Cake Pops

Published article Monday 1^st October 2012 featuring myself as in the October/November issue of “Xcite” C.ex Group Magazine presenting my “Cake Pops” is displayed below with story and recipe.

Tia Maria Cake

Tia Maria is a Jamaican coffee liqueur made using coffee beans. It is in general consumed natural and with ice. It is also commonly an ingredient for cocktails, with coffee or in desserts such as the layered liqueur cream and cookie cake identified as Tia Maria torte. This cake is very rich in chocolate flavour with the Tia Maria flavour soaked into the chocolate chip cookies and is cherished by chocolate lovers.

Raspberry Lamingtons with Jam and Cream

This is a variation on the famous Australian chocolate lamington.

Petit Fours Birthday Tower

A selection of 40 petit fours is arranged on three platters with upside bowls underneath for support and balance. The cake on the top plate is a sponge covered with rolled icing.

or a platter with 20 petit fours selected from a variety shown below.

Lamb Kofta with Mint and Garlic Yoghurt

Kofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball and is made with minced beef or lamb mixed with spices. The fillers are rice, bulgur, vegetables or eggs. The meat is often mixed with other ingredients such as rice, bulgur, vegetables, or eggs to form a smooth paste.

“Pure Peppermint” Mojito Cocktail

This cocktail was served with the Rendezvous Chocolate in the High Tea Challenge using Dilmah “Pure Peppermint Leaves” Tea from the T-series and has a great peppermint tea flavour. Dilmah describes the tea as “Peppermint is a natural caffeine free cooling and uplifting beverage. The infusion of peppermint leaves with a touch of honey is an ideal palate cleanser.”

Hot “Berry Sensation” Mocktail

The hot mocktail was served with the Quince Cheese Swans in the High Tea Challenge using Dilmah Berry Sensation tea from the Exceptional range and is a great berry drink. Dilmah describes the tea as a high grown single region Ceylon Tea in fruity harmony with strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. The complex of flavours comes together in a perfect marriage of berry flavours to offer a pleasingly light and fragrant tea and enjoyed hot or cold.

“Dilmah Pure Green Tea with Jasmine Petals” & Pineapple Punch

This mocktail was served with the frittata in the High Tea challenge using Dilmah Green Tea with Jasmine Petals from the Green Tea series and is very refreshing. Dilmah describes the tea as a mild green tea with the traditional, natural Jasmine flavour. The perfume of Jasmine is added using petals of Jasmine, a process several thousand years old and is uplifting & aromatic.

Hot "Dilmah Earl Grey Tea"

We served Earl Grey Tea with the scone in the High Tea challenge. Dilmah describes the tea as “This original Earl Grey Tea offers a rich brew, enhanced with oil of bergamot; it is a distinctive and unique flavour.”

For myself I always prefer Earl Grey Tea both in the mornings and afternoons. Even though brewing tea is very basic and easy, there are guidelines that can be followed ensuring you get the best experience out of your tea.

These are very simple steps to follow. Start by pouring fresh cold water into the kettle. Rinse and warm the teapot with boiling water and pour the used water out.  Measure one teaspoon of tea for every cup plus one for the teapot. Place the tea in a tea diffuser and bring the water to the boil. Fill the pot with boiling water and brew the tea 3 – 5 minutes. Remove tealeaves before pouring and cover with a tea pot cozy. If you prefer tea sweet add honey, sugar or agave syrup. Now take pleasure in a perfect Earl Grey tea.

Note: To be more adventurous try cooking food with tea, make mocktails, cocktails or something as simple as an Earl Grey Latte.

Rendezvous Chocolate

Swiss macaron with “Green Tea Moroccan Mint” jelly, white chocolate ganaché dipped in dark sweet chocolate and decorated with white chocolate.

Continental Fresh Fruit tart

Frangipane tart with Apricot and “Dilmah Italian Almond Tea” jam, “Dilmah Rose with French Vanilla Tea” jelly, creamy Madagascar vanilla custard and glazed local fruit is an enjoyable petit cake to eat anytime.

Quince Cheese Swan

Swans are delightful small pastries to eat either as savoury or sweet and they look incredibly appealing.

“Ceylon Young Hyson Green Tea” infused Avocado & smoked Atlantic Salmon Pinwheel

Salmon pinwheel sandwich are always great for any party, high tea or just a snack.

Baked Vegetable Frittata w/ “Pure Green Tea”

This frittata is a great dish to be used with any meat or by its own.

Passionfruit and “Green tea with natural Lemongrass and Lemon” Curd

This curd is a perfect spread with any sweet scone with its delicious sweet and sour flavour.

Ingredients

300 g unsalted butter

450 g caster sugar

400 g passionfruit pulp

500 g eggs

5 Dilmah “Green tea with natural Lemongrass and Lemon” tea bags

Method

Place butter, sugar, passionfruit pulp, eggs and tea leaves (taken out of the bags) in a bowl over a Bain Marie. Combine with a whisk and keep stirring in between until thickened, this process will take approx. 90 minutes. Pass the mixture through a sieve and place into closed containers. Allow cooling in the fridge before use.

Note: If you like the passionfruit seeds in your curd don’t pass it through the sieve.

“Pure Ceylon Green Tea”, Buttermilk & Orange Scone

Here is the first recipe from the competition. I prefer to use buttermilk in citrus flavoured scones and this is a great sweet scone.

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge 2012, Part 4

Bree McDonald and Alex Petersen present their Silver Medals in front of the restaurant.

It was an incredible outstanding experience competing in Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge in Brisbane and the hard work paid out. I would like to thank everyone involved in this project particularly Dilmah tea. I will be motivated in cooking with tea to be ready for the next years challenge and I will be posting plenty of the efforts. Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting all the recipes from the competition.

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Australia 2012 part 1

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Australia 2012 part 2

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Australia 2012 part 3

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge 2012, Part 3

Brisbane

The competition is to create a good quality contemporary High Tea which contains some guidelines and rules that had to be followed. This is a picture of the variety of teas we had to select from.

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge 2012, Part 2

Alex Petersen and Bree McDonald in Real High Tea Challenge

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Australia 2012

Alex and Bree in 2012 Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge, Brisbane, Australia. Part 1

I returned from my overseas trip and was straight away nominated as a member of The Rendezvous Restaurant team of two (Bree and I) to compete in Dilmah’s professional real high tea challenge in Brisbane. Cooking with tea is not something I have practiced, so it is a totally new experience for me to make food with infused tea. We had three weeks to bring a menu together consisting of 6 food items and 4 tea drinks. We had to travel to Brisbane and present the food and drinks to three judges. For the following two weeks I was living and dreaming about tea, learning different new tea flavours, how they are brewed, taste and compliment food. After several attempt we settled on this menu.

The three tier High Tea stand 

Strawberry and Blackberry Whoopie

Published article Friday 1st August featuring myself as in the August/September issue of “Xcite” C.ex Group Magazine presenting my “Strawberry and Blackberry Whoopie” is displayed below with story and recipe.

Choux Pretzels

The quirky Pretzel shape is a symbol of Good Luck and prosperity since Christians prayed with their hands crossed over their chests mimicking that action. In Denmark the pretzel (kringle) has been in use as an emblem of bakers and their guilds in Denmark.

Beef and Spinach Meatloaf Roulade

This is an incredible clever dish that keeps on giving. It is an appetizing meal one night and the leftovers are next day’s burger or sandwich.