Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream + Chocolate Covered Pretzels

September 6, 2011 in Ice Cream + Sorbets | 20 comments

Some people eat their emotions.

Some people fall into a pit of despair so deep however they’ll go out of their way to create some ungodly concoction to cry over; behold, my peanut butter pretzel ice cream with chocolate covered salted pretzels. This, my friends, is misery personified. Mmmm, misery.

The concept is simple: make ice cream, throw peanut butter in the creme anglaise, churn, add salted pretzels shards, coat more pretzels in chocolate and assemble. ENJOY. Easy! This is ridiculously good.

 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream

(an original recipe)

1 cup milk

100 g sugar

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cup cream

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup crushed salted pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels

chocolate and whole salted pretzels (too easy!)

 

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan while beating your egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl.

2. Once warmed, slowly pour the hot milk over the yolk/sugar mixture whilst stirring constantly. This is to temper your eggs.

3. Pour the mixture pack into the saucepan, add peanut butter and whisk until it has dissolved. Continue to heat and whisk until mixture has become thick like custard.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool then place in refrigerator to cool overnight, or at least 6 hours.

5. Prepare in ice cream maker as per manufacturer’s instructions – as ice cream is churning pour your pretzels into the machine.

6. Melt chocolate either in a microwave or over a double boiler. Coat your salted pretzels, dangle and allow excess chocolate to drip off (I employed the use of two chopsticks for this step) and place on baking paper to cool in the refrigerator.

7. Once everything is prepared scoop ice cream into cute ramekins and adorn with your chocolate pretzels.

Sweet ice cream, salted crunchy bits, chocolatey coating; this dessert is a walking contradiction but believe you me it may just be the most delightful comfort food you’ll make this Summer. And if this what pours out of me when I’ve had a bad week, well… maybe I should keep to my bad moods a little more often. Emotional eaters unite!

PS. I’ve started a facebook page so drop by and say hello! I might just become a little less ~emo~ if you do!

Tags: , , ,

Cappuccino Cupcakes for Steven

September 1, 2011 in Cakes + Cupcakes | 20 comments

Steven is a beautiful friend of mine I miss every day. His presence in my world is testament that life can work in mysterious ways. Should he still be with us today would be his 30th Birthday – and what a day! There’s such beautiful sunshine here in Sydney inviting us into Spring.

We met a show five years ago and continued seeing shows together like the sweet indie kids we were at the time. Coincidentally we ended up working only doors away from each other so every second-or-so afternoon we would meet in a downstairs cafe, order two coffees and discuss the day’s events. To this day a cappuccino will always remind me of dear Captain Steve who is my inspiration to this lovely recipe – replicating this warming friendship via a warming beverage with warming cake . This will serve 12 lucky caffeine fiends.

 

Cappuccino Cupcakes for Steven

(an original recipe)

150 g butter (room temperature)

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

2 shots (60 ml) espresso

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs dutch-process cocoa

Espresso Syrup

3 shots (90 ml) espresso

1/4 cup sugar

Vanilla Buttercream

100 g butter (room temperature)

2 cups icing sugar mixture

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs milk

extra cocoa, for dusting

wafers, chocolate-covered coffee beans for decoration


1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cupcake pan with cupcake liners of your choosing.

2. In a bowl, beat butter for a few minutes until it begins to pale. Add sugar and eggs, one at a time. Beat until fluffy.

3. Add flour, espresso, milk, vanilla and cocoa and beat until combined and light.

4. Divide mixture between your cupcake liners – they should be around 3/4 full. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are springy to touch.

5. While the cupcakes are baking in a small saucepan combine your espresso and sugar. Allow to boil and leave on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes without stirring until the mixture thickens to a syrup. Be wary of leaving it too long or it will become toffee.

6. As soon as your cupcakes are removed from the oven lightly prick them a few times with a fork and spoon your espresso syrups over the tops. This will take a few scoops as you must allow the syrup to slowly seep into the cake before the next. Allow to cool.

7. To prepare the vanilla buttercream beat the butter and icing sugar until just beginning to combine. Add the vanilla and slowly add milk until you reach the desired texture.

8. To assemble: prepare a piping bag and carefully ice your cupcakes. There’s no need to apply too much as the cupcakes are already quite sweet; we want to create a nice base to replicate the froth of a cappuccino. Lightly dust with additional cocoa and adorn with wafers or any other relevant candies of your choosing.

 

 



Life is precious and I’m so sorry I couldn’t make these for him sooner. Happy Birthday, my wonderful friend! We miss you.

Tags: , , , ,

Apple Pie Ice Cream + Caramel Sauce + Candied Cornflakes

August 29, 2011 in Ice Cream + Sorbets | 5 comments




Inspired by the impending Summer whilst witnessing Heston Blumenthal hurl an entire cherry pie into his creme anglaise on tv I thought – how hard could this be to create a pie-infused ice cream? The answer: NOT VERY. But perhaps I got lucky as this trial-and-error experiment came out pretttttty, pretty good.


Unfortunately the ice cream making process is nowhere near as exciting as Masterchef makes it out to be, no blast chiller means there’s a lot of time spent waiting so if you’re planning on having people over for an ice cream party I suggest you allow a day or two for everything to be prepared, lest you end up with a bowl of slushy, chunky custard. In the meantime however get your patient pants on and prepare a few garnishes like I have below.

 

APPLE PIE ICE CREAM

1 cup milk

100 g sugar

2 egg yolks

1 medium sized apple pie (from your local bakery or frozen)

1 1/2 cup cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

CARAMEL SAUCE (adapted from the Women’s Weekly Cooking Class Cookbook)

70 g butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tbs golden syrup

1 tsp (heaped) cornflour

2 tbs cream

CANDIED CORNFLAKES

2 cups cornflakes

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbs corn syrup

For the icecream

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan while beating your egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. If the apple pie your using is frozen this is a good time to place it in the oven.

2. Once warmed, slowly pour the hot milk over the yolk/sugar mixture whilst stirring constantly. This is to temper your eggs.

3. Pour the mixture pack into the saucepan and heat, whilst stirring, until it becomes a thick custard. Ensure you do this slowly or you’ll end up with sugary scrambled eggs (eww).

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for half an hour. Add the vanilla, cream and stir to combine. Crumble your pie into the mixture.


5. Put in the refrigerator to cool overnight, or at least 6 hours.

6. The following day strain your mixture to separate the creme anglaise from the apple pie pieces. With a fork, mash the leftover apple pie pieces into a very vague puree and combine once again with creme anglaise. This is entirely optional but I find the pieces of pie in the ice cream create a lovely texture.

7. Prepare in ice cream maker as per manufacturer’s instructions.

 

For the caramel sauce

1. Combine butter and sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to bowl then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

2. Combine water, golden syrup and cornflour in a separate bowl. Add to brown sugar mixture and stir to combine. Bring to boil, reduce heat and summer for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cream.

 

For the candied cornflakes

1. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until combined and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add cornflakes. Stir until cornflakes are completely covered in syrup and turn out onto baking paper and allow to dry. Once dried, break into shards as a lovely garnish.



 

For the assembly

1. With a warm ice cream scoop, place a few spoons of ice cream in adorable bowls. Top with generous servings of caramel sauce and adorn with candied cornflakes.


And here I was thinking “transeasonal” was a term only used to describe fashion.

Tags: , , , ,

Chicken + Corn + Egg Soup (For the Sick and Sad)

August 18, 2011 in Soups + Salad | 4 comments

 

Chest infection. Fever. Missing hours of class spending my days looking ugly and coughing my lungs out in bed. Welcome to my pyjama-clad week! Thankfully there comes a time in every illness however where one finally musters the strength to tear off the snuggie of oppression and eat something that isn’t dry cereal. My friends, it’s soup time.

I’m never an advocate for the “quick ‘n’ easy” recipe however I was in dire need of warmth and nourishment. For this recipe I would always suggest using homemade chicken stock and fresh ginger, however when you’re struggling to breathe the Campbell’s “Real Chicken Stock” sitting in the back of your cupboard begins to look mighty tempting. Forgive me, soup lords, this will never happen again!

Depending on your serving size this will feed anywhere between 4 and 8 people (or alternatively one very sick girl over the course of a few days).

 

Chicken + Corn + Egg Soup

(an original recipe)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs ginger, minced

1L chicken stock

2x 420g cans creamed corn

1 tbs soy sauce

2 eggs

1 tbs corn flour

salt + pepper to taste

1. In a large, heavy based soup pot sizzle your ginger in sesame oil until fragrant.

2. Add the chicken stock, creamed corn and soy sauce and stir to combine.

3. In a small, separate bowl whisk your eggs. When the soup begins to boil slowly pour in your egg mixture. This will create a lovely, light weave of egg throughout your soup.

4. Again in a separate bowl combine corn flour with an equal part of water and combine well until it forms a loose paste. Slowly pour into your soup whilst stirring – this works as a thickening agent.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now if you’ll excuse me – I’m off to see how many episodes of Curb your Enthusiasm I can watch before I fall asleep out of antibiotic-induced exhaustion (my current record is one and a half).

Tags: , , ,

Double Chocolate Oreo Cake

August 6, 2011 in Cakes + Cupcakes | 10 comments

Layer cakes. Who has zero experience in making them? ME. My first attempt at this cake a few days ago was disastrous despite it starting so well; maybe it was the kitsch silicon baking ‘tins’ I was using, maybe it was the cakes baking to thin, maybe I didn’t let them cool enough before handling, whatever the case there were cake crumbs EVERYWHERE. Oh and due to over-pulverizing and over-mixing my oreo cream cheese icing began to turn grey… this was one ugly test cake.

Using 9-inch rounds was a much better idea. The chocolate cake recipe below is adapted from Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss fame. There are a few concessions made in this recipe due to necessity (and laziness) – for example, using less sugar in lieu of the torrent of oreos, substituting buttermilk for yoghurt as I was running low and generally fixing some of the measurements for a more metric experience. It’s a fantastic chocolate cake and coupled with a whole lot of cream cheese icing with smashed oreo stirred through… this is about to get intense.

 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE AND OREO CAKE

(cake recipe adapted from Buddy Valastro; makes two 9 inch rounds)

FOR THE CAKES

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup caster sugar

125 g butter, room temperature

1/3 cup good quality dutch process cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

150 g melted chocolate

1/2 cup hot water

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup milk

1/4 natural yoghurt

FOR THE OREO CREAM CHESE ICING

250 g cream cheese (Philadelphia)

70 g butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered/icing sugar

1 x 150g packet of oreo biscuits

FOR THE ASSEMBLY

1 x 150g packet of oreo biscuits

 

1. Pre-heat your oven to  175°C.

2. Beat the butter until it begins to cream. Add flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda and and beat until combined.

3. Pour in melted chocolate. Beat for one minute, then pour in the hot water. Continue beating until combined then add the eggs one at a time, adding the next one after the previous has been absorbed. Pour in the milk and yoghurt and beat for a few minutes until the everything is well combined, the sugar has dissolved and the batter is lovely and velvety.

4. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with oil or greasing with butter. Divide the mixture between the two pans and bake for around 30 minutes or until the cake begins to peel away from the sides and is springy to touch.

5. Allow to cool to room temperature before turning cakes out of the pans. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.

6. Break up one oreo packet into shards, preferably by hand as to not create to much ‘rubble’.

7. Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until beginning to cream.

8. Add the icing sugar one cup at a time until incorporated and fluffy. You can add more/less icing sugar to taste.

9. Divide icing in around half – but preferably 70/30. In the larger portion stir in your oreos carefully – just enough to combine but do not overmix or the icing will begin to turn grey.

10. With either a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle or a very handy spatula, layer your larger portion of oreo icing over one of the cakes. Make sure to keep this as level as you can so the cake layers look nice and even once sliced. Place your second cake on top.

11. Take your leftover cream cheese icing and layer over the very top of the cake. Once again, break your other packet of ores into shards and scatter atop the cake. Be sure to cover all the ‘white spots’ so the cake looks dense with cookies.

This cake is now packed away ready to take to a friend’s dinner tonight, thank goodness I’m not being left alone with this hot mess of chocolate.

Tags: , , , ,

Lime + Oregano Chicken

August 4, 2011 in Savoury Meals | No comments

Welcome to the most versatile dinner you’ll ever meet. Brought to you by my impromptu dinner tonight you can use this in salads, tacos, um, salads…

Okay, maybe it’s not that versatile but it’s deliciously simple. Get some Donna Hay philosophy up ya.

Lime + Oregano Chicken Salad 

(an original recipe)

250 g sliced chicken thigh

1 tbs dried oregano

1 lime

salt

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 baby cos lettuce

1 tbs labna*

*natural greek yoghurt is fine as a substitute

1. In a bowl marinate your chicken with the oregano, salt and juice of one lime. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Place oil in a small pan and allow to heat up until smoking. Place ginger and chicken pieces carefully without allowing any juice to enter the pan – this is so the chicken brown and chars. After the chicken shows some colour pour in marinade and stir until cook entirely – this should take less than 10 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from heat. Line a small bowl with baby cos lettuce leaves. Place the chicken and adorn with a generous spoon of labna.

Inspired by my last post you can even make miniature san choi bao. Awww!

Tags: , , ,

Pork Sang Choi Bao

August 2, 2011 in Savoury Meals | 1 comment

So, how good is lettuce? The correct answer: SUPERDUPER AMAZEBALLS! Behold its gentle quiff of crunchy goodness. Thank you nature for gracing us with these wonderful, edible, miniature bowls of delight.

It’s easy to categorise Asian style dishes as “easy” for all the wrong reasons however sang choi bao can be prepared by anyone. Why? It’s nearly impossible to burn this mince. When beginning to brown it creates its own juices – and with the addition of the sauces you’d have to step away from the kitchen for a long while for something drastic to go wrong so as far as cooking steez goes this one’s a winner.

Pork Sang Choi Bao

(an original recipe)

500 g minced pork

1 large iceberg lettuce

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs garlic, minced

2 tbs ginger, minced

40 g dried shitake mushrooms (fresh is also fine)

1/3 cup oyster sauce

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs sugar

1 1/2 cup sliced shallots

1. Place dried shitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water for 30 minutes to soften.

2. Divide your lettuce into individual leaves, careful not to puncture or tear.

3. In a large pan heat sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant – around 5 minutes.

4. Add pork and continue to stir until the meat has become brown and separated – there can’t be any pink.

5. Add shitake mushrooms, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Incorporate well then add shallots.

6. Carefully spoon the sang choi bao mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Alternatively, place mixture into a bowl and place at the center of the table and allow your dinner guests to spoon in themselves.

 But watch out… it gets a little messy.

Tags: , ,

Eggplant Nachos + Three Cheese Sauce

July 28, 2011 in Savoury Meals | 1 comment

Around this time last year I was caught in a terrible rut. Within the same week I had lost my job, endured a drastic rent increase and had spent the last of my $$$ on three large bills. Devastated after the news of my impending unemployment I was determined to eat something that wasn’t mi-goreng – in my fridge and pantry I found a small piece of cheese, a can of mex-beans an ex-housemate had left behind months prior, half a packet of stale doritoes from a party way-back-when and a very, very sad looking eggplant. I was determined to make light of this situation.


This is not a pretty dish, mainly since it’s doused in cheese, but it takes me back to a time where I was able to make do with the little I had. This is a re-worked version of this humble conglomerate of stale, kitchen staples from my kitchen of July 2010.



FOR THE NACHOS

1 eggplant, cut into small cubes

1 can cannellini beans

1 tbs ground corriander seeds

2 tbs olive oil

1 bag unflavoured corn chips

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE

1 cup roughly chopped cheese(s) of your choosing

1/2 cup milk

1 tbs flour

salt + pepper

1. Cut your eggplant into small cubes while heating olive oil in a large pan. Scatter eggplant pieces and stir until beginning to soften – around 5-10 minutes.

2. Introduce your can of cannellini beans along with the ground corriander seeds. (I’m going easy on the spice to make way for the cheese sauce, however, if you have no intention of using cheese then by all means go to town with the corriander; this and eggplant is a match made in heaven.) Lid your pan and turn down the heat allowing the flavours infuse and for your eggplant and beans to soften moreso.

3. Meanwhile, transfer your cheese, milk and flour to a small pot over heat. (The cheese you use is completely up to you; today the objects of my dairy affection were a local gorgonzola, a regular cheddar and some baby bocconcini to mellow out the sauce.) Do not allow to boil but continue to warm and stir until the cheese pieces have entirely melted. Be sure to season to taste.

4. Plate up! In a bowl or plate layer your corn chips, then the eggplant + cannellini beans and generously top with your delicious cheese sauce. Feel free to further top with anything you like; I threw some shallots on top as a vague attempt to eat some greenery (pathetic, I know).

Enjoy with friends or even by yourself whilst watching that episode of Masterchef you missed the night before.

Tags: , ,

Julie’s Baby Shower + Felicia’s Cakes

July 26, 2011 in Outings | No comments

Let me introduce you to two of my friends. Firstly, there’s Julie; she’s expecting her first little one within the next few weeks! Secondly, there’s Felicia; current employee of the Rockpool Group and pastry chef extraordinaire. Why is this relevant? Because, in celebration of this wonderful occasion we partied hard. We partied hard with baked treats made entirely by Felicia. Baby cupcakes, chocolate truffles, cookie pops and baby pink lamingtons; this girl is amazing.



 The evening was concluded with a tour of the nursery and a slice of gorgeous cake by Celebration Cakes.

Waking up the following morning with a (carb) hangover has never has never felt so worthwhile.

Tags: ,

Garlic Roasted Potato + Cos Lettuce Salad with Ricotta Dressing

July 24, 2011 in Soups + Salad | 5 comments

Given my heritage I was practically born with a leg of lamb in my hand. There comes a time in every Australian-born ethnic girl’s life however where she must say NO to the cascading beef and spend a few days strictly vegetarian for the well-being of the universe. This vegetarian stint begins TODAY.

Subtle hints of garlic embedded in soft potato beside fresh, crunchy cos and a citrusy creamy dressing; what you are about to experience is delicious, healthy and just… AAHHHHH. Amazing.

Garlic Roasted Potato + Cos Lettuce Salad + Ricotta Dressing

(an original recipe)

1 baby cos lettuce

2 potatoes (any variety is fine)

2 cloves garlic, minced

drizzle of olive oil

handful of salad seeds or dukkah (optional)

2 generous tablespoons of fresh ricotta

1 lime

2 tablespoons water

salt + peppercorns

Here are some secret weapons of mine. To the left is the most olivey-olive oil I have ever experienced; the by-product of pickled olives by my parents. I love the manky glass jar, so authenticly homely. To the right; chilli and soy flavoured salad seeds. Crunchy, umani goodness. However I digress.

1. Pre-warm oven to 200°C

2. Roughly chop your potatoes. In a medium sized pan boil the pieces for 15 minutes (this can be omitted if you’d prefer however this step creates a lovely fluffy potato)

3. Remove and strain boiled potato pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and stir through the minced garlic. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, chop your cos and place into a bowl. In another small bowl mix the ricotta, the juice of one lemon, water and generous seasoning (this may seem a little potent but remember there is a lot of lettuce to cover).  Pour 3/4 of of your dressing over the cos and stir through.

5. When your potatoes are ready (they should have lightly crisped edges) carefully place them atop your lettuce while they’re still warm. Drizzle remaining dressing and crown with salad seeds.


Are you feeling rejuvenated yet?

Tags: ,

« Older entries § Newer entries »