Rice Krispie cakes

These cakes are perfect for young kids. With minimal preparation and few ingredients they will become a go to recipe for childrens parties.

Yield: 12 small cakes

Ingredients:

50g butter

5 tbsp golden syrup

80g chocolate rice crispy cereal

100g dark chocolate

Method:

Melt the butter, dark chocolate and golden syrup in a bowl. Mix until smooth and combined.

Add in the chocolate cereal then spoon into a cupcake tray lined with cases. Sprinkle some sprinkles on top if desired

Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours then enjoy.

Best served straight from the fridge

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Celebration Cheesecake

Don’t be fooled by it’s appearance this baked vanilla cheesecake is actually quite simple to pull off. It’s so creamy and delicious and the decorations are what give this dessert it’s wow factor!

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

70g unsalted butter

12 digestive biscuits

600g cream cheese

2 tablespoons plain flour

175g caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs 

1 large egg yolk 

150 ml  soured cream

100g milk chocolate (chopped into small pieces)

80 ml double cream

1 pkt Galaxy golden eggs

250g fresh raspberries

200g *Chocolate Curls

 

You will also need a 20cm springform cake tin, lightly greased.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas mark 4.

Melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Crush the biscuits in a food processor and tip into a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix to thoroughly combine. Press the buttery crumbs into the base and slightly up the sides of the springform tin in an even layer and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool while you prepare the filling. 

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, add the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, yolk, and the soured cream and beat until pale and light.  Carefully pour into the tin and spread level.  Place on a baking tray and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes until only just set.

Leave to cool in the tin before popping in the fridge for 24 hours.

 

Bring the cream to the boil, cool for a couple of minutes before, pouring over the the chopped chocolate, stir until the chocolate is melted, well combined and glossy. Leave to cool to room temp.

Remove the cheesecake from the tin and pour the ganache over it, helping it to drip down the sides.

Now decorate with the chocolate curls, golden eggs and fresh raspberries.

*For The chocolate curls, temper 200g milk chocolate then pour onto a sheet of parchment, spread thinly with a palate knife, cover with a second sheet of parchment and wrap around an empty kitchen roll middle, leave till complete set, carefully unwrap and use.

Set and serve straight from the fridge

Original Recipe Taken from Joanne Wheatly :

http://www.josblueaga.com/2017/03/chocolate-raspberry-drip-cheesecake.html

Nutella Cheesecake

Admittedly I am not the biggest fan of Nutella, I’ve never really understood why everybody raves about it so much. This cheesecake however is my exception. It’s light and creamy, with just the right tang to cut through the richness of the chocolate. It’s an easy, fuss-free easy dessert which would be ideal for a fancy dinner party or get together. Trust me this one’s a keeper!

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

• 250 grams digestive biscuits
• 75 grams soft unsalted butter
• 1 x 400 grams jar nutella (at room temperature)
• 100 grams chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 500 grams cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 60 grams icing sugar (sifted)

Method:

1. Break the digestives into the bowl of a processor, add the butter and a 15ml tablespoon of Nutella, and blitz until it starts to clump. Add 25g/3 tablespoons of the hazelnuts and continue to pulse until you have a damp, sandy mixture.

2. Tip into a 23cm/9inch round springform and press into the base either using your hands or the back of a spoon. Place in the fridge to chill.

3. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and then add the remaining Nutella to the cream cheese mixture, and continue beating until combined.

4. Take the springform out of the fridge and carefully smooth the Nutella mixture over the base. Scatter the remaining chopped hazelnuts on top to cover and place the tin in fridge for at least four hours or overnight. Serve straight from the fridge for best results.

Original recipe taken from Nigella Lawson: https://www.nigella.com/recipes/nutella-cheesecake

Biscoff cupcakes

Looking for biscuit tasting cupcakes? Well you’re in the right place. As you can probably tell from my previous post, I’ve been on a bit of a biscoff binge. I guess it’s because it makes me feel all nostalgic about my time in France and my housemate Adèle who absolutely adored the stuff. Give these biscuity tasting cupcakes  a go for yourself!

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 250 g butter
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs
• 125 g light brown sugar
• 125 g white sugar
• 1/2 cup of coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the icing:

• 125 g butter
• 250 g icing sugar
• 200 g Speculoos/Biscoff Cookie Butter
• 2 tbsp milk

Method:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c and line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases.
2. Mix together butter and both sugars until combined.
3. Add the eggs and mix until the batter becomes smooth.
4. Add the flour and mix until the batter is completely combined and smooth.
5. Poor in the coffee and give it a last mix.
6. Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners and bake for about 15/20 minutes
7. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack before icing

For the icing:

1. Mix together butter and icing sugar until the mixture becomes soft and a bit lighter in colour.
2. Add the biscoff spread and give it a good mix to combine.
3. Add the milk to make the buttercream nice and soft. Mix until fully combined.
4. Snip off the tip of the piping bag and place the piping tip in it.
5. Add the icing mixture to the piping bag and pipe as desired.

Recipe taken from https://sarahslittlekitchen.com/2016/08/15/mini-biscoff-cake-for-mothers-day/

Chocolate and Orange Cheesecake

This cheesecake is light and airy and has an almost mousse like texture. The chocolate and orange flavour combination is always a winner and did I mention it’s a no bake recipe!

Recipe taken from Anthony Worral Thompson

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:

• 75g butter
• 150g digestive biscuits crushed

For the filling:

• 25g butter
• 110g orange flavoured chocolate
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatin
• 200g cream cheese
• The zest of one orange
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar , or more depending on your taste
• 2 eggs, separated

Optional: Double cream to decorate

Method:

For the biscuit base, crush the biscuits in a bowl then in another bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Add the melted butter to the crushed biscuits and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour the biscuit mixture into a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin and spread the mixture out evenly. Pat the mixture down to flatten. Place in the fridge to chill whilst you make the filling.

Boil the kettle

For the filling, melt the chocolate, butter and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl in the microwave. Cool slightly. Now it’s time to prepare the gelatin, add 75 ml just-boiled water to a measuring jug. Sprinkle in the powdered gelatine, stirring to disperse it. Leave it to dissolve for about 3 mins, stirring from time to time, until the liquid is perfectly clear and all the granules have fully dissolved.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese to soften it then mix in the orange zest, sugar and 2 egg yolks. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture

In another bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a large metal spoon fold them into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the gelatin liquid. Pour over the biscuit base and chill for 2-3 hours until firm.

 

Giant Iced Millie’s Cookie

Here’s my first attempt at the Giant Iced Millie’s Cookie. For those of you overseas not familiar with Millie’s cookies it’s a bakery chain here in the UK. One of their signature products are the giant cookies that they do for special occasions and as you can see from the picture below it’s like a giant skillet cookie. It’s really simple to do and is a nice twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie. Mine says congratulations as it was baked in celebration of my sister getting into uni. Just use your favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe (or you can use mine) Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies,  bake it in a cake pan for around 40 mins (depends on the thickness), cool then ice and you’re good to go!

 

Pizza Hut à la Maison

You know when you’re really craving something to eat but don’t know exactly what it is that you want to eat. Well this is the result of that. Quick and easy to make,made with  store cupboard ingredients and uses up left overs. You can thank me later !

Ingredients:

• ½ tbsp tomato paste

• 1 round flatbread (pita, tortilla, etc.)

• 1 oz grated mozzarella cheese

• ¼ bell pepper cut into thin strips

• 1 black olive cut into slices

• 1 pinch of oregano

(n.b I used whatever I had in the house so you can see I’ve used a tortilla wrap, cheddar cheese, and jalepenos instead of olives . You could use leftover meat as well)

Method: 

1. Place the flatbread in the skillet and cook over low heat.
2. Spread the tomato paste over the flatbread.
3. Add the mozzarella cheese (or cheddar ), peppers and olives.
4. Add a pinch of oregano, cover the skillet and cook over low heat until the dough is crisp and cheese is melted.

Video link to recipe: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/skillet-pizza 

 

And for Dessert……

Cookie dough of course

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet(milk) chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
2. Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Fold in (stir in) the chocolate chips by hand until just combined.
3. Put the mixture into an oven dish and bake for around 20-30 mins or until just golden on top.
4. Serve with vanilla icecream drizzled caramel sauce and some grated dark chocolate.

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cake

• 225g unsalted butter
• 4tbsp Water
• 55g Cocoa Powder
• 3 eggs
• 250ml buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp red food colouring( Dr oetekors works best)
• 280g Plain flour
• 55g Cornflour
• 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
• 280g Caster Sugar

For the Frosting

• 250g soft cheese
• 40g unsalted butter
• 3tbsp icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 190degrees celcius and line two 23cm baking tins or a cupcake tray.

Place the butter, water and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and heat gently, without boiling, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and food colouring until frothy. Beat in the butter mixture. Sift together the flour, cornflour, and baking powder, then stir quickly and evenly into the mixture with the caster sugar.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 3-4 mins then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat together all the ingredients until smooth. Pipe or spoon on the icing as desired.

Recipe taken from the Big Book of Baking.

Fudgey Brownie Cookies

These are exactly as the title suggests: intensely chocolate, brownie like , fudgey cookies.

They are extremely chocolatey so eat with caution!

Ingredients

• 11.5 ounces/326g dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons/30g butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) /57g butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup/175g  milk chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170ºc. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
2. Melt the chocolate with the 30g  butter and then leave to cool
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. In another bowl mix together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, creaming together after each addition. Add in vanilla, making sure it is well combined.
5. Once all eggs and vanilla have been combined. Turn mixer speed up to medium high speed and beat until pale, light, and fluffy, about 7-10 minutes. Turn down speed of mixer and slowly stir in cooled and melted chocolate. Stir dry mixture until combined, then stir in milk chocolate chips.
6. Drop tablespoon scoops of cookie dough batter onto lined baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between cookies to allow them to spread.
7. Place in preheated oven and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. The cookies are fragile while warm, so allow to cool completely before moving.

Original recipe from: http://addapinch.com/triple-chocolate-cookies-recipe/

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting

This recipe is perfect for decorating cakes. It allows you to go for a lighter frosting as many people find the traditional American buttercream too sweet. Stabilising the icing means that the frosting holds up well and will not just melt or collapse straight away.

Stabilizer Recipe

 Ingredients:

• Plain Powdered Gelatin 1 teaspoon
• Cold Water 1-1/2 tablespoons
• Boiling Water 1-1/2 tablespoons

 Instructions:

1. Bloom the gelatin in the cold water.
2. Let stand about 5 minutes.
3. Add the boiled water to the gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve.
4. Use immediately in the recipe below

Stabilized Whipped Cream Recipe

 If your stabilizer starts to get gelatinized while you prepare the whipped cream, you simply rewarm in a microwave or on the stove top gently to melt.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Heavy/double Cream
• ¼ cup Confectioners/icing Sugar (may need to add more , depends on the sweetness of the cake you will be using)
• The entire stabilizer recipe from above

Instructions

1. First prepare the gelatin stabilizer from above. reserve.
2. Using a cold bowl, whip and heavy cream whip the cream and gradually add the sugar.
3. Whip to soft – medium peaks and then add the melted stabilizer all at once
4. Continue to whip for a few seconds longer until desired consistency.
5. Use immediately on your cakes and desserts

Notes

Always refrigerate any cake or dessert that is made with whipped cream as it is highly perishable.

You can always add flavourings and colours as desired

Can be used to ice around 24 cupcakes

 

Recipe taken from Gretchens Bakery.

Stabilized Whipped Cream for Icing Cakes

There’s also a video tutorial of this recipe on her website!