Wednesday 24 October 2018

Decorated Pumpkin Cookies

Pretty pumpkins all in a row...

It was obsession-to-make love at first sight when I spotted this idea of top-view pumpkins in my IG feed.
Thankfully, I was armed with an excuse to bake (cake sale at school) and had cookie dough and icing left-over from the llama classes, conveniently in pink and grey.
A touch of "Soft Pink" to peach up the one colour and ta-da....


Also conveniently left over from the llama classes, was thick-consistency green icing:  perfect for stalks and squiggles. (I know there's a word for those squiggles, but it's been a long day and it escapes me now. Feel free to comment below with the answer!)


Puffy Top-View Pumpkin Cookies: Use a flower cutter for your cookie shape. Outline the different segments of the pumpkin. Flood alternate areas. Allow to set, then fill in the adjacent segments. I used royal icing that was slightly thicker than normal flood-consistency, to get that lovely "puffy" look. To create that star shaped stalk stump, use stiff-consistency green royal icing and a star tip, such as an Ateco 33 (see picture). Hold the bag perpendicular to the cookie. Squeeze, and release, and you'll have a perfect top-view of a stalk-stump. 


For that ridged stalk on the larger pumpkins ....



... use a small, open star nozzle - such as an Ateco 14 - and stiff-consistency green icing, piping lengthways. Pipe 2 - 3 next to each other, and your stalk is done. 

Happy pumpkin-decorating!

xxM


Saturday 20 October 2018

Honey and Horlicks Macarons

I didn't set out to make honey-coloured macarons. These were supposed to be a la natural, un-coloured, white. But a little too long in the oven and they came out honey-blonde. 
Unplanned, but not un-welcome. 
As soon as I saw them, I knew what flavour filling to use. 

When I couldn't find a key ingredient in the store, though,  I went searching for other inspiration: Something that would pair well with the colour  (of course the colour and flavour must match!!)
I received so many superb suggestions on Instagram and Facebook, that I'm going to have to make many more blonde macaron shells in the future!

Happily though, that key ingredient - Horlicks - was finally found, and I was able to follow-through on my first impulse...
Honey and Horlicks. 



Horlicks (if you're not familiar with it) is a malted milk drink. It was first sold as an "infants and invalids" food, and then that was extended to include "the aged and travellers"!
If you've drunk it you'll understand why  it was marketed as such - it has a rich, creamy, comforting taste.  
Add honey into the mix and it's like liquid sunshine!

"Honey-and-Horlicks" was my favourite milkshake flavour growing up. (And "bubblegum", I shudder to admit!)



Honey and Horlicks Ganache 

180g good quality white chocolate, cut into small even sized pieces (or use callets)
60ml fresh cream, heavy / whipping cream (35% fat content)
3 tbs Horlicks powder
1 1/2 tbs honey

Place all the ingredients together in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water / a double boiler. Stir frequently until all the chocolate has melted.
(Alternatively melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.)

Allow to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming on the surface of the ganache. When set  firm enough, pipe between macaron shells.






Find the macaron recipe I use, here. It is an old old post - forgive the photos 🙈
But it is still the recipe I'd recommend.

Happy baking!

xxM

Tuesday 2 October 2018

Strawberry, Coconut and Chocolate Cheesecake


Where does recipe inspiration come from?
Sometimes it's the craving for a certain flavour; sometimes it's a desire - or request - to make a certain something: cupcakes, cookies, brownies, macarons...

But very often, it's simply a matter of what's in the fridge.
Yes, I open the fridge or pantry door and wait for the contents to speak to me.
(Usually what they whine  is "better use me now before I land up in the bin!")

In this case it was ganache - left over from filling macarons; and strawberries - buy two punnets and save...
and tubs and tubs of cream cheese -  on promotion at the local grocery store ...

Inspiring stuff, huh?!




But saying that, I am inspired by the combination of strawberry, chocolate and coconut at the moment.

My previous post  used that blend with white chocolate. This recipe has dark chocolate, instead.
Although I'm sure it would be equally good with white chocolate. In fact, I'll try that out next, and let you know how they compare, ok?

**As I said, I've used dark chocolate ganache here, but you could easily substitute melted chocolate for the ganache.
You could also use store bought strawberry jam , I chose to make a quick home-made jam, though,   because the strawberries in my fridge were whining to be used!



 Marbled Strawberry, Coconut and Chocolate Cheesecake
 Recipe by Tea, Cake &Create 

**Extras - nice to have, but not essential...
Chocolate and Coconut Dipped Strawberries.

Make sure the strawberries are dry before dipping in melted chocolate, otherwise the chocolate will slide right off.  Dip immediately in desiccated coconut, and place on a non-stick surface until the chocolate sets.
 

**Strawberry Jam 

120g finely chopped strawberries
60g caster sugar
1 Tbs water
Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir, and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer until the mixture thickens - about 10 minutes. Use a hand-held blender or press with a fork to puree the jam a little.
Allow to cool slightly. 



**Dark Chocolate Ganache


120g dark chocolate, cut into small even sized pieces.
60ml heavy cream (whipping cream or 35% fat content).
Use a double boiler, or 30 sec bursts in the microwave, to melt the two ingredients together.
Stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Approximately half the ganache will be used in the cheesecake case, the other half will be used to drizzle over the surface of the cheesecake. 





Cheesecake Base

240g butter biscuits, finely crushed*
80g butter, melted 
60g desiccated coconut
80g dark chocolate melted, or use 80g dark chocolate ganache.** 
 
*(use digestive biscuits / Marie biscuits - I use the butter biscuits left over from classes, which I freeze until needed).

Mix all the ingredients together and press into the base of a greased and lined 20-22cm springform pan. 
Place in the freezer for 30min.

Cheesecake Filling

Preheat the oven to 160'C

2x 250g tubs cream cheese at room temp.
160g caster sugar
250ml sour cream
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
Coconut extract - I use Vanilla girl, just a few drops. 

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well in between additions.
Beat in the cream and vanilla extract.

Pour into the chilled base. Drizzle the surface of the cheesecake with the strawberry jam followed by the ganache that is left over from making the base. 

Bake in a water bath at 160'C for 60-70 minutes, or until just the centre of the cheesecake jiggles when gently shaken.
 Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.

Once cooled, refrigerate for 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving.

Serve with  chocolate-and-coconut-dipped strawberries . 


Happy baking!

xxM