Preparation time:35 minsCooking time:45 minsServes:8MKR Tested Ingredients 125g caster sugar 5g agar-agar 1 titanium-strength gelatine sheets, soaked in cold water 375ml (1 cups) pure cream 50g liquid glucose tsp salt 200g dark chocolate (70%25 cocoa solids), chopped Mint Ice-cream 1 bunch mint, leaves picked 250ml (1 cup) milk 250ml (1 cup) pure cream 9 egg yolks 250g caster sugar tsp natural peppermint extract 1kg crushed dry ice Cocoa Crumb 225g butter, at room temperature 170g caster sugar 10g salt 3 egg whites 180g cocoa powder Notes If you do not want to use the dry ice method, churn the cooled custard in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. If you dont have an ice-cream maker, transfer mixture to a shallow container and freeze until frozen at the edges. Beat with an electric mixer, then return to freezer. Repeat process 3 times. This ice-cream would be great with some grated chocolate stirred through it before freezing. Using a natural peppermint extract will give a stronger, more natural flavour than peppermint essence, which is synthetic. Method To make ganache, line a 19cm x 29cm baking tray with baking paper, overlapping at edges. Place sugar, agar-agar and 50ml boiling water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Squeeze water out of gelatine and add to pan. Stir until dissolved. Stir in cream, glucose and salt and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate in a small bowl, then pour over hot cream mixture. Stand for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and combined. Pour into prepared pan. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Meanwhile, to make ice-cream, process mint leaves in a food processor until finely chopped.
Heat milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat,
without boiling, until hot. Remove from heat and stir in mint. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to same pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir over medium-low heat for 6 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Cool, then strain through a fine sieve into the bowl of an electric mixer and stir in peppermint extract. With the dough hook attached and motor running, gradually add dry ice until an ice-cream forms. Transfer to a freezer-proof container and place in freezer until needed. To make cocoa crumbs, using an electric mixer, butter, sugar and salt (on medium speed) until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites, then gently beat in sifted cocoa until combined and a dough forms. Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper. Place on oven tray and remove top layer of baking paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until dry and crisp. Cool completely, then process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Remove ganache from pan and cut into 1.5cm strips and divide among serving plates. Place a scoop of ice-cream to the side and a strip of cocoa crumbs. Dot avocado pure around plate to serve. WHITE CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES WITH SUMMER BERRY COMPOTE Preparation time:50 minsCooking time:1 hour 20 minsServes:24MKR Tested 0 ratings 12345 Ingredients Crme ptissire 500ml (2 cups) milk 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 6 egg yolks 295g (11/3 cups) caster sugar 75g ( cup) cornflour 30g cold unsalted butter, chopped Summer Berry Compote 60ml ( cup) sparkling wine/champagne 2 tbs lemon juice 55g ( cup) caster sugar 250g strawberries, washed, dried, hulled, quartered 125g raspberries 125g blueberries Profiteroles Melted butter, to grease 100g unsalted butter 150g (1 cup) plain flour tsp salt 4 eggs White Chocolate Ganache
125g white chocolate, finely chopped
60ml ( cup) thickened cream Notes Crme ptissire can be flavoured in a number of ways. Finely grated citrus zest or chocolate, coconut liqueur or coffee all work well. Method To make crme ptissire, place milk and vanilla paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until milk has just come to a simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, then return mixture to same pan and place over low heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir continuously for 10 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Whisk in butter, then remove from heat. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. To make compote, place wine, lemon juice, sugar and half the raspberries in a small saucepan over low heat and stir for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding seeds. Place remaining berries in a medium bowl. Pour over strained syrup and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour to macerate. To make profiteroles, preheat oven to 220C. Grease 2 oven trays with melted butter and line with baking paper. Bring butter and 250ml (1 cup) water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon, beat for 1 minute or until a smooth ball forms. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Using a wooden spoon, beat in eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition, until mixture is thick and glossy. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round 1.5cm-sized nozzle. Pipe walnut-size balls, 4cm apart, on prepared trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed. Reduce oven to 180C and bake for a further 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cut a slit in side of puffs to allow steam to escape. Return to oven for 15 minutes or until dry. Set aside to cool. Spoon crme ptissire into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle and pipe into slit of each pastry ball. To make ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Pour over chocolate, then stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and combined. Divide profiteroles among serving plates and drizzle with ganache. Serve with berry compote to the side. FRIED APPLE PIE WITH SALTED CARAMEL Preparation time:30 mins. Cooking time:40 minsServes:4MKR Tested Ingredients 200g crme frache lemon, zested, juiced
100g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon Vegetable oil, to deep-fry Pastry 300g (2 cups) plain flour 20g cornflour 50g sugar 60g butter, softened Apple Filling 100g butter 4 granny smith apples, 2 peeled, roughly chopped, and 2 peeled, finely diced 125ml ( cup) apple juice tsp ground cinnamon 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 55g ( cup) brown sugar Pastry Crumbs 100g plain flour 100g butter, chopped 50g caster sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 100g hazelnut meal Salted Caramel Sauce 100g caster sugar 200ml thickened cream Salt, to taste Method Combine crme frache with lemon zest and juice in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Combine sugar and cinnamon with 1 pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set aside. To make pastry, sift flours and sugar with 1 pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook fitted. Add butter and 125ml ( cup) water and mix (on low speed) until a dough forms. Increase speed to medium and mix for a further 3 minutes. Enclose dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, to make apple filling, melt half the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped apples and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add apple juice and half the cinnamon and simmer for a further 7 minutes or until softened. Blend mixture until a pure forms, then place in a medium bowl to cool. Melt remaining butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add diced apples, vanilla bean, sugar and remaining cinnamon. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until apples are just tender. Stir mixture into apple pure and cool completely. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 2mm thick. Using a 10cm round cutter, cut out eight circles from dough. Divide cooled apple mixture among the centre of 4 pastry rounds, leaving a 1cm border. Top with remaining pastry rounds and pinch edges to seal.
Preheat oven to 170C. To make pastry crumbs, place all ingredients
in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat (on medium speed) until well combined. Flatten out dough on a baking paper-lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool completely, then process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. To make salted caramel, place sugar and 1 tbs water in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden and sugar dissolves. Stir in cream and cook for 1 minute or until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in salt. Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Gently drop pies into oil and fry, turning halfway, for 3 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Dust with cinnamon sugar. Divide fried apple pies among serving plates and drizzle over warmed salted caramel sauce. Sprinkle with pastry crumbs and serve with crme frache to the side