Indiabite – Food Recipes

Ingredients (serves

• 5 1/2 tbs custard powder
• 5 tbs caster sugar
• 750mls (3 cups) milk
• 100g good-quality cooking chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 80mls (1/3 cup) fresh orange juice
• 2 tbs Cointreau
• 1 450g packaged madeira cake, cut widthways into 12 even slices
• Whipped cream, to serve

Method

1. Line an 11.5 x 18.5cm (1-1itre) straight-sided plastic container with plastic wrap, extending over the sides.
2. Combine the custard powder and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir in enough milk to make a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk and stir to combine. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.
3. Divide the custard into 2 equal portions and place into separate medium bowls. Add the chocolate to one portion and stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate is melted and the mixture is combined. Add the vanilla essence to the other portion and stir to combine.
4. Combine the orange juice and Cointreau in a small bowl. Place 4 cake slices in a single layer over the base of the prepared container, trimming to fit neatly. Brush with 2 tbs of the orange juice mixture. Spread 1/2 the chocolate custard evenly over the cake.
5. Place another 4 cake slices over the custard layer and trim to fit neatly. Brush with another 2 tbs of the orange juice mixture. Spread the vanilla custard evenly over the cake. Top with the remaining cake slices, trimming to fit neatly. Brush with the remaining orange juice mixture. Spread the remaining chocolate custard over the cake. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
6. Lift the dessert out of the container using the plastic wrap. Cut in half widthways and then cut each half into 4 slices using a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Serve immediately with the whipped cream.

Notes & tips

• Prep: 20 mins (+ overnight chilling time)
• Note: This dessert can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and store in the fridge.

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 150g butter
• 1/4 cup (100g) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
• 3 x 60g Mars Bars, chopped
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1 cup (150g) icing sugar
• 2 tbs caramel topping
• 2 tsp hot water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 7 x 11 x 21cm loaf pan with non-stick baking paper. Beat 150g butter and 1/4 cup (100g) brown sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in 2 eggs and 2 bananas, mashed.
2. Combine 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour and 3 x 60g Mars Bars, chopped. Fold into the butter mixture with 1/2 cup (125ml) milk. Spoon into pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine 1 cup (150g) icing sugar, 2 tbs caramel topping and 2 tsp hot water. Drizzle over the cake to serve.

Ingredients (serves

• 50g poppy seeds
• 185ml warm milk
• 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lemon, rind grated, juiced
• 300g (2 cups) icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20 x 10cm (base measurement) loaf pan.
2. Combine the poppy seeds and milk in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Place the caster sugar, eggs, flour, 185g of the butter and the lemon rind in an electric mixer. Beat on high for 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick, then pour into the pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter and place in a bowl with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Beat with an electric beater until smooth, then drizzle over the cake. Garnish with the candied zest.*

Notes & tips

• * To make candied zest: Place the zest of 2 lemons in a pan with 220g (1 cup) caster sugar and 250ml (1 cup) water. Cook over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the syrup. Cool zest before using to garnish cake.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 250g piece Madeira cake
• 2 tbs strawberry jam
• 350g strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 3 tbs (1/4 cup) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) dessert wine or sherry
• 500g tub Pauls Premium Vanilla Custard
• 250g mascarpone

Method

1. Cut the madeira cake horizontally.
2. Spread both cut sides with jam, then cut into small cubes. Place in a large bowl with half the strawberries.
3. Puree the remaining strawberries with 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar in the small bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Add the puree to the cake and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with the wine or sherry. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 heatproof glass dishes or cups and pour over half the custard.
4. Preheat the grill to high. Beat the mascarpone and remaining custard together until thick. Spread over the trifles then sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbs caster sugar. Place the trifles under the grill until the sugar melts and caramelises. Alternatively, use a domestic blow torch to caramelise.

Ingredients (serves

• 180g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 200g caster sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 120g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 250g hazelnut meal
• 200g milk chocolate, chopped, plus 100g chocolate, to decorate
• 2 tbs hazelnuts, roughly chopped, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 2.5L gugelhupf pan.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale. Add egg yolks, a little at a time, beating between each addition. Sift together flour and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture with the hazelnut meal and chocolate.
3. Beat the eggwhites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Fold 2 tablespoons of the eggwhite into the choc-hazelnut mixture to loosen, then fold in the remaining eggwhite until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or untila skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
4. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle over the cake and garnish with hazelnuts.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 100ml limoncello*
• 300g blueberries
• 1/2 tsp arrowroot
• 5 eggs, separated
• 250g mascarpone
• 1/3 cup (4 tbs) lemon curd
• 1/2 pandoro* or 1 Madeira cake, cut into 2cm-thick slices
• Whipped cream, to serve
• 1 tbs toasted flaked almonds, to serve

Method

1. Place 100g of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 300ml of water and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove 1/3 cup (80ml) of the sugar syrup and place in a bowl with the limoncello, stirring to combine. Set aside. Add the blueberries to the remaining sugar syrup and cook for about 2 minutes over low heat or just until they begin to release some of their juice.
3. Meanwhile, combine the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir until smooth. Add to the blueberries and cook, stirring, for a further minute until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. Place egg yolks and remaining 120g caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and thick.
5. Beat in mascarpone and lemon curd.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the eggwhites until soft peaks form, then gently fold them into the mascarpone and lemon curd mixture. Place a layer of pandoro or madeira sponge cake slices in a 1.5-litre glass serving dish, brush with some of the limoncello syrup, then spread with one third of the mascarpone mixture. Drizzle with one third of the blueberries and their syrup.
7. Repeat the layers, then top with a final layer of cake. Brush with the syrup and top with the remaining mascarpone (reserving the remaining berries for garnish). Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
8. Just before serving the trifl e, top with whipped cream, scatter over the reserved blueberries and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Notes & tips

• * Limoncello is available from selected bottleshops. Pandoro is a yeast-based cake available from Italian grocers and gourmet food stores.

Ingredients (serves

• 250g butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 2/3 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups Greek-style yoghurt
• 6 large apricots, halved, stones removed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons raw sugar
• double cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 4.5 cm deep, 22cm x 28cm (base) baking pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang at both long ends.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half the flour and stir to combine. Add half the yoghurt and stir until batter is smooth. Repeat with remaining flour and yoghurt. Spread batter into prepared pan. Smooth surface.
3. Arrange apricots, cut side down, over batter. Sprinkle over raw sugar. Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream.