EASY CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE
Serves 6
200g dark chocolate, chopped
150g butter
6 eggs, separated
200ml castor sugar
125ml cake flour
Brush 6 ramekins with melted butter and coat with castor sugar.
Combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.
Remove and beat in the egg yolks and 150ml of the castor sugar. Mix in the flour.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the remaining 50ml of castor sugar.
Mix a large spoonful of the egg white mixture in and then carefully fold in the remainder.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.
Remove and serve immediately .
SPICED PEAR PUDDING
Serves 6
3 pears, peeled and chopped (about 250g), plus 1 pear, peeled and sliced
250ml water
125ml brown sugar
30ml golden syrup, plus 30ml extra
butter, for greasing
15ml lemon juice
375ml self-raising flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml ground cinnamon
5ml ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 extra large egg
Heat oven to 180°C.
Put the chopped pears in a saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook until the pears are very soft.
Purée until smooth. Add the sugar and 30ml syrup. Simmer until sugar has dissoved. Set aside to cool.
Grease the inside of a 1.3-litre pudding basin. Spoon remaining syrup into the bottom.
Toss the sliced pear into the lemon juice and nestle them into the syrup in the bottom of the basin.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt into a bowl. Beat in the egg and pear purée.
Carefully spoon the batter on top of the pears in the basin, level the top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
Cover towards the end of cooking if the sponge browns too quickly. Leave to rest for a few minutes, then turn out on to a plate.
* The pears can be replaced with apples for a delicious variation.
FRUIT SALAD PUDDING
Serves 8-10
500ml cake flour, sifted
250ml white sugar
3 extra large eggs
10ml bicarbonate of soda
1 x 400g tinned fruit cocktail in syrup
Sauce
125g butter
125ml castor sugar
60ml fresh cream
5ml vanilla essence
Pudding: combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon, lightly mashing the fruit, until well combined.
Pour the batter into an ovenproof dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 40-50 minutes until springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and pour over the warm sauce.
SAUCE: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter has melted.
Pour hot sauce over warm pudding and leave for a few minutes to absorb.
LEMON AND ORANGE PUDDING
Serves 4
70g butter
200ml castor sugar
15ml lemon zest
15ml orange zest
3 extra large eggs, separated
125ml cake flour, sifted
250ml milk
75ml lemon juice
25ml orange juice
icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Lightly butter a 1-litre capacity ovenproof dish.
Beat the butter and sugar together with lemon and orange zest until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Beat in the flour and milk alternately until the batter is smooth. Stir in the lemon and orange juice.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks and fold gently into the batter until thoroughly incorporated.
Pour mixture into a greased ovenproof dish and place the dish into a roasting tray.
Half fill the roasting tray with hot water and bake the pudding for 30-40 minutes or until golden and set.
Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.
TOFFEE APPLE DUMPLINGS
Serves 4
Pastry
500ml cake flour
200ml icing sugar
pinch of salt
200g butter, softened
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
1 extra large egg
1 lemon, zested
ice water to mix
Dumplings
4 large cooking apples, peeled and cored
125ml brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
60ml cinnamon sugar
custard to serve
PASTRY: Mix the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and blend to resemble breadcrumbs.
Add vanilla seeds, egg and lemon zest and mix.
Add enough ice water to combine into a dough.
Knead lightly until smooth, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
DUMPLINGS: Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into four equal pieces.
Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to form squares large enough to completely encase an apple.
Place an apple in the middle of each square and fill the hole in the apple (where the core was) with sugar.
Brush the edges of the pastry with the lightly beaten egg wash, then bring the edges together and press them firmly together to seal.
Turn the apples over and place them, sealed edges down, on a baking tray.
Brush each of the apple dumplings with egg wash, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes until pastry is golden and apples are soft.
Serve with custard. - The Star