This year, let your traditional Easter dishes come together with fresh, seasonal ingredients like this granadilla ice cream cake with hot cross bun crust.

SERVES 8–10 // COOKING TIME 5 min

INGREDIENTS
For the ice cream cake
3 × A4 acetate sheets
6 hot cross buns
½ cup butter, melted
2 × 1.8 L tubs vanilla ice cream
2 tins mango, drained and pureed
Pulp of 5 granadillas
For the granadilla sauce
Pulp of 5 granadillas
½ cup sugar
To serve
2 cups double cream
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced

METHOD
For the ice cream cake
1. Line the base of a 23 cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Place the acetate sheets around the sides of the tin to create a higher ‘wall’ inside the cake tin.
2. Place the hot cross buns in a food processor and process until rough crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the butter.
3. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the cake tin, making sure the surface is flat. Freeze until needed.
4. Place one of the 1.8 L tubs of ice cream in a bowl. Allow to soften slightly.
5. Mix in the mango puree and granadilla pulp, then spread on top of the base. Freeze for 4 hours.
6. Remove the remaining 1.8 L of ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften slightly. Spoon on top of the other ice cream layer and smooth the surface. Freeze for 6 hours or until properly frozen.
For the granadilla sauce
1. Place the granadilla pulp and sugar in a small pot over medium heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has a syrup consistency.
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
3. Place the granadilla ice cream cake on a serving plate and top with cream. Decorate with sliced mango and drizzle with granadilla sauce just before serving.

Recipe & Styling: Kate Turner
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz // HMimages.co.za

Try our hot cross bun milk tart for even more delicious Easter treating!

The post Granadilla ice cream cake with hot cross bun crust appeared first on MyKitchen.

It wouldn’t be Easter without hot cross buns, but how about a fresh take on this classic with hot cross bun macarons and buttercream icing?

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the hot cross bun macarons
125 g icing sugar
125 g ground almonds
2 tsp cinnamo
¼ tsp nutmeg
90 ml egg whites
110 g caster sugar
For the royal icing
1 egg white
25 g icing sugar
For the buttercream icing
200 g butter
400 g icing sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp cinnamon

METHOD
For the hot cross bun macarons
1. Preheat oven to 170°C and line 2 large baking trays.
2. Sift together icing sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add 40 ml egg whites and mix to form a paste.
4. Place ¼ cup water and the caster sugar in a small pot over a low heat.
5. Allow the sugar to dissolve, then bring to the boil until the syrup reaches 110°C.
6. At this point, start mixing the rest of the egg whites on high speed in a stand mixer.
7. Once the egg whites are stiff and the syrup has reached about 115°C, slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites, while beating.
8. Continue beating until the mixture has cooled, and the whites are stiff and shiny.
9. Fold a third of the meringue into the paste to loosen it.
10. Fold in the rest of the meringue carefully, trying not to beat too much air out.
11. Spoon into a piping bag. Snip a 4 mm opening in the piping bag and, holding the bag vertically, pipe 3 cm rounds on to the baking paper.
12. The mixture should be loose enough that it spreads out a little. Once the macarons are all piped, drop the tray lightly on to the work surface a few times to smooth them out.
13. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes until the macarons form a skin.
14. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.
For the royal icing
1. Whisk the egg white until foamy.
2. Slowly add the icing sugar while whisking.
3. When the icing is thick enough to pipe and hold its shape, pipe crosses on to the tops of half of the baked macarons.
For the buttercream icing
1. Beat the butter until pale and fluffy.
2. Slowly add icing sugar while continuously beating. The icing is ready when the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the orange zest and cinnamon, then beat to combine.
3. Sandwich 2 macaron halves together with a squeeze of icing between them.
4. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

If you love this Easter-themed treat, you’ll love this hot cross bun milk tart too!

The post Hot cross bun macarons with buttercream icing appeared first on MyKitchen.

Satisfy your chocolate cravings with these gourmet Easter shakes! For even more decadence, you can melt down Nutella and drizzle it over.

MAKES 3 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
100 g milk chocolate
3 chocolate eggs
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup milk
Pinch sea salt

METHOD
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth.
2. Dip the top edge of your serving glasses into the chocolate, and twirl it around, allowing it to drip down the sides. Dip and repeat until your glasses are all evenly coated. Refrigerate until set.
3. Attach an Easter egg to each straw using the remaining melted chocolate and refrigerate until set.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Pour into the prepared glasses, add a straw and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

How about something more local? Fire up the coals for these braaied berry shakes.

The post Gourmet Easter shakes with chocolate drizzle appeared first on MyKitchen.