COINTREAU-SPIKED SWEET NAVEL ORANGE-ADES WITH PASILLA CHOCOLATE CASHEW GANACHE
MAKES 18 / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES PLUS SETTING AND OVERNIGHT SOAKING / COOKING 15 MINUTES
These little cakes are reminiscent of the choco-ade biscuits you used to get in the supermarket - and were my favourites when I was a child. If you can, make the orange curd a day ahead of serving as the cakes need a minimum setting time of 6 hours.
SWEET NAVEL ORANGE CURD
250ml sweet navel orange juice, strained
and zest reserved
60ml lemon juice
30g cornflour
125g caster sugar
60ml unsweetened soy milk 2 tablespoons Cointreau
½ teaspoon salt
50g plant-based butter
BASE
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup whole almonds 1 cup shredded coconut ½ cup pitted dates 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon pink salt ¼ cup melted coconut oil
VANILLA CASHEW-CREAM FILLING
2½ cups raw cashews, soaked overnight ⅔ cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup nut milk
⅔ cup melted coconut oil
½ teaspoon salt
GANACHE
1½ cups raw cashews, soaked overnight 1 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup cacao powder or cocoa
½ dried pasilla chilli (or dried ancho if you
can’t source pasilla)
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pink salt sesame seeds, toasted (to serve) freeze-dried mandarin (optional)
Pour the orange and lemon juice into a medium-sized pan and whisk in the cornflour. Add the sugar, milk, Cointreau and salt. Stir over a medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Cook the curd until it becomes thick - about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter. Stir until melted and combined. Allow the curd to cool a little then pour into a large clean jar. Cool and set in the fridge.
Add all the base ingredients to a food processor and combine until the mixture is a fine crumb and sticks together between your fingers when pressed. Press a thin layer into a medium-sized silicone muffin tray. Refrigerate.
To make the cream filling, blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and well combined. Scrape out into a bowl. Set aside.
Blend all the ganache ingredients except sesame seeds and freeze-dried mandarin, if using, in a high-powered blender until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Assemble the cakes by swirling orange curd through vanilla cashew cream. Spoon into bases and set in the freezer - about 2 hours. Once set, remove from silicone trays and spoon or pipe a circle of ganache into the centre of each round. Return to the fridge and allow to set.
To serve, let the orange-ades soften to room temperature. Top with toasted sesame seeds and reserved orange zest or freeze-dried mandarin if you are feeling fancy.
DESSERTS SHOULD BE SMALL, DECADENT, BUT MOST OF ALL... SHARED.