Mini Pavlovas
("Rob loved her pavlovas. Bless him. He never seemed to notice that Rachel's wonky-looking
pavolvas were a somewhat lowbrow addition to the table." - The Husband’s Secret)
Instructions
8 large egg whites
1 pinch of salt
2 1/2 C. caster sugar
4 tsp. cornflour
1 scant tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp, white wine vinegar
3 1/2 C. whipping cream (whipped)
3 1/4 C. blackberries
3 1/4 C. raspberries
1 sprinkling of icing sugar (for dusting)
The Husband’s Secret
by Liane Moriarty
Ingredients
You will need 3 baking sheets, lined with
parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they're
holding firm peaks but are not stiff. Gently add in the sugar, spoonful after spoonful, still
beating, until you've got a bowl full of gleaming, satiny, snowy meringue. Sprinkle the
cornflour, a few drops of vanilla and the vinegar on top and fold in to combine.
Draw 6 circles of approximately 4” (using a pint glass as a guide, if this helps) on each of
the parchment-lined sheets.
Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment into the delineated circles, and spread
and smooth to fill. You want to make the meringue slightly higher at the rims, or just use
the back of the spoon to make an indentation in the centre to hold the cream and fruit
later.
Put into the oven, turn it down to 300°F, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and
leave them in for another 30 minutes, then take out of the oven to cool. I just transfer
them, on their baking parchment, to wire racks.
When you want to assemble them, dollop cream into the indentation, and smooth it with
the back of a spoon, leaving the odd peak. Place, one by one, a few blackberries and a
few raspberries so that they look well filled but not crammed. Dust with icing sugar.
(Source: Nigella.com, 2016)
SNACKS
&
SIPS
Hot Cross Buns
(‘But aren’t we having hot cross buns?’ said Esther. ‘We always have hot cross buns for
breakfast on Good Friday.’ ‘We can still have them,’ said John-Paul. He brushed his fingers
automatically across Cecilia’s lower back as he walked past her to the kitchen table. ‘Your
mother’s hot cross buns are so good they don’t need butter.’ - The Husband’s Secret)
Ingredients
1/2 C. water
1/2 C. whole milk
1/2 C. sugar
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (2 (1/4 ounce) packages)
1/3 C. unsalted butter, melted, plus as needed
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 C. all-purpose flour (13 ounces)
3/4 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 C. currants, plumped in the microwave and cooled
1 egg beaten, for brushing
To form the rolls: Butter a 9 by 14-inch baking pan. Turn the dough out of the bowl and
pat into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, about
2 ounces each, with a pizza wheel or bench scraper. (If you don't have a scale, divide the
dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into 3
equal-sized rolls.)
Tuck the edges of the dough under to make round rolls and place them seam-side down
in the prepared pan, leaving a little space in between each roll. Cover the pan with
buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the rolls rise almost to the rim of
the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops of the buns with beaten egg. Bake rolls until
golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the
rolls registers 190°F, about 25 minutes.
For the glaze: Stir together confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth.
Transfer icing to a zip bag or pastry bag, and make a small cut in the corner of the bag.
Ice buns in a thick cross shape over the top of the warm buns.
For the icing/glaze:
2 C. confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. finely gated lemon zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about
100°F (but no more than 100°F ). Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of
sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring, until foamy and
rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla
into the yeast mixture.
Whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon
to make a thick, shaggy, and slightly sticky dough. Stir in currants. Turn the dough onto a
lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into
a ball.
Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly
with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size,
about 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on
the plastic, and note the time to help you keep track.)
(Source: Foodnetwork.com, 2016)