Recipes: red velvet cookies, strawberry pavlova
There is a day for almost every occasion, issue and food on the planet – and tomorrow, June 1, it is World Milk Day. Why not celebrate the day by whipping up something delicious using dairy, like red velvet cookies, or strawberry pavlova?
First Choice has supplied these two recipes which add a touch of flair to a tea table or coffee morning. The cookies are also delicious when used as the slices in an ice-cream sandwich, using a ball of ice-cream. insert pic for Red velvet cookies
[caption id="attachment_206277" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Red velvet cookie ice-cream sandwiches[/caption] Red velvet cookies Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (198g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (21g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115g) First Choice butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) white sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) First Choice milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoons red food colouring
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus a few extra for after baking)
- ice-cream (optional)
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for about 1 minute until creamy. Add the brown and white sugar slowly and cream together. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once mixed, add the food colouring and beat until combined. Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Beat in more food colouring if you’d like the dough to be brighter red. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Chilling is mandatory.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper and set aside.
Scoop 1,5 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Place 9 balls onto each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 10-11 minutes. The cookies may have only spread slightly, that’s okay. Simply press down on the warm cookies to slightly flatten and form crinkles. Stick a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies if you’d like.
Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembly: Scoop a medium sized ice cream ball onto a cookie, press down slightly. Put a few chocolate sprinkles on top. Place another cookie on top. Serve immediately. Eat and enjoy!
[caption id="attachment_206280" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Strawberry pavlova[/caption] Strawberry Pavlova (gluten free) Part 1: ingredients 4 eggs 1 cup castor sugar 2 tsp corn flour 1 tsp vinegar Method Preheat oven to 150 °C
Beat 4 egg whites until they reach soft peak stage. Gradually add 1 cup of castor sugar to the mix and beat until white and glossy.
Add 2 teaspoons of corn flour and 1 teaspoon of vinegar and beat the mixture for another half a minute.
Now pour and spread the mixture into two heart shapes of the same size onto baking paper.
Bake for 40 minutes at 150 °C and let cool. Part 2: ingredients
- First Choice Strawberry Velvet Dessert
- Fresh strawberries for decoration
- Chocolate shavings for decoration
- Store Bought or self-made coulis (thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits)
Place one pavlova on a plate.
Spread the coulis over the pavlova, then a layer of the well beaten Velvet.
Place the next pavlova on top of Velvet layer.
Spread more Velvet on the top, slice the strawberries and place on top with some chocolate shavings.
