GRAPEFRUIT & MATCHA SHORTBREAD CREAMS
Makes 14-16 filled biscuits (see opposite)
250g unsalted butter, softened 80g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Zest of 1 pink grapefruit (or lemon or orange), finely grated
225g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
80g custard powder
20g cornflour Pinch of salt
Buttercream 80g unsalted butter, softened 240g icing sugar
1-1½ tbsp grapefruit juice
Zest of ½ grapefruit, finely grated
Matcha chocolate 180g white chocolate, melted 1½ tsp matcha powder Chocolate-covered orange
slices, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 150°C fan-forced and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place butter, icing sugar, vanilla and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, custard powder, cornflour and salt. Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring gently until dough comes together.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a rough rectangle about 1cm thick. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
4. When dough is chilled, remove top layer of baking paper and use a large, sharp knife to slice dough into 2.5cm x 6cm rectangles. Place on trays, making sure to leave a couple of centimetres between biscuits. Use a butter knife to make 2 lines down the centre of each biscuit, being careful not to cut all the way through.
5. Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes or until cooked but still pale.
Allow biscuits to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the biscuits cool, make the buttercream by placing all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beating until light and fluffy. Top half of the biscuits with a heaped teaspoon of buttercream before sandwiching on a second biscuit. Allow buttercream to firm.
7. When buttercream is firm, make matcha chocolate by placing melted white chocolate and matcha powder in a small bowl and mixing well to combine. Allow chocolate to cool slightly before dipping biscuit ends in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to run off before placing biscuits on a wire rack set over a sheet of baking paper. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate-covered dried orange slices, if using, and allow chocolate to set.
250g unsalted butter, softened 300g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated 4 eggs
250g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
80g pistachio kernels, finely ground
1 tsp baking powder
185ml milk
250g citrus curd (see page 129)
300ml thickened cream, whipped
120g Turkish delight, roughly chopped Chocolate-covered dried citrus slices, edible flowers and chopped cumquats, to decorate, optional
1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced and grease 2 x 20cm round tins well with butter. Line base and sides with baking paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon and orange zest together until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.
3. Place self-raising flour, salt, ground pistachios and baking powder in a separate bowl and whisk together. Combine lemon juice and milk in a jug, stirring gently.
4. Add half the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, stirring gently, before adding half the milk mixture. Once incorporated, add the remaining dry ingredients, then remaining milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared tins, smoothing the tops and tapping the tins on the bench a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. When cakes are cool, assemble by placing 1 cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Stir a third of the citrus curd through the whipped cream and spread half of this onto the cake. Spoon on another third of the curd and sprinkle over half the chopped Turkish delight. Place the second cake on top, sandwiching gently, and smooth over remaining whipped cream. Dollop on remaining citrus curd and finally top with remaining Turkish delight, chocolatecovered dried citrus slices, edible flowers and cumquats, if using.
TIP: This cake is best eaten soon after assembling. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or so.
“THE CAKE HAS A lovely nutty flavour, WHICH PAIRS WONDERFULLY WITH THE tart citrus curd AND Turkish delight IN THE FILLING”
TILLY PAMMENT