INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (90g) almond meal
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
150g butter
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
200g white chocolate
200g cream cheese, softened
For the Almond Honeycomb
1/4 cup (20g) flaked almonds
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two 12-hole cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners.
2 Sift almond meal, self-raising flour and salt into medium bowl.
3 In a large bowl beat butter, caster sugar and vanilla bean paste to a cream. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Using a large metal spoon, fold in almond meal mixture. Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4 Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water and allow to cool slightly. Whip the cream cheese in medium bowl until light and fluffy, add cooled melted white chocolate and continue to whip until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and whisk again until light and fluffy.
5 For almond honeycomb, toast flaked almonds in a small saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove. To the same saucepan, add caster sugar, honey and butter and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat and simmer, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Quickly stir through reserved toasted almonds with bicarb soda, vanilla and salt. Spoon onto a piece of baking paper and set aside to cool. When cool break or chop into small chunks.
6 To serve, pipe a swirl of whipped white chocolate ganache onto each cupcake and top with a few chunks of almond honeycomb.
The Carousel thanks Lyndey Milan for this recipe.