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LEMON CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

SWEET PASTE PASTRY Ingredients:
– 18-19cm (7-7.5 Inches) round pan

  • 75g (1/4 Cup + 1 TBSP) Unsalted Butter,
    Cubed & Chilled
  • 48g (1/4 Cup) Caster Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg, Room Temp.
  • 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 140g (1 Cup + 1 TBSP) Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • Handful of White Chocolate

METHOD:

  1. In a food processor, combine cubed and chilled butter with sugar, salt & flour.
  2. Pulse them together, ensuring even blending until a coarse, sandy consistency (or breadcrumb) is formed.
  3. Add in the egg and vanilla. Gently stir until just combined without over mixing it too much.
  4. Tip out the dough onto a work surface and gently press the dough together until a uniform dough is formed. Do not knead as we are not trying to develop the gluten in this recipe, but instead, keeping it short & melt-in-the-mouth.
  5. Divide this dough in half, covering half in a large piece of cling wrap and pat it down into a disc. Keep chilled in the fridge for another recipe over the next 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 2 weeks and no more, or it may lose flavor.
  6. With the other half – this is completely up to you you can use just 3/4 of it for a thinner pastry base for your cheesecake or use the entire half. The entire half will give you about under 1cm worth of thickness.
  7. Take the pastry & using your fingers to level it out and then tightly into the edges of a 18-19cm (7-7.5″) round pan with removable base. Once you smoothed it out with your fingers and ensure it is level, chill it in the fridge for a good 1 hour minimum if you live in a hot country. You want the pastry to feel quite hard and set before you bake it.
  8. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
  9. Use a fork and dock (pierce holes all over to prevent rising of pastry) the pastry.
  10. Bake for 30 minutes or so until the edges have begun to brown, and the surface of pastry is a nice golden yellow (like a shortbread).
  11. Allow the pastry to cool to room temperature.
  12. Brush melted white chocolate all over the pastry surface (I gently nuked mine in a microwave just until it is beginning to melt but not completely so, and stirred until it became smooth).
  13. ***If you do not have a processor, you can rub the butter and dry ingredients together with your finger tips just until the same consistency is achieved before adding the wet. Just take extra care to not warm up the ingredients too much.

 

LEMON CRUMBLE Ingredients:

  • 72g (1/4 Cup + 1 TBSP) Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
  • 135g (1/2 Cup + 2 TBSP) Caster Sugar
  • 45g (5 + 1/2 TBSP) Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Zest of 1/2 Large Lemon

METHOD:

  1. Place all ingredients in a mixer bowl. My current weather is extremely hot so I then chill my ingredients with the bowl for around 30-60 minutes as needed.
  2. It is crucial to have very cold butter so you can take your time to really create the right crumbs instead of beating it into a cake batter. I would freeze the ingredients with the bowl for 20-30 min or more depending on your climate.
  3. Using a paddle or beater attachment, beat the ingredients on medium speed until a minced meat consistency is achieved. It will first turn sandy and fine, and then very soon it after it begins to reach this consistency. Be careful as just a touch longer from here will make it too chunky and then a paste from there on.
  4. If it does become a bit more chunky due to the butter becoming too hot before it was done, don’t worry. With this recipe we can fix this as it is baked separately.
  5. Spread the crumble all over a lined baking tray.
  6. Chill this for 1-2 hours before baking until the crumble feels firm to the touch and very cold.
  7. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and bake for 10-15 minutes. I didn’t give mine enough time to chill plus it was also not made properly – with the butter melting a bit and clumping up my crumble, so at 10 minutes it had melted into a bigger mass of crumble.
  8. Do not worry, at this point of 10 minutes, you need to use a fork to run through the crumble anyway so that you have lots of small pieces to use on your cheesecake. After doing so, cook for another 3-5 minutes – the more caramelized the color the crunchier it will be (mine was very golden brown and very crispy even in the fridge after two days.
  9. If you want it less so, just flake it up a touch earlier and bake less.
  10. Cool completely while you make the cheesecake.

 

SIMPLE LEMON CHEESECAKE Ingredients:

  • 250g (8 Oz) Full-Fat Cream Cheese
  • 110g (4 Oz) mascarpone Cheese
  • 50g (1/4 Cup) Caster Sugar
  • 180ml (2/3 Cup + 2 TBSP) Thickened/Heavy Cream, Chilled
  • Zest of 1/2 Large Lemon
  • 2-3 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

METHOD:

  1. If you like this cheesecake recipe, the recipe filling is actually inspired by the no-gelatin style I came up with for my no-bake cookies and cream cheesecake recipe – it was my attempt to make a no bake recipe taste more like the baked variety with that sour cream flavor.
  2. For this one I messed around with the ratio and switched out sour cream for mascarpone for different texture and flavor.
  3. Use a processor blend together everything. I would start with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice first and see if you need more to your liking.
  4. You will need to scrape down the bowl half way through to make sure it is evenly mixed when processing. It should be uniformly creamy and smooth.
  5. Whip the chilled cream with whisk attachment until it is at stiff peaks. You’ll begin to see deep grooves or tracks in the cream and it will stand firmly when you pull the whisk out. You do not want it to clump up into pieces as it separates into butter from there on. Reduce from medium-high to lower speed when you are unsure.
  6. Pour the cheese mixture into the whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold the two together.
  7. To fold, simply scrape down and bring the mix up and allow it to gently fall on itself. Turn the bowl as you do this, focusing on the areas that are not mixed until you not only keep it fluffy, but also have a uniform mixture. Be sure to not neglect the bottom of the bowl 🙂
  8. Pour into the pan and use a small spoon to ease batter into the edges. I like to push the batter up and around the inner walls to ensure no air pockets are there for a nice finish. Once you level the cheesecake batter, give the pan a few firm taps on the counter to release air bubbles and help level it some more.
  9. Crumble up the crumble as needed with your fingers over the cheesecake until it is completely covered in it, gently press down to adhere it a little.
  10. I freeze mine for 2 hours or just until firm enough to easily remove from pan.
  11. ***If you prefer, you can also line the walls with baking paper to make this step extra easy.
  12. Otherwise, run a hot knife around the edges of the cheesecake and then press the pan down over a small cup or bowl to release it from the base. Any imperfections can be smoothed with a knife at this point.
  13. Thaw for 30 min or so or keep chilled overnight until serving. This cheesecake is softly set so doesn’t take long to thaw out and is best served cold from the fridge for its ideal texture.

BAUMKUCHEN with GANACHE – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

BAUMKUCHEN (Sugary Lab Method) Ingredients:

  • 250g (2 Cups) Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 + 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
  • 7 Large Eggs, Separated
  • 200g (1 + 2/3 Cups) Pure Icing/Confectioners Sugar, Sifted
  • 175ml (3/4 Cup) Milk
  • 75g (1/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter
  • 1 + 1/4 Tablespoons Honey

METHOD:

  1. Whisk together flour and baking powder.
  2. Combine milk, honey and butter in a bowl, covered with cling wrap just until butter is melted.
  3. Beat egg whites on lowest speed just enough to incorporate air.
  4. Once it is doubled in volume and stable enough to hold a spoonful of itself, start sprinkling in sugar gradually.
  5. Once glossy and stiff, the meringue is ready.
  6. Add in the egg yolks gradually on low speed just till combined.
  7. Fold in the flour mix in three parts on low speed.
  8. Take a generous spoonful of this mixture and combine it with the butter and milk mix. Stir it till combined and return it to the flour mixture, whisking slowly whilst gradually pouring to combine.
  9. Scrape down the base and sides to make sure it is well combined.
  10. Now the batter is ready for making baumkuchen.

 

TORCHING:

  1. You’ll need to set up the station and be well-prepared so that you don’t fumble around when doing this.
  2. Have a large tray or deep pan that will be higher than the radius of your baumkuchen. The deeper your dish the thicker you can make your baumkuchen.
  3. Have the batter with a brush close by, the blow torch in a safe location but close to reach as you may want to leave it on as you work faster.
  4. Now brush a thin layer along a wooden or heat proof rolling pin. You want just enough to simply coat the pin whilst still seeing stroke marks. Too thick and you won’t cook it through and will fall from gravity as you work more layers in.
  5. Torch immediately from a medium distance on medium heat to make it evenly golden all over but not charred. Take your time to cook it well – it is obvious when it swells up that is the cake being cooked.
  6. Repeat the process, being gentle when brushing new layers of batter, torch and repeat until the desired thickness is reached.
  7. Allow to cool completely or the cake will be too delicate.
  8. I run a knife around the two sides to neaten any imperfections. I make one more cut down the middle of the roll to make it more manageable.
  9. To remove from rolling pin, gently run a knife from one end of the roll on the inner side of the roll, then gently using your hands begin to grab and gently twist left and right to wiggle and loosen the roll. It should come off fairly easily after a few twists.
  10. Neaten the inside layer if need as the twisting does rip and tear the inside layer a bit. Stand them over a wire rack on a tray with baking paper and pour ganache over generously to coat.
  11. Once it is fully coated, chill in fridge till it is dry to the touch and then you can wrap and give away as gifts or store airtight in fridge – serve at room temperature.

 

GLOSSY GANACHE

  • 1.2Kg (42.33Oz) Dark Chocolate, 70%
  • 800ml (3 + 1/3 Cups + 1 Tablespoon) Thickened/Heavy Cream
  • 120ml (8 Tablespoons) Glucose/Corn Syrup

METHOD:

  1. There are several ways to go about making ganache. The most common method is to use a saucepan to bring cream just till a simmer with bubbles around the edges. Pour it over the finely chopped or small pieces of chocolate and glucose in a bowl and cover for few minutes before stirring till smooth. Cover and store at room temperature in a cool place. You can also store in fridge for a longer time but will have to warm whilst stirring to get it soft enough to use at desired consistency.
  2. Some prefer to combine all ingredients and nuke in small intervals in a microwave, stirring between every couple of rounds until it is glossy and smooth with no chunks.
  3. Another method that allows freedom to be away and not keeping watch while you do other prep work is to combine all in a heat proof bowl and set it over simmering water to bain marie or double boil the chocolate with the steam till the same results are achieved. This way, the cream doesn’t boil over.
  4. But try not to overheat the chocolate, keeping the temper of the chocolate means your ganache will less likely split over time.

Z-CRYSTAL GUMMY – POKEMON SUN & MOON INSPIRED Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

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ELECTRIUM SIGN GUMMY Ingredients:

  • 165ml (2/3 Cup) Dark Purple Drink Concentrate, Sweetened
  • 16g (2 Envelope) Gelatin Powder

 

METHOD:

  1. Grease a small tray and line with cling wrap as smooth as possible.
  2. Trace 5 x 3 cm (2 x 1″) electrium sign on paper & cut out.
  3. Whisk liquid into gelatin powder gradually until well combined.
  4. Nuke in microwave on 20 second intervals, stirring in between just until no granules of the gelatin are left.
  5. Pour into a standard rectangular take away container lined with cling wrap & chill in fridge till firmly set.
  6. Place the electrium sign cut-out onto the gummy & trace with sharp knife to cut out a gummy version. Keep chilled until needed.

 

ELECTRIUM CRYSTAL GUMMY Ingredients:

  • 500ml (2 Cups) Clear/Yellow Tinted Drink Concentrate, Sweetened
  • 50g (7 Envelopes) Gelatin Powder

 

METHOD:

  1. Grease a small 16 x 10 cm (6 x 4″) container and line with cling wrap as smooth as possible.
  2. Repeat the steps above to combine and warm mixture until smoothly combined (do not boil).
  3. Pour a little under 1cm worth mix into the container & allow to set at room temperature until it is just set to the touch.
  4. Place the electrium sign gummy in the middle, gently spoon the rest of the mix over.
  5. Chill until set firm.
  6. Carefully lift out gummy and peel away the cling wrap.
  7. Using a sharp knife run under hot water or heated over the stove, cut off the four sides on a diagonal 45 degrees slant angle to get the crystal shape with a flat base. Start from one point in the centre so that you end up with the crystal shape.
  8. It will take a few cuts each side to really get it right, so be patient and have some fun with it!
  9. There should be a few mm distance at least on edges from the sign gummy or it may look a bit odd.
  10. Keep chilled and airtight when not serving.
  11. ENJOY!

BURNT CARAMEL LIME TART w MERINGUE WHIPPED CREAM – X’MAS Special Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

TARRAGON SWEET PASTRY Ingredients:

  • 350g (2 + 1/2 Cups) Plain/All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2-3 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon
  • 226g (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, Chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
  • 1/4~1/2 Cup (60- 120 ml) Ice Water
  • Some Egg Whites

 

METHOD:

  1. In a food processor, place the flour, salt, sugar & butter and pulse until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Pour ice water teaspoon at a time and pulse a few seconds. Check if the crumbs form a dough when pressed between your fingers. You don’t want too much water or too much processing.
  2. Once it reaches this stage turn the dough out onto a cling wrap lined surface. Gather the dough with cling wrap and press gently back and forth just until it is combined. Too much kneading will yield a tough tart so be gentle.
  3. Wrap and flatten the dough into a round disc.
  4. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes until firm, giving it time to relax the gluten so it won’t stretch when rolling out. The dough also keeps for about a month in the freezer.
  5. On a floured surface, roll the dough from center outwards, turning the dough 1/4 way around every few turns to prevent sticking.
  6. The tart should be roughly 5cm (2″) larger than the pan you are used turned upside down and place over dough. It should be 1cm thick, too thin you won’t get much of a pastry and it will likely break on coming out.
  7. Line the base of the tart pan with baking paper, this will make the shell a lot easier to remove if your pan base is not removable.
  8. Gently roll from one end to the other the dough over rolling pin loosely, dusting off any excess flour.
  9. Gently unroll the dough into the pan, firmly use a piece of excess dough rounded to smooth into the corners or indents of the tart pan. Don’t pull the dough or the shell tends to shrink when baking.
  10. Chill the tart in freezer for 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
  11. Use a sharp knife to cut off any excess dough over the edge of the pan, or if it’s one of the thin fluted pans just roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan.
  12. Line the tart with foil and you can use the usual methods of raw rice, beans or pie weights to keep it from puffing up when baking. I much prefer the loose base of a pan, and some ramekins on top. I don’t waste anything this way.
  13. Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is almost dry, remove the foil and weight, bake further until golden.
  14. Brush all surface of the tart with beaten egg whites to create a film so the sauce won’t make the tart shell soggy.
  15. Set aside to cool before filling with burnt caramel sauce.

 

BURNT CARAMEL SAUCE Ingredients:

  • 220g (1 Cup) Caster Sugar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) + 1 Tablespoon Thickened/Heavy Cream
  • 90ml (1/4 Cup) Glucose/ Light Corn Syrup
  • 70g (5 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

 

Method:

  1. Spray or grease with oil the container used to weigh the glucose. This will make it easier for the glucose to slide out of the container without sticking when using.
  2. Place the sugar into a medium heavy-bottomed pot.
  3. Over medium heat cook stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the sugar all melts.
  4. Cook without stirring until the sugar becomes black, about 10 minutes.
  5. There’s a chance the sugar may foam up a fair bit before turning black, just reduce the heat to low and stir it until it goes down whilst wearing an oven mitt to protect yourself from the splatter.
  6. The caramel at this point will smoke and have large bubbles, you’ll need the exhaust fan.
  7. Have the cream in a microwave-safe bowl, covered loosely with cling wrap, microwave until boiling point.
  8. Once the sugar has turned black remove from the heat source and stir in the glucose, followed by the hot cream bit at a time.
  9. The mix will splatter and foam violently so be very careful.
  10. Finally, whisk in the butter, cool to room temperature before pouring into the baked tart shell or cool to room temperature before storing in airtight container. Refrigerated, can last for at least a month. If separation occurs, stir to combine again.

**Note: The glucose here is used to speed up caramelisation as it is added a later time. Some other recipes include it in the beginning of the process to prevent crystallisation of the caramel.

 

LIME CURD FILLING Ingredients:

  • 220g (1 Cup) + 2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
  • 177ml (3/4 Cup) Fresh Lime Juice 150ml
  • 8 Large Egg Yolks
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 170g (1 + 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Room Temp

 

METHOD:

  1. Zest all the limes & mix it with some thickened cream and set it aside for the topping.
  2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lime juice, yolks and whole egg till smooth.
  3. Over medium heat, whilst stirring constantly, cook the curd until it comes to a boil about 9 minutes. It should be the consistency of sour cream, or thicker yogurt.
  4. Cool the curd to room temperature before whisking in the softened butter.
  5. Strain the mixture for lumps.
  6. Preheat the oven to 140C (285F), over a spoon gently pour the curd over the tart, smooth and level the surface.
  7. Bake until the filling sets, with the merest movement in the middle when you shake the tart.
  8. Cool completely, then refrigerate until needed.

 

CREAM & MERINGUE TOPPING Ingredients:

  • 110g Egg Whites, Room Temp
  • 178g (3/4 Cup) Caster Sugar
  • 180ml (3/4 Cup) Thickened Cream, Chilled
  • Lime Zests

METHOD:

  1. Whip the cream and zest till stiff peaks, keep covered and chilled till meringue is done.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a simmer.
  3. Combine egg whites & sugar in mixing bowl, place it over the simmering water whisking constantly.
  4. Once the sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, remove and whisk till stiff peaks form.
  5. Stir 1/3 of cream into meringue till well combined.
  6. Fold remainder gently keeping it as airy as possible.
  7. Spread generously over the cooled tart forming a ring or a large mound to your liking.
  8. Swirl with a large spoon on steep angles to make irregular swivel grooves.
  9. Garnish with some chocolate piping at the centre if preferred. You can add some vegetable oil to melted chocolate if it is still too thick to pipe with. I like to use the cheat of just buying some thin blocks of chocolate. Simply take of as much as is needed and the back side for a smooth surface to pipe on.
  10. You can find lots of festive candies and chocolates to garnish with too!
  11. The meringue needs to set for at least 4 hours till it firms up to hold garnishes in place. So allow to set before garnishing the last bits. Keep chilled until serving.
  12. Should you wish to have the pie served out of the pan, gently run a palette knife to loosen the sides and lift it up. It should come up very easily when cold, with the help of the baking paper under. Do this before you place the meringue cream.

CARAMEL SUGAR SPONGE – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

Read this article to find out more about this crazy thing called Caramel sugar that is super easy to make! 😀

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/05/how-to-make-caramel-without-melting-sugar.html

 

CARAMEL SUGAR Ingredients:

  • A thin layer of caster sugar on a large tray, evenly spread.

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and bake the sugar, checking every hour or so until it has gone a golden colour. It should take about 5 hours according to article guideline. If too thick of a layer of sugar may take much longer like mine and runs risk of some parts melting which make those parts unusable.
  2. Allow to cool completely, then break into chunks and process until fine powder.
  3. Sieve out the chunky granules and you can re-process but any left over large granules can be set aside to coat the pans with.
  4. Store these sugar airtight or they will clump/harden.

 

CARAMEL SUGAR SPONGE Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, Softened to Coat Pan
  • Extra Caramel Sugar to Coat Pan
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 120g 3/4 Cup Plain Flour
  • 115g 1/2 Cup Caramel Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Butter the pan well with brush & coat with caramel sugar, empty out the extra.
  2. Sieve the flour three times.
  3. Whisk eggs and sugar until ribbon stage, doubled in volume.
  4. Beat in the vanilla essence.
  5. Gently fold in the flour just until combined.
  6. Pour into coated pan, sprinkle more caramel sugar over if you like and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  7. The cake is ready when it is leaving the sides of the pan and is springy to the touch.
  8. Invert the cake out onto wire rack whilst hot, gently massage the base of the pan and tap firmly on rack to unmold the sponge.
  9. Allow to cool completely.

 

 

SNEEKY BIRTHDAY CAKE BARS – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie


PASTEL MINI SWISS MERINGUE Ingredients:

  • 90g Caster Sugar
  • 56g Egg Whites, Room Temperature
  • Selection of Food Colouring

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 100C (210F)
  2. Bring a pot of water to slow simmer.
  3. In mixing bowl combine the egg whites and sugar.
  4. Whisk continuously to combine over the simmering water.
  5. Check by dipping finger into the mix once in a while until mix is warm. It should be more than luke warm, but not too hot or you’ll cook the eggs.
  6. Now whisk on high just until stiff but glossy. The whisk when removed should have a curved bird beak shape for the meringue left on the whisk. If you make it even stiffer, it may be harder to create nice peaked piping for your meringue, so don’t go too far.
  7. On a large piece of cling wrap, use a brush to brush a bright streak of food colour on the cling wrap. Repeat with some space in between with other colours for as many as you like lengthwise, as these meringue won’t be too big in my version, I won’t use too many.
  8. Now very carefully scoop and lay the meringue in a long mound over but off centre of the cling wrap to one side more. Pat it down gently with a palette knife. Now fold over the cling wrap, and then wrap the other over. Tighten both ends by twisting together.
  9. Snip one end of the cling wrap and slide into a piping bag fitted with piping tip if preferred, and then pipe some until colours come through on lined baking trays. They can be quite close as they do not spread.
  10. Make small or large meringue to your liking just be aware of baking time differences. Average small 2-3cm meringues generally take at least 1 hour to bake through.
  11. Bake until the meringue look matte and come off the baking paper when lifted gently, the meringue should not brown (indicating temperature is too high). Use the lowest rack.
  12. Set aside to cool before using as garnish. If not using that day, store in airtight container away from moisture.

 

SNEAKY WHITE CHOC BIRTHDAY MUD CAKE BARS Ingredients:

  • 200g Plain Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 115g Unsalted Butter, Room Temp
  • 150g Caster Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 110ml Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 125g White chocolate, melted
  • 160g (1 Cup) Confetti Quin Sprinkles

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven t0 150C (300F). Spray the cake bar pan with non-stick vegetable spray.
  2. Combine butter and sugar and mix until pale and fluffy, stopping halfway to scrape down side and base.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each to incorporate.
  4. Melt the white chocolate just until warm but not hot, add to the mix and beat in.
  5. Add the flour, confetti, milk & vanilla extract, beat to combine.
  6. Pipe into 8-10 cake bar molds 1/2 full.
  7. Bake until moist crumbs cling onto skewer when inserted into cakes.
  8. Inver the cakes whilst hot and flip back upright to cool completely on the rack.
  9. If there is caramelisation on the sides of the cake, freeze the cake till firm then use serrated knife to gently trim off enough to see the colourful cake hiding inside.
  10. Cool completely before frosting with whipped ganache.

 

 

Simple Nutella Mousse Ingredients:

  • 50ml (1/4 Cup) Thickened Cream
  • 20g Unsalted Butter, Room Temp
  • 100g (1/3 Cup) Nutella

 

METHOD:

  1. Beat butter until fluffy.
  2. Add Nutella and chilled cream, whip until stiff.
  3. Pipe straight away or the frosting will go soft.
  4. Keep chilled if not using and soften with mixer again before piping.

 

TO ASSEMBLE:

  1. On trimmed cake bars, pipe frosting on the top to your liking.
  2. Sprinkle with some confetti, garnish with 3 meringues or however many you like.
  3. Keep chilled in airtight container.
  4. If serving at a later date, keep meringue separate until then. Allow cake to come to room temperature a little so that the frosting softens a bit so you can adhere the meringue before serving.
  5. Frosting will soften the longer it stays out, so don’t keep it out of the fridge for too long.

 

 

 

YOGURT FROSTING PEANUT BUTTER DONUTS – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

YOGURT PEANUT BUTTER CAKE DONUTS Ingredients:

  • 85g 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 115g 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 125ml 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 120g 3/4 cup Plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Large egg

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180 350F
  2. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
  3. Fill donut pan just shy of 2/3 full by piping two times around the molds close to the base.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.

 

GREEK YOGURT PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING Ingredients:

  • 260g 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 265g 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 Tablespoons icing sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons milk (didn’t use)
  • Chocolate shavings

 

METHOD:

  1. Whisk all ingredients until combined. Add milk if in need of adjusting consistency to more of a stiff whipped cream consistency.
  2. You can beat the cream after chilling to get a smoother and airy texture.
  3. Snip the piping bag and pipe over cooled donuts in an up and down bouncing motion as you move around the ring of the donut, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
  4. You can also dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
  5. Can be served at room temperature for a day, then store chilled and in an airtight container.

FIZZY BLACKBERRY ICED TEA – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

FIZZY BLACKBERRY ICED TEA Ingredients:

  • 260ml (1.1 Cups) Boiling Water
  • 5 Teaspoons Loose Leaf Tea of Choice (Mint based tea, or the apricot elderflower tea I used in this video – i.e. fruity choices are all great)
  • 2 Teaspoons Honey, to taste
  • 50g (1/2 Cup) Frozen or Fresh Blackberries, Mashed
  • Extra Sparkling or Regular Chilled Water
  • Ice Cubes, Handful
  • 2-3 Mint Leaves

 

METHOD:

  1. Steep the loose leaf tea with honey in boiling water for 10-15 minutes depending on preferred strength.
  2. Allow to cool completely.
  3. Mash frozen berries in a small dash of hot water (1 Tablespoon at most), or just mash by itself if using fresh berries. Break it down fine so that the flesh is fine or soft enough to suck up with the regular straw.
  4. Add the strained tea to serving glass, add ice cubes, mashed berries/juice.
  5. Smack the mint leaves to release oil and aroma, add to the iced tea as is or rip into smaller pieces (mostly aesthetic preferences).
  6. Top up the iced tea with 100ml or so of sparkling or regular chilled water (depending on whether you want it fizzy or not).
  7. Garnish with some blackberries & sprig of mint, and a fancy straw if you so wish 🙂
  8. This iced tea works great with the variation of raspberries and mint, which is actually how I first started making this recipe.

Dutch Pink Cakes Gone Pandan (Roze koeken) – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

 

  • Generous Handful of Dried Rose Petals
  • 300ml (1 + 1/4 Cups) Water
  • 300ml (1 + 1/3 Cups) Caster Sugar

 

METHOD:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the roses become transparent.
  2. Set aside to cool before use.

 

PANDAN PINK CAKE Ingredients:

  • 200g (1 + 1/3 Cups) Plain Flour
  • 200g (1 Cup) Caster Sugar
  • 200g (7/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temp
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 Teaspoons Pandan Extract
  • 2 Heaped Tablespoons Candied Rose Petals, Strained

 

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 165C (330F), lightly spray cake bar pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
  2. Cream butter and sugar until creamy smooth & pale.
  3. Crack all the eggs into a cup, stream the eggs in bit by bit, giving time in between to beat until smoothly combined again before adding more.
  4. Add the pandan extract, sifted flour and candied rose petals (strained of excess liquid).
  5. Fold on low speed until combined.
  6. Scrape the bowl down the sides and base and fold briefly to ensure everything is combined.
  7. Pipe or scoop the batter into the cake bar mold and fill 2/3 full.
  8. Bake for 15 min or so just until moist crumbs stick to your skewer after being inserted. Be careful not to overbake.
  9. Brush over some rose syrup whilst hot if you like to have a stronger rose flavour as the pandan is very strong, but be careful using too much also sweetens the cake more.
  10. Flip over onto baking paper lined cake rack, flip the cakes back up after they are free from the mold.
  11. Cool before frosting.

 

RASPBERRY (PINK/RED GLAZE) Ingredients:

  • Small handful Raspberries (frozen, thawed)
  • 200g (2 Cups) Pure Icing Sugar
  • Fresh Raspberries (Garnish)
  • Candied Rose Petals (Garnish)

 

METHOD:

  1. Use a fine sift, press small amount of raspberries through to get the puree or juice, then stir together with sifted pure icing sugar until the desired consistency or colour.
  2. For traditional kind it should be pastel pink but flavour will be less tart, and consistency will be a thick glaze icing much like ones on donuts.
  3. Allow the frosting to sit briefly until it thickens a little.
  4. Put each cake into the bowl of icing upside down, lightly shake and turn cake to remove excess and distribute the frosting evenly.
  5. Spoon more if any parts are absorbed by the cake, then garnish with raspberries and candied roses as you like.
  6. Dust with icing sugar and allow icing to set or eat it as is!
  7. The cake keeps well but you’ll have to be aware of how perishable the fresh fruit and the look of the icing (becomes crusty over time).

 

 

GRANNY CAKE (GATEAUX DE MAMIE) – Dairy Free Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie


GRANNY CAKE (GATEAUX DE MAMIE) Ingredients:

  • 125g (1/2 Cup) Coconut Yogurt Alternative (1 Jar)
  • 220g (1 Cup) Caster Sugar (2 Jars)
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 225g (1 + 1/2 Cup) Plain Flour (3 Jars)
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • Zest of 1 Medium Sized Lemon
  • 125ml (1/2 Cup) Sunflower, canola, or grapeseed oil (1 Jar)
  • 80g (3/8 Cup) Dried Apricot
  • Boiling Water

*** 1 Yogurt Jar measurement traditionally is 120ml

METHOD:

  1. Cover the dried apricots with boiling water until submerged 1 inch below surface. Allow to rehydrate overnight until all plump, then chop into quarters.
  2. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
  3. Grease base and sides of 8″ pan with non-stick vegetable spray and line base with baking paper. Lightly grease the baking paper as well.
  4. In a bowl combine yogurt substitute (or yogurt if not dairy free), sugar and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  5. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and zest.
  6. Add the oil and stir together until the mixture comes back together uniformly.
  7. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Add the chopped, rehydrated dried apricots.
  8. Bake for 30-40 until cake is light and springy to the touch, a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake for 10 minutes before inverting out onto serving board or plate. To prevent sticking especially if I’m moving the cake onto something else to serve, I prefer to place baking paper on top before placing plate on it to flip.

 

LEMON GLAZE Ingredients:

  • 60ml (1/4 Cup) Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 135g (3/4 Cup) Pure Icing Sugar (1 + 1/2 Jars)

 

METHOD:

  1. Combine lemon juice with the sifted icing sugar gradually until smooth. Brush all over cake whilst the cake is still warm until you use up all the glaze. Allow the cake to cool off completely before dusting with icing sugar (if preferred).