Caxton magazines staffHeike Taschner-Jeske of Spiced Coffee Restaurant (ludwigroses.co.za) devised this special, rose-themed menu to celebrate the launch of event planner Otto de Jager’s namesake rose
INGREDIENTS
- 12 strawberries, thinly sliced
- 50ml icing sugar, for dusting
- 1 egg white, lightly whisked
- petals from 1 red rosebud
- 1 orange
- 600g white chocolate, broken into pieces
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 100°C. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on a baking tray lined with greased baking paper and bake for 20–25 minutes or until they are crisp. Remove from the oven and dust with about 20ml of the icing sugar.
2. Using a clean, soft paintbrush, paint each rose petal with some of the frothy egg white. Sift icing sugar over the petals, making sure they are completely coated. Place on a baking tray lined with greased baking paper and dry them in a lukewarm oven with the door ajar.
3. Peel the orange, making sure to remove any of the bitter pith from the peel. Slice the peel into very thin strands.
4. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth.
5. Spread the chocolate onto greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Arrange the strawberries, crushed or whole candied rose petals and orange peel on top.
6. Chill in the fridge and once set, break the chocolate into shards.
Cook’s tip: Serve shards of this flavoured chocolate with coffee or with a chocolate mousse. They also make a delightful gift for guests packaged in small cellophane bags.
This recipe makes a 30 x 20cm sheet of chocolate.
