Chocolate & strawberry jam crumble bar

I saw this on the blog Sugar crafter a week or so ago and was intrigued. I added a bit more vanilla, changed up the chocolate chips slightly and added less jam, other than that, the recipe is essentially the same. Also changed the pan as didn't have the same size as the one she used.

Now that I have made this, several variations come to mind that I would like to try.

* Replace chocolate/condensed milk with apple cinnamon filling

* Replace chocolate/condensed milk with caramel, add apple filling

* Replace jam with peanut butter

* Replace the crust with an Oreo or tim tam cookie crumb base

* Replace the crust with the Nestle toll house cookie dough

* Remove chocolate/condensed milk, keep jam, remove chocolate chips, add a strawberry icing. Wow. That brings back memories of a fabulous bar I used to eat all the time growing up in New Zealand.

Anyway.... here is the recipe for the Chocolate & strawberry jam crumble bar

Ingredients:
Base
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Filling
1 cup chocolate chunks
1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Topping
1/3 of base mixture
1 cup chocolate chunks (I used Cadbury top deck)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 176 degrees C and grease and line a 20 x 20 cm square cake pan. I like to have the baking paper overhang (come up further than the top of the cake pan) so once baked, the bar is easy to remove from the pan without breaking.
The original recipe called for a larger pan, so I also greased and lined a 6 capacity cupcake pan. Turns out this was just right for the quantity of mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and vanilla until creamy. In a seperate bowl, sift in the flour and add the brown sugar. Mix to combine.

Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Remove 1/3 of the mixture and set aside to use for the crumble topping. With the remaining 2/3 of the dough, press 3/4 into the prepared pan, and the rest divide amongst the cupcake liners.

Place the cake pan and the cupcake pan into the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcake pan, and bake the cake pan for another 3-4 minutes, or until crust is a lovely light golden colour.

For the centre, place the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. I started off by melting the chocolate in short bursts on medium in the microwave. Make sure you check on it and stir frequently - you don’t want to burn it! When chocolate was ¾ melted I added the condensed milk, and continued microwaving and stirring until fully melted and mixed. Add the vanilla bean paste, and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Spread jam over the cooled base (in cake and cupcake pans). Pour the chocolate mixture over the jam. Sprinkle remaining dough and top deck chocolate chunks over top of the cake pan and cupcakes.

Place cake pan and cupcake pan in oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cupcake pan, and continue baking cake pan for a further 10 minutes. Let cool before attempting to slice - otherwise you will end up with a crumbly mess. Trust me. Slice, then eat.

Baby banana cakes with cream cheese icing

I can't believe that my little brother turned 26 this month. I feel like time is flying by at a million miles an hour. He says he hates birthdays because he feels old .... how does he think I feel when he says that? Older.


He doesn't like us to make a fuss on his birthday, but I couldn't resist baking something for him. He is a little bit fussy (but getting better with age), so I made plain, un-iced baby banana cakes for him. Mr X took some to work with him, and I topped those with lemon cream cheese icing.


I used the Exclusively Food banana cake recipe, but replaced some of the white sugar with brown sugar.


Makes 16.
Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of very ripe, mashed banana (approx 3 large bananas)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, I didn't use it this time)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C, and grease and line cupcake pans - enough for 14-16 cupcakes, depending on how full you make them.

Place butter, sugar, banana, vanilla and eggs in a food processor and pulse to combine for approximately two minutes. Add butter milk and pulse to combine.

Sift flour and bicarb soda into a bowl. Add this to the blender and pulse again until just combined, scraping down the sides if required.

Pour batter into prepared liners. I filled mine 2/3 full. I found filling them this amount resulted in a nice, very slightly domed cupcake.

The recipe can easily be doubled, however, in my experience you may find you can't put all the ingredients in the food processor at once! Just mix it up in a bowl instead.

Cream cheese icing

Ingredients:

100g cream cheese, softened

50g butter, softened
2  cups icing sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Method:
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the icing sugar and beat well. 

Jam “doughnut” cupcakes and Lemon curd “doughnut” cupcakes

"Doughnut" cupcakes two ways - Jam “doughnut” cupcakes and Lemon curd “doughnut” cupcakes

Following on from my apple doughnut cupcake post a while ago, I started thinking about other possible combinations.

I started off with the very vanilla cupcakes from a recent post. I doubled the recipe this time though so I would have enough to take to a friends place for dessert and have some left for Mr X to take into work (which seems to be routine these days!).

I decided on two types - lemon curd and jam filled. Lemon curd paired well with the cupcake recipe because the cupcakes require four egg whites, and the lemon curd needed four egg yolks. I decided the combination was meant to be! I also made jam filled ones because Mr X requested them.

Ingredients:
Cupcake recipe here (double batch) - makes approx 28 cupcakes

Lemon “doughnut” cupcakes

Ingredients:
14 “very vanilla” cupcakes

Lemon curd filling
Recipe here

Drizzle topping (adapted from bbcgoodfood.com)
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (freshly squeezed, strained)
43 grams caster sugar

Method:

Bake cupcakes. Leave in pan to cool for 10 minutes before turing out onto wire rack. Hollow out the top of each cupcake (instructions here)

Put caster sugar in a small bowl and add lemon juice to it. Mix to combine. Drizzle over cupcakes while still warm.

Fill the cupcakes with lemon curd using this method.

Jam "doughnut" cupcakes
Ingredients:

14 “very vanilla” cupcakes*
* add 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to batter

Jam filling
Approx 14 tsp good quality strawberry jam

Sugar coating
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 tbs butter, melted

Method:

Bake cupcakes. Leave in pan to cool for 10 minutes before turing out onto wire rack. Hollow out the top of each cupcake (instructions here)

Melt a few tbs butter in the microwave safe bowl. Brush cupcakes lightly with melted butter and roll in sugar.

Fill the cupcakes with jam using this method. 

I spent a lazy day at home with Mr X and our dog, Ari Gold. Ari decided to "help" me update my blog. Thanks Ari!

Cookies 2 ways - Snickers filled and M&M

Mr X was at the footy yesterday, so when I had done the boring stuff like supermarket shopping, I went into the kitchen to bake. I had been looking forward to it all week. Being back at work after our holiday, I needed to do something to de-stress!


I started off with the Nestle Toll House cookies I made a while back. While the dough was chilling in the fridge I cut up four mini snickers and opened a bag of M&M's.


I then divided the dough in half, and popped one half back in the fridge so it would keep firming up.


M&M cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 quantity of Nestle Toll House cookie dough
Approximately 80 M&M's (four for each cookie)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 195 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Roll heaped tablespoons into balls and place onto prepared cookie sheet approx 6 cms apart.

After they have been in the oven for four minutes (to allow them to spread), quickly pull them out of the oven and pop some M&M's on top of each cooke (I used 4 per cookie, but you can always use more), rotate the tray and put them back in the oven for the remainder of the baking time. 

Bake for 8 to 11 minutes (mine took 8 minutes) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 16 - 20 cookies depending on size.

Snickers centred cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 quantity of Nestle Toll House cookie dough

4 mini snickers, thinly chopped (2 pieces per cookie - one to insert into centre, one for top of the cookie)*

Roll a heaped tablespoon of dough into a ball and make a well in the centre. Insert snickers piece and carefully cover it up with cookie dough. Place on baking tray and top with another piece of snickers. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8 to 11 minutes (mine took 8 minutes) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 16 - 20 cookies depending on size.

* While pleased with the outcome of the cookies, I think next time I would insert a larger chunk into the centre and top with at least two snickers pieces for a more intense snickers taste!

Very vanilla cupcakes with vanilla icing and strawberry filling

We just got back from an overseas holiday and I haven't baked in nearly 5 weeks! Despite the jet lag, I really wanted to get back into the kitchen and bake something.

Cupcakes (Recipe from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup room unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg + 2 egg whites (keep seperate)
1/2 cup whole milk (room temperature)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Icing and filling

Icing:
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2/3 cups unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 tbs milk

Strawberry filling:
1/3 cup vanilla icing
2 large strawberries, mashed
4 tsp strawberry jam

Method:

Preheat the oven to 176 degrees celsius. Grease and line a 12 capacity cupcake pan.

Beat the butter on medium for 3 minutes before adding the sugar. Beat for a further 3 minutes to combine. Add the egg then beat for 30 seconds. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating in between.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, add the milk, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract and the sour cream in a bowl and mix together well.

Add the milk/vanilla.sour cream and flour mixture to the butter/sugar alternatively, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing in between. Make sure you start and end with the flour mix.

Make sure you don't over beat the mixture.

Divide the mixture evenly between cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

They smelt lovely when they were baking!

To make the icing and filling

Icing:

Place butter in mixing bowl and beat for two minutes. Sift in icing sugar and beat to combine. Add vanilla bean paste. Add the milk, one tbs at a time, beating mixture in between until reach desired consistency.

Strawberry filling:
1/3 cup vanilla icing
2 large strawberries, mashed
4 tsp strawberry jam

Mix until smooth. 
Click here for instructions on how to fill cupcakes

Chocolate caramel cupcakes

Chocolate anything is always popular, and I love caramel!
Makes 24
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice bran oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup boiling water

Caramel (for filling and drizzling)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 cup milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate icing
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

12 tbs milk

Method:
Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C. Spray and line pans with 24 cupcake liners.

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Beat ingredients with a mixer for approx two minutes. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Add the boiling water, and beat until just blended. Don't over-mix.
Due to the boiling water, the batter is very runny. The easiest way to fill the cupcake pans is by pouring the batter into the pans using a jug. Pour evenly into prepared liners.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Mine took about 22 minutes. Leave in the pan to cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further.


Caramel sauce
Over medium heat, melt butter in a small sauce pan. Allow to simmer, then add in the brown sugar, stirring, and bring to boil. Then lower heat and stir until sugar is dissolved (should take about a minute). Stir in milk, bring to boil, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pop in the fridge to cool down and thicken while you make the chocolate icing.

Click here  for instructions on how to fill the cupcakes


Chocolate icing
Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for three minutes, add vanilla bean paste and beat. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk a tbs or two at a time and beat, until you reach your desired consistency.

Pipe icing onto cupcakes and drizzle with caramel sauce to finish.