Food Pia Cook Food Pia Cook

Key Lime Pie

 

You know you want to! Thanks to our truly amazing photographer, @MandyCouzens for not only coming up with this amazing image, but also creating this delicious pie! Here is how she did it. We’ve listed it in two sections - the base & filling, and then the meringue.

BASE & FILLING
(Recipe sourced from here.)

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g wheatmeal or Granita biscuits

  • 1/4 cup ground almonds

  • 1 tbsp caster sugar

  • 100g butter, melted

  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 395g can condensed milk

  • 2/3 cup (160ml) cream

  • Zest and juice of 4 limes

METHOD

  • Preheat oven to 170°C. Line base of a 20cm springform tin with baking paper.

  • Process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add almonds , sugar and butter , process until combined. Press mixture firmly into the base and 3cm up sides of tin. Refrigerate.

  • Whisk eggs , milk , cream , lime rind and juice until smooth. Pour into biscuit crust.

  • Place on tray and bake for 40-45 mins or until set. Cool. Top with Meringue (recipe below).

MERINGUE

(Recipe sourced from here)

INGREDIENTS

225ml egg whites (about 6 eggs)

1½ cups (330g) Caster Sugar

1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)

1½ tsps white vinegar

METHOD

Place the eggwhite in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until each addition is dissolved before adding more++.

Once all the sugar has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk for a further 10–15 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy+++.

Place the cornflour and vinegar in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

Add the cornflour mixture to the eggwhite mixture and whisk for 30 seconds or until well combined++++.

Spoon meringue over pie, swirling decoratively. Use a kitchen torch to toast meringue, if desired.

Top with thinly sliced lime wheels and a sprinkling of Lime Dust.

Enjoye!

+ Making meringue is a science. Be sure to measure your ingredients carefully, including the eggwhites as egg sizes do vary. Fresh, room temperature eggs work best – when whisked they’ll become fluffy and voluminous, plus they’re more stable during baking. 
++ Be patient when gradually adding the sugar to the eggwhite. Each tablespoon of sugar should be dissolved before the next is added. 
+++ Take care not to overwhisk the meringue mixture – it’s ready when it’s thick, glossy, smooth and there are no more sugar granules. You can check this by rubbing a little mixture between your thumb and forefinger.  
++++ See the recipes that follow for how to bake this meringue mixture.

TIP
It’s best to avoid making meringue on humid days. Excess humidity can cause meringue to sink during or after baking.

 
Read More
Food Pia Cook Food Pia Cook

Chocolate & Mandarin Autumn Muffins

 

A riff on the classic choc/orange combination, these chocolate & mandarin muffins are a curiously delicious treat. The perfect treat for Autumn.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • ¾ cup chocolate chips

  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 egg

  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt

  • 1/4 cup fresh mandarin juice

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • ¼ cup chocolate chips

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk egg, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in another bowl until smooth; pour into chocolate mixture and stir until batter is just blended. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Sprinkle generously with The Curious Cabinet Mandarin Dust.

 CREDIT: We tweaked this original recipe by LONESTAR1 to create this delicious treat.

 
Read More
Food Pia Cook Food Pia Cook

Prawn and Avocado salad with Mandarin

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cos or butter lettuce

  • 1/2 bunch dill, chopped

  • 1 punnet cherry tomatoes , halved

  • 2 large avocado, halved and roughly chopped

  • 600g cooked king or tiger prawns, shelled

DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 Mandarin Shrub Syrup

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp dijon or wholegrain mustard

  • Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, Mandarin Shrub Syrup, mustard, salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss salad leaves, dill, avocado, tomatoes, red onions.

Just before serving, add prawns and dressing, toss, and place onto a serving platter/bowl.

Drizzle with a few dollops of mayonnaise & sprinkle with mandarin dust.

Enjoy!

 

 
Read More
drinks, Cocktails Pia Cook drinks, Cocktails Pia Cook

Mandarin Sour

 

A delicious twist on the traditional Sour, created by Nicole at Anther Distillary.

  • 45 ml Anther Dry 

  • 15 ml Marionette Orange Curacao 

  • 30 ml The Curious Cabinet Mandarin Shrub 

  • 10 ml fresh lime juice 

Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass with a Rosemary Spray a rim of The Curious Cabinet Mandarin Dust.

 
Read More