Theme 12

Spice

The topic for this fortnights’ Cookbook Challenge is spice! I have had a few ideas’ rolling around in my head but I kept coming back to the spicy Chai flavours.  I wanted to use this flavour in a dessert similarly to last years White Chocolate and Chai Creme Brulee, but this year I was wanting something a little less rich... after all a girls got to look after her figure sometimes.

The epiphany came when I received an invitation to the Early Intervention High Tea & Fashion Parade. I instantly visualised a delicious Mini Chai Madeline dusted with a mixture of icing sugar and allspice. I am waiting for more details regarding High Tea before I officially extend the invitation to my readers, but please mark Sunday 18^th September 2011 in your calendar.  Gourmet Getaways has reserved a table and I would love you all to join me, numbers will be limited.  I will also be announcing a competition to win a place at the Gourmet Getaway table, but more about that in a later post.

Now to get your taste buds started, I would like to share a preview of one of the delicate morsels we may be served at the Early Intervention High Tea.

Ingredients:

Chai Infusion:

5 cloves

½ cinnamon stick

5 cardamom pods

1 star anise

½ nutmeg

1 cup water

Batter:

2 Eggs

2 Tbs caster sugar

2 Tbs icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup SR flour

¼ cup Plain flour

75gm melted butter

 Dusting:

1 Tbs icing sugar

1 tsp allspice

 Method:

Dry roast the spices until fragrant.

Micro plane the nutmeg into the mortar & pestle, then add the remaining spices. Pound spices until powdered.

Add 1 cup of water to a saucepan and simmer the spices in the water to infuse the flavour. The water needs to boil until only 1 – 2 Tbs of fluid remains.

 Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and grease a mini Madeline tray. Mini Madeline tray will hold one teaspoon only.

Beat the eggs, caster sugar, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Strain the Chai infusion through a muslin cloth. Remove the spices squeezing the excess liquid from the cloth. You will only need 1 Tbs of the infusion for the Madelines.

Fold the sifted flours, butter and chai infusion through the egg mix carefully.

Use a teaspoon to fill the Madeline tray.

Bake for 7-8 mins. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Combine the allspice and icing sugar and place into a sieve. Dust the Madelines with the mixture and serve.

Makes 36 mini Madelines

So I do hope you will join me at Pacific Bay Novotel on Sunday 18th September, for this girly indulgence.