The Brick Kitchen https://www.thebrickkitchen.com Mon, 04 May 2020 04:43:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.12 83289921 Whole Orange, Chocolate & Almond Cake https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/06/whole-orange-chocolate-almond-cake/ https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/06/whole-orange-chocolate-almond-cake/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2019 21:33:25 +0000 http://www.thebrickkitchen.com/?p=6628 Whole Orange, Chocolate & Almond Cake - The Brick Kitchen

I really didn’t mean to let such a gap open up between posts – it’s been almost three months since my last recipe over here, I’m sorry. It felt like the longer it got, the more inertia there was to overcome to write something up here again. And it’s been busy. Ugh. The worst, most...

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Whole Orange, Chocolate & Almond Cake - The Brick Kitchen

I really didn’t mean to let such a gap open up between posts – it’s been almost three months since my last recipe over here, I’m sorry. It felt like the longer it got, the more inertia there was to overcome to write something up here again. And it’s been busy. Ugh. The worst, most boring excuse in the world, I know, especially when evenings spent sleepily watching Killing Eve and Game of Thrones took priority. Six weeks in London slid past far too fast – crammed around weekdays of hospital placement were dinners out blowing any scrap of a budget I had, bargain show tickets (Nigel Slater’s Toast, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Come From Away), Sundays spent perusing various markets and afternoons spent traversing London – walking through Kensington, Notting Hill, Marylebone, up through Hackney and the canals, round my local Peckham and Dulwich. Plus fleeting trips to Dublin and Amsterdam, the latter of which I published a travel guide on here.

I arrived back in Melbourne with a thump, straight into my next rotation, intensive care. Busy and confronting and fascinating and difficult all at once. It was (is) job application season too for next year, with CVs and cover letters to be written, documents compiled and the growing sense of incredulity that my six years as a student are all but over. And to bring you completely up to speed, I’m now spending a couple of weeks back home in New Zealand on my mid-year break. Recharging amongst lots of recipe developing (or just making an utter mess of the kitchen).

That brings me right round to this cake. It’s a whole orange, dark chocolate & almond cake, rich, fudgey and not too sweet. The chocolate is perfumed with oranges, boiled whole for almost an hour until your kitchen smells like a warm citrus orchard (or what I imagine that to be). They are then combined with olive oil and blitzed in the Vitamix jug (or alternative blender or food processor) until silky smooth. Add the eggs and dry ingredients and briefly blend again, as your sunny yellow blend turns a deep chocolate brown. Meanwhile, the base of your cake tin is lined with honey-coated flaked almonds, sweet and nutty, so when the cake is finished cooking and is flipped, the ombre almonds end up on top. It’s impressive but easy, gluten and dairy-free for anyone with intolerances, and only gets better over a few days. The high powered Vitamix blender (I have the Ascent) makes it incredibly easy with minimal dishes, and also means there is no residual grittiness of orange peel that I have previously experienced with other blenders – it blends it absolutely smooth in seconds.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this cake and I promise I’ll be back here sooner than three months time! If there’s anything in particular you’d like to see more (or less) of here please let me know.

This post is sponsored by Vitamix. I received compensation, but as always, all opinions and content are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support The Brick Kitchen.

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Whole orange, chocolate & almond cake

Author Claudia Brick

Ingredients

  • 40 g butter (or non-dairy spread) diced
  • 70 g soft brown sugar
  • 30 g honey
  • 120 g flaked/sliced almonds
  • 400 g whole oranges (approx 2 small)
  • 80 ml olive oil (1/3 cup)
  • 4 eggs
  • 60 g dark chocolate melted
  • 250 g caster sugar (1 1/4 cups)
  • 65 g dutch cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 170 g ground almonds (1 2/3 cups)

Instructions

  • Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round baking tin with baking paper. Use a non-springform tin if possible.
  • Place the oranges in a deep saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.
  • For the almond topping, combine the butter, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan. Melt to combine. Add the flaked almonds and stir to coat the almonds. Transfer into the prepared tin and spread out into an even layer, pressing firmly into the corners of the tin. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
  • Cut the very top and bottom off each boiled orange and discard. Cut the oranges into quarters. Place into the Vitamix jug with the olive oil. Blitz until smooth.
  • Add the sugar, eggs and dark chocolate. Blitz to fully combine.
  • Add the cocoa powder and baking powder, and again blitz to combine.
  • Add the ground almonds and blitz to just combine.
  • Pour the cake batter over the almonds in the prepared tin.
  • Bake at 180° for about 1 hour, or until the top springs back to touch and a skewer inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached (if you used a spring form tin, set something in the oven underneath to catch any drips). 
  • Set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack or serving plate so the almonds are on top and remove the baking paper carefully. If any almonds fall off, just set them back into place. Leave to cool completely before serving. Cut with a serrated knife for sharp slices through the almond topping. 

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Tahini Caramel & Chocolate Tart https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/03/tahini-caramel-chocolate-tart-sesame-brittle/ https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/03/tahini-caramel-chocolate-tart-sesame-brittle/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:23:20 +0000 http://www.thebrickkitchen.com/?p=6559 Tahini Caramel & Chocolate Tart - The Brick Kitchen

A tahini caramel & chocolate tart with sesame brittle, all crisp buttery pastry, vanilla and tahini caramel and rich, smooth swirls of chocolate ganache.    As part of most medical school programs, the final year includes a short elective rotation where you can organise to go (almost) anywhere in the world – a chance to...

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Tahini Caramel & Chocolate Tart - The Brick Kitchen

A tahini caramel & chocolate tart with sesame brittle, all crisp buttery pastry, vanilla and tahini caramel and rich, smooth swirls of chocolate ganache.  Jump to Recipe 

As part of most medical school programs, the final year includes a short elective rotation where you can organise to go (almost) anywhere in the world – a chance to experience a different health system from your own. I’ve just landed back in London for mine – partially an excuse for 6 weeks of restaurant hopping, weekends abroad and catching up with friends from my stint in Oxford last year. (I am actually really looking forward to the elective itself too!). It’s only been three days, but they’ve included stopping off for coffee and flaky citrus morning buns at my new local, Brick House Bakery; oat milk flat whites at the Shoreditch Grind (first time trying Oatly, not entirely convinced but also not bad); early jet-lagged runs around misty, boggy Dulwich Park, all rugged up in layers; keep-cups of Monmouth coffee (the best) and purchases of smoked Maldon salt and Aleppo chilli flakes at the Borough Market; a hearty bowl of dahl with eggplant and flatbread at 26 Grains; and gazing in at the cake displays of my dreams at Ottolenghi Spitalfields – it already feels like I barely left. I also already feel like I underestimated my food budget… (budgeting is really not a strong point over here).

I have a couple of side trips planned so far: one to stay with a friend in Dublin, and one to Amsterdam, so any recommendations for either of those places would be very much appreciated – to eat or to see!

Now to the recipe: a tahini caramel chocolate tart with sesame brittle. I made it multiple times to get it right, and each time one component struggled – once with a shrinking, crumbly pastry, the second with a far too chewy caramel, a few more times for luck – thank goodness I had family, housemates and work colleagues to feed it too (and luckily they didn’t mind/notice the flaws as much as I did). It’s a quick short and sweet pastry, buttery and crisp, blind baked and topped with a silky tahini and vanilla scented salted caramel sauce. Swoops of creamy chocolate ganache and nutty shards of sesame brittle top it off. Yes, it’s rich and intense and a bit of a sugar rush, but it’s a proper dessert, and you can always serve small pieces – a little goes a long way (though some will want seconds – i.e. me). My dad told me it was possibly the best dessert I’ve made, so I’ll take that. (Admittedly, he does love rich chocolate and caramel, so if you’re a fruit person you probably won’t agree!).

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Tahini Caramel Chocolate Tart

Author Claudia Brick

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 220 g flour
  • 60 g icing sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 150 unsalted butter refrigerator cold, chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sesame brittle

  • 60 g sesame seeds
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 50 g glucose syrup (also called corn syrup)
  • 25 g unsalted butter
  • pinch of salt

Tahini caramel filling

  • 300 g caster sugar 1 1/2 cups
  • 80 ml water 1/3 cup
  • 85 g butter
  • 125 ml cream (1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons runny tahini
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)

Chocolate ganache

  • 113 g dark chocolate finely chopped
  • 125 ml cream (1/2 cup)
  • 30 g unsalted butter

Instructions

Pastry

  • Using a food processor, blitz the flour, salt and icing sugar to combine.
  • Add the cold butter cubes, and blitz until only pea sized lumps remain.
  • Add the egg and vanilla. Blitz a few times until larger lumps start to form. It will still be quite crumbly at this stage.
  • Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly and gently bring it together with your hands into a smooth disc. Don’t ‘knead’ the dough  - over working it makes likely to shrink back when baked and be tougher.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
  • Lightly grease a 26cm tart tin with butter.
  • Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to just fit the size of your tart tin.
  • Gently lift the pastry (I fold mine over my rolling pin) into the tart tin, gently pressing into the base and up the sides. Trim the top where it comes over the side of the tin with a sharp knife. Press the edges with your fingers so they just pop 1-2mm up above the top of the tin.
  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • To blind bake the pastry, preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Use a crumpled piece of baking paper or tin foil to line the tart tin, and fill the tin with baking beans or rice to weigh it down. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is dry underneath the baking paper. Remove the baking paper and beans, then return the tart to the oven to bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden.
  • Set aside to cool.

Sesame brittle

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • In a dry pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly until shades of golden.
  • Cut 2 large pieces of baking paper to fit on a large baking tray. Lay one sheet out on a flat heatproof surface.
  • In a medium pot, combine the caster sugar, glucose syrup, butter and salt. Heat until the butter is melted, sugar dissolved and it is just coming to a boil. Add the sesame seeds and stir through.
  • Pour the brittle out onto the sheet of baking paper. Place the second sheet on top, and use a rolling pin to gently spread the brittle into a flat sheet (~3mm thick.)
  • Lift the paper and brittle onto the baking tray. Gently peel the top piece of baking paper off and discard. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool.

Tahini caramel filling

  • In a medium pot, combine the caster sugar and water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, swirling occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved.
  • Meanwhile, measure out the butter and cream to have them ready to go.
  • Watch the sugar, without stirring, as it boils until it starts to caramelise around the edges. When patches start to turn golden, swirl the pan so that the sugar caramelises evenly.
  • When the caramel is golden, remove from the heat. Carefully add the butter and stir - it will bubble and steam, so don’t have your hand too close. Gradually stream in the cream, stirring constantly, until combined.
  • Stir in the tahini, vanilla and sea salt. Set aside to cool and thicken - taste to adjust the tahini and sea salt once cool enough.
  • When ready to fill the blind baked tart tin, check that the caramel is still pourable - if it is too thick, microwave for 10 seconds or heat gently just until it is.
  • Pour the caramel into the pastry case and use a spatula to spread out to the edges.
  • Place the tart in the fridge for at least an hour to set.

Chocolate ganache

  • Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a bowl
  • In a small saucepan, heat the cream and butter until simmering (almost but not quite boiling).
  • Pour over the dark chocolate, making sure the chocolate is all underneath hot cream.
  • Leave for 5 minutes, then use a fork to stir until the ganache is smooth.
  • Let cool until thickened - it needs to be thick enough to swirl on top of the tart.
  • Remove tart from the tin. Swirl the ganache on top of the tart. Top with shards of sesame brittle and flaky sea salt.

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Roast Plum & Miso Semifreddo https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/02/roast-plum-miso-semifreddo/ https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2019/02/roast-plum-miso-semifreddo/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2019 20:27:53 +0000 http://www.thebrickkitchen.com/?p=6506 Roast Plum & Miso Semifreddo

I’m a little late to my own party, but another year has swung around and I’ve managed to hit the four years of blogging milestone. The first year was a learning curve: a mish-mash of family favourite recipes thrown in with cafe reviews (I no longer consider myself qualified to be a food critic!) along...

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Roast Plum & Miso Semifreddo

I’m a little late to my own party, but another year has swung around and I’ve managed to hit the four years of blogging milestone. The first year was a learning curve: a mish-mash of family favourite recipes thrown in with cafe reviews (I no longer consider myself qualified to be a food critic!) along with the struggle to get a handle on the technical side – apertures, photo editing, SEO and wordpress. At the end of that first year (I wrote about a Momofuku style German Chocolate Espresso Cake), I discussed the shift from school excellence to university prioritisation, and the utmost enjoyment that running a blog had added to daily medical school life. The following year heralded the arrival of hospital placement, and a reflection on my photographic improvements and the surreal week that was a trip to the Saveur Blog Awards in New York (alongside a peach & blackberry pie topped with olive oil gelato).

Year number three came and went with lightning speed – my most stressful, high intensity year at medical school to date with final exams looming, which dictated a slow-down on the blogging front in favour of time spent cramming. Around a mass of photographs for a chocolate, cherry and coconut layer cake, I wrote about four things I’d learnt through the blogging journey. To be honest, rereading them a year later, I’m still very much continuing to learn them – knowing them in my head isn’t the same as acting out, or embodying, those lessons day to day.

I can hardly believe it’s already year number four. 2018 was a whirlwind compared to all of those previously – I left not only New Zealand but my adopted university city of Melbourne for 8 months in Oxford undertaking a research project. The consequent lack of a (high functioning) kitchen meant significantly less action over here, but I instead ate and photographed my way around cities I’d always dreamed of visiting – Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Tel Aviv, Paris. I’ve now come full circle back to Melbourne to start my final year of medical school and it feels strange – as if one half of me had never left and the other has done and seen so much more that it can’t quite slot back neatly into university life.

As for this blog? I honestly don’t know what direction I want it to go in. All I do know is that I want to continue baking outside my comfort zone (and inside it), continue to cook up feasts for family and friends alongside easy weeknight student-friendly meals, and continue to explore food and travel photography. So that’s what I’ll do for another year at least, and I hope some of you stick around for it.

I haven’t gone for a celebration cake this year – I did attempt one (which still remains a work in progress), and instead this semifreddo was such a overwhelming success and seemed to me like the utmost celebration of summer stone fruit and relaxing warm evenings. You can take the stress out of the occasion by making it up to a week before you plan to serve, and then all you do is slice and plate up gorgeous slabs of tangy, salty sweet roasted plum ice cream, topped with a generous handful of buttery shortbread crumble.

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Roast Plum & Miso Semifreddo

Roast plum & miso semifreddo - you can make it up to a week before you plan to serve, and then just slice and plate up gorgeous slabs of tangy, salty sweet roasted plum ice cream, topped with a generous handful of buttery shortbread crumble.
Author Claudia Brick

Ingredients

Roast Plums

  • 500 g stoned, quartered black or red plums + another 4 plums halved for serving
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Semifreddo Base

  • 1/2 cup caster sugar, split in half
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups cream (heavy cream in the US)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 2 tablespoons white miso

Shortbread Crumble

  • 110 g butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 165 g plain flour (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Roast Plums

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a baking dish lined with baking paper, combine the quartered plums, maple syrup and balsamic, stirring to coat the plums. Beside these, place the 4 halved plums cut side up and drizzle with a little maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons). (You want to keep these separate but roasting them at the same time saves time). Roast for 30-40 minutes or until the plums are tender and starting to release their juices.
  • Remove and set aside to cool completely. Place the 4 plum halves in a separate container and refrigerate. Place the quartered plums in a blender or similar and blitz a few times to break up - you want the plums to still be a little chunky, not a completely smooth puree. You could also mash them by hand to achieve this.

Semifreddo Base

  • For the semifreddo, grease and line a 21 x 11cm loaf tin with cling film (not baking paper here!), smoothing out most of the creases.
  • Place the eggs and 1/4 cup of caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat on high for about 5 minutes until tripled in volume and very light and airy.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate bowl using an electric hand beater (or after the eggs, if you have only one beater), combine the cream, the second 1/4 cup of caster sugar, vanilla paste and miso and whisk to firm peaks.
  • Next, the aim is to combine the cream, eggs and plums while retaining as much air as possible: so add half the eggs to the cream and gently fold to almost combine. Add half the plum mix, and again gently fold. Add the remaining eggs and gently fold to combine. Add the last of the plums and swirl through, making sure you haven’t got all the heavy plum mix sitting at the bottom of your bowl - you want them fairly evenly distributed through the semifreddo.
  • Pour the semifreddo into the loaf tin, cover with clingfilm and place in the freezer overnight to set (bottom shelf near the back, if it’s summer!).

Shortbread Crumble

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a small tray with baking paper
  • Cream the butter, both sugars and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until very light and creamy, about five minutes.
  • Add the flour and salt and mix to just combine.
  • Tip the shortbread out onto the lined tray and roughly crumble up with your fingers, to resemble something similar to the crumble topping of a fruit crumble.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool completely.

To Serve

  • To serve the semifreddo, run the a knife around the edge of the cling film and tip the semifreddo out onto a serving platter (upside down). If it is very firm, you may need to let it soften for a couple of minutes on the bench before you can remove it from the tin. Cut up slices of semifreddo and top with crumbled up shortbread and the plum halves you reserved previously.

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Honey, White Miso & Walnut Pie https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2018/10/honey-white-miso-walnut-pie/ https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2018/10/honey-white-miso-walnut-pie/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2018 08:14:33 +0000 http://www.thebrickkitchen.com/?p=6147 Honey, White Miso & Walnut Pie

The thesis is finally over!! 15,000 words submitted on my first day in Lisbon, in a rush of realising that I had miscalculated my word count and still had 500 unexpected words to remove. I promptly plonked myself in a cafe and refused to leave until it was handed in, even going so far as...

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Honey, White Miso & Walnut Pie

The thesis is finally over!! 15,000 words submitted on my first day in Lisbon, in a rush of realising that I had miscalculated my word count and still had 500 unexpected words to remove. I promptly plonked myself in a cafe and refused to leave until it was handed in, even going so far as to awkwardly borrow my neighour’s laptop charger – the last thing I wanted was for it to take up any more of my time in Portugal than necessary. Still hanging over us was the oral and poster presentation day back in Melbourne, but with that all over yesterday, it is a huge relief to be finished. (Until it comes time to rewrite it for publication, at least). 

I have been living out of a suitcase ever since my last blog post 2 months ago, and there is way more to say about those months than I can do justice to in this post – first London, then the Cyclades in Greece, a week in Paris, those few days in Lisbon followed by a surf camp in the Algarve and a week in Israel – and now finally Melbourne. I am planning to collate some of my favourites from those trips in future travel posts, so watch this space for allll the coffee, restaurants, markets and photographs. In the meantime, you can find snapshots in my instagram story highlights!

One thing I have really missed this year – even more than I thought I would – is properly baking and blogging. Apart from one occasion of flaky berry galettes, a few chocolate cookies and a rhubarb pistachio slice, it has been a baking (and mostly cooking too) free zone. I have been continually inspired by what I’ve eaten travelling, at bakeries, and been cooked by friends: that sticky halva babka in Tel Aviv, the moist, syrupy Greek orange cake in Milos, sesame miso cookies in Paris and allll the warm, crispy-edged and custard-centred, cinnamon-dusted pastel de nata in Lisbon. That smoky whole eggplant served on creamy tahini and topped with chilli and grated tomato. The smashed peas served with hot, flaky panko crumbed fish and kraut. The marinated zucchini strips served simply with dollops of creamy burrata, chives and olive oil. The list on my phone where I jot down ideas is getting overwhelmingly long, ok?  There were occasions last year, while surveying a mess of a kitchen, frustrated that something hadn’t worked out and stressed about the exam revision I wasn’t doing, I wondered why I bothered – who even saw it or cared, if I was just doing it for some warped perception of success – likes on social media, for example. Well, let’s just say any lingering doubts have been erased. As much as travel photography has filled some of the void, I can’t wait to get back to cook and photograph my own recipes rather than just admire that of others. 

This honey, white miso & walnut pie is one I made right at the end of last summer. I have this thing with pies where I never fail to underestimate how long they will take from pastry to cooling, and end up cutting into straight-from-the-oven pie (whether to serve, or to photograph before it gets dark). It’s always a hot mess. This pie took a couple of tries before I managed to wait long enough to cut photographable straight slices! It’s inspired by a couple of different recipes: the salty honey pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds (eating a slice of that pie while looking at Brooklyn Bridge remains one of my favourite memories of NYC), and a wild honey & walnut pie from La Cigale Market back home in Auckland. I’ve added miso because of that gorgeous, can’t-put-your-finger-on-it salty unami-ness it lends, and kept the fresh walnuts and fragrant honey. Slightly sticky, salty, nutty and sweet, encased in golden flaky pastry and topped with sea salt and a dollop of creme fraiche. I don’t know how else to convince you! 

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Honey, White Miso & Walnut Pie

Pie crust from Four & Twenty Blackbirds.
Honey walnut filling inspired by & adapted from Four & Twenty Blackbirds & La Cigale. 
For an easy timetable:
- The day before serving: Make the all-butter pie crust and leave wrapped in the refrigerator
- The day of serving: Roll out the pie crust, crimp and place in freezer. Make the filling. Bake the pie and leave to cool for at least 2-3 hours. Allow 1 hour in fridge for sharp slices. 
Author Claudia Brick

Ingredients

All-Butter Pie Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 112 g (1 stick, 1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • ice cubes

Honey, White Miso & Walnut Filling

  • 300 g walnut pieces toasted gently (if they are halves, roughly chop after toasting)
  • 150 g 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 170 g good quality honey (1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons white miso
  • 120 g unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 3 large eggs
  • flaky sea salt to top
  • Creme fraiche to serve

Instructions

Pie Crust

  • Using a food processor or a pastry blender in a large bowl, stir the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture (or pulse briefly in the food processor) until mostly pea size pieces of butter remain. A few larger pieces are okay. If using a food processor, transfer the flour-butter mixture to a large bowl.
  • Combine the water, cider vinegar and ice in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with the bench scraper, spatula or your fingers until fully incorporated. Continue to add the ice water mixture, 1-2 tablespoons at time, until the dough just comes together with a few dry bits. This normally takes about 10-12 tablespoons total.
  • Shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
  • Roll out the pie dough to line a greased, 9 inch (22cm) pie pan: place the dough on a large piece of baking paper on your work surface with a sprinkle of flour (it may need to rest for 5 minutes to soften enough to roll). Use a rolling pin to roll out to about 30cm diameter. Move the dough onto the pie plate by folding the baking paper & dough in half over your rolling pin, peeling the backing paper over and unrolling the dough onto your pie plate. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan and trim the edges, leaving about 1cm overhang of the rim for crimping.
  • Crimp the edges as you like (see here for some useful instructions). Transfer the pie tin to the fridge at any time in this process if you feel like the pastry is getting gummy or gooey/warm - try again in 5 or 10 minutes.
  • Place the crimped shell in the freezer until solid, at least 20 minutes.

Honey, White Miso & Walnut Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a small baking dish, roast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes, or until fragrant but not too browned. Roughly chop and set aside.
  • In a medium pot, combine the honey and caster sugar and melt together. Add the miso and whisk until no lumps remain. Bring to a simmer where you have a few bubbles starting at the edges of the pot.
  • Add the butter and whisk until melted. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
  • Put a baking tray in the oven to cook the pie on so it is preheated (for the crispiest bottom crust!)
  • When ready to bake the pie, whisk the cream and vanilla into the honey mixture until fully combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine between each addition until thick and shiny.
  • Fold through the roughly chopped toasted walnuts .
  • Pour the pie filling into the frozen pie shell.
  • Place on the preheated baking tray in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes until the pie crust is well browned, and the pie is set on the edges and just has a little bit of softness in the centre -this will set as the pie cools.
  • Set aside to cool for at least 2-3 hours before serving. For the cleanest, sharpest slices, refrigerate for an hour before slicing.
  • Top with flaky sea salt and serve with creme fraiche.

 

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Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2018/08/honey-roast-peach-slab-pavlova/ https://www.thebrickkitchen.com/2018/08/honey-roast-peach-slab-pavlova/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:12:11 +0000 http://www.thebrickkitchen.com/?p=6069 Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova

Although I generally consider myself pretty proficient in the kitchen, one recipe I can’t seem to master is the humble pavlova. Though I make valiant attempts multiple times each summer, they’re completely hit and miss. Adding to my frustration is that fact that I’m a New Zealander – pavlova originated here, or close enough. I’ve...

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Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova

Although I generally consider myself pretty proficient in the kitchen, one recipe I can’t seem to master is the humble pavlova. Though I make valiant attempts multiple times each summer, they’re completely hit and miss. Adding to my frustration is that fact that I’m a New Zealander – pavlova originated here, or close enough. I’ve read all the advice columns and tried all the tips and tricks – heating the sugar first, using cornflour and white vinegar, wiping my bowl with lemon juice to reduce any skerrick of fat – and yet still can’t put my finger on what differentiates the pavs that stand up with a perfect crisp exterior and fluffy centre, and those that crack like paving stones, collapse into themselves and develop a faint chewiness to the crust. Is it the near constant 99% humidity in Auckland summers? My faulty oven (which, to be fair, I am pretty sure is not at the right temperature and I should really invest in an oven thermometer)? Did I add the sugar too fast or too slow, or not quite get it to fully dissolve? I once over-beat the egg whites into a grainy, separating mess – the one downside to a stand-alone mixer is the potential for distraction. Maybe it’s a combination of everything. 

I’ve almost given up on the dream of a perfectly tall, symmetric, snow-white and shapely pavlova. For a long time my loyalties lay with miniature pavlovas, more like extra-large meringues that retained some of that fluffy interior – topping them with passionfruit curd and whipped cream, or filling them with raspberries and dark chocolate (link). But sometimes you want more of a centre piece – a dessert fit for a crowd that you can bring out to impress, minus the constant worry that your lack of pavlova skill is about to reveal itself. Enter: the slab pavlova. It’s significantly more forgiving. The weight of your toppings is distributed over a thinner rectangular base, reducing the risk of collapse. It’s WAY easier to cut up and serve. It still looks great. You still get that crunchy crust, swirly edges and signature fluffy pavlova middle. I’m not going back (at least not until someone can teach me their perfect pavlova ways).

It’s a very kiwi combination: pavlova (ok, let’s not argue about the origins at this point), crunchy golden syrup-laden hokey pokey, and fragrant honey roast peaches. Pav is traditionally topped with freshly whipped cream, but I’m a fan of this creme-fraiche / mascarpone combination – thicker, with a tangy edge that goes well with the sweet topping.

 Just a warning to consider closing your windows if you’re roasting these peaches in summer –  I managed to lure about 20 bees into our kitchen and living room with the smell of the roasted honey (in fact, I think one managed to get in one of these pictures if you can spot it.). My brothers started trapping them to take outside before we realised there isn’t much oxygen for a poor bee in an upside down glass. It resulted in a flurry of google searches in an attempt to identify these as wasps or bees – we figured we didn’t want to be responsible for depleting the Auckland bee population. Anyway, the resultant peaches are gloriously tender, blistered and syrupy, and I’ll be making them again and again just to put with whatever I have on hand. 

I’m not sure if hokey pokey is as ubiquitous around the world as it is in New Zealand. It’s a classic from the Edmond’s cookbook, the kind of sticky treat you make as a kid to watch the boiling syrup froth up, tripling in size and lightening as you add baking soda. Magic, or at least a fun science experiment. It should be something like the inside of a crunchie bar, but if you don’t let it set hard or make it on a particular humid day it can get a bit sticky and gummier – try popping it in the freezer for a while if this happens. Hokey pokey ice cream is summer in a cone – vanilla ice cream dotted with small caramel dots of hokey pokey (or, in the case of my local gelateria, vanilla bean gelato with chunks of gorgeous sticky chunks of the stuff). If you’re going for something a bit less sweet, I’d try crumbled up halva or a sesame brittle instead. 

I’m also posting now as it is summer in the UK and peaches are everywhere, but usually at home this would be more of a summer Christmas thing come December. It feels counterintuitive to post a winter recipe while it’s hot, but tell me, are you from the Northern or Southern hemisphere? 

Baker’s Notes:

  • Make the pavlova the evening before if you can, so you can leave it to cool in the oven overnight.
  • The hokey pokey and peaches can also be prepared ahead.
  • If you want something less sweet than hokey pokey, I’d recommend trying crumbled up halva or a nutty brittle, like sesame.
  • Make the mascarpone cream and assemble just before serving.
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Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova

Course Dessert
Author Claudia Brick

Ingredients

Slab Pavlova Base

  • 6 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 330 g caster sugar (1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour

Honey Roast Peaches

  • 6-8 small ripe loose-stone yellow peaches
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or essence

Hokey Pokey

  • 125 g white sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 100 g golden syrup (1/4 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

Mascarpone Cream

  • 250 ml cream (1 cup) (heavy cream in US)
  • 200 g mascarpone
  • 250 g creme fraiche
  • 30 g icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Instructions

Hokey Pokey

  • Line a small baking tin with baking paper (I used 20 x 20 but the exact size doesn’t matter)
  • In a medium heavy based pan, heat the sugar and golden syrup over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, measure the baking soda into a small container, ready to use quickly, and have the baking tin nearby.
  • Increase the heat and bring the sugar to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. you’ll see it turn a slightly darker caramel colour.
  • Add the baking soda and quickly stir to fully combine - the hokey pokey will froth up and lighten.
  • Quickly pour into prepared tin. Don’t worry about spreading it out evenly.
  • Leave to set until cold and then break into pieces. If it has been a very humid day, you might find that it gets a bit sticky - just keep it in the freezer until you need it and it will much easier to snap and crumble
  • You will probably have extra left over after using it for the pavlova - dip leftovers in melted chocolate to make them even better!

Slab Pavlova Base

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using a 20x 30cm tin or a ruler, trace out a roughly 20 x 30cm rectangle on your baking paper with a pencil - this gives you a guide for shaping the pavlova.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (not fan bake).
  • Wipe out your stand mixing bowl with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to remove any bits of grease from last time you used it - you want your bowl and beater attachment to be super clean and dry.
  • Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl and beat using the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy.
  • Still on high speed, start adding the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all absorbed and the egg whites are stiff and glossy. This should take about 10 minutes, and when you rub a bit of meringue between your fingers you shouldn’t be able to feel any sugar granules.
  • Whisk in the vinegar. Sift the corn flour over the meringue and gently fold through with a spatula.
  • Use a big spoon to drop dollops of meringue onto your traced rectangle. Use an offset spatular similar to spread it gently into a rectangle, creating a few swirls and peaks as you go.
  • Place it in the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 130°C and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave it in the oven without opening the door until completely cool, ideally overnight.

Honey Roast Peaches

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C
  • Halve and stone the peaches and place cut side up in a single layer in a rectangular roasting tray or baking tin with sides. In a small bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, water and vanilla. Pour over the peaches.
  • Roast for 30-40 minutes, basting the peaches with the honey syrup occasionally, until the peaches are tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.
  • Set aside in a bowl to cool, including the honey syrup. Use at room temperature - if they are still hot they will start making the mascarpone cream runny.

Mascarpone Cream

  • Whip the cream to soft peaks.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the mascarpone, creme fraiche, icing sugar and vanilla. Fold in the softly whipped cream.

To assemble

  • Spoon the mascarpone cream over the cooled pavlova base.
  • Top with the cooled caramelised peaches and shards of hokey pokey.
  • Serve immediately

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