Sweet Archives - Page 5 of 20

Appetisers and Hors D'oeuvres, Fruit Inspired, Savoury

Red Wine Poached Pear and Blue Cheese Crostini

Have you ever poached pear, or for that matter, any other fruit? Until recently, I never had. But after tasting the wondrous results of humble home poached fruit, I am obsessed. I admit that I am showing symptoms of another obsession – crostinis! But they’re just so dam good, its kinda hard not to.

Since we are talking about obsessions, strawberry season is back! Over the weekend I experimented with some jalepeno infused strawberry margaritas from How Sweet It Is’s new book, Seriously Delish. And can I just say, it was just ah-mazaing! It was made up of pureed strawberries, fresh jalepeno, cointreau and of course, some good old rum. You could totally swap the rum for the originally called for tequila, but I found this incredibly delicious (yet not too sweet) cocktail to be am amazing spin on a bloody-mary meets a daiquiri meets a caprioska.

November 10, 2014 | 0 comment

Cake & Cupcake Heaven, Sweet

Vegan Pound Cake

I do realise that when I say vegan pound cake, it sounds like a major oxymoron – a hoax, almost like saying a vegan macaron or a vegan meringue. But this time, its legitimate. The butter most obviously is substituted by margarine or any other vegan dairy spread. But the real richness and that solid heaviness typical to a pound cake batter is courtesy of the tofu. I used a half packet of the 12oz firm variety, so approximately 6oz, and processed it until smooth and lump free before adding to the batter.

Now like many pound cakes world over, there are many additions, flavours, and other confetti that you can throw in, based on your personal preferences. But this cake is a great great one to keep in your repertoire, and it is genuinely one that I wasn’t initially sure would actually result in a pound cake consistency and texture.
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September 17, 2014 | 0 comment

Chocolate, Cookies, Brownies & Bars, Sweet

Chocolate Brownies

In all honesty, the title of the post should actually be “The Best Chocolate Brownies You’ll Ever Make/Taste in Your Life”. But, for the sake of being rather non-dramatic, lets just stick to good old ‘Chocolate Brownies’. When it comes to basic recipes, like a butter cookie or a chocolate cake, having a tried and tested, fool-proof recipe is a must – the same applies to brownies. I have tried several brownie recipes before, ranging from a triple chocolate version, to a fudgy espresso version, and a super easy version – which have all been great products, but have never stood out as a fail safe recipe that I would want to go back to time and again for a batch of brownies.

But this one was is different. It has already managed to call out to me multiple times since the one batch I have baked, so much so that at least a dozen people have been made privy to a conversation surrounding these amazing brownies, at different times and places.

August 21, 2014 | 0 comment

Appetisers and Hors D'oeuvres, Fruit Inspired, Savoury

Mexican Quick Fix: Mango Salsa & Guacamole

After reading this article, the opening words struct me:

“It won’t be surprising if cultural historians look back on the first two decades of this century as The Era of Crazed Oral Gratification. I’m speaking of the fetishization of food, of cooking and eating, of watching other people cooking and eating, that has become omnipresent across all platforms, all media, all screens and all palates in our great nation.”

It really is so true! And in light of the quest for ‘Oral Gratification’, the journey comes to a standstill with my favourite 2 bowls of goodness. Think about it – there are few things in this world as satisfying as a bowl of salsa, guacamole and a bag full of crispy corn nachos. The ultimate treat! Now while I am not the largest fan of the ‘fusion’ movement (although it has actually been with us for centuries), this combination of mango and Mexican flavours does some serious magic – and that just cannot be ignored. For the last year or two, pretty much ever since I made the first batch of it, mango salsa has become a staple party snack, and a regular on our dinner table whenever we have a Mexican meal.
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July 29, 2014 | 0 comment

Chocolate, Cookies, Brownies & Bars, Sweet

Espresso Fudge Cream Cheese Brownies

When coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate.

When I was told the Bourneville had come out with a darker, matured version of their chocolate, with 50% cocoa, there was little resistance from my end to use it for some naughty dark treats! The new (and improved) Bourneville is intense in flavour and heartfelt – every bite hits a new note; sweet and soft – it gently unravels in your mouth.

Think about it – dark dark chocolate, baked into a gooey fudgy brownie base using dark intense cocoa powder, layered with a wobbly vanilla scented cream cheese layer, baked to perfection with a rather large handful of dark chocolate chips. Chocolate heaven! And honestly, it wasn’t even that complicated or tedious.

Layer One: Fudgy Brownie

Layer Two: Cream Cheese goodness

Layer Three: Chocolate Chips

So basically, Layer Two involves mixing together a few things with the help of an electric mixer – super easy! While Layer Three involves measuring out 2/3 cups of chocolate chips. So all you’re REALLY making from scratch is Layer One. But the end product makes it look as though you’ve slaved all day behind the stove, cautiously watching the oven, and delicately creating real life beauty. On a cost-benefit type analysis, the benefit definitely outweighs the cost!

July 15, 2014 | 0 comment

Chocolate, Cookies, Brownies & Bars, Sweet

Mastering the Basics: Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a theory. Well, lets be honest – I have many theories, but this particular one that I am sharing with you today revolves around mastering the art of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. It involves the perfect base – caramelised brown sugar and butter being optimal, with excellent quality slightly larger than normal semi sweet chocolate chips, so that each bite of the chocolate chip cookie really does melt in your mouth, and each mouthful can wait for the next. Now there are people who prefer certain cookies over the others, but mastering a basic like chocolate chip just opens up horizons of options for the average Jo.

June 16, 2014 | 0 comment