delicious – Page 6 – Bakerholics Anonymous

Snickers Cupcakes!

Published on July 1, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise BLeave a comment

The exclamation mark in the title is necessary because these are the best cupcakes I have ever eaten (and I’ve sampled A LOT of cupcakes in my time). I made them for a family birthday party by combining a number of different recipes so that these cupcakes are like a deconstructed Snickers. Everyone went crazy for them, not that I blame them, because who doesn’t love Snickers? With a dense, fudgy chocolate base, a light and fluffy peanut-nougat icing and oodles of caramel, these cupcakes are to die for and I can imagine them becoming a firm family favourite.

EDIT 2015: Still a winner! I made these for my 21st birthday celebrations with family & friends and the went down a treat 🙂

Ingredients (makes around 30)
Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
350g butter
450g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
2 ½ cups caster sugar
1 ½ cups almond meal
2 cups cocoa
10 eggs
2 tspns vanilla extract

Peanut Nougat Frosting
1 cup smooth peanut butter
250g butter, softened
4 tspns vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
2 tblspns milk
Salted peanuts (chopped), remaining caramel, melted dark chocolate & chopped snickers, to decorate

Caramel
100g butter
⅔ cup soft brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
½ cup cream

Method
Preheat oven to 140°C. Line 3 12-hole muffin trays with patty pans (about 30).

Combine butter, chocolate and sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Mix continuously until melted and smooth. Sift the almond meal and cocoa into a large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and beat for 1min on a low speed. Add eggs two at a time, beating after each addition until combined. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Divide mixture evenly between patty pans (filling each about ¾ full) and then bake for 30mins or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the tray and let cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before icing and decorating.

As cupcakes are baking, make the caramel sauce. Combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and cream in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil for at least 5 mins. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, dig a small hole at the top of the cakes with a teaspoon.

Fill the holes with the cooled caramel.

To make the frosting, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and slowly add the icing sugar. Add the milk and beat until just combined.

Using a piping bag with a star attachment, pipe the frosting in a circular motion onto the cupcakes, starting around the edge so that you form a soft-serve ice-cream effect. Drizzle with remaining caramel sauce, melted dark chocolate and then top with salted peanuts & chopped snickers. Enjoy!

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Cupcake recipe adapted from the Crabapple Cupcake Bakery Cookbook.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

Published on June 23, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise BLeave a comment

Wow! These cookies are to die for. Based on a Curtis Stone recipe I found in LA last year (but waited until SwotVac to try for procrastibaking purposes), these cookies are so ridiculously chewy and chocolatey and perfect that even the sun wanted in (photographic evidence above and below). Warning: highly addictive.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ tspn baking soda
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
125g butter, softened
1 ½ tblspns honey
1 large egg
1 tspn vanilla extract
155g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.

Sift the baking soda and flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, butter, honey, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.

Stir the dry ingredients into the peanut mixture in 2 additions.

Stir in the chopped chocolate.

Scoop a heaped teaspoon (so that it is about the size of a ping pong ball) of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet (spacing so there is room for spreading).

Bake for about 7 minutes, or until the cookies are starting to turn golden but are still soft to the touch.

Cool the cookies on the tray for 5-10 mins (this is where they will harden slightly) and then transfer to a cooling rack or eat warm.

Makes around 36 cookies, provided you don’t eat too much dough (not that I would ever do that or anything).

Recipe from Curtis Stone

Almond Croissants

Published on June 8, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise B1 Comment

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These cheat’s almond croissants are perfect for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Crunchy on the outside and soft and luscious in the middle – just one bite and you’ll be hooked!

Ingredients
8 mini or 6 medium croissants
½ cup flaked almonds

For the almond butter
80g butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 drops almond essence
1 egg
1 cup almond meal
1 ½ tblspns plain flour

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Method
Make almond cream by beating butter, sugar, vanilla & almond essence with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add egg. Mix until well combined. Stir in almond meal & flour and mix well.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper, slice croissants in half lengthways & place bases on tray. Spread 1 tblspn of almond cream on each and cover with croissant tops. Thickly spread one tablespoon of remaining almond cream over the top of each and sprinkle with flaked almonds, pressing with fingertips to secure.

Bake croissants for 15mins or until golden. Serve warm. Enjoy!

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Recipe from Mum

Berry Coulis

Published on June 1, 2013September 24, 2017 by Elise B1 Comment

Delicious with a vast array of desserts, a tangy berry coulis is a simple way to add depth and decadence to desserts.

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Ingredients
500g berries of your choice (defrosted)
1 ½ tablespoons icing sugar
3 tablespoons water

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Method
Combine ingredients in a large stick blender beaker.

Blend with a stick blender until liquid and add extra water until desired consistency is reached.

For a seed-free coulis, push the mixture through a fine sieve.

Transfer to a serving jug.

Anzac Biscuits

Published on April 25, 2013April 25, 2017 by Elise BLeave a comment

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They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them.

Anzac biscuits are said to have been created by Australian (and New Zealand) women on the home-front during WWI as they were cheap to produce, would last the long voyage to the troops (as they didn’t contain eggs or other ingredients that would go off), and deliver both on a taste and nutritional basis. Since then, these biscuits have become a symbol of the ANZACs eaten in their millions on ANZAC day (25th April) in Australia and across the Tasman. This version is my favourite with a crunchy top and chewy inside, adapted from an old family recipe for ‘brown biscuits’ as they were called at the time.

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Ingredients (makes 30+ biscuits)
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup desiccated coconut
125g butter
2 tblspns golden syrup
2 ½ tblspns water
½ tsp bicarb soda

Method
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add sugar, oats and coconut and mix well.

Melt the butter in a saucepan with golden syrup and water. Add the bicarb of soda to the liquid mixture and add to the dry mix.

Stir until thoroughly combined.

Place walnut sized balls of mixture onto a greased tray. Press down gently with the back of a teaspoon.

Bake at 150°C for 8-12 mins or until deep golden brown.

Note: Biscuits will harden when cool so don’t worry if they seem undercooked.

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Adapted from a combination of an old family recipe and BestRecipes.com.au

Luscious Lemon Curd 2.0

Published on April 25, 2013August 26, 2021 by Elise BLeave a comment

This lemon curd could not be easier to make. Honestly. It takes 5 minutes and uses a microwave (the horror!!)

I have tried many recipes for lemon curd in my time, and can honestly say that this is far and away the tastiest, easiest and most luscious. You will want to slather this stuff on EVERYTHING – pikelets, bread or between sponge cake layers, tartlets (like these mini lemon meringue pies), ice cream or on a spoon right out of the jar (not that I would ever do anything as undignified as that). It is liquid gold.

Ingredients (makes approx. 2½ cups)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 4-5 lemons)
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup (115g) butter, melted

Method
Whisk together the sugar and eggs in a large microwave safe bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, zest and melted butter.

Cook in the microwave on full power for 50 second intervals, whisking after each interval. You will know your lemon curd is ready when it coats the back of a metal spoon (approximately 3-5 50 second intervals).

Pour into a sterile jar or container and allow to cool to room temperature before covering it with a lid and storing it in the refrigerator.

Keeps for ~2 weeks.

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Adapted from My Baking Addiction microwave lemon curd.

Chocolate Easter Nests

Published on April 1, 2013March 12, 2018 by Elise BLeave a comment

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This recipe is incredibly quick & easy (only 5 steps & 4 ingredients) so it’s perfect for making with the kids. The nests look adorable and, most importantly, taste even better – I’ve never met someone who hasn’t loved them!

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Ingredients
1x 100g packet Chang’s Original Fried Noodles (or equivalent)
2 tbspns crunchy peanut butter
200g dark chocolate melts
1 bag of Cadbury “Mini Eggs” (or equivalent)

Method
Microwave peanut butter and chocolate until melted.

Mix until it is a smooth paste.

Add the noodles and coat them well.

Spoon the mixture onto grease-proof paper and shape into small nests.

Top with three mini eggs and then place in the refrigerator until set.

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Adapted from Chang’s Original Fried Noodles ‘Chocolate Spiders’ recipe.

Banoffee Pies

Published on March 24, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise BLeave a comment

Inspired by the banoffee pie scene in Love Actually, I decided to have a go at making some. I was unsure whether I’d like them or not, but with their buttery pastry, dark caramel and fluffy whipped cream topping, even a banana-hater like myself thoroughly enjoyed them.

Ingredients
395g sweetened condensed milk
3 small bananas
Juice of ½ lemon
300ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons grated chocolate

Pastry
1 ⅔ cups plain flour, sifted
110g butter, chilled
110g pure icing sugar
1 egg yolk

Method
Remove and discard label from the condensed milk can, then using a can opener, make 2 small holes in the top. Place in a saucepan, open-side up. Fill pan with cold water to come almost to the top of the can (about 1cm to the top). Bring to the boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 3 hours until a caramel forms, topping up water to keep the same level. Carefully remove cans and cool.

For the pastry, place flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and 2 tblspns cold water and process until the mixture comes together in a smooth ball. Enclose in a plastic wrap and chill for 30mins.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line eight 10cm loose-bottomed tart pans. Chill for a further 15mins. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights. Blind-bake for 10mins, then remove paper and weights and return to the oven for 5mins or until crisp and golden. Allow to cool.

Open the condensed milk can, then spoon the caramel toffee into each pastry shell to almost fill. Thinly slice bananas, toss in the lemon juice, then place an overlapping layer over the toffee. Whip the cream and pile on top. Decorate with chocolate curls.

Adapted from delicious. ‘Sweet’ cookbook.

Grasshopper Pie

Published on March 17, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise BLeave a comment

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone! In honour of the occasion I have decided to post a green recipe. I sadly lack good taste when it comes to my food and drink and love horrendously fake hues (I have a real thing for blue cocktails) and so this pie is right up my alley 🙂 I also love the classic combination of mint and chocolate so this dessert hits all the right notes for me. I choose to use marshmallows instead of gelatine in this recipe as I find it makes it faster to make and less fiddly – although it does take a while for it to set. I tend to serve mine with a little bit of whipped cream and some chocolate curls.

Ingredients (serves 8)
20 oreos (with filling removed)
100g butter, melted
¾ cup milk
24 large, white marshmallows (approx. 180g)
¼ cup creme de menthe liqueur
2 tblspns white creme de cacao liqueur
1 cup whipped cream
1-2 drops green food colouring

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. In a food processor process oreos until they resemble large crumbs. Mix in butter and then pat into the bottom and sides of a 25cm pie dish.

Bake for 5-10mins, remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, place into the freezer to chill.

In a saucepan melt marshmallows in the milk over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and add creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Mix well. Add food colouring and then fold in whipped cream.

Pour into chilled pie shell and freeze for 3-4 hours.

Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

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Adapted from Grandma’s recipe.

Chocolate, Date & Almond Torte

Published on March 14, 2013March 14, 2016 by Elise BLeave a comment

First thing’s first, I want to apologise for my lack of blogging lately. I’ve just started uni so it’s been a bit of a challenge trying to juggle everything BUT I certainly hope to do better in future. This torte is my go-to dinner party dessert, particularly in summer. It is relatively quick and easy, always tasty and has never failed me yet. I also love that it only uses ingredients I have constantly on hand but looks a bit exotic and special. I love it served with raspberry coulis and dusted with a little icing sugar (as pictured here).

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Ingredients (serves 8-10)
4 egg whites
165g caster sugar
200g pitted dates
200g raw almonds (skin on)
200g dark cooking chocolate
Icing sugar, to dust
Berry coulis, to serve

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