Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: March 2019

Festive Popcorn Honey Bark

Posted on Posted in Slice .

Festive Popcorn Honey Bark

This recipe was inspired by playing around with left over ingredients that I had in the cupboard from previous bakes that I wanted to turn into something. I hate wasting food and tend to buy quite a lot of ingredients in which I only use ¼ of for a recipe.

Therefore I decided to make my own version of ‘chocolate bark’, but instead of using chocolate as the base I would use caramel and instead of the usual nuts, seeds and dried fruits that go into ‘bark’, I opted for what I had in the cupboard.

I made 5 different varieties where this recipe I am posting was the star from the afternoon of experimenting.

Marshmallow, popcorn, coconut and white chocolate came close but it was the coconut, cranberry, orange, almond, popcorn and white chocolate recipe that was the tastiest.

Ingredients:

Popcorn mix:

  • 40g popcorn, pre-popped and lightly salted
  • 50g flaked coconut
  • 50g cranberries, diced
  • 1 tsn orange zest
  • 40g roasted almonds, finely diced

Caramel:

  • 40g butter
  • 120g honey
  • 160g sugar
  • 1 tsn bi carbonate soda

Extra:

  • 50g white chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Line a 25cmx25cm slice tin with baking paper.
  2. In a bowl place the popcorn, coconut, cranberries and zest, stir to combine.
  3. In a saucepan place the butter, honey and sugar on a medium heat, stir until combine.
  4. Turn heat to high until golden and thickened. You will know the caramel is done when you stir a spoon in the mix and place it in a cup of cold water, if the caramel is hard it’s ready.
  5. Take off the heat and add ½ tsn of the bicarbonate soda to the mix and stir.
  6. Add the almonds and stir.
  7. Pour the caramel mix into the prepared tin, ensuring even distribution.
  8. Working quickly sprinkle the popcorn mix over the caramel as evenly as possible and flatten with palms and fingertips to ensure the mix is in the caramel.
  9. Place slice in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile place the white chocolate over a double boiler and melt the chocolate.
  11. Drizzle the melted white chocolate on the bark and place back in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the white chocolate is set.
  12. Cut the bark into slices and enjoy.

 

 

Festive Popcorn Honey Bark recipe
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Marshmallow Popcorn Honey Bark recipe

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Marshmallow Popcorn Honey Bark recipe
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Clinker Cheesecake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Clinker Cheesecake

Clinker Cheesecake recipe

It’s been a while since I baked with lollies (see my Red Skin Candy Cake and Musk Candy Cake recipes).

To reignite this baking lollie twist I decided to start looking at chocolate lollies and incorporating these in my recipes.
One of the chocolate types I thought would be interesting and not commonly consumed was Pascall’s Clinkers.

Chocolate covered candy with a surprise of either pineapple, lime or strawberry in the middle…yum!

I have opted for a cheesecake in this instance as chunks of diced Clinkers in a traditional baked cake would leave holes and make the cake unstable when the chocolate and candy melted in the cooking process.

 

Ingredients:

  • 150g chocolate biscuits
  • 70g butter
  • 500g cream cheese
  • 30g sugar
  • 2 tsn gelatine
  • 60ml water
  • 200g milk chocolate
  • 350g clinkers
  • 240g thickened cream

 

Method:

  1. Line a 23cm spring form baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Melt the butter, add to the biscuits and pulse until well combine.
  3. Press biscuit mix into the base of the tin then place in the fridge to firm.
  4. Using electric beaters whisk the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  5. Melt the chocolate and beat into the cheese mix until smooth.
  6. Boil the water and mix the gelatine, using a fork to combine until the mix has no lumps and is silky.
  7. Add the gelatine mix to the cheese mix and beat until well combine.
  8. Clean the beaters and whisk the cream until peaks form.
  9. Cut 250g of clinkers into medium sized pieces each so you have nice chunks and fold with the cream into the cheese mix.
  10. Spoon over the chocolate base and leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set.
  11. Once set remove from the tin.
  12. Place 100g of clinkers in the food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumb consistency.
  13. Roll the cake onto its side once set to coat sides of cake with the clinker mix, then sprinkle the remaining on top.

 

Clinker Cheesecake recipe

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Florentines

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

Florentines

Florentines recipe

A Florentine biscuit (or, more correctly, a Florentine) is a sweet treat attributed to being invented in France, though is generally seen as an Italian delicacy.

Florentine’s are most commonly made from nuts and glaze cherries, in which are mixed with sugar, honey and butter and completed with their signature bottom chocolate coating.

There are many many version of this biscuit, and after baking 5 different versions I have worked up what I think is the best from multiple recipes. I know this is a little controversial but has resulted in an easy-as, ever-so-tasty gluten and egg free cookie.

Ingredients:

  • 30g dried cranberries
  • 25g almonds
  • 25g walnuts
  • 50g glaze cherries
  • 30g cornflakes
  • 90g condensed milk
  • 150g dark chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Dice up the cranberries, almonds, walnuts and cherries into small pieces and place in a bowl.
  3. Add the corn flakes and condensed milk and mix until well combined.
  4. Place spoonfuls of the mix onto the baking paper and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
  5. Once the biscuits have cooled place the chocolate in a pan over a pan of simmering water on the stove.
  6. Stir the chocolate until it has melted then dip in the biscuits, bottom side to the chocolate ensuring an even layer of chocolate.
  7. Place the biscuits on a cooling rack, bottom side up until the chocolate has set.

 

Florentines recipe

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Chocolate Banana Split Sundae Pie

Posted on Posted in Pies .

Chocolate Banana Split Sundae Pie

Chocolate Banana Split Pie recipe

I have always been a fan of chocolate banana split sundae. Vanilla ice-cream, banana, chocolate, cherries, nuts and strawberry, how could this not taste absolutely amazing?

The only thing is that ice-cream is not a great ‘comfort food’ in the colder months, so to mitigate this I decided to turn the banana split sundae into a pie.

I have kept the core flavors and added a few secondary complementing flavors into the mix to make the pies even tastier.

Chocolate Banana Split Pie recipe

Ingredients:

Pastry:

  • 180g plain flour
  • 20g cocoa powder
  • 100g butter
  • 50g sugar
  • 45ml water

Filling:

  • 180g dark chocolate
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 750ml milk
  • ¼ cup corn flour
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 tsn vanilla extract
  • 20g butter

Topping:

  • 150g thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar

Extra:

  • 2 chopped bananas
  • 200g strawberries chopped
  • 200g chopped pineapple
  • 20g peanuts
  • 4 glace cherries

Chocolate Sauce:

  • 30g cream
  • 50g dark chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 220c degrees.
  2. Place all the pastry ingredients except the water into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add 45g of water and process until the mix resembles dough and comes away at the sides of the bowl.
  4. Knead the dough for a minute then divide into 4 balls of 60g each.
  5. With a rolling pin roll the balls to disks and place into 4 medium sized tart cases, trim edges. Place the remaining pastry aside back in the fridge.
  6. Prick the pastry with a fork a few times in the center and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile make the filling by placing the chocolate, sugar, milk and corn flour in a saucepan on a medium heat and whisk with a hand whisk until the mix is thick.
  8. Lightly beat the 5 egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl and add in 1 cup of the chocolate custard mix, beat.
  9. Add the yolk mix into the chocolate custard mix and beat with a hand whisk for 2 minutes while the mix boils.
  10. Take off the heat and beat in the 20g butter.
  11. Place some baking paper on the top of the custard mix to stop a skin from forming and leave for 10 minutes to cool.
  12. Take the tart cases out of the fridge and place on a baking tray covering the tarts with foil, baking for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.
  14. Once the tart cases have cooled place the chocolate custard mix in each tart base.
  15. Turn the oven down to 160c degrees.
  16. Roll the remaining pastry into 3 equal balls then roll out into a disk shape.
  17. Top the remaining disks on top of the custard and trim excess.
  18. Poke the top a few times with a fork and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
  19. Remove tarts from the oven and leave to completely cool, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  20. Meanwhile, with electric beats whisk the cream and icing sugar until peaks form.
  21. Place the cream into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe on top of each chilled pie evenly.
  22. Cut up the strawberries, banana and pineapple and place on top of the cream.
  23. Chop up the peanuts and sprinkle on top.
  24. To make the sauce place the chocolate and cream in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until a sauce is formed.
  25. Allow sauce to cool slightly and drizzle on top of the pies.
  26. Place a cherry in the center and into the fridge to fully set for 1 hour.

 

Coconut Cream Pie recipe
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Banana and Peanut Loaf

Posted on Posted in Bread .

Banana and Peanut Loaf

Banana and Peanut Loaf recipe

For a while now I have been meaning to create a healthier alternative to banana bread, that is scrumptious while being an acceptable high protein and high vitamin rich breakfast to fuel my morning.

After a taste test of flavour combos and brief-fitting ingredients I concluded that the flavours of peanut and banana were perfect.

As these ingredients are full of healthy protein building nuts and potassium richness fruit I decided to produce a recipe that was as healthy as possible while still attaining a delicious flavour and fluffy texture.

I also wanted it to be as easy as possible to bake that could be whipped up in 5 minutes.

The outcome = Fluffy fruit and nut bread with no added fat (oil/butter) that I think tastes much better than traditional banana bread (which is full of fat and large sugar quantities).

I’m actually impressed with myself, as soon as I served this I was asked for the recipe. Easy one step low fat fruit based loaf that is just divine sliced, warmed and if you desire topped with a flick off low fat margarine.

 

Ingredients:

  • 160g brown sugar
  • 200g vanilla yoghurt (low fat)
  • 220g Banana (3 large bananas)
  • 2 eggs
  • 130g low fat peanut-butter
  • 160g self raising flour

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 14cmx24cm loaf tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the sugar, banana, yoghurt, eggs, peanut butter and flour in a food processor and blitz until all the ingredients are well combine and pureed.
  3. Pour the mix into the cake tin.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the loaf is just set on touch.
  5. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin, then cut and serve.

 

Notes:

  • You will need 3 large or 4 medium sized bananas for this recipe.
  • I blitzed up 15g of peanuts to decorate the top of the loaf and sprinkled before baking.

 

Banana and Peanut Loaf recipe

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Banana and Peanut Loaf recipe

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Banana and Peanut Loaf recipe

Blitz peanuts to decorate

 

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