January 2015 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Blackberry Jelly Pillow Cakes

Posted on January 27, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Blackberry Jelly Pillow Cakes

Its funny I have baked a bit where I incorporate Jelly crystals into recipes (for example my Jelly biscuits), but I haven’t actually make a Jelly recipe as such in the traditional sense. I’m not appose Jelly but incorporating the crystals into recipes is far more exciting and an easy way to add flavour to any recipe.

This next post’s recipe does just that, as well as plays around with the traditional Aussie (more accurately New Zealand) Lamington to give it a fruit coating instead of the traditional chocolate.

I must say this recipe turned out way more impressive than I expected and fast became one of my favorites for a while.

And why blackberry? Why not?

Ingredients:

85g packet blackberry jelly crystals
75g butter
75g sugar
½ tsn vanilla essence
1 egg
100g self raising flour
30g milk
90g desiccated coconut
100ml thickened cream
1 tsn icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and place 12 medium sized patty pan cases into a 12 hole cupcake tin.
Place 45g of the jelly crystals into a bowl of 250ml of boiling water. Whisk until the jelly has dissolved fully then pour in a further 250ml of cold water into the bowl, whisk again.
Place the jelly mix in the fridge for 1 hour or until the jelly resembles a syrup texture and is almost set.
Using electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and eggs, beating in each addition.
Sift in the flour and pour the milk into the butter mix and mix with a spoon until just combine.
Whisk with electric beaters until just fluffy.
Spoon the mix into the patty cases (about 2 tbsn of batter per cake) and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a skewer in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 5 minutes than place on a cooling rack out of the patty cases until the cakes are cooled.
Place the coconut onto a plate.
Using a fork dip the cakes into the jelly for 25 seconds then place in the coconut and cover the cake completely.
Place the covered cake onto a plate and repeat, all the jelly should be used up. Once all covered place the plate in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
Using electric beaters beat the cream and icing sugar until thick and peaked.
Cut the cakes horizontally in half, spoon some cream into one of the cake halves, dust with 10g of the jelly crystals over the cakes.
Sandwich the second cake on top of the cream and dust with a further 5g of the jelly crystals over the cakes.
Place the cakes in the fridge again for a further 30 minutes, serve.

Ingredients

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Bubblegum Cheesecake

Posted on January 21, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Bubblegum Cheesecake

As you will be well aware by now I am always asking people and on the lookout for baking flavor ideas.

I had a friend recently suggest to me bubblegum flavored cheesecake. Interesting…this could turn out to be amazing or so so wrong. Now it did actually take me two attempts to get this cake right, however the reason I even bothered a second attempt was due to the fillings taste sensation. I felt attempt one could have had a firmer filling so I re-did the cake with a much more satisfactory outcome.

After a solid taste testing session the consensus was that this cheesecake is a big winner.

Now, I must say, I’m not a massive fan of cheesecake but this one (a) is not sickly sweet (even with the white chocolate topping), (b) has a perfect consistency and (c) actually taste exactly like I remember bubblegum tasting as a kid!

Ingredients:

Base:

375g butternut snap biscuits
100g butter

Filling:

120g bubblegum flavored jelly crystals
500g cream cheese
175ml thickened cream
100g sugar

Topping:

150g white chocolate
70ml thickened cream

Method:

Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Place crumbs in a bowl with melted butter and mix until well combine.
Spoon the mix into a 23cm spring form cake tin, covering both the base and sides of the tin.
Once the biscuit base is complete place in the fridge for later.
Boil 60ml of water and add 55g of the jelly crystals. Stir until well combine.
Using electric beaters beat the cheese, cream, sugar and 65g of the jelly crystals until combine.
Add the just cooled jelly water mix to the cheese mix and beat until just combine with no lumps.
Pour the cheese mix into the prepared biscuit base and leave in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
To make the topping place the 70ml of cream in a bowl in the microwave and heat until the cream boils.
Add the white chocolate to the cream, wait a minute, then stir until the mix is well combine. Place the chocolate mix aside until cooled.
Pour the chocolate mix over the cheesecake and place back in the fridge for 2 hours+ to set.

Ingredients

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Decorate!

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Chocolate Vegemite Cupcakes

Posted on January 19, 2015 Posted in Cupcakes .

Chocolate Vegemite Cupcakes

Ok so I know this doesn’t sound that great but hear me out. I have made some weird baking combos with chocolate…chocolate bacon, chocolate zucchini, chocolate cocoa-cola, chocolate red wine…and the list continues…

So I ask you, have I ever failed you before? Two of the above cakes mentioned were the moistest and luscious cakes I have ever made. While the bacon and cocoa-cola cakes, well they both amplified the chocolate flavour and created chocolate intenseness!

Not a fan of vegemite? As I mentioned the vegemite amplifies the chocolate so don’t be scared and give it a go!

This is an addictive treat, particularly the caramel-vegemite icing!

Ingredients:

140g brown sugar
2 eggs
85g butter
35g vegemite
130g milk
100g dark chocolate
250g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsn bicarbonate of soda
1/ tsn baking powder

Icing:

140g butter
300g icing sugar
100g brown sugar
5 tsn vegemite

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a medium sized cupcake pan with 20 paper cases.
Place the chocolate in a saucepan over boiling water and stir until the chocolate is melted, set aside to cool slightly.
Beat the sugar and butter with electric beaters until creamy and caramel in colour.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating with each addition.
Add the vegemite, milk and melted cooled chocolate and beat until well combine.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, soda and baking powder and beat until well combine and caramel silky smooth in texture and colour.
Spoon the mix into the 20 paper patty cases then place the cupcakes in the oven for 20minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the tin then remove and place on a cake rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the icing place the butter, vegemite and brown sugar on the stove on a medium heat.
Stir the mix on the heat until the sugar has melted and the mix is fully combine.
Once the caramel mix has cooked place into a bowl, sift in the icing sugar and beat with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe on the top of the cooled cupcakes.

Notes:

I have decorated with shaves chocolate, chocolate pieces and Ferrero’s.
Don’t be scared off by the Vegemite, it complements the chocolate and extends the flavour without overpowering.

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Novelty Nougat Summer Roll

Posted on January 12, 2015 Posted in Unique .

Novelty Nougat Summer Roll

You many recall a while back I made a cake sized novelty Chomp Chocolate Bar. After a friend recently went though my website index and saw the Chomp Chocolate Bar recipe of course I had another challenge thrown at me fairly swiftly.

Not one to disappoint, the next day I was in the kitchen with a belly full of summer rolls that were a must to devour to ensure I was 100% all over the ingredients, taste and texture.

This experimental session was my first endeavor at making nougat (multiple times to get the texture spot on) and did include many modifications along the way, however in the end the outcome was amazing!

Ingredients:

50g peanuts
15g desiccated coconut
140g sugar
125g glucose syrup
1 egg white
¼ vanilla essence
40g cream
125g milk chocolate

Method:

Place the peanuts into a pan and on low heat roast the peanuts on the stove until a slight golden colour forms. Set the peanuts aside.
Place the coconut into the same pan and again roast until the coconut has a slight golden colour. Set aside.
Place a piece of baking paper on a tray with oil spray on both sides of the paper.
To make the chocolate place the cream in a saucepan on a low heat on the stove and add in the chocolate chip pieces. Once the chocolate begins to melt you can remove off the heat and stir the mix until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Set aside for later.
Place the sugar, glucose syrup, and 20ml of water in a saucepan and stir on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.
In the meantime place approx. 10cm of water in an empty the sink to cool down the bottom of the saucepan immediately for later.
Beat the egg white with electric beaters until firm peaks have formed.
Increase the heat of the stove for the sugar mix to high until the mix boils, then place a sugar thermometer in the mix and keep an eye on the temperature.
Once the temperature hits 150c degrees remove off the heat and place the bottom of the pan in the sink of water for 5 seconds or until the bubbles subside. This will stop the temperature climbing past 150c.
On a medium speed of the electric beaters whish the egg whites again while you carefully pour the sugar syrup into the egg white mix in a slow and continuous flow. NOTE It is important not to pour the sugar syrup on the side of the bowl or on the beaters as the syrup with seize before it is incorporated into the mix.
Once the syrup is all added in continue beating for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla and the peanuts to the mix, stirring to combine.
Spoon the nougat mix onto the baking paper in a log shape and roll the baking paper, twisting the paper at both ends to ensure the nougat is tightly enclosed in the log shape. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
On another piece of oiled baking paper spread out the chocolate mix from earlier in a fat log shape, big enough to cover all sides of the nougat log.
Remove the log from the freezer as well as the accompanying paper and place on the spread chocolate.
Roll the baking paper with the log in the center ensuring the log is completely covered in chocolate.
Again twist the ends of the baking paper to enclose the log with chocolate and carefully with your hands place some pressure on the log while rolling to ensure a full distribution of the chocolate on the nougat. Place in the freezer again for 5 minutes.
Remove the roll from the freezer and carefully unravel the paper completely.
Sprinkle the coconut all over the baking paper and roll the log along the paper, pushing the coconut into the roll as you roll it.
For the last time re-roll the log in the baking paper and twist the sides.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set, following cut to enjoy.

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Fig and Grape Syrup Cake

Posted on January 12, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Fig and Grape Syrup Cake

To challenge myself I am always adding to the list of fruits (and some vegetables) that I am yet to bake with, where I am slowly but surely getting my way through the list.

This cake quite simply incorporates 2 fruits I have not baked with previously that I felt could pair well together and that they certainly did!

Grapes as the core cake ingredient does sound a little bazaar and to make it ever more weird sounding the addition of a date syrup…but trust me this does work.

This recipe is the culprit for my recent fixation with figs (which will become evident soon enough), which was such a delightful cake to eat.

Ingredients:

Cake:

225ml sherry
200g brown sugar
130g butter
1 orange
1 lemon
340g grapes
225g plain flour
1 tsn baking powder

Syrup:

40g dried fig
80g sugar
2 tbsn honey
½ tsn ground ginger

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Pour the sherry into a pan on the stove and boil on medium heat. Once boiled reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mix reduces to 160ml.
Remove Sherry off the heat and set aside.
With electric beaters beat the sugar, butter and zest of the lemon and orange until thick and creamy.
Using a food processor blitz 160g grapes until liquefied.
Add the blitzed grape mix to the sherry and then add to the butter mix.
Sift in the flour and baking powder into the butter mix then fold until the mix is well combine.
Spoon the batter into the cake tin, using the back of the spoon flatten.
Cut the remaining (180g) grapes in half and place the grapes on the top of the cake – cut side up.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
To make the syrup, dice the figs up and place them in a saucepan on the stove with the sugar, 300ml of water, the honey and the ground ginger.
Stir on medium until the mix boils then continue boiling for 5 minutes of until the mix becomes thicker and syrupy.
Once done remove off the heat and pass through a sieve to remove fig pieces.
Once the cake is cooked, using the skewer poke holes in the top of the cake and pure in the syrup over the cakes evenly.
Leave the cake in the tin to cool then serve with fig pieces scattered on top.

Notes:

40g dried fig is around 2 dried figs.
If you don’t have Sherry you can replace with any other sweet wine such as Port or Brandy.

Ingredients

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Pretzel Slice

Posted on January 3, 2015 Posted in Slice .

Pretzel Slice

Revisiting the sweet and salty combo again, this time I have been influenced by my sweet chocolate covered salted pretzels that I made a few months back (still be be posted so stay tuned)!

In the past I have made a few sweet and salty recipes that have been huge successes; their was the popcorn biscuits and the chocolate bacon cake with maple frosting just to name a few. It’s just something about this combo where the salt intensifies the sweetness and takes it to the next level.

Now salted caramel was a significant baking trend of 2013 and 2014, however I decided to take this to an unusual level by adding the savory and salty pretzel to a caramel slice. The outcome of this recipe has the sweet and salty as well as a perfect crunchy and satisfying texture.

Ingredients:

250g butternut snap cookies
350g butter
250g brown sugar
½ cup honey
300g thickened cream
200g pretzels

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 180c and line a 20cm x 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits into a food processor and process.
Place 100g butter in a bowl and melt the butter in the microwave, following stir in the biscuit crumbs.
Press the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Break up the pretzels into little pieces.
Place the honey, remaining butter and sugar in a sauce pan on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until bubbling.
Whisk in the cream and stir for 10 minutes or until the caramel forms a ball when dropped into water.
Add in the pretzels, stir until combine.
Pour the pretzel mix over the slice base and bake for 15 minutes.
Once cooked set aside to cool.
Once cooled cut into squares and place in the fridge to set.

Notes:

You are best cutting the slice while is has just cooled and not after its come out of the fridge as it will be very difficult to cut the hard set caramel.
You can use Arnott’s Arrowroot or Teddy Bear Biscuits if you are not a fan Butternut snap cookies.

Ingredients

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Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: January 2015

Blackberry Jelly Pillow Cakes

Bubblegum Cheesecake

Chocolate Vegemite Cupcakes

Novelty Nougat Summer Roll

Fig and Grape Syrup Cake

Pretzel Slice

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