Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: October 2016

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding

 Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

I have tried time and time again to make an amazing sweet treat with blueberries. As the flavor is quite subtle in a mix of other flavors it can get lost.

So I decided to come up with a recipe that really heroes the blueberry.

This time around I opted for a sponge cake pudding. The sponge cake element would do a great job of soaking up the juice, amplifying the flavor.

Adding cardamom and lemon complimented the blueberry and intensify the soft blueberry flavor.

This recipe definitely celebrates the blueberry and is ever so tasty!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

  • 3 eggs
  • 110g sugar
  • 1 tbsn corn flour
  • 110g self raising flour
  • 1 tsn butter
  • 80g water

Filling:

  • 75g sugar
  • 125g water
  • 800g blueberries
  • 1 tsn lemon zest
  • 1/4 cardamom
  • 2 tsn corn flour

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm x 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Beat the eggs in a bowl with electric beaters until thick and creamy.
  3. Add the sugar slowly while beating until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Triple sift the flours into the egg mix and fold until just combine.
  5. Add the butter to the boiling water and stir to combine.
  6. Once the butter mix has cooled pour into the egg mix and fold until just combine.
  7. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
  8. Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin.
  9. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat until boiling, then turn to low.
  10. Add the blueberries and stir until the berries are soft and squishy.
  11. Add the lemon zest and cardamom and stir until combine.
  12. Pour the mix through a sieve and reserve 180ml the syrup separately.
  13. Place the remaining syrup in a bowl with the corn flour and whisk until the mix is smooth and flour incorporated.
  14. Place the flour syrup back in the saucepan with the blueberries and stir on low heat until the syrup thickens.
  15. Line a 5 cup pudding bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring overhang.
  16. Place the pudding tin onto the sponge and cut around the tin the same size as the base. Repeat for the top of the tin.
  17. Place the small circle into the bottom of the tin.
  18. Cut the remaining sponge into strips to cover the sides of the tin.
  19. Pour the berry mix into the cake tin.
  20. Place the larger sponge circle on the top and push down with hands.
  21. Pull the plastic wrap overhanging on the outside of the tin over the top of the cake.
  22. Place a plate with a weight on top of the cake and place in the fridge for 3 hours (or the longer the better).
  23. Turn the pudding out onto a plate, remove the plastic wrap and brush the remaining syrup on the outside and top of the pudding.
  24. Serve with ice-cream.

 

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 3

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 8

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 11

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 17

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 19

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 20

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

Step 23

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Ricotta Strawberry Lemon and Thyme Bread Slice

Posted on Posted in Slice .

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

For something different I wanted to make an easy, no bake, no fuss, low fat, low sugar, quick treat that had interesting and tasty flavours. Something that would appeal to most but still have my unusual twist.

This recipe took 4 attempt where number 3 almost fit the brief with strawberry, lemon and elderflower. However replacing the replacing the elderflower with thyme took the slice from ok to the next level.

 

Ingredients:

  • 260g brioche bread (or any sweet bread)
  • 100g sugar
  • 55g butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 4 tsn lemon zest
  • 1 tsn strawberry essence
  • 2 tsn dried thyme
  • 300g ricotta

 

Method:

  1. Line a 20cm x 20cm square slice tin with baking paper.
  2. Cut the bread into 2 large pieces and line the base of the tin with the bread slices cut to fit the base.
  3. Push the bread down so it is slightly squashed into the tin.
  4. In a bowl beat the sugar and butter until creamy and fluffy with electric beaters.
  5. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest , strawberry essence and thyme beat for a further 1 minute.
  6. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth.
  7. Spoon the ricotta mix over the bread, pushing down with the back of a spoon.
  8. Place in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
  9. Cut into slices and top with a little additional lemon zest, thyme and strawberry halves.

 

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 2

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 3

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 4

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 5

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 6

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice recipe

Step 7

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

For a while now I have been trying to make a delicious dessert with a bottle of butterscotch snapps that I have left over from a cocktail night.

I figured I have never baked with butterscotch before and was really interested in experimenting and making it a hero ingredient.

For flavor pairing inspiration I thought about what works well with butterscotch sauce (hmmm butterscotch sauce). Vanilla and white chocolate seemed to have similar flavor profiles and worked well.

I decided on a cheesecake as the cake type, as I’m not a fan of heaps of cream and fat I decided to use low fat ricotta and mascarpone cheese as the filling foundation. I’ve made cheesecakes with ricotta before and they have worked brilliantly.

To ensure the textures were balanced I added chopped macadamias to provide some crunch, which goes perfectly with vanilla and white chocolate.

The outcome was a luscious and decadent cheesecake with grown up flavors that you can eat and enjoy more guilt free that usual.

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Base:

  • 150g biscuits
  • 75g butter

Filling:

  • 175g ricotta
  • 175g mascarpone cheese
  • 35g icing sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 50ml butterscotch snaps
  • 120g white chocolate
  • 50g macadamia

 

Method:

  1. Line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the biscuits and soften butter in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Press mix into the bottom and sides of the lined cake tin.
  4. Place the tin in the fridge to set.
  5. Place the ricotta into a food processor until smooth.
  6. Melt 40g of white chocolate and leave aside until cool to room temprature.
  7. Transfer the ricotta into a large bowl with the mascarpone cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and butterscotch and beat using a hand whisk until just combine.
  8. Add the melted white chocolate and whisk with the hand whisk until combine.
  9. Finley chop up the remaining 80g white chocolate and the macadamia nuts and stir into the filling.
  10. Pour the filling onto the base and place into the fridge for 3 hours to set.

 

Note: I have decorated with some extra chocolate and nuts chopped up as well as a few raspberries for decoration.

 

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Step 2

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Step 3

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Step 5

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Step 9

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Step 10

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

Posted on Posted in Mousse .

Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse recipe

This is the most delectable and satisfying chocolate mousse you will eat. Replacing thickened cream with low fat ricotta cheese makes this dessert creamy, tasty and a lot less fattening.

Adding in the spices and coffee give the chocolate more body and flavor layers. This mousse can be made super quickly and is super easy.

Never again will I make chocolate mousse with cream!

Ingredients:

  • 230g low fat ricotta
  • 180g dark 70% chocolate
  • 2 eggs
  • 40g icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsn cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsn ground fennel
  • 1/2 tsn ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsn ground cardamom
  • 1 tsn coffee granules
  • Pinch salt and pepper

 

Method:

  1. Place the chocolate in a bowl and microwave on medium for 1 minute bursts, until almost all melted.
  2. Stir chocolate until smooth and silky, leave aside.
  3. Place the ricotta, egg yolks, sugar, spices, coffee, salt and pepper into a food processor and blitz until well combine and smooth.
  4. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with electric beaters until peaks form.
  5. While the food processor is running pour in all the chocolate until well combined.
  6. Add the chocolate mix to the egg whites and fold the mixes together until just combine and smooth.
  7. Pour the mix into 4 dessert glasses and place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
  8. Decorate with a dust of icing sugar and cocoa powder and enjoy.

 

Blackberry and Lemon Quadruple Trifle recipe

Step 3

Ricotta Chocolate Hazelnut Cake recipe

Step 4

Vegan Black Bean and Chocolate Cake with Avocado Frosting

Step 5

Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse recipe

Step 7

Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse recipe

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Rum Coconut and Raspberry cake

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe
Turning the cocktail ‘raspberry mojito’ into a decadent cake, this recipe clearly derived from another night out’s inspiration.

The taste and contents of this cake is exactly that, white rum, raspberry jam and lots and lots of coconut (4 types in fact).

A pretty simple and straight forward coconut cake spiked with rum and sweetened with raspberry it’s no surprise this cake hits the spot for coconut fans.

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

 

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 40g desiccated coconut
  • 210ml coconut milk
  • 130ml rum
  • 190g butter
  • 235g sugar
  • 1 +1/2 tsn coconut essence
  • 2 eggs
  • 280g self rasing flour

Extra:

  • 250g raspberry jam
  • 250ml cream
  • 25g icing sugar
  • 100g flaked coconut

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
  2. Place the coconut, milk and rum in a bowl, stir and leave aside for 1 hour.
  3. With electric beaters beat the butter and sugar until the mix is light and fluffy.
  4. Add the essence and beat for 1 minute.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
  6. Sift in the flour and add the rum mix, stir well.
  7. Using a spatula lightly mix the rum mix into the egg mix until well combined.
  8. Pour into the cake tins evenly and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  9. Leave the cakes aside to cool on a cooling rack until cold.
  10. Cut the cakes both into 2 even layers horizontally.
  11. Whip the cream and the icing sugar with electric beaters until peaks form.
  12. Place one cake layer on a plate spread 1/2 of the jam, add the second layer, spread with 1/3rd cream mix, add a third layer and spread the remaining jam.
  13. Top with the last layer and spread the remaining cream on the top and sides of the cake evenly.
  14. Coat with the extra flaked coconut on the sides and top of the cake and enjoy.

 

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

Step 4

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

Step 8

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

Step 9

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

Step 11

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake recipe

Step 13

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake Recipe

Step 14

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print