sweet Archives - Page 4 of 19

Goats Cheese Cheesecake

30|03|2018

The egg-stra long Easter weekend has started for us already and that means lots of fun, food and entertainment for the family. Food is of course, the highlight at my place. Coming up with new dessert ideas is my favourite bit and if they are make-ahead as well as easy, they tick all the boxes for me. The days are still quite sunny and evenings, a bit cooler so a slice of chilled cheesecake with seasonal figs and strawberries is a great Autumnal treat for guests. Not just any cheesecake, but a Goats Cheese flavored baked cheesecake that is the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess exploding with delicious flavours in the mouth.

When it comes to Goats chesese, people are divided in their preference for this variety of cheese. How about you? I enjoy it in most savoury dishes but absolutely LOVE it’s presence in sweet recipes. It adds that little touch of salty/sour-ish flavour that cuts down the richness of a heavy sweet dish and makes it even more desirable. If you ask me, it all comes down to the quality of Goats cheese used. After trying out a few different brands and types, I really like the Yarra Valley Fresh Goats Cheese. It’s soft, creamy and tastes great. If you haven’t tried Goats cheese before this or don’t enjoy it as much, I would urge you to try this cheesecake. It’s truely unique and something new to offer to your guests. Besides, you can make it a couple of days before and relax during the holidays. According to my friends, it tastes even better after a few days in the fridge so I’m excited now that it’s all done and ready to be devoured.

Have a great Easter with your family and hope you enjoy a delicious break!

Goats Cheese Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake

250 g pack digestive biscuits
100 g unsalted butter, melted
250 x 2 tubs cream cheese
120 g pack Fresh Goats Cheese (I used Yarra Valley Fresh Goats Cheese)
3/4 cups castor sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 large eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam, to serve
fresh fruit, to serve

Process biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix together. Place an 8 inch spring form pan over a baking tray. Pour the biscuit mixture onto the Spring form pan and press down evenly over the base with your fingers to form the crust. Place the baking tray in the fridge and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan-forced ovens) Process the cream cheese, goats cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to whisk until well blended. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crust.
Carefully place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 55 minutes to an hour or until the sides are set and the centre is till a bit wobbly. Switch off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the cheesecake cool inside the oven (this will ensure that the cheesecake does not crack). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, place the strawberry jam in a microwaveable cup with 3 tbsp of water. Microwave for 30=40 seconds or until the jam turns into liquid/strawberry sauce. Drizzle all over the top of the cheesecake. Decorate with fresh fruits. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Chocolate Stout Cake

28|03|2018

Traditionally, Easter is owned by the kids, we all know that. But who will think about us adults on that much awaited long weekend? We can’t be eating chocolate eggs and Hot Cross buns all through the holidays especially when we have kids at home and those things are always claimed by them. We deserve something more grown up, more decadent and a bit celebratory. Enter Chocolate Stout Cake! Chocolate and Beer in the same sentence so it definitely screams decadence. And let me warn you, this cake is not for the faint-hearted. This is drop dead delicious (if you know what that means) and so indulgent. That glaze/ganache is the next best thing to Heaven as it’s just made by melting chocolate in a pan of beer.

I have never been a huge fan of beer, but when I discovered chocolate stout (White Rabbit Chocolate Stout), my face was like the emoji with big, round eyes. What? How could something be so incredible when mixed with chocolate?! It takes chocolate to a complete new level. I’ve used the stout in the cake batter as well as the glaze and yes, you do taste it. It adds a deep, rich flavour to the cake whilst giving it a soft, spongy finish (probably due to aeration in the batter). Like all my cakes, it is super simple to make. All you need is that amazing chocolate stout.

Don’t be fooled by the chocolate eggs on top. We’re just keeping it low key. Who would guess what’s lying underneath those layers of an otherwise plain looking chocolate cake. If you’ve seen another image of this cake on Instagram, with the huge honeycomb chocolate topper, that topper was gone is seconds so I was left with no choice but the obvious Easter decoration.
My Easter is sorted for now. I’ve made a huge batch of that boozy glaze to pour on my late night desserts. YUM!
Have a great week everyone!

Chocolate Stout Cake
Makes a 2-layered, 6 inch, round cake

1 cup chocolate stout (I used White rabbit Chocolate Stout)
225 g unsalted butter
3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 & 1/4 cups castor sugar (or to taste)
2 cups self raising flour
2 large eggs
2/3 cups sour cream/yogurt

Chocolate glaze/ganache
200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chocolate stout

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease the base and sides of two 6 inch round baking pans. Line the bases with baking paper.

Place the stout and unsalted butter in a large saucepan and heat until butter has melted. Remove from heat.
Add the cocoa powder and whisk till smooth. Leave aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream together. Add the flour and sugar and mix. Pour in the stout mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
Divide uniformly between prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes ou until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled completely, spread with Chocolate Stout ganache (recipe below). Top with chocolate eggs Enjoy

To make the glaze/ganache, pour stout in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat (do not boil). Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and leave aside. Once chocolate has melted, stir to mix until smooth and well blended. Cool to room temperature. The glaze will thicken upon cooling.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

23|01|2018

This cake has been on my must-try list for years. I’ve heard as well as experienced in many occasions that oil lends a softer, moister crumb. But since I like butter too much, I’ve just been putting it off. The reason? We whip butter in most cases with sugar to get that tall, light, fluffy texture which is not possible with oil. And of course the flavour and taste of good old butter. I’m a fan! However, with the New Year comes new resolutions and the willingness to experiment a bit more than I would usually do the rest of the year. So I gave it a go. The first time, the the cake turned out a bit dry but nevertheless it was gone in minutes as the kids were at home and I was after all baking the first chocolate cake of the year.

The second time I added warm water to the cocoa powder instead of adding it with my dry ingredients. It was a success. The cake was a moist, chocolatey deliciousness that tasted amazing with a chocolate ganache topping. The biggest plus is that it is such an easy cake to put together. Simple and sweet. Including olive oil and cutting out butter also makes it a bit healthier if you’re counting those calories this month.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Makes a 6 inch round cake

1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch Processed)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup plain flour
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup milk

Chocolate Ganache
150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup thickened/heavy cream

To make the cake : Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease the base and sides of a 6 inch round pan and line the base with baking paper.
In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder and water together to make a smooth paste.

Using an electric mixer or by hand in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together till pale and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. Add the flours, olive oil, milk and cocoa mixture and fold till well combined.

Pour into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Leave aside for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly, then turn onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled completely, drizzle with chocolate ganache. Leave aside for 10 minutes for ganache to set. Top with fresh berries.

To make the ganache: Place the chocolate and cream together in a microwave safe bowl or cup. Microwave on medium in short bursts of 10-15 seconds until cream reaches boiling point (do not boil). Leave aside for 1 minute for the chocolate to melt. Stir with a spoon till well blended. Pour or drizzle over chocolate cake.

Skinny Blueberry Cheesecake

14|01|2018

Is it too late to wish you a very Happy New Year? I hope not because I’m still very much in holiday mode and I feel the year has just taken off. I’ve only just started making resolutions and setting goals for the year. Do you make resolutions? Speaking of resolutions, the one thing I think most of us have at the top of our minds, (myself included) is health and fitness. While we will continue to have naughty treats in this space, I’d also like to play around with a few healthy substitutes to regular ingredients this year. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to enjoy some luscious desserts without having to worry about calories?

The core ingredient of this cheesecake is cottage cheese which is not as popular in desserts as it’s cousin, ricotta cheese despite being creamy, highly nutritious and low in fat. It is a low calorie source of protein and calcium that is pretty versatile whether you use it in sweet or savory recipes. I chose a gluten free almond crust for this cheesecake to make it available to a wider audience. The filling is light and delicious but naturally does not have a lot of flavour on it’s own. You have the option of having it as is or topping it with fresh fruits, grated chocolate or a compote like the one I’ve used here. Blueberries are at their seasonal best right now, so I couldn’t think of a better topping.

Skinny Blueberry Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake

For the crust
11/4 cups almond meal
2 tbsp brown sugar
75 g unsalted mutter, melted

For the filling
500 g cottage cheese (preferably smooth)
1 cup Greek Yoghurt
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup castor sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (can use vanilla extract)

For the blueberry compote
150 g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp castor sugar
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place almond meal and sugar in a medium bowl. Add in the melted butter. Using your fingers, press into the base of an 8 inch Springform pan that has been placed on a baking tray (for ease of movement in and out of the oven). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees C while you make the filling.

In a food processor or using a blender, blend the cottage cheese and yogurt together until smooth. Add the eggs and sugar and blend again. lastly add the cornflour and vanilla paste and mix together until smooth and blended. Pour the filling into the pan over the crust. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cheesecake is almost set (the centre is very slightly jiggly). Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight (or at least for 6 hours).

When ready to serve, top with blueberry compote and fresh blueberries.

To make the blueberry compote, place blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook stirring for 8 minutes or until syrupy and thickened slightly. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate until needed.