Sweet Tooth Experiments

Ricotta Strawberry Lemon and Thyme Bread Slice

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Ella Posted in Slice .

Ricotta Strawberry and Thyme Bread Slice

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:

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

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Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Ella 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.

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:

Line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits and soften butter in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Press mix into the bottom and sides of the lined cake tin.
Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Place the ricotta into a food processor until smooth.
Melt 40g of white chocolate and leave aside until cool to room temprature.
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.
Add the melted white chocolate and whisk with the hand whisk until combine.
Finley chop up the remaining 80g white chocolate and the macadamia nuts and stir into the filling.
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.

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Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Ella 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:

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

Blackberry and Lemon Quadruple Trifle recipe

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Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Rum Coconut and Raspberry cake

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.

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:

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

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Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

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:

Preheat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 30 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
Using electric beaters whisk the soft butter and sugar until creamy.
Add the peanut butter and Kahlua and beat until well combined.
Sift in the flour and add in the coconut, oats and salt. Stir to combine.
Wet hands and roll mix into 15g balls, placing on the tray with 5cm between each ball.
Once all balls are done use the back of a spoon to slightly flatten.
Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes then place on a cooling rack until cooled.
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.
Set the chocolate aside in the fridge for 30 mins of until the chocolate is at a spreadable consistency (similar to peanut butter)
Spread each cooled biscuit on the baked side down with the chocolate mix.
On half the biscuits drop a small amount of peanut butter into the center of the biscuit on top of the ganache.
Sandwich the biscuits together.
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.

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Ricotta Doughnuts with Orange Syrup

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Ella Posted in Doughnuts .

Ricotta Doughnuts with Orange Syrup

There are so many varying doughnut recipes that exist, with different methods and flavor combinations, to be honest the list is endless.

However after come recent doughnut making experimenting I made one doughnut in which I think is the most fluffy and soft doughnut I have ever eaten.

The secret? All I did was made a very simple and quick batter that was made predominately of ricotta cheese.

The cheese created the fluffy melt in your mouth texture that is easy to shape and crisps up like a perfect doughnut.

The zest in the batter provides a lovely citrus flavor without overpowering, while the syrup adds extra punch to the doughnuts flavors that delivers sweet luscious excellence.

Ingredients:

270g ricotta
2 eggs
20ml milk
50g sugar
1 + 1/4 orange’s zest
1 tsn lemon zest
50g flour
2 tbsn baking powder

Syrup:

60g sugar
40ml water
100ml orange juice
1 tbsn honey

Extra:

Vegetable oil to fry
Sugar to dust

Method:

Place the ricotta, eggs, milk, sugar and zests into a bowl and using a hand whisk beat until smooth.
Add in the flour and baking powder and beat until just combine.
Fill a saucepan with vegetable oil and place a small amount of batter into the oil on a high heat.
Once the batter starts to fry remove and turn down the temperature to medium.
Using 2 tablespoons scoop up the batter and shape into a ball, following with dropping into the oil.
Allow to fry for 2 minutes or until the doughnut is golden brown, turn the doughnut and allow to cook for a few more second and then transfer onto a plate lined with absorbent paper towel.
Repeat until all batter has gone.
Place the doughnuts into a bowl and sprinkle with the extra sugar, top with a plate and shake the bowl to allow for full sugar coverage.
Transfer onto a clean plate.
Make the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Turn heat to medium and stir until the mix resembles a syrup consistency, place into a clean jug.
Serve doughnuts with vanilla ice cream, drizzle doughnut with the syrup and enjoy.

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Low Fat White Chocolate Saffron and Vanilla Cupcakes

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cupcakes .

Low Fat White Chocolate Saffron and Vanilla Cupcakes

Don’t let the low fat make you think these cupcakes are not super delectable with a super tasty texture. Replacing 60% of the butter with apple puree ensures that the texture is still just as good but makes me feel much more guilt free!

It does sound like a strange concoction of flavors in this recipe, but the combo really works and complements each other.

Saffron is a common South Eastern Asia savory flavouring. While vanilla is a stock standard sweet flavor enhancer, white chocolate though not the usual go to chocolate for baking is still a common ingredient and yoghurt, well this ingredient is becoming more and more utilised in baking. So, you can imagine from this blend of varying flavors the recipe could have gone very very wrong…but to my delight I must say it’s quite a moreish sweet treat.

The white chocolate and vanilla sweeten and put a floral accent on the saffron and the natural yoghurt calms the icing sweetness down.

Ingredients:

140ml milk
Large pinch of saffron
250g flour
4 tsn baking powder
80g sugar
160g white chocolate
70g butter
100g apple puree
4 tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs

Icing:

50ml natural yoghurt
325g icing sugar
20ml vanilla essence

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with patty cases.
Place the milk into the microwave until steaming and add the saffron. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place into the flour mix, stir.
Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave and add the milk, puree, vanilla and eggs. Whisk with a hand whisk until well combined.
Pour the milk mix into the flour mix and using a hand whisk beat until just combine.
Pour the batter into the patty cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until and skewer in the center comes out clean.
Place the cupcakes onto a cooling rack until cool.
Meanwhile to make the icing beat the ingredients until well combined.
Using a spatula spread over the cupcake evenly.
Grate extra white chocolate over the icing and a few saffron strands.


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Honey Nougat Crackle Cheesecake

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Honey Nougat Crackle Cheesecake

Being a massive fan of Summer Rolls and Honey Nougat Chocolate Bars I decided I wanted to bake a dessert that would turned these bars into a luscious cake.

Honey, nougat, vanilla, peanuts and coconut are all ingredients that would work fabulously with a creamy textured cake, thus cheesecake it is.

Both bars are covered with chocolate so to replicate this layer I opted to use the chocolate as the base to hold the cheesecake together. As cheesecake is creamy and missing crunch I decided on using rice bubbles for a chocolate crackle base.

A very simple no bake cheesecake that replicates the chocolate bars flavours wonderfully.

Deliciously tasty.

Ingredients:

Base:

100g rice bubbles
40g desiccated coconut
200g chocolate, melted

Filling:

500g cream cheese, at room temperature
160ml honey
1 tsn vanilla essence
45g peanuts, chopped
70g desiccated coconut
2 tsn gelatin
40ml water
110g thickened cream
2 summer roll chocolate bars, chopped
2 honey nougat chocolate bars, chopped

Method:

Line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the rice bubbles and coconut into a bowl.
Add the melted chocolate and stir until well combine and all rice bubbles are covered.
Press 1/3^rd of the crackle mix on the bottom of the cake base and the remaining up the sides of the cake tin by pressing into the tin with damp hands.
Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, to make the filling place the cream cheese, honey and vanilla into a bowl and whip until creamy and smooth with electric beaters.
Boil the water and add in the gelatin, stir until dissolved and no lumps.
Add the peanuts and coconut to the cheese mix and beat for 1 minute.
Add the cream and gelatin mix and beat for 1 minute.
Finely chop up the chocolate bars and add to the mix, beat for 1 minute.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and leave in the fridge to set for 5 hours.
Remove the cake from the tin and top with grated chocolate, extra peanuts and drizzles of honey.


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Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Ella Posted in Bread .

Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

I do occasionally dabble with dough and on this occasion I thought I would pair sweet (but tart) and spicy flavours to take savory bread to the next level.

So what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think sweet…chocolate, that’s right.

We eat sweet Banana Bread for breakfast so why not Chocolate Bread? Chocolate alone was a bit mundane (bakeries do this nowadays) so I decided to add in some spices to give a few kicks to enhance the chocolates taste and the breads flavour. Thus my Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread was born.

Ingredients:

400g white bread flour
1 tbsn sugar
3 tsn ground ginger
½ tsn cinnamon
½ tsn ground cloves
Pinch chili Powder
1 tsn salt
½ tsn dried yeast
1 tbsn oil
160g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate chips

Method:

Mix together the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder and salt in a bowl.
Place the yeast and 280ml of warm water in a bowl for 5 minutes or until it bubbles.
Stir the oil with the warm water then pour into the flour mix, stir.
Lightly flour a bench and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap or a tea towel for 1-2 hours to prove (or until it doubled in size).
Add the chocolate chips and combine with the dough.
Lightly flour the bench again and knead the chocolate through the dough for 2 minutes.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and shape the dough into a bread shape and place on the tray.
Cover the bread again and leave to prove for another hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 220c degrees and place a small bowl of water in the bottom of the oven to stop the bread drying out.
Once proved cut slits in the top of the bread and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the load sounds hollow.

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Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Ella Posted in Pudding .

Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

This recipe is a mix between a rice pudding and porridge that can be eaten as a satisfying breakfast or a quick and easy dessert.

I eat porridge for breakfast quite frequently and also enjoy a sweet coconut rice pudding for dessert.

To my porridge I like to experiment by replacing the oats with similar ingredients such as chia seeds, sago or quinoa flakes. To take my experimenting to the next level I decided to use semolina instead of the oats in porridge or the rice in rice pudding.

For the flavouring I opted for apple and cinnamon – an oldie but a goodie.

After playing around with the recipe I decided that caramelized apple slices on top of the pudding and beautiful vanilla & cinnamon cooked into the semolina delivered the best taste result.

To add more depth I topped the pudding with a burnt honey sauce and roasted nuts for the satisfying crunch texture.

If you’re after a delightful creamy and moreish breakfast option or a sweet way to finish a meal this recipe will have you covered.

Why this recipe makes the website – the result I ended up with blew my expectations. I could but the spoon down!

Ingredients:

Pudding:

600ml milk
60g sugar
1 tsn cinnamon
1 tsn vanilla essence
70g semolina
15g butter

Apples:

2 apples
40g butter
2 tbsn maple syrup
½ tsn cinnamon

Extra:

80g honey
40g water
80g mixed almond/hazelnut/brazil/macadamia nuts

Method:

Place the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla into a saucepan on a high heat.
Whisk the mix until it boils.
Add in the semolina and butter, stir and reduce the heat down to simmer.
Whisk continuously until the milk is soaked up by the semolina and the mix thickens (about 15 minutes).
Remove off heat and divide the mix up between 4 bowls.
Peel the apples and thick julienne cut them.
Place the apple in a saucepan on high heat along with the 40g butter, maple syrup and ½ tsn cinnamon.
Stir with a spoon until the apples caramelize and are slightly soft.
Spoon the apples over the semolina pudding.
Place the honey a saucepan on high heat for 1 minute or until it darkens in colour.
Add the 40g water and stir until the mix slightly reduces and is syrupy in consistency.
Spoon the honey over the pudding.
Top with finely diced nuts and enjoy.

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« Previous Page

Unusual sweets and global treats

Ricotta Strawberry Lemon and Thyme Bread Slice

Butterscotch Macadamia and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Low Fat Spiced Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

Rum Coconut and Raspberry Cake

Spiked Oat Peanut and Chocolate Cookies

Ricotta Doughnuts with Orange Syrup

Low Fat White Chocolate Saffron and Vanilla Cupcakes

Honey Nougat Crackle Cheesecake

Spiced Ginger and Chocolate Bread

Cinnamon Apple and Burnt Honey Semolina Pudding

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