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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

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Chocolate Honeycomb Spiced Christmas Pudding

Posted on Posted in Pudding .

Chocolate Honeycomb Spiced Christmas Pudding

Chocolate Honeycomb Spiced Christmas Pudding recipe

 Christmas cake is not for everyone, in fact it tends to be an acquired taste for most, much like mince pies.

So to cater to all that are not in favor of the traditional taste I decided to come up with a pudding that would appease all. Think chocolate cake mixed with a traditional Christmas cake mixed with some extra crunch surprise. The dates takes the edge off the mixed fruit intense depth in flavor while the spices, nuts and honeycomb work well with the chocolate profile.

 

Ingredients:

  • 125g dried mixed fruit
  • 225g dried dates, diced
  • 60ml brandy
  • 160ml orange juice
  • 225g butter
  • 140g brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 140g plain flour
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsn ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • 110g pecans, chopped
  • 30g breadcrumbs
  • 200g honeycomb, diced

Ganache:

  • 30ml cream
  • 50g dark chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160c and line a pudding tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the mixed fruit and diced dates in a bowl with the brandy and orange and leave for 1 hour to absorb.
  3. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time to the sugar mix, beating in between each addition.
  5. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and spices into the sugar mix.
  6. Add the fruit mix, breadcrumbs and nuts and beat until mix is combine.
  7. Lastly, add 150g of the honeycomb and stir until combine.
  8. Pour the mix into the prepared tin, flatten with a spoon and place the lid on the tin.
  9. Bake the pudding in the oven for 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center just comes out clean.
  10. Place the pudding on a cooling tray until cooled completely.
  11. Meanwhile, add the chocolate and cream into a bowl and heat in the microwave on a low power of 1 minute or until just starting to melt.
  12. Stir the ganache until silky smooth.
  13. Turn the cooled pudding upside down onto a plate and pour the ganache over the top, scatter with remaining diced honeycomb.
  14. To serve cut the pudding into slices and accompany with ice-cream or double cream.

 

Chocolate Honeycomb Spiced Christmas Pudding recipe
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Golden Syrup Pecan and Caramel Mini Cheese Cakes

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Golden Syrup Pecan and Caramel Mini Cheese Cakes

Golden Syrup Pecan and Caramel Mini Cheese Cakes recipe

Golden syrup would have to be one of my favorite flavors, it’s the whole reason I eat Anzac biscuits!

I wanted to make a cake with this flavor as the key feature, but to also have a range of textures and additional flavor tones that compliment the luscious golden syrup. Ultimately I wanted to create a golden syrup flavor bomb profile paring.

After playing around with a few spices, nuts and essences I had the ingredient pairing I was looking for.

The after taste and texture of pecans and the salty and sweet combo of salted caramel worked wonderfully with the golden syrup.

After deciding the syrup cake (experiment 1) was delicious but way too super super sweet I opted for a cheesecake instead to tone down the sweetness and add some creaminess to the pecan crunch.

Adding in an Anzac inspired base connected all the flavors and textures together.

 

Ingredients:

Base:

  • 30g ground pecans
  • 80g Anzac biscuits
  • 40g butter
  • 15g golden syrup

Filling:

  • 150g sugar
  • 40ml water
  • 250g cream cheese
  • ¼ tsn salt
  • 2 tsn salted caramel essence
  • 1 egg

Pecans:

  • 20g butter
  • 40g brown sugar
  • 20g golden syrup
  • 110g pecans

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line an 8-cupcake tin with large cupcake patties.
  2. Spray the patties with oil spray.
  3. Place all the base ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
  4. Spoon the base mix into the patty cases evenly and using the back of a spoon press down to flatten.
  5. Place the tin in the fridge.
  6. Next make the caramel by placing the water and sugar into a saucepan on a high heated stove top.
  7. Stir the mix until the sugar has dissolved then leave to boil until the mix becomes a golden brown colour.
  8. Remove off the heat and using a hand whisk beat 100g of the cheese until the mix is smooth.
  9. Transfer the mix into a bowl and add the remaining cheese, salt and the essence, whisk with electric beaters until the mix is smooth.
  10. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
  11. Spoon the mix evenly into the patties on top of the base, flatten the mix with the back of a spoon.
  12. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the top of the cakes are firmish to touch.
  13. Meanwhile make the pecan topping by placing the butter, sugar and syrup in a bowl and on high in the microwave until the mix is boiling, stir.
  14. Diced the pecans and add into the sugar mix, stir.
  15. Once the cakes are done take them out of the oven and spoon the pecan mix over the top of the cakes evenly.
  16. Place the cakes back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
  17. Once time is up remove the cakes from the oven and leave aside to cool.
  18. Place the cakes in the fridge for 4 hours to completely set.
  19. Dust the cakes with icing sugar and serve the cakes with a dollop of thickened cream if desired.

 

Note:

  • I have placed the cakes in the freezer for 2 hours to completely firm then removed the patty cases.
  • If you don’t have caramel essence you can substitute with vanilla essence.

 

Golden Syrup Pecan and Caramel Mini Cheese Cakes recipe
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Golden Syrup Pecan and Caramel Mini Cheese Cakes recipe
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Monkey Bread 

Posted on Posted in Bread .

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread recipe
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:

  1. 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.
  2. Add the milk mix and an egg into your kitchen aid with a dough hook, kneed until combine.
  3. Sift the yeast, flour, salt and sugar into the milk mix and kneed for 10 minutes until silky and elastic.
  4. 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.
  5. Spray a bread load tin with oil spray.
  6. In another bowl place the spices and sugar and then mix until combine.
  7. Melt the 80g butter in a bowl and spoon 15ml into the base of the tin.
  8. Sprinkle melted butter with 1/3rd of the chopped nuts.
  9. Pull pieces of the dough and roll into 2cm sized balls.
  10. Place the remaining 65ml butter into a bowl and add a ball, completely cover ball with butter and remove with a spoon.
  11. Place the sugar mix into a bowl and swish the bowl around until the ball is completely covered in sugar. Repeat with remaining dough.
  12. Place the balls in the cake tin, evenly, covering the tin then add in 1/3rd of the pecans.
  13. Add the remaining balls into a second layer and top with remaining sugar and butter.
  14. Push down careful with hands to ensure no gaps.
  15. Leave the tin aside to prove for 90 minutes with plastic wrap on the top.
  16. 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.
  17. Once cooled hit the tin on the bench to allow for the bread to fall out inverted onto a plate.
  18. To make the icing beat the ingredients together with a hand whisk until smooth and pour over the top of the bread.
  19. Top with remaining nuts.
  20. 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.

 

Monkey Bread Recipe
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