Johannesburg - For her Top 5 Sweets list of the year, Angela Day picks some of her favourites as well as recipes most often requested on our helpline.
BEST SWEET RECIPES FROM 2015
What made the Top 5 list:
Yoghurt cake with pomegranate syrup
Mango mousse
Paris-Brest
Roasted strawberry and cream cheesecake
Custard creams
YOGHURT CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE SYRUP
200g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
5 extra-large eggs, separated
10ml grated lemon rind
250ml plain yoghurt
5ml vanilla essence
560ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda
SYRUP
160ml castor sugar
250ml pomegranate juice
a few strips of lemon rind
25ml lemon juice
For serving: pomegranate rubies
Cream the butter and castor sugar well.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the lemon rind, yoghurt and vanilla essence.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and fold into the creamed mixture.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and then fold into the creamed mixture.
Spoon into a deep, 22cm cake tin which has been greased and base-lined. B
ake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40-50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pierce the top of the cake with a skewer. Pour over the hot syrup.
Cool in the pan before turning out on to a cooling rack.
Serve topped with pomegranate rubies.
SYRUP: Combine sugar, pomegranate juice , lemon rind and juice in a pot and boil for 2 minutes.
MANGO MOUSSE
Serves 8-10
4 medium ripe mangoes, peeled and pitted
1 tin of evaporated milk
125ml sugar
250ml orange juice
45ml powdered gelatine
1-2 mangoes, peeled and diced, for serving
1 punnet of raspberries, for serving
Cut the mangoes into large chunks and place in a food processor. Cover and process until smooth.
Transfer to a large bowl. It should make about 1 litre.
Stir in the evaporated milk and sugar. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place the orange juice in a small saucepan and sprinkle over the gelatine. Allow to stand for 2 minutes.
Heat over low heat, stirring, until the gelatine is completely dissolved.
Stir into the mango mixture.
Pour the mixture into a jelly mould. Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight, until firm.
Un-mould and serve with fresh mango and raspberries.
PARIS-BREST
Makes 6-8
CHOUX PASTRY
250ml water
100g butter
250ml flour, sifted
3-4 eggs
250g strawberries, sliced
150g dark chocolate, melted
FILLING
375ml cream
15ml icing sugar
CHOUX: Put the water and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add in all the flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball in the centre of the pan. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.
Put the dough in an electric mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add only enough of the fourth egg to make a dough that is stiff and shiny and holds its shape.
Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain nozzle and pipe 10cm circles on to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Remove and pierce the side of each puff for steam to escape. Return to oven and turn temperature down to 160°C for another 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely and fill.
FILLING: Whip the cream and icing sugar until stiff.
Split the baked rings in half and fill with cream and strawberries.
Drizzle the top with melted chocolate.
ROASTED STRAWBERRY AND CREAM CHEESECAKE
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
100g butter melted
FILLING
500g strawberries, hulled and halved
60ml castor sugar
3x 250g thick cream cheese
250ml castor sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
3 eggs, beaten
5ml vanilla essence
10ml grated lemon rind
60ml lemon juice
extra strawberries for serving
Combine the biscuits and butter and mix well.
Press into the base of a 22cm spring form cake tin. Place in the freezer to chill.
Wrap the base and sides of the tin with a double layer of tin foil.
FILLING: Place the strawberries on a tray lined with tin foil.
Sprinkle with sugar and roast in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until softened and the juices have been released.
Remove and scrape the strawberries and juice into a bowl. Mash well. Set aside to cool.
Place the cream cheese and castor sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and well combined.
Mix in the mascarpone. Add the eggs and mix to combine.
Add in the vanilla, lemon rind and juice and mix well.
Remove just over a quarter of the mixture from the bowl and set aside.
Add the mashed strawberries to the larger quantity and mix well. Pour this on to the biscuit base. Carefully spoon over the reserved mixture to cover.
Place the tin in a roasting pan and add about 1 litre of hot water. Bake at 160°C for 40-50 minutes until the cheesecake is just set.
Switch off the oven and leave for another 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Remove the foil and chill overnight.
Decorate with strawberries before serving.
CUSTARD CREAMS
Makes about 35
375ml flour, plus extra for dusting
125ml custard powder
5ml baking powder
125ml castor sugar
125g butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 egg
15ml milk
FILLING
180g butter, softened
375ml icing sugar
45ml custard powder
milk to mix
Put the flour, custard powder, baking powder, sugar and butter into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and milk and pulse until the mixture just comes together.
Tip on to a work surface and knead lightly to form a soft ball of dough.
Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to 3mm thickness.
Cut into 4cm squares, rerolling any trimmings as needed.
Put the squares on the prepared trays and bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden.
Cool for 3 minutes on the trays before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
When cool, sandwich together the squares with some filling, using a piping bag.
FILLING: Cream the butter well. Add the icing sugar and custard powder and mix until light and fluffy.
If necessary, add a little milk to achieve the right consistency.
* The Angela Day column appears in The Star, Daily News, Pretoria News and Cape Argus