ORANGE & GRAND MARNIER
BAKED CUSTARDS
Serves 6.
3 cups (750ml) milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
5 strips orange zest (no white pith)
¼ cup (60ml) Grand Marnier
4 large free-range eggs, separated
5 large free-range egg yolks, extra
50g caster sugar
Caramel
150g caster sugar
1 Pour milk into a small saucepan and
scrape in vanilla seeds. Add vanilla bean
and orange zest. Stir over low heat until
milk is simmering; remove from heat, set
aside to cool. Refrigerate overnight to
allow flavours to infuse.
2 Preheat oven to 140 ̊C (120 ̊C fan).
3 To make caramel, place sugar and 90ml
water in a small saucepan over low heat.
When sugar has dissolved, increase heat to
high and simmer until mixture turns a deep
golden colour. (Watch carefully as caramel
can burn easily.) Pour caramel into 6x
¾-cup (185ml) ramekins, swirling to coat.
4 Place Grand Marnier in a small saucepan
and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn
off heat and allow to cool.
5 Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to
beat 9 egg yolks and 50g sugar until thick
and pale. Add eggwhites and whisk until
combined. Strain infused milk through a
sieve into egg mixture, then add cooled
Grand Marnier; mix to combine.
6 Place ramekins in a deep roasting tray
and add enough boiling water to come
halfway up sides of ramekins. Pour custard
evenly into ramekins.
7 Bake custards for 30-35mins or until
set but still a little wobbly in the centre –
take care not to overcook. Set aside to
cool to room temperature, then refrigerate
1hr (they will set further in the fridge).
8 Turn custards onto serving plates,
scraping out the last of the caramel.
Bring to room temperature and serve.
BERRY, SAUTERNES &
MASCARPONE TRIFLE
Serves 8–10.
1½ cups (185g) fresh raspberries
2 ½ cups (375g) strawberries, hulled
and quartered
375g savoiardi (sponge fingers)
525ml Sauternes
75g dark chocolate
Mascarpone cream
3 free-range egg yolks plus
4 free-range eggwhites
120g caster sugar
375g mascarpone
150ml pouring cream1 To make mascarpone cream, use an
electric mixer with a whisk attachment to
whisk egg yolks and half the sugar together
until light and pale. Add mascarpone and
mix on low speed until just combined. In a
separate bowl, whip cream to soft peaks,
then fold through mascarpone mixture.
2 Place eggwhites in a clean bowl and
whisk until foamy. Add remaining sugar
and beat until soft peaks form, then gently
fold into mascarpone mixture.
3 Spoon half the mascarpone cream into
a 3L trifle bowl. Mix berries together and
scatter on top. Dip savoiardi in Sauternes,
then arrange on top of berries. Spoon
remaining mascarpone cream on top, cover
and refrigerate for several hours.
4 Garnish with finely grated chocolate
just before serving.TIP Sauternes is a sweet wine from
the Sauternais region of Bordeaux in
France. It’s worth buying a good-quality
bottle – the better the wine tastes, the
better the dessert.ITALIAN APPLE CAKE
Serves 8.
150g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
4 free-range eggs
1⅓ cups (200g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup (60ml) milk
1 tbsp orange liqueur
P inch ground cinnamon, plus extra
for dusting
3 red apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
and tossed in 3 tsp lemon juice
Icing sugar, for dusting
Mascarpone cream
180g mascarpone
2 tbsp double cream
3 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp orange liqueur1 Preheat oven to 180 ̊C (160 ̊C fan). Lightly
grease a 22cm springform cake tin and line
base and sides with 2 layers of baking
paper, extending 2cm above side of tin.
2 Place butter, ⅔ cup caster sugar, vanilla
and zest in a bowl and beat with an electric
mixer until light and creamy. Add eggs one
at a time, beating well after each addition.
3 In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder
and pinch sea salt. Add half flour mixture to
butter mixture; stir until just combined. Add
milk, liqueur and remaining flour mixture;
mix until smooth. Spoon into prepared tin.
4 Combine remaining caster sugar with
cinnamon and toss with apples. Arrange
apple in overlapping circles on top of cake.
5 Bake 60-65mins or until cooked when
tested with a skewer. Stand 10mins, then
release side of tin. Cool in tin.
6 Place mascarpone, cream, sugar and
liqueur in a bowl and beat until combined.
Do not overmix or it may curdle.
7 Dust cake with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Serve warm or at room temperature with
mascarpone cream on the side.