Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: February 2019

Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

 

After recently enjoying a thirst quenching cider while out at the pub one Friday sunny lunch it got me thinking of baking a cake with cider as the key ingredient.

This particular cider was a raspberry flavor but I wanted to trial a few flavor combos, focusing on traditional cider flavors as well as the raspberry one I was enjoying.

The experimenting in the kitchen included raspberry cider, pear cider and apple cider, in which I played around with grated apples, grated pears and raspberries as complementary ingredients to the alcohol.

After around 7 different cake variations I ended up completely satisfied with the long-shot winner of apple cider, raspberries, apples and caramel chew candy. The candy being a bit of a last minute addition to this recipe, in which was added to gave the extra unusual twist I was looking for, unsurprisingly working hand-in-hand with the apple it also worked with the raspberry.

A delicious almost pudding like cake, one bite and you will be going back for a second piece…or if you are like me a third!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 135g butter, softened
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 small apples, peeled and cored (135g apple)
  • 90g caramel chew candy
  • 80ml apple cider
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 1+ 1/2 tsn baking powder
  • 90g raspberries

Icing:

  • 200ml apple or raspberry cider
  • 100g caramel chew candy
  • 90g butter, softened

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Whisk the butter and sugar with electric beaters for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
  4. Grate the apple and add to the egg mix.
  5. Dice the caramel chews into small pieces, add to the egg mix and stir until combine.
  6. Pour the cider into the egg mix.
  7. Sieve the flour and baking soda into the egg mix and whisk on low with electric beaters for 30 seconds or until just combine.
  8. Add the raspberries and fold through the mix until just evenly combine.
  9. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  10. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack until cold.
  11. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the 200ml of cider into a saucepan on a medium heat until reduced down to 80ml.
  12. Add the 100g of caramel chews and whisk with a hand whisk off the heat until smooth and glossy.
  13. Once the caramel mix has cool to room temperature whisk 100g of the caramel mix with the 90g butter with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
  14. Cut the cake in half horizontally, spread the caramel icing onto the top of the bottom cake layer, top with the second layer.
  15. Place the remaining caramel back on the saucepan until just lukewarm and pour over the top of the cake.
  16. Serve and enjoy!

 

Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Apple Raspberry Cider Caramel Candy Cake

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

 

I’ve made chickpea chocolate cake in the past, chocolate coconut slice, almond and chocolate cake, coconut and almond cupcakes….however I have never mixed these 4 flavors together. As they all taste like a dream with chocolate I thought there could be a combo potential.

So I decided to do some experimenting with these 4 flavors with biscuit variations. I looked at using butter vs. coconut oil, coconut flour vs. almond meal vs. rice flour, cocoa powder vs. chocolate, nil-chocolate biscuit dough, double chocolate biscuit varieties and the list goes on….

Suffice to say I made a few different batches that were slightly altered from the last.

This recipe I’m posting is the hands down winner. All flavors come out spectacularly. Even with the ‘gluten free’ component and legume inclusion they don’t taste ‘cardboard’ as some healthier versions of baking sometimes do.

So simple to make, literally throwing ingredients into a food processor and bake for 15 minutes and boom delicious biscuits at once!

Ingredients:

  • 230g chickpeas (1 x 400g can, drained)
  • 100g almond meal
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 40g coconut oil
  • 1 tsn almond extract
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsn baking powder
  • 1/8th tsn salt
  • 40g desiccated coconut
  • 80g roasted almonds
  • 80g 70% dark chocolate, 80g extra

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the drained chickpeas, sugar, oil, extract and egg into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
  3. Dice the 80g chocolate and 80g almonds into small pieces.
  4. Place the almond meal, baking powder, salt, coconut, diced chocolate and diced almonds into a bowl and stir until well combine.
  5. Add the chickpea mix to the dry mix and stir until well combine.
  6. Roll the dough mix into 20g sized balls and flatten well with the back of a fork onto the trays. Note they will not rise so you will want to flatten well.
  7. Place the trays into the oven for 15 minutes to cook.
  8. Allow the biscuits to set on the trays then move to a cooling rack until cooled.
  9. Meanwhile place the remaining extra 80g chocolate into a shallow microwave proof bowl and heat in the microwave on medium, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
  10. Using a butter knife or spatula spread the melted smooth chocolate onto the bottom of the biscuit in a thin even layer.
  11. Place biscuits chocolate side up onto the cooling tray until chocolate has set.
  12. Enjoy!

 

Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

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Chickpea Chocolate Coconut and Almond Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

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St Clements Fudge

Posted on Posted in Fudge .

St Clements Fudge

German Spice Biscuit recipe

Oranges and Lemon’s say the bell’s of St. Clemens….This sweet treat may be named after a nursery rhyme but the favours are a heavenly match.

A twist on the usual dark chocolate fudge, this white chocolate, lemon and orange fudge is a super easy refreshing change to the stock-standard.

Ingredients:

  • 300g condensed milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 130g butter
  • 2 tsn lemon zest
  • 2 tsn orange zest
  • 200g white chocolate, 200g extra

 

Method:

  1. Line a slice tin with baking paper.
  2. Zest the fruit.
  3. Place the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan on low heat and stir until the mix is glossy and the sugar has dissolved.
  4. Add the zest and turn the heat to medium, stirring until the mix comes away from the side of the pan cleanly.
  5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the white chocolate until melted and silky smooth.
  6. Spoon mix into the tin and leave aside to cool.
  7. Once cooled place the tin in the fridge for 1 hour to firm.
  8. Using a spoon scoop the mix into 15g sized balls, rolling in between your hands for the circle shape.
  9. Place the balls onto a plate and into the freezer for 20 minutes.
  10. Place water in a small saucepan on high on the stove until boiling, turn heat to low.
  11. Place remaining chocolate into a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the boiling water.
  12. Use a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate until it’s melted and then remove it from the heat.
  13. Take the balls out of the freezer and dip each ball into the melted chocolate using a fork to lower and place them onto a lined tray.
  14. Next place the tray back in the freezer for 30 mins or until the chocolate has set.
  15. Enjoy!

 

St Clements Fudge recipe

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St Clements Fudge recipe

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Coffee Melting Moments

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Coffee Melting Moments

Coffee Melting Moments recipe

Ok, so this recipe is not that ‘out there’. But it’s just too good for me to not include on my blog and coffee flavored melting moments, well they are not the usual flavor. Generally, or traditionally I should say Melting Moments are shortbread type biscuits that are butter or vanilla in flavor with a buttercream filling. Soo… I figured it ticks some boxes (not all) in terms of being uncommon. BUT, what I can guarantee is this recipe ticks all the boxes when it comes to texture, taste and decadency. To be honest I have gone off coffee on recent months but one taste of this biscuit and there is no way I won’t be finishing it, as well as another one for the road!

An easy and super delicious recipe with the beautiful melt in your mouth texture.

Ingredients:

Biscuit:

  • 150g butter
  • 2 tsn instant coffee granules
  • 64g custard powder
  • 60g icing sugar
  • 160g flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder

Filling:

  • 2 tsn instant coffee granules
  • 80g butter
  • 180g icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Place the butter and coffee granules in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until the butter is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the sugar and custard powder and whisk until combine.
  4. Add the flour and baking powder and using a spatula stir until the mix until well combined.
  5. Roll the dough mix into balls of 20g each and place on the tray.
  6. Press each ball with the back of a fork to slightly flatten and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
  7. Place biscuits on a cooling rack until cold.
  8. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the ingredients into a bowl and whisk using electric beaters whisk until well combined.
  9. Spoon the icing onto half the biscuits on the bottom flat side and sandwich with the remaining biscuits.
  10. Dust with a little cocoa powder and enjoy.

 

Coffee Melting Moments recipe
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Coffee Melting Moments recipe

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