ORANGE & HAZELNUT GATEAU

Summary:

From a Woolworths Fresh Magazine, as a mother’s day special. Serves 8.

Ingredients:

4 oranges

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 x Unibic Sponge Fingers 250g pack

50g hazelnut meal, ground

600ml cream, thickened

200g caster sugar

50g hazelnut meal, ground

300ml whipped cream.

Directions:

1.       Place the sugar and water into a medium sized saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Place the oranges into the saucepan whole and simmer, covered for 15 mins. Allow to cool.

2.       Remove the oranges and set aside to cool. When cool, slice 2 oranges thinly. Reserve the remaining two.

3.       Line the base of a spring form tin with baking paper and grease the sides.

4.       Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fold through the hazelnut meal.

5.       Dip the sponge fingers a few at a time into the orange syrup and place in a single layer over the base of the tin.

6.       Spread 1/3 of the cream over the sponge fingers. Cover the cream with orange slices. Repeat with a layer of sponge fingers, cream and orange slices. Finish with sponge fingers and cream.

7.       Refrigerate the gateau for at least 6 hrs, covered.

8.      Place the sugar and water into a saucepan and dissolve the sugar, stirring over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook until sugar is golden brown toffee. Pour toffee onto a paper lines tray and sprinkle with the remaining hazelnut meal.

To serve: Crush half the hazelnut praline and fold it into the shipped cream. Remove the gateau form the spring form tin and place into a serving platter. Spread the cream over the surface of the gateau and decorate with the remaining praline, broken into large chunks. Garnish with slices of the remaining cooled oranges.

Notes: Oranges may be replaced with limes or blood oranges.