Australia’s own Donna Hay has just finished her second installment in her “Modern Classics” series of cookbooks. “Modern Classics Book 2: Cookies, Biscuits & Slices, Small Cakes, Cakes, Desserts, Hot Puddings, Pies & Tarts,” is strictly about everybody’s favorite part of any meal — dessert. She takes a fresh look at some old recipes and takes some old recipes and makes them fresh again. Hay discusses the book and shares some of her secrets on “Today.” Check out her recipes here:
CUP CAKES WITH CRUSHED RASPBERRY CREAM
Ingredients:
4oz butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crushed Raspberry cream:
8oz raspberries
1 cup thick (double) cream
1 tablespoon icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
To Serve:
Using a teaspoon to scoop out a hole in the top of each cake, reserving the scooped-out pieces. Fill the holes with the crushed raspberry cream and replace the cake pieces. (Demo)
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE
Recipe:
1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 oz butter, melted
Truffle Filling
15 oz dark couverture chocolate
2 cups (single or pouring) cream
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
To assemble, remove the cake from the tin and cut in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer back in the tin and pour over half of the truffle filling. Place the top layer on the cake and cover with the remaining filling. Refrigerate for five hours or until set.
To serve, place a warm tea towel around the tin, which will help to ease the cake away from the side. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and used a heated palette knife to smooth the edge.
Please note: During cooking the cake will shrink away from the side of the tin so that when you poor the truffle filling over the top, it will spread down the side of the cake and create a great smooth and glossy coating. To smooth the edge after removing the cake from the tin, dip a palette knife into hot water, dry it quickly with a tea towel and run the blade around the edge.
CREME BRULEE
Recipe:
4 cups (single or pouring) cream
1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar, extra, for topping
Here is a tip for creating the caramelized top of the creme brulee: Heat a large metal spoon over a cooktop or gas flame until very hot. Wearing an oven glove or using a tea towel, remove spoon from the heat and run the back of it over the sugar on top of the custard to melt and caramelize it.
All recipes from “Modern Classics Book 2: Cookies, Biscuits & Slices, Small Cakes, Cakes, Desserts, Hot Puddings, Pies & Tarts.” Copyright 2003 by Donna Hay. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow a division of Harper Collins Publishers.