Mother's Day brunch recipe

Chef Gary Chin, Culinary, invited CTV Morning Live's Crystal Garrett to NSCC Akerley Campus for a Mother's Day brunch cooking demonstration. You can treat the women in your life to chamomile tea cake French toast with mascarpone frosting, mandarin orange syrup and fresh fruit by following Chef Gary's recipe.

Chamomile Tea Cake

Yield: 1 loaf
Portion size: 700g

Ingredients 

Unsalted butter, softened	½ cup / 130 g
All-purpose flour	1.5 cup / 190 g
Baking soda	1tsp / 6 g
Salt	½ tsp / 2.5 g
Chamomile tea leaves	2 tsp / 1.50 g
Granulated sugar	¾ cup / 165 g
Eggs	2 / 100 g
Vanilla extract	1 tsp / 4.5 g
Orange zest	1 Tbsp / 10 g
Sour cream	½ cup / 135 g

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350˚F (176˚C).
2. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with butter, and line with parchment paper.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and chamomile tea leaves.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Approximately 3-5 minutes.
5. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowls.
6. Add the eggs one at a time fully incorporating them each time, then blend in the orange zest and vanilla.
7. Beat in half the dry ingredients, followed by the sour cream.
8. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and prepare for the pan.
9. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. A wooden skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, softened	¾ cup / 115g
Icing sugar	1 cup / 120g
Honey	3 Tbsp / 60 g
Vanilla extract	½ tsp / 4.5 g
Mascarpone	5 Tbsp / 75g
Salt pinch to taste

Directions

1. Put butter, icing sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
2. Beat on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add mascarpone and beat until fluffy.

Mandarin Orange Syrup

Yield: 500 ml
Portion size: Serves 4 people

Ingredients

Mandarin orange juice	8 oranges
Sugar	2 cups / 400 g
Water	1 cup / 240 g
Cinnamon pinch to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan combine sugar, water, orange juice and cinnamon. Avoid stirring.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat until the mixture reaches 220°F (104°C).
3. Remove membranes from the orange segments and place in a container.
4. Once the sugar mixture cools, pour it into the orange segments, and cool.

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