Kirsten Tibballs’ Cream Kiss

Cooking Directions

• To make the Coconut Shortbread, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter until it becomes a thick, smooth paste. Once smooth, add the icing sugar and continue to mix. Once the sugar and butter have come together, add the desiccated coconut and the eggs and continue to mix until combined. Add in the sieved flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
• Once the pastry has come together, press it into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced).
• Cut the dough in half and, on a bench lightly dusted with flour, roll one half at a time to 6-7mm in thickness. Cut out the heart shapes using a template (you will need 3 hearts). You can keep the pastry offcuts and press them into the other half of unrolled dough.
• Place on a tray lined with a perforated silicon baking mat and place another mat on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until nice and golden. Allow to cool to room temperature before assembling.
• To make the White Chocolate Chantilly, Place the chocolate into a bowl. In a saucepan, boil Bulla Thickened Cream (A). Pour it over the white chocolate and whisk by hand until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Add the Bulla Thickened Cream (B) and combine.
• Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and place into the fridge for 24 hours.
• Place the chilled cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to a firm consistency.
• For the Swiss Meringue, Preheat oven to 90°C
• In a bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar. Place on top of a double boiler with simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and whisk continuously by hand until it reaches 60°C.
• Remove from the heat and place onto a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on a high speed until a medium-firm peak is reached.
• Once you have achieved the desired consistency, place ¼ of the meringue into a piping bag fitted with an 8mm plain nozzle and pipe onto a tray lined with baking paper.
• To the remaining meringue, add 1 drop of colour to the mix and fold through using a spatula.
• Repeat by placing another ¼ of the meringue into the piping bag and continue adding colour to the remaining meringue until you have three different shades of pink meringue kisses.
• Place the trays into the oven to dry out at 90°C for approximately an hour.
• To assemble, Place 1 baked shortbread heart onto a flat surface. Place the whipped Chantilly cream into a piping bag fitted with an 8mm plain nozzle and pipe along the inner and outer edges, then place a few cut strawberries on top. Add the next layer of shortbread and repeat.
• Once you have placed the top layer of shortbread on, cover the whole cake in Chantilly cream and smooth it out with a palette knife.
• Arrange the meringue kisses in alternating shades of pink on the Chantilly cream, starting in the centre of the heart and working your way outwards.