Pomegranate Pistachio Parfait

Photo by Manja Wachsmuth, Spice Health Heroes

With chia seeds full of protein and seductive ruby-red pomegranate juice packed with anthocyanins and prostate-healthy antioxidants, this light and easy-to-make pudding sweetened with honey is a dairy-free delight – refreshing, romantic and healthy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the chia cream:
3 tbsp chia seeds
240ml (1 cup) almond milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
pinch salt flakes
2 tbsp honey
¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the pomegranate gelatin:
475ml (2 cups) pure pomegranate juice
1 tbsp honey
4 gold gelatin leaves (see page 46, or 3¼ tsp powdered gelatin)

For the vanilla labneh:
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp granulated sugar, or to taste pinch ground cardamom
85g (3oz./1/3 cup) labneh

To serve:
25g (1oz./3 tbsp) pistachios, chopped
2 fresh figs, quartered or torn, or dried figs, roughly chopped a few drops rose water

Directions

To make the chia cream, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Cover the gelatin leaves in ice-cold water and leave until soft. In a small saucepan, warm the pomegranate juice with the honey to dissolve. Drain and squeeze excess water from the gelatin then stir it into the juice. Divide the liquid among four dessert glasses. Chill until firm.

Whisk the vanilla, sugar and ground cardamom into the labneh.

Spoon the chia cream layer on top of the pomegranate gelatin layer then top with vanilla labneh. Sprinkle over some chopped pistachios and garnish with figs. Sprinkle over a few drops of rose water.

Organic Blueberry-Toasted Polenta Upside Down Cake

Simple to make, and not too sweet, this make-ahead vanilla blueberry cake a version of the recipe in Vanilla Table is perfect for a light dessert or brunch and easily made gluten free. 

Photo by Natasha MacAller

Serves 8

Ingredients

Unsalted butter ¼ cup 60 g 2 oz
Brown sugar, packed ½ cup 100 g 3½ oz
Vanilla pods, split and scraped 2
Zest of Lime 1
Lime juice 2 Tbsp 30 ml 1 floz
Organic blueberries rinse and patted dry 1½ cup (about 8 oz/240 g)
Dark rum (optional) 1 Tbsp 15 ml
Plain or gluten-free flour 1/3 cup 50 g 1¾ oz
Polenta, medium grind 1 cup 160 g 5½ oz
Baking powder* ¼ Tsp
Sea Salt ¼ Tsp
Eggs, large, separated 3
Superfine sugar 1/3 cup 75 g 2½ oz
Pure vanilla extract ½ Tsp
Skim, almond or soy milk ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp 90 ml 3 floz
Corn or vegetable oil ¼ cup 60 ml 2 floz

*Most baking powders are gluten free, but check label to be sure. 

Directions

Line a 9-inch/ 20-cm cake or pie pan with foil and butter the foil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

Toast polenta in the oven or in a dry sauté pan until you can smell it toasting and is lightly browned. Cool completely, then pulse with the flour, slat and baking powder in a food processor to a fine grind.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium–low heat. Add brown sugar and stir with a heat-resistant or wooden spatula until the mixture begins to bubble. Add vanilla seeds and pods stirring well for 1 minute. Add lime zest, juice and rum—the mixture will sizzle —and stir until blended. Remove from heat and pour sugar glaze into prepared cake pan. Arrange pods in center of cake pan. Add blueberries in a layer completely covering the top. Drizzle with any remaining glaze. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

In a large grease-free bowl, and using a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Slowly stream in half the sugar and whip the whites to glossy, soft peaks, tripled in volume.

In a large bowl, whisk the yolks with remaining sugar until well blended. Add the vanilla, milk and oil, whisking well.

Fold dry ingredients into yolks, using a spatula to combine. Fold in the whites in 3 stages until just blended. Gently pour or spoon batter on top of blueberries, smoothing the top. Place in center of oven and bake for 23–25 minutes until cake is set and springs back when touched in centre.

Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving plate, carefully peeling foil off the top. Serve warmed or at room temperature with a spoonful of vanilla sour cream or Greek yogurt, scattering a few banana pieces and mandarins around the plate.

The Vanilla Lemon Drop

Inspired by a Taste of Vanilla Lemonade in Hawaii, this  perfect celebration cocktail, combining two fragrant tastes only takes mere seconds to mix and enjoy ©Photo by Manja Wachsmuth - foodphotographersfavorites.co.nz

Serves 1

Ingredients

60ml Vodka (2 shots/ 2 fl oz)
30ml Lemon juice, Fresh, Strained (1 shot/1 fl oz)
10ml Vanilla syrup - I used Heilala (2 tsp)
Vanilla bean sliver for garnish

Directions

Pour liquid ingredients into an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake well, Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a sliver of vanilla bean.

The Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova. When I began ballet lessons at six years old, I remember borrowing books from the library as I wanted to learn all about the world-famous ballerina loved for her ethereal grace, tutus and pointe shoes. What I didn’t know until decades later was the ethereal, delicious link to New Zealand created just for Anna’s arrival! This version, composed of airy rich Tahitian vanilla cream, regal raspberries and showers of rose petals between delicate tutu-tiered meringue, is a tribute to my first idol, and my first love—ballet.

Photography by Manja Wachsmuth

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

MERINGUE TUTU TIERS
3½ tsp cornstarch/cornflour
1½ cups / 300g / 10½ oz superfine sugar
1½ tsp pure Tahitian vanilla extract
1½ tsp raspberry vinegar (see below)
½ tsp white wine vinegar
6 / 180ml / 6fl oz egg whites, room temperature

PRESERVED ROSE PETAL SAUCE
¼ fl cup / 60ml / 2 fl oz rosewater
1 cup / 140g / 5 oz raspberries frozen, thawed
3½ tbsp / 50ml / 1¾ fl oz grenadine
¼ cup / 60g / 2 oz white sugar
¼ fl cup / 60ml / 2 fl oz raspberry vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp pink peppercorns, cracked
½ vanilla pod, split and scraped
3 roses unsprayed pink roses,* petals separated (reserve some petals for garnish)

TAHITIAN VANILLA CREAM
¼ fl cup / 300ml 10 fl oz whipping cream, chilled
1 cup / 225g / 8 oz crème fraîche or sour cream, chilled
1 tbsp / 15g / ½ oz superfine sugar
2 tsp / 10 ml Tahitian** vanilla extract

TO ASSEMBLE
1¼ cup / 170g / 6 oz raspberries, fresh
1-2 pink roses to decorate

* Unsprayed fragrant roses from the home garden are perfect!
** Tahitian vanilla, with its pronounced flowery fragrance, balances ‘en pointe’ with the scent of rose petals.
† Baking time will vary depending on your oven.

Directions

Meringue tutu tiers
Preheat oven to 275ºF/140ºC. Line 2 baking trays with foil and trace 3 circles with the edge of a spoon: 8-in/20-cm on one tray; and 6-in/15-cm and 4-in/10-cm on the other. Set aside.

Whisk cornstarch and sugar together. In another bowl, stir together vanilla and vinegars. In a clean dry bowl of a stand-mixer, or using an electric mixer, on medium speed whip the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar mixture 1 Tbsp at a time. When all sugar is added, beat a minute longer. Add vinegar mixture and turn to high, beating until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.

Spoon meringue inside circles, making a wide shallow bowl in the center of each. Using the back of a spoon make wavy ‘tutu’ shapes on edges. Place trays in center of oven, then turn down heat to 210ºF/100ºC. Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch (the insides will remain chewy), about 1 hour.† Keeping door closed, turn oven off, cooling meringues in oven for an hour. As meringues cool, they will crack slightly.

Preserved rose petal sauce
Place all ingredients (except petals) with a pinch of sea salt in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Strain into a jug, returning vanilla pod to sauce. Rinse pot, then fill with 2 in/5 cm of water. Bring to a boil, and add rose petals. Lower to a gentle simmer and poach for about 3 minutes, tasting a few petals to check they are no longer bitter, but softened and tender. Drain petals and stir into sauce. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Will keep chilled for 2 weeks.

Tahitian vanilla cream
In a large mixing bowl, whip cream to soft peaks, then fold in crème fraîche. Add sugar and vanilla, whipping until light and thick.

To assemble and serve
Spoon a dollop of cream in centre of serving plate to hold first meringue layer in place. Spread with a layer of cream, dot with raspberries and drizzle rose petal sauce on top. Repeat with remaining layers, drizzling extra sauce down sides. Garnish with fresh petals and serve immediately.

Raspberry Vinegar
In writing Vanilla Table, I often discovered an ingredient that I ‘knew’ was on the shelf at the local market was indeed on the shelf... just in another country! I made this quick opaque raspberry–vanilla vinegar for just such an occasion while making the preserved rose petal vinegar on page 150. For best flavor, let stand 2 days before straining and bottling.

NZ Vanilla Greyhound

This fresh inviting citrus masquerading as an orange is actually a grapefruit; called a New Zealand Poor Man’s Orange imported into NZ in the 1800’s from Australia, it’s fragrance and flavor resemble a tangelo, sweet and grows prolifically in NZ’s Far North. This is nothing like the tinned can of white grey yellow liquid labeled grapefruit juice, poured into tall iced glasses to mix in with some basic vodka lurking beneath. No, this is not your typical greyhound at all …

Recipe: Fill a tall collins glass with big square ice cubes. Pour in 1 shot of your favorite vodka (I like NZ’s 42 Below). Add 2 shots of New Zealand grapefruit juice and a teaspoon of Heilala or pure vanilla extract. Swirl to combine. Rim a tall glass with a vanilla sugar/salt rim. Carefully pour cocktail into glass, top with sparkling water and garnish with peeled grapefruit segments. Serves one.