Christmas Recipes by Chef Anirudh, The Westin Goa

Chocolate Gingerbread Petit Fours by Chef Anirudh, The Westin Goa

INGREDIENTS

• 95g brown rice flour
• 70g buckwheat flour
• 70g sunflower seeds
• 30g tapioca flour
• 30g cacao or cocoa powder
• 100g sugar
• 10gm baking powder
• 10gm bicarbonate of soda
• 5 gm ginger
• 3 gm cinnamon
• 10gm nutmeg
• 5 gm cloves
• pinch sea salt
• 30 ground flaxseed + 45 ml water
• 80ml apple sauce
• 80ml olive oil
• 60ml molasses
• 2tsp apple cider vinegar
• 60ml hot water

CHOCOLATE GANACHE: MAKE THE NIGHT BEFORE

• 220g dark vegan chocolate
• 240ml oat cream

DECORATION:

• fresh cranberries
• rosemary sprigs
• blended desiccated coconut for snow

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350F)

2. Grease and line a 25 x 35cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper.

3. Mix 3tbsp ground flaxseed with 9tbsp water and set aside to thicken.

4. In a large bowl whisk together brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, ground sunflower seeds, tapioca flour, cacao powder, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

5. In a small bowl whisk together flax eggs, apple sauce, olive oil, molasses, apple cider vinegar and water.

6. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and mix until well combined. Add extra water 1tbsp at the time to achieve pourable muffin consistency. I've used 2tbsp more in my mix.

7. Pour the mixture onto the lined tin and smooth out the surface.

8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Try not to overbake it.

9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.

10. Once cooled using 2" round cookie cutter cut out 25 shapes.

11. Spoon ganache into a piping bag fitted with large star nozzle, pipe on top of the cakes and layer them on top of each other. You can create two or three layer cakes or a mix of both.

12. Chocolate ganache:

13. Roughly chop the chocolate for the chocolate ganache and place into a medium bowl. Place the oat cream and maple syrup into a small pot and gently heat until boiling point. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Leave to cool down before placing into a fridge to set overnight into a pipe able consistency. It should be perfect consistency for piping but if it's too hard leave it at room temperature for a little while to soften.

14. Decorate with cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

15. Blend some desiccated coconut and sprinkle on top and around the mini cakes to resemble snow.

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