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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches

Posted on Posted in Mousse .

Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches

Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

I love how coffee intensifies the richness of the flavour of chocolate. In a similar manner, I recently discovered port can also have a similar effect.

So I figured it would be interesting to see what would happen if I used both of these flavours via liquors with the chocolate. Though my expected result didn’t occur the outcome was a success in an alternative way. The chocolate flavour was not enhanced, however the mix of the 3 flavours produced a very tasty and decedent twist to the standard chocolate mousse.

The dark chocolate is still the dominant flavour, but is closely complimented with the liquors profiles.

This recipe is not too crazy out-there, but an interesting twist that has a straightforward and uncomplicated method with no oven required!

Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

Ingredients:

Mousse:

  • 155g dark chocolate (75% cocoa)
  • 2 eggs
  • 70ml thickened cream
  • 20ml Kahlua
  • 10ml Port

Biscuits:

  • 1 + 1/2 tbsn Port
  • 2 + 1/2 tbsn Kahlua
  • 12 chocolate coated digestive biscuits

Frosting:

  • 1 egg white
  • Pitch of cream of tartar
  • 15ml water
  • 50g sugar

 

Method:

  1. Place the chocolate into a saucepan and heat on the stove on low until the chocolate has just melted, take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, place the 2 egg yolks and cream into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until soft peaks form.
  3. Add the cooled chocolate, 20ml Kahlua and 10ml Port to the cream mix and beat until just combine.
  4. In a separate bowl beat the 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  5. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix until just combine, place in the fridge for later use.  
  6. For the biscuits pour the 1+1/2 tbsn Port and 2+1/2 tbsn Kahlua into a shallow bowl and stir with a spoon to combine.
  7. Dip 6 of the biscuits into the liquor mix to absorb some of the liquid, chocolate side up. Place soaked biscuits onto a plate, chocolate side down.
  8. Cut 6 x 3cm strips of acetate paper, place a biscuit on the bench and wrap a strip around each biscuit. Hold the acetate in place with some sticky tape.
  9. Repeat the wrapping process for all 6 soaked biscuits, place the biscuits with rings onto a large plate.
  10. Remove the mousse for the fridge. Spoon the mousse on top of the biscuits until it reaches the top of the ring, then push down the mix softly with the back of a spoon to eliminate any gaps.
  11. Dip the remaining 6 biscuits into the liquor mix, chocolate side up until all the liquor is absorbed.
  12. Top the mousse with the 6 biscuits, chocolate side up.
  13. Use your fingers gently, to push the top biscuit down slightly to sandwich the mousse.
  14. Place the plate in the fridge overnight to set (or 4+ hours).
  15. To make the frosting whisk the egg white and cream of tartar in a bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
  16. Place the water and sugar into a saucepan on a high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  17. Place a candy thermometer into the mix until it reached 120c degrees.
  18. Start the beaters again for the egg whites and while beating pour the sugar syrup into the eggs whites slowly.
  19. Continue beating the egg mix for 10 minutes.
  20. Remove the acetate from the mousse sandwiches.
  21. Place the icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe the sandwich tops with the frosting.
  22. Slightly torch the tops of the frosting (ONLY the frosting do not melt the chocolate on the biscuit) until golden with a blow torch, place in the freezer for 10 mins.
  23. Remove from the freezer and dust with a little cocoa powder and enjoy.

 

NOTE: It is completely fine to omit step 22. If you opt for this option then simply frost the sandwich tops then dust with cocoa powder and enjoy!

 

Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Port Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Sandwiches recipe

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Black Russian Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Russia, Traditional .

Black Russian Cake (aka Vodka Kahlua Cake)

Black Russian Cake recipe

So this cake technically is not a traditional Russian cake, however is a cake that is popular in Russia and has many many many versions of it. The 4 things all versions have in common being; lots of vodka, Kahlua and chocolate.

My understanding is if cream is included in the recipe it is usually piped in the center of the cake where the hole is, however I felt that icing the cake with the cream in the center horizontally was a great way to break up the intense chocolate richness (instead of just use it as a decorative feature).

Now I have make Chocolate, Nutella and Kahlua cake before (see my Kahlua Nutella Chocolate Cake recipe), where this cake was absolutely delightfully decadent.

This Russian cake however, has the significant addition of the vodka that really breaks up the sweetness and somehow makes the Kahlua and chocolate event more scrumptious in flavour.

The texture of the cake (I’m not sure if this is thanks to the vodka) is amazing. Think choc and coffee brownie cake with a layer of Nutella.

This cake will melt in your mouth and leave you wondering why you have been wasting kjs on plain chocolate cake in the past.

 

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 190g flour
  • 50g corn flour
  • 30ml milk powder
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 1 tsn salt
  • 100g cocoa powder
  • 430g sugar
  • 70g butter
  • 200g vegetable oil
  • 170ml milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 60ml vodka
  • 30ml Kahlua

Syrup:

  • 50g butter
  • 2 tbsn water
  • 90g sugar
  • 100ml vodka
  • 100ml Kahlua

Cream:

  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar
  • 100g Nutella

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and spray a non-stick Bundt cake tin with oil spray.
  2. In a bowl double sieve the flours, milk powder, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and sugar.
  3. In another bowl heat the butter until just melted.
  4. Add the oil and milk to the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the eggs to the butter mix and beat for a further 3 minutes.
  6. Add the vodka and Kahlua to the egg mmix and beat for 1 more minute.
  7. Add the wet mix to the flour mix and whisk until just combine.
  8. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Place the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
  10. Meanwhile to make the syrup place the butter, water and sugar into a pan and heat on high stirring continuously until the mix is bubbling.
  11. Add the Vodka and Kahlua and stir until well combine and the mix slightly thickens.
  12. Take the syrup off the heat for later use.
  13. Make the cream by combining all ingredients into a bowl and beating with an electric whisk until peaks form, set aside.
  14. Using a pastry brush brush the top of the cake with half the syrup mix.
  15. To put the cake together, cut the cake into 2 layers horizontally.
  16. Place the bottom layer on a plate and using a pastry brush brush the remaining syrup onto the cake cut side up.
  17. Add the cream mix and top with the second cake layer, syrup side up.

 

Note: I dusted the cake with icing sugar to decorate.

Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake recipe

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 Black Russian Cake recipe

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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

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies recipe

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Kahlua and Butterscotch Schnapps Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Kahlua and Butterscotch Schnapps Cake

Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

I was playing around with liquors in the kitchen over the weekend and decided that I wanted to make a decadently scrumptious cake off the base of 2 sweet, complimentary andinteresting alcoholic flavors.

I gave myself the challenge of coming up with a recipe off the flavor combination of Kahlua (coffee liquor) and Butterscotch Schnapps (Butterscotch liquor). I was looking for the mix of the sweet coffee flavor along with the butterscotch (almost caramel flavor). They both have such similar flavor profiles and taste spectacular together.

For a decadent cake I decided both liquors would be in the cake itself and I would have a filling based on one liquor and icing based on the other.

To further add to this flavor mix and take the cake to the next level I decided to add white chocolate as well as cream to excel the flavor and add a profile that can bring the sweetness back down to be highly palatable for all.

Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

Ingredients:

  • 220g brown sugar
  • 75g butter
  • 3 egg
  • 190ml butterscotch Schnapps
  • 185ml milk
  • 285g self raising flour
  • 40ml Kahlua

Ganache:

  • 125ml cream
  • 30g Kahlua
  • 375g white chocolate

Cream:

  • 200ml cream
  • 20ml butterscotch Schnapps
  • 15g icing sugar

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 185c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Beat the sugar and butter in a bowl with electric beaters until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time beating in between each addition.
  4. Add the schnapps and the milk and beat until combine.
  5. Add the flour and beat until well combine.
  6. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Place the cake onto a cooling rack until cool.
  8. Cut the cake into 3 horizontal cakes and using a pastry brush brush on the Kahlua on all 3 layers.
  9. To make the icing place the cream in the microwave until steaming.
  10. Add the Kahlua and chocolate to the cream and leave for a minute.
  11. Stir until the mix is well combine and place in the fridge to set.
  12. To make the cream filling place the cream in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until peaks form.
  13. Add the icing sugar and butterscotch snapps and on a low speak beat until just combine.
  14. To assemble place one layer on a plate.
  15. Spread ½ the cream over the top of the cake, Kahlua side up.
  16. Top with 2nd cake we layer Kahlua side up and spread with remaining cream, top with 3rd cake layer Kahlua side down.
  17. Spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cake and enjoy.

 

Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

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Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

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Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

It’s been a while since I have baked with alcoholic spirits. As I had party coming up I though now was  a good time as any to make a decadent alcoholic cake.  It had to be something sweet that would complement typical cake flavors as this cake was for an event and not just for me (not everyone is quick to jump at my unusual baking style 🙂 ).

Decisions, decision. It was down to Frangelico (hazelnut) or Kahlua (coffee).  As I have made a Frangelico cake in the past (it’s not on this blog as it just didn’t quite make the cut), I decided Kahlua it is.

What goes with the flavour of coffee? Well chocolate and hazelnut of course!

All I can say for this recipe is decadent, amazingness, flavour explosion and a must to try!

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 125g butter
  • 160g brown sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 2 eggs
  • 330g plain flour
  • 4 tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn bi carbonate of soda
  • ½ tsn mixed spice
  • 2 tsn instant coffee
  • 90ml Kahlua, 10ml extra

Nutella frosting:

  • 60g butter
  • 75g thickened cream
  • 225g Nutella

Chocolate frosting:

  • 75g thickened cream
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 25g cocoa powder

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 23cm baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Using electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating in each addition.
  4. In another bowl sift the flour, mixed spice, baking powder and soda then add to the butter mix.
  5. Add the instant coffee to ¼ cup of warm water and whisk until the coffee is dissolved.
  6. Add 90ml of Kahlua to the coffee mix and pour into the butter mix.
  7. Mix the ingredients with a spoon then whisk with electric beaters until just combine.
  8. Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes than place on a cooling rack until the cake is cold.
  10. To make the Nutella frosting beat the cream until soft peaks.
  11. Whip the butter for 2 minutes until creamy.
  12. Add the nutella and cream to the butter and beat with electric beaters for 1 minute. Place the frosting in the fridge.
  13. To make the chocolate frosting beat the cream until soft peaks, sift in the cocoa and icing sugar and beat for a further 30 seconds until combine. Set mix aside.
  14. Once the cake is cooled cut in half horizontally and brush both cut sides with the extra 10ml of Kahlua.
  15. Place the bottom cake layer on a plate, spread with the chocolate frosting.
  16. Place the second cake on top of the chocolate frosting then spread the Nutella frosting over the top of the cake and sides.
  17. Decorate with hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

 

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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