Mokatines

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This delightful mokatine recipe is comprised of a light genoise sponge, coffee buttercream and a luxurious coffee icing - a fantastic addition to any afternoon tea. For more fancy cakes and sweet treats, visit our patisserie collection

First published in 2015
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These little coffee cakes are light delicate and delicious. With only three components they may look simple to make but timing is crucial; you must wait until the coffee icing is the exact temperature that it runs over the sponge covering evenly. Too hot and it will slide straight off, too cold and you will be left with a mountain of icing on the top of the sponge. Equally the French buttercream is all in the timing, the sugar must reach an exact temperature of 121°C to set to the correct consistency, this is called ‘soft ball’ in sugar work.

If you do not have a sugar thermometer you can do the cold water test. Fill a small glass or bowl with cold water, once the sugar has been boiling for three or four minutes and the bubbles have gotten smaller quickly dip your fingers into the cold water then dip them into the pan and pinch a little of the sugar, then straight back into the cold water. The sugar should form a pliable ball between your fingers. Too cold and it will dissolve into the water, too hot and it will form a hard ball. Please be careful when doing this, as long as it is done quickly you will not burn your fingers!

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Genoise

  • 3 eggs
  • 100g of sugar
  • 100g of self-raising flour

Coffee buttercream

Apricot jam glaze

Coffee icing

Hazelnuts

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 4
2
Whisk together the eggs and sugar until doubled in size then gently fold in the flour
3
Transfer to a 20cm square tin and bake for 20 minutes. Once ready, turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool
4
Meanwhile make the buttercream. Put the sugar in a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and begin to heat. In the meantime begin whisking the egg yolks with a handheld mixer
5
When the sugar reaches 121°C on a sugar thermometer, slowly drizzle into the egg yolks, whisking all the time. Continue to whisk until the mixture reaches room temperature, it should be doubled in size and pale in colour
6
Add the softened butter and coffee to the sugar and eggs and mix until combined
7
Once the genoise has cooled, use a serrated knife to cut in half horizontally and spread half of the buttercream in the middle. Put the rest of the buttercream in a piping bag with a star nozzle
8
Place the two halves back together and cut the sponge into 8 equal rectangles. Transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes
9
After this time, use a small palette knife to spread a thin layer of apricot jam over all sides of the mokatines then reserve in the fridge
10
To make the coffee icing, combine the butter, milk and coffee in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk until combined and glossy
11
Place the mokatines on a rack with a tray underneath and whilst the icing is still warm, spoon it over each mokatine, using a palette knife to even the sides if necessary
12
Place the hazelnuts in a rectangular plastic container big enough to fit a single mokatine. Make a well in the middle
13
Place the mokatines one at a time into the hazelnuts and press them against the sides, without getting them on the top. Transfer the mokatines to the fridge to set for around 30 minutes
14
Pipe the buttercream in stars in neat rows on top of each mokatine before serving
First published in 2015
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After a five-year stint in the kitchen at two Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury, Sally is now head chef at The Harwood Arms in London.

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