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Lotus Flower Pond
Recipe by Linda Dalrymple
Challenge yourself with this indulgent and creative dessert that combines several delicious elements.
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Coconut and Lime Granita
Vanilla Ice Cream
Banana Puree
Peanut Salt Crumb
Vanilla Lotus Flower Cookies
Palm Sugar Caramel
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Steps
- Prechill ice cream machine.
- For the Coconut and Lime Granita, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium to high heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Place coconut milk, lime juice and salt into a 20cm square baking dish. Add the cooled syrup and whisk until combined. Set aside in the freezer. After an hour, using a fork, start to break up the ice crystals by scraping the mixture in the dish, then return to the freezer for another hour. Repeat the above process a few more times or until you have created a granita that has a snow like texture. Reserve in the freezer until ready to serve.
- For the Vanilla Ice Cream, place cream, milk, vanilla extract, vanilla bean and seeds and 30g of sugar into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Continuously stir the mixture until simmering, then simmer gently for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Place 3 egg yolks and remaining 30g sugar into a bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the mixture on low-medium speed until slightly pale. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture in, whisking continuously until combined. Return the saucepan to a medium heat. Stir continuously until mixture thickens and reaches 83C. Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a bowl and place over a bowl of iced water to cool. Churn in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions then reserve in the freezer until ready to serve.
- For the Banana Puree, place butter into a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Once melted and foamy, add banana slices and sprinkle them with sugar. Cook, turning regularly, until caramelised and broken down. Add coconut milk, vanilla bean paste and salt. Remove from the heat and mash bananas until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside at room temperature.
- For the Peanut Salt Crumb, place coconut into a dry frypan over medium-high heat and toast until golden brown. Transfer to a lined baking tray to cool. Add ½ cup roasted peanuts, mix to combine then set aside.
- Place caster sugar and palm sugar into a frypan over medium heat until melted and slightly caramelised. Remove from the heat and pour over the tray of coconut and peanuts. Set aside until cool and harden. Break into shards and place into a small food processor along with a good pinch of salt. Pulse to a crumb then set aside in an airtight container.
- For the Vanilla Lotus Flower Cookies, heat oil in a medium saucepan to 165-170C. Place the lotus flower mould into the oil whilst it’s heating up to temperature.
- Place the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Toast until golden brown then remove pan from the heat and set aside in a medium bowl to cool slightly. Once cool, add remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
- Once the oil is at temperature, remove the mould from the oil and place it into the batter until the mould is submerged ¾ of the way then return the mould to the oil. After a few seconds gently agitate the mould in the oil and use a wooden chopstick to pry the batter away from the mould and into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Carefully remove the cookie from the oil, return the mould to the oil and place the cookie on top of the metal lid of sauce bottle or an inverted small bowl to allow the cookie to curve and set. Continue process until 18 cookies have been made. Whisk the batter frequently and take care to maintain the temperature of the oil. Once cool and hardened, transfer the cookies to an airtight container until required for assembly.
- For the Palm Sugar Caramel, place caster sugar and palm sugar into a dry pan over medium-high heat and allow sugar to melt. Once melted, add coconut cream, vanilla bean paste and a good pinch of salt. Stir the caramel until not runny but not thick, about 2-3 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
- To assemble, place a tablespoon of the peanut salt crumb in the centre of each serving bowl. Pipe a generous amount of banana puree around the crumb and top with a rocher of vanilla ice cream. Arrange 3 lotus cookies around the ice cream to create a dome. Scatter the coconut and lime granita around the dome and serve with the warm caramel sauce in a jug on the side.
