Let’s Talk Food: Liliko‘i cooking contest winners

This year’s Liliko‘i Festival Cooking Contest winners were first place in sides, soups, salads and sauces category Rosa Ahrens of Keaau with her Raw Vegan Liliko‘i Coconut Fruit Salad; first place in the entrée category “Can’t Get Enough of that Liliko‘i for Breakfast” for Liliko‘i Sourdough Breakfast Croissant by Noelle Purvis of Pahoa; and first place in the dessert category was Liliko‘i-Ginger Truffle cups by Janet Hotchkiss of Hilo. The Liliko‘i-Ginger Truffle Cups also had the most points and was named Best of the Show.

Raw Vegan Liliko‘i Coconut Fruit Salad

8 cups sprouting coconut meat

10-12 yellow liliko‘i

1-2 strawberry papaya

3 apple bananas

2 Waimea persimmons

3/4 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

3/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly grated olena (turmeric)

6-8 ground cardamom pods

1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly juiced lime

1/2 cup grated macadamia nuts

Juice the liliko‘i; do not strain the pulp and seeds and set aside. Cube all fruit and coconut meat, grind macadamia nuts and cardamom. Layer coconut meat with fruit, sprinkle macadamia nuts, cardamom and slat. Add the freshly grated ginger and turmeric and sprinkle with the fresh lime. Add the reserved liliko‘i, pulp and seeds, mix well. Garnish with slices of starfruit, Surinam cherry and mint sprigs.

Liliko‘i Sourdough Breakfast Croissant

For the puff pastry dough:

1,000 grams all-purpose flour

600 grams whole milk

200 grams sourdough starter (if you do not have this, research online)

120 grams soft, unsalted butter at room temperature

60 grams sugar

30 grams active dry yeast

30 grams sea salt

Lamination (folding in between layers of dough)

600 grams European butter

Egg wash:

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Pinch of sea salt

Liliko‘i filling:

1 pint liliko‘i jelly

16 ounces mascarpone cheese

Warm the milk to room temperature and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the dough ingredients and mix on low until the dough just comes together. Wrap the dough with a piece of plastic wrap, freeze for one hour and chill in the refrigerator for another hour.

Let the “laminating” butter come to room temperature; it should be soft and pliable. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. It doesn’t matter what the dimensions are as long as it is a neat rectangle and 1/2-inch thick. Spread the butter evenly over one half of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on sides and bottom; fold the other half over the buttered side to create a ‘butter sandwich.’

Place the dough seam facing away from you and roll down to about 1/2-inch thickness, then fold into thirds, flip 90 degrees, turn and transfer to a flour dusted pan, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

After an hour, take dough out of refrigerator and roll into a 1/2-inch thick sheet. This counts as “one turn,” repeat the folding, turning and rolling a second time. Cover and chill the dough for one more hour and repeat the process for the third and fourth times. Cover and freeze the laminated dough for at least three hours. Thaw the frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before shaping and filling.

Roll out the dough to a 30-inch-by-20-inch shape and cut into 25 4-inch-by-6-inch rectangles.

Whisk together the egg wash in a small bowl.

At one of the short ends (4-inch side), brush a 1/4-inch strip of egg wash. This is to seal the filling in the croissant as you roll it up.

At the opposite end of the croissant, place 1 tablespoon of the liliko‘i and 1 tablespoon of the mascarpone, about half an inch from the end and in the middle. Roll the end over the filling and continue to roll the rectangle, sealing the roll closed with the egg on each strip at the bottom of the roll. Repeat with all of the rectangles.

Put shaped croissants on parchment-lined baking pans with the croissants spaced 2 inches apart. Let the shaped croissant rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in size, about two to three hours. The croissants are ready to bake when puffy. Poke them gently with your finger. If the indent remains, they are “poofed” enough to bake. Using a pastry brush, very lightly brush the egg wash over the tops of the croissants. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 375-degree oven. The croissants should have a nice golden brown sheen when done. Cool five minutes.

Yields 25 croissants.

Liliko‘i-Ginger Truffle Cups

Filling:

12 ounces Ghirardelli white chocolate wafers

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup liliko‘i pulp

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

Icing:

12 ounces Ghirardelli white chocolate wafers (you won’t use all of it, so melt as you go)

You will need 30 small 1-inch candy cups

Filling:

Cut liliko‘i and scoop out pulp and seeds. To remove seeds, place pulp in a blender and pulse for a few moments. Strain pulp and seeds will separate easily.

Place white chocolate in a large bowl.

Put cream in a small pan and heat to a boil; remove and set aside.

Put liliko‘i pulp and ginger in another small pan, bring to boil, remove from heat.

Add half of the liliko‘i-ginger mixture into the hot cream and mix well. Add the hot mix to the white chocolate in the bowl. Mix well until white chocolate is melted, smooth and creamy. Add the rest of the pulp and mix well until well blended. Refrigerate until firm, about three to four hours.

Preparing the cups:

In a microwave, heat the second 23 ounces of white wafers for 30 seconds to melt and stir. Place a small portion of the melted creamy chocolate in the bottom of each cup. Place all cups on a tray and refrigerate to set.

When the refrigerated liliko‘i filling is firm, scoop out enough to make a 1-inch ball. Place the ball in each of the prepared cups with the white chocolate in the bottom. Flatten each ball to just under the edge of the cup. If the liliko‘i mixture gets too soft, place back in the refrigerator to firm up again. Continue filling cups until all are filled.

Melt enough white chocolate wafers in microwave for 30 seconds until soft; stir and use to top each cup.

Notes:

When placing the balls of liliko‘i-ginger into the cups, try to leave room around the sides so the chocolate topping can fill the sides of the cup.

When filling the cups with the chocolate it is easier to take the cup to the chocolate than try to fill the cups in the tray.

When done, the cups should look like Reese’s peanut butter cups, only white, not brown.

Foodie bites

• Don’t forget to go to lunch at Hawaii Community College’s cafeteria, open for lunch Tuesday through Friday. You also can call to order your pumpkin pie or butter roll for next week Wednesday’s pickup for Thanksgiving. Call 934-2559 to place an order or for more information.

Email me at audreywilson 808@gmail.com if you have questions.