Monowara Nouri Mohamed Bhamjee shares recipes for sweet treats for a high tea.
GOURMET FERRERO AND RAFFAELLO DONUTS
Ingredients
¾ cup milk
2 tbs plain full-cream yoghurt
10g instant dry yeast
4 tbs sugar
¾ tsp salt
3½ cups cake flour
4 tbs cremora (milk powder)
40g butter (soft, slightly melted)
2 tbs oil
1 jumbo egg
2 tbs Amasi (sour milk)
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Sift the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl.
Mix the milk, sugar and dry yeast in a jug. Add the egg, Amasi, yoghurt, oil and soft butter and whisk well to mix.
Let it stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Add it to the sifted flour, salt and Cremora. Mix slowly until a dough is formed then knead well for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled dish and cover it with cling film or a lid.
Let it rise in a warm place until doubled +/- 1 to 2 hours. Roll out the dough to about 1½ cm thick.
Cut out the donuts and leave it to rise again for 30 minutes (no need to put these on wax paper for fear of handling it. It gets firm so handle it carefully).
Deep fry in medium to low oil until light brown.
Drain well and pack it on paper towels.
To Decorate:
Cut the donuts in half.
For the Ferrero ones, spread Nutella on the bottom half.
For the Raffaello ones, spread caramel on the bottoms.
Drip the melted Cadbury milk chocolate on the Nutella ones.
Place a Ferrero chocolate in the centre and drizzle with Milkybar chocolate.
Drizzle melted Milkybar chocolate on the caramel ones and sprinkle with pecans (optional). Dip in coconut and place a Raffaello in the centre.
*CUSTARD SLICES:
I used my flaky pastry recipe, filled with confectioner’s custard and fresh cream and topped with water icing, melted Milkybar chocolate and nuts.
For the flaky pastry
3 and ½ cups cake flour (sifted 3 times)
1 level tsp cream of tartar
1 level tsp baking powder
1 pound (500g) salted butter
1 cup ice cold water
1 egg yolk
1 tbs white vinegar
For sprinkling
2 cups of Maizena
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
Method
Blend the dry ingredients with ¼ pound (about 115 grams) of the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Grate the balance of the butter and keep in the freezer.
Mix the egg yolk and vinegar in cold water, then add it to the flour and mix it until you get a nice, fairly stiff dough.
Wrap it in a plastic and leave it in the fridge to rest for a hour or so.
Sprinkle some Maizena mixture on a work surface. Roll the dough out into an oblong shape. Sprinkle some butter in the centre. Sprinkle some Maizena, then flip one side over the butter. Sprinkle. Flip the last side over. Sprinkle again, then turn the dough around, creating an envelope effect and do it again.
If the butter gets used up before the six rolls, sprinkle the Maizena mixture until the end.
Rest the dough in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes and roll two times again. Rest again then roll out two more times. Then let it rest for a while. Roll out into shape or rest it in the freezer until it is ready to use.
For the Confectioner’s Custard
2 and ½ cups milk
2 eggs (separated and whites beaten stiff)
3 tbs Maizena
2 and ½ tbs cake flour
3 tbs sugar
50g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Bring two cups of milk, sugar and butter to boil and take it off the heat.
In a separate bowl, add the remaining half a cup of milk, then add.
Beat the yolks, vanilla, flour and Maizena and add it to the boiled milk. Put it back on the heat and beat it until it starts to boil again and thickens.
Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and mix well. Take it off the heat and cool before using. Beat 250ml fresh cream with 1 tbs sugar until stiff.
Bake the pastry squares until crispy and browned. Cut it open. Pipe some custard and cream. Top with water icing, slivered almonds and chocolate.
PECAN SHORTBREAD FINGERS
For this recipe use real butter.
Ingredients
250g butter
½ cup castor sugar
¼ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups pecan nuts
pinch of salt
2 cups cake flour
⅔ cup maizena
1 level tsp baking powder
Method
Beat the butter until fluffy.
Add the castor sugar and beat until creamy. Add the oil and beat. Then add the vanilla and beat. Add the pecans and mix well. Lastly add the sifted dry ingredients and mix.
Roll the dough into fingers and bake at180°C for about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool then dip in melted Milkybar chocolate and roll in coconut.
*CUSTARD BISCUITS
Ingredients
250g butter
¾ cup icing sugar
¼ cup oil
½ cup maizena
¾ cup custard powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
Method
Cream the butter and icing sugar.
Add the maizena and cream well. Add custard powder and vanilla essence and beat well. Then add the sifted flour and baking powder to make a soft dough.
Pipe with a flat nozzle onto a baking sheet. Bake at 170°C for 12 to 15 minutes. Sandwich with butter cream when cool.
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