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.

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

These cookies came from me experimenting with cookie ‘sandwich’ biscuit recipes. I made a few patches of a range of varying flavor combinations where to list a few includes; peanut butter, almond, coconut, lime, butterscotch, caramel, Kahlua, chocolate…and the list goes on. The aim of making all the variations was to (a) have fun playing around with flavor pairings, but ultimately (b) I wanted to make up an epic recipe for a friends birthday to take to her gathering.

The best mix was peanut butter, chocolate and coconut with the addition of Kahlua to enhance and amplify the chocolate flavor, in which that it did!

This recipe you can say is not as out there as others I have made, BUT these cookies are pretty darn amazingly tasty.

Ingredients:

Biscuit:

160g butter
160g sugar
90g peanut butter
45ml Kahlua
150g plain flour
65g desiccated coconut
1/8 tsn salt
105g Oat bran

Filling:

300g dark chocolate
30ml cream
90g peanut butter

Extra:

60g desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 30 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
Using electric beaters whisk the soft butter and sugar until creamy.
Add the peanut butter and Kahlua and beat until well combined.
Sift in the flour and add in the coconut, oats and salt. Stir to combine.
Wet hands and roll mix into 15g balls, placing on the tray with 5cm between each ball.
Once all balls are done use the back of a spoon to slightly flatten.
Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes then place on a cooling rack until cooled.
Meanwhile, to make the filling place the chocolate with the cream in a bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals stirring in between until melted and smooth.
Set the chocolate aside in the fridge for 30 mins of until the chocolate is at a spreadable consistency (similar to peanut butter)
Spread each cooled biscuit on the baked side down with the chocolate mix.
On half the biscuits drop a small amount of peanut butter into the center of the biscuit on top of the ganache.
Sandwich the biscuits together.
Roll each of the biscuits on their side into the extra desiccated coconut and roll to cover all the chocolate filling until all biscuits are done.

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Ricotta Doughnuts with Orange Syrup

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Ella Posted in Doughnuts .

Ricotta Doughnuts with Orange Syrup

There are so many varying doughnut recipes that exist, with different methods and flavor combinations, to be honest the list is endless.

However after come recent doughnut making experimenting I made one doughnut in which I think is the most fluffy and soft doughnut I have ever eaten.

The secret? All I did was made a very simple and quick batter that was made predominately of ricotta cheese.

The cheese created the fluffy melt in your mouth texture that is easy to shape and crisps up like a perfect doughnut.

The zest in the batter provides a lovely citrus flavor without overpowering, while the syrup adds extra punch to the doughnuts flavors that delivers sweet luscious excellence.

Ingredients:

270g ricotta
2 eggs
20ml milk
50g sugar
1 + 1/4 orange’s zest
1 tsn lemon zest
50g flour
2 tbsn baking powder

Syrup:

60g sugar
40ml water
100ml orange juice
1 tbsn honey

Extra:

Vegetable oil to fry
Sugar to dust

Method:

Place the ricotta, eggs, milk, sugar and zests into a bowl and using a hand whisk beat until smooth.
Add in the flour and baking powder and beat until just combine.
Fill a saucepan with vegetable oil and place a small amount of batter into the oil on a high heat.
Once the batter starts to fry remove and turn down the temperature to medium.
Using 2 tablespoons scoop up the batter and shape into a ball, following with dropping into the oil.
Allow to fry for 2 minutes or until the doughnut is golden brown, turn the doughnut and allow to cook for a few more second and then transfer onto a plate lined with absorbent paper towel.
Repeat until all batter has gone.
Place the doughnuts into a bowl and sprinkle with the extra sugar, top with a plate and shake the bowl to allow for full sugar coverage.
Transfer onto a clean plate.
Make the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Turn heat to medium and stir until the mix resembles a syrup consistency, place into a clean jug.
Serve doughnuts with vanilla ice cream, drizzle doughnut with the syrup and enjoy.

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Low Fat White Chocolate Saffron and Vanilla Cupcakes

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cupcakes .

Low Fat White Chocolate Saffron and Vanilla Cupcakes

Don’t let the low fat make you think these cupcakes are not super delectable with a super tasty texture. Replacing 60% of the butter with apple puree ensures that the texture is still just as good but makes me feel much more guilt free!

It does sound like a strange concoction of flavors in this recipe, but the combo really works and complements each other.

Saffron is a common South Eastern Asia savory flavouring. While vanilla is a stock standard sweet flavor enhancer, white chocolate though not the usual go to chocolate for baking is still a common ingredient and yoghurt, well this ingredient is becoming more and more utilised in baking. So, you can imagine from this blend of varying flavors the recipe could have gone very very wrong…but to my delight I must say it’s quite a moreish sweet treat.

The white chocolate and vanilla sweeten and put a floral accent on the saffron and the natural yoghurt calms the icing sweetness down.

Ingredients:

140ml milk
Large pinch of saffron
250g flour
4 tsn baking powder
80g sugar
160g white chocolate
70g butter
100g apple puree
4 tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs

Icing:

50ml natural yoghurt
325g icing sugar
20ml vanilla essence

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with patty cases.
Place the milk into the microwave until steaming and add the saffron. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place into the flour mix, stir.
Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave and add the milk, puree, vanilla and eggs. Whisk with a hand whisk until well combined.
Pour the milk mix into the flour mix and using a hand whisk beat until just combine.
Pour the batter into the patty cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until and skewer in the center comes out clean.
Place the cupcakes onto a cooling rack until cool.
Meanwhile to make the icing beat the ingredients until well combined.
Using a spatula spread over the cupcake evenly.
Grate extra white chocolate over the icing and a few saffron strands.


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Honey Nougat Crackle Cheesecake

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Honey Nougat Crackle Cheesecake

Being a massive fan of Summer Rolls and Honey Nougat Chocolate Bars I decided I wanted to bake a dessert that would turned these bars into a luscious cake.

Honey, nougat, vanilla, peanuts and coconut are all ingredients that would work fabulously with a creamy textured cake, thus cheesecake it is.

Both bars are covered with chocolate so to replicate this layer I opted to use the chocolate as the base to hold the cheesecake together. As cheesecake is creamy and missing crunch I decided on using rice bubbles for a chocolate crackle base.

A very simple no bake cheesecake that replicates the chocolate bars flavours wonderfully.

Deliciously tasty.

Ingredients:

Base:

100g rice bubbles
40g desiccated coconut
200g chocolate, melted

Filling:

500g cream cheese, at room temperature
160ml honey
1 tsn vanilla essence
45g peanuts, chopped
70g desiccated coconut
2 tsn gelatin
40ml water
110g thickened cream
2 summer roll chocolate bars, chopped
2 honey nougat chocolate bars, chopped

Method:

Line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the rice bubbles and coconut into a bowl.
Add the melted chocolate and stir until well combine and all rice bubbles are covered.
Press 1/3^rd of the crackle mix on the bottom of the cake base and the remaining up the sides of the cake tin by pressing into the tin with damp hands.
Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, to make the filling place the cream cheese, honey and vanilla into a bowl and whip until creamy and smooth with electric beaters.
Boil the water and add in the gelatin, stir until dissolved and no lumps.
Add the peanuts and coconut to the cheese mix and beat for 1 minute.
Add the cream and gelatin mix and beat for 1 minute.
Finely chop up the chocolate bars and add to the mix, beat for 1 minute.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and leave in the fridge to set for 5 hours.
Remove the cake from the tin and top with grated chocolate, extra peanuts and drizzles of honey.


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Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Ella Posted in Bread .

Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

I do occasionally dabble with dough and on this occasion I thought I would pair sweet (but tart) and spicy flavours to take savory bread to the next level.

So what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think sweet…chocolate, that’s right.

We eat sweet Banana Bread for breakfast so why not Chocolate Bread? Chocolate alone was a bit mundane (bakeries do this nowadays) so I decided to add in some spices to give a few kicks to enhance the chocolates taste and the breads flavour. Thus my Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread was born.

Ingredients:

400g white bread flour
1 tbsn sugar
3 tsn ground ginger
½ tsn cinnamon
½ tsn ground cloves
Pinch chili Powder
1 tsn salt
½ tsn dried yeast
1 tbsn oil
160g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate chips

Method:

Mix together the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder and salt in a bowl.
Place the yeast and 280ml of warm water in a bowl for 5 minutes or until it bubbles.
Stir the oil with the warm water then pour into the flour mix, stir.
Lightly flour a bench and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap or a tea towel for 1-2 hours to prove (or until it doubled in size).
Add the chocolate chips and combine with the dough.
Lightly flour the bench again and knead the chocolate through the dough for 2 minutes.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and shape the dough into a bread shape and place on the tray.
Cover the bread again and leave to prove for another hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 220c degrees and place a small bowl of water in the bottom of the oven to stop the bread drying out.
Once proved cut slits in the top of the bread and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the load sounds hollow.

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Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Ella Posted in Pudding .

Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

This recipe is a mix between a rice pudding and porridge that can be eaten as a satisfying breakfast or a quick and easy dessert.

I eat porridge for breakfast quite frequently and also enjoy a sweet coconut rice pudding for dessert.

To my porridge I like to experiment by replacing the oats with similar ingredients such as chia seeds, sago or quinoa flakes. To take my experimenting to the next level I decided to use semolina instead of the oats in porridge or the rice in rice pudding.

For the flavouring I opted for apple and cinnamon – an oldie but a goodie.

After playing around with the recipe I decided that caramelized apple slices on top of the pudding and beautiful vanilla & cinnamon cooked into the semolina delivered the best taste result.

To add more depth I topped the pudding with a burnt honey sauce and roasted nuts for the satisfying crunch texture.

If you’re after a delightful creamy and moreish breakfast option or a sweet way to finish a meal this recipe will have you covered.

Why this recipe makes the website – the result I ended up with blew my expectations. I could but the spoon down!

Ingredients:

Pudding:

600ml milk
60g sugar
1 tsn cinnamon
1 tsn vanilla essence
70g semolina
15g butter

Apples:

2 apples
40g butter
2 tbsn maple syrup
½ tsn cinnamon

Extra:

80g honey
40g water
80g mixed almond/hazelnut/brazil/macadamia nuts

Method:

Place the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla into a saucepan on a high heat.
Whisk the mix until it boils.
Add in the semolina and butter, stir and reduce the heat down to simmer.
Whisk continuously until the milk is soaked up by the semolina and the mix thickens (about 15 minutes).
Remove off heat and divide the mix up between 4 bowls.
Peel the apples and thick julienne cut them.
Place the apple in a saucepan on high heat along with the 40g butter, maple syrup and ½ tsn cinnamon.
Stir with a spoon until the apples caramelize and are slightly soft.
Spoon the apples over the semolina pudding.
Place the honey a saucepan on high heat for 1 minute or until it darkens in colour.
Add the 40g water and stir until the mix slightly reduces and is syrupy in consistency.
Spoon the honey over the pudding.
Top with finely diced nuts and enjoy.

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Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

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Zucchini Polenta Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Zucchini Polenta Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

This cake was inspired by wanting to hide green veggies in a sweet treat as well as use a grain to replace some of the flour quantity, thus the zucchini and polenta in this cake.

I thought orange and poppy seed would be a great addition and work well with texture of the cake. The polenta would soak up the juice and take on the taste of the orange as well as soak up the liquid of the zucchini, ensuring the cake will not be gooey or sticky.

The cake is subtle, lovely and delicate.

Ingredients:

Cake:

280 zucchini, grated
230g butter
300g sugar
4 eggs
40g poppy seeds
2 tbsn orange rind
2 tsn baking powder
270g flour
160g polenta
90ml orange juice

Icing:

300g cream cheese
100g icing sugar
4 tsn orange juice
1 tsn orange zest

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Grate the zucchini until you have 280g in volume.
Give the zucchini a good squeeze to remove excess liquid, place in a bowl.
Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and using an electric beater whisk until the mix is creamy and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition.
Add the poppy seeds and zest and beat until well combined.
Add the zucchini and beat until well combined.
Add in the powder, flour, polenta and orange juice and beat until just combine, but smooth.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour of until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place the cake on a cooling rack to completely cool.
Meanwhile, make the icing by placing all the ingredients into a bowl and beat with the electric beaters until smooth and fluffy.
Once the cake is cooled cut in half horizontally.
Cover each layer with the icing on the top.
Place one cake layer on top of the other.
Enjoy.

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Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Ella Posted in Trifile .

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

I’m a massive massive fan or Tiramisu, it’s my all-time favorite dessert.

So earlier today, when I was feeling really creative I decided to do a whole range of different tiramisus with a variation of different flavor combinations. I figured if I could make a tiramisu that I really liked and found interesting it would have to be pretty amazing.

I made 10 different variations of flavour combo’s that I experimented with, while still sticking to the fundamentals of the dessert and not opting too far away.

Out of all the variations I created only one that was really a standout to the point that I kept going back for more.

I’m not saying this recipe is as good as my mother’s traditional tiramisu (which is the best dessert I have ever eaten in my life), however it is a scrumptious hazelnut alternative (instead of marsala as the base flavour).

For extra hazelnut flavour in this recipe I used liquor, spread and hazelnuts for that much needed texture crunch.

As usual, to make this more baking-friendly I have simplified the traditional method down to a few less steps without impacting the quality or taste.

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

Ingredients:

3 tbsn instant coffee
140ml hot water
220ml Frangelico (or any other hazelnut liquor)
3 eggs
120g sugar
600g mascarpone cheese
300g Nutella (or any other hazelnut spread)
200g savoiardi biscuits
100g hazelnuts

Method:

Combine the water and coffee granules and stir until dissolved.
Add 180ml of the Frangelico and stir into the coffee, leave aside for later.
Separate the eggs with the whites in a bowl and the yolks into another.
Add the sugar to the yolk bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 5 minutes or until light and creamy.
Add the remaining Frangelico and mascarpone cheese and beat until combine on low speed.
Clean beaters and beat the egg whites until peaks form.
Fold the egg whites and Nutella into the cheese mix until just combine.
Dip a biscuit into the coffee mix for a second on each side. Place biscuits in the base of a 20 x 20 cm baking tray.
Repeat dipping the biscuits and placing into the tray until you have used half the biscuits.
Chop up the hazelnuts into rough small pieces and sprinkle half on top of the cheese mix.
Top nuts with half the cheese mix and spread to allow for an even cover.
Repeat the biscuits being dipped and placed on top of the cheese mix until all the biscuits are used up.
Sprinkle remaining nuts.
Top the nut layer with the remaining cheese mix and spread to allow for an even cover.
Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Serve with grated chocolate, cocoa powder or a sprinkle of extra chopped hazelnuts and enjoy.


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Yoghurt Plum and Port Cheesecake

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Yoghurt Plum and Port Cheesecake

This cake, is a killer. Who knew plum and port went so well together! I don’t even really like Port, but the sweet taste of the plum makes the Port flavor absolutely addictive.

I made five cakes yesterday when I made this one and none of the others come close to being anywhere near as good.

Cheesecake is another one that is not really a favorite, so to challenge myself I decided that I would incorporate these two flavors into a cheesecake. If I could make a cheesecake that I adored then it would definitely be an amazing cake.

To try to cut down the fat content I opted for a little low fat yoghurt in the mix.

If you’re looking for an unusual but soooo tasty cake this one is a must try!

Ingredients:

Base:

250g nice biscuits
100g butter

Filling:

600g plums
120ml port
500g low fat cream cheese
130g brown sugar
120g vanilla low fat yoghurt
1 tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 egg whites

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 150c degrees and line a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the butter and biscuits in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles bread crumbs.
Place in the tin and flatten out with fingertips.
Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, cut the plum up into slices and place into a saucepan with the port on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces. Place aside to cool.
Add the cheese, yoghurt, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 5 minutes.
Place half the plums with the liquid into a food processor and blitz until smooth, add to the cheese mix.
Add the 2 eggs to the mix, one at a time beat well between each addition.
Place the egg whites into a bowl and beat until peaks form.
Dice up the remaining plums and add to the mix with the egg whites and fold until just combine.
Pour the mix on top of the base and place in the oven for 60 minutes or until the top of the cake is slightly brown.
Turn off the oven and open the door slightly to be jarred.
Leave the cake to completely cool for 2 hours then place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
Release the tin and place the cake on a plate.
Sieve icing sugar over the top and serve.

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Ricotta Chocolate Hazelnut Cake recipe

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Ricotta Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Ricotta Chocolate Hazelnut Cake recipe

Just like many people I am a fan of Ferrero Rocher’s, but am also mindful that 1 is never enough and they aren’t exactly low in kj’s. So I decided to make a cake that duplicated the beautiful flavors of chocolate and hazelnuts in a low sat-fat, low LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and packed with protein super cake.

Instead of butter I have used low fat ricotta as the base core ingredient for both the icing and the cake, cocoa powder instead of chocolate and hazelnuts instead of the large amount of Nutella that Fererro Rocher’s have.

This cake is lovely and moist, not too sweet but super moreish!

Ingredients:

Cake:

40ml water
½ tsn coffee granules
300g low fat ricotta
4 eggs
180g sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence
60g cocoa powder
235g hazelnut meal

Icing:

200g ricotta
1 tsn vanilla essence
60g butter
95g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 150c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Boil the water and place in a small bowl with the coffee granules and stir until coffee is dissolved, leave aside.
Place the ricotta, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until smooth and silky.
Add the coffee and beat with the electric beaters until well combine and smooth.
Add the hazelnut meal and beat until combine.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.
Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the mix and fold until combine. Repeat 2 more times until the mix is just combine.
Spoon the mix into the cake tin and smooth top with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave aside to cool in the tin.
Meanwhile make the icing by placing the ricotta, vanilla, butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until smooth and silky in texture.
Remove the cake from the tin once cooled and cut in half horizontally.
Place the base cake layer down and top with half the icing.
Top with the 2nd cake layer and top with the remaining icing.
Sprinkle with a little extra chopped hazelnuts and cocoa powder and enjoy!

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