Sweet Tooth Experiments

Tag Archives: Almond

Honey and Almond Brittle Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Honey and Almond Brittle Cake

Honey and Almond Brittle Cake recipe

Ok so this cake isn’t based on a ground breaking unusual flavor or texture combo, however it is a must to post as it will become your favorite cake as soon as you try it.

After eating peanut brittle I decided that I wanted to make a cake around almond brittle as a twist of the usual peanut treat.

Thinking about something that would go with almond brittle and really make the sweetness and almond flavor standout I opted for honey as a complementary flavor to include through the cake, brittle AND icing.

Ingredients:

  • 140g butter
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 70ml honey
  • 1 tsn almond essence
  • 2 eggs, 1 yolk extra
  • 140g self-rising flour
  • 50g almond meal
  • 1/2 tsn salt
  • 65ml buttermilk

Almond brittle:

  • 95g sugar
  • 80ml water
  • 130g toasted almonds

Icing:

  • 80g butter
  • 100g white chocolate
  • 250g cream cheese
  • 100g vanilla flavored yoghurt
  • 30ml honey

 

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, honey and essence until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating in between each addition.
  4. In a bowl sieve the flour, almond meal and salt, stir to combine.
  5. Add half the flour mixture to the butter mix and beat until just combined.
  6. Add the buttermilk and beat until just combine.
  7. Add the remaining flour mix and beating on low until just combined
  8. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer in the center comes out clean.
  9. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack.
  10. To make the almond brittle chop up the almonds into small pieces.
  11. Place a sheet of baking paper onto a tray.
  12. Place the sugar and water into a pan and heat on high, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  13. Place a candy thermometer into the mix and allow to heat to 125c degrees and it just starts to golden.
  14. Add the almonds and stir to cover.
  15. Pour onto the baking paper to set.
  16. To make the icing, melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave until boiling. Add the white chocolate piece and stir until smooth and silky.
  17. Add the cream cheese, yoghurt and essence into the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk until smooth and silky.
  18. Place the set almond brittle into a food processor on low and blitz until the pieces are small.
  19. Place ¾ of the brittle into the icing and stir to combine, place in the fridge to set.
  20. Cut the cake into 3 even horizontal layers and place the bottom layer onto a plate.
  21. Top the layer with 1/4 of the icing.
  22. Add the 2nd layer and 1/4 of the icing.
  23. Add the 3rd layer and top with icing as well as spread onto the sides of the cake.
  24. Sprinkle with the remaining brittle on top.

 

Lemon, Thyme and Zucchini Layer Cake recipe

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Honey and Almond Brittle Cupcakes recipe

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Honey and Almond Brittle Cupcakes recipe

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Lemon, Thyme and Zucchini Layer Cake recipe

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Almond Honey Brittle Cupcakes recipe

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Honey and Almond Brittle Cake recipe

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Almond Paris Brest

Posted on Posted in France .

Almond Paris Brest

Almond Paris Brest recipe

You will notice every now and then I dabble in traditional global sweet treats, where Italy, France and America tend to feature more often than not.

The latest traditional treat I have explored is the Almond Paris Brest. This beautifully elegant pastry treat is a French ring-shaped pastry that is filled with cream patisserie and sprinkled with almonds (or topped with an almond paste) and icing sugar.

The delicacy was created in 1891 by a pastry cook whose patisserie was positioned along the route of the bicycle race from Paris to Brest (hence the name).

This treat is a mix between a Profiterole and a Éclair, with an almond twist.

Elegant, tasty, rich and creamy this treat is satisfaction!

 

Ingredients:

Choux Pastry:

  • 125g butter
  • 250ml water
  • 150g flour
  • 2 tbsn sugar
  • 4 eggs

Almond Paste:

  • 130g flour
  • 90g butter
  • 70g sugar
  • 40g almond meal

Crème Patisserie:

  • 750ml milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 160g sugar
  • 55g corn flour
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence

 

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Draw 14 x 5cm circles on the paper allowing for 2 cm apart.
  3. Melt butter and water in a saucepan on medium heat on the stove. Bring to the boil.
  4. Remove off heat and add the flour and sugar, stirring until a ball is formed.
  5. Return to a low heat and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Place the dough into a bowl and add the eggs one at a time, using a hand whisk, beating until the mix is smooth and glossy.
  7. Place the pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm star nozzle.
  8. Pipe a 5cm ring around the drawn circles as a guide.
  9. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180c degrees and bake for a further 15 minutes until puffed and slightly golden.
  10. Cut the puffs in half horizontally and place in the oven turned off for 2 minutes to dry out.
  11. In a bowl mix all the almond paste ingredients and once combine kneed for a minute until smooth and pliable.
  12. Place the paste in between 2 sheets of paper and using a rolling pin flatten to 3mm thick.
  13. Cut 5cm rounds out of the paste (I used a 5cm cookie cutter) and place the circles on top of the pastry rings.
  14. Place the rings on the top half of all the pastries and place back in the oven for 8 minutes or until golden, leave aside to cool.
  15. To make the crème patisserie, place the milk into a saucepan on high heat and heat until boiling.
  16. In another bowl add remaining ingredients and whisk with a hand whisk until the egg mix is well combine.
  17. Still whisking, pour the boiling milk into the egg mix until well combine.
  18. Place the mix back on the heat in the saucepan on low heat until boiling and thickened. Set aside to cool.
  19. Once the crème patisseries has cooled place in a piping bag and pipe the mix on all the remaining pastries halves (that do not have the paste).
  20. Once the mix is used up place the pastry top with the almond mix almont side up on the crème.
  21. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

 

Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Almond Paris Brest recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake

Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

 

I am a massive massive fan of Tiramisu. In fact my mum’s Tiramisu is the best dessert I have ever tasted in my life.

I do like the taste of coffee, however I think it is the mix of coffee and the Marsala that together make the most amazing flavour. Considering I have a big sweet tooth and this is actually not the most sweetest of desserts out there the flavour combo must be brilliant (which of cause the Italian’s have known for centuries).

To take this to the next level and turn it into a sweet treat that’s a little more friendly to eat (let’s face it Tiramisu is not the easiest dessert to plate up and eat without a bowl), I have created a cake with the flavour combo and added in a few complementary additions.

So keeping with the alcoholic trend of this dessert and amplifying the flavour (and inevitability alcohol) I have added in the not so traditional inclusions of Kahlua for extra coffee flavour and Amaretto for an almond flavour (which works like magic with coffee and Marsala).

Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 30g coffee beans
  • 5 eggs
  • 175g sugar
  • 110ml Marsala
  • 1 + 1/2 tbsn Kahlua
  • 1 tbsn Amaretto
  • 75g butter
  • 115g almond meal
  • 115g flour

Topping:

  • 200g thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar
  • 2 tsn Kahlua
  • 1 tsn Amaretto
  • 100g mascapone cheese

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the coffee beans on a tray and roast in the oven for 5 minutes until you smell the beans aroma. Place aside.
  3. Place the beans in a food processor and blitz until fine.
  4. Beat the egg yolks and 120g sugar in a bowl with electric beaters until thick and pale.
  5. Stir in the coffee, Marsala, melted butter and almond meal to the yolk mix until smooth.
  6. In another bowl beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar.
  7. Fold the egg whites, Kahlua and Amaretto into the almond mix until just combine.
  8. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  9. Leave the cake for 5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.
  10. Place the cream and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters until peaks form.
  11. Beat the mascapone cheese until smooth add the Kahlua and Amaretto and beat until combine.
  12. Carefully fold in the mascapone cheese into the whipped cream mixture.
  13. Cut the cake in 3 horizontally, spread 1/3rd of the cream mix in between the 2 layers and the remaining on the top of the cake.

 

Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

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Coffee Almond and Marsala Cake recipe

 

 

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Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe

I have never previously baked successfully with marzipan but absolutely love the flavour. Now this ingredient is one that you either love or hate. Its weird as I love the taste of marzipan and almond essence, but find plain almonds bland and boring in taste.

Marzipan and Almond clearly makes sense (as Marzipan is made from almonds). When thinking of a flavour combo I automatically through almonds and chocolate. On top of this, I was still to make up and post a pear recipe that I am actually really happy with, and chocolate and pear are a great flavour marriage.

Therefore I experimented with these 4 ingredients and just like I had expected they all work in harmony together.

A very different but satisfying, moreish cake indeed.

Ingredients:

  • 250g butter
  • 250g marzipan
  • 150g sugar
  • ½ tsn almond essence
  • 6 eggs
  • 450g pear
  • 120g dark chocolate
  • 150g self raising flour
  • 120g almond meal
  • ½ tsn ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn ground cloves

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Using electric beaters whisk the butter, marzipan and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the almond essence and beat.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
  5. Place the flour, almond meal, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in bowl and stir until mixed.
  6. Dice up the pear into small pieces.
  7. Cut up the chocolate into small pieces.
  8. Fold the pear and chocolate through the batter.
  9. Fold the flour mix into the batter until just combined.
  10. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a cooling tray until cold.

Notes:

I decorated with extra pear slices and and shaved chocolate.

 

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe
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Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe
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Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe
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Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake recipe
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Rice and Almond Tart

Posted on Posted in Tarts .

rice tart

Rice and Almond Tart

If you are a fan of almonds and want to try a recipe with a very interesting and unique texture then this tart is for you.

I’m not really a big rice eater nor almond, however incorporating rice in a tart seemed interesting and got me wanting to experiment.

This tart is not super sweet but goes very well with a dollop of cream or ice-cream on the side for a filling sweet treat.

rice tart

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of rice milk
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 tsn cinnamon
  • ½ cup medium grain rice
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ tsn almond essence
  • 1 tbsn lime rind finally grated
  • 1 x 28cm sweet short crust pastry shell or store brought sweet crust pastry.

 

Method:

  1. If using store brought pastry, roll out on a lightly floured surface and transfer pastry into a lightly greased 25cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are using a bought tart shell omit this step.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200c.
  3. Line the pan with baking paper and fill with rice (this is called blind baking which stops the center of the pastry in the tart rising).
  4.   Bake for 15 minutes, remove paper and rice and cook for a further 5 minutes until ever so slightly browned.
  5. Place milk, sugar and cinnamon in a pan and stir over the stove on low until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, add the rice then simmer covered, stirring every 5 minutes for 25 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Cool.
  6. Blend the rice with a mixer/food processor until smooth.
  7. Mix the rice mix, eggs, almond meal, almond essence and rind in a bowl.
  8. Pour into the pastry shell and cook on 180c in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.

 

Notes:

  • This can be served with cream or ice-cream.

 

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