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 

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/)

Welcome to our food world!

Welcome everyone, to our brand new blog: Sweet and Savoury. Here we have Agnieszka, Japneet, Megan and Wendy to guide you around our food lives. 

As the name might suggest, this blog is about all things food! You can’t live without it, and life just isn’t worth living without good food. So what’s better than capping off the day with your favourite dish. Everyone knows that warm, satisfying feeling when you bite into something so good you can’t help but smile. Everybody knows that extra pep in your step when you’re coming home to your favourite meal after a hard day’s work. That excitement as you satisfy your sweet tooth with a special treat. Or you come together with your family, and enjoy those traditional hearty meals. So sit back and relax with us as we share our Sweet and Savoury favourites that will get your mouth watering and your stomach growling. With our group members, from different cultures and backgrounds, we hope you enjoy as we recount our favourite dishes that warm our hearts and stomachs. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Sweet and Savoury is served. Bon appetite!