Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.
Modaks' vegan dark chocolate, pear and pistachio cake
Ingredients
150g margarine
150g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp no egg (dissolved in 4-5 Tbsp of water (or 3 eggs)
200g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup soy/almond/oat milk
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
½c roasted pistachios
12 canned pear quarters
Chocolate ganache to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 180degC.
Grease and line a 22cm tin.
Cream margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy in an electric mixer. Add vanilla and egg.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix in along with milk. Stop when just combined.
Stir in with wooden spoon the chocolate chips and pistachios (leave a handful for the topping). Pour batter in the tin and dot the pear quarters on to it.
Bake 45min until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 20min then pop out on to wire rack.
When cool, ice with chocolate ganache.
Keeps in dry place in an airtight container for three days.
Recipe requested by Tui Bevin, of Dunedin.
Provided by Scarlett Enkera.
• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, fax 474-7422, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz , including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
