Banana Cake

Banana Cake

4 + 3 ripe bananas
125ml yoghurt
2 eggs
250ml sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
5ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
500ml flour
15ml baking powder
150g butter, melted
160g sugar
30ml water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
Peel 4 bananas and halve them in their length.
Arrange cut-side down in the prepared baking tin and set aside.
Peel the other 3 bananas and mash them with a fork.
Add to a bowl with the yoghurt, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
Mix together.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix together until smooth. The mixture will be very stiff.
Add the melted butter and mix again until all of the butter has been absorbed into the batter. Set aside.
Add the 160g sugar and 30ml water to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Simmer the mixture WITHOUT STIRRING until it turns a caramel colour.
Remove from the heat and pour it over the bananas in the prepared baking tin.
Now pour the batter into the tin and spread it out evenly.
Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the cake and cool in the baking tin for 15 minutes.
Invert the cake on to a serving plate and cut into squares to serve.

Passionfruit Soufflé

Passionfruit Soufflé

about 30g butter, melted – to brush the ramekins
2 egg yolks
90g + 90g caster sugar +extra for the ramekins
5 egg whites
350-375ml of passion fruit pulp (about 25 fruits if you are using fresh)
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat your oven to 220℃. Brush 6 x 180ml ramekins with melted butter, dust them with caster sugar (bottom and sides) and place them on a baking sheet.
Add the egg yolks and 90g caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for at least 5 minutes. The mixture should be pale and thick and hold a trail when the beaters are lifted.
Add the egg whites to another large bowl and whisk until soft peaks.
Gradually add the remaining 90g caster sugar, one spoonful at a time while beating.
Place a sieve over a bowl, add the 350ml passionfruit and gently stir so that the pulp and juice runs through and the seeds stay behind. Reserve the pulp/juice as well as the seeds.
Add 80ml of the pulp/juice to the egg yolk mixture and mix well.
Stir a third of the egg whites into the mixture and then gently fold in the remaining whites.
Fill the ramekins almost to the top with the soufflé mixture and run you thumb around the edge to lift the mixture away from the rim.
Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
Dust the soufflés with icing sugar and serve with the pulp and some seeds mixed through.

Baby Dutch Pancake with Citrus Curd

Baby Dutch Pancake with Citrus Curd

45ml butter, cubed
3 eggs
180ml flour
180ml milk, warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds
15ml sugar
10ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
125ml lemon curd
125g cream cheese, room temperature
2 blood oranges, peeled and cut into segments
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the cubed butter to a 23cm ovenproof frying pan and place it in the oven to heat up.
Add the eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Remove the hot pan from the oven and swirl the butter around so that it covers the bottom and sides of the pan.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the pan and stand on a cooling rack.
Add the lemon curd and cream cheese to a small bowl and mix.
Spoon the mixture onto the warm pancake and spread it out.
Scatter the orange segments over the curd and sift with icing sugar to serve.

Turkish Rice Pudding / Sütlaç

Turkish Rice Pudding / Sütlaç

125ml uncooked rice
500ml water
1 litre + 125ml milk
250ml sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
37,5ml cornstarch
50g pistachios nuts, finely ground

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and place 6 ramekins in an oven tray that is at least 7cm deep.
Add the rice and water to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until tender – the rice should be creamy and not dry.
Pour in the 1 litre milk and add the sugar.
Stir, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a slow simmer.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the lemon zest and stir through.
Add the cornstarch to a small bowl and pour in the 125ml milk. Whisk together to make a slurry.
Now drizzle the slurry into the simmering rice mixture while stirring the whole time.
Keep stirring and allow the mixture to become thick – about 10-15 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and fill the oven tray with enough warm water to come halfway up the side of the ramekins.
Place the oven tray on the top shelf of your oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. WATCH THE PUDDINGS AND REMOVE THEM FROM THE OVEN WHEN YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE COLOUR – THEY BURN EASILY!
Take the ramekins from the tray, allow them to cool and then refrigerate them for 1 hour.
Sprinkle the ground pistachio over the rice puddings and serve.

Tropical Tapioca Dessert

Tropical Tapioca Dessert

Easy, comforting and an absolute crowd pleaser!!

2 tins of coconut milk
100ml milk
250ml tapioca
a pinch of salt
83ml sugar
83ml butter
4 eggs
5ml vanilla
6 fresh guavas
83ml coconut shavings

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a 18cm X 28ccm ovenproof dish.
Pour the 2 tins of coconut milk and the 100ml of milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the tapioca and salt to the milk, turn the heat down to low and gently simmer for 25 minutes. Stir the mixture every now and then to prevent the tapioca from clotting and sticking to the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sugar and butter.
Add the eggs and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the egg mixture into the tapioca while stirring.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Peel the guavas and randomly press them into the tapioca.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle the warm dessert with coconut shavings and serve with pouring custard.