milo cupcakes w condensed milk icing

I love Raspberri Cupcakes. It’s a colourful, whimsical blog that reminds me of falling down the rabbit hole and ending up in Wonderland.

Steph, the author, is brilliant. Such a young woman so dedicated to experimenting with her favourite sweet flavours and achieving perfection. It’s beyond impressive.

I think most of her creations have made it onto my Pinterest account. And who can blame me with offerings like Pretzel and M&M Chocolate Cheesecake, Shamrock Macarons with Baileys Chocolate Ganache, Popcorn Fudge, Balsamic Toffee Strawberries and the spectacular Purple Ombre Sprinkles Cake.

One of the things I love about her blog is that she experiments with Australian candies and cookies, including my all time milk flavouring, Milo.

Milo is a malted chocolate powder and it is wonderful. Amazing. Life changing even.

This recipe of Steph’s was great. The maltiness came through in the cake and the frosting was decadently sweet and almost caramel from the addition of condensed milk. Heaven.

Milo Cupcakes w Condensed Milk Icing

Steph’s brilliant recipe. Makes 10-12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

Cake
200g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
100g Milo (add more to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g sour cream
170g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs

Icing
150g slightly salted butter (or unsalted + a pinch of salt), softened
300g icing sugar, sifted
5 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180’C. Grease or fill cupcake tray with liners.

2. Sift flour, bicarb and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl and then beat in eggs one at a time until combine.

4. Add sour cream, vanilla and milo and beat until just combined.

5. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.

6. Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full and bake for approx 15-20 mins or a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. For the best texture, the cakes should be dark golden brown on top and firm to the touch and after cooling for 1 minute out of the oven.

7. Cool on a wire rack.

8. To make the icing, remove butter from the fridge 30 mins ahead of time.

9. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then beat in icing sugar until combined.

10. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.

11. Pipe or spoon over the top of cupcakes when they are cooled and drizzle some extra condensed milk over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of Milo.

Note: Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.

chocolate “easter egg” friands

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter is a time to eat lots of chocolate. For non-religious folk like me, it’s a holiday for relaxing around the house and catching up with friends.

Our Grandpa Hipster pal, Fabio, recently moved into an apartment with his girlfriend. One might say it was love at first sight as their eyes met across the party, and within minutes of introduction they were already in a passionate embrace.

So now that they’re living together, I invited Jonas and myself over for Easter Sunday lunch. Fabio relented to my bossy imposition, but he neglected to tell me that their apartment doesn’t have a kitchen.

IT DOESN’T HAVE A KITCHEN. How is that even possible?

After going into convulsive shock, I pulled myself together and set about baking these little chocolate friands to share with the happy couple.

Part housewarming gift, part Easter gift, part pity-the-fools-that-don’t-have-a-kitchen gift.

Apart from being made with intense dark chocolate (70% cocoa), I hid a little Easter egg in the centre before baking. In this case I used two types of “cream filled” eggs, mint and strawberry, which worked as decent substitutes to the caramel eggs I would have preferred but failed to find.

Chocolate “Easter Egg” Friands

Based on a recipe by Jeremy and Jane Strode. Makes 12 friands.

Ingredients:
175g butter
200g dark chocolate, chopped
6 egg whites
125g almond meal
250g icing sugar, sifted
30g cocoa, sifted
80g wholemeal flour
12 filled mini Easter eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Grease 12 friand moulds.

2. Melt butter and chocolate.

3. Lightly whisk egg whites.

4. Add melted chocolate and butter and stir.

5. Add almond meal and icing sugar and combine.

6. Add flour and cocoa and mix well.

7. Spoon half the mixture into moulds, add an chocolate Easter egg then top with remaining mixture.

8. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

9. Rest for five minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.

chocolate prune brownies

I have decided to get cracking on my 2012 Food Challenges, given last year I didn’t manage to complete many of them.

So on the very first day of the year, I ticked off my very first food challenge: cooking from the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook.

I had recently opened a packet of prunes to wizz up a Prune & Vanilla Smoothie, so I was very happy when I saw this recipe and realised I could finish the pack AND devour some luscious, alcohol-laden baked goods.

To avoid eating the entire slab of brownies all on my own, I took the fresh treats to friends who were visiting from Switzerland.

This presented its own unique challenge because the Swiss are renown chocolate connoisseurs. To make them feel right at home, I used Switzerland's very own Lindt brand to ensure the brownies were incredibly decadent.

Voila! Perfect, fudgy, prune-studded brownies.

I was almost sad to leave them behind at the end of the day, but my tummy tyres were proud of me.

Chocolate Prune Brownies

Recipe from Bourke Street Bakery cook book. Makes 32.

Ingredients:
300g pitted prunes, halved
200ml brandy, cognac or hot black tea
55g plain flour
40g unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g good-quality dark chocolate (55% cocoa)
80g unsalted butter
300g caster (superfine) sugar
4 eggs
100g sour cream
145g dark chocolate melts (buttons) (55% cocoa)

Method:

1. Place the prunes in a bowl and pour over the brandy, cognac or tea. Cover and set aside to soak for 3 days.

2. Preheat the oven to 170’C (325F/Gas 3). Grease a 20 x 30 x 4cm rectangular cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a stainless steel bowl and sit over a saucepan of simmering water - making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool.

4. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl.

5. Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Add the flour mixture, mix to combine, then add the sour cream, chocolate melts and prunes with the remaining soaking liquid and mix until just combined.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until just set. Place your hand on top of the brownie in the centre and wobble to feel if it is set.

8. Allow to cool completely before turning out of the tin. Use a hot knife to cut into squares.

Note: The brownies can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored for up to 4 days at room temperature.

chocolate, cashew & honey granola

This is an amazing granola recipe. The chocolate intensity comes from using pure Dutch-processed cocoa rather than cocoa mixed with sugar and other ingredients.

In fact, the recipe is quite healthy with only small amounts of oil, sugar and honey in comparison the amount of nuts and grains involved.

The flavour is a wonderful mix of chocolate and honey, with your cereal milk turning into a beautiful chocolatey drink at the end. I adored the results.

The recipe was one of the four granolas I managed to create this year, as part of my 2011 Food Challenges.

Chocolate, Cashew & Honey Granola

Anna’s very own recipe. Makes around 8 x ¾ cup serves.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups halved raw cashews
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup linseeds
¼ cup dedicated coconut flakes
¼ cup chia seeds
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup raw sugar
⅓ cup canola oil
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 120’C.

2. Combine oats, cashews, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, linseeds, chia seeds, Dutch processed cocoa, honey, sugar, salt and canola oil until fully combined and all the grains are well coated. You want the granola to clump together, so if it’s too dry or too wet adjust with a little extra oil or oats.

3. Cook in oven for around 1 hour, stirring granola every 10 minutes until it’s crunchy. Take care when stirring not to break clumps up too much.

4. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container.

marzipan & grand marnier truffles

Soft almond paste flavoured with orange zest and a burst of orange liqueur, smothered in dark chocolates. Yummy.

And just what I need, because I’ve had a rough week.

Jonas and I came home from a wonderful weekend in hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, where we celebrated Ms Correct and B-Rad’s tres chic wedding (if you are ever in that part of the world, I highly recommend spending some time in the cute mountain village of Montville: it’s just lovely).

When we came home our houseguest / adopted son, Fabio, had left us a note saying he’d run away with the circus.

So the house was all ours again.

I was keen to do some cooking, write some posts and begin the painful, tedious job of reloading all my old images to the blog after I’d accidentally deleted THEM ALL a few weeks ago. Don’t ask.

But then I caught the flu. Not some common floozy cold but nasty Madame Influenza herself.
That progressed into a chest infection and here I am, six days later, only just crawling out of bed and still decked out in head to toe fleece.

Jonas has turned out to be a regular little Florence Nightingale, bolstering my health with delicious dinners and a regular supply of chocolate and mandarins, a craving of my current state.

He loves marzipan, and so this little truffle recipe is a shout-out to my lovely hubby who nursed me back to health.

Another 2011 Food Challenge, to make more candies, ticked off.

Marzipan & Grand Marnier Truffles

Anna's very own recipe. Makes 6-10 truffles.

Ingredients:
100g marzipan
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
100g dark chocolate

Method:
1. Knead marzipan, orange zest and Grand Marnier together.
2. Roll into balls then refrigerate for an hour or so to harden up.
3. Melt the chocolate then allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes (depends how warm your kitchen is).
4. Roll the balls in the chocolate then allow them to cool further for 20 minutes before refrigerating them.
5. Remove from fridge just before eating.

pear, almond & chocolate tart

Autumn means pears, and I love pears.

Juicy, sweet and versatile, pears are such a wonderful fruit to have around the house.

Recently I was given a box of luscious Red Sensation and Packham pears as part of a pear promotion: Rediscover the Pear. They were just wonderful.

I was thinking about the great chocolate and almond tarts my colleagues and I buy from Central Baking Depot and I decided the sturdy Packham pears would be perfect to help me recreate the tarts at home.

I used Carême Pastry frozen dark chocolate shortcrust for this Jamie Oliver recipe, which turned out to be mighty fine and certainly on par with the tarts I was dreaming about.

 

Pear, Almond & Chocolate Tart

Recipe by Jamie Oliver. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
Ready-made shortcrust pastry (I used 300g)
125g almond meal (ground almonds)
2 large free-range or organic eggs
125g butter, softened
95g caster sugar
185g dark chocolate, melted
3 pears, peeled, cored and quartered

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.

2. Roll out the pastry until ½cm thick and use it to line a 24cm tart tin.

3. Leave in the freezer to rest for at least 20 minutes, or longer if you can.

4. Bake the pastry blind for around 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove, set aside, and reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.

5. Mix your almonds, eggs, butter and sugar together and stir in the melted chocolate while it’s still warm.

6. Pour the mixture evenly into the pastry case and then press the pears into the chocolate and almond mixture.

7. Bake the tart for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the chocolate and almond mixture is firm.

I served my tart with the most exquisite accompaniment of all time, David Lebovitz’s Pear Caramel Ice Cream form The Perfect Scoop.

passionfruit ganache truffles

I’ve always wanted to make my own truffles, in fact it's a 2011 Food Challenge, and this little experiment yielded some tasty results.

I did it all wrong. I know that now.

Every step could have been, should have been easier. But it wasn’t.

It was trial and error in production, but the final truffles were quite amazing.

I love the contrast between the sweet and sour passionfruit and the bitter dark chocolate. One of my favourite dessert flavour combinations.

Passionfruit Chocolate Truffles

Anna’s very own recipe. Makes approximately 10-15.

Ingredients:
100g white chocolate
80ml cream
40ml passionfruit pulp, without seeds
100g dark chocolate

Method:
1. Blend passionfruit pulp in a food processor to break up seeds from juices.

2. Chop white chocolate finely and put in a bowl.

3. Over a low heat, bring cream and passionfruit pulp to a boil

4. Strain over white chocolate then mix until melted.

5. Refrigerate ganache overnight.

6. Using a melon baller and very wet hands, scoop out cold ganache and roll into balls. Do this quickly so the ganache has as little contact with your hands as possible. Keep dipping hands into water between each ball to prevent sticking. You may need to do in batches, returning ganache to fridge to firm up.

7. Put balls on grease-proof paper into the freezer for about an hour to firm up completely.

8. Melt the dark chocolate then allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes (depends how warm your kitchen is).

9. Roll the ganache balls in the dark chocolate then return to fridge to harden up. Make sure dark chocolate covers ganache completely or when it hardens and expands the ganache will squirt out (I learnt the hard way).

10. Remove from fridge just before eating.

If you want to read up on passionfruit recipes, here are some of my earlier passionfruit recipes for marshmallows or curd.

dark chocolate ice cream

It’s a month away from Easter and I’m getting excited because all the stores are filling up with chocolate eggs and goodies.

It’s no big secret that I’m a huge Lindt chocolate fan, and I was lucky enough to be invited down to the flagship Martin Place Café to try out their new Easter-edition delice (macaron): Hot Cross Delice!

Can you believe it? A hot cross bun macaron, and they taste just as perfect as you imagine.

The shell is a light and crisp almond macaron flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The white chocolate ganache inside has a rich buttery flavour.

The concept behind it was to recreate the flavours of a spicy hot cross bun smothered in butter, and they did it well. It’s the best macaron I’ve had in a long time.

Lindt Australia is running their Gold Bunny Hunt again this year, starting today (March 22nd) and closing on April 7th. Players get points by answering daily clues and playing games, and the 10 highest scoring Bunny Hunters travel to Sydney for the final event: a chance to win $20,000!

If I wasn’t a Lindt ambassador, I’d be joining up in a heartbeat.

And as a special Easter treat, I’m sharing this gorgeous dark chocolate ice cream with you.

Jonas begged me to make this ice cream. He accused me of making “weird” flavours and demanded that I finally make him something “normal”.

What’s wrong with lavender-honey ice cream, crème fraiche parfait, mastic ice cream or mulled wine granita?

OK. So chocolate ice cream it is.

But oh what an ice cream this turned out to be. My best yet and intense with dark chocolate flavour.

Even though this is my recipe, if you love ice cream and don’t have David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, then drop everything and hit Amazon right now. It costs a mere USD$16 and is worth every little cent. Best ice cream cookbook EVER.

Wouldn’t this ice cream go wonderfully with the Hot Cross Delice?

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Anna’s recipe. Makes 500ml.

Ingredients:
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 cup (250ml) cream
3 egg yolks (freeze the whites for another use)
50g caster sugar
150g dark chocolate, very finely chopped (I used Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa)

Method:
1. Bring milk and cream almost to the boil.

2. In another bowl, whisk egg and sugar until thick and pale.

3. Gradually add milk to egg mixture, whisking continually until combined.

4. Return to saucepan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil!

5. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until mixture is smooth.

6. Cool to room temperature then freeze according to ice cream machine manufacturer’s instructions.

rhubarb & strawberry w chocolate custard

I know I’ve been remiss. It’s been 14 days since my last post.

So here’s something to sweeten you up. Luscious vanilla-scented rhubarb and strawberry puree with a thick, rich intensely chocolate custard.

Served with palmiers, it's bloody great.

Vanilla, Rhubarb & Strawberry Compote
w Chocolate Custard

Vanilla, Rhubarb & Strawberry Compote
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 300ml.

Ingredients:
1 vanilla pod
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 stalks rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
200g strawberries, hulled and chopped

Method:
1. Slice vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape out seeds and put in pot. Add pod as well.
2. To pot, add rhubarb and sugar and a little water.
3. Heat gently until sugar dissolves and rhubarb starts to produce its own liquid.
4. Add a little more water and half the strawberries and cook until rhubarb softens further.
5. Mash rhubarb into purée, then add remaining strawberries pieces and water if you feel the mixture is too dry.
6. Cook until strawberries soften slightly, but you want them to hold their shape to create texture to the purée.
7. Remove from heat and cool. Remove vanilla pod before serving.

Chocolate Custard
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 1 litre.

Ingredients:
180g dark chocolate
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornflour
¼ cup sugar

Method:
1. In a bowl, combine egg yolks and cornflour into a paste.
2. In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, cream and chocolate over a medium heat until chocolate melts and mixture almost comes to a slow boil.
3. Whisking continually (to ensure the eggs don’t scramble), pour the hot chocolate mixture onto the eggs a little at a time. Fully combine then return to the saucepan.
4. Heat mixture, stirring continuously, until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Eat hot or chilled (chilled version thickens even further).

passionfruit marshmallow hearts

I remember the first time I realised marshmallows don’t have to come in a package but could be made, fresh, at home.

And after Jonas and I experienced the most exquisite passionfruit marshmallows at Rockpool, I put it on my to-do list with awe but never dared attempt it myself.

So this year I made it one of my 2010 Food Challenges to make sure I stopped living in fear.
The big day came for my friend’s hens night and I pulled them off.

Soft and pillowy, tangy with tropical passionfruit and then topped with 70% dark chocolate.

Delicious!

Passionfruit Marshmallows

Recipe by Rockpool via Australian Gourmet Traveller. Makes 50 squares.

Ingredients:
180ml strained passionfruit juice (about 10 passionfruit)
20g powdered gelatine
500g caster sugar
2 eggwhites
Snow sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Lightly grease and line a 17.5cm x 25cm shallow cake pan and dust base liberally with snow sugar.

2. Combine passionfruit juice and gelatine in a bowl and set aside.

3. Combine caster sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then increase heat to medium and cook for 5-10 minutes or until syrup reaches 125’C on a sugar thermometer.

4. Remove from heat, add passionfruit mixture to syrup and stir until gelatine dissolves.

5. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until frothy.

6. Gradually add passionfruit mixture, whisking continuously on medium speed until mixture has doubled in size, then slowly decrease speed and mix until mixture is warm (about 40’C).

7. Pour into prepared cake pan, and, using a lightly oiled spatula, spread evenly, then dust top liberally with snow sugar. Stand at room temperature for 3 hours or until firm.

8. Using a sharp knife, cut marshmallow into 2.5cm squares and roll in snow sugar to coat. Store in an airtight container between sheets of baking paper at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Note: to make heart shapes I used an oiled cookie cutter and all the leftover bits and pieces were turned into rocky road.

I remember the first time I realised marshmallows don’t have to come in a package but could be made, fresh, at home.

I put it on my to-do list with awe but never dared attempt it.

So this year I made it one of my 2010 Food Challenges to make sure I stopped living in fear.

The big day came for my friend’s hens night and I pulled them off. Soft and pillowy, tangy with tropical passionfruit and then topped with 70% dark chocolate.

Delicious!

And if you want to try your own marshmallows, how about some of these:

• Beetroot

• Candied Sweet Potato

• Champagne & Rose

• Cherry

• Choc Chip

• Chocolate
• Cinnamon
• Lemon
• Orange Blossom
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
• Peppermint
• Raspberry
• Root Beer
• Strawberry
• Ube
• Violet

These marshmallows are my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging with passionfruit as my theme ingredient. If you want to learn more about passionfruits I wrote a post about them back when I blogged this passionfruit curd.

Our host this week is Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs). Be sure to visit for the round-up.

red wine, sour cherry & chocolate cake

I do love Lindt chocolate so it’s not hard for me to tout Lindt’s Excellence range. My particular favourites to eat are Sea Salt, Orange and Mint, but 70% is fantastic for cooking.

As a lucky member of the Lindt Lovers group, I have been invited to participate in their Excellence Recipe Challenge and this flavoursome chocolate cake is what I’m offering up.

Studded with red-wine-soften dried sour cherries, this velvety cake is a superb version of a typical flourless chocolate cake recipe.

I just hope all the Lindt Lovers love it too!

Red Wine, Sour Cherry & Chocolate Cake

Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 15.

Ingredients:
100ml red wine
250g dried sour cherries, chopped
400g 70% Lindt chocolate, chopped
200g unsalted butter, chopped
8 eggs
½ cup caster sugar
Pinch of Murray River pink salt flakes


Method:
1. In a small bowl, soak cherries in red wine for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 160’C. Grease and line a 20cm spring form baking tin.

3. Melt chocolate with butter until smooth and glossy.

4. With electric beaters, whip eggs, sugar and salt until pale and creamy.

5. In batches, fold the chocolate mixture and cherry/wine mixture into the eggs, combining completely before adding the next batch. Continue until both mixtures are fully combined.

6. Pour into the prepared baking tin and place inside a larger baking tray.

7. Pour boiling water into baking tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking tin.

8. Bake for 40 minutes or until set.

9. Remove from water bath but cool completely in baking tin before turning out to serve. Serve in very thin slices (it’s very rich).

anna in chocolate wonderland

Happy Easter everyone!

In countries where Easter wins you some days off work, this is the time for gorging on chocolate and catching up with the family.

Well, I have stumbled upon a chocolate goldmine! Lindt asked me to join an exclusive group of food bloggers as part of the Lindt Lovers Program.

I do like Lindt chocolate.
OK, so I love it.

Intense Pear, Intense Orange and Intense Mint are my chocolate bars of choice and in most recipes I cook with Lindt 70%.

So when I was asked to be part of this group, I was thrilled and said that it won’t be hard to convince me to love Lindt chocolate!

To kick off the program, the Lindt Lover bloggers were gathered in Sydney for some chocolate tasting and a Gold Class viewing of Tim Burton’s new film, Alice in Wonderland.

It was a great chance to meet the other bloggers as well as Lindt’s Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler.

Thomas seems to have such a patient, gentle manner which is probably a good thing when you regularly need to temper chocolate. But he’s also very generous with his knowledge and enthusiasm for chocolate and desserts.

New on Lindt’s Australian menu (and the favourite for almost everyone) was the “Touch of Sea Salt”, a flat, shiny 100g block of dark chocolate flecked with crunchy crystals of mouth-watering salt. The combination between the bitter-sweet chocolate and salt is just amazing and should be illegal it’s so addictive.

One chocolate fiend was so enamoured she offered me three blocks of dark chocolate for my one salt block, but being equally won-over I declined the offer. Jonas was pleased with this decision when he popped a square of salty chocolate into his mouth and swooned.

The event was great. There was some hobnobbing, some chocolate tasting, sparkling wine drinking and then a cosy Gold Class cinema chair to watch the movie (which I loved – very dark and quirky). I was surprised when halfway through the film attendants delivered enough food to count as my dinner and dessert.

Then after the film the Lindt team gave us two Lindt gift bags with delicious chocolaty treats and Thomas had prepared an egg for every blogger with our names elegantly pipped in white chocolate.


I went home overloaded with kilos of gorgeous chocolate and a goofy, chocolate-smeared smile on my face.

Too good to be true!!! Can’t wait for the next Lindt Lover event . . . . and another block of that sea salt chocolate.