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There’s nothing more I love to do than head down to my local green grocer for gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables. Your local greengrocer can help you to find out what’s in season and how you can use the produce. They really are an abundance of knowledge. To help you with super simple, quick and delightfully yummy recipes, we have put together a quick new you tube series called The Greengrocer and The Chef… enjoy!!! x Skye

Click here to Watch The Greengrocer and The Chef

Check out Channel 10 Queensland news tonight for a story on lil ole me and my Wild Sugar adventures since finishing MasterChef last year. Turn on the box and you’ll be subjected to dessert madness sometime after 5.30pm… I would absolutely love to hear what you think of Wild Sugar, my ice cream and desserts. Tally ho! xxx Skye

Click here to watch Skye and Marion on Channel 10 news

Meet Skye, taste Wild Sugar’s gourmet ice cream and watch some seriously delicious dessert cooking demos this weekend. Mosey on down to any of the six Thomas Dux stores in Sydney, as Skye launches her Wild Sugar range of gourmet ice cream and dinner party desserts. Skye’s new range is all about celebrating the naughty gene that lives within all of us, while indulging your taste buds with good quality whole ingredients. At long last Wild Sugar desserts are ready and waiting for new homes. Sit back and revel in the squeals of pure glee eminating from your happy lil dinner party guests. Get ready for some wonderful cooking tips and a bit of buffoonery with Skye this weekend at Thomas Dux stores Sydney. 

Friday 8th April   //   Thomas Dux Lane Cove – 10am to midday   //   Thomas Dux Mona Vale – 3pm to 5pm
Saturday 9th April   //   Thomas Dux Hornsby – 10am to midday   //   Thomas Dux Crows Nest – 3pm to 5pm
Sunday 10th April   //   Thomas Dux Paddington – 10am to midday   //   Thomas Dux Surry Hills – 3pm to 5pm

For Thomas Dux stores listings - click here
Check out article about the Wild Sugar launch in The Sydney Morning Herald - click here

Who: Darren Purchese
What: Pastry Chef
Where: Melbourne, Australia 
Visit: www.burchandpurchese.com

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Darren developed his celebrated pastry and chocolate-making talents in the kitchens of some of London’s most revered hotels – The Savoy, The Goring, Raffles Browns and The Bentley. He joined Shannon Bennett at Vue de monde in 2005 and helped establish Bistro Vue and Café Vue. He has also worked with George Calombaris at The Press Club and Guillaume Brahimi at Sydney’s Bennelong. He recently joined forces with fellow Brit and pastry chef Ian Burch. Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio is due to open early 2011 in South Yarra, Melbourne; using the latest techno gear the boys construct some pretty wild and beautiful creations.

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Q: What’s keeping you juicy these days?
A: The opening of my first pastry shop in Melbourne!!! It is a very modern equipped space that will create some pretty special contemporary pastry pieces. Think fashion retail, but in a specially designed pastry kitchen. Look out for Burch & Purchese special pop up events also, we may be coming to a town near you.

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Q: What is your favourite restaurant, café, hole in the wall or deli?
A: Melbourne: Attica, Sydney: Quay, UK: Fat Duck

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Q: Can we catch you anywhere soon?
A: Melbourne Food & Wine Festival // Bompas & Parr: Sweet Architextural

Where: The Gershwin Room @ The Esplanade Hotel, 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda|
When: 10 March, 7.30PM – 10.30PM

Join Burch & Purchese and international jelly architects Bompas & Parr for an edible exhibition of decadent textures, jelly wobbliness and dessert architecture.

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Q: What recipe are you going to share with us today? 

Choc & hazelnut spread on ‘toast’ with brown butter ice cream

 

COMPONENTS

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CREAM
ROASTED COCOA NIBS
TOASTED BRIOCHE PIECES
DRY CHOCOLATE SPREAD
NITRO FROZEN CHOCOLATE SPREAD
ROASTED HAZELNUTS
BROWN BUTTER ICE CREAM

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CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CREAM

INGREDIENTS

CHOPPED DARK CHOCOLATE          450 g

GIANDUJA                                                   50 g

DOUBLE CREAM                                     500 g

GLUCOSE                                                     50 g

UNSALTED BUTTER                               175 g

SALT                                                                 2 g

METHOD

Bring the cream to the boil with the glucose and pour onto the chopped chocolate, gianduja and the butter. Leave to stand for 1 minute before stirring to form a homogeneous mass. Pour into a plastic container and leave to set in the fridge. Transfer the mix to a piping bag and leave at room temperature for service.

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ROASTED COCOA NIBS

INGREDIENTS

COCOA NIBS                                            200 g

METHOD

Place the nibs onto a baking tray and put in an oven preheated to 170°C for 10 minutes. Remove and store in a hermetically sealed container.

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TOASTED BRIOCE PIECES

INGREDIENTS

BRIOCHE SLICES                                           2

METHOD

Lightly toast the slices of brioche and place in the freezer to harden for 30 minutes. Remove the slices from the freezer and place into a blender/food processor and blitz until irregular shards/crumbs are formed. Reserve in a plastic container at room temperature.

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DRY CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE                                            100 g

GIANDUJA                                                  45 g

CANOLA OIL                                              20 g

TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN                

METHOD

Melt the chocolate with the gianduja and stir in the oil. Add maltosec and crumb until a powder is formed. Place the powder into a plastic container and store in the fridge.

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FROZEN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE                                          100 g

GIANDUJA                                                45 g

CANOLA OIL                                            20 g

METHOD

Melt the chocolate with the gianduja and stir in the oil. Spoon beads of the mix into liquid nitrogen and reserve in the freezer.

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ROASTED HAZELNUTS

INGREDIENTS

WHOLE HAZELNUTS                           200 g

METHOD

Place the nuts onto a baking tray and into an oven preheated to 170°C, bake for 10 minutes before removing to cool. Crush the nuts into irregular pieces and reserve in a hermetically sealed container.

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BROWN BUTTER ICE CREAM

BROWN BUTTER MILK INGREDIENTS

WHOLE MILK 3.5% FAT                    1000 g

UNSALTED BUTTER                           900 g

BROWN BUTTER METHOD

Bring the milk to the boil and remove from the heat. Place butter into an over large pan and gently heat. Cook the butter to ‘noisettes’ and carefully whisk in the scalded milk. The mixture may splatter so take care. Once all of the milk has been incorporated, place the mixture into a plastic container and store in the fridge overnight. Pierce the solidified butter on top and carefully strain the milk from underneath.

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BROWN BUTTER ICE CREAM

BROWN BUTTER MILK                       1000 g

CREAM 35% FAT                                   300 g

CASTER SUGAR                                    110 g

LIQUID GLUCOSE                                 140 g

DEXTROSE                                                20 g

TRIMOLINE                                                32 g

WHOLE MILK POWDER                         90 g

WHOLE EGGS BEATEN                         150 g

METHOD

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, place the brown milk and the milk powder together. Gently heat to 45°C. Add the dextrose, sugar, trimoline and glucose. Bring this mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents onto the beaten eggs. Whisking continuously, incorporate all of the mixture into the eggs. Add the cream and strain. Chill the mixture for a minimum of 8 hours before churning.

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ASSEMBLY

Pipe 3 small mounds of chocolate cream onto a frozen bowl. Add a spoonful of brioche crumb to each mound. Add the roasted nibs and then scatter the dry chocolate spread mixture on top. Next add the frozen pearls and scoop a nice quenelle of brown butter ice cream. Top with the toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.

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Q: Most importantly, what’s your favourite dessert?
A: Banana Split

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What we love about Darren Purchese:  Darren’s wild and vivid imagination is supported beautifully by his tremendous technical ability in pastry. First and foremost, conceptually his works of art simply make sense. The textures that he creates are out of this world, the flavours work together seamlessly and there is this sense of magic you experience as you devour every last morsel of his creation. Next time I am in Mebourne, first stop, Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio where I will unashamedly consume everything within sight. Tally ho! Skye

Don’t get me wrong, i love a good barbie with friends and all of the sunning about one day a year, mid week. I do however think that we should change the date of Australia day considering it was the date that Great Britain arrived with it’s first fleet of convict ships, much to the devastation of the Aboriginal population. Maybe we could make Australia day a completely new date with completely different intentions, and involve our diverse range of cultures? What do you think?