PLANTAIN SPLIT WITH IMPOSSIBLY SMOOTH CHOCOLATE SORBET AND CHOCOLATE-COATED CHERRIES

“Plantains are like the older brother of bananas. Bigger and not as sweet, but worlds better in my arrogant opinion! The sorbet recipe is inspired by a David Lebovitz recipe, with the option to add a splash of kirsch.”

Serves 2

EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour’s freezing time

Cooking: 20 minutes

For the sorbet: water 2¼ cups sugar 200 g cocoa 75 g salt a pinch bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate 170 g, finely chopped vanilla extract ½t kirsch or cherry liqueur 1T

honey 4T plantains 2, peeled and halved lengthways dark chocolate 200 g cherries 100 g crème fraîche 80 g, for serving

1 To make the sorbet, in a large saucepan, whisk 1½ cups water with the sugar, cocoa and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil, while whisking, for 45 seconds.

2 Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted, then stir in the vanilla extract, kirsch and remaining water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds, then transfer to a freezerproof container and chill. 3 Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out. Once the sorbet has finished churning, decant into a freezerproof container. Freeze until ready to use. 3 Heat a non-stick pan and add the honey. Once it begins to bubble, place the plantains, cutside down in the pan. Fry in the honey over a medium-high heat until caramelised and dark golden brown, but not burnt,

4–5 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve. 4 To make the chocolate-coated cherries, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Carefully dip the cherries into the melted chocolate to coat. Place on a lined baking sheet and chill until ready to use. 5 Serve the plantains topped with scoops of the chocolate sorbet, a dollop of crème fraîche and drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate from the cherries. Scatter generously with the chocolate-dipped cherries. Add a pinch of Maldon salt if you like.

TRES LECHES TRAY BAKE

“Tres leches is a cake of Mexican origin that gets its name from the three kinds of milk used to soak the light sponge, turning it into a pudding-like cake. Traditionally it’s served with a little whipped cream and berries, but this one is getting the chocolate treatment. Feel free to prep the sponge ahead.”

Serves 6

A LITTLE EFFORT

GREAT VALUE Preparation: 35 minutes Cooking: 1 hour

canola oil 1 T, for greasing free-range eggs 4, separated salt a pinch caster sugar 200 g vanilla extract 1t flour 200 g baking powder 1t milk ½ cup evaporated milk 1 x 410 g can condensed milk 1 cup

Woolworths double-thick cream 4T icing sugar 2T ground cinnamon a pinch

For the caramel ganache: Woolworths caramel chocolate drops 100 g cream 1⁄3 cup

For the fudgy chocolate icing: dark chocolate 100 g condensed milk 1⁄3 cup

For the white chocolate buttercream icing: butter 200 g, softened icing sugar 200 g white chocolate 100 g, melted

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20 cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

2 Place the egg whites and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add 150 g sugar, a spoonful at a time while beating, until thick and glossy. 3 In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, remaining sugar and vanilla for 2–3 minutes, or until pale and thick. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the egg yolks, and fold together using a spatula. 4 Add a large spoonful of the egg white to the cake mixture, beat lightly to loosen the mixture, then gently fold through the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula until you have a smooth batter. 5 Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Mix the evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream. 6 Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, it should naturally come away around the sides. Poke a few holes into the cake using a skewer, then pour over half the milk mixture. After about 5 minutes, most of it should have soaked into the cake. Leave for a further 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate and pour over the remaining milk until it starts to leak out a

“Plantains are bigger and not as sweet as bananas, but worlds better in my arrogant opinion!”