Strawberry Bavarois with Chocolate Pashmak

1st of September marks the first day of spring in the southern hemisphere. As I was flipping through the latest spring edition of Delicious magazine, I was attracted to Valli Little's Strawberry Bavarois recipe.

As Valli wrote in the magazine, "I have gone back to my childhood. I was reminded when reading Sophie Dahl's new cookbook (Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights) of a quick dessert my mother used to make - dare I say - from packet jelly and evaporated milk. So here it is for you to try in all its simple glory"

As a child grew up in Europe, Mr J's mum used to make the exact same cheat's bavarois. You can imagine the excitement when I whipped up this dessert for him last night. He specifically requested me to over-whipped the mixture to leave a thick layer of foam on top of the bavarois because he loves it!

Bavarois is the French name for Bavarian cream, it is a delicate cream dessert with a Crème Anglaise base, and then aerated with whipped cream or yogurt, egg whites and various flavourings such as fruit purée, chocolate, coffee, or liqueurs before being set in the refrigerator with gelatin. The classic, authentic recipes for Bavarois contain no egg whites. They are basically a crème anglaise that has been stabilized by some gelatin and given a rich, creamy texture with the addition of lightly whipped cream. The mixture may be spooned into stemmed glasses or into a decorative mold to be unmoulded when set.

This is not a fancy recipe but it's oh so easy with only two ingredients. You can prepare it under 5 minutes and it is always delicious.

The recipe recommended the bavarois to be served with whipped cream and white chocolate curls. I reckon there is enough of milky flavour in the dessert itself. Instead, I jazzed it up with some Chocolate Pashmak (Persian fairy floss).

If you are wondering what is Pashmak, it's made of sugar, sesame, flour and oil. It has a nutty taste and less sticky than traditional candy fairy floss. The word Pashmak means "little wool" in Persian, as it resembles sheep's wool. It also comes in many other flavours: Rose, Vanilla, Pistachio, Saffron and Orange Blossom.

Strawberry Bavarois with Chocolate Pashmak Recipe
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine September 2009 issue)
Serves 4

Ingredients

85 g sachet strawberry jelly crystals
375 ml can evaporated milk
2 tbsp strawberry liqueur (optional)
Handful of chocolate pashmak

Method

1. Place jelly crystal in a large bowl. Whisk with 100 ml boiling water to dissolve, then allow to cool. Add the liqueur, if using, then add the evaporated milk and use a hand-whisk to beat until thick and frothy.
2. Pour the mixture into your prettiest serving glasses or dishes and chill for at least 4 hours or until set.
3. When ready to serve, top each bavarois with a handful of chocolate pashmak, if desired.