Sweet Tooth Experiments

Tag Archives: walnuts

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

Step 2

Florentines recipe

Step 3

Florentines recipe

Step 4

Florentines recipe

Step 5

Florentines recipe

Step 6

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls

Posted on Posted in Truffles .

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

This bake session was originally planned to experiment with salt and pepper apple crumble spiced oat balls that went through quite a number of iterations before I landed on the flavour combo of lavender, lemon and apple. This flavour mix was so tasty with the lemon and lavender flavours balanced to perfection. The texture though was not ideal and the flavour could have been stronger.

I had grated apples into the mix which took a lot of oats to absorb and dulled the flavours down a little too much.

So I attempted this same recipe again, this time squeezing the apple juice from the apple flesh and ‘bingo’ a significant reduction in the oats and biscuits allowed the flavour strength I was looking for.

These balls are delicious, super easy and take minutes to make with no oven required!

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 400g malt biscuits
  • 10g icing sugar
  • 1 tsn ground lavender
  • 1 tsn lemon zest
  • 40g toasted oats
  • 1 tsn psyllium husk powder
  • 4 apples (130g each)

Coating:

  • 10g brown sugar
  • 20g toasted oats
  • 10g walnuts
  • 1/8th tsn ground lavender

 

Method:

  1. Peel the 4 apples with a vegetable peeler.
  2. Grate the apples into a bowl.
  3. Squeeze out the apple juice with both hands into a glass to drink later (yum)!
  4. You should have 140g of squeezed apple flesh in total, place into a food processor.
  5. Add the biscuits broken into pieces, the sugar, lavender, lemon zest, oats and psyllium husk into the food processor.
  6. Pulse the mix until the large lumps have subsided, give it a little stir, then blitz again until well combine and smooth.
  7. Knead the mix ( on a lightly floured surface if the mix is too sticky) on a bench to ensure no lumps then set mix aside in the fridge for 15 mins.
  8. Meanwhile, make the coating by placing the sugar, oats, walnuts and lavender into the food processor until the mix resembles salt grains in size.
  9. Place the mix into a shallow dish.
  10. Roll the apple mix into balls of 25g each then roll each ball into the coating mix until well covered.
  11. Place coated balls onto a plate and continue the process until all apple ball mix is used.
  12. Place the plate in the fridge for 30 minutes minimum to fully set.
  13. Enjoy!

 

 

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

Step 2

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

Step 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

Step 8

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

Step 10

Lemon and Lavender Apple Balls recipe

Step 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

This recipe derived from wanting to make something sweet (but not too sweet), to deliver on the healthy side of baking, while being gluten free & process ingredient free, though still featuring an interesting mix of flavours for a dessert.

Lemon is very common in my baking and I have used Rosemary in a few of my recipes in the past (see my Mandarin and Rosemary Cake – one of my favs), and carrot cake is quite a common favourite for many. So how is this recipe unique and different? These 3 flavours combine, though are super delicious and complementary of each other, are not typical at all.

Add in nuts, seeds and natural sugar (well honey) and you end up with a tasty dessert that will keep you satisfied while being friendly to your hips (well more so than standard baking treats that’s for sure)!

For a bit more deliciousness I whipped up an easy and quick cream cheese based icing.

This recipe hits the dessert craving spot without the ‘naughty’ feeling.

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Loaf:

  • 80g walnuts
  • 80g almond meal
  • 40g LSA
  • 2 tbsn phylum husk powder
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 22g dried rosemary
  • 60g chia seeds
  • 2 carrots (a 130g carrot will produce 120g grated carrot)
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tsn lemon infused olive oil (or normal EVOO)
  • 2 tbsn almond milk
  • 60g honey
  • 2 tsn lemon zest

Frosting:

  • 60g butter
  • 60g cream cheese
  • 1 + ½ tsn lemon zest
  • 30ml honey
  • 150ml cream

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the walnuts into a food processor and blitz until fine breadcrumb consistency.
  3. Add the almond meal, LSA, psylium, powder, salt and rosemary to the food processor and pulse until well combine.
  4. Pour the mix into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds.
  5. In a separate bowl place the grated carrot, eggs, olive oil, honey and lemon zest, beat with a hand whisk until combine.
  6. Pour the carrot mix into the rosemary mix and stir until well combine.
  7. Spoon the loaf batter mix into the tin, flattening the mix with the back of a spoon to even the top.
  8. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin.
  10. Meanwhile, make the frosting by whisking the butter, cheese, lemon zest and honey with electric beaters in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
  11. In a separate bowl whisk the cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
  12. Add the butter mix to the cream mix and beat until combine.
  13. Remove the now cold loaf from the tin and top with the frosting, enjoy.

 

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 3

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 4

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 6

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 7

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 9

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 12

Rosemary Lemon and Carrot Loaf recipe

Step 13

 

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice

Posted on Posted in Slice .

Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice

Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice

Walnuts, dates and caramel are a semi-commonly-known delicious pairing. So to amplify the flavours to the next level and add a cheeky kick I have made the caramel with butterscotch schnapps. Both caramel and butterscotch work so well together, especially with dates and walnuts, thus this flavour combo was a must to experiment with.

I played around with biscuits and layered slice recipes until I landed on testing with rice bubbles left over from a previous baking experiment earlier that week.

The rice bubbles gave a LCM’s and Marsbar slice texture lightness. While burnt caramel drizzled on the top offsets the sweetness of the sugar in the caramel in which holds the slice together as well as the natural sugars in the dates (fructose and glucose).

A unique yummy and delightful treat that takes minutes to make with no baking required!

Ingredients:

Slice mix:

  • 120g walnuts
  • 60g dried dates
  • 120g rice bubbles
  • 160g brown sugar
  • 90ml butterscotch schnapps liquor
  • 60g butter

Caramel topping:

  • 75ml sugar
  • 15ml thickened cream
  • 1/4 tsn salt

 

Method:

  1. Line a 20cm x 20xm slice tin with baking paper.
  2. Chop up the walnuts and dates into quite small pieces and place in a bowl with the rice bubbles, stir well to combined.
  3. Place the brown sugar with 30ml of the butterscotch schnapps into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until the mix boils.
  4. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the caramel to bubble without stirring until the mix is dark amber in colour, swirl the pan as needed to ensure even colour.
  5. Take the sugar mix off the heat, add the butter and the remaining 60ml butterscotch schnapps, whisking with a hand whisk until combine (being careful of the caramel spitting).
  6. Pour the caramel mix into the rice bubble mix and stir until well combine.
  7. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin and using a glass’ bottom press the mix to flatten the surface out evenly.
  8. Place the slice in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
  9. Once the slice is set cut into pieces and onto a large plate.
  10. Next make the burnt caramel topping by placing the 75g sugar into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until the mix boils.
  11. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the caramel to bubble without stirring until the mix is brown amber in colour, swirling as needed to ensure even colour.
  12. Take the pan off the heat and add the cream and salt, stirring with a hand whisk until combine (being careful of the caramel spitting).
  13. Drizzle the caramel over the slice pieces, place on a plate and enjoy.

 

Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice
Step 2
Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice
Step 4
Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice
Step 8
Mocha Ginger and Caramel Layer Cake
Step 12
Rice Walnut Date and Butterscotch Caramel Slice
Step 13

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Thiples

Posted on Posted in Greece, Traditional .

Thiples

Thiples

Thiples are a Greek traditional thin-sheet pastry (also known as Diples), usually made for special festive occasions. Similar to Cannoli’s shell texture and crunch Thiples are fried pastry that is soaked in a honey lemon syrup and sprinkled with a sesame and nut cinnamon mix for the extra crunch and flavour.

Think Baklava syrup and Frappe (aka Cioffe…aka Italian deep fried bow-tie cookies).

This is not the easiest of desserts to make, the pastry needs to be super super thin, but the outcome is addictively moreish – I can see why these are a Greek dessert treasure!

 

Dough:

  • 4 eggs
  • 30g ouzo
  • 1 tbsn sugar
  • 20ml lemon juice
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 470g ‘oo’ flour

Syrup:

  • 170g honey
  • 110g sugar
  • 30ml lemon juice
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon

Extra:

  • 50g walnuts
  • 35g sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsn ground cinnamon
  • Oil to fry

Method:

  1. Place the eggs, ouzo, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice into a bowl and stir until combine.
  2. Add the flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is stiff (disregard any unused flour).
  3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
  4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl with plastic wrap over the top and leave for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  5. For the syrup place all the syrup ingredients as well as 60ml of water into a saucepan on high heat and stir until well combine and sugar is melted.
  6. Once the mix boils reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, take off heat.
  7. Toast the sesame seeds until golden on a medium heat in a saucepan.
  8. Finely chop up the walnuts and place them in a bowl with the cinnamon and seeds, stir until well combined.
  9. Roll the dough through a pasta machine until you reach 2mm in thickness.
  10. Cut the dough into 10cm x 10xm squares.
  11. Roll the dough up into tube shapes.
  12. Place the frying oil into a saucepan and add a little dough, place heat on high.
  13. Once the dough starts to sizzle remove and turn the heat to medium/low.
  14. Add in the tubes (triples) and fry until golden brown.
  15. Remove the thiples and place onto paper towel.
  16. Pour the syrup into a bowl and add in the thiples, turning them for a robust syrup coating.
  17. Place the thiples onto a serving plate and top with any remaining syrup as well as the nut mix sprinkled on the top.
  18. Enjoy!

1 - Copy (2)

Step 5

Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls recipe
Step 4
Thiples
Step 7
Thiples
Step 8
Thiples
Step 9
Thiples
Step 11
Thiples
Step 14
Thiples
Step 17
NOTE:
  • Rolling the pastry prior to adding to the oil is not the traditional method. Technically you are to add the pastry as a sheet and roll with tongs, this however clearly takes a lot of practice. As this recipe rolls prior to the oil make sure your oil is not too hot or the outside will brown before the pastry in the middle has had time to cook.

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print

White Chocolate Golden Syrup Cranberry Florentines

Posted on Posted in Biscuits .

White Chocolate Golden Syrup Cranberry Florentines

White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
There are many many many versions of Florentine recipes that exist in magazines, recipe books, online etc so it’s quite rare for me to post a recipe that has so many variations and is so well known. Though most florentine recipes use the same standard base ingredients of cornflakes, condensed milk, milk chocolate and glaze cherries the secondary ingredients can span wide.

 

So when I came across a florentine in a café that had no cornflakes and was completely addictive I decided to create my own version, though deliberately without the 4 base ingredients for a good challenge.
I made a thin biscuit batter instead of the cornflakes, golden syrup instead of the condensed milk, dried cranberries instead of the glaze fruit, 4 different nuts instead of just focusing on 1 and lastly white chocolate instead of the traditional milk.

 

I identified that the golden syrup provides a malty caramel flavour which with the nuts tastes absolutely delicious. The white chocolate allows the nuts, golden syrup and cranberries to shine as it’s not as overwhelming in flavour as milk chocolate.A warning, this biscuit is moreish-ly addictive!
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 50g brown sugar
  • 50g butter
  • 30ml golden syrup
  • 45g plain flour
  • 75g mixed roasted nuts (I used cashews, pecans, walnuts and almonds)
  • 40g cranberries
  • 90g white chocolate

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup into a bowl and heat in the microwave until the mix bubbles.
  3. Using a hand whisk beat until the mix is well combine.
  4. Sieve the flour over the butter mix and beat until combine.
  5. Chop the nuts into small pieces and add to the sugar butter mix.
  6. Slightly dice up the cranberries and add to the butter mix.
  7. Stir the mix until all ingredients are combined.
  8. Roll the mix into balls, 15g each and place them onto the baking paper ensuring at least 5cm between each ball.
  9. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Allow the biscuits to cool and harden on the trays.
  11. Place the while chocolate into a bowl and on a low/medium level heat in the microwave in 1 minute intervals until the chocolate is melted.
  12. Use a bread knife or spatula spread the chocolate over the bottom of each cooled biscuits placing the biscuits chocolate side up onto a plate.
  13. Place the plate into the fridge until the chocolate has set hard.

 

Boozy Mocha Yoghurt Ice-Cream recipe

Step 3
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 7
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 10
White Chocolate Cherry Florentines recipe
Step 12

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews.

Email, RSS Follow
Print

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes

Posted on Posted in Cupcakes .

 Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

This recipe was designed specifically to challenge me. I’m not a fan of parsnip at all, however as I have baked with almost every other root vegetable I decided to really push my taste buds to not only come up with a Parsnip based recipe but a recipe that is super tasty.

I am so surprised at how good this recipe is, who would have though such a tasty cupcake treat could come from one of my least favorite vegetables.

The spice combos with dates, honey, walnuts and orange took a bit of tweaking I won’t lie, but it was well worth the experimenting to get it right!

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

 

Ingredients:

Cupcake batter:

  • 180g self-raising flour
  • 1 + ½ tsn baking powder
  • 120g brown sugar
  • 1 + ½ tsn ground ginger
  • 1 + ½ tsn ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsn salt
  • 1/3rd tsn ground nutmeg
  • 1/3rd tsn mixed ground spice
  • 80g dried dates
  • 60g walnuts
  • 180g parsnip
  • 3 tsn orange zest
  • 3 eggs
  • 120g vegetable oil
  • 70ml honey
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence

Frosting:

  • 300g cream cheese, softened
  • 70g butter, softened
  • 1 tsn orange zest
  • 100g icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 patty cases.
  2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and mixed spice into a bowl and stir until well combined.
  3. Dice the dates and walnuts into small pieces and add to the flour mix, stir.
  4. Grate the parsnip into the flour mix as well as the orange zest, stir until well combined.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
  6. Add the oil, honey and vanilla to the egg mix and beat for 4 minutes, until well combine and bubbly.
  7. Evenly spoon the batter into the patty cases.
  8. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Leave for cupcakes for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack until cold.
  10. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the softened cream cheese, softened butter, orange zest and icing sugar into a bowl.
  11. Using electric beaters whisk until fluffy and well combine.
  12. Place the icing into a piping bag fit with a star noddle and pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes.
  13. Enjoy!

 

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

Step 4

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

Step 6

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

Step 7

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

Step 9

Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

Step 11

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes recipe

Step 12

 

Like this recipe? Subscribe via RSS or email to get my new entries and more scrumptious recipes with reviews

 

Email, RSS Follow
Print