Daniel Pfyl, hospitality management lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, shares some professional techniques to make your cooking easier. This month he shows us how to make Oreo biscuit and ginger puddings.
Oreo biscuit and ginger puddings
Pudding
85g butter at room temperature
45g caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
45g caster sugar
75g Oreo biscuits, crushed to crumbs
20ml dark rum
20g fresh ginger, grated, or 1 tsp dry ginger
20g cocoa powder
75g ground almonds
additional melted butter and sugar for lining individual dishes
Sauce
50g dark chocolate (70%-plus cocca)
25g butter
125ml cream
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp liquor of choice
250ml cream, lightly whipped
Method
1) Preheat oven to 180degC.
Thoroughly grease the individual pudding dishes (or one large dish) with butter and caster sugar.
2) Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add 45g caster sugar and beat until firm.
3) Cream the butter and sugar until light in colour and texture.
4) Add small tablespoon of ground almonds and then gradually beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
Add the biscuit crumbs, rum, ginger, cocoa and ground almonds and mix well.
5) Fold in the egg white and sugar mixture until just combined.
Fill the dishes about ⅔ of the way up and place in an oven dish lined with a tea towel. Fill tray ⅔ way up the dishes with boiling water.
Bake for 1½ hours for large pudding or 25 to 30 minutes for individual dishes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Sauce
1) Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute and then repeat until the chocolate is melted, stirring in between.
2) In a pot heat the butter, cream and sugar together, add the melted chocolate and mix well. Flavour with your choice of liquor.
3) Beat the cream to soft peaks.
4) De-mould the puddings on to a plate, spoon over the cream, followed by a generous helping of chocolate sauce.
Garnish and serve.
If you would like to request a particular technique or dish we haven't already shown, please let us know. Write to Cooking 101, Editorial Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin or email odt.features@odt.co.nz with Cooking 101 in the subject line.
To check earlier Cooking 101 columns visit www.odt.co.nz and search for ''Cooking 101''. More information on cooking from Otago Polytechnic can be found on www.otagocookeryl4.blogspot.com
