Hop into the Easter fun with this cute and playful Easter Bunny Cookie Stack dessert.
SERVES 12 ⁄ prep time 1 hr 55 min + overnight refrigeration / cook time 35 min
INGREDIENTS
For the vanilla diplomat cream
4 tsp gelatine
6 egg yolks
1 cup castor sugar
cup cornflour
3 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups cream
For the condensed milk cookie
4 ½ cups flour, plus extra for dusting
440 g butter, chilled
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp salt
cup + 2½ tbsp condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
To assemble
Fresh edible flowers
Assorted Easter eggs
cup halved strawberries
1 pack store-bought meringue kisses
METHOD
For the diplomat cream
1. Bloom the gelatine in 4 tbsp cold water. Set aside.
2. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and ¼ cup milk until smooth.
3. Bring the remaining milk and vanilla to a boil in a pot over medium heat, whisking occasionally to prevent the milk from catching on the bottom.
4. Gradually pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
5. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, whisking regularly, to cook out the cornflour and thicken the custard.
6. Melt the gelatine in the microwave in 10-second increments, then whisk into the custard. Strain the custard through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl. Press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool at room temperature. Place in the fridge overnight or until firm and completely cool.
7. Whip the cream to medium peaks and set aside. Beat the set custard until smooth and creamy. Fold
the whipped cream into the custard in batches until evenly incorporated. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge until ready to use.
For the condensed milk cookie
1. Cut the baking paper to fit three baking trays. Use the stencil on pages 20–21 to cut out the bunny shape.
2. Place flour, butter, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and rub together using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add the condensed milk and vanilla, then mix through with a spatula. Bring the dough together with your hands and gently knead on a lightly floured work surface, adding more flour if needed, until the dough is no longer sticky.
4. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of baking paper and roll into a 5 mm-thick, long oval a bit bigger than the bunny stencil. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
6. Fit the bunny stencil onto the first portion of dough and use a knife to score out the shape. Repeat with the remaining two portions to create three bunny shaped biscuits. If the dough is too soft after being cut, place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
Chef’s tip: When preparing the biscuit dough, take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before needed. This will make the mixing of the butter and flour easier.
7. Carefully transfer the first cut-out shape from the baking paper to a baking tray. If you only have one or two oven trays, keep the remaining biscuits in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
8. Bake the for about 15–18 minutes or until the edges start to lightly brown. Set aside to cool down completely.
To assemble
1. Place your first bunny biscuit on a serving plate or flat surface and spoon ⅓ of the diplomat cream into a piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle.
2. Pipe rounds of cream all over the first biscuit, filling in the ears. Carefully place the second biscuit on top of the cream, lining it up with the first. Repeat until you have three layers of biscuit and cream.
3. Assemble your fun toppings and decorate with family and friends. Serve immediately.
Click, download and print the bunny stencil:
Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen & Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz/HMIMAGES.co.za
Illustration: Chloé Damstra
