No-Bake Chocolate Truffles

It's finally Friday and it’s time to party! When going to house parties, the favourite my friends love me bringing is my amazing chocolate truffle balls. You’ll be blown away of how easy it is to make with just 3 core ingredients and no need to bake. These even work out to be given as great homemade gift come Easter, Christmas or any other occasion. I have experimented a lot with these, trying different biscuits, especially using the different variety of Tim tams, even Mint Slice works well.  For a special ‘grown up’ treat, you could add in some of your favourite liqueur. Just watch out, they are known to be a perfect bite size of sinful decadence. Go ahead and give them a go!

 Ingredients:

• 250g Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 250g Chocolate Biscuits, or your choice of Tim Tams
• Liqueur (optional)
• Chocolate melts, melted for coating
• Additional toppings for decorating eg. Coconut, sprinkles, nuts, .

 Method

• Crush biscuits in a food processor until turned into crumbs.

• Mix together the biscuits and cream cheese in a large bowl. Time to get messy and use your fingers to combine well. By having the cream cheese at room temperature it makes it much easier to mix thoroughly. For those using Tim tams or adding some liqueur you may need to change quantities of the biscuit or cream cheese, or place the bowl in the fridge to firm up so the mixture is able to be handled easier

• Roll the mixture into balls and chill in the fridge (or freezer depending on the heat) until ready to coat in chocolate. The longer you leave it to set, allows the balls to keep their shape when adding into the hot melted chocolate.

• Melt the chocolate, and dip the balls into the chocolate one at a time. This can be a tricky step, some use forks to help dip, a couple of times I have used toothpicks inserted into the ball to dip and coat the chocolate to make sure it's evenly coated. Let it drain for a couple seconds before letting it set on a tray covered with baking paper. If you wanted to add extra toppings this is the right time to add before the chocolate sets, or you can drizzle some extra chocolate on later.

• Place the chocolates back in the fridge to allow the chocolates to continue to set.

Check this link if you're looking for an extra step by step tutorial to get tips from:

http://www.mrscake.co.nz/2010/10/tim-tam-truffles-and-candy-melts-winner.htmlhttp://www.mrscake.co.nz/2010/10/tim-tam-truffles-and-candy-melts-winner.html 

Jalebies

Jalebies are traditionally known as a celebration sweet in India such as for weddings, birth of a child, and Indian festivals. However the Jalebies are evolved from just a celebration sweet to an extremely popular Indian sweet, savored across India and Indian subcontinent, from streets to 5-Star Hotels.

But what are Jalebies? Well this sweet is made by deep-frying wheat flour (giving the jalebi its crunch) in circular or spiral shapes, and is left to soak, whilst still hot in a syrup (giving the jalebi its beautiful orange colour).

Although they can be bought in almost every Indian grocery store and sweet shops, there’s nothing better than making a fresh batch of jalebies at home and eating them hot. Or leaving them to cool to enjoy as a dessert.

Ingredients for batter:

-       1/2 Cup White Plain Flour

-       1 & 1/2 teaspoon  bengal gram flour (Besan)

-       1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (you can use fresh yeast as well, this will significantly reduce the fermentation duration, honestly I have not yet tried it )

-       1/2 teaspoon oil or Ghee

-       1/2 teaspoon sugar

-       1/2 cup of lukewarm water or as required

Ingredients for sugar syrup:

-       2 Cups water or as required.

-       1/4 Teaspoon of crushed or powdered cardamom

-       Saffron strands (I like to be generous here  

-       A little more than 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

-    1$1/2 cup of sugar

To Fry:

1.     Ghee or  oil (Traditional Jalebies are made of ghee, so does this version)

To garnish:

1.     Finely sliced pistachios

Preparing jalebi batter:

1.     in a mixing bowl, take 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour or maida. add 2 tbsp besan or gram flour, a pinch of baking soda and ⅛ tsp turmeric powder.

2.     mix all the above dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula.

3.     then add water. the amount of water to be added depends on the quality of flour used. i added 1 cup water. depending on the quality of flour and besan, you can add from ¾ to 1 cup water.

4.     with the spatula or spoon, first mix. break the small or tiny lumps with the spatula or spoon while mixing.

5.     then in round circular directions stir the batter briskly for 4 minutes. this adds volume to the 
      batter and makes it even and smooth.

6.     the batter should have a flowing consistency. cover and keep the batter to ferment in a warm place for 12 to 15 hours. i kept for 15 hours. if you live in a cold climate, you can keep for 20 to 24 hours.

7.     this is how the batter looks the next day. you will see small bubbles on the top.

8.     stir the batter and if you carefully see, the batter would have become thinner than what it was before fermentation.

9.     so to thicken the batter again, add 1 to 2 tbsp of all purpose flour.

10.  with a spoon mix very well.

11.  now pour this batter in the squeezy tomato ketchup bottles that we get in the market.

Preparing sugar syrup:

1.     take 1 cup sugar in a pan. add ¼ tsp saffron strands to it. do add saffron as it gives a nice orange yellow color and also its aroma to the jalebies.

2.     add ½ cup water.

3.     keep this pan on stove top on low flame and begin to stir, so that the sugar dissolves.

4.     on a low to medium flame, cook the sugar syrup.

5.     cook till you get one string consistency in the sugar syrup.

6.     once you get the one string consistency, switch off the flame and add ¼ tsp lime or lemon juice. stir well. keep the sugar syrup on the burner itself so that it remains warm when you add the jalebies in it.

Once this is done, the fun begins! To actually make the jalebi in simply an extremely hot deep fryer. Move the ketchup bottle in circular motion to create one spiral and immediately add the jalebi when cooked in the syrup.

Link (http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/jalebi-recipe-how-to-make-jalebi/)

Macadamia Fudge Fingers

I was trying to think of a great sweet recipe to share with all of you, and when I thought of what my family and friends love every time I knew I had to share with you all a recipe to make Macadamia Fudge Fingers. It’s a great slice that my Mum always loves to make for a plate to take to parties, and I have learnt myself just how quick and easy it is. Perfect for those that are looking for something to make that’s delicious and not too overwhelmingly sweet. 

Ingredients:

•  250g plain sweet biscuits, crushed
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ cups (150g) crushed macadamia nuts
• 400g can condensed milk
• 60g butter, melted
• 80g dark chocolate melts
• 80g white chocolate melts

          Makes 40 depending on cut sizes

Method:

1. Line base and sides of a shallow 30 x 20cm cake tin with foil, extending over 2 sides. Brush foil with oil or melted butter. 

2. Place crushed biscuits, coconut, cocoa and nuts in a large mixing bowl making a well in the centre. Add condensed milk and melted butter, stirring well until combined.

3. Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and press in firmly. Use the back of a metal spoon to smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

4. Using the foil, lift the slice from the tin, and then gently peel away foil. Using a sharp knife, cut into fingers.

5. Melt chocolate melts in 2 separate heatproof bowls. Stand bowls over pans of simmering water, stirring until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Cool slightly before piping over each finger- this is where you can be creative with piping the chocolate if you like. Many times we have piped stars or other shapes for Christmas for something different.

If it hasn't been all eaten straight away, you can store these in an airtight container in a cool, dark place or in the fridge in hot weather and they can last up to 2 weeks. 

(Unfortunately despite making this many times before I have no photos to share with you, luckily I have found this one to give you an idea. Image sourced from: https://ivarthesalacious.com/2013/07/01/power-of-cake/79-slices-macadamia-fudge-fingers-2/)

Smoothie Bowls

A smoothie bowl. Sounds creative, tastes absolutely refreshing and delicious, whilst staying extremely healthy and filling.

This beautiful breakfast may be exactly what you need to start your day. Simply, it is exactly what it sounds, a smoothie in a bowl! It is eaten with a spoon as the consistency is thicker, richer and creamier than a normal smoothie. It can easily be made at home and the recipes can be manipulated as per your choice. So here are 3 recipes, so pick and choose!

Vegan Berry and Kale smoothie bowl:

 

Blend:

-       Blueberries

-       Kale (or spinach)

-       Banana 

-       Chia seeds

-       Almond milk/or coconut milk

-       Your choice of frozen yogurt 

Garnish:

-       Granola

-       Chia seeds

-       Fresh berries

-       Bananas 

Chocolate and hazelnut smoothie bowl:

Blend:

-       Cherries

-       Spinach

-       Banana

-       Unsweetened hazelnut

-       Almond milk

-       Cocoa powder and or bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) for shaving

-       Agave 

-       Hemp seeds

-       Chia seeds

-       Ice (if required)

Garnish:

-       Chocolate shavings

-       Hazelnuts 

Acai smoothie bowl:

 Blend:

-        almond or soy milk

-       Canned coconut milk

-       Pure vanilla extract 

-       Pinch of salt

-       Frozen banana or Thai coconut meat

-       Acai powder

-       Sweetener of your choice

Garnish:

-       Bananas 

-       Berries 

-       Granola 

Fancy Milkshakes

Make fancy milkshakes at home, which are delicious and innovative. This milkshakes are sweet, cold beverage that is usually made of milk or ice creams. It comes with different flavors such as chocolate, caramel, classic vanilla, banana and strawberry. Therefore you have many flavors to choose from! Also they will cool you down on a hot day and satisfy you cravings for something sweet. My favorite are chocolate and classic vanilla. When you scroll down you are going to find the recipe for both. Hope you will enjoy drinking and preparing too :) 

Chocolate milkshake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of milk
• 1 cup powdered chocolate milk mix
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 10 full size ice cubes

Directions:

All ingredients place in a blender and blend on high until there are no chunks of ice left. Then serve in the long glass or a jar.

Classic vanilla milkshake

Ingredients:

• 6 scoop vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Use a blender and combine ice cream, milk, and vanilla, and blend until mixture is smooth. Serve in a tall glass or a jar.

 Link: http://videorecipe.net/125-milkshakes-5-recipes.html

Vanilla Pudding/Custad

Vanilla Pudding/Custard

Custard pudding is one of my usually ordered dessert.I really want to recommend your guys to taste it and even learn how to make it into easy way. Finally, enjoy it just like me.

Easy Peasy Vanilla Custard1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt.  in a small saucepan. Whisk them together. As always with combining a few dry ingredients, the littler the whisk, the better.

didn’t have any whole milk on hand and was not in the mood to go out so I used 1 3/4 cups regular milk and 1/4 cup of condensed milk (Don’t judge me). Sounds weird, yes, but it worked and tasted very creamy.

Anyway, pour in the milk, switch to a larger whisk and mix well to make sure all the dry ingredients are properly incorporated. You don’t want lumps and pockets of powder in your pudding. Scrape the sides and bottom of the sauce pan properly. Bring your mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring it intermittently. It should thicken quite a bit by now. 

You should separate the yolk from the whites. Don’t throw away those whites, they make a great omelet. Temper the egg yolk by slowly pouring about a third of the boiled milk mixture into the egg white and whisk quickly. Pour the tempered eggs mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining milk mixture and stir. Put it back on the heat to simmer for a very short (30 seconds to 1 minute). 

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Allow to cool for a few seconds and it’s ready. Pour it into little ramekins and chill in the fridge or serve piping hot. I like mine cool with a dash or either cinnamon or cocoa powder. 

TIP: If you’re putting it into the fridge and you don’t like that film that forms on the top (I utterly dislike it), cut a piece of cling film or saran wrap enough to cover the top of the bowl or ramekin and place it directly ON the pudding and up the sides of the container (after it has cooled for about a minute and is not steaming). When you take the saran wrap off after the pudding has chilled, there won’t be any icky film. 

https://onysworld.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/vanilla-puddingcustard/