ginger

Steamed Rice Ginger Citrus Cantaloupe Pudding

Posted on May 27, 2017 Posted in Pudding .

Steamed Rice Ginger Citrus Cantaloupe Pudding

Ok so this recipe sounds boring and bland but i’ll tell you what, the taste and texture blew my mind.

The texture was so interesting and addictive, unlike any cake that I have had before. So delicate and melt in your mouth with the beautiful cantaloupe flavour. For a while I have been trying to product a cake that heroes cantaloupe and not until now have I make up a recipe where the cantaloupe flavour was not over powered and really sung.

Honey, citrus, ginger and cantaloupe = a delicious flavour combo.

Ingredients:

Cake:

145g sugar
160g rice flour
1 tsn vanilla essence
240g cantaloupe flesh, diced
60g honey
½ tsn ground ginger
1/8 salt
1 tsn lemon and lime zest

Syrup:

120g cantaloupe flesh, diced
20ml honey
½ tsn lime and lemon zest
1/8 tsn ground ginger
30ml water
50g palm sugar

Method:

Spray 4 x 200ml cake moulds with oil spray.
Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and place water into a roasting pan until it reaches 1/3 up the side of the pan (waterbath technique).
Place the sugar, rice flour, vanilla, cantaloupe, honey, ginger, salt and citrus zest in a food processor and blitz until smooth and well combine.
Pour the cake batter into the 4 ramekin moulds, 150ml in each.
Place all the ramekin moulds into the baking dish, ensuring no water gets into the moulds and the water is just over half way up the side of the tray.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle just comes out clean. Do not over cook, the top should only just be set.
Meanwhile to make the syrup, place all the syrup ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth and well combine.
Pour the syrup into a saucepan and stir on a high heat, allowing the mix to boil for 1 minute.
Pass the syrup through a sieve and leave aside to cool.
Leave the ramekins moulds on a cooling tray for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
Place some additional pieces of cantaloupe over each pudding and pour the cooled syrup over the top, enjoy!

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Rum Banana Ginger and Date Cake

Posted on March 11, 2017 Posted in Cakes .

Rum Banana Ginger and Date Cake

This cake is actually a massive fluke. Originally I wanted to make a creamy soda cake and planned to use my Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake recipe and substitute the cola for creamy soda.

After I made this cake I soon realised that the creamy soda taste is so subtitle that it just tastes like a plan vanilla cake. As I was in the baking mood I then decided that this was a flop and I would make a new cake.

I still wanted to do a drink based cake so I took inspiration from the night before – Saturday nights drinks.

A friend was drinking spiced rum with ginger beer – so I thought of still using the coca-cola recipe as the base but replacing the cola with spiced Rum and added ground ginger to the mix. This though was still a little ordinary, therefore to add another layer I made ginger rum banana filling and topped the cake with some chopped dates. I figured the dates could play the same role as raisins do in the ‘rum & raisin’ combo. Additionally banana works well with ginger and rum so if could be a good inclusion.

Outcome – this cake hits the spot!

Ingredients:

Cake:

260g self raising flour
300g brown sugar
¼ tsn salt
1 tsn ground ginger
1 egg
125ml milk
1 tsn vanilla
125g butter
180ml rum

Filling:

300g banana (3 banana’s)
60ml butter
1 tbsn rum
1 tsn ground ginger

Icing:

1 + 1/2 cup icing sugar
150g cream cheese
75g butter
2 tsn rum
1 tsn ground ginger

Extra:

150g dates, diced.

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the flour, sugar, salt and ginger into a bowl and stir until well combined.
Place the egg, milk and vanilla into a bowl and using electric beaters beat until light and fluffy.
Place the butter and rum into a saucepan and heat on low until the butter is melted, take off the heat.
Stir the egg mix into the dry mix until well combined.
Add the rum mix and beat with electric beaters until smooth.
Pour the cake mix into the tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place on a cooling rack until cold.
Meanwhile to make the filling mash the bananas until smooth (if lumpy pass through a sieve).
Place the filling ingredients into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat until well combine and the bananas have absorbed the other ingredients. Set aside.
To make the icing place all the ingredients into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until smooth and creamy, set aside.
Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread the banana mix evenly on the top of one cake layer.
Place the second layer onto the banana mix.
Spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake.
Top with diced dates and serve.

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Monkey Bread

Posted on March 4, 2017 Posted in Bread .

Monkey Bread


This recipe actually has quite a few variations online. I too created my own version, utilizing aromas and flavors I know taste like magic together.
This bread is an alternative to a cinnamon scroll, but in my opinion much tastier, simpler and interesting.
The ball method means every mouthful has delicious spices and nuts. Think brioche bread, beautiful crunch of roasted nuts and swirls of tasty complementary spices.

Ingredients:

Dough:

100ml milk
45g butter
1 egg
1 + ½ tsn dried yeast
½ tsn salt
225g bread flour
25g sugar

Bread filling:

80g butter, melted
1 + ½ tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground nutmeg
110 brown sugar
150g roasted pecans, chopped

Icing:

25g butter, melted
½ tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn vanilla essence
50g icing sugar

Method:

Place the milk and butter into a bowl and microwave until steaming, stir until combine and butter is melted. Leave aside to cool to room temperature.
Add the milk mix and an egg into your kitchen aid with a dough hook, kneed until combine.
Sift the yeast, flour, salt and sugar into the milk mix and kneed for 10 minutes until silky and elastic.
Spray a bowl with oil spray and transfer the dough into the bowl. Top the bowl with plastic wrap and leave aside the bowl for 90 mins to prove.
Spray a bread load tin with oil spray.
In another bowl place the spices and sugar and then mix until combine.
Melt the 80g butter in a bowl and spoon 15ml into the base of the tin.
Sprinkle melted butter with 1/3^rd of the chopped nuts.
Pull pieces of the dough and roll into 2cm sized balls.
Place the remaining 65ml butter into a bowl and add a ball, completely cover ball with butter and remove with a spoon.
Place the sugar mix into a bowl and swish the bowl around until the ball is completely covered in sugar. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place the balls in the cake tin, evenly, covering the tin then add in 1/3^rd of the pecans.
Add the remaining balls into a second layer and top with remaining sugar and butter.
Push down careful with hands to ensure no gaps.
Leave the tin aside to prove for 90 minutes with plastic wrap on the top.
Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and place the bread in the oven to cook for 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Leave in the tin to cool.
Once cooled hit the tin on the bench to allow for the bread to fall out inverted onto a plate.
To make the icing beat the ingredients together with a hand whisk until smooth and pour over the top of the bread.
Top with remaining nuts.
To serve you can cut into bread slices or you can pull the balls off.

Note: This bread is amazing with a swipe of butter.


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Monkey Bread recipe

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Sweet Potato Spiced Pie

Posted on December 29, 2016 Posted in Pies .

Sweet Potato Spiced Pie

This recipe was created as I wanted to make a pumpkin pie for a Christmas catch-up dinner, however had limited time to make the pie and had no pumpkin on hand, only sweet potato. Thus a sweet potato pie was created.

After the sweet potato in the pie was deemed a dinner success I decided that I would play around with the ingredients to take the pie from great to scrumptious.

After a few alternations and tweaks the below recipe was formed.

Sweet Potato Spiced Pie recipe

Ingredients:

Base:

250g butternut biscuits
½ tsn ground cinnamon
¼ tsn ground ginger
¼ tsn all spice
100g butter, melted

Filling:

500g sweet potato
420ml milk
100g sugar
1 + ½ tsn ground cinnamon
½ tsn ground ginger
¼ tsn all spice
2 eggs

Topping:

300ml cream
1 tsn vanilla essence
½ tsn ground cinnamon
20g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160c degrees.
Place all the base ingredients into a food processor and blitz until well combine and sand like in texture.
Pour the mix into a 25cm pie dish and flatten with fingertips on the base and sides of the tin, place in the fridge to set.
To prepare the potato cut into cubes and place into a saucepan filled with water.
On a high heat boil the potato until a skewer inserted into a piece glides in and out easily.
Place the pumpkin with 80ml of milk into the food processor and blitz until pureed, set aside until cooled.
Add the remaining milk, sugar, spices and egg to the potato mix and beat with a hand whisk until well combined.
Pour the potato filling into the prepared base and bake for 70 minutes or until set when touched on top.
Place the pie on a cooling tray to cool.
Meanwhile make the topping by whipping the cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low until peaks form.
Once the pie is cold top with the cream and leave in the fridge for 4 hours to fully set before serving.

Sweet Potato Spiced Pie recipe

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Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

Posted on August 28, 2016 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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Pineapple Lime and Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Posted on May 15, 2016 Posted in Pudding .

Pineapple Lime and Coconut Tapioca Pudding

I have done quite a few experiments with tapioca/sago with a varying range of results. To be completely honest 90% of the time the end result is disappointing, bland and needs more sweetness.

This recipe’s success was a major surprise. The flavors of coconut, lime, ginger and pineapple all make perfect sense to be combine into a lovely treat, though it’s the caramel sauce made with coconut milk and a slight tang of lime juice that really steals the show. This little addition brings the recipe to a new level and makes the dessert so moreish.

Ingredients:

400g coconut cream
625ml coconut milk
40g white sugar
100g tapioca pearls
110g brown sugar
300g pineapple
1+ ½ tsn ground ginger
4 tsn lime juice
30g desiccated/shaved coconut, toasted

Method:

Place the coconut milk, 200ml coconut cream and white sugar into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mix is boiling.
Add the tapioca and bring the recipe down to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes stirring frequently until mix thickens and the pearls are transparent with a white dot in the center.
Pour the mix into a bowl and leave aside to cool.
Meanwhile to make the sauce place the remaining 200ml of the coconut cream and the brown sugar into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until well combine and the sugar is dissolved.
Add the pieced pineapple, the ground ginger and the lime juice and stir for 3 minutes or until the mix thickens to a caramel consistency.
Take the saucepan off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Spoon half of the sauce and pineapple into the base of 6 cup ramekins.
Spoon the tapioca mix into the 6 ramekins evenly.
Top with the remaining sauce and pineapple.
Sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set completely.

Notes:

I have topped with some pomegranate for some extra colour.

Pineapple Lime and Coconut Tapioca Pudding

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Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls

Posted on April 18, 2016 Posted in Bread .

Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls

Yes pumpkin and vanilla are not common scroll flavors or textures to be included in a recipe, but this recipe is full of surprises.

All I can say is OMG, after eating these I never thought I was a scroll lover but im now converted!

Though you can’t taste the pumpkin, what it does is adds a fluffiness to the scrolls, making them so light.

The vanilla (especially in the icing) along with the cinnamon work brilliantly together.

The best thing about this recipe is the filling. Yes the icing and scroll dough is super tasty the filling is to die for.

I don’t even like walnuts but could eat the mix straight!

Ingredients:

Dough:

60ml warm milk
7g yeast
45g sugar
2 eggs
160g pumpkin puree
475g plain bread flour
¼ tsn salt
100g butter

Filling:

100g butter
45g brown sugar
1 tbsn cinnamon
½ tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground cloves
40g honey
1 tbsn corn starch
145g pecans

Icing:

2 cups icing sugar
40g corn syrup
1 tbsn vanilla essence
1 + 1/2 tsn ground cinnamon
40g butter
40ml milk

Extra:

20g butter

Method:

Place the milk, yeast and 1 tbsn on the sugar into a bowl, whisk with a hand whisk to combine and leave for 10 mins to froth.
Cut and de-skin the pumpkin into small pieces. Steam in the microwave until a knife inserted into the pumpkin comes out with ease.
Place the pumpkin in a food processor and blitz until pureed.
Add the eggs and puree to the milk mix and whisk with a hand whisk until combine.
Place the flour, salt and remaining sugar into a kitchen aid (or equivalent) and beat on a low speed until combine. Add the puree and beat on medium until well combined.
Dice the butter into pieces and soften slightly in the microwave. With the processor going add the butter 2 pieces at a time and leave beating for 2 minutes.
Once dough is done flour a surface and knead the dough for 3 minutes.
Oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile to make the filling place the pecans into a food processor and blitz until they resemble bread crumbs.
Soften the butter slightly and place all ingredients into a bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until well combined.
Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a large slice tin with baking paper.
Once dough is ready flour the surface again and place the dough on the surface.
Using a rolling pin roll the dough out to 30cm x 40cm.
Spoon the nut mix over the dough evenly until almost reaching the edges.
Roll up the dough from the longer sides to resemble a long log.
Cut off the 2 ends of the log to make the ends straight.
Cut the log into 12 equal rolls and place cut side up onto the tray.
Cover the tray with plastic wrap and leave aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Once proved melt the extra butter and brush onto the top of each roll.
Place the tray into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the scrolls sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from the oven and leave aside to cool slightly (around 10 mins).
Meanwhile make the icing by melting the butter slightly and placing in a bowl with the remaining icing ingredients.
Using a hand whisk beat until well combined.
Drizzle icing over the scrolls and serve.

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Traditional Panforte

Posted on March 13, 2016 Posted in Italy .

Traditional Panforte

A traditional Italian dessert that goes back to the 13^th century. The name itself means strong bread thanks to the layer of spices, in particular pepper.

There are so many variations to this traditional sweet treat, therefore I decided to experiment by baking 3 types; one with coffee, one with chocolate and one plain. The chocolate Panforte was by far the tastiest.

There are also variations in the nuts, fruit and spices in this dessert. I opted for the ingredients that I loved and deemed would work well together.

I actually didn’t think much of this dessert when I first made it, but after having a piece the next day after the flavours had time to develop I couldn’t put the slice down.

Ingredients:

100g hazelnuts
100g almonds
150g candied citrus zest (or glace zest)
60g dried figs
60g glace cherries
¼ tsn black pepper
¼ tsn ground cloves
½ tsn ground cinnamon
¼ tsn ground ginger
100g flour
¼ tsn salt
2 tbsn cocoa powder
100g dark chocolate
135g sugar
180ml honey

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the hazelnuts and almonds in a pre-heated oven on a baking tray for 6 minutes or until just raosted. Remove the almonds.
Allow the hazelnuts to roast for 5 more minutes then place the hazelnuts in a dishtowel.
Rub the hazelnuts in the towel to remove the skin.
Coarsely chop up the nuts.
Chop up the dried figs and glace cherries.
Turn the oven down to 150c degrees.
Stir the nuts, zest, figs, cherries, spices, flour, salt and cocoa powder until well combine.
Place the dark chocolate in a bowl and on a low level heat the chocolate for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir then continue in 20 sec intervals until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.
Combine the chocolate to the nut mix.
Bring sugar and honey to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Then boil without stirring until a candy thermometer reaches 120c degrees.
Immediately pour honey over the fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined (mixture will be very thick and sticky).
Spoon mixture into the tin and spread evenly with back of a wet spoon.
Dampen your hands and press mixture firmly and evenly to compact as much as possible.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until edges start to rise slightly and the top is bubbling.
Cool panforte completely in the cake tin on a cooling rack.
Once cooled remove from the tin, remove the baking paper, dust with icing sugar and cut into slices.

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Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake

Posted on December 14, 2015 Posted in Cakes, Ice-cream cake .

Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake

For a while now I have been experimenting with a flavor fusion in which I know absolutely works but just can’t seem to make a recipe that is super amazing. Nice and tasty yes but nothing special enough to make it to my blog.

Finally, after a failed ice-cream meringue cake that had an ever-so-tasty ice-cream filling I reworked the recipe to change the meringue into a sponge and the outcome was exactly what I was looking for.

A deliciously fluffy sponge structure and a tasty textured ice-cream filling.

If you’re a fan of gin and ginger cocktails you are going to love this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

4 eggs
140g sugar
120g flour
2 tsn ground ginger
2 tsn lime zest
45ml gin

Filling:

1kg vanilla ice-cream
1 tbsn lemon zest
1 tbsn lime zest
1 tbsn ground ginger
80ml gin
30g almond meal
40g icing sugar

Extra:

10g icing sugar
1 tsn ground ginger
1 tsn lime zest
20g glace ginger (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm x 40cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place all the sponge ingredients in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk on a slow speed for 60 seconds.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Invert tray onto a cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the ice-cream filling place the ice-cream into a bowl and place in the microwave on medium for 30 seconds.
Add the zest, ginger, gin, almond meal and icing sugar and using a hand whisk beat until well combined.
Peel the baking paper off the cooled sponge cake.
Line a 20cm x 20cm cake tin with 2 layers of plastic wrap, keeping it in place with oil spray.
Cut the sponge in half to make 2 x 20x20cm sponge pieces.
Place one piece in the base of the tin, cutting slightly to fit if need be.
Pour the ice-cream mix into the tin on top of the base until almost to the top.
Add the second cake piece to the top of the tin, push down slightly and place the tin in the freezer overnight to completely set.
To serve, place the bottom of the tin into hot water for 5 seconds, and pull the plastic wrap until the cake is out.
Invert the cake onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap.
To decorate I sieved the icing sugar and ginger over the top of the cake. Sprinkled the zest of the top and scattered the glace ginger.

Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake recipe

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Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

Posted on July 7, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

You may recall in the past I have made the most amazing chocolate mousse tart with tofu and a cheesecake with yoghurt and milk instead of actual cheese.

On this same vein of thought I decided to experiment with a tofu ‘cheesecake’.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate unusual ingredients into my recipes as well as create healthier alternatives to the normal sweet treat version.

Once I worked up a base recipe I then came up with an interesting (but scrumptious) flavour pairing.

The end result = silky smooth filling of a low fat and high protein sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Base:

280g Nice biscuits
130g butter

Filling:

80ml milk
1 tsn coffee granules
240g sugar
240g firm tofu
40g butter
40ml orange juice
½ tsn orange zest
2 tsn vanilla essence
25ml bourbon
50g cocoa powder
½ tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn all spice

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Melt the 130g of butter and mix through the biscuit crumbs.
Once well combine pour the mix into the cake tin and using fingers press the mix into the base and sides of the cake tin. Place tin in the fridge to firm.
To make the filling heat the milk up in the microwave until boiling.
Add the coffee granules and sugar to the milk and stir until well combine and the sugar has melted.
Place the milk mix into a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and blitz until well combine and smooth.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 1h 15mins, or until the top is set completely.
Leave in the tin to cool then allow to firm in the fridge for 3 hours.
Release from the tin, decorate with cocoa powder and enjoy.

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Sweet Tooth Experiments

Tag Archives: ginger

Steamed Rice Ginger Citrus Cantaloupe Pudding

Rum Banana Ginger and Date Cake

Monkey Bread

Sweet Potato Spiced Pie

Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

Pineapple Lime and Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls

Traditional Panforte

Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’