A Cool Celebration

Well, yes. It is February. Some of you who live in the different parts of the world may be approaching Spring, which seems to be the favorite season for many, while we in New Zealand are still celebrating the heat of Summer. It is hot and dry and humid.

Celebrating Valentine's in Summer means we have to stay cool. BBQ can be quite hot and it needs something to temper down. A cold dessert is a necessity, accompanied with heaps of fresh Summer berries and your favorite cream or ice cream. I made coffee and star anise bavarois for participating on Zorra's Heart of Valentine. I wanted to make some chocolate praline, but my love has been on chocolate-free diets for almost 3 months or so now. If it is good for him and he makes a great efforts to avoid this aphrosidiac temptation, then why I should allure him with something that he avoids to eat. Seems too cruel. And that's why I choose to make this bavarois because I know well that he loves coffee.

Coffee and Anise Bavarois

Source: Martin Bosley

3 tsp gelatine powder,
600ml milk,
60ml espresso coffee,
3 star anise,
5 egg yolks,
120g sugar,
300ml cream

Dissolve the gelatine in a little hot water. Heat the milk with the coffee and star anise. In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then pour in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the pan, place over a gentle heat and cook until thickened like custard. Stir in the gelatine. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a chilled bowl. Refrigerate, stirring occassionally, until the mixture starts to set, approximately 10 minutes (I think it depends on how cold your fridge is. Mine took 25 minutes to thicken and getting set). Lightly whip the cream and carefully fold it into the coffee cream. Pour into individual ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving with some whipped cream or a salad of fresh orange segments on the side (I use heart-shape moulds to fit in the occasion). Serves 6.