Saturday, July 27, 2013

Coconut & Lime Green Tea infused pudding loafs with Poached Pears and Kaffir Lime Syrup





Coconut & Lime Green Tea infused pudding loafs with Poached Pears and Kaffir Lime Syrup


Pudding Mixture

50g Coconut Oil
180g Butter
80ml Coconut & Lime Green Tea Infused milk (2 Tablespoons loose leaf tea)
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
170g Raw Caster Sugar
180g Shredded Coconut
220g Self Raising Flour

Poached Pear & Kaffir Lime Syrup Mixture

4 Kaffir Lime Leafs
175g Palm Sugar
250g Sliced & Peeled Pears
80ml Lime Juice
600ml Coconut & Lime Green Tea Infused Tea(2 Tablespoons loose leaf tea)
Zest of one Lime and toasted shredded coconut to garnish  


Have all ingredients at room temperature. Set the oven at 180.c.
Generously butter ramekins, muffin tray or mini loaf tray (I used the mini loaf tray)

In a small pot heat the milk and coconut and lime green tea over low heat for 10 minutes, do not let it boil.

While the milk is being infused with the coconut and lime green tea, sift the two flours together six times. Strain the tea infused milk and set aside to cool.

Now place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until creamed. Add vanilla bean paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mixing well after each addition.

With the mixer on low-medium, alternate mixing in small amounts of the coconut and lime green tea infused milk, sifted flour and shredded coconut until well mixed and fluffy.

Spoon mixture into your preferred baking tins or ramekins bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Let the loaf puddings cool in their tins.

Now for the coconut and lime green tea infused pears, place the infused tea, palm sugar and kaffir lime leafs in a pot and bring to the boil. After the pears have softened, carefully remove the poached pears and leave aside to cool. With the tea infused liquid still simmering, add the lime juice and simmer for a further 5 minutes. At this stage add more palm sugar if the syrup is to sour or more lime juice if its to sweet.


Place 3-4 pieces of tea poached pears on each loaf pudding; top with toasted coconut and grated lime zest. Dust with icing sugar and serve.


Best kept in an airtight container, up to 4 days.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Peony and Rose white tea infused teacake with tea soaked strawberry and rhubarb, topped with coconut crumble.


I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to bake this lovely cake for the Silva Spoon Tea & Coffee Emporium in Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast QLD. 

Peony and Rose white tea infused teacake with tea soaked strawberry and rhubarb, topped with coconut crumble.


Crumble mixture

¼ cup Natural oats
¼ cup Plain flour
¼ cup Dried coconut flakes
¼ cup Dried coconut shredded
1 tablespoon raw caster sugar
1 tablespoon Brown sugar
3 drops Rose essence
1 teaspoon Lemon zest

Strawberry and rhubarb topping

½ cup chopped rhubarb
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup infused peony and rose white tea
1 tablespoon raw caster sugar

Strawberry sauce

2 cups chopped strawberries
1½ infused Peony and rose white tea
40g raw caster sugar
20ml lemon juice

Cake mixture

450g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
300g butter, cubed
310ml milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
6 eggs
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 cup infused peony and rose white tea



Pre heat the oven to 190.c and have everything at room temperature.
Place milk and tea into a pot and slowly heat for 15min, do not let the milk boil. Let the tea infused milk cool to room temperature.

While the milk is heating chop up the strawberries half and rhubarb into small pieces, for the cake, soaked fruit topping and sauce. Submerge the fruit into 500ml of infused tea. Soak for 15-20minutes.
 
For the cake mixture, sift both flours and baking powder together, up to six times.  Line the bottom of a spring form baking tin with baking paper, and butter the sides. Take out the cakes portion of the soaked strawberries and rhubarb and skater over the bottom of the tin.

In a stand mixer/electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium, increase to high and cream butter until its slightly pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Now with the mixer on low pour in the cooled tea infused milk and flour, this works best if you alternate between the two until all combined. Pour the cake mixture in to tin on top of the tea infused strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 40-55 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, place all the ingredients for the tea soaked strawberries and rhubarb topping in a small pot and simmer slowly over a low heat until just softened, and fruit are just starting to loose shape. Take off the heat and cool.

For the strawberry sauce, place the strawberries and some tea in a food processor, blitz until a smooth paste. Place the strawberry mixture into a small pot with the rest of the strawberry sauce ingredients and simmer over a high heat until thickened. Set aside to cool.

Place all the ingredients for the coconut crumble into a bowl and using your fingertips rub together until just mixed. Spread over a baking try and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. 

Cool the cake in the tin for 15-20 minutes so it holds a nice shape. Turn the cake upside down onto a plate and release the spring part first, then remove the base. Continue to cool.

To assemble; place the tea soaked stewed strawberry and rhubarb on top of the cake, then drizzle over the strawberry sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of the coconut crumble around the edge. Serve slightly heated with a dollop of rose cream.