Chai granita on poached apples with heavenly mousse
Traditionally made with water and fruit, this granita pushes the boundaries by using chai flavoured skim milk to achieve the desired light and refreshing ice crystals that melt in the mouth.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Freezing time4 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs55 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Keyword: apples, chai tea, granita, milk, mousse
Servings: 8serves
Ingredients
Chai granita
400mlskim milk
20gcastor sugar
1cinnamon stick
8allspice berries
2cloves
2cardamom pods
8black peppercorns
1teaspoonfresh gingergrated
½vanilla bean
2teaspoonsblack tea leaves
Poached apples
4small apples
100gcastor sugar
400mlwater
2tablespoonshoney
2cinnamon sticks
½vanilla bean
Mousse
1egg white
40gcastor sugar
½vanilla bean
90mlthickened cream
¼teaspooncinnamon(optional)
Instructions
Chai granita
Heat milk together with sugar and spices in a small saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Take off the heat, stir in black tea leaves and let infuse for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a shallow bowl and place the bowl into an ice bath.
Once the milk has cooled, move the bowl into the freezer. Remove every 20 minutes and stir to ensure the liquid crystallises evenly. The granita will be fully frozen in approximately 3-4 hours.
Poached apples
Peel and finely dice apples.
Melt sugar in a saucepan to make a caramel. Brush any sugar off the sides to avoid it from burning. Once dark golden, remove from the heat and slowly stir in water. Once all the sugar lumps have dissolved, add honey, spices and apple pieces, then continue to cook on a low heat until the apples are just tender, but not too soft.
Strain through a sieve and refrigerate.
Mousse
For the mousse, heat the egg white and sugar over a water bath while continuously whisking.
Once 50°C has been reached, remove from the heat and use an electric mixer to beat to a stiff meringue.
In a separate bowl, beat cream, scraped vanilla (and if desired cinnamon) to medium peaks, then fold in the meringue until combined.
Assembly
To assemble the dessert, pipe mousse into a dessert glass, top with the cooled poached apples and just before serving, finish with a dome of chai granita.
Tip: Experiment with your own blend of spices to make a chai tea to your liking. If spices are hard to find, a commercial chai tea steeped in skim milk also does the trick.