Recipes by: Tahila
Tahila's Finale Cookie Sandwich and Custard Slice
Cocoa Nib and Walnut Macaron Ice-Cream Sandwich
Macaron
285 grams sifted confectioners’ sugar
175 grams sifted almond flour
50 grams chopped cacao nibs
5 large egg whites
(with no trace of yolks),
at room temperature
½ tsp cream of tartar
50 grams granulated sugar
½ tsp flaky sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Coat the baking sheets (including the sides) with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the parchment paper in the sheets so it covers the edges of the long sides, pressing so it adheres. Lay the baking mats on top of the parchment.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, almond flour, and cacao nibs. Set aside.
- Wipe the bowl of the stand mixer clean (lingering oil prevents the egg whites from whipping properly) and add the egg whites. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Blend on medium-low speed to break up the egg whites, 30 to 45 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the surface is frothy, about 1 minute.
- With the machine running, add the cream of tartar, then add the granulated sugar, about 1 Tbsp at a time. Continue beating on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the almond flour mixture.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold and stir well (no need to be delicate), just until there’s very little loose flour visible, about 30 seconds. Use the dough scraper to scoop, flip, and smoosh the mixture against the walls of the bowl until there are no pockets of egg white remaining, about 45 seconds.
- Divide the mixture evenly into the prepared baking sheets and use the offset spatula to spread into even layers that completely cover each surface. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly over each layer.
- Bake, rotating the sheets every 6 minutes, just until the surface of the macarons is a shade darker in spots, the edges are firm and just begin to pull away from the sides and the center is set but still gives slightly to pressure, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool, uncovered, to room temperature.
- Once the macarons are cool, use the offset spatula to loosen the edges. One at a time, put a cutting board on top of each baking sheet, lift and secure the sheet and cutting board, and invert the two so that the macaron releases onto the cutting board. Carefully peel off the parchment paper and baking mat. Line the baking sheets with the parchment paper again and slide the macarons onto the parchment paper. (The side of the macaron to which the baking mat used to be attached should now be facing up.
Walnut Ice-Cream
780 grams heavy cream, cold, plus
more as needed
130 grams walnuts
toasted
7 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
plus 100 grams
3 Tbsp water
¼ tsp kosher salt
- Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it steams but doesn’t simmer (145°F), 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the walnuts, and stir. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a container and let cool. You should have about 2¼ cups; if not, add more cold cream to get that amount. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Put a large stainless-steel mixing bowl and the balloon whisk in the fridge or freezer to chill, about 30 minutes. When they’re cold, wipe the bowl dry, add the walnut cream, and whip to soft peaks, 4 to 6 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, while you beat the egg yolks.
- In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Whip on medium-high speed and let the machine run.
- Meanwhile, combine the water and remaining 100 grams/ ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir until all the sugar is moistened. Set over medium-high heat, let the mixture liquefy and bubble, and cook, swirling occasionally, until it registers 245°F on the instant-read thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes. Tilt the pan and let the mixture pool on one side to take the temperature reading. As soon as the sugar syrup is ready, with the mixer running, pour it into the egg yolks in a steady stream and continue to whip until the mixture is fully cooled and thicker than whipped cream when you lift the whisk, it should fall in what look like ribbons), 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the whipped cream from the fridge, add the kosher salt, and briefly whisk to beat in a little more air. Add half of the whipped cream to the egg mixture and gently fold, just until the mixture is a single color. Fold in the remaining cream.
Assembly
- Clear space in your freezer. Unwrap one baking sheet of the macaron, and with it still in the sheet, slowly pour on enough of the ice cream mixture to reach just below the rim of the baking sheet. (Freeze any extra to eat as ice cream.) If necessary, guide it with an offset spatula or a spoon it spreads evenly to cover the macaron.
- Freeze the baking sheet, uncovered, just until the ice cream is firm and frozen throughout but still indents slightly when you press lightly against the surface, about 2 hours. Too firm is better than too soft
- Remove the baking sheets from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap from the second layer of macaron, and invert the macaron onto the ice cream. Remove the top baking sheet, wrap the whole baking sheet with the macarons completely in plastic wrap, and return it to the freezer until the ice cream is fully frozen, at least 12 hours or up to 5 days.
- Unwrap the baking sheet. Using the dough scraper or offset spatula, loosen the four edges of the giant sandwich from the baking sheet. Place a cutting board onto the baking sheet, lift both the cutting board and baking sheet, then quickly flip them over. Remove the baking sheet and parchment paper. Trim the edges of the sandwich, if you want, and cut into twelve equal portions (each about 4 by 2¼ inches). Makes 12 small ice cream sandwiches.
Cocoa Custard Slices
Cocoa Custard
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp
heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter,
cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup alkalized (Dutch
process) cocoa powder
2 Tbsp dark muscovado sugar
1 large egg
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Combine the cream, granulated sugar, butter, cocoa powder, and muscovado sugar in a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring and scraping the pan frequently, until the mixture gives off steam and just begins to bubble at the edges (don’t let it fully simmer), 10 to 15 minutes.
- Lightly beat the egg in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually pour inthe chocolate mixture, about 2 Tbsp at a time, whisking constantly and vigorously for about 30 seconds after each addition. Once you’ve added about one-fourth of the chocolate mixture, whisk in the remaining mixture about ½ cup at a time. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch square heavy baking pan.
- Bake, rotating the pan every 8 minutes, until just set at the edges but still jiggly in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large mixing bowl. Scrape the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, stirring and pressing with a flexible heat proof spatula. Set the bowl in the ice bath, stirring occasionally until the custard is cold.
- If not served immediately, transfer to an airtight container, press plastic wrap to the surface to prevent a skin from forming, cover, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Jackie Cameron’s Puff Pastry
Part 1
450gr Salted Butter, at room temperature
15ml Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
115gr White Bread Flour
- Mix all the ingredients together, shape the mixture into a block 10cm x 10cm.
- Cling wrap tightly and place into the fridge to get cold for a few minutes (just cold not hard).
Part 2
450gr Salted Butter, at room temperature
15ml Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
115gr White Bread Flour
- Sift the cake flour and white bread flour together.
- Add the butter and work it in with your fingertips to resemble the same texture as breadcrumbs.
- Make well in the flour and pour in the water, lemon juice and salt.
- Work the ingredient into the dough, trying to knead it as little as possible.
- Cling wrap the dough tightly and place in the fridge to get firm and cold.
Part 1 & 2
- Take the part: 2 dough out of the fridge. Make a cross on the top. Roll out from each cross-point edge to form four extensions with a thick centre.
- Place the mixture from part: 1 on top of the thick-centred-cross, making sure that it fits neatly on the cross, if not roll out a little more.
- Fold the dough extensions over the butter (one-at-a-time) to close and cover it completely, if I could say snuggly.
- Flour the surface well. Roll the dough into a rectangle (only rolling up and down, never to the sides), then take the bottom corners of the dough and fold them a third up to the middle, then take the top corners of the dough and fold then down two-thirds, so they meet the bottom corners of the dough.
- Then turn the dough a quarter of the way so that the closed side is on the left (try to imagine seeing a books-spine).
- That counts as one fold for the puff pastry, between each fold the puff needs to be rested in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes or until cold.
- The folding needs to be repeated 6 times, then the dough will be ready for use.
- Puff pasty freezes very well. When needed just take out of the freezer the night before, and slowly defrost in the fridge.
- Roll out to desired shape and size. Oven back above 200°C.
Assembly
- Cut out to equal sized sheets of puff pastry and place one side into a lined square baking tray.
- Add in the custard and place the other sheet of pastry on top. Allow to set in the fridge for a few hours then remove and slice on a cutting board. Glaze and decorate slices before serving.