Orange zest and Cointreau give a delicious citrus twist to these custardy little cakes.

Happy New Year to all – may your 2014 be filled with love, laughter and adventure.

Makes 16 – 18

Ingredients

500ml (2 cups + 2 scant tbsp) whole milk
50g (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, diced
zest of an orange (removed with a peeler, not grated)
100g (3/4 cup) all-purpose (plain) flour
250g powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
pinch salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
80ml (1/3 cup) Cointreau

Directions

Add milk, butter and orange zest to a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, lower heat to minimum and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove orange zest from milk and set milk aside to cool a little.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. In another small bowl, gently beat eggs and yolks together.

Take flour mixture and pour eggs in (don’t stir), then pour in milk. Use a spatula to combine everything gently. Add Cointreau and stir to combine.

Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl or jug (pitcher) and allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered. When cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for anywhere from 24 to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, butter molds very well (even silicon molds!) and preheat oven to 220°C (430°F) with a baking sheet in centre of oven.

When oven is up to temperature, very gently stir cold batter until smooth – it will have separated and the layer on top may be quite hard to incorporate, so it will take some time. You don’t want to add air bubbles so use a spatula, not a whisk.

Fill molds almost to the top (return batter to fridge between batches if you’re not baking them all at once), place on hot baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn temperature down to 200°C (400°F) without opening oven door and bake for a further 50 – 60 minutes, depending on how dark you want them. I think 55 minutes is perfect, but I don’t like them too dark.

If using metal molds, turn out immediately, or if using silicon molds, let rest for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.