GRANDMA’S APPLE HONEY TORTE

October 28, 2023 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

This is a rich Italian Apple Honey Torte. The taste is like a shortcake  with an amazing glazed apple flavour. Great with coffee: this isn’t  real sweet.  Can serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream.  

1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 large/4 small Mcintosh apples (Gala?) peeled, cut in thick slices like wedges (about 567g)
3/4 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 extra large eggs or 3 large
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon BP
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.

Combine honey and lemon juice in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add apples, cook 10 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, set aside.

Beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in milk and lemon rind. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Batter is very thick. Spread batter into a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray pat down with floured fingers.

Remove apples from skillet with a slotted spoon. Discard remaining any liquid left. Arrange apple slices in a flowered pattern on top or wheel spoke on top of batter, pressing slices gently into batter, anything leftover can be put in the center of the torte. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center, be careful not to over bake. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into wedges using a serrated knife. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Citrus Pavlova with Lemon Curd

October 28, 2023 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

Serves: 12

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1.5 cups caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 1 orange, sliced into thin rounds
    baking paper
    large dry, clean bowl

Lemon curd:

  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 200ml lemon juice (small cup) ie 5.5 lemons
  • 1 Tab finely grated lemon rind
  • 3 eggs
  • 125g unsalted butter, cubed

To decorate:

  • Dairy Fine Easter bunnies or Choceur filled mini chocolate Easter bunnies
  • Dark chocolate Easter eggs
  • 2 passionfruit, pulp removed
  • half cup water and 1 cup white sugar (for toffee shards)

    Method

    1. Preparations. Preheat oven to 100ºC FF. Using a pencil, mark a 20cm disc on a piece of baking paper. Place prepared paper, pencil marked side down onto an oven tray.
    2. To make toffee shards: In a heavy-based small saucepan, stir sugar & water over medium heat until sugar dissolves; cook til it turns amber. Add baking paper to an oven tray and pour mixture over tray, into a thin layer. Allow to set. Break into shards, set aside.
    3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large dry, clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition until sugar is dissolved & mixture is thick, glossy and a ribbon trail is left when mixers are lifted.
    4. Beat in vinegar and vanilla extract. Spoon (pile?) mixture onto prepared tray.
    5. Bake on lowest oven rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pavlova feels firm to touch. Cool in oven with door slightly ajar.
    6. To make lemon curd, combine all ingredients into saucepan. Whisk together and cook on low-medium heat, continually whisking slowly, until the curd is thick enough to hold marks from the whisk (and the first bubbles appear on the surface of the lemon curd). This will take between 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
    7. Meanwhile, using clean electric beaters, beat cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
    8. Transfer pavlova to a cake stand or serving platter. Top with cream. Decorate with toffee shards, Easter bunnies, Easter eggs and orange slices. Serve drizzled with 1/3 cup of lemon curd and passionfruit pulp.
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