Take your fancies

Wellington pastry chef Maxine Scheckter shows how to achieve success in the fine art of pâtisserie.

- AMBER-JAYNE BAIN

This gâteau is a great example of sweet and salty. Macadamia nuts can be quite rich, but the crushed potato chips in the praline layer add a great contrast to this, not only with the texture, but also with the salt. Making the macadamia praline does require a food processor, but the effort is worth it. I like to buy roasted, salted macadamias from the supermarket, then roast them for another 10 minutes or so until they're a deeper golden brown.

MACADAMIA AND CARAMEL

Makes 20

PORTIONING

Pastry chefs love the freezer. Cutting a frozen gâteau gives a clean sharp cut that reveals the layers you've worked so hard on. A large knife and a warm blade also helps. You always want to wipe the blade with a cloth or paper towel between each slice.

BROWN SUGAR CAKE

• 1½ tsp instant coffee powder

• 100g water

• 1 egg

• 100g brown sugar

• 80g golden syrup

• 60g canola or other flavourless oil

• 110g flour (gluten free, if desired)

• ¼ tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line the tin. In a large bowl, whisk the instant coffee with the water until dissolved, then whisk in the egg, sugar, golden syrup and oil until fully combined.

Whisk in the flour and baking soda and pour into the lined tin. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden and the cake is just set to the touch. Leave to cool while making the macademia praline.

MACADAMIA PRALINE

• 100g roasted, salted macadamias

• 75g caramelised white chocolate

• 25g thin-cut ready salted chips, crushed into a rough crumb

In a food processor, blend the macadamias until they turn into a smooth paste. You may need to scrape the food processor down every now and then to help it blend.