Archive for the ‘Treats’ Category
Nov 13
Gingerbread Men
Whether you are a lover of ginger or not, you have to admit that gingerbread men are just adorable, not to mention a quintessential favourite of Father Christmas and his reindeer. Gingerbread cookies store well, and can be made in advance for Christmas. We made mini men (perhaps called “Gingerbread Boys”), to nibble on with our tea. We decorated them by dusting them with Nicoletta gold shimmer. We also added soft pearl balls for those fabled buttons.
Ingredients:
½ cup softened butter ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup molasses (treacle) 2 ½ cups cake flour 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda 3 tsp. ground ginger (add grated fresh ginger if you love the “ginger-heat”) 2 tsp. ground mixed spice 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Pinch of ground cloves ¼ cup strong cold tea 1 tsp. vanilla essenceCream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the molasses to the butter mixture and beat well. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the tea and mix well. Add the vanilla and mix to form a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 24 hours to allow the dough to rest and stiffen for rolling. Roll the dough to the desired thickness and cut into gingerbread men. Arrange the shapes on greased cookie sheet or a Nicoletta non-stick baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 8 – 10 minutes.
The ginger and spices in this recipe give the cookies a warm and spicy yet mildly sweet taste and aroma. Store in tins, and dust with Nicoletta gold shimmer to decorate. Use Nicoletta soft cream pearls as buttons by sticking them to the “The Boys” using Nicoletta silver writing icing.
For those of us who have forgotten the fairy-tale: Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man..
Nov 13
Rich Christmas Cake
Christmas cakes have earned a bad reputation for being “rock hard”, chewy, boozy, and dry. The truth is a good Christmas Cake should be delicious, dense, light and rich… all at the same time. This recipe is one that we have tweaked (and perfected) over several years, and is a combination of a few recipes (plus a sprinkling of trial and error!).
Don’t be intimidated by making your own Christmas cake, it is super easy and well worth the effort! November is the prefect time of year to prepare your Christmas Cake. Traditionally you can prepare you Christmas Cake up to 3 months in advance, so as to allow it time to rest and develop the rich complex flavours of a masterful fruit cake. Take note… Christmas cake that hasn’t been allowed to mature isn’t that great, it really does need time for the ingredients and flavours to infuse.
To store a fresh Christmas cake – wrap it tightly in a layer of baking paper, and then wrap it in foil and store it in an airtight container or tin. Most people “feed” the cake occasionally by brushing the cake with a few tablespoons of brandy, whiskey or bourbon; but our secret is to soak the fruit overnight in a “lot” of brandy, this means that you very rarely have to feed the cake before Christmas, as it remains moist and yummy – this safe-guards against a strong alcohol taste in the cake – as the raw alcohol dissipates during baking. The soaking also plumps up the dried fruit so that it remains moist in the cake, and not dry and chewy!
Ingredients:
400g currants 220g sultanas 220g raisins 70g glace cherries (rinsed, some chopped and some left whole) 55g candied, mixed citrus peel 1 – 2 cups brandy 225g cake flour ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. grated/ ground nutmeg ½ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground allspice 225g unsalted butter 225g dark brown sugar 4 eggs 1 Tbs. molasses/treacleStep 1: Get the cherries, fruit and citrus peel drunk – allow the fruit to soak overnight in the brandy so that they plump up.
Step 2: Line a 20 – 25cm deep round tin with baking a double layer of baking paper. It is important that you line the tin, as the cake will cook for a long time, and the lining will prevent the sides of the cake from burning. One could also use a good quality silicone cake mould instead.
Step 3: Cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add a little at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. In separate bowl, sieve the flour, salt and spices; fold into the butter mixture. Add the drunken fruit and treacle to the mixture; stir the ingredients until they are well combined. Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin.
Step 4: Bake the cake on the low shelf in the oven, at 140°C for approximately 4 – 4 ½ hours. Let the cake cool in the tin for at least an hour.
Step 5: Wrap the cooled cake in baking paper and foil and place in an airtight tin. Feed the cake with additional brandy if you prefer a boozy cake, or if your cake dries out during storage.
When the cake is ready to be revealed and eaten during the Christmas season, it is traditionally decorated using almond marzipan and fondant icing. We rolled out Nicoletta Ready-to-Roll White Fondant and Nicoletta Almond Marzipan and cut out stars in order to simply, yet elegantly, decorate our magnificent Christmas cake.
Jul 29
Speedy Chocolate Mousse
A mousse that is really “speedy” to make, and “speedy” to eat. This recipe is courtesy of the Australian “Delicious” magazine, and makes a rich, fluffy, chocolatey mousse.
Ingredients:
300g dark chocolate, chopped 3 eggs 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 1 Tbs. cocoa powder, sifted 300ml whipping creamMelt the chocolate in a double boiler (i.e. place a bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently heat the bowl using the steam). Stir the chocolate until melted. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat for 5 minutes with an electric beater, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in cooled chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream (do not over-beat!). Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible. Spoon or pipe the mixture into serving glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, then top with Nicoletta nonpareils, extra whipped cream or chocolate popping candy.
This recipe makes 6 large servings.
Jul 15
Zingy Lemon Meringue Pie
This lemon meringue is the hero of desserts, it runs through the streets fighting crime and blasting villains with its Vitamin C super charged weapons of war. We love this recipe for its zingy lemon tart and fluffy meringue topping.
Ingredients:
1 packet tennis biscuits 3 Tbs. melted butter 1 tin Condensed milk 2 egg yolks 125ml lemon juice (2-3 small lemons) Zest of 1 small lemon 4 egg whites 125ml castor sugarThis recipe makes enough to fill a 20-25cm flan dish.
Crush the tennis biscuits and mix in the melted butter, flatten the crumbs into an ovenproof flan dish. Mix the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest; and pour into the biscuit base. Beat 4 egg whites to soft peaks and add 1 Tbs. at a time of sugar till the meringue is voluminous, glossy and white; the meringue should have stiff peaks and no sugar granules present. Spoon the meringue onto the lemon tart and spread to create snowy peaks/ pipe the meringue using a piping bag. Use these tips and tricks to create the perfect meringue.
Decorate your meringue with cake crystals/ confetti; we used heavenly heart wafers that don’t disintegrate in the oven! Bake at 160°C for 10 minutes. The baking process is to cook the meringue and caramelise the top. Once your peaks are golden remove the lemon meringue from the oven.
Allow it to cool and then place in the fridge till the lemon tart is set. Do not leave in the fridge overnight, as this leads to a soggy meringue.
Enjoy your sweet, lemony, mouth watering piece of satisfaction.
Jun 25
Exploding Chocolate Slices
In the spirit of molecular gastronomy, we have created a dose of fizzing, popping and titillating chocolate cake bars. Have your guests eyes popping with joy when they discover what’s hidden in this yummy chocolate slice.
You can add chocolate popping candy to any dessert, although mainly as a topping, or incorporated into a cool mousse/ jelly/ frosting/ ganache, since popping candy will melt if it’s heated. Popping candy is very sensitive to air – that is why ours is coated in chocolate – to preserve the precious “pop”. In this recipe we used it as a topping.
Ingredients:
190g Butter 1 1/5 cups (300ml) Castor Sugar 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 4 eggs (separate yolk from egg white) ¾ cup Self-Raising Flour 1/3 cup Cocoa ¾ cup Plain Yoghurt 1 Tbs. Espresso / strongly brewed Coffee
Start by creaming the butter, sugar and vanilla in an mixer. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sifted flour, cocoa and yoghurt and stir in the coffee. Beat the egg whites separately until stiff, and gently fold into the mixture. Spread the mixture into a silicone cake mould or small tray (25cm). Bake in at 180°C for approx. 40 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
Mocha Frosting
120g Dark Chocolate 2 tsp. Espresso / strong brewed Coffee 120g Butter (softened) Icing Sugar – to taste, approx. 2 Tbs.Heat the chocolate and coffee in a double boiler (bain-marie) and stir until melted. Remove from the heat, and beat in the butter (small amount at a time). Add the icing sugar and mix well. Allow the frosting to cool and thicken. Spread over the cooled chocolate slices.
Decorate with Chocolate Popping Candy. The recipe makes approx. 16 squares.
We have been quietly observing this trend of gourmet doughnuts, and have decided to plunge into the world of endless flavours and possibilities. Mini doughnuts are great for high tea; children’s parties and breakfast feasts.
We found a magical new piece of equipment – the mini doughnut maker. Although we used this genius doughnutter, it is possible to use a doughnut baking tray / silicone moulds. Now to choose a recipe? Banana and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Full stop. Here is the recipe we used.
Ingredients
2 small Bananas (mashed) 1/2 cup (170g tub) Fat Free Plain Yoghurt 1/2 cup Sugar 2 Eggs (lightly beaten) 2 Tbs. Butter (melted) 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 cups Self-Raising Flour 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder (a little extra baking powder adds fluffiness) pinch of Salt 1/2 cup dark / milk Chocolate ChipsMix mashed banana with the sugar and yoghurt. Blitz the mixture in a food processor/blender if you want a smooth texture. Mix in the melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt to the batter and mix until just combined. Do not over mix! Fold in the chocolate chips.
Place a teaspoon of batter into the wells of the hot doughnut maker and close the lid; cook for a few minutes till the doughnut maker’s lid pops up/ doughnuts are golden brown.
Drop the hot mini doughnuts into cinnamon and sugar / drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cake confetti and chocolate hearts. The texture is between flapjacks and doughnuts, and are delicious when warm. We used these doughnut-morsels to create a doughnut birthday cake tower, fit for a mini queen (also see “Princess”).
FYI: This recipe is lower in fat due to the addition of fat free yoghurt! Yay!
Jun 04
Cake Pops for Dad
With Father’s Day around the corner, we thought we would craft a few cake pops inspired by our Dads.
The first batch was too wet and didn’t form balls properly, so we discarded it – what a waste of good cake and icing. The second batch was delicious but messy and had tempers flaring in frustration. Then, we had our experienced friend Yolandi Heyneke of Love Life Cupcakes (a cake pop baking whizz) show us how to make cake pops the fool-proof way. Yolandi made some awesome suit & tie cake pops, moustache shaped cake pops and original chocolate cake pops dipped in white or milk chocolate.
Yolandi’s top tips:
Use any type of cake (even shop bought sponge) and cream cheese instead of frosting. It makes them smoother! Crumble the cake with a grater or food processor. The amount of cream cheese to add is not an exact science, Yolandi knows it’s right when the consistency is the same as play dough. For the professional touch – weigh the balls of mixture to make perfectly sized pops (perfect size is 25 – 27g). The balls are then cooled (not frozen) – just pop them in the freezer (for 15min) or fridge (for 1 – 2 hrs) to firm up. If they are frozen, the dipped chocolate will crack once they start defrosting. When melting the chocolate in the microwave keep the microwave on low/defrost (or melt chocolate in a double-boiler to prevent burning). Stir the chocolate frequently to prevent overheating. The chocolate should be melted but not hot. Add a few pieces of extra un-melted chocolate if it’s too hot in order to cool it down. When the balls are firm and you have your chocolate ready, dip the tip of the Cake Pop Stick in the chocolate and insert it into the balls. Dip the balls in chocolate; they should be completely covered, and then roll the stick around in your hand to let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. You will note when it starts to firm up and you can then push the stick into a polystyrene block or empty egg box to dry completely. When using sprinkles, let the excess chocolate drip off and just before putting them in the polystyrene block, sprinkle the balls. (Don’t let any sprinkles fall into your choc dipping bowl). We used our Blue and Green Nicoletta Cake Crystals as well as Nicoletta Pearl Drops and Blue & White Ready to Roll Fondant to make the shirts and ties.Once you get the hang of doing the balls, you can also make different shapes by using cookie cutters or moulds. These moustache cake pops are fun, not fuzzy!
Cake Pops require patience and practice. Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. Your dad will appreciate the taste more than the look anyway!
Nicoletta and her Mom have used this recipe for all sorts of birthday cakes, Neapolitan cakes, cupcakes and tray bakes. Her family know it as the “1-2-3 cake” and are happily sharing this no-flop recipe with everyone:
250g butter (room temp.) 1 cup milk 2 cups sugar 4 eggs (room temp.) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3 cups flour 1½ tsp. baking powderCream the sugar and butter in an electric beater until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating till the eggs are incorporated after each addition. Mix in the milk and flavouring. Add the sifted cake flour and baking powder and mix well (scrape the bottom to make sure it’s all mixed together). Spoon the batter into a tray and bake at 180°c for 20 minutes, or until golden and the cake tester/knife comes out clean.
Allow to cool while you prepare your fluffy buttercream frosting:
185g butter (room temperature, and cut into cubes, do not heat! It’s called “butter-cream” for a reason people, don’t be afraid) 200g icing sugar (icing sugar loves to be sieved) 1 Tbs. Milk 1 Tbs. Vanilla essence / ½ Tbs. Vanilla extract a pinch of saltWhip butter in a mixer till it becomes very pale & very creamy, the more you beat, the creamier it gets. Add the remaining ingredients and mix slowly. Frost your cake and cut into squares, decorate using Soft Pearls and Flower Icing Shapes.
May 06
Mini Meringues
Oh sweet ‘n crunchy, melt in the mouth meringues, with your peaks so white and sugary… This recipe is used by the real Nicoletta and is a favourite treat for dinner parties and celebrations.
How to make the easiest little meringues – you will need:
4 x egg whites (carefully separated) Pinch of salt 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence Cake Confetti for decorationBeat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff (be careful not to overbeat!). Add castor sugar by the spoonful, beating well after each addition; add vanilla before the last two spoonful’s of sugar.
Shape meringues on the baking mat (we used our fabulous silicone macaron mat, and disposable piping bags to pipe perfect peaks). Sprinkle with edible decorations.
Preheat oven to 110C, Bake for 1 hour or until meringues are dry. Serve with ice-cream and lemon curd / strawberries and cream.
A firm favourite – these no-bake and easy to make chocolate biscuit squares (that rhymed..) make great party guests, and love to hang out with tea and coffee.
This recipe will take 15 minutes to assemble and looks sparkly with the addition of edible shimmer and silver bling. Ready, set, go….
500g butter 1 cup cocoa powder 1kg icing sugar 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 1 Tbs. Vanilla essence 1 packet Marie biscuits & 1 packet of Tennis biscuits (crushed) Shimmer and silver “Bling” Balls for decorationMelt the butter (on the stove or in a microwave), mix in the cocoa and icing sugar in a very large bowl (don’t worry about sieving – the mixture becomes thick enough to mix out all lumps). Stir in the eggs and mix until smooth and glossy.
Add the crushed biscuits and mix into the glorious chocolate gloop until well covered. At this stage add other optional extras – glacé cherries/ rice crispie cereal/ mini marshmallows/ nuts.
Spoon out onto a pan and flatten the mixture with a spatula. (This mixture can be spooned into any container to set – asses how high you would like your squares to be and adjust by pouring into a wider lipped container). Decorate with sprinkles at will.
Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or till set, cut into squares and keep in an airtight container.
