Almond Buttercake
150g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
/regular flour
1/2 cup almonds chopped
Choux
Pastry
60g butter
3/4 cup (180ml) water
3/4 cup (105g) plain flour
3 eggs, beaten lightly
Vanilla
Custard
1 1/4 cups (310mls) milk
1 vanilla bean, split
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (40g) cornflour
Toffee
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) water
Make choux
pastry; make vanilla custard. Preheat oven to
moderate (180oC/160oC fan forced). Line 12-hole standard pan with paper cases. Beat butter,
essence, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and
fluffy. Stir in sifted
flours and almond meal, in two batches. Divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. Bake cakes
about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool. Cut a 2cm deep
hole in the centre of each cake, fill with custard; replace lid. Spread tops of
cakes with a little more custard. Top with a layer of puffs. Stack remaining
puffs on cakes dipping each in a little custard. Make toffee;
drizzle over puffs.
Choux
Pastry
Preheat oven to hot (220oC/200oC fan
forced). Grease oven trays, line with baking paper. Combine butter with the
water in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour, beat until mixture forms
a smooth ball. Transfer mixture to small bowl, beat in egg with electric mixer
in about six batches until mixture becomes glossy. Spoon mixture into piping
bag fitted with 1 cm plain tube. Pipe about 300 tiny dollops of pastry (about
1/4 level teaspoon), onto trays; bake 7 minutes. Reduce oven to moderate
(180oC/160oC fan forced), bake for a further 5 minutes or until puffs are
crisp. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Vanilla
Custard
Bring milk and vanilla bean to a boil in
small saucepan; discard vanilla bean. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar and cornflour
in small bowl with electric mixer until thick. With motor operating gradually
beat in warm milk. Return custard to small pan; stir over heat until, mixture
boils and thickens. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap; cool.
Mmmm most delicous custard I have made!
Toffee
Combine sugar with the water in small
heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves;
bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture
is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand until bubbles subside before using. Mine took a while to get going and to turn that caramel brown colour.
