lemon – Page 3 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Lemon, Thyme and Zucchini Layer Cake

Posted on December 24, 2016 Posted in Cakes .

Lemon, Thyme and Zucchini Layer Cake



I wanted to make a cake based on zucchini, but instead of the obvious and usually paired chocolate flavor with zucchini in cakes I wanted to do something else. As zucchini is a bland flavor by itself I saw this as an opportunity to come up with a unique strong flavor combo that could also be a savory flavor combo as well as sweet. The chosen flavors for this cake are savory but have successfully been turned sweet…being lemon and thyme. With the addition of the sweet glaze lemon and the moreish sweet cream cheese icing this cake is transformed to a tasty satisfying treat that not too naughty.

Ingredients:

Batter:

175g sugar
1 lemon (zest of whole lemon)
1 tbsn dried thyme
175g butter
3 eggs
200g self-rising flour
1 tsn baking powder
255g zucchini, grated

Icing:

100g white chocolate
250g cream cheese
120g vanilla flavored yoghurt
1 lemon (zest of ½ lemon)

Lemon syrup:

1 lemon (sliced into think pieces)
100g sugar
100ml water

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
Beat the sugar, zest, thyme and butter with an electric whisk for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each edition.
Sift the flour and powder through a sieve into the bowl and fold until just combine.
Add the zucchini and fold until just combine.
Pour the mix into the 2 cake tins and place in the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Leave the cakes aside to cool.
Meanwhile to make the lemon syrup place the lemon slices, sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the syrup starts to thicken.
Place the lemon slices on baking paper and leave aside to cool.
Cut the cakes horizontally in half.
Using a pastry brush brush the cake tops with the syrup.
To make the icing, melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave until boiling. Add the white chocolate piece and stir until smooth.
Add the cream cheese, yoghurt and essence into the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk until smooth and silky. Place in the fridge to set.
To put the cake together place one cake layer on a plate, top with ¼ icing. Repeat until the last layer is on the cake.
With the remaining icing ice the tops and sides of the cake.
To decorate place the candied lemon piece on the cake and enjoy.

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Lemon Cranberry and White Chocolate Babka

Posted on December 4, 2016 Posted in Bread .

Lemon Cranberry and White Chocolate Babka

Apart from a little inclusion in my Quinoa Berry Christmas cake recipe I haven’t experimented with cranberries. After my eye catching them in the shop the other day I decided to purchase some and come up with a recipe. For something different I decided I wanted to make a bread with the cranberries.

As cranberries are so sweet I paired this flavour with the zesty taste of lemon and added in white chocolate to produce a marbled flavour effect throughout the bread.

Making the ‘Babka’ bread came about as a fourth attempted in this baking session as the original recipe experiment of a sponge roll log cake was not a success at all. The experiment aim was to make a sweet treat that allowed me to produce a spiral effect and a babka dough would allow for exactly this. Babka is bread that a) is rolled up and b) involves platting the dough together to intensify flavour bursts.

I actually had quite a few versions of this where 2 were serious standouts, this Lemon Cranberry and White Chocolate Babka being one of these.

Ingredients:

Dough

210g flour
25g sugar
4g yeast
1 egg
85g warm water
35g butter, at room temperature

Filling

80g cranberries
100g white chocolate
40g butter
30g icing sugar
3 tsn lemon zest

Method:

Place the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl and mix until combine.
Whisk the egg and add to the mix with luke warm water.
Using a wooden spoon stir until the mix is combining and resembles a dough.
Flour the bench and place the dough on the flour. Kneed for 5 minutes of until the dough is elastic and smooth.
Place the mix in an oiled bowl and using hands massage the butter into the dough until it is combine and glossy.
Place a towel or plastic wrap over the bowl and leave in a warm place for 2 hours or until the dough triples in size.
Dice up the cranberries.
To make the filling place the butter in a bowl and heat until boiling in the microware.
Add the white chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir the white chocolate until the mix is smooth.
Punch down the dough and knead until smooth.
Add the icing sugar to the chocolate mix, lemon zest and the cranberries.
Roll the dough out to 40cm x 20cm shape with a rolling pin.
Spread the filling over the dough evenly.
On one of the short ends brush water with a pastry brush.
Roll up the dough from the small end with no water and finish at the water end (the water will seal the roll).
Place the dough onto the baking tray, cut a slit down the middle longways, almost to the top of the roll.
Plat the 2 halves by crossing them over each other, place the towel or plastic wrap back on top of the bread and leave for 45 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 190c degrees and place the bread in the oven for 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
Cut into slices and serve with a spread of butter, delish!

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Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding

Posted on October 30, 2016 Posted in Cakes .

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding

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:

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

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Ricotta Strawberry Lemon and Thyme Bread Slice

Posted on October 23, 2016 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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Strawberry Lemon Slice with Earl Grey Marshmallow

Posted on June 26, 2016 Posted in Slice .

Strawberry Lemon Slice with Earl Grey Marshmallow

This recipe is easy, requires low effort and only a small number of ingredients.

The flavors all complement each other well, where they create a very unique and flavorsome little sweet treat.

This recipe originally came about as I wanted to make the easiest, fuss free marshmallow that people would be impressed with. I spend ages producing and using multiple baking techniques and ended being really happy with this outcome.

I also went through a baking with tea phase and was yet to perfect a recipe using Earl Grey tea (this was attempt number 7).

This recipe would make for a lovely high tea inclusion for any occasion.

Ingredients:

100g self raising flour
1oog plain flour
180g sugar
100g butter
4 tsn strawberry essence
1 tsn lemon zest
1 egg

Marshmallow:

4 teabags Earl Grey
1 tbsn gelatine powder
140g sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm x 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the flours and sugar into a bowl and mix.
Melt the butter in a bowl and add the essence and zest.
Stir the egg into the flour mix, add the butter mix and stir until well combine.
Place the mix into the cake tin and flatten with fingers until smooth.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Place 300ml boiling water into a cup and add in the tea bags. Leave the tea to infuse for 5 minutes.
Make the marshmallow mix by placing the gelatine into 100ml of the infused tea water in a bowl and whisk to combine the mix.
Place another 100ml tea water and sugar into a bowl and whish with electric beaters for 4 minutes.
Place the gelatine mix in the microwave until warm and syrupy in texture if mix has gone cool and hard.
Slowly pour the gelatine mix into the sugar mix in a consistent stream while the beaters are on high.
Continue beating for a further 8 minutes or until the mix is light and fluffy.
Pour the mix over the cooled slice base and place in the fridge for 2 hours to set completely.
Cut and enjoy.

Notes:

You need to make more tea than required as the tea bags soak up a lot of the liquid.

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Low Fat White Chocolate Lemongrass Salted Macadamia Cupcakes

Posted on May 30, 2016 Posted in Cupcakes .

Low Fat White Chocolate Lemongrass Salted Macadamia Cupcakes

You are correct, white chocolate and macadamia is a stock-standard flavor combo, nothing new or unusual here. And lemon, well this is also a very common baking ingredient that is sometimes paired with white chocolate. The reason these flavors are common is because they are so divine together. So if I’m creative a recipe that’s stock-standard what is going on and why even bother making up a recipe? The hero ingredient in which I have never baked with before and don’t believe I have ever even heard of being in a sweet treat before is the Lemongrass (also lemon and macadamia is a little unusual in itself but not enough for me to create a recipe off). The lemongrass provides a lovely variation to the norm lemon flavor, the salted macadamia provides a lovely crunch texture to the cupcake and the salt elevates the tone in the white chocolate making this cupcake super delicious and walks all over any lemon cupcake I have ever had! Also, the natural yoghurt and the lemon juice adds a slight sourness and bitterness that offsets the intense sweetness of the icing sugar making the icing a lovely more restrained addition.

Ingredients:

250g flour
4 tsn baking powder
½ tsn salt
80g sugar
160g white chocolate
80g macadamias
40g Lemongrass
1 tbsn lemon zest
70g butter
100g apple puree
140ml buttermilk
2 eggs

Icing:

70ml natural yoghurt
300g icing sugar
15ml lemon juice

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with patty cases.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
Chop the white chocolate and macadamia into small pieces and place into the flour mix, stir.
Grate the lemongrass and stir into the flour mix.
Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave and add the buttermilk, puree 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, macadamia and lemon zest over the icing.


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Aish El Saraya

Posted on March 21, 2016 Posted in Lebanese, Traditional .

Aish El Saraya

Aish El Saraya recipe

My father is a big Bread and Butter Pudding fan. As his birthday was coming up I wanted to find some special and different pudding recipes to make for him.

After doing a bit of research and some baking of other countries versions of this dessert I came across Aish El Saraya.

”Aish el Saraya” is a famous Lebanese dessert that is traditionally cooked for Ramadan, holydays and fete days (etc ‘Eid ul-Fitr). This puddings title means ”the bread of royal palace” hence the baking taking place for special occassions.

The dessert is and light, eggless, bread & custard based rose pistachio treat.

Think bread and butter pudding texture with a Turkish delight flavour.

Ingredients:

Pudding:

6 slices bread
310ml milk
60g sugar
300ml thickened cream
50g corn flour
1 + ¼ tsn rosewater essence
1 + ¼ tsn lemon juice
50g shelled pistachios
¼ tsn lemon zest

Syrup:

85g sugar
70g water
2 + ½ tsn lemon juice
2 tsn rosewater essence

Method:

Toast the bread and cut off the crusts.
Line a 20cm x 25cm slice tin with baking paper.
Lay the bread into the base of the tray and cut to ensure a snug fit and no overlap.
To make the syrup place the sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until boiling.
Turn the temperature to medium and stir for 5 minutes until the syrup has slightly thickened.
Take off the heat, stir in the rosewater essence and leave aside for 10 minutes.
Pour the syrup over the bread and evenly coat each slice.
To make the custard place the milk, sugar, cream, flour and lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat.
Whisk with a hand whisk for 5 minutes or until the custard thickens and is silky smooth.
Add the rosewater essence and whisk.
Pass the custard through a sieve and pour over the bread.
Tap the tin on the bench 5 times to remove any air bubbles and place in the fridge overnight.
Before serving finely dice the pistachios and scatter over the top on the pudding.
Scatter the lemon zest over the top.
Remove out of the tin and slice evenly, serve.

Aish El Saraya recipe

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Tropical Summer Fudge Slice

Posted on March 7, 2016 Posted in Slice .

Tropical Summer Fudge Slice

This slice was originally planned to be a summer fudge, that incorporated zesty lime, lemon, pineapple and kiwi that would be off-set slightly by the mellow flavored cantaloupe.

My experiment failed (way too much liquid to solid ratio), however it produced a really unique flavour hit that I had to take advantage of.

Therefore after a scan of my cupboard and a brainstorm of what I could turn this soft fudge into I decided to create a slice.

Add a solid base and some stabilizing elements in the mix and boom a really uniquely flavored, well set and textured slice in a flash.

I do realize Summer concluded 7 days ago, but some Summer fruits are still delicious and juicy sweet.

Ingredients:

Base:

160g sweet plain biscuits (I have used Nice)
40g butter

Filling:

180ml condensed milk
150g sugar
120g butter
1 tbsn lemon
1 tbsn lime
220g white chocolate
50g kiwi fruit
60g pineapple
100g cantaloupe
140g flour

Method:

Place the 125g of biscuits in the food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the melted butter to the biscuit mix and stir to combine.
Line a 20cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
Pour the biscuit mix into the tin and flatten with the back of a spoon until the mix is compressed and firm, place in the fridge to set.
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.
Add the zest and turn the heat to medium, stirring until the mix comes away from the side of the pan.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the white chocolate until melted and silky smooth.
Place the kiwi, pineapple and cantaloupe in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Pass the puree through a sieve and stir into the chocolate mix to combine.
Add the flour and stir until well combine.
Spoon mix into the tin on top of the biscuit base.
Place the slice in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the slice is golden brown and the middle is hard on touch.
Set aside to cool in the tin.
Once cooled place in the fridge overnight to set completely then cut and serve.

Note:

You will need 1 kiwi fruit, a small can of pineapple pieces and a cantaloupe for this recipe.

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Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake

Posted on December 14, 2015 Posted in Cakes, Ice-cream cake .

Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake

For a while now I have been experimenting with a flavor fusion in which I know absolutely works but just can’t seem to make a recipe that is super amazing. Nice and tasty yes but nothing special enough to make it to my blog.

Finally, after a failed ice-cream meringue cake that had an ever-so-tasty ice-cream filling I reworked the recipe to change the meringue into a sponge and the outcome was exactly what I was looking for.

A deliciously fluffy sponge structure and a tasty textured ice-cream filling.

If you’re a fan of gin and ginger cocktails you are going to love this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

4 eggs
140g sugar
120g flour
2 tsn ground ginger
2 tsn lime zest
45ml gin

Filling:

1kg vanilla ice-cream
1 tbsn lemon zest
1 tbsn lime zest
1 tbsn ground ginger
80ml gin
30g almond meal
40g icing sugar

Extra:

10g icing sugar
1 tsn ground ginger
1 tsn lime zest
20g glace ginger (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm x 40cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place all the sponge ingredients in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk on a slow speed for 60 seconds.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Invert tray onto a cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the ice-cream filling place the ice-cream into a bowl and place in the microwave on medium for 30 seconds.
Add the zest, ginger, gin, almond meal and icing sugar and using a hand whisk beat until well combined.
Peel the baking paper off the cooled sponge cake.
Line a 20cm x 20cm cake tin with 2 layers of plastic wrap, keeping it in place with oil spray.
Cut the sponge in half to make 2 x 20x20cm sponge pieces.
Place one piece in the base of the tin, cutting slightly to fit if need be.
Pour the ice-cream mix into the tin on top of the base until almost to the top.
Add the second cake piece to the top of the tin, push down slightly and place the tin in the freezer overnight to completely set.
To serve, place the bottom of the tin into hot water for 5 seconds, and pull the plastic wrap until the cake is out.
Invert the cake onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap.
To decorate I sieved the icing sugar and ginger over the top of the cake. Sprinkled the zest of the top and scattered the glace ginger.

Frozen Ginger Gin and Citrus Cake recipe

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Lemon Avocado Meringue Pies

Posted on September 21, 2015 Posted in Pies .

Lemon Avocado Meringue Pies

You may notice every now and then I dabble with incorporating avocado in my baking. Is it actually a great substitute for quite a few ingredients, in particular the more naughty baking ingredients. An example of past recipes include; Avocado Chocolate and Orange Mousse Tart or my healthily Guilt-free chocolate Icing .

Though this recipe does have condensed milk, (which let’s face it it’s exactly healthy – but better than refined sugar) I have used avocado as the lemon tart filling. So instead of the sugar dense lemon curd and/or mountain of sugar in the traditional filling (along with flour and who knows what in mass produced products) you are eating nutritional vitamin rich healthy fats.

As so much lemon juice is used in this recipe you don’t taste the avocado, it literally taste exactly like a lemon tart.

To complete the treat I have whipped up some meringue and placed on the top with just a dash of sugar to keep with the lowish (lower than usual) sugar trend.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

200 plain flour
100 butter
30g sugar

Filling:

1 large avocado (200g)
320ml sweetened condensed milk
100ml lemon juice

Meringue:

2 eggs
2 tsn sugar

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 40g 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 into disk shapes and place into 6 small (3 tbsn capacity) tart cases.
Prick the pastry with a fork a few times on the base and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
After 30 mins place some rice or baking weights onto 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, set aside to cool.
To make the filling place the avocado, condensed milk and lemon juice in a food processor and blitz until silky smooth.
Spoon the mix into the cooled tart cases and place in the fridge for 30 mins to set.
With electric beaters whisk the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form.
Increase speed to high, while beating in the sugar until thick peaks form.
Spoon the meringue on top of the pies and blow torch the meringue until golden brown on top, serve.