Sweet Tooth Experiments - Discover my baking experiments of unusual flavours and combinations, as well as traditional international sweet treats.

Hello and welcome to Sweet Tooth Experiments

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Ella Posted in Uncategorized .

Photographer: Margaret Paola Minero

Welcome to my blog centred around baking with delicious and interesting flavour combos as well as textures to uncover unusual bakegood gems. In addition, this blog discovers traditional sweet treats, opening up taste buds to different cultures and flavours from all over the world.

Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Ella Posted in Pudding .

Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream

Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

Recently I needed to make a gluten free pudding for a dinner party, however I didn’t want to use a gluten-free flour as I wanted a really really fluffy texture, almost like a soufflé lightness and from my experience gluten-free flour tends to produce a bit of a denser texture.

Therefore, I ventured into the kitchen and did some experimenting with a range of alternative base ingredients. Surprisingly (almost bizarrely) the ricotta experiment produced the most amazingly light texture that just melts in the mouth.

Keeping with the ricotta theme I completed the dish with my always successful crowd pleasing ricotta ice-cream.

This recipe is super moreish but not too sweet thanks to the dark chocolate and limited sugar in the pudding.

Ingredients:

Ice-cream:

450g ricotta cheese
300ml sweetened condensed milk
3 tsn vanilla extract
450ml thickened cream
60ml vanilla flavored liquor (optional)

Pudding batter:

40ml thickened cream
20ml milk
160g dark chocolate
220g ricotta
15g cocoa powder
1/4 tsn coffee granules
4 eggs
1/4 tsn salt
80g sugar

Sauce:

100g dark chocolate
180ml thickened cream

Extra:

20g butter

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
In a food processor blitz the cheese, condensed milk and vanilla until smooth.
Whisk the cheese mix and cream with electric beaters in a bowl until peaks form.
Stir the liquor until well combined and place in a bowl in the freezer to completely set.
To make the pudding place the cream and milk into a bowl and heat in the microwave until steaming.
Add the chocolate in pieces to the milk mix and stir until silky smooth and well combined.
Place the chocolate mix, ricotta, cocoa powder and coffee granules into a food processor and blitz until well combined.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the chocolate mix, blitz until smooth and well combine.
Place the egg whites into a bowl along with the salt and beat until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar to the eggwhites and beat for 5 minutes or until the mix is glossy and smooth.
Fold the chocolate mix into the eggwhites until only just combined.
For the sauce, place the cream into a bowl and heat in the microwave until steaming.
Add the chocolate pieces to the cream and stir until silky smooth and well combined.
Add the 20g of extra butter, melted, to a pudding bowl and roll the bowl around to ensure all slides are covered in butter.
Pour the pudding mix into the bowl and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean.
Spoon the pudding into serving bowls, top with the chocolate sauce and a scoop of the ricotta ice-cream.

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Dark Chocolate and Lemon Bombe recipe

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Mixed Bag Truffles

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Ella Posted in Truffles .

Mixed Bag Truffles

I do love a good chocolate truffle and after eating some the other day I thought that the truffle base ingredients of chocolate and cream leave open a massive opportunity to play with different flavor combos into the plain chocolate mix.

As truffles are super easy to make and the variety of flavor combos and alternative ingredients to use are endless I went experimenting craziness.

Jelly crystals, oils, essences, lollies, candy, zest, dried fruit, jams, purees, cordial, spreads…basically anything I could think of that would add a unique flavor I tried and tested in a standard truffle recipe.

Out of the many many truffle recipes I made up, 3 were significant standouts. These being Peppermint, Mandarin and Pineapple Coconut flavors.

My easy, quick and super tasty recipes below 🙂

Ingredients:

Peppermint Truffles:

1/8 tsn peppermint oil
30ml thickened cream
125g white chocolate

Mandarin Truffles:

½ tsn mandarin zest
30ml thickened cream
125g white chocolate

Tic-Tac Truffles:

34g Tic-tac’s (pineapple coconut flavor)
40ml thickened cream
90g white chocolate

Extra:

35g desiccated coconut
35g orange sprinkles
35g green sprinkles

Method:

To make the peppermint truffles place the ingredients into a bowl and heat on medium in the microwave for 90 seconds or until the cream just starts to steam.
Allow mix to sit for 2 minutes then stir until well combined and smooth, place in the fridge to set for 3 hours.
To make the mandarin truffles zest a whole mandarin until you get ½ tsn in volume.
Add the mandarin zest, cream and chocolate into a bowl and heat on medium in the microwave for 90 seconds or until the cream just starts to steam.
Allow mix to sit for 2 minutes then stir until well combined and smooth, place in the fridge to set for 3 hours.
To make the tic-tac truffles, place the box of tic-tacs into a saucepan on medium heat with the cream and using the back of a metal spoon squash and breakup the tic-tacs into the cream.
Stir the tic-tac mix until all the tic-tacs have disintegrated and combine with the cream.
Add the chocolate and stir until the mix is smooth and well combine.
Place the mix into a small bowl and into the fridge for 3 hours to set.
Meanwhile place the desiccated coconut into a bowl, the orange sprinkles into a 2nd bowl and the green sprinkles into a 3rd bowl.
Once the mixes are firm scoop out a 15g piece of peppermint mix, rolling in your palms to create the truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the green sprinkle bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in sprinkles completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all the peppermint truffle mix and sprinkles.
Scoop out a 15g piece of the mandarin mix rolling in your palms to create a truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the orange sprinkle bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in sprinkles completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all the mandarin truffle mix and sprinkles.
Lastly, scoop out a 15g piece of the tic-tac mix rolling in your palms to create a truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the coconut bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in coconut completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all tic-tac truffle mix and coconut.
Place the plates in the fridge until ready to serve by arranging neatly on a plate or as desired. Enjoy!

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NOTE: If you don’t have green sprinkles you can blitz icing sugar and green food coloring in a food processor and roll the balls into the mix.

Mixed Bag Truffles recipe

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Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

In summer one of my favorite ways to cool down at home is by blitzing frozen berries, bananas and yoghurt to make an ‘ice-cream’ that is made of healthy ingredients as well as being delicious.

One day I decided that I wanted to take this fruit and yoghurt ‘ice-cream’ to the next level and turn it into an ice-cream biscuit sandwich.

For a lift in flavor I added in further complimentary ingredients and played around with different taste combinations until I landed on a combo that is absolutely super moreish and delicious.

To turn this ice-cream into a sandwich I relied on my never fail melting moments biscuit recipe that I tweaked to boost the lemon and berry flavor of the ice-cream. The outcome, so addictive!

Ice-cream:

500g bananas (260g peeled)
240g frozen raspberries
100g honey
1 vanilla pod
1 tsn strawberry essence

Biscuits:

180g butter
¼ tsn lemon zest
¼ tsn strawberry essence
60g custard powder
60g icing sugar
160g plain flour
1 tsn baking powder
Pinch salt

Method:

Make the ice-cream by placing all the ingredients into a food processor and blitzing on high until the mix is completely smooth.
Line a slice pan (lamington pan for best results) with plastic wrap, allowing for overlap.
Pour the ice-cream mix in the slice pan and place the pan into the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
Place the butter in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 3 minutes or until the butter is light and fluffy.
Add the lemon zest, essence, custard powder and sugar and whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mix and whisk until just combined.
Roll the mix into balls of 30g each and place on the trays (8 balls on each tray).
Place a cookie cutter around the balls on the trays and using the back of a spoon press down to the sides of the cookie cutter.
Remove the cookie cutter and repeat with all 16 balls ensuring 5cm between each biscuit.
Place the trays into the oven for 16 minutes or until lightly golden.
Leave biscuits to cool on the trays for a few minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack until cold.
Once the biscuits are cold place in the freezer for later use.
To assemble, pull up the plastic wrap from the slice pan and place on the bench plastic wrap side down.
Dip the cookie cutter into hot water and cut out an ice-cream circle.
Place a biscuit on the bench, top with the ice-cream circle and finish with a second biscuit on top of the ice-cream circle, place completed ice-cream sandwich onto a plate.
Repeat with the remaining ice-cream and biscuits until 8 ice-cream sandwiches are make.
Place the plate into the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour.
To serve I topped the sandwiches with melted white chocolate and a small piping of royal icing. A dust of icing sugar will be just an nice.

Note: these sandwiches will melt if left out for a long period of time so take them out of the freezer when your ready for dessert.

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Apple and Cinnamon Dessert Crumble Taco’s

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Ella Posted in Unique .

Apple and Cinnamon Dessert Crumble Taco’s

It may seem like there are endless components to this dessert don’t be scared. There is a reason the recipe only has 21 steps. Most of the steps take minimal effort and time to complete (the cream takes a whole of 1 minute).

Additionally, the recipe uses the same few ingredients over and over thus making is a straight forward and simple bake to get right.

This recipe did go through a few adjustments along the way, however my persistence in keeping with the core idea was well worth the effort.

This recipe is truly tasty and a prime example of turning the savory into sweet.

Ingredient:

Crumble:

30g plain flour
20g oats
40g butter
1 tsn ground cinnamon
50g brown sugar

Caramel:

30g white sugar
5ml water
30ml cream
15g brown sugar

Cream:

100ml thickened cream
20g brown sugar
½ tsn ground cinnamon

Taco Shells:

8 tortilla wraps
40g butter
30g brown sugar
½ tsn ground cinnamon

Apple Filling:

200g apple, peeled cored and dice into small pieces
40g sugar
40g butter
1 tsn lemon juice
1 tsn ground cinnamon
70ml water
1 tsn corn flour

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place all the crumble ingredients into a bowl and using your fingertips rub butter into mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle the crumble over the prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown in colour.
Place the tray aside to cool completely then break up the crumble into breadcrumb consistency with fingertips.
To make the caramel place the white sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave the mix without stirring until the sugar syrup is dark golden in colour, take off heat.
Add the brown sugar and cream and mix with a metal spoon until the caramel is smooth and glossy, leave aside to cool completely.
To make the cream place the ingredients into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until peaks form. Place in the fridge for later use.
Next are the taco shells. Using a 10cm circle cookie cutter cut out 1 circle per tortilla wrap.
Place wraps in the microwave for 10 seconds or until they just start to steam.
Melt the butter and using a pastry brush evenly brush the butter onto both sides of the 8 x 10cm wraps.
Turn a cupcake tin upside down and place the shells in the dips to make the taco shell shape when the wraps bake.
Place the tin in the oven for 15 minutes or until the shells start to go golden brown. Be sure not to let the shells cave in on the sides (if this happens remove the shell from the oven and place a knife width-way in the middle of the 2 shell sides while hot and it will reshape).
Place the remaining 30g brown sugar and 1/2 tsn cinnamon onto a bowl, stir then with the warm cooked taco shells place in the bowl and cover completely with the cinnamon sugar mix (just like a churro or cinnamon doughnut). Leave aside to cool.
Lastly make the apple filling by placing the apple pieces, sugar, butter, cinnamon, 30ml water and lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring until well combine and the apples start to soften.
With the remaining 40ml of water add the corn flour and stir until smooth.
Pour the corn flour mix into the pan and stir until the mix thickens slightly and the apples are cooked.
Set the apple mix aside to cool completely.
To assemble, grab a taco shell and spoon 25g of the apple filling into the bottom of the shell case.
Top the apple filling with 10g of the cream mix.
Add a good sprinkle of the crumble mix and finish off with a solid drizzle of the caramel sauce.

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Pepparkakor

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Ella Posted in Biscuits, Swedish, Traditional .

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

The Pepparkakor cookie is a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie, commonly referred to as “ginger thins” or “gingernuts“ (however should not be mistaken for the US gingersnap biscuits in which are very different).

Swedish custom states you place a Pepparkakor cookie in the palm of your hand, then you make a wish while you use your index finger of your other hand to tap the cookie in the middle. If the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces tradition states your wish will come true. As per most traditional treats there are many slightly varying recipes to these cookies. This was my favorite after trialing half a dozen.

To be honest I thought my gingerbread man recipe was the ultimate spiced treat, however this cookie has trumped my never fail absolutely amazing gingerbread recipe its that good.

Ingredients:

225g plain flour
1 tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn ground cloves
1 tsn ground ginger
¼ tsn ground cardamom
½ tsn baking powder
¼ tsn salt
100g butter
100g brown sugar
75g golden syrup

Method:

In a bowl sieve the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Stir.
Place the butter, sugar and syrup into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Sieve the flour mix over the cooled butter mix and stir until well combined.
Form the dough into a ball shape, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough to a 2cm thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes and place cookies onto the prepared baking tray.
Place the trays in the oven for 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
Leave the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes before placing on to a wire rack to cool completely, durst with icing sugar.

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

In recent experimenting I made chocolate truffle by purely blitzing sweet potato, spices, a few gingernut biscuits and white chocolate. While the truffles were nice they were a little bland. However, from this recipe I thought the puree and white chocolate actually had legs to make a healthier alternative to buttercream icing (thanks to the smooth texture, consistency and taste).

As mentioned the truffles alone were a little bland so after a bit of flavor combo experimenting I decided that caramel, bourbon, honey and pecans would be the perfect mix of flavors to add.

As the sweet potato is not the strongest of flavors I opted to include this flavor in both the icing and the cake batter.

Caramel would be featured in the filling of the cake layers as well as only brown sugar being utilised in the cake.

Bourbon would feature most strongly in the cake as well as a syrup layer to really pack the punch and ensure the cake is extra moist.

The pecans would be diced up for so extra textural crunch and lastly the honey would be used in the syrup and the caramel.

This cake is soo super moreish, with a gingerbread undertone all the flavors work soundly.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato puree:

640g sweet potato

Sweet Potato Icing:

85g white chocolate, chopped
200g sweet potato puree

Cake:

80g pecans
180g butter, softened
275g brown sugar
1 + ½ tsn vanilla essence
4 eggs
245g sweet potato puree
90ml bourbon
310g self-rising flour
½ tsn salt
1 + 1/3 tsn ground cinnamon
1/3 tsn ground ginger
1/3 ground nutmeg
¼ tsn ground cloves

Caramel:

60g white sugar
10ml water
10g butter
135ml cream
15g brown sugar
1/8 tsn salt
20ml honey

Syrup:

15g butter
35g white sugar
10ml water
½ tsn vanilla essence
15g honey
25ml bourbon

Method:

To make the puree peel the sweet potato and chop up into pieces.
Place the potato pieces into a bowl of water and heat in the microwave on high for 10 minutes or until a knife glides into a piece of potato effortlessly.
Drain the potato pieces and place into a food processor blitzing until silky smooth in texture, once done move mix into a bowl for later use.
To make the potato icing place 200g of the puree back into the food processor with the white chocolate. Blitz until well combine and silky smooth (the white chocolate will melt with the heat of the puree and combine with the potato).
Place the potato icing mix into a bowl and once cooled into the fridge to set.
Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line 2x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
Chop the pecans into small pieces and scatter into the bottom of both tins.
Place the butter into a mix-master (kitchen aid) and beat on high for 5 minutes, scraping down the butter from the sides each minute.
Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes, scraping down the sides each minute.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until the mix is light and fluffy.
Add the 245g of puree and bourbon to the butter mix and beat on medium until well combined.
Sieve the flour, salt and spices into the butter mix and on a low speed beat until the dry mix is just combine to a smooth consistency.
Spoon the mix over the top of the pecans evenly with 1/3 of the mix into one tin and the remaining 2/3 in the second tin. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the mix to an even top, place the cakes in the oven for 40 minutes to cook.
Meanwhile make the caramel by placing the white sugar and water into a saucepan on the stove on high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave the mix to bubble without stirring until it reaches golden brown in colour.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add 35ml of the cream, brown sugar, salt and honey stirring until well combine and silky smooth (be careful of the splatter). Pour the caramel into a ceramic bowl and leave aside to cool completely.
After the 40 minutes of the cakes cooking check the smaller cake by placing a skewer in the center. If if it comes out clean its done, if not leave until it does.
Check the second cake after 60 minutes by placing a skewer in the centre if it comes out clean its done, if not leave until it does.
Leave both cooked cakes in their tins for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the butter, sugar, water, vanilla and honey into a saucepan and heat on high for 5 minutes until thick bubbles occur and the syrup reduces.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add the bourbon stirring until well combined.
Add the cooled caramel mix to the remaining 100ml of cream and beat with electric beaters until well combine and peaks form.
To assemble the cake, cut the tops of both cakes to make them level and cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
Using a pastrybrush brush the cut sides of the 3 cake layers with the bourbon syrup mix until well covered.
Place 1 cake layer onto a plate syrup side up. Top with half the caramel cream mix.
Add the 2^nd cake layer syrup side up, top with remaining caramel cream mix.
Add the last cake later syrup side down and top with the sweet potato icing mix.
Place the cake in the fridge for 1 hour to set then cut and enjoy!

NOTE: To stop the caramel cream overflowing the cakes edges I piped some buttercream around the 2 cakes edges that the caramel cream would be spread on. I purely did this as I did not want the overflowing look.

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

Though somewhat common these days, for a while I have been meaning to make up a recipe that utilizes the complementing flavors of strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

As a kid my mum splashed balsamic vinegar in fruit salads, that would somehow sweeten berries (in particular strawberries) and make them even tastier.

I have experimented with balsamic vinegar in recipes in the past (check out my Beetroot Raspberry and Balsamic Cake or my Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes) but never paired with white chocolate or as a mousse.

The outcome – super tasty, extremely moreish and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

Cake:

220g strawberries, hulled and diced
310g vanilla cake mix
Eggs, butter and milk as per cake mix
20ml balsamic vinegar
4 tsn strawberry essence

Mousse:

320g white chocolate
360ml thickened cream
2 + ½ tsn gelatine
65g icing sugar
70ml balsamic vinegar
1 tsn strawberry essence

Extra to decorate:

Buttercream icing (optional)
strawberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the strawberries into a food processor and blitz until they resemble a smooth puree.
Pour the cake mix into a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, 60ml strawberry puree and the strawberry essence.
Add the eggs and butter per cake mix directions.
Measure out the milk according to mix directions minus 80ml of milk and add to the bowl (as you have added strawberry puree and balsamic vinegar in replacement).
Using electric beaters whisk the mix for 5 minutes until thick and well combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack until cold.
Wash and dry the cake tin, spray with oil spray and place 2 layers of plastic wrap into the tin, allowing for overlap.
Cut the top off the cooled cake to even the top and place into the tin, cut side up, on top of the plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for later.
Place 180ml thickened cream into a bowl and heat on high in the microwave until almost bubbling.
Add the chocolate to the cream and leave for 1 minute before stirring to a silky-smooth combined consistency.
Leave the chocolate mix aside to cool completely.
Place 4 tsn of boiling water into a small bowl along with the gelatine, whisk with a fork until the gelatine is completely melted.
Place the remaining 180ml cream, icing sugar, balsamic vinegar, essence, remaining strawberry puree and gelatine mix into a large bowl.
Using electric beaters whisk cream mix until smooth and the cream has thickened the mix slightly.
Add the cooled chocolate mix and whisk with electric beaters until combined.
Pour the mousse mix over the cake base, tap tin on bench for even distribution of mousse.
Place the tin in the fridge for 4 hours to set completely.
To remove the cake from the tin, pull the overlapping plastic wrap and place the cake on the bench.
Peel the plastic wrap away from cake sides and using a spatula transfer the cake to a serving plate.
Top with icing or grated white chocolate and extra strawberries for decoration.

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Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Ella Posted in Unique .

Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Inspired by the latest craze of turning the sweet onto the savory and the savory into the sweet. I have dabbled with this a little with sweet dumplings, ravioli and tacos as well as posted my Apple Crumble Pizza and my Chocolate Nut Springroll. However I still have many many more ideas on things to create.

One item I have been meaning to turn from savory to sweet is lasagna. I have tried many savory versions of this dish, from a Mexican fest to vegan based-meals, however never a sweet one.

I figured using a cheese and crème patisserie fusion filling could replicate the cheese. Using actual lasagna sheets covered in layers of chocolate and hazelnut spread would imitate the pasta and meat layers. And of course, not forgetting the white sauce top layer I made a delicious meringue to complete treat.

I’m surprised at how good this turned out to the point that it for sure amazingly delicious.

Custard Cream filling:

6 eggs
100g sugar
2 tsn vanilla essence
65g cornflour
750ml milk
300g ricotta cheese
60g icing sugar
120ml thickened cream

Extra:

4 lasagna sheets
80g Nutella
100g dark chocolate

Sugar syrup:

150g sugar
80ml water

Method:

Line a 15cm x 30cm cake tin or deep oven dish with baking paper.
Make the filling by whisking with electric beaters the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour until well combined.
Leave the egg white aside for later use.
Place the milk into a saucepan on high heat until the milk starts to boil.
Add the milk to the yolk mix is a steady stream until well combined.
Transfer the mix back into the pan on a medium heat and using a hand whisk beat until the mix thickens up into a custard.
Pour the mix into a bowl with plastic wrap on top and leave aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile with electric beaters whisk the ricotta and icing sugar until well combined.
Add the cream to the ricotta mix and whisk until well combine and smooth and place in the fridge for later use.
Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
Cut the lasagna sheets to fit I the tin perfectly.
Spoon 20g of Nutella onto each lasagna sheet and spread with the back of a spoon to evenly cover to sheet.
Dice the chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the Nutella, leave the sheets aside for later use.
Remove the plastic wrap from the custard mix and add the ricotta mix, beat until smooth and combine.
To put the cake together, spoon 1/5^th of the filling into the prepared cake tin. Spread with the back of a spoon for even coverage.
Add a lasagna sheet and top with another 1/5^th of the filling.
Continue with the lasagna and cream layering until all 4 sheets have been placed and the last 1/5^th of filling is placed on the top of the last sheet. You should have done 5 filling layers and 4 sheet layers.
Cover the top of the tin with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile make a meringue by placing the egg whites into a bowl and whisking with electric beaters.
Place the sugar and water into a pan on high heat stirring until the sugar dissolves then leave the mix until a candy thermometer hits 125c degrees.
Slowly take the sugar syrup off the heat and in a slow and steady stream pour the syrup into the egg whites.
Continue beating the egg white mix for 5-10 more minutes or until glossy and silky.
Remove the lasagna from the oven, remove the foil and spread the meringue over the top of the cake.
Place the cake back in the oven for 10 more minutes to cook the pasta through and bake the meringue until golden brown.
Leave the cake aside to cool in the tin then cut into squares, place slice of lasagna onto a plate with a side of vanilla ice-cream.

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Baklava Cake

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Baklava Cake

I’m quite the fan of baklava so it’s no surprise that one day I decided to ‘steal’ the flavors and some of the baking techniques to reproduce the treat into a cake version. The crunch of the filo works in perfect harmony with the velvet mascarpone cheese texture, while the syrup connects and amplifies the cake layers to a new level. When combined, the crunch, smoothness, sticky and fluffiness of textures all complement each other for a seriously satisfying dessert.

Thus here is my Baklava Cake recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

250g butter
½ tsn almond essence
220g sugar
4 eggs
80ml cup milk
225g self-raising flour
60g ground almonds
120g slivered almonds
200g shelled pistachios

Syrup:

290g sugar
340ml water
4 tsn honey
Lemon rind strip
3 tbsn lemon juice
3/4 tsn rosewater essence

Filling:

450g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsn honey
1 tsn ground cinnamon
½ ground cardomom

Filo Layers:

70g pistachios
2 tbsn sugar
1 tsn cinnamon
½ ground cardomom
7 sheets filo
80g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
With electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition until well combined.
Add the milk, sift in the flour and ground almonds. Fold together until combine.
Spread the batter into the 2 prepared cake tins. 1 with 1/3^rd of the mix and the 2^nd tin with the remaining mix, flatten the tops with the back of a spoon.
Roughly chop up the nuts together and then sprinkle ontop of the cakes. Push the nuts softly with your hand to ensure they stick into the cake.
Bake cakes for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The larger cake will take longer (around 50 minutes).
Leave the cooked cakes in the tins and reduce the oven temperature down to 160c degrees.
To make the syrup place the sugar, water, honey and lemon strip into a saucepan and stir on medium heat until the mix boils.
Continue boiling until the mix becomes thicker and syrupy.
Take the syrup off the heat, remove the rind and add in the rosewater and lemon juice, stir to combine. Place 4 tbsn aside in a small bowl for the filling.
With the cakes still in their tins use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the cakes.
Pour the syrup over the cakes evenly, leaving them in the tins to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the filling by beating the cheese, honey, cinnamon and cardamom with the 4 tbsn of the left-over syrup with electric beaters until combine. Set aside.
To make the filo layer place the pistachios, sugar and spices into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Melt the butter and using a pastry brush brush some of the butter to cover 1 filo sheet.
Using the cake tin as a guide place the tin on the buttered filo and cut around the tin, repeat with the leftover filo from your buttered sheets so you now have 2 circles from the 1 piece of filo.
Place the 2 filo pieces onto the lined baking tray.
Sprinkle 1 tsn of the nut mix over the buttered filo circles.
Brush the butter onto a 2nd piece of filo and repeat the cutting of 2 circles.
Add the 2 newly cut circle layers ontop of the filo circles on the tray and top with 1 tsn of nut mix.
Repeat the butter, nut, filo process until 7 sheets have been used and you have 2 filo stacks of 7 layers each.
Bake the stacks in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden in colour, leave the tray aside to cool the stacks completely.
Once the cakes have cooled place the smaller cake onto a plate (nut side up).
Spread with ½ the cheese filling then place a filo stack on top.
Cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
Add a 2nd cake layer (the layer with no nuts) ontop of the filo, spread with the remaining filling and the remaining filo stack.
Add the last (3rd) cake layer nut side up and enjoy.

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Apple Jelly and Peanut Oat Cheesecake Slice

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Ella Posted in Slice .

Apple Jelly and Peanut Oat Cheesecake Slice

Apple is a really interesting ingredient to bake with, it is actually quite a difficult ingredient to hero as a key flavor in desserts.

However, as I still have not accomplished a killed apple unusual treat I was determine to succeed in a bake thus hit the kitchen for some experimenting.

In my experimenting one combo I came up with that I thought would be the winner was the pecan lavender lemon and apple cake, however it was the flavor combo of cinnamon apple peanut oats and caramel that exceeded expectations.

After playing around with this flavor combo with different textures I ended up featuring the nuts oats and spice in a base for a crunch, created a peanut cheesecake for the filling, an apple jelly for an addition textural layer and caramel cream for indulgence.

Oat base:

105g flour
30g peanuts
105g butter
90g brown sugar
60 oatbran
1 + 1/2 tsn ground cinnamon

Peanut cheesecake:

1 + 1/2 tsn gelatin
2 tbsn water
280g cream cheese
75g brown sugar
1 + 1/2 tsn vanilla
210g peanut butter
50ml cream

Apple jelly:

350ml freshly squeezed apple juice
75g brown sugar
1 + 1/2 tsn lemon juice
2 tsn gelatin

Cream:

190ml thickened cream
1 tsn ground cinnamon
45g brown sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm x 30cm slice tin with baking paper.
Place all the base ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix is combine and balls up on the side of the mixer.
Spoon the mix into the cake tin and using the back of a spoon flatten out for even coverage.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly golden, leave aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the cheesecake layer by placing the boiling water with the gelatin and whisking with a fork until dissolved.
Place the gelatin mix, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and peanut butter into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until fluffy and well combine.
Add the cream to the mix and beat until just combine.
Remove the cooled oat base layer and baking paper from the tin and spray the tin with oil spray.
Cut 2mm off the base from 2 opposite sides.
Place 2 sheets of cling wrap over each other with the oat base layer in the center and lift the base back in the tin with the clingwrap overflowing the sides of the tin.
Pour the cheesecake mix on top of the oat base layer and even the mix out with a spoon.
Place the slice in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
To make the jelly add the freshly squeezed apple juice, sugar and lemon into a bowl and heat in the microwave until hot to touch.
Add the gelatin to the apple mix and stir until the gelatin is dissolved, leave aside until cooled completely.
Pour the apple mix over the cheesecake layer and leave in the fridge for 4 hours to set.
Lastly, beat the cream, cinnamon and sugar until peaks form.
Spread the cream over the set jelly layer and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
To serve, pull the cling wrap up to lift the slice from the tin, remove the cling wrap and place the slice on a plate.
Cut the slice into squares.