Sweet Tooth Experiments

Coconut and Lychee Rum Flan

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Ella Posted in Flan .

Coconut and Lychee Rum Flan

I tend to go through phases with baking where I fixate on a particular ingredient until I master a killer recipe with that ingredient or I try different flavour pairings with the same base recipe until I get a result that I am really impressed with.

This is exactly what happened last week, I went flan crazy and made about 6 different versions with varying methods and flavour combo’s. Needless to say I can now make a perfect flan with my eyes closed!

The below recipe is one of the standout experiments that was good enough to make it to my blog. The influence was to play with a mix of Asian flavours, where after coming up with the pairing I actually added Rum essence as a flavour enhancer which amplified the taste.

Ingredients:

100g sugar
140ml lychee syrup
1 tsn rum essence
3 eggs
300g condensed milk
250ml milk
120g desiccated coconut
2 x 400g cans of lychees in syrup
1/2 tsn coconut essence

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and grease a 20 x 10cm cake tin.
Place the lychees into a bowl and reserve the syrup in another bowl.
Place the sugar for the caramel into a saucepan and cook on a high heat until the sugar dissolves and just starts to turn amber.
Remove pan off heat and carefully stir in the lychee syrup and the essence until a syrup is formed.
Pour the syrup into the cake tin.
Place the eggs, condensed milk, milk, ½ tsn rum essence, the coconut essence and the desiccated coconut in a bowl and whisk with a hand help beater until combine.
Pure the mix into the tin on top of the syrup.
Place the tin into another bigger cake tin and pour hot water until it comes half way up the sides of the tin.
Bake for 40 minutes or until set and slightly browned on the top.
Place the tin with cake aside on a baking tray to cool.
Place in the fridge for 3 hours.
Slightly dice up 400g of the lychee and place on the top of the flan to serve.

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Check out an impressive Parmesan Cheese Chocolate Slice recipe. Follow the simple baking method to bake a spectacular sweet treat

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Sticky Date and Spiced Banana Cookies

What do you do when you have left over dates and banana? You get your bake on of course! Though this recipe is for biscuits I did have to flip a coin as to if I would create a cake or biscuits.

Two of my signature dishes are my Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and my Spiced Banana Cake so it only made sense to take the best of both worlds and produce a sticky date and spiced banana biscuit. Why reinvent the wheel as they say…outcome, my new favorite biscuit.

Ingredients:

150g pitted dates
180g butter
150g brown sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence
1 egg
256g plain flour
1 tsn bi-carbonate of soda
2 tsn ground ginger
2 tsn mixed spice
½ tsn ground star anise
1 large banana

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
Boil some water and place into a bowl. Add the dates and allow the dates to plumb up for 10 minutes in the water.
Drain the dates and place into a food processor and process until smooth.
Using electric beaters beat the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy.
Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat for a further 2 minutes.
Add the flour, bi carb, ginger, mixed spice, star anise and pureed dates to the butter mix.
Beat the mix for 3 minutes until fully combine and creamy.
With wet hands roll the dough into balls of 20g in size.
Once the balls are rolled place them onto the baking trays.
Cut the banana into 5mm round pieces and place in the center of each ball.
Using your hand push the banana into the top, slightly flattening the cookie.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the biscuit is hard on touch.
Leave on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack.

Ingredients

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Potato Boston Bun

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Ella Posted in Bread .

Potato Boston Bun



An interesting little bun this one is. If you’re not familiar with a Boston Bun it is a large spiced bun with a thick layer of coconut icing, that surprisingly is not from Boston at all and is best known to derive from Australia and New Zealand. This recipe, I have slightly tweaked the traditional bun that utilised mashed potato. The new age Boston Bun uses flour and yeast as well as raisins, however utilising the Potato to me provides the best texture and interesting inclusion.
This bun is not super sweet but will hit that sugar craving and is satisfying.

Ingredients:

Dough:

355g self raising flour
180g mashed potato
100g sugar
120ml milk
1/4 tsn ground all spice
½ tsn ground cinnamon
¼ tsn ground ginger

Icings:

120g icing sugar
20g butter
1 tbsn hot water
1 + ½ tbsn desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place all the dough ingredients into a bowl and stir with a knife until the mix is combine.
Lightly flour the benchtop and then place the dough in the flour.
Knead until the dough is well combine and elastic.
Mold into a loaf shape with your hands and place onto the tray.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place the loaf on a cooling rack to cool.
Mix the icing ingredients together until well combine and silky.
Spread the icing on the top of the bun with the back of a spoon then sprinkle the top with the coconut.

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Coffee Caramel Tart

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Ella Posted in Tarts .

Coffee Caramel Tart

This tart is simple, straightforward and not too crazy with methodology or taste combinations.

Caramel and coffee makes sense and does sound like a perfect match. Why this recipe makes it to this website is that I actually came up with this recipe by combining a few recipes into one.

I have used a recipe base of a Banoffee pie, however created a caramel latté twist instead of a banana flavour base.

If you love your café lattes this tart will be a moreish and addictive teat!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

200g flour
100g butter
50g sugar

Filling:

435g cream
10g coffee granules
375g caramel (I used Nestle top ‘n’ fill).
3 egg yolks

Topping:

250g cream
100g caramel

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees.
Place the pastry ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 50g of water and process until the mix resembles dough and comes away at the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough for a minute then divide into 6 balls of 60g each.
With a rolling pin roll the balls to disks and place in 6 small tart cases.
Prick the pastry with a fork a few times and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the filling by placing the 435g cream and the coffee granules in the microwave on a high heat until boiling.
Stir to combine and leave aside to cool.
Place the 375g of caramel in a bowl with the egg yolks and whisk with a hand whisk until well combine.
Add the cream mix to the caramel mix and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth and combine.
Place some rice or baking weights onto some baking paper and add to the center of each tart case to weight down the rise of the pastry base while cooking.
Place the tart shells in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights and bake in the oven for a further 8 minutes or until the tart shells are slightly golden brown.
Turn the oven down to 180c degrees.
Pour the caramel filling into the pastry shells until full to the top.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is set.
Allow the tarts to cool then place in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
For the topping beat the cream with caramel with an electric mix until peaks form.
Spoon the cream over the caramel top and sprinkle with a few coffee granules.

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Cordial Cake

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Cordial Cake

Cordial Cake recipe

You may recall that I have opted for some interesting flavour enhancers in the past that range from using Jelly to Red Skins to Coca-Cola.

One thing I realized that would add a pack of flavour that I am yet to explore is cordial.

For something different I ventured through my supermarket to find a cordial flavour that would be unusual and provide a flavour hit that I have not yet posted previously on.

99% of the cordials in the market are the stock standard…lime & lemon, orange & mango, raspberry & apple, blackcurrant… however I did come across a Peach Iced Tea flavour cordial. Peach is one ingredient that I haven’t yet made a recipe post on (its hard to get this flavour at a robust level to be the hero flavour of a recipe).

Therefore make up a recipe for a Peach iced tea cordial cake I did and after a bit of trial and finessing the goods were delivered.


Ingredients:

Cake:

80g butter
200g sugar
3 eggs
1 tsn vanilla
160ml peach iced tea cordial
220ml milk
290g flour
1 tsn baking powder
½ tsn bi carbonate of soda
½ tsn salt

Icing:

40g butter
360g icing sugar
80ml peach iced tea cordial

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 175c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Using electric beaters beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in-between each addition.
Add the vanilla and beat until combine.
In a bowl mix the milk and cordial.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, powder, soda and salt.
On a low spread beat the milk mix and the dry mix in alternation until just combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes of until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
To make the icing beat the ingredients with electric whisk until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is cooked leave in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack.
Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread the icing on top of both cake layers.
Place one layer on top of the other and enjoy!

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Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake

You may have noticed across the past few months I have been baking consistently with figs.

Not until last year had I eaten one, let alone baked with this fruit.

Generally when I see fruit that I have never baked with I always like to do my research and make up a few variations of recipes (half the time they don’t make the blog…hello startfruit, dragonfruit, cantaloupe, guava cake experiments (and the list goes on).

It seems fig is one of the special fruits which seems to work so well, additionally with so many flavour pairings.

Thinking in an Italian baking head space (ricotta, espresso etc) I ended up coming up with the flavour pairing of coffee, hazelnut, fig and caramel. Which actually work a treat!

This cheesecake is very much for the sophisticated palate and is super additive!

Ingredients:

250g caramel biscuits (I used Lotus)
100g butter
250g dried figs (12)
2 tbsn orange liquor
330g cream cheese
150g sugar
500g ricotta
2 eggs
90ml espresso coffee
100g hazelnut meal

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 22cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits and butter in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and press with fingers over the base of the tin until flat.
Place the tin in the fridge to harden.
Dice up the fig coarsely and place in the saucepan with the liquor and 130g of water on a medium heat.
Place a lid on the pan and let the mix boil.
Once boil remove the lid and stir constantly until the water is absorbed and the figs have started to breakdown.
Place the mix into the food processor and process until the figs are blitzed and resemble a paste.
Spoon the fig mix over the biscuit base and place back in the fridge.
Using electric beaters whisk the cream cheese and ricotta until smooth.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the egg mix, hazelmeal and coffee into the cheese mix and whisk until well combine.
Pour the mix unto the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open.
Once the oven is cold place the cake in the fridge to fully set for 2 hours.

Noes:

I used Lotus branded biscuits for the base. If you cannot fine caramel flavored biscuits Arnott’s Nice biscuits would be a good replacement.
I decorated the cake by scattering roasted hazelnuts and icing sugar over the top.

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Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake recipe

Notes

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Pumpkin Date Maple Bread

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Ella Posted in Bread .

Pumpkin Date Maple Bread

This next recipe was an idea that came from combining banana bread and pumpkin cake to make a pumpkin bread, however I put an interesting twist on this.

Instead of using pureed pumpkin I have opted for something a little different by using pumpkin soup.

Yes this does sound weird…most of my recipe do, however this bread sliced and toasted with butter is sooo moreish, it will have you saying banana bread what?

The soup makes the texture extra smooth and is cuts out the process or baking and blitzing up fresh pumpkin.

The maple syrup, nuts and dates works magic with the palate of pumpkin.

Ingredients:

260g cream of pumpkin soup
120g brown sugar
2 eggs
40g butter
120ml maple syrup
80g dates
130g walnuts
180g self raising flour
270g flour
1 tsn mixed spice
½ tsn group cinnamon
½ tsn ground nutmeg
½ tsn ground ginger
10g oats

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 21cm x 10cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Using electric beaters whisk the soup, sugar, eggs, melted butter and maple syrup in a bowl for 3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
Place the dates in a food processor and blitz until diced.
Place the walnuts in a food processor and blitz until diced.
Place the dates, 100g of the walnuts, the flours and spices in the mix and whisk until well combine.
Pour the mix into the tin and top with the remaining 30g of walnuts as well as the 10g of oats.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Rest in the tin for 5 minutes before placing on a cooking rack.
Once cooled sprinkle extra maple syrup over the top, cut unto slices and serve with butter.

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Vegan Chocolate Cake

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe

Recently I have had a few friends decide to go sugar free and have been complaining that all the sugar free sweet treats taste like cardboard and cost a fortune.

Seeing me eat chocolate is making them go red (we always want what we cannot have).

So I decided to make the ultimate easy, healthy, sugar free cake that caters for a range of intolerants and has easy to access ingredients (I’m not going on a road trip just to buy coconut nectar when I can go to Coles for a better alternative)!

By tactically using natural sweetener and fruit puree I have been able to keep the fat and sugar content really low while still producing a really rich and moreish cake.

As mentioned I have tried to cater for a range of people so created this cake egg, sugar, butter, chocolate and lactose free.

Ingredients:

Cake:

200g flour
110g cocoa powder
2 tsn baking soda
½ tsn salt
½ tsn ground cinnamon
60g oil
100g apple puree
150ml water
250g agrave nectar
60g banana
1 tbsn orange zest

Frosting:

60g cocoa powder
120ml orange juice
135ml agrave nectar
2 tsn orange zest

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
In a bowl sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir until combine.
In a food processor place the oil, apple, water, syrup, banana and zest. Blitz until well combine.
Pour the wet mix into a bowl and add the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Whisk with a hand whisk until well combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes.
In a bowl place the icing ingredients and with a hand whisk beat until well combine.
Once the cake is cooked leave in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Once the cake has cold spread the icing on the top and decorate with extra orange zest.

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Baked Ice-Cream Cake

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Baked Ice-Cream Cake

For ages I have been meaning to make a cake that is the simplest to make imaginable. A cake that is fool proof and has only a few steps so my ‘not so savvy’ baker friends can produce a successful creation.

Now I have baked with many liquid ingredients over the years, soda, yoghurt, cordial, alcohol you name it so it’s no surprise that I have gone down the melted ice-cream avenue for this recipe.

However this is not as silly as it sounds. Ice-cream is made of cream/milk, eggs, sugar (sometimes vanilla and salt). Looking at these ingredients these are all core ingredients in a cake batter where all that is missing is the flour….So if I melt my favorite ice-cream and mix it with flour I could produce the most simplest, fool proof, amazing tasting, flavor adaptable (use which ever ice-cream you desire) 5 minute cake.

Hello success!

Ingredients:

Cake:

500g ice-cream (I used Salted Caramel Popcorn flavour)
225g flour

Icing:

330g ice-cream
160g butter
180g icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the ice-cream in a bowl and leave to melt completely.
Add the flour to the melted ice-cream and with a hand whisk stir until well combined.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile to make the icing place the ice-cream in a saucepan on the stove on a high heat.
Stir for 5 minutes until the mix becomes a thick caramel, set aside.
Beat the butter and icing sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the cooled caramel and using the electric beaters again beat until well combine and fluffy.
Once the cake is cooked leave in the tin for 5 minutes then on a cooling rack.
Once the cake is cooled cut in half horizontally and top each cake layer with the icing.
Place one layer on top of the other and enjoy.

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: Cordial Cake recipe

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Red Skin Candy Cake

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Red Skin Candy Cake

To get some ideas on recipes recently I started looking closer at the more popular and my favourite lollies (candy) that I grew up on.

One of the lollies that caught my eye was the sweet raspberry flavour of the old Red Skin bar. Similar to the raspberry twist, (red licorice) but much stronger in flavour.

I have made a Musk Stick Cake before which turned out amazing so I decided to make a Red Skin Candy Cake.

Unlike the Must Stick Cake I made I would not be able to blitz the lollies in a food processor, therefore, for this recipe I placed the Red Skins in water to dissolved (inspired by the old Red Skin dissolving in vodka concept).

As I needed a plain cake base of this recipe I used my white chocolate cake recipe which uses water instead of milk (perfect for dissolving the red skins).

My white chocolate cake recipe is super amazing, where so the Red Skins just takes it to the next level!

Ingredients:

420ml boiling
16 red skins
170g butter
170g white chocolate
300g sugar
300 self raising flour
2 egg
Red Skin Ganache:
8 red skins
100ml cream
200g white chocolate

Method:

Place the water in a bowl with the red skins. Set aside until the red skins have dissolved in the water.
Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the butter, chocolate, sugar and red skin water in a saucepan on a medium heat until the mix is smooth and glossy.
Add the flour and whisk with a hand whisk until the mixture thickens.
Add the egg and whisk to combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skew inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cake onto a cooling tray until cold.
To make the ganache place the red skins and cream into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until the red skins have melted and the mix is smooth.
Place the white chocolate in and remove the saucepan off the heat.
Stir until the white chocolate has melted and the mix is glossy and smooth.
Place the mix in the fridge to harden to a spreadable consistency.
Cut the cake in half horizontally.
Spread half the ganache over one layer of cake. Top with the second and spread remaining ganache over the top and the sides of the cake.