CREMORA TART
“In the 1980s, there was a TV ad doing the rounds in which a highly strung man in a dressing gown was making a cup of coffee in the middle of the night. In a misplaced Brooklyn accent, he narrates his way through the process, until he can’t find the Cremora (a powdered, non-dairy coffee creamer). ‘Honey, there’s no Cremora in the refrigerator!’ he cries in the direction of the other room, to which his sleep-deprived wife replies, ‘It’s not inside, it’s on top!’ Echoing her words, he repeats, ‘It’s not inside its onnnnn … top.’ In those brief 30 seconds, a fairly successful dairy substitute was transformed into a household brand – and soon, a new fridge tart was born. To the Cremora tart virgin, the idea of a tart made of non-dairy coffee creamer might seem repulsive, but most people I know have succumbed to its pleasures with their first bite.”
Serves 8 to 10
EASY
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ resting time and overnight chilling time Baking: 20 minutes
For the pastry: cake flour 300 g caster sugar 75 g unsalted butter 150 g, cubed free-range egg yolk 1 cold water 4T
For the filling: gelatine 2t
Cremora 500 g ice-cold water 1 cup condensed milk 2 x 385 g cans lemon juice 1 cup lemon zest 2T
For on top (not inside): figs 6–8 honey
1 To make the pastry, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 23 cm springform cake tin with baking paper and spray the tin with cooking spray. 2 Place the flour, caster sugar and butter into a food processor. Pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and, while the food processor is running, gradually add the water until a dough forms.
3 Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes. 4 Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line the cake tin with the pastry. Prick with a fork. Line the dough with a large piece of baking paper and fill it with dried beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans. Bake for a further 15 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 5 To make the filling, soak the gelatine in 2 T water until it feels spongy. Dissolve the gelatine in the microwave, or place the bowl over a larger bowl of very hot, boiled water until melted. 6 Place the melted gelatine, Cremora, water and condensed milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until thick and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and zest, and whisk until well-combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin and chill overnight. 7 For on top (not inside), carefully take the tart out of the cake tin. Break the figs in half and place on top of the tart. Drizzle with honey and serve. WINE: Groot Constantia Grand Constance 2018
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 30 minutes, plus overnight chilling time Baking: 45 minutes
For the chocolate cake base: cake flour 280 g sugar 400 g cocoa powder 80 g baking powder 2t free-range eggs 2 salt 1t buttermilk 1 cup sunflower oil 1 cup vanilla extract 1t strong black coffee 1 cup, at room temperature
For the filling: gelatine powder 2t cold water 2T
Caramel Treat 2 x 360 g cans cream cheese 500 g cream 1 cup
Peppermint Crisp chocolate 4 x 80 g slabs
For the topping: cream 2 cups cocoa powder, for dusting
1 To make the chocolate cake base, preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the base of a 22 x 33 x 5 cm cake tin with baking paper. Spray the tin with cooking spray.
2 Place all the cake ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk all the ingredients, then pour the cake batter into the prepared tin. 3 Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the cake tin. Carefully turn out the cake and remove the baking paper. 4 Line the bottom and sides of the same tin with baking paper. The paper around the sides of the tin should be higher than the tin. Return the cake to the tin. 5 To make the filling, soak the gelatine in the water until it feels spongy. Place the caramel and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until well combined. Gradually add the cream and beat until combined. 6 Chop the chocolate very finely in a food processor, or grate it if you like. Dissolve the gelatine in the microwave, or place the bowl over a larger bowl of very hot boiled water until melted. 7 Add the chopped chocolate and melted gelatine to the filling and whisk until well-combined. Pour the mixture into
cake flour 70 g sugar 2T salt a pinch free-range egg yolks 4 vanilla extract ½t free-range egg whites 4 sugar 50 g
For the brûlée top: caster sugar, for sprinkling