Kumara coffee praline cakes

Babiche Martens

Ingredients

150 g	Caster sugar, plus extra for the praline
2	Eggs
100 g	Ground almonds
200 g	Kumara, peeled and grated (Main)
100 g	Rice flour
2 tsp	Baking powder
3 Tbsp	Espresso coffee, plus extra for icing
¼ tsp	Salt

Icing sugar

50 g	Butter, softened
200 g	Icing sugar, sifted
50 g	Mascarpone
3 tsp	Espresso coffee
½ cup	Caster sugar
½ cup	Blanched almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray or line with paper cases.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale. Fold in the kumara and ground almonds.
3. Sift rice flour, baking powder and salt together and fold in with the espresso.
4. Spoon in the tins, leaving a centimetre for rising, then bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the tops spring back.
5. To make the icing, whisk the butter until fluffy and pale then add half the icing sugar with the mascarpone.
6. Whisk, then add the remaining icing sugar and espresso and beat until smooth. Ice the cooled cakes and top with praline.
7. To make the praline, melt the sugar in a warm pan.
8. When golden add the almonds, quickly stir, then tip on a lightly greased tray.
9. Leave to set then either chop or pulse in a food processor.