Archive for August, 2009
Divine caramel pavlova
Aug
I promised you a pavlova recipe to use up those left-over egg whites from yesterday’s chocolate tarts.
Well here it is; another of my cousin Kerrie’s scrumptious creations.
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg whites
¾ cup of caster sugar
¾ cup of brown sugar
1 tblsp of cornflour
1 tspn of white vinegar
Cream, whipped
Chocolate, grated or shaved
METHOD:
Beat sugars and egg whites until it forms just firmer than soft peaks. Fold in cornflour and vinegar. Spread the mixture to form a circle onto baking paper on a baking tray, then pop it into the oven at 120°C (100°C fan-forced) for about 2 hours.
Let the pavolva cool in the oven with the door open.
To serve, top the pavlova base with whipped cream and shaved chocolate (or anything else you fancy).
And here’s how it looks when served: crunchy on the outside; marshmallowy and yummy on the inside.
The pavolva base can be stored in an airtight container until later if you want to make it ahead of time or have it on hand to impress unexpected visitors.
As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Here’s my cousin Bartholomew giving it his seal of approval.
Delicious chocolate tarts
Aug
It’s always a joy to see my gorgeous cousin Kerrie, but double the pleasure when she comes bearing food, as she is a stellar cook.
At a recent family morning tea, Kerrie had baked up a storm and we are still trying to work off the extra inches —but hey, was it worth it!
Here’s the first instalment of the recipes she so kindly consented to share. These chocolate tarts are absolutely devine.
Stay tuned for more goodies in coming days!
CHOCOLATE TARTS
(Makes 18 tarts)
INGREDIENTS:
Tart bases:
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ground almonds
(also nice to add some crushed walnuts if you have them)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
125g melted butter
Grease standard-sized muffin tins. Mix all ingredients together and press mixture into the base of each muffin tin hole and up the sides.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Chocolate custard:
½ cup caster sugar
2tblsp cornflour
300ml cream
100g dark chocolate
4 egg yolks
METHOD:
Grease standard-sized muffin tins. Mix all the base ingredients together and press mixture firmly into the base of each muffin tin hole and up the sides to form a tart case.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Combine caster sugar, cornflour and cream in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat and stir for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Spoon the chocolate custard mixture into the tart shells (each tart will hold about one-and-a-half tablespoons of chocolate custard).
Return the filled cases in the muffin tins to the oven for 10 minutes.
Stand for about 10 minutes, then pop the muffin tins into the refrigerator to set completely.
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You will have 4 egg whites left over, which is perfect for making tomorrow’s recipe: a small caramel pavlova!
Thanks, Kerrie!