Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Mousse

8|06|2014

When I think of posts for my blog, there are a few things that drive my decision. Amazingly enough , the driving factors have changed from the time I started out about a year ago. In the beginning, it was primarily recipes. Some favourites, some I had developed by simply playing with ingredients and many that were inspired by fresh produce, cookbooks, blogs I followed, trends and so on. Today, though recipes continue to form the crux of my inspiration, there are other aspects that come to play while I consider a post. Styling, colours, photography, individuality, what my readers, pinners and followers want from me. I find myself constantly experimenting and that is probably what makes blogging so exciting. A lot has changed but a few things haven’t. Some constants. Like Chocolate.

It is no secret how much this blog loves Chocolate. I can never be short on inspiration with Chocolate as a cooking ingredient. When I buy chocolate, I have a hundred ideas about why I need it. When I melt chocolate…another hundred recipes racing through my mind. Often I start with a single recipe and end up with two recipes. Then I photograph them in at least more than one way (like I’ve done here). There is something mesemerizing about Chocolate…the look, the feel, the intensity. I love photographing Chocolate desserts as much as I enjoying cooking them.

I have used my favourite mousse base for this recipe that uses egg yolks. I don’t think I have much to say about the taste. With Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline together in a dessert, there’s no doubt how indulgent this would be. The texture is intensely creamy with crunchy bits of praline within the mousse. Top them with cherries, berries or shaved chocolate and you have an impressive dessert in your hands.

Talking about Chocolate, I am delighted to connect with Chocolate lovers all over the world through Roxana’s lovely Chocolate Party where Chocolate is paired with different ingredients. This month Chocolate has been paired with Hazelnuts and if you are equally excited, do check out all the creations by other bloggers here.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Mousse
Serves 4

For the Praline:
100 g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
100 g castor sugar
1 tbsp. water

For the Dark Chocolate Mousse
½ Cup heavy cream
4 Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Sugar(or to taste)
3/4 Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Maraschino Cherries, to serve

For the Praline :Heat the sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan without stirring until it caramelises and turns a golden colour. Add the hazelnuts and pour the praline mixture onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Take care as the mixture is extremely hot.
Allow the praline to cool to room temperature. Using a rolling pin smash the praline into small pieces.

For the Chocolate Mousse: Heat the ½ cup cream over medium heat in a saucepan.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl till light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). When the cream reaches boiling point take it off the heat, add it to the egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly. This is done gradually so as to ensure that the eggs don’t scramble on pouring the hot cream. Return the egg-cream mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture under a medium-low flame, again whisking constantly till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The mixture will resemble a thick custard.

Place the dark chocolate in a bowl. Remove the custard from heat and pass it through a sieve into the bowl of chocolate. Let the mixture remain undisturbed for a while. Stir to smoothen out the chocolate. Cool to room temperature. While the custard is cooling, whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks. Store in the refrigerator till needed.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled down completely add it to the whipped cream little at a time & fold in till no white streaks appear. Gradually fold in the crushed praline. Pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate till set, about 4 hours or preferably overnight. Garnish with shaved chocolate or fresh fruits. Serve cold.

Date Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting

4|06|2014

Sticky Date Pudding. Just saying those words make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Puddings and winters are just so made for each other. This winter, I have been a bit obsessed with puddings. It just seems so easy when you leave it to the moulds or ramekins to give shape and structure to your desserts. And in this case, cupcake liners. I turned the date puddings into cupcakes. Instead of the butterscotch sauce, I frosted them with a white chocolate ganache.

These cupcakes are moist, buttery and taste like caramel which is what makes them so delicious. But they are not overly sweet which is why they can be paired with white chocolate ganache. I was a bit worried initially if the combination would work. Or the resulting cupcake would be too sweet. Coming to think of it, most buttercream frosted cupcakes are high on the sweet too. These were perfect for me because I am all about caramel and ganach-y goodness. If you are making this and you are worried about the sweetness, you can add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the frosting. That should add a touch of citrus tang which balances out the sweet.

The date cupcakes are the same recipe as the sticky date puddings I had posted earlier. The puddings traditionally are cooked in a water bath so they are gooey and extra sticky. To make cupcakes, I baked them directly and they were the right consistency for a cupcake. The ganache is the one I used in this cake recipe. Since it was already tinted at the time I made the cake, it was just a matter of whipping it up and decorating with sugar flowers.

Date Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Yields 8

180g dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1 1/4 cups (310ml) water
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter, softened chopped
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
White Chocolate Ganache Frosting, to decorate (recipe below)
Sugar flowers, to decorate

For the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
250 g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
150 ml thickened or heavy cream
Blue Food Colouring (I used a gel based food colour)

For the Date Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 12 capacity muffin tray or line with paper liners. Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove from the heat. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir until dates start to break down, set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
Beat butter and sugar in a bowl using a hand beater, gradually add eggs one at a time, beat until light and fluffy. Add date mixture, stir to combine. Carefully fold through sifted flour, divide mixture evenly between the muffin liners, until 2/3 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool to room temperature. Once cooled pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate with sugar flowers.

For the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat cream over low-medium heat in saucepan until just boiling, pour over cream and set aside for 5 minutes. Use a whisk to combine mixture until smooth. Add food Colouring if using, little at a time till the desired shade is reached. Cool slightly in the refrigerator and whip up to a pipeable consistency using an electric mixer.

Harris Coffee, a Mocha Mud Cake and a Give Away

29|05|2014

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, however the opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own. This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and Harris Coffee.

Do you believe in ‘waking up and smelling the coffee’? Or are you like me..the other way round? That’s right! I need to smell my coffee to wake up. A freshly brewed cup of coffee is what it takes to get me moving in the morning. And sometimes during the day too.

Admittedly, I am no coffee connoisseur. Neither am I addicted. But I do appreciate a good cup of coffee. If I trust something to kick start my day, it has to be great, doesn’t it? By that I mean, coffee that not only tastes great but is of a superior quality, crafted and handled by experts and produced locally. Why local? Because local means it’s source is known to me, the processes it goes through are familiar to me and the coffee beans have travelled fewer miles to reach my cup.

All of Harris’ beans are roasted and blended in Australia which drastically enhances everything about the bean, including the taste, quality and freshness, shelf-life and flavour dynamic. With great reverence for the bean, Harris takes considered care from bean to cup and the Master Roaster and Blender is part of the process every step of the way. And they have been doing so over the last 130 years to suit Australian tastes.

The Harris range consists of both ground coffee and fresh beans in six varieties- Espresso, Premium, Black Label, Signature Blend, Reserve Colombian and Decaffeinated. There’s one to suit every kind of taste. Isn’t that amazing?

My personal favourites are the Signature Blend and the Premium. To check out the Harris range and for more information, visit http://harriscoffee.com.au

It’s not hard to get your caffeine fix at your local coffee shop or espresso bar. But the truth is that it can turn out to be an expensive habit especially if you are used to drinking several cups in a day. Don’t get me wrong! I do enjoy a bit of latte art on my cuppa but I certainly won’t nurse a habit when I know I could be potentially blowing away hundreds of dollars on something that I can experience at my own convenience, within my own kitchen and more importantly that suits my personal taste.
Harris Coffee offers carefully crafted locally roasted blends that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, so can make the perfect cuppa for a fraction of the price.

Here are a few useful tips to make the perfect cup of coffee at home that Daniel Vergnano, Harris Master Roaster and Blender has shared with us. I have to say that these tips have helped to create a world of difference in my coffee.

1.   It all starts with the machine. Whether you are using a plunger, percolator, grinder or espresso machine, you need to understand what works best for what you have!
2.    From there, it’s all about the bean. The beans need to be fresh, and the grind has to be perfect for your machine. If you’re grinding, only put the amount of beans you plan to use at the top of the grinder, and don’t grind them until just before you’re about to extract the coffee – it’s best to use your coffee grinds within 10mins of grinding them, to keep them fresh. If you are using a plunger or percolator, grind your beans coarsely. This is key – if your grind isn’t big enough, your coffee will be over-extracted and will be too bitter.
3.    Always use fresh coffee – rather than buy in bulk, buy in small quantities, as this drastically changes the taste
4.    Heat up your cup, but keep your milk cold! The colder your milk, the longer you will have to get the spin required from a steamer (if using) to make those creamy, thick micro bubbles. To heat your cup, fill it with boiling water before making coffee to pre heat it.
5.    For a plunger, scoop your coffee into the plunger and heat your water separately. You should use around 15mL (1 tablespoon) coffee for about 90mL water (you can adjust to your taste though).
It’s better to use full cream milk – light or skim doesn’t have enough protein, but the key is to make sure you don’t over heat it. The ideal temperature is around 60 degrees, anything over that will get a ‘burnt’ flavour
6.   Keep your equipment clean! Wipe it down thoroughly between each use and wash it regularly
7. It’s best to store your coffee in an opaque, air-tight container in a dark, cool and dry place, like a pantry. Try and keep it away from moisture, especially wet spoons.
8. Don’t refrigerate or freeze your beans because it will affect the coffee’s oils and absorb flavours from other foods

The lovely people at Harris Coffee have decided to give away a Harris Coffee pack to one lucky reader of Sugar et al. This would include

Harris Espresso Ground 200g
Harris Premium Beans 500g
Harris Black Label Ground 200g
Harris Signature Blend ground 200g
Harris Reserve Colombian Beans 1kg

To be eligible you have to be 14 years or above and have an Australian address. To win the coffee pack, all you have to do is

a)‘Like’ the Sugar et al page on Facebook.
b)’Like’ the Harris Coffee page on Facebook
c)Leave a comment below in 2 or 3 sentences before 6th June 2014, how you would best enjoy a cup of Harris Coffee.

The entry with the most creative answer will be selected as the winner and announced on 10th^th June 2014. Please do ensure you leave a valid email address for me to contact you if you win.
View terms and conditions of the giveaway here. Good Luck!

Now, let’s talk about cake which is my favourite way of enjoying Harris Coffee at home. A double dose of coffee, basically… in my cup and in the cake. There are several ways of using coffee other than drinking it and one amongst that is to use it is cakes and desserts. This mud cake is not only easy to make (all you need is a bowl and a whisk), it celebrates coffee and chocolate and is perfect for someone who loves coffee. So, as you can imagine, the flavour will depend entirely on the quality of coffee and chocolate used. A good quality coffee like Harris Coffee is necessary to make a fantastic mocha mud cake. You can skip the ganache if you want to keep things simple but it only takes a couple of minutes

Mocha Mud cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting (Mud cake recipe adapted with variation from Taste.com)
Serves 12

250g butter, chopped
200 g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
11/4 cup freshly brewed strong Harris coffee
11/4 cup castor sugar (or more depending on the strength of the coffee you are using)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
300 g (2 cups) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Chocolate ganache, for icing (recipe below)
10-12 vanilla flavoured marshmallows, to decorate

Chocolate Ganache

200ml pure (thin) cream
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper.

Place butter, chocolate and Harris Coffee in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

Pour chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Add sugar and egg, and use a wire balloon whisk to whisk until well combined. Sift flour and baking powder over chocolate mixture and stir with the whisk until well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours or until crumbs cling to a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake (cover with non-stick baking paper halfway through cooking if it browns too quickly). Remove from oven and set aside for 1 hour to cool.

Once cooled pour the Chocolate Ganache over the cake. Place marshmallows on top. Using a blow torch toast the marshmallows.

To make the chocolate ganache : Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the hot cream. Stir together until melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before pouring over the cake.

Plum Cream Cheese Swirl Cake

24|05|2014

This post reminds me of my favourite time of the year..Summer! I adore everything about Summer. But what sets it apart from the other seasons for me, is the abundant choices it brings along when it comes to fruits and vegetables. I’m far from Summer at the moment…quite the opposite to be precise but the last I remember of Summer was filling up my baskets with loads of sweet, luscious stone fruits at the markets and biting into them as soon as I reached home.

Plums are still available here though its winter (I spotted them at Coles yesterday) but I like to buy them in season. So this is one of those recipes I promised I would pull out from my reserves for my friends in the northern hemisphere. I actually have quite a few Summer recipes that are yet to be posted. A small consolation I guess, as we get past the colder months.

This is a lovely tray-bake cake. Easy to make yet combining the best of two worlds. A baked cheesecake and a regular moist cake with fruit in it. There are multiple textures that come to play as you take a mouthful. The plums can be replaced with any other stone fruit or even berries. The cake tastes best when warm with a custard or whipped cream on the side.

Plum Cream Cheese Swirl Cake (Adapted with variation from Delicious Magazine, March 2012)
Serves 10

250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (55g) castor sugar
4 eggs
175g softened unsalted butter
175g brown sugar (about 7/8th of a cup)
200g self-raising flour, sifted (about 2 cups)
400g plums, seeds removed, sliced
Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line an 18cm x 28cm lamington (rectangular) pan.

Add cream cheese, vanilla, castor sugar and 1 egg to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

Place butter, brown sugar, flour and remaining 3 eggs in a clean bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Spread half the flour mixture in the tray followed by half the cream cheese mixture, swirling to gently combine, then top with half the plums. Top with remaining flour mixture, cream cheese mixture and plums. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden.

Dust with icing sugar, slice and serve warm with a custard or whipped cream.