Capturing Tropical and Fresh Fruit Flavours: Essentials in-house chef Megan Chalmers has collaborated with New Zealand freeze dried ingredient company Fresh As and Whitsunday’s newest resort, Elysian Retreat to present a range of tropical inspired menu items, including this flame-grill assisted dessert.

Brown Sugar Pudding with rum-glazed flame-grilled pineapple, Fresh As Freeze Dried Pineapple Chunks, double cream

Brown Sugar Pudding

Preheat oven to 180°C.

250g pitted dates, chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1½ cups boiling water
125g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1¾ cups self-raising flour, sifted

Method

1. Grease and line the base of 4-6 small pudding moulds.

2. Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.

4. Spoon mixture into prepared 4-6 small pudding moulds. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.

Rum-flavoured Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes Approx. 500ml

1½ cups caster suger
125ml water
130g brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
60ml dark rum
Salt to taste
Double cream to serve

1. In a medium, heavy-based saucepan add the sugar and water and stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook until the sugar and water change to a golden caramel colour. This should take between 5 and 8 minutes – watch carefully.

2. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, rum and thickened cream.

3. Return to simmer on a low heat continuously stirring for 1-2 minutes allowing the brown sugar to dissolve.

4. Remove from heat and season with salt. Allow to cool before serving.

To Serve

Serve with discs of grilled pineapple basted with a simple cooked syrup mix of brown sugar and rum.

Discs sit atop crumbled Fresh As freeze dried Pineapple Chunks. Top pudding with a small amount of rum-flavoured salted caramel sauce and garnish with double cream and baby mint.

Poolside at Elysian Retreat

Elysian Retreat

With sweeping views of the ocean and the Conway National Park to the west, and rainforest and Long Island National Park mountain to the east, the Elysian Retreat’s oceanfront villas offer a unsurpassed luxe escape.

Bookings 1800 765 687
elysianretreat.com.au

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