO:

1. Mix all ingredients into a paste.
2. Cover and allow to rest for an hour
3. Spread into the shape desired and sprinkle sesame seeds over paste
4. Bake on 200C until golden
5. Remove from heat and mould into shape

Molotov is a Portuguese dessert that has its origins in Russia and it can only be described as a souffle meringue. It truly is mouth watering and very light after any main meal.

It is tricky to make but I have adapted it slightly to make it flop-proof, so give this delicious dessert a try and I guarantee that you will be the talk of you dinner party circle.

INGREDIENTS:

These quantities make 1 large flan dish or 8 individual moulds.

Meringue

9 egg whites

18 Tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

Method:

• Beat egg whites until stiff. Add salt
• Gradually add 14 tbsp sugar to the egg whites until they are stiff peaks.
• Melt the remaining 4 spoons of sugar until it reaches a caramalised state.
• Fold into meringue mixture
• Place into greased container and submerge the container into a bain-marie
• Bake for 12 – 15 min on 160C ( make sure that the oven is pre-set and at temperature which meringue is put in oven)
• When the meringue has puffed out and is a golden brown colour, switch off oven and leave to cool in the oven.

Sauce:

9 egg yolks

2 Tbsp sugar

500ml milk

Method:

Bring the milk to the boil

• Mix the eggs and sugar together
• Temper the mixture by slowly adding warm milk to eggs
• Return mixture to pot and thicken over heat. * Be careful not to curdle

Just before you serve the dessert pour the custard over the meringue and serve it with some spunsugar or praline.

PASTRY BASE ( depending on shape, can make up to 36 casings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 225g butter
• 200g castor sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 500g flour

HOW TO:

1. Combine the butter and sugar and add eggs one at a time whilst blender is running
2. Fold sieved flour until dough forms
3. All to rest in fridge for min 1h
4. Press into desired casings and add various fillings such as orange curd

ORANGE CURD

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 g castor sugar
• 1Tbsp mascarpone
• 100g butter ( soft but not melted)
• 2 oranges – zested and juiced

HOW TO:

1. Place eggs and sugar into a pan and beat…..place over heat and continue to whisk
2. Add butter and orange zest and juice
3. Return to heat and cook out until it thickens
4. Cool in fridge
5. Fold the mascarpone through the curd until smooth
6. Pour into casings and decorate with meringue topping – brulee
7. Grate orange rind over topping
8. Serve with orange segments, and thyme soil