Sweet Tooth Experiments

Category Archives: Biscuits

Black Sesame Macarons

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Black Sesame Macarons

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

 

For a while now I have been meaning to bake something with Black Sesames and to be honest if was difficult to come up with a recipe where the seeds can be the hero flavour and really shine.

As the flavour is quite subtle adding any other flavour in the mix would clout and take over.

Why Black Sesame then if it’s such a restrained flavour? I ate the seeds in an ice-cream Asian dessert recently, and though the dessert wasn’t anything special I was quite drawn to the rawness and uniqueness of the flavour.

After playing around with a few recipe drafts I ended up deciding on macarons. Macarons are so airy and light thus the filling is usually the primary element in which I could easily use the seeds for the filling and make it shine. A slightly vanilla spiked biscuit flavour would allow the black sesame to really take over the palate.

Now the last time I made macaron’s they didn’t turn out that great, so to ensure I would get the best result possible I have used Adriano Zumbo’s macaron recipe as a base guide and altered accordingly.

The outcome = perfect macaroons!

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Ingredients:

Macarons:

  • 95g eggwhites (3 large egg equivalent)
  • 135g icing sugar
  • 135g almond meal
  • 40ml water
  • 1/4 tsn vanilla essence
  • 125g sugar

Filling:

  • 2 tbsn black sesame seeds
  • 45g butter
  • 90g icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 135c degrees and line 2 large biscuit trays with baking paper.
  2. Using a 20 cent piece sized cookie cutter draw circles on the paper leaving 2cm gap between each.
  3. Sift the icing sugar and almond meal through a sieve into a bowl, stir to combine.
  4. Add 45g of eggwhite and the vanilla, stir until well combine.
  5. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook on a high heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mix boils to become a syrup.
  6. Place a candy thermometer in the syrup and leave the temperature on high until it hits 120c degrees.
  7. Add the remaining eggwhites into a new unused bowl and with electric beaters beat for 30 seconds on a medium speed.
  8. Next, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the eggwhites while you beat.
  9. Beat eggwhite for 3 minutes or until the mix is smooth and glossy.
  10. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the almond mix until just combine.
  11. Add the remaining eggwhites to the mix and fold until just combine.
  12. Place the mix into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain circle nozzle.
  13. Pipe the mix into the drawn circle shapes by placing the nozzle in the centre of the circle and use pressure on the piping bag until the circle is filled.
  14. Once all circles are filled tap the tray to get rid of any air bubbles and leave the tray for 45 minutes to allow the biscuits to form a skin on top.
  15. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until crisp.
  16. Let them cool completely on the tray.
  17. Meanwhile to make the filling, place the seeds into a saucepan and on a medium heat stir until the seeds start to release their wonderful scent (do no allow to burn).
  18. Take the seeds off the heat and grind the sesames in a pestle and mortar until they resemble a paste (do 2 tsn at a time).
  19. Once cooled place the paste, room temperature butter and icing sugar in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk on high for 3 minutes or until mix is creamy and fluffy.
  20. Spread the biscuits with the icing mix and sandwich 2 biscuit together, the filling in the centre.
  21. Enjoy and serve.

 

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 4

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 6

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 6

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 9

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 9

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 11

Black Sesame Macarons recipe.

Step 13

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 18

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Step 19

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich

Posted on Posted in Biscuits, Ice-cream cake .

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich recipe

This is a really easy and quick ‘cheats’ version of an addictive carrot ice-cream sandwich.

The ‘cheat’ component coming from the use of store purchased vanilla ice-cream (saving you 45 mins prep + setting time) and using pre-cooked tin carrots (saving you 45 mins of prep + roasting the carrots time).

Now by no means am I saying you cannot make your ice-cream from scratch or roast your carrots from raw, however these days you can buy a premium quality vanilla-ice-cream.

I know canned carrots doesn’t sound very appealing but hear me out, once blitzed with the spices this mix will be so tasty you will want to use it as a dip.

This recipe has 2 parts the ice-cream and the biscuit component but let me tell you this ice-cream is the star. Yes my shortbread biscuits are my tried and quadruple tested biscuits that I use as the base to all my shortbread baking but even still this ice-cream is the hero.

To be honest I’m not the biggest fan of carrots but this ice-cream is a moreish tasting carrot cake treat.

I had high hopes for this recipe and OMG it came through with guns blazing.

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich

Ingredients:

Ice-Cream:

  • 2 x 410g can of cooked carrots
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 40g icing sugar
  • 400g vanilla ice-cream

Biscuit:

  •  110g butter, softened
  • 40g custard powder
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 150g flour
  • ½ tsn baking powder
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn ground nutmeg

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Take the ice-cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for 10 minutes.
  3. Place the drained carrots into a food processor and blitz until a puree is formed.
  4. Pass puree through a sieve into a bowl and add the spices and icing sugar. Stir to combine.
  5. Add the ice-cream to the carrot puree mix and beat with a hand whisk until well combined.
  6. Place the ice-cream into the freezer for at least 3 hours to harden.
  7. Meanwhile, place all the biscuit ingredients in a food processor and process until the mix clumps together.
  8. Roll the mix into 12 x 30g balls and place onto the lined tray.
  9. Using a fork push into the center of the ball slightly to form the biscuit shape.
  10. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the biscuits are slightly golden.
  11. Place the biscuits on a cooling tray until cold then in the freezer to chill for 30 mins+.
  12. Take the ice-cream and biscuits out of the freezer.
  13. Sandwich the ice-cream between 2 biscuits using a spoon and remove any excess, place back in the freezer for 20 minute or until ready to serve.

 

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 3
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 3
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich

Step 4

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 4
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 5
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich

Step 7

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 9
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 10
Carrot Cake Ice-Cream Biscuits Sandwich
Step 17

 

 

Like this recipe? Please subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

White Chocolate Golden Syrup Cranberry Florentines

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

White Chocolate Golden Syrup Cranberry Florentines

White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
There are many many many versions of Florentine recipes that exist in magazines, recipe books, online etc so it’s quite rare for me to post a recipe that has so many variations and is so well known. Though most florentine recipes use the same standard base ingredients of cornflakes, condensed milk, milk chocolate and glaze cherries the secondary ingredients can span wide.

 

So when I came across a florentine in a café that had no cornflakes and was completely addictive I decided to create my own version, though deliberately without the 4 base ingredients for a good challenge.
I made a thin biscuit batter instead of the cornflakes, golden syrup instead of the condensed milk, dried cranberries instead of the glaze fruit, 4 different nuts instead of just focusing on 1 and lastly white chocolate instead of the traditional milk.

 

I identified that the golden syrup provides a malty caramel flavour which with the nuts tastes absolutely delicious. The white chocolate allows the nuts, golden syrup and cranberries to shine as it’s not as overwhelming in flavour as milk chocolate.A warning, this biscuit is moreish-ly addictive!
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 50g brown sugar
  • 50g butter
  • 30ml golden syrup
  • 45g plain flour
  • 75g mixed roasted nuts (I used cashews, pecans, walnuts and almonds)
  • 40g cranberries
  • 90g white chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup into a bowl and heat in the microwave until the mix bubbles.
  3. Using a hand whisk beat until the mix is well combine.
  4. Sieve the flour over the butter mix and beat until combine.
  5. Chop the nuts into small pieces and add to the sugar butter mix.
  6. Slightly dice up the cranberries and add to the butter mix.
  7. Stir the mix until all ingredients are combined.
  8. Roll the mix into balls, 15g each and place them onto the baking paper ensuring at least 5cm between each ball.
  9. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Allow the biscuits to cool and harden on the trays.
  11. Place the while chocolate into a bowl and on a low/medium level heat in the microwave in 1 minute intervals until the chocolate is melted.
  12. Use a bread knife or spatula spread the chocolate over the bottom of each cooled biscuits placing the biscuits chocolate side up onto a plate.
  13. Place the plate into the fridge until the chocolate has set hard.

 

Boozy Mocha Yoghurt Ice-Cream recipe

Step 3
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 7
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 10
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 12

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Ginger and Date Biscuit Cake

Posted on Posted in Biscuits, Cakes .

Ginger and Date Biscuit Cake

Ginger and Date Biscuit Cake recipe

This recipe is a revised play on an experimental date and ginger cake that I made recently, in which incorporated whole ginger biscuits in the filling. I found that the cake batter was to thin to bake well but not thin enough to soften the biscuits. However the flavor was a winner so I continued to play with different ideas to use the flavors in a successful way.

Think sticky date pudding but as a soft melt in your mouth cake, and not as a pudding.

 

Ingredients:

  • 80g pitted dried dates
  • 600ml thickened cream
  • 1 tbsn icing sugar
  • 70ml sherry
  • 250g gingersnap biscuits

 

Method:

  1. Place the dates in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes to soak up the liquid.
  2. Remove dates from the water and place in a food processor until the mix resembles a paste, set aside to cool completely.
  3. Use an electric beater to beat the cream until soft peaks form.
  4. Add the icing sugar a beat until firm peaks form.
  5. Set aside 250ml whipped cream for later use.
  6. Stir 20ml of whipped cream with the cooled date mix to loosen the mix.
  7. Gentry fold the date mix through the remaining 330ml of whipped cream.
  8. Spread a little of the date cream mixture along a serving platter in a straight line to hold the base.
  9. Place the sherry in a bowl and drop the biscuits, one at a time in the sherry until they start to absorb the liquid. After placing all the biscuits in you should have no liquid left.
  10. Spread 1 biscuit with the date cream mixture on the top of the biscuit. Using another biscuit sandwich together with the bottom side of the 2nd biscuit touching the date mix so the mix is in the center.
  11. Spread the date cream mixture on the top of the 2nd biscuit and using a 3rd biscuit sandwich together, bottom side to the mix.
  12. Place the biscuit sandwich stack vertically (biscuits on their edge) on the cream you spread on the serving plate to hold it in place.
  13. Continue layering by adding the cream to the front of the last biscuit and sandwich until all biscuits and cream have been used and a log is formed.
  14. Spread the set aside 250ml whipped cream over the outside of the cake to completely cover.
  15. Place in the fridge for 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
  16. When ready to serve remove from the fridge, cut and enjoy.

Note: I also grated over some dark chocolate for decoration.

 

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe

Step 4

Ginger and Date Biscuit Cake recipe

Step 13

Ginger and Date Biscuit Cake recipe
Step 16

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

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:

  1. Make the ice-cream by placing all the ingredients into a food processor and blitzing on high until the mix is completely smooth.
  2. Line a slice pan (lamington pan for best results) with plastic wrap, allowing for overlap.
  3. Pour the ice-cream mix in the slice pan and place the pan into the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.
  4. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  5. Place the butter in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 3 minutes or until the butter is light and fluffy.
  6. Add the lemon zest, essence, custard powder and sugar and whisk until well combined.
  7. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mix and whisk until just combined.
  8. Roll the mix into balls of 30g each and place on the trays (8 balls on each tray).
  9. 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.
  10. Remove the cookie cutter and repeat with all 16 balls ensuring 5cm between each biscuit.
  11. Place the trays into the oven for 16 minutes or until lightly golden.
  12. Leave biscuits to cool on the trays for a few minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack until cold.
  13. Once the biscuits are cold place in the freezer for later use.
  14. To assemble, pull up the plastic wrap from the slice pan and place on the bench plastic wrap side down.
  15. Dip the cookie cutter into hot water and cut out an ice-cream circle.
  16. 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.
  17. Repeat with the remaining ice-cream and biscuits until 8 ice-cream sandwiches are make.
  18. Place the plate into the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour.
  19. 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.

 

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 5

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 8

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 10

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 12

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 15

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich recipe

Step 17

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Pepparkakor

Posted on Posted in Biscuits, Swedish, Traditional .

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

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:

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

 

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Step 2

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Step 5

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Step 7

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Step 8

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Step 10

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 30 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Using electric beaters whisk the soft butter and sugar until creamy.
  3. Add the peanut butter and Kahlua and beat until well combined.
  4. Sift in the flour and add in the coconut, oats and salt. Stir to combine.
  5. Wet hands and roll mix into 15g balls, placing on the tray with 5cm between each ball.
  6. Once all balls are done use the back of a spoon to slightly flatten.
  7. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes then place on a cooling rack until cooled.
  8. 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.
  9. Set the chocolate aside in the fridge for 30 mins of until the chocolate is at a spreadable consistency (similar to peanut butter)
  10. Spread each cooled biscuit on the baked side down with the chocolate mix.
  11. On half the biscuits drop a small amount of peanut butter into the center of the biscuit on top of the ganache.
  12. Sandwich the biscuits together.
  13. 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.

 

Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls recipe

Step 2

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

Step 4

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

Step 6

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

Step 7

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

Step 8

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

Step 13

 

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Grape Jelly Melting Moments

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Grape Jelly Melting Moments

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

You may have noticed if you read my blog frequently that I use jelly crystals for flavoring very often from home-made fondant to cheesecakes. So when I wanted to make my never-fail-always complemented melting moments recipe with a twist and unusual flavor of course my first thought was to use jelly crystals for this and use the crystals to replace the sugar in the biscuits.

After reviewing the jelly isle in the supermarket I landed on purple grape as my chosen flavor (blue heaven, bubblegum and creamy soda have already featured in my past recipes).

After some tweaking and playing around with the recipe I was able to get the ratios perfect and created a brand new deliciously tasting biscuit.

Ingredients:

Biscuit:

  • 150g butter
  • 64g custard powder
  • 60g jelly crystals
  • 160g flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder

Filling:

  • 80g butter
  • 140g icing sugar
  • 50g jelly crystals

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Place the butter and jelly crystals in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until the butter is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the custard powder and whisk until combine.
  4. Add the flour and baking powder and using a spoon stir until the mix until well combined.
  5. Roll the mix into balls of 20g each and place on the tray.
  6. Press each ball with the back of a fork and place in the oven for 16 minutes or until lightly golden.
  7. Place biscuits on a cooling rack until cold.
  8. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the ingredients into a bowl and whisk using electric beaters until well combined.
  9. Spoon the icing onto half the biscuits on the bottom side and sandwich with the remaining biscuits.
  10. Dust with a little icing sugar and enjoy.

 

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

Step 3

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

Step 4

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

Step 5

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

Step 7

Grape Jelly Melting Moments recipe

Step 8

 

Like this recipe? Please subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies recipe

What do you do when you have left over dates and banana? You get your bake on of course! Though this recipe is for biscuits I did have to flip a coin as to if I would create a cake or biscuits.

Two of my signature dishes are my Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and my Spiced Banana Cake so it only made sense to take the best of both worlds and produce a sticky date and spiced banana biscuit. Why reinvent the wheel as they say…outcome, my new favorite biscuit.

Ingredients:

  • 150g pitted dates
  • 180g butter
  • 150g brown sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 1 egg
  • 256g plain flour
  • 1 tsn bi-carbonate of soda
  • 2 tsn ground ginger
  • 2 tsn mixed spice
  • ½ tsn ground star anise
  • 1 large banana

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Boil some water and place into a bowl. Add the dates and allow the dates to plumb up for 10 minutes in the water.
  3. Drain the dates and place into a food processor and process until smooth.
  4. Using electric beaters beat the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy.
  5. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat for a further 2 minutes.
  6. Add the flour, bi carb, ginger, mixed spice, star anise and pureed dates to the butter mix.
  7. Beat the mix for 3 minutes until fully combine and creamy.
  8. With wet hands roll the dough into balls of 20g in size.
  9. Once the balls are rolled place them onto the baking trays.
  10. Cut the banana into 5mm round pieces and place in the center of each ball.
  11. Using your hand push the banana into the top, slightly flattening the cookie.
  12. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the biscuit is hard on touch.
  13. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack.

 

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies recipe

Ingredients

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies recipe

Step 6

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies recipe

Step 11

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies recipe

Step 13

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Green Tea Melting Moments

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Green Tea Melting Moments

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

For a long time now I have attempted to bake with green tea. I have made multiple cakes, shortbread, cupcakes, even a slice and nothing has turned out to satisfactory results or expectations.

I have a feeling this latest attempt is green tea attempt #6 and I am pleased to say  I have finally come up with the goods!

Now usually when baking with green tea I would use Matcha (green tea powder), however this ingredient can be very difficult to come by (definitely for me) and I was not about to travel all the way to the city to buy it! Therefore I decided to use green tea leaves. In the past when I have used loose green tea the results have not been great so instead of adding the tea to the recipe I decided to infuse the liquid ingredients with the tea to bring out the flavour (the same way hot water does with a cup of tea).

This may seem weird but it definitely works and actually has a better green tea flavour than using Matcha (green tea powder).

Therefore finally…after a few years of attempting… introducing  my Green Tea Melting Moments!

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Ingredients:

Biscuit:

  • 300g butter
  • 37g loose green tea (or 15 green tea bags if you don’t have loose)
  • ½ cup custard powder
  • 1/3 cup icing sugar
  • 1 + ¼ plain flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 1 cup + 1 tbsn icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the 300g butter in a saucepan on the stove on medium until bubbling.
  3. Turn to low, add the green tea leaves (if using bags cut and pour in the butter) and let the ingredients simmer for 10 minutes to allow the butter to infuse the flavor.
  4. Once simmered pour through a sieve into a bowl and place in the fridge to harden again.
  5. Place 180g of the butter into a bowl once the butter is set again and using electric beaters beat on high for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the custard powder and icing sugar beating for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  7. Add the flour and baking powder and beat until combine.
  8. Spoon the mix into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe onto the baking paper in 4 cm rounds.
  9. Bake in the oven for 16 minutes or until golden.
  10. Allow the biscuits to cool on the tray for 5 minutes then you may transfer onto a cooling rack.
  11. For the filling beat with electric beaters the remaining butter (this should be 100g) and icing sugar on high for 5 minutes until fluffy and light.
  12. Using a spoon place 1 tsn of filling on a cooled biscuit and sandwich with another biscuit on top.

 

Notes:

  • You will notice I have listed 300g of butter but the recipe only calls for 280g. This is due to the tea soaking up some of the butter when infusing, therefore resulting in some butter lost. If you still need more butter just top up with standard butter to hit the required amount.
  • If you would prefer to use Matcha powder instead of the loose green tea what you will need to do is:
    • Omit steps 2, 3 and 4 of this recipe.
    • Use 200g butter for the biscuit (increase of 20g).
    • Add 3 tbsn of Matcha when you add in the flour and baking powder.
    • Add 1 tbsn of Matcha to the filling mix and omit the extra 1 tbsn of icing sugar for the filling.
    • Beat the Matcha with the butter and icing sugar all at the same time.

 

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Ingredients

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 4

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 7

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 8

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 9

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 11

Green Tea Melting Moments recipe

Step 12

 

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print