KAI WITH AROHA

Former Māori Television presenter Naomi Toilalo shares recipes from her new bilingual cookbook full of tried-and-tested Kiwi classics – no fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients required

Keke Pārū | Tropical Cake

SERVES 10-12

TE KEKE RAIMA ME TE KŌHIA | THE LIME AND PASSIONFRUIT CAKE

Kia 200 karamu pata kūteretere (200g softened butter) Kia kotahi me te hauwhā kapu huka one (1¼ cups caster sugar) Kia haurua kokoiti tote (½ tsp salt) Kia kotahi kokonui iho hūperei (1 Tbsp vanilla essence) Kia toru hēki (3 eggs) Kia kotahi me te toru hauwhā kapu puehu parāoa (1¾ cups plain flour) Kia kotahi me te haurua kokoiti pēkana paura (1½ tsp baking powder) Kia haurua kokoiti pēkana houra (½ tsp baking soda) Kia kotahi kapu kokonati pūtī (1 cup desiccated coconut) Kia kotahi me te hauwhā kapu miraka tepe Kiriki (1¼ cup Greek yoghurt) Kiri rēmana pīrahirahi (Finely grated zest of 2 lemons) Kiri raima pīrahirahi (Finely grated zest of 3 limes) Kia rua hautoru kapu ranu kōhia, kahitete kōhia rānei (2⁄3 cup store-bought passionfruit sauce or curd with seeds) Kia hautoru kapu wai raima māota, wai rēmana rānei (1⁄3 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice)

1 Whakamahantia te umu kia 160 te pāmahana. Heat the oven to 160°C. Grease two 19cm or 20cm baking tins and set aside. 2 Using a stand mixer (with a whisk attachment) or electric beaters, beat the pata kūteretere and huka one for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the tote and iho hūperei and beat again for 2 minutes. Add 1 hēki at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. 3 Sift the puehu parāoa, pēkana paura and pēkana houra over the butter mixture. Raua atu te kokonati, miraka tepe, kiri rēmana me te kiri raima. Add the coconut, yoghurt, lemon zest and lime zest. Whakawhenumia katoatia ngā mea whakauru kia māene. Mix the ingredients together until smooth. 4 Weheruatia te ranunga ki ngā ipu keke. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins. 5 Kōroriroria te ranu/kahitete kōhia me te wai raima, wai rēmana rānei. Mix together the passionfruit sauce/curd and lime or lemon juice and spoon 1/3 cup over each cake and reserve the rest for decorating the cake. 6 Bake the cakes for 35 minutes. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes then, keeping the cakes upright, transfer them onto a wire rack to cool. This helps the passionfruit topping stay intact.

TE WHAKARĀKEI | THE DECORATION

Kia 250 karamu tīhi mascarpone (250g mascarpone, chilled) Kia kotahi kapu kirīmi mātao (1 cup chilled cream) Kia toru kokonui puehu huka (3 Tbsp icing sugar) Kia kotahi mango māota, kua pīhorea (1 fresh mango, peeled) Kia haurua hua tarākona māota (½ fresh dragon fruit) Kia 10 parakipere (10 blackberries) Kia 10 putiputi waireti (10 viola flowers) Te toenga o te ranu kōhia (The remaining passionfruit sauce)

1 Wepua te mascarpone mō tētahi miniti. Whisk the mascarpone for 1 minute. A koe e kaurori tonu ana, āta riringihia atu te kirīmi me te puehu huka kia tāhungahunga. As you continue to whisk, slowly add the cream and icing sugar until light and fluffy. 2 Put one cake on a serving plate and spread half the cream mixture on top. Cut half the mango into thin slices and arrange them on top of the cream. Drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of passionfruit sauce. 3 Gently place the second cake on top and spread with the remaining cream (I reserve a little of the cream to pipe on anchor points for the fruit to sit on). Cut the hua tarākona into strips and arrange them on top. Cut the remaining mango into cubes and arrange these around the dragon fruit with some sliced parakipere. Tuck the putiputi waireti around the fruit, then drizzle over the remaining passionfruit sauce so it drips down the sides. 4 This cake is at its best within one or two days of making it. Store it in a well-sealed cake container in a cool place. I prefer not to store my cakes in the refrigerator as it tends to dry them out but if made in the warmer months, this cake will survive one day in the fridge.

Tip Buttery rough puff pastry is ideal for pies, sausage rolls and my custard slice. It’s ready to go in just over an hour and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Keke Kahitete | Custard slice

MAKES 16 pieces

TE PŌHĀ | THE PASTRY

1 x quantity Rough Puff Pastry or 2 sheets of store-bought pre-rolled puff pastry

1 Heat the oven to 200°C. Line two trays with baking paper. 2 If using homemade rough puff pastry, remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and cut in half. Roll each piece out to a square measuring 24cm x 24cm. Place a pastry square on each prepared tray. Cover with a heavy baking tray that fits snugly on top. If you have them, set a cast iron frying pan on top of each tray to weigh the trays down. Bake for 25 minutes until golden, rotating the trays halfway through the cooking time for even baking. 3 Remove from the oven and lift off the trays. Allow the pastry to cool completely on cooling racks, then trim each piece to a 23cm square. 4 If using store-bought pastry sheets, follow the instructions as above, omitting the initial rolling out.

TE KAHITETE HĀHĀ | THE LUSCIOUS CUSTARD

Kia rua kapu miraka (2 cups milk) Kia rua kapu kirīmi (2 cups cream) Kia haurua kokoiti tote (1 tsp salt) Kia hautoru kapu puehu kānga (1⁄3 cup cornflour) Kia hautoru kapu paura kahitete (1⁄3 cup custard powder) Kia toru hauwhā kapu huka one (3 cup caster sugar) Kia rua hēki (2 eggs) Kia rua tōhua hēki (2 egg yolks) Kia 60 karamu pata (60g butter) Kia kotahi kokonui iho hūperei (1 Tbsp vanilla essence)

1 Āta whakamahanahia te miraka me te kirīmi ki tētahi kōhua. Gently heat the milk and cream in a pot. Heat until nearly boiling, then remove from heat. 2 Place the tote, puehu kānga, paura kahitete and huka one in a medium bowl. Add the hēki and tōhua hēki. Tāwhiuwhiua mō te rua miniti kia kōmā ai te āhua. Whisk together for 2 minutes, until pale. Keep whisking and slowly pour the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture. 3 Pour the mixture back into the same pot and return it to the heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. 4 When the mixture is thick, add the butter and stir until it melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the iho hūperei. Let cool for 10 minutes. 5 Line a 24cm square, high-sided tray with baking paper. Place a piece of pastry on the base of the tin. 6 Pour over the custard and place the second piece of pastry on top. Chill in the refrigerator as you make the pani reka – icing.

TE PANI REKA | THE ICING

Kia 150 karamu tiakarete mā kua tapahia (50g white chocolate, chopped) Kia hautoru kapu kirīmi (1⁄3 cup cream)

1 Whakarewaina te tiakarete mā me te kirīmi. Melt the white chocolate and the cream. Do this in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water – don’t let the water touch the bowl. When the chocolate has nearly all melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave on the bench to thicken for about 30 minutes. 2 Pania te pani reka tiakarete ki runga i te keke kahitete. Spread the chocolate icing over the custard slice. Chill for at least another 2 hours before cutting into 16 pieces. I prefer to leave the slice in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to develop (it also makes it easier to slice). This slice keeps well in the fridge for up to a week.

Pōhā Kōpuku Puff pastry | rough puff

TE PŌHĀ KŌPUKU | THE PUFF PASTRY

Kia 190 karamu pata mātao (190g chilled butter) Kia rua kapu puehu parāoa (2 cups flour) He kini tote (pinch of salt) Kia hautoru kapu wai mātao (1⁄3 cup chilled water)

1 Tapahia te pata mātao hai tapawhā iti. Cut the chilled butter into small cubes. Place them on a plate and refrigerate for 5 minutes. 2 Place the puehu parāoa, pata and tote in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the pata into the puehu parāoa, leaving visible bits of pata. Add the wai and work it through to form a dough. 3 Roll the dough to a 15cm x 30cm rectangle on a lightly floured bench. Fold the top third of the pastry down and the bottom third of the pastry on top, like you ’re folding a letter. Rotate the pastry 90 degrees. Roll it out again to 15cm x 30cm and repeat the folds. 4 Chill for 30 minutes, then repeat the rolling and folding process twice more (so you will have rolled out and folded the dough four times in all). 5 Wrap the dough in baking paper and chill for 30 minutes. The pastry is now ready to use.

Pihikete Aramona Wherihoa Me Te Raima | Feijoa & lime macarons

MAKES 15

NGĀ PIHIKETE ARAMONA | THE MACARONS

Kia rua kahu hēki (2 egg whites) Kia kotahi kokoiti wai raima (1 tsp lime juice) Kia toru kokonui huka one (3 Tbsp caster sugar) Kia toru kōpata tae kai hīoi (3 drops mint-coloured food colouring – I only use gel) Kia kotahi kokoiti kiri raima pīrahirahi (1 tsp finely grated lime zest) Kia toru hauwhā kapu peru oneone (¾ cup ground almonds) Kia toru hauwhā kapu puehu huka (¾ cup icing sugar)

1 Line two trays with baking paper and set aside, or you can use a macaron mat. 2 Place the kahu hēki and wai raima in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat it on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the huka one and continue beating on mediumhigh speed for 6 minutes. 3 Add 3 drops of the tae kai and the kiri raima. Kaurori anō mō tētahi miniti. Beat for 1 minute. 4 Sift the peru oneone and puehu huka into a bowl. Tātaritia anō ki roto i te ranunga kahu hēki. Then sift it all again into the egg white mixture. Fold the mixture 65-75 times. This is the trick to the success of these macarons so take the time to count out each fold. I know it sounds a bit weird but it works. 5 Trace 15cm x 3cm circles onto each piece of baking paper with a 2cm gap between each one to allow for spreading. Flip the baking paper over onto the baking trays and pipe on the mixture inside the traced circles (it will spread slightly). When all the macarons are piped, tap the tray on the bench four times to help release any bubbles inside the mixture. Pop any visible air bubbles with a toothpick (this helps to keep the tops smooth and stops the macarons from exploding in the oven). 6 Set aside on the bench, uncovered, for 1–1.5 hours. The macarons are ready to bake when they look dull, rather than shiny, and they don’t stick to your fingertip when touched. 7 Whakamahanatia te umu kia 140 te pāmahana. Heat the oven to 140°C. 8 Bake the macarons for 18 minutes – they are baked when the shell is hard and the bottom (flat side) no longer moves when touched. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on the tray for 10 minutes while you prepare the buttercream.

PANI REKA PATA WHERIHOA | FEIJOA BUTTERCREAM

Kia rua kahu hēki (2 egg whites) Kia haurua kapu huka one (½ cup caster sugar) Kia 150 karamu pata, ōrite te mahana ki te rūma (150g butter, at room temperature) Kia 30 karamu wherihoa tauraki-tio (30g freeze-dried feijoas)

1 Place the kahu hēki and huka one in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water – make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Slowly stir as the mixture warms up and the sugar dissolves. Test this by rubbing the mixture between your fingers – if it is smooth, it is ready. 2 Remove from the heat. Beat for 8 minutes with electric beaters until it forms stiff peaks and is super glossy. 3 Cut up the butter into pieces. Continue beating and add a quarter of the butter at a time, beating until incorporated. Repeat until all the butter is in and you have a smooth, thick buttercream. Sift the wherihoa taurakitio into the buttercream. Whakaranuhia – mix to combine. 4 Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto the bottom of every second macaron. Top with the remaining macarons. If desired, decorate them with candied lime zest (see below). 5 Store the finished macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

HE RARE RAIMI | CANDIED LIME ZEST

He kiri raima (Peel of 2 limes) Kia haurua kapu huka (½ cup sugar) Kia haurua kapu wai (½ cup water) Lavender flowers, optional

1 Line a small tray with baking paper. 2 Cut the kiri raima into thin strips, place them in a small pot and cover with cold water. Set over medium heat and bring to the boil. While the water is heating up, fill a small bowl with iced water. 3 When the water is boiling, remove the zest with a small sieve and plunge it into the iced water. Return the zest to the pot and bring to the boil again, then drop it into the iced water. Repeat this process once more, then leave the zest to drain. 4 Place the huka and wai in another pot set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then add the kiri raima. Simmer for about 8 minutes, until the zest is translucent. Place the zest on the baking paper and set aside. 5 To decorate the macarons, arrange two pieces of kiri raima on top of each macaron and add tiny lavender flowers if desired. Te mutunga mai o te ātaahua – how beautiful!

Tip For best results, use a stand mixer. The macarons don’t turn out as well if you use electric beaters.

WhānauKai by Naomi Toilalo ($50, HarperCollins NZ). Photography by Sarah Henderson. Recipes and styling by Naomi Toilalo.

LAVENDER SNIFFING Spend a day in a field of fragrant blossoms, picking and picnicking at Carterton’s Lavender Abbey. The Pick Your Own Lavender days, held on December 31, January 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15, are bound to be some of the most calming of the holidays. lavenderabbey.co.nz

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