Sweet Tooth Experiments

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Summer Ricotta Turnover

Posted on Posted in Pastries .

Summer Ricotta Turnover

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This recipe came from a desire to experiment with all my favorite flavors rolled into one sweet treat. I wanted a treat that was packed full of flavors, but not only that, flavors that all complemented each other.

The influence was summer flavors, so I started jotting down all the tastes that mean summer to me.

The first thing I thought of was Pina Colada, a reminder of my pre COVID-19 Hawaii trip (hello rim, citrus, pineapple, coconut). But these flavors were nothing usual so I then added cherries, berries and chocolate = flavor mix made from heaven. Lastly, almond to give the mix a new layer and a little mint for added freshness.

Add all these ingredients infused with fresh ricotta and wrapped in puffy pastry and you have yourself a scrumptious easy to make unique treat.

Pastry:

  • 1 large puff pastry sheet
  • 1 tbsn sugar

Filling:

  • ½ tsn almond essence
  • 1 tsn rum
  • 10g chocolate
  • 15g desiccated coconut
  • 10g dried mixed berries
  • 20g glace cherries
  • 125g ricotta
  • 2 tsn citrus zest (even amounts of lime, lemon and orange)
  • ¼ tsn ground ginger
  • 40g pineapple pieces
  • 1 tsn chopped mint leaves

Extra:

  • 1 egg
  • 30g slivered almonds
  • I tbsn icing sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the puff pastry evenly and using a rolling pin roll the sugar into the pastry.
  3. Meanwhile make the filling by placing the ricotta, almond essence, rum, desiccated coconut, ginger and zest into a bowl and stir.
  4. Grate the chocolate and chop the mint then add.
  5. Dice the mixed berries, cherries and pineapple into small pieces.
  6. Stir mix until well combined.
  7. Using a 10cm cutter cut out 4 circles in the pastry.
  8. Using the eggwhite brush the pastry.
  9. Evenly place the ricotta filling in the center of the circles and fold to resemble a half circle shape,
  10. Seal by pressing a forks teeth onto the seal.
  11. Place on the prepared tray.
  12. Sprinkle the top with almonds and dust with the icing sugar.
  13. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown.
  14. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

 

Summer Ricotta Turnover recipe

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Chocolate Banana Split Sundae Pie

Posted on Posted in Pies .

Chocolate Banana Split Sundae Pie

Chocolate Banana Split Pie recipe

I have always been a fan of chocolate banana split sundae. Vanilla ice-cream, banana, chocolate, cherries, nuts and strawberry, how could this not taste absolutely amazing?

The only thing is that ice-cream is not a great ‘comfort food’ in the colder months, so to mitigate this I decided to turn the banana split sundae into a pie.

I have kept the core flavors and added a few secondary complementing flavors into the mix to make the pies even tastier.

Chocolate Banana Split Pie recipe

Ingredients:

Pastry:

  • 180g plain flour
  • 20g cocoa powder
  • 100g butter
  • 50g sugar
  • 45ml water

Filling:

  • 180g dark chocolate
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 750ml milk
  • ¼ cup corn flour
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 tsn vanilla extract
  • 20g butter

Topping:

  • 150g thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar

Extra:

  • 2 chopped bananas
  • 200g strawberries chopped
  • 200g chopped pineapple
  • 20g peanuts
  • 4 glace cherries

Chocolate Sauce:

  • 30g cream
  • 50g dark chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 220c degrees.
  2. Place all the pastry ingredients except the water into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add 45g of water and process until the mix resembles dough and comes away at the sides of the bowl.
  4. Knead the dough for a minute then divide into 4 balls of 60g each.
  5. With a rolling pin roll the balls to disks and place into 4 medium sized tart cases, trim edges. Place the remaining pastry aside back in the fridge.
  6. Prick the pastry with a fork a few times in the center and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile make the filling by placing the chocolate, sugar, milk and corn flour in a saucepan on a medium heat and whisk with a hand whisk until the mix is thick.
  8. Lightly beat the 5 egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl and add in 1 cup of the chocolate custard mix, beat.
  9. Add the yolk mix into the chocolate custard mix and beat with a hand whisk for 2 minutes while the mix boils.
  10. Take off the heat and beat in the 20g butter.
  11. Place some baking paper on the top of the custard mix to stop a skin from forming and leave for 10 minutes to cool.
  12. Take the tart cases out of the fridge and place on a baking tray covering the tarts with foil, baking for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.
  14. Once the tart cases have cooled place the chocolate custard mix in each tart base.
  15. Turn the oven down to 160c degrees.
  16. Roll the remaining pastry into 3 equal balls then roll out into a disk shape.
  17. Top the remaining disks on top of the custard and trim excess.
  18. Poke the top a few times with a fork and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
  19. Remove tarts from the oven and leave to completely cool, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  20. Meanwhile, with electric beats whisk the cream and icing sugar until peaks form.
  21. Place the cream into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe on top of each chilled pie evenly.
  22. Cut up the strawberries, banana and pineapple and place on top of the cream.
  23. Chop up the peanuts and sprinkle on top.
  24. To make the sauce place the chocolate and cream in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until a sauce is formed.
  25. Allow sauce to cool slightly and drizzle on top of the pies.
  26. Place a cherry in the center and into the fridge to fully set for 1 hour.

 

Coconut Cream Pie recipe
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Chocolate Banana Split Pie recipe
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Sago and Dried Fruit Boiled Pudding

Posted on Posted in Australian, Pudding .

Sago and Dried Fruit Boiled Pudding

Sago and Dried Fruit Boiled Pudding recipe

If you visit my blog frequently you will recall I went on a baking journey of 15 recipes from the Australian Green & Gold cookery book published by New Holland, in which features 100’s and 100’s of traditional Australian recipes from ‘experienced housewife’s and cookery experts’.

From the 15 recipes I made 3 were key standouts that I couldn’t ignore and had to add to my Aussie traditional category on this blog.

Following the Bread Fritters, the Sago Plum Boiled Pudding was my next favorite.

The recipe I have posted follows exactly as per the traditional, apart from a few slight tweaks in the volumes of some ingredients to make it just that extra bit flavorsome and moist (it was originally fairly dry but delicious).

As 4 recipes I made were boiled puddings I was able to understand the optimal consistency of the Sago Plum Boiled Pudding.

Also, I did tweak the name to be a little more appropriate, technically the recipe doesn’t have any plum in it at all…..

It may take aaaggggeeesss to cook but this pudding is well well worth the wait.

Sago and Dried Fruit Boiled Pudding recipe

Ingredients:

  • 40g sago
  • 120ml milk
  • 50g butter, melted
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 140g dried fruit (dates/sultanas/currents/cranberries/cherries/raisins)
  • 60g sugar
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • ½ tsn ground mixed spice
  • 1 tsn bicarb of soda

 

Method:

  1. Place the sago into a bowl and cover completely with the milk. Allow the sago to soak, absorbing the milk for at least 2 hours.
  2. Add the butter, breadcrumbs, dried fruit, sugar, spices and bi-carb of soda into the bowl of soaked sago and combine all the ingredients well with your hands.
  3. Wet a muslin pudding cloth and ring out to remove access water.
  4. Dust the cloth with flour (this will stop the pudding from sticking to the cloth when boiled).
  5. In the bowl shape the pudding mix into a circle shape and place in the center of the cloth on the flour.
  6. Pull the cloth around the pudding and tie into shape with an elastic band or cooking string.
  7. Steam the pudding in a large pot filled with water on a simmering heat for 2-2.5 hours, ensuring the pudding is completely immersed in the water the whole time (topping up the water level if need be as it steams).
  8. Once cooked let the pudding sit in a sieve for 20 minutes over a bowl (to catch any excess water) then remove the elastic band and cloth.
  9. Place the pudding onto a plate and serve with custard or double cream.

 

Sago and Dried Fruit Boiled Pudding recipe

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Mocha Layered Date Mousse Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Mocha Layered Date Mousse Cake

Mocha Layered Date Cream Cake

What a journey this experimental baking session as been.

Originally I was opting to make a traditional European cake. However, after I was unable to find quite a number of ingredients the recipe called for I was left to get creative with substitute flavour pairings. I soon realized that the ingredients I used to substitute actually have no baring at all of the flavors the cake was supposed to have. Without realizing I opted for coffee, chocolate and dates in which I bake with often as they are such great complementary flavors.

In addition to completely changing the flavors I actually changed some textures as well as I found the traditional recipe too sickly sweet (even for me), also I needed textures that would highlight the flavors and layers. Lastly as I didn’t have the tin that the recipe called for I changed the structure and presentation of the cake.

Sooo….in the end after a bit of trial and error I don’t think I actually kept one original element (85% of the recipe is me making things up as I went along)…but nether less the result was a tasty moreish and unique layered cake that melts in your mouth.

Mocha Layered Date Cream Cake

Cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 125g sugar
  • 30g cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsn espresso coffee granules
  • 70g plain flour

Syrup:

  • 75g sugar
  • 75g water
  • 2 tsn expresso coffee granules

Ganache:

  • 120ml cream
  • 140g dark chocolate

Date mousse:

  • 190g dried dates
  • 15ml rum
  • 200ml thickened cream
  • 12 glace cherries

Icing:

  • 140g cream
  • 220g ricotta cheese
  • 65g icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm x 45cm baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Using electric beaters whisk the eggs and sugar until doubled in size.
  3. Sift the cocoa powder, coffee granules and flour into the mix and fold with a spatula until just combine.
  4. Spoon into the tray and lightly smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
  5. Bake the cake for 10 minutes or until the cake springs back when you lightly touch the surface with your fingers.
  6. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack. Remove the baking paper.
  7. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the ingredients into a pan on a medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mix resembles a syrup consistency.
  8. Leave the syrup aside to cool.
  9. To make the ganache heat the cream up in a bowl in the microwave until boiling.
  10. Add the chocolate to the cream, leave for 1 minute before stirring until the mix resembles a silky thick consistency.
  11. To make the mousse, place the dates in a food processor with the rum and blitz until the mix is smooth.
  12. Add the cream and blitz until the mix is combine well and the cream is whipped to firm peaks, leave aside.
  13. To assemble the cake spray with oil spray and line a 15cm x 20cm high cake tin with plastic wrap, allowing for overlap.
  14. Cut 3 cake into 3 15cm x 15cm pieces.
  15. Place 1 cake layer into the bottom of the tin a using the remaining cake cut 2 more pieces to line 2 opposite sides of the tin moving the bottom layer slightly for a snug fit.
  16. Using a pastry brush brush the bottom and sides of the cake layers in the tin with 2/3rds of the coffee syrup.
  17. Spoon half the ganache on top of the bottom cake layer and level out with the back of a spoon.
  18. Spoon half the date mousse over the ganache pop in half of the cherries and smooth with a spoon.
  19. Add the second cake layer and push down on top of the date mousse until snug.
  20. Brush the remaining syrup onto the cake layer.
  21. Repeat ganache layer with the remaining mix as well as the date mousse and cherries with the remaining mix.
  22. Top the cake with the 3rd cake and push down until snug, place the cake in the freezer to firm.
  23. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the ingredients into a bowl and using an electric beater whip until firm peaks form.
  24. Pull up the plastic wrap to remove the cake from the tin and invert onto a plate, remove the wrap.
  25. Place the icing into a piping bag with a circle nozzle and pipe 5cm dots with peaks onto the top and cake sides of the cake.
  26. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
  27. Serve by slicing across the side with no cake to show the beautiful mousse cake and chocolate layers inside.

 

Mocha Layered Date Cream Cake
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Chocolate Honeycomb Spiced Christmas Pudding recipe
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Black Forest Ricotta Cheesecake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Black Forest Ricotta Cheesecake

Black Forest Ricotta Cheesecake recipe

For a while I have been wanting to make a cheesecake with low fat ricotta instead of the rich and weighty creamcheese cheesecakes traditionally have. I wanted to make this cheesecake ‘melt in your mouth’, which I felt the ricotta could deliver on.

My flavor inspiration for this cake came from originally thinking of making a dark chocolate cheesecake and then adding in some cherries (berries and cheesecake go together like magic).

This though was still a little boring, where I needed a twist, therefore I decided to add the extra elements required to turn this into a ricotta cheesecake black forest cake.

The cherries, chocolate, kirsch and cream would enhance the flavor profiles in the cake and add depth to the creamy ricotta.

I opted to water bath cook the cake to make the ricotta smooth but sturdy and added layers of the cherries in varying forms to allow for cherry hits throughout.

After eating this cake I doubt I would ever make a normal black forest cake other this recipe again!

Ricotta Black Forest Cheesecake recipe

Ingredients:

  • 200g chocolate ripple biscuit
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 80g butter
  • 670g jar of Morello cherries (you need 450g of the cherries and 100ml of juice)
  • 5g flour
  • 70g kirsch
  • 400g ricotta
  • 100g sour cream
  • 90g sugar, plus 1 tbsn extra
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsn cherry essence
  • 230g dark chocolate
  • 230g cream, plus 20ml extra
  • 1 tbsn icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the biscuits into a food processor and blitz until they resemble breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the cocoa and melted butter, stir until well combined and place in the fridge to set.
  4. Place 200g cherries in the food processor with flour and blitz.
  5. Spread the cherry mix over the biscuit base and place in the freezer.
  6. Meanwhile, using electric beaters whisk the ricotta in a bowl until smooth.
  7. Place 200g chocolate in a bowl and microwave on medium in 30 second blasts. Stir between each burst until melted and silky smooth. Leave aside for 5 minutes to cool.
  8. Add the sour cream and sugar to the ricotta mix and whisk until well combined.
  9. Add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk and whisk until well combined.
  10. Add the cherry essence as well as the cooled chocolate and whisk until well combined.
  11. Pour the mix into the cake tin on top of the cherry mix and flatter with the back of a spoon.
  12. Place 125g of  the cherries on top of the ricotta mix to cover the top of the cake.
  13. Wrap 2 layers of aluminum foil over the bottom and sides of the tin.
  14. Place the cake tin into a large roasting pan and fill the sides with water until half way up the cake tin.
  15. Place the cake in the oven for 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  16. Allow the cake to cool then release the tin and place the cake in the fridge for 2 hours to fully set.
  17. Whip 230ml cream, 20ml kirsch and 1 tbsn of icing sugar with electric beaters until peaks form.
  18. Spread the cream over the cake and top with the remaining 125g more of the cherries.
  19. Place 100ml of the cherry juice into a saucepan with 1 tbsn of extra sugar and on a medium heat allow to reduce to ¼ of the volume. Allow to cool.
  20. Pour the reduction over the cake.
  21. Place the remaining 30g of chocolate into a saucepan with 20ml of cream. Stir on a medium heat until the mix is smooth and silky. Allow to cool.
  22. Pour over the cake.

 

Black Forest Ricotta Cheesecake recipe

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Blackberry and Lemon Quadruple Trifle recipe

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Black Forest Ricotta Cheesecake recipe
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Now I know there are many many many chocolate and zucchini cake recipes out there (seriously, who would have though it), but this one is a winner.

It’s simple, easy and I dare you to bake a more dense cake!

Zucchini is one of my favourite veggies and the fact it generally takes on other ingredients flavours as appose to having its own strong flavour make me think this would be an interesting experiment to trial…

The outcome, this cake is great and tastes lovely, it also sticks with my desires to turn the ever-so-naughty chocolate baking treat into a healthier version.

So without further ado my Chocolate Zucchini Cake:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 1 tsn instant coffee
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsn baking powder
  •  1 tsn bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 cups of grated zucchini that has had a good squeeze to remove excess liquid
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180 c.
  • Line or grease a 28cm spring form cake tin.
  • Beat together butter, sugar and eggs until the batter is pale. Following add the vanilla and coffee.
  • In another bowl sift the flour, soda, bicarb and cocoa. Stir in zucchini and choc chips.
  • Now lightly fold in wet mix unto the dry mix until combined.
  • Pour into tin and bake for about 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Cool in tin for 5 mins then transfer onto a cooling rack.

Now there are 3 ways I have made this cake and finished them to serve. These being:

  1. Top with mixed berries and dust with icing sugar and cream on the side
  2. Covered the cake in chocolate ganache (however defeats the ‘healthier’ statement); OR
  3. Make a cherry jam. For this all I did was bought a 680g jar of Morello cherries and added to this 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup of the cherry juice from the jar. I placed these into a pan on the stove and once boiled I added 2 tbs corn flour and whisked until thick. Once the cake was cooled I cut in half and spread the jam in the center and the top of the cake. Outcome OMG!

Things to note:

  • Without the jam or berries the cake can come off to be a little tiny bit ‘earthy’ tasting…not really noticeable but to a sweet tooth like mine the cake is not the sweetest around.
  • I made Cherry jam as I had the jar in the cupboard and LOVE cherries.
  • Lots of zucchini cake recipes don’t have the coffee however I think it intensifies the chocolate taste and you don’t notice it’s there.

Like this recipe? I recommend you also check out my Red Wine Chocolate Cake. Additionally please do subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

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