Baked White Chocolate, Mascarpone & Passion Fruit Cheesecake from Giraffe
We went out to dinner last night with some friends visiting from the states! Since we had our Mini-Bakers with us I choose a family style restaurant: Giraffe. Maybe not exactly authentic British cuisine but it was good. This cheesecake was good! My husband decided on the Chocolate Chunk Brownie, the little ones had a scoop of ice cream (strawberry of course), and our friends shared the Toffee Apple Crumble!
Where have you had a good dessert from recently??
Chocolate Brownie Bowls!!
We had these for Christmas dinner dessert!
They were soooo good!
Great chocolate flavour without being too chocolaty allowing the opportunity to choose a variety of toppings!
They were soooo good!
Great chocolate flavour without being too chocolaty allowing the opportunity to choose a variety of toppings!
We decided on ice cream.
After a big roast dinner we didn't want anything too heavy and over whelming! These were perfect!
After a big roast dinner we didn't want anything too heavy and over whelming! These were perfect!
It is a special tin for these chocolate bowls, but my mind is already thinking of all sorts of cakes and toppings that these would be great for!!
Fresh fruit and cream ... or jam and cream like a scone? What would you fill yours with?
Fresh fruit and cream ... or jam and cream like a scone? What would you fill yours with?
Chocolate Brownie Bowls with Ice Cream:
125g soft unsalted butter125g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
15g malted milk powder (Horlicks)
15g cocoa powder
125ml boiling water, easiest from a kettle
125ml buttermilk or runny plain yogurt
1 egg
1tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1/2tsp bicarb of soda
Plus whatever you want to fill them with! I used ice cream this time around!!
- Pre-heat oven 200C/gas mark 6 and lightly grease your dessert shell tin
- Melt the butter over a low heat and add the sugar, stirring to help it dissolve. Turn off the heat.
- Whisk the malted milk powder, cocoa, and boiling water until smooth.
- Combine with the butter/sugar mixture. Mix it up!
- Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together before adding to the pan.
- Whisk in the flour and bicarb.
- You should have enough mixture to fill all 6 cavities three-quarters the way up.
- Bake for about 12 minutes. They should feel slightly bouncy if you press on the surface.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning them out.
- Then fill as desired!
 |
| turned out and cooling for another minute before filling |
 |
| the 6-cavity dessert shell tin; dirty |
 |
| Mini-Bakers strawberry ice cream with strawberry topping! |
 |
| My brownie bowl with coffee ice cream! |
note: from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson -- With all tins and pans that have a different textured surface, you want to make sure that you cool them for the time recommended. If the cakes are too warm they will stick to your pan or tin no matter how well you greased them.
Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story (a book review)
This is one of the baking books I received for Christmas. I have yet to bake anything from it but a few of the recipes I can't wait to try are:
Shoo-Fly Cake
Lucinda Bell's $100 Pecan Pie
Buffalo Chip Cookies (cover picture)
Peach Queen Cobbler bars
Seaside Toffee
I don't just skim bakery books, I read them cover to cover. This is a perfect book for reading as each 'recipe has a story' attached to it. I hope that with all my baking I someday perfect a dish to be able to call it mine! One that my grand kids will talk about to their grand kids and then give them the recipe of my infamous dish! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to share a recipe or two with all of you!
resources: Sugar Momma's website, amazon.com, amazon.co.uk
Butter Rum Cake!!
taken from All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray
I'm using my bundt pan again! :0)
2 sticks (1 cup/225g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup of sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs (4 medium eggs for UK bakers)
1 tbsp Bacardi rum or other light run
3 cups cake flour (sponge flour for UK bakers)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
- Pre-heat oven 325F or 170C, prepare your bundt pan or whatever dish you choose to use!
- Cream butter on a medium speed and gradually add both sugars, beat well.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beat well after each egg.
- Add rum.
- While those are mixing in a separate bowl dry whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together.
- Slow the mixer down to low and add 1 cup of flour, beat. Add 1/3 cup of the buttermilk, beat. When it’s all added in increase speed to medium-high and beat until well incorporated.
- Pour batter into pan. Remember if you’re using a bundt pan it’s recommended to pour the batter into one side and let it slowly fill the pan up.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer of your choice comes out clean.
 |
| batter all ready to go |
for the glaze:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
¾ cups sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tsp Bacardi rum
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan
- Add sugar, water, and rum and stir until smooth.
- Remove from the heat.
 |
| before removing from the pan poke holes in the top (will be the bottom) and pour 3 quarters of the glaze over cake it should seep into all the holes you just poked in it. Which is the whole point! |
 |
| turned out bundt cake; be sure to grease pan then leave upside down on a towel to drain I then sprinkle a little dusting of flour. these pans should be non-stick, but every little helps. also make sure to wait for the full 10 minutes or more cooling time before turning it out! |
 |
| pour the rest of the glaze over the top! done! |
to finish:
- As soon as the cake is out of the oven poke holes in it.
- Then pour a little less then half the glaze over the cake.
- Let cool in bundt pan for 10-15 minutes
- Unmold the cake on a cake rack
- Cool for 10 more minutes.
- Drizzle the rest of the glaze over the cake.
- Once the cake has cooled transfer to a cake stand/plate/whatever you want to transfer it to. Who am I to tell you what to do? ;0) Enjoy!!
On my other bundt cake post someone wrote that it looks like a pine cone and they are so right!!
Christmas Cookie/Biscuits!!
Just like the Halloween cookie pan, we bought a Christmas one!! For these you could use any cookie dough really as you're molding them into pan cavity. We used the sugar/butter cookie recipe provided by Wilton!
I didn't buy new cookie decorations in red and green, we just used the same ones from Halloween! It worked for some and for others it would have been nice to have Christmas colors! It really didn't matter as we had a lot of fun decorating cookies for Santa!
note: To see a picture of the pan follow the links below. I could go take a picture of the pan as I didn't when I was making cookies, but I'm sitting comfortably and can't be bothered at the moment! ;0)
Resource: for UK buyers I got my cookie pan at Hobby Craft, but you can get it on amazon.co.uk. For USA buyers I'm sure you could find it at any store that sells baking things or the Wilton brand, but it is available on amazon.com.
Happy Holidays!!
I apologise for being absent the last week. My family and I have been sick! The day of my last post we were all very ill! It took us all weekend and a day or two to recover. As it was so close to Christmas I had lots to catch up on and didn't bake again until this weekend!! So, I have a few things to post in the next few days! I received a few new books for Christmas and will be telling you all about those too!!
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!! What was the most exciting thing you got for Christmas this year??
Candy Cane Brownies!!
14 tbsp (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, about 200g
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
3 large eggs or medium if your in the UK
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp peppermint extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup unbleached flour or plain flour
pinch of salt
½ cup white chocolate chips
Grease your baking pan; I’m using a 9x9inch silicone one, with butter. Dust with flour and tap out excess. Preheat your oven to 350*F
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together. There are a couple of different ways. Microwave safe bowl 30secs to 1 minute stirring in-between and over a pan of water either way just watch it! Set aside to cool.
Beat the eggs, sugar, peppermint and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.
Sift the flour and salt into the batter. Mix gently until well combined and no trace of dry ingredients are left. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Pour into you prepared pan and bake for 27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs but no batter!!
Let cool for 30-60 minutes.
for the icing:
 |
| straight out of the oven |
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar
1-2 candy canes crushed- depends on size but about enough to fill 1/3-1/4 cup
Melt the white chocolate chips, using your preferred method, and sift in confectioners’ sugar, whisking until smooth.
Poor over cooled brownies and sprinkle on candy canes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Cut just before serving! 
what I ended up doing: for the icing I tried melting my white chocolate, but once again my icing has gone wrong. I might have to resort to Betty Crocker's Icing, although have you seen the ingredients list? It's got all sorts of random things in it! I had my glass bowl sitting on a simmering pot of water and as I was stirring it started seizing up. It just went hard and wouldn't turn into a nice smooth melted chocolate. So, I added the icing sugar/confectioners' sugar in hopes that it would help. It didn't. So, I melted a handful of chocolate chips and spread over the brownies then sprinkled the bread like crumbs, of white chocolate and icing sugar over the chocolate spread. Finishing it off by sprinkling the crushed candy canes! Might be a little more messy, but still tastes good. On a last note I used UK large eggs in this and it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
 |
| picture of the book, showing the smooth white chocolate frosting |
Puppy Chow!!
I haven't ever heard of anyone in the UK talk about Puppy Chow so I'm making it a personal mission to enlighten everyone!
These were a big hit at Mini-Baker's birthday lunch! I found these nifity little snack bags at my grocery store and lucked out as several of them had a puppy on them!! Then I added pink Smarties (UK MnM's) to the bags. Perfect for party bags!! Enjoy!
Any questions or suggests on how to help me get the word out about Puppy Chow please leave a comment or email me!!
Puppy Chow adapted for the UK:
250g chocolate chips (dark or milk)1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter (if you don't have US measuring cups just use 2-3 heaped spoonfuls or more if you like peanut butter!)
knob of butter
1 box of Shreddies (500g box)
icing sugar
Melt the chocolate, peanut butter and butter together in your preferred method.
Dump your box of Shreddies into a large bowl.
Pour the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter mixture over the Shreddies.
Stir with a big spoon until all covered.
Pour in some icing sugar and cover the bowl with cling film and shake! If they aren't completely covered add more icing sugar until they are completely coated!
 |
| what you need |
note: The ingredients list may seem a bit vague, but really it's one of those things you don't need to be precise about. If you have a bowl big enough with a lid use that instead as the cling film can be a bit tricky. Mine wasn't wanting to stick so I held it shut and close to my body and jumped up and down with it! Fun times.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes!
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Stir in chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula.
- Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake until pale golden and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks; let cool completely.
Today was Mini-Baker's 4th Birthday! So, of course I baked! I changed my mind about her birthday cake a couple of days ago. I originally was going to do a rainbow marble cake to go with Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Then because more recently has become obsessed with Cookie Monster (who can't love a monster who eats cookies?) I decided on Martha Stewart's Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes from her Cupcake book.
However they didn't turn out right. I knew the batter looked funny, but since I had followed instructions I went ahead and baked them. The chips sank to the bottom and they had a weird top similar to the Irn Bru cupcakes. The bottoms were greasy and although the skewer came out clean they looked a little under done. I served them up anyway (they were edible) but I felt the cookie cupcake with Cookie Monster was a bit lost.
 |
| weird top |
 |
| greasy bottom |
 |
| chips stuck to the wrapper and cake looking soggy |
 |
| what they should have looked like: took a picture of the book |
After an online search I found this on Nigella's website (page has since been removed): it says that a UK large egg is a US x-large egg. So, for my cupcake recipe that calls for 3 large eggs I used 3 x-large eggs. That explains it! Well, the problem was solved just not in time for Mini-Baker’s birthday. Now I know when using US recipes to be more aware. However not all was lost! See my next following post on Puppy Chow!
note: I found this image of Cookie Monster online and just printed it out. Cut circles out of blue paper and taped them on to colored craft sticks. Then glued Cookie Monster's image on top!
Chocolate Orange Brownies
In America I remember only getting a Chocolate Orange at Christmas time. You couldn't get one any other time of year. When I moved to Great Britain and saw they had chocolate oranges out in the middle of summer I was appalled!! It was pure blasphemy!
They were for Christmas like Cadbury Creme Eggs are for Easter. I was not impressed, obviously. Even though I have resisted buying them out of season, occasionally I will be given one for my birthday.
These were super smushy and delicious. My husband took a tin to work with him and they were gone quick as you like. Then I gave a few to friends and they all text to say how good they were!
This recipe is so adaptable. So, many different chocolates you could put in it to make your own flavor. I might have to use Green & Blacks burnt toffee with smashed toffee pieces….I think I may be on to something good here!
How better to honour the chocolate orange at Christmas then with Chocolate Orange Brownies!
Chocolate Orange Brownies:
185g (6 ½ oz) unsalted butter
185 (6 ½ oz) Dark Chocolate Orange (1 Terry’s orange is 175g)
85g (3oz) plain flour
40g (1 ¼ oz) pure cocoa powder
50g (2oz) white chocolate
50g (2oz) Milk Chocolate Orange
3 large eggs
275g (9 ½ oz) golden caster sugar
Pre-heat oven 170C/325F/gas mark 3
Grease a brownie pan or regular square tin (22cm/81/2in) with butter and line with baking paper.
Cut the butter into cubes and melt with dark chocolate. Again there are different ways to do this. I use a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. You can use the microwave just set it for 30 seconds then stir and repeat until melted.
Measure out your flour and cocoa into a bowl. Sieve if you must or whisk gently together.
Chop up your chocolate if you need to or if you bought buttons/chips/morsels/chunks then you’re already set!
Beat the eggs and sugar together at max speed until the mixture becomes really pale and almost doubled in size.
Poor the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, and gently fold in.
Add the flour/cocoa mixture and fold in with a large metal spoon.
Last but not least stir in your chopped chocolate.
Pour into prepared tin
Bake for 25 minutes. You can tell they are done when the top is cracked and crunchy but the middle is fudgy.
Leave in tin until completely cooled. Then cut ‘em up! I used a fancy Wilton cookie/bar cutter that makes hearts!
 |
| fun reindeer sticker off my orange |
note: I added 50g of white chocolate chips but really you could add 100g milk chocolate orange. For a while Terry’s did a white chocolate orange, but I didn't see one anywhere. This recipe is based off of Eric Lanlard’s Double Chocolate Pecan Brownies recipe from Home Bake. If you have an amazing brownie recipe you’d like to share with me I’d love to have it!
Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Bundt
1 cup sour cream (can substitute fat free sour cream or plain yogurt)2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
for the icing:
2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
4 tbsp milk (more or less to get desired consistency)
1 tsp vanilla
- Pre-heat oven to 350 deg.
- Grease bundt pan. If desired, dust with flour or cinnamon and sugar blend.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder.
- Add flour mixture and sour cream alternatively starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- pour 1/3 batter into pan, cover with 1/2 cinn/sugar mixture, add 1/3 batter, cinn/sugar, top with remaining batter.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 min before flipping out of pan. Combine ingredients for icing and drizzle icing over cake.
 |
| mini baker with bundt!! |
 |
| the first attempt: broken bundt :0( |
~Janet aka Indiana Baker
Kisses Peanut Butter Blossoms!!
- 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Granulated sugar
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.
Nutritional Information per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 90, Total Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 75mg,
Total Carbohydrate: 10g, Dietary Fiber: less than 1g, Sugars: 6g, Protein: 2g, Vitamin A: 0%DV*,
Vitamin C: 0%DV*, Calcium: 0%DV*, Iron: 2%DV*
*%DV= %Daily Values are calculated based on a 2000 calorie diet
 |
| cute cookies for everyone |
Nothing says 'winter' like Creme Brulee lip-gloss!!
 |
| Here my Creme Brulee lip therapy is wearing a sporting Innocent Smoothie hat! |
If you don't know what a caboodle is I feel sorry for your missed childhood. Kidding, but this blogger has said it all about what a caboodle stood for! Most of my collection were Lip Smacker's, I remember being about 4-5 years old and getting my first candy cane tube of Lip Smackers for Christmas. I also remember my little sister eating one of them. That was so not cool.
 |
| It's doesn't really have a distinct creme brulee smell, but it protects my lips and makes them shiny! |
other links: Youtube
note: I'm a little behind the times as this ltd edition came out in October! And yes I am a child of the 80's! And no I am not getting paid to write or try these products. Just my opinion and random thoughts! Thanks for reading my somewhat random post!! ;0)
Box of Chocolates Cake!!
The cakes name says it all. It tastes sort of like a box of chocolates! Very heavy and rich, it says it serves 25 big or 36 small portions.
I would probably say the 36, unless you have a real chocoholic! I would also say that only make this cake if you have time! I found that it took me a lot longer then expected. It was super dense and rich so worth the time.
This recipe was adapted from The Birthday Cake Book by Fiona Cairns. There are lots of other fun cakes in this book! Even if I never make another single thing from it, I’m sure I’ll be referring to it again just to read!
Box of Chocolates: Flourless Sachertorte
for the cake
260g unsalted butter, diced, plus more to butter the tin
300g 70% cocoa solids, chocolate, chopped
8 eggs, separated
250g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
340g ground almonds
6 tbsp apricot jam to glaze
Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F/fan 150*C/gas mark 3. Lightly butter a 25cm square tin and line the base with the baking parchment.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water; I always take it off the heat before all the lumps are melted. Then stir it until completely melted. It’s just how I do it! Set aside to cool.
 |
| melted chocolate and butter |
Now you need to separate your 8 eggs. This can be a tricky part. I use 3 bowls for this. You’re going to mix the eggs yolks in your mixer (if using a free standing mixer). I use my hands to separate eggs. I brake an egg over a bowl put the yolk in a second bowl and then pour the egg white into a separate third bowl. I do this with all 8 eggs. As you can see in the picture provided that the tiniest bit of yoke in the whites could ruin the egg whites when beating. (Also see my sister’s frosting that didn’t work out due to a tiny bit of yolk.) If I had broke 7 eggs in a bowl and then with my 8th egg got any yoke in it I would have had to start over and would have been eating a very big omelet for dinner! Also you want to make sure the egg white bowl is grease free!
 |
| un-usable egg whites |
 |
| egg yolks, I just thought they were pretty |
 |
| egg whites, stiff peaks (sort of) |
Now on with the cake! Add the sugar and vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is thickened and creamy (the 'ribbon’ stage). This can take 3-4 minutes.
Slow your mixer (hand or free standing) to low and add the cooled melted butter/chocolate mixture. Then in your egg white bowl whisk them with the pinch of salt to stiff peaks. With a metal spoon, fold the almonds into the chocolate mixture. Then big-spoonful by big-spoonful fold in the egg whites! This takes arms of steal! I managed, but was close to calling in the hubby!!
Pour into your prepared cake tin and bake for 45-50 or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin to cool for a couple of minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack. Here’s were I splurged a little and bought a 25cm square tin, but didn’t get a 25cm square thin cake board. That was a mistake if I was going to go all out I should have gone all the way! I made it work with what I had, but was in fear that the cake was going to crumble in two!!
 |
| apricot glaze |
Don’t forget about that apricot jam!! Heat it up in a small pan and press through a sieve. Glaze the cake by spreading it all over while cake and jam are still warm!
for the chocolate ganache:
300g 70% cocoa solids, chocolate broken into pieces
270ml double (heavy) cream
60g unsalted butter
Turn the cake unto your thin cake board, if you don’t have one do like I did and leave it on the cake tin insert. Make sure you have plenty of paper/towels underneath to catch the drips!
 |
| the mess! |
 |
| covered in ganche waiting to dry |
Do as you did before and put the chocolate, cream, and butter in a bowl over simmering water until it’s melted. Stir until melted; cool a little to thicken before pouring over the cake. Allow the cake to cool for at least 2 hours. Then decorate! I bought a small box of Thornton’s Dark Chocolate Trifles to decorate this cake with!
 |
| dried and decorated! |
 |
| Yum!! |
