Sweet Tooth Experiments

Tag Archives: Nutella

Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings

Posted on Posted in Unique .

Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings

Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings recipe

Dumplings would have to be one of my all-time favorite foods. I could live off vegetable pan fried dumplings for dinner every night if I needed to quite easily!

Thus after recently making dumplings for dinner that can only be described as bliss, I figured, if dumplings are that good as a savoury dish they must be a worthwhile experiment to make as a dessert.

I quite often experiment with turning a savory meal into a sweet dish, in which tends to fail more than it feats so this should be interesting to say the least.

After a range of varying filling experiments (from a ricotta white chocolate & nutella filling to a citrus chocolate berries almond & glace fruit filling), I found a superstar combo. And the end result? Surprisingly fresh strawberries with chocolate hazelnut and coffee!

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

  • 125g cream cheese
  • 60g Nutella
  • 10g icing sugar
  • 20g hazelnuts, finely chopped
  • ½ tsn coffee granules
  • ½ cup finely diced strawberries
  • Wonton wrappers, pack of 40

Extra:

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Icing sugar to dust
  • Crème fraiche or vanilla ice-cream to serve

 

Method:

  1. Place the cheese, Nutella, icing sugar, hazelnuts and coffee granuals into a bowl and stir until well combined and smooth.
  2. Lay a wonton wrapper on a chopping board and using your index finger dip it into water then run your finger around the edges of the wrapper (alternatively you can dip a pastry brush into water and brush around the slides of the wrapper if you prefer).
  3. Using 2 spoons, scoop and drop 20g of mix into the center of the wrapper.
  4. Carefully pull one side of the wrapper over the other to make a triangle (or semi circle shape if using circle wrappers) and seal by pressing the edges together well. This is where the water is key as it sticks the pastry sides together.
  5. There are many ways to shape the dumplings, you can crimp the edges, fold the edges or take the 2 ends of the pastry and wrap them over each other, using water to stick them in shape.
  6. Continue with remaining wrappers and filling.
  7. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat until you reach 175c degrees.
  8. Using tongs place 4-5 dumplings into the oil at once and leave to fry until golden brown.
  9. Place cooked dumpling onto a plate lined with paper towel.
  10. Repeat the frying process until all dumplings are cooked.
  11. Place dumplings on a clean plate and sieve icing sugar over the top.
  12. Serve with Crème fraiche poured over the top of the warm dumplings or with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

 

Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings recipe

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Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings recipe
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Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings recipe
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Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings recipe

 

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Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Posted on Posted in Unique .

Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna recipe

Inspired by the latest craze of turning the sweet onto the savory and the savory into the sweet. I have dabbled with this a little with sweet dumplings, ravioli and tacos as well as posted my Apple Crumble Pizza and my Chocolate Nut Springroll. However I still have many many more ideas on things to create.

One item I have been meaning to turn from savory to sweet is lasagna. I have tried many savory versions of this dish, from a Mexican fest to vegan based-meals, however never a sweet one.

I figured using a cheese and crème patisserie fusion filling could replicate the cheese. Using actual lasagna sheets covered in layers of chocolate and hazelnut spread would imitate the pasta and meat layers. And of course, not forgetting the white sauce top layer I made a delicious meringue to complete treat.

I’m surprised at how good this turned out to the point that it for sure amazingly delicious.

 

Custard Cream filling:

  • 6 eggs
  • 100g sugar
  • 2 tsn vanilla essence
  • 65g cornflour
  • 750ml milk
  • 300g ricotta cheese
  • 60g icing sugar
  • 120ml thickened cream

Extra:

  • 4 lasagna sheets
  • 80g Nutella
  • 100g dark chocolate

Sugar syrup:

  • 150g sugar
  • 80ml water

 

Method:

  1. Line a 15cm x 30cm cake tin or deep oven dish with baking paper.
  2. Make the filling by whisking with electric beaters the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour until well combined.
  3. Leave the egg white aside for later use.
  4. Place the milk into a saucepan on high heat until the milk starts to boil.
  5. Add the milk to the yolk mix is a steady stream until well combined.
  6. Transfer the mix back into the pan on a medium heat and using a hand whisk beat until the mix thickens up into a custard.
  7. Pour the mix into a bowl with plastic wrap on top and leave aside to cool completely.
  8. Meanwhile with electric beaters whisk the ricotta and icing sugar until well combined.
  9. Add the cream to the ricotta mix and whisk until well combine and smooth and place in the fridge for later use.
  10. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
  11. Cut the lasagna sheets to fit I the tin perfectly.
  12. Spoon 20g of Nutella onto each lasagna sheet and spread with the back of a spoon to evenly cover to sheet.
  13. Dice the chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the Nutella, leave the sheets aside for later use.
  14. Remove the plastic wrap from the custard mix and add the ricotta mix, beat until smooth and combine.
  15. To put the cake together, spoon 1/5th of the filling into the prepared cake tin. Spread with the back of a spoon for even coverage.
  16. Add a lasagna sheet and top with another 1/5th of the filling.
  17. Continue with the lasagna and cream layering until all 4 sheets have been placed and the last 1/5th of filling is placed on the top of the last sheet. You should have done 5 filling layers and 4 sheet layers.
  18. Cover the top of the tin with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  19. Meanwhile make a meringue by placing the egg whites into a bowl and whisking with electric beaters.
  20. Place the sugar and water into a pan on high heat stirring until the sugar dissolves then leave the mix until a candy thermometer hits 125c degrees.
  21. Slowly take the sugar syrup off the heat and in a slow and steady stream pour the syrup into the egg whites.
  22. Continue beating the egg white mix for 5-10 more minutes or until glossy and silky.
  23. Remove the lasagna from the oven, remove the foil and spread the meringue over the top of the cake.
  24. Place the cake back in the oven for 10 more minutes to cook the pasta through and bake the meringue until golden brown.
  25. Leave the cake aside to cool in the tin then cut into squares, place slice of lasagna onto a plate with a side of vanilla ice-cream.

 

Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna recipe

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Black Russian Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Russia, Traditional .

Black Russian Cake (aka Vodka Kahlua Cake)

Black Russian Cake recipe

So this cake technically is not a traditional Russian cake, however is a cake that is popular in Russia and has many many many versions of it. The 4 things all versions have in common being; lots of vodka, Kahlua and chocolate.

My understanding is if cream is included in the recipe it is usually piped in the center of the cake where the hole is, however I felt that icing the cake with the cream in the center horizontally was a great way to break up the intense chocolate richness (instead of just use it as a decorative feature).

Now I have make Chocolate, Nutella and Kahlua cake before (see my Kahlua Nutella Chocolate Cake recipe), where this cake was absolutely delightfully decadent.

This Russian cake however, has the significant addition of the vodka that really breaks up the sweetness and somehow makes the Kahlua and chocolate event more scrumptious in flavour.

The texture of the cake (I’m not sure if this is thanks to the vodka) is amazing. Think choc and coffee brownie cake with a layer of Nutella.

This cake will melt in your mouth and leave you wondering why you have been wasting kjs on plain chocolate cake in the past.

 

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 190g flour
  • 50g corn flour
  • 30ml milk powder
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 1 tsn salt
  • 100g cocoa powder
  • 430g sugar
  • 70g butter
  • 200g vegetable oil
  • 170ml milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 60ml vodka
  • 30ml Kahlua

Syrup:

  • 50g butter
  • 2 tbsn water
  • 90g sugar
  • 100ml vodka
  • 100ml Kahlua

Cream:

  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar
  • 100g Nutella

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and spray a non-stick Bundt cake tin with oil spray.
  2. In a bowl double sieve the flours, milk powder, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and sugar.
  3. In another bowl heat the butter until just melted.
  4. Add the oil and milk to the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the eggs to the butter mix and beat for a further 3 minutes.
  6. Add the vodka and Kahlua to the egg mmix and beat for 1 more minute.
  7. Add the wet mix to the flour mix and whisk until just combine.
  8. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Place the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
  10. Meanwhile to make the syrup place the butter, water and sugar into a pan and heat on high stirring continuously until the mix is bubbling.
  11. Add the Vodka and Kahlua and stir until well combine and the mix slightly thickens.
  12. Take the syrup off the heat for later use.
  13. Make the cream by combining all ingredients into a bowl and beating with an electric whisk until peaks form, set aside.
  14. Using a pastry brush brush the top of the cake with half the syrup mix.
  15. To put the cake together, cut the cake into 2 layers horizontally.
  16. Place the bottom layer on a plate and using a pastry brush brush the remaining syrup onto the cake cut side up.
  17. Add the cream mix and top with the second cake layer, syrup side up.

 

Note: I dusted the cake with icing sugar to decorate.

Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake recipe

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 Black Russian Cake recipe

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Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu

Posted on Posted in Trifile .

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

I’m a massive massive fan or Tiramisu, it’s my all-time favorite dessert.

So earlier today, when I was feeling really creative I decided to do a whole range of different tiramisus with a variation of different flavor combinations. I figured if I could make a tiramisu that I really liked and found interesting it would have to be pretty amazing.

I made 10 different variations of flavour combo’s that I experimented with, while still sticking to the fundamentals of the dessert and not opting too far away.

Out of all the variations I created only one that was really a standout to the point that I kept going back for more.

I’m not saying this recipe is as good as my mother’s traditional tiramisu (which is the best dessert I have ever eaten in my life), however it is a scrumptious hazelnut alternative (instead of marsala as the base flavour).

For extra hazelnut flavour in this recipe I used liquor, spread and hazelnuts for that much needed texture crunch.

As usual, to make this more baking-friendly I have simplified the traditional method down to a few less steps without impacting the quality or taste.

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

Ingredients:
  • 3 tbsn instant coffee
  • 140ml hot water
  • 220ml Frangelico (or any other hazelnut liquor)
  • 3 eggs
  • 120g sugar
  • 600g mascarpone cheese
  • 300g Nutella (or any other hazelnut spread)
  • 200g savoiardi biscuits
  • 100g hazelnuts

 

Method:

  1. Combine the water and coffee granules and stir until dissolved.
  2. Add 180ml of the Frangelico and stir into the coffee, leave aside for later.
  3. Separate the eggs with the whites in a bowl and the yolks into another.
  4. Add the sugar to the yolk bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 5 minutes or until light and creamy.
  5. Add the remaining Frangelico and mascarpone cheese and beat until combine on low speed.
  6. Clean beaters and beat the egg whites until peaks form.
  7. Fold the egg whites and Nutella into the cheese mix until just combine.
  8. Dip a biscuit into the coffee mix for a second on each side. Place biscuits in the base of a 20 x 20 cm baking tray.
  9. Repeat dipping the biscuits and placing into the tray until you have used half the biscuits.
  10. Chop up the hazelnuts into rough small pieces and sprinkle half on top of the cheese mix.
  11. Top nuts with half the cheese mix and spread to allow for an even cover.
  12. Repeat the biscuits being dipped and placed on top of the cheese mix until all the biscuits are used up.
  13. Sprinkle remaining nuts.
  14. Top the nut layer with the remaining cheese mix and spread to allow for an even cover.
  15. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
  16. Serve with grated chocolate, cocoa powder or a sprinkle of extra chopped hazelnuts and enjoy.

 

Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe
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Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

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Ricotta Chocolate Hazelnut Cake recipe

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Frangelico Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe

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Frangelico and Nutella Charlotte Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Frangelico and Nutella Charlotte Cake

Frangelico and Nutella Charlotte Cake recipe

 

If I could only pick one spread to have on toast in the morning it would hands down have to be Nutella.

It’s hard to top the flavour pairing of chocolate and hazelnuts. And as it’s been some time since I baked with this ingredient (and since I baked with alcohol for that matter), I decided to go hazelnut crazy and produce a recipe that celebrates the amazing flavour that is hazelnut.

Taking some inspiration from my favourite dessert of all time (Tiramisu) and from chocolate mousse I came up with a choc hazel mousse cake.

How does this celebrate the hazelnut you ask? The base and sides of the cake are sponge biscuits soaked in Frangelico (hazelnut liquor), Nutella is layered throughout the mousse and chopped hazelnuts is scattered on the top of the cake.

Definitely a must try for a decadent celebration cake!

 

Ingredients:

Base:

  • 140ml Frangelico
  • 350g sponge finger biscuits (I used saviardi)

Filling:

  • 140g dark chocolate
  • 160g hazelnut spread
  • 40ml milk
  • 40ml Frangelico
  • 125g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 1/3 cup sugar

 

Method:

  1. Grease and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Cut approx. 2cm off the bottom of all the biscuits until they are slightly higher than that the tin.
  3. Place the 100ml Frangelico into a bowl and dip the biscuits into the liquor until all the liquor is used up. Be sure to only dip them for a moment as you don’t want to soak the biscuits completely.
  4. Line the biscuits, soaked size on the inside of the cake and cut side on the bottom of the tin until the whole outside of the cake is boarded with biscuits.
  5. Now line the base of the tin with further biscuits until completely covered.
  6. Place the chocolate, hazelnut spread and milk into a saucepan on a low heat.  Stir the mix until smooth and combine.
  7. Stir in the butter and 40ml of Frangelico until combine and glossy.
  8. Remove mix off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  9. Add the egg yolks into the chocolate mix and beat until smooth.
  10. In another bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat until glossy and thick.
  11. Using electric beaters beat the cream until peaks form.
  12. Fold a third of the egg white mix into the chocolate mix to loosen the mix.
  13. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until combine.
  14. Add the cream and fold until combine.
  15. Pour into prepared tin on top of the biscuits. Smooth the top and place in the fridge to set until firm (overnight preferred).

 

Frangelico and Nutella Charlotte Cake recipe

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

It’s been a while since I have baked with alcoholic spirits. As I had party coming up I though now was  a good time as any to make a decadent alcoholic cake.  It had to be something sweet that would complement typical cake flavors as this cake was for an event and not just for me (not everyone is quick to jump at my unusual baking style 🙂 ).

Decisions, decision. It was down to Frangelico (hazelnut) or Kahlua (coffee).  As I have made a Frangelico cake in the past (it’s not on this blog as it just didn’t quite make the cut), I decided Kahlua it is.

What goes with the flavour of coffee? Well chocolate and hazelnut of course!

All I can say for this recipe is decadent, amazingness, flavour explosion and a must to try!

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 125g butter
  • 160g brown sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 2 eggs
  • 330g plain flour
  • 4 tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn bi carbonate of soda
  • ½ tsn mixed spice
  • 2 tsn instant coffee
  • 90ml Kahlua, 10ml extra

Nutella frosting:

  • 60g butter
  • 75g thickened cream
  • 225g Nutella

Chocolate frosting:

  • 75g thickened cream
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 25g cocoa powder

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 23cm baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Using electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating in each addition.
  4. In another bowl sift the flour, mixed spice, baking powder and soda then add to the butter mix.
  5. Add the instant coffee to ¼ cup of warm water and whisk until the coffee is dissolved.
  6. Add 90ml of Kahlua to the coffee mix and pour into the butter mix.
  7. Mix the ingredients with a spoon then whisk with electric beaters until just combine.
  8. Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes than place on a cooling rack until the cake is cold.
  10. To make the Nutella frosting beat the cream until soft peaks.
  11. Whip the butter for 2 minutes until creamy.
  12. Add the nutella and cream to the butter and beat with electric beaters for 1 minute. Place the frosting in the fridge.
  13. To make the chocolate frosting beat the cream until soft peaks, sift in the cocoa and icing sugar and beat for a further 30 seconds until combine. Set mix aside.
  14. Once the cake is cooled cut in half horizontally and brush both cut sides with the extra 10ml of Kahlua.
  15. Place the bottom cake layer on a plate, spread with the chocolate frosting.
  16. Place the second cake on top of the chocolate frosting then spread the Nutella frosting over the top of the cake and sides.
  17. Decorate with hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

 

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake recipe

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