Theme 12
Spice
The topic for this fortnights’ Cookbook Challenge is spice! I have had a few ideas’ rolling around in my head but I kept coming back to the spicy Chai flavours. I wanted to use this flavour in a dessert similarly to last years White Chocolate and Chai Creme Brulee, but this year I was wanting something a little less rich… after all a girls got to look after her figure sometimes.
The epiphany came when I received an invitation to the Early Intervention High Tea & Fashion Parade. I instantly visualised a delicious Mini Chai Madeline dusted with a mixture of icing sugar and allspice. I am waiting for more details regarding High Tea before I officially extend the invitation to my readers, but please mark Sunday 18th September 2011 in your calendar. Gourmet Getaways has reserved a table and I would love you all to join me, numbers will be limited. I will also be announcing a competition to win a place at the Gourmet Getaway table, but more about that in a later post.
Now to get your taste buds started, I would like to share a preview of one of the delicate morsels we may be served at the Early Intervention High Tea.
Ingredients:
Chai Infusion:
5 cloves
½ cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1 star anise
½ nutmeg
1 cup water
Batter:
2 Eggs
2 Tbs caster sugar
2 Tbs icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup SR flour
¼ cup Plain flour
75gm melted butter
Dusting:
1 Tbs icing sugar
1 tsp allspice
Method:
Dry roast the spices until fragrant.
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Micro plane the nutmeg into the mortar & pestle, then add the remaining spices. Pound spices until powdered.
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Add 1 cup of water to a saucepan and simmer the spices in the water to infuse the flavour. The water needs to boil until only 1 – 2 Tbs of fluid remains.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and grease a mini Madeline tray. Mini Madeline tray will hold one teaspoon only.
Beat the eggs, caster sugar, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Strain the Chai infusion through a muslin cloth. Remove the spices squeezing the excess liquid from the cloth. You will only need 1 Tbs of the infusion for the Madelines.
Fold the sifted flours, butter and chai infusion through the egg mix carefully.
Use a teaspoon to fill the Madeline tray.
Bake for 7-8 mins. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Combine the allspice and icing sugar and place into a sieve. Dust the Madelines with the mixture and serve.
Makes 36 mini Madelines
So I do hope you will join me at Pacific Bay Novotel on Sunday 18th September, for this girly indulgence.
