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Sweet Treats

6 May

MICROWAVE JAFFA MUG CAKES

Microwave choc orange mug cakesThese  littles cakes were originally created by my sweet tooth father after he was craving something chocolately and the oven was broken. I have been playing around with this recipe for a while and have created my own Jaffa (Chocolate and Orange) version made using (microwave safe) soup mugs. Enjoy!

What you will need:
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon orange essence
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups of self raising flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
2 eggs
Chocolate Drizzle;
1 cup icing sugar
200 grams milk chocolate melted
1/2 cup orange juice

Microwave choc orange mug cakes

What to do:
In a large bowl beat together 6 tablespoons of butter with 1 cup of caster sugar. Add in the orange essence, orange juice and eggs, Continue to beat. Sift in the flour and cocoa and beat until a smooth batter forms. Grease your mugs with a little butter and pour in the batter. about 2/3 full. Cook for around 2 minutes. Turn your cakes out into a bowl and drizzle with the chocolate orange glaze. To make the glaze simply whisk together the melted chocolate, sifted icing sugar and orange juice. Makes around 4 mug cakes.

Sweet Treats

29 Apr

EASY CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

muffins

I have to admit to some not so light sampling of the chocolate chips prior to baking these muffins, so these aren’t as chocolately as they ought to be! But nevertheless they tasted great and are super simple to make. I like to make a big batch and freeze them for work lunches. This also helps with portion control which is great given that my self control isn’t that great when it comes to all things chocolate!

What you will need:
3 cups of self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 cup of chocolate chips (more if you plan on snacking!)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

muffinsWhat to do:
Preheat your oven to Moderate and grease and line your muffin tray(s). In a large bowl cream togther your sugars and butter along with the vanilla. Add your milk, salt and eggs and whisk until smooth. Gradually sift in your flour and baking powder and continue to whisk until a smooth batter forms. Fold in your chocolate chips and pour your batter evenly into each muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Makes around 20 muffins. Enjoy!

Sweet Treats

17 Apr

HOMEMADE MOCHA ICE CREAM

ice cream with chocolate
It’s been a while since I have made homemade ice cream but after cravings hit this afternoon I decided to give it another go and make some mocha ice cream. Here’s what to do!

What you will need:

  • ¾ cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 60g grated dark chocolate
  • 2 cups thickened cream

ice cream with chocolate

What to do:
In a saucepan on a low heat combine the milk and sugar. Simmer until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Sift in the cocoa and coffee and whisk well. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks and gradually add them to the saucepan containing the milk, sugar, coffee and cocoa. Ensure you are whisking constantly whilst doing this. Return the saucepan to the heat and simmer until thickened. Add in the grated chocolate and whisk until melted. Pour mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until cool.When chilled whist in the cream and pour into your ice cream maker and follow the instructions on the maker.
Garnish with your choice of toppings, I choose some chocolate syrup. Enjoy!

SWEET TREATS

14 Apr

MINI PANCAKES WITH VANILLA SUGAR

Sweet mini pancakes

Why is it that any food in mini form seems to taste just that little bit better? Well these mini pancakes are no exception. I used my mini pancake maker to make these but they could easily be make using a frypan.

What you will need:
2 cups self rasing flour, sifted
1 cup milk
2 eggs, whisked
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoons vanilla sugar plus extra for dusting
Sweet mini pancakes with pancake makerWhat to do:
In a large bowl whisk together your ingredients until a batter has formed. A few lumps are ok. Grease your pancake maker or add some oil to your frypan. Poor your batter into the  preheated moulds or into the frypan. If using the frypan flip the pancakes once the mixture starts to bubble. Serve with a dusting of vanilla sugar and some cherries and maple syrup (optional).Yes it’s that easy! Enjoy!

Sweet Treats

13 Apr

EASY VANILLA GLAZED DOUGHNUTS

Vanilla Glazed Doughnut

Homemade doughnuts have been something I have been wanting to make for a while now. Doughnuts are my absolute favourite treat. This morning I finally got around to making them and after way too much “sampling” it’s safe to say this is my new favourite recipe. Next time I think I will try a chocolate or coconut glaze!

What you will need:

  • 3 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla

Doughnuts with fresh icing

What to do:
In a small saucepan lightly warm your milk. Now in a small bowl combine together 3/4 of a cup of  the warmed milk with 2 tablespoons of the yeast. Mix together until a paste has formed, cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and set aside. Combine the remaining warmed milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment. Sift your flour then add 1/2 cup along with the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix until smooth; about 5 minutes. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 60 seconds. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated into the mixture evenly. Switch to a dough hook and with the mixer turned off, add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Knead the dough on medium speed between additions until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out.

Vanilla Glazed Doughnuts

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface to 2.5cm  thick.Cut out your doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter or 2 circular cookie cutters. Line and flour a baking tray with grease proof paper and place your doughnuts about 5 5cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the yeast to further rise. This works best in a warm environment. I like to place my dough on the bench near my heated oven however, under a range-hood light works well too. Once your dough slowly springs back once touched it’s done. Mine took about 15 minutes. Heat your oil in a deep fryer or heavy bottom saucepan to around 180°C. You can use a candy thermometer to test the temperature or place in a doughnut hole to test if the oil is hot enough. Now place your doughnuts in a few at a time and lightly fry on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to overcrowd the oil as it will reduce the temperature and result in  soggy doughnuts. Once cooked place your doughnuts onto some paper towel to absorb any excess oil. While your doughnuts are cooling you can start on the glaze. In a large bowl sift in your icing sugar. Add the milk and vanilla essence and whilst until smooth. Drizzle over your cooled doughnuts. Makes about 12 doughnuts.

Recipe adapted from here.

NEW! <Download the Recipe PDF>

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