Food for love - recipes

Published Feb 12, 2016

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Durban - Celebrity chef Yudhika Sujanani, famous for The Home Channel show Sugar & Spice, shared a few recipes for those of you with a sweet tooth. After all, what’s Valentine’s Day without some chocolate?

 

White chocolate raspberry tart

Short crust pastry:

200g cake flour

Pinch of salt

120g cold butter

30ml sugar

1 egg yolk

15ml-30ml iced water

 

For the filling:

400g white chocolate – I used Belgian

150ml fresh cream

5ml vanilla paste

100g sugar

50g cold butter

250g mascarpone

Raspberries, to garnish

Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

* Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

* Slice the butter into little cubes.

* Lightly rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

* Add the sugar and mix lightly. Lightly beat the egg and add to the crumbed mixture.

* Use your fingertips to lightly work into soft dough.

* Add the iced water and work lightly.

* Take care not to overwork the dough as this could make the pastry heavy.

* Refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes and then roll out into a round large enough to cover a greased 23cm loose bottom pie tin.

* The pastry should go 3cm up the sides of the tin.

* Prick the pastry with a fork and leave to chill in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.

* Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill with beans – this is called blind baking the pastry.

* Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes.

* Remove the beans and baking paper and bake for another five minutes.

* Leave the pastry to cool.

 

For the filling:

* Chop the chocolate into little pieces.

* Heat the cream with the sugar and vanilla paste in a chef’s pan until it starts to bubble around the edges – remove from the heat.

* Add the chopped chocolate and mix gently.

* Mix until the chocolate melts into a smooth sauce – leave to cool slightly. Gently whisk the cold butter into the warm chocolate.

* Once the chocolate has cooled completely, add the mascarpone.

* Use a spatula to stir the mixture and stir until smooth.

* Pour the mixture into the baked pastry case.

* Arrange the raspberries over the chocolate and garnish with mint sprigs.

* Once the chocolate has set, slice and serve with whipped cream.

 

Fig and chocolate cupcakes

Makes 12

100g cake flour

7.5ml baking powder

25g cocoa powder

120g sugar

50g butter, room temperature

120ml full-cream milk

1 egg

5ml vanilla essence

 

Icing ingredients

100g butter

200g sifted icing sugar

45g cocoa powder

230g cream cheese

30ml full cream milk, optional

fresh figs, to garnish

fresh mint, to garnish

* Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. Place the cake flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar into a mixing bowl.

* Add the butter and beat until the ingredients are combined – the mixture should look quite gritty. Gradually add the milk and vanilla essence while beating continuously.

* Add the lightly beaten eggs and beat again until the batter is smooth.

* Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when the cakes are tested.

* Remove the cakes from the tin and then leave on a wire rack to cook completely.

 

For the icing:

* Beat together icing sugar and butter until well combined.

* Sift in the cocoa powder and continue beating.

* Add the cream cheese and continue beating ingredients until smooth and fluffy.

* This should take 2-3 minutes – take care not to overwork the icing.

* Add full-cream milk if the frosting is too thick.

 

To finish:

Pipe the icing over the cupcakes and top with a fresh fig. Garnish with a mint sprig.

 

Chocolate pots

Makes 4-6

200g milk or dark chocolate

3 eggs, separated

45ml sugar

200ml cream, whipped

fresh berries, to garnish

mint leaves, to garnish

* Chop the chocolate and place in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

* Melt the chocolate over a pan simmering with hot water.

* Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat.

* Leave to cool slightly. Place the egg whites in a mixer and whisk until soft peaks form.

* Gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff glossy peaks form.

* Add the warm chocolate to the egg yolks and mix well.

* Add a scoop of cream and stir to loosen the mousse mixture.

* Fold the egg whites into the chocolate and add the whipped cream

* Fold until the mixture is smooth.

* Spoon the mixture into serving bowls or fancy glasses.

* Cover and leave to set in a refrigerator. Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.

Daily News

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