Chocolate and Lime Funnel Cakes

Martha Collison supports the Tearfund's Big Bake with this amazing recipe, full of juicy citrus flavours and chocolate...

Funnel cakes are a type of non-yeasted doughnut, often found at fairgrounds in North America. They are really quick to make, and their swirly pattern is unusual and eye-catching. I taught a group of young girls in a village in Cambodia how to make these when I visited the country with the charity Tearfund. The girls I met were vulnerable and living in extreme poverty. Equipping them with one skill – whether that be sewing, motorbike repair or even cooking these little cakes – can be life-changing, as they then have the ability to generate an income. That makes this recipe so special to me, demonstrating that something as simple as a cake can change the world, one small step at a time.

- Martha Collison, Great British Bake Off Contestant 2014

Chocolate and Lime Funnel Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100ml whole milk
• Zest of 2 unwaxed limes
• 100g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 100g caster sugar, to dust
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1.  In a small jug, whisk together the egg, vanilla, milk and half the lime zest.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, tablespoon of caster sugar and salt in a small bowl. Make a well in the centre before whisking in the wet ingredients, mixing until there are no lumps remaining. You should have a thick custardy batter. Pour into a disposable piping bag.
3. In a small saucepan, heat around 3cm of oil until it sizzles if you sprinkle in a pinch of flour.
4. Snip the tip off the piping bag. Squeeze about a sixth of the batter into the oil, in a spiral, starting at the edges and filling the circle with a random, wiggly pattern.
5. Cook for about one minute until the edges start to brown, then flip it over and cook for two minutes more on the other side. It should be an even, golden brown colour on both sides.
6. Remove and cool on kitchen paper then dust with sugar mixed with the remaining lime zest. Repeat the frying process with the remaining mixture.
7. For the chocolate sauce, put the chocolate in a saucepan with the cream and golden syrup. Heat gently, stirring all the time, until all the chocolate has melted. Drizzle over the funnel cakes, or use as a dip. These are best served hot and fresh.

'Martha supports Tearfund's Big Bake. Find out more and sign up at tearfund.org/bigbake16.'