Work Catering #54: It's a no bake week

I guess I wasn't in the mood to use my oven xD I think I was just being lazy and wanted to make some quick and easy desserts. So if you are in a lazy mood, here are some no-bake recipes!!

Strawberries are in season! :D

Brownie Batter Truffles
Recipe adapted from Mel's kitchen café

Ingredients
3/4 cup (96g) cocoa powder
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100g)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup (96g) plain flour
2 tsp vanilla essence
170g butter, melted
250g dark chocolate, melted
sprinkles for garnish

1. Combine cocoa powder, sugars, salt and flour in large bowl. Stir in vanilla and melted butter until the mixture forms a thick batter.
2. Line baking tray with baking paper. Roll teaspoonful of dough into balls and place them on baking tray. Refrigerate for one hour until the brownie batter balls are firm.
3. Coat balls in melted chocolate and place back on the tray. Decorate using sprinkles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The inside of the truffle

They were actually really popular XD

The back story behind these truffles is that I actually tasted one and I felt that it was a bit grainy... I think the sugar had not melted with the butter so you could actually taste the grains of sugar >___<" Anyways I was telling my friend that I really wasn't happy with them and she told me "That's what you always say! And they always get eaten up". But this time I was sure it was a FAILURE....

yet again she proved me wrong! Seems like people like eating sugar grains XD 

Next up is super easy Strawberry Pannacotta!! :D Since they are in season now, why not make the most of them? :)

Strawberry Pannacotta
Recipe adapted from Misschieviously

Ingredients
500g strawberries, washed
250ml milk
250ml thickened cream
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tsp powdered gelatin
3 tbs boiling water

1. Chop strawberries and puree in blender. Pass strawberry puree through a sieve to remove pulp and seeds. (You should get just under 400ml of puree). Keep the pulp and seeds for garnish.
2. Place milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in small saucepan. Heat to a low simmer until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the gelatin and 3 tbs boiling water to soften the gelatin. Pour hot milk and cream mixture over the gelatin and stir to dissolve completely.
4. Add in strawberry puree and mix well.
5. Pour into individual glass/cups. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set.
6. To serve, garnish with strawberry pulp or fresh strawberries.

pretty pink pannacotta ^^

No excuse not to make these! super quick, super easy and super yummyyy :D 

Work catering #53: Baked out~

Have you ever just felt burnt out? I'm sure you have, especially when it comes to studying or working... but have you ever feel burnt out when it's your.. hobby? your passion? I  didn't think that would happen but sometimes it does! Like with baking.. I do love it and I could do it everyday (I think).. but sometime I lose motivation or inspiration. For example this week for work, I wasn't really inspired by anything so just chose these 2 random recipes to bake. I wasn't really happy with either of the final products because I think I was just baking out of "having to bake" instead of "wanting to bake"~~~ I think it was because I baked so much for the wedding (yes i know... still need to blog about that)

anyways I hope you can try out these recipes and it turns out better for you ^___^ Hope I get my baking motivation back soon!!! :D

Butterscotch Apple Blondies
Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (150g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line rectangle (20x30cm) baking pan.
2. Cream brown sugar and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Beat in vanilla essence.
3. Mix in baking powder, salt and flour. Fold in apples and butterscotch bites.
4. Pour/press batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool bars completely before cutting.

In the original recipe, there was an optional caramel sauce but I didn't make it (partly because I was lazy..). I'm sure it would have been great with it!

Greek Yoghurt Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Recipe adapted from Baking Bites

Ingredients
2 cups  (300g) plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (75g) butter, melted and cooled
2 tbs fresh lemon zest
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup (300g) greek style yoghurt
1 tbs poppyseeds

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line square (23cm) cake tin.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well-combined. Whisk in melted butter, lemon zest and almond extract.
4. Whisk in one third of flour mixture, followed by half of yoghurt and poppyseeds. Whisk another third of flour mixture then remaining yoghurt and rest of the flour. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 50-55minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean.

baking disaster masked by the good old cream cheese frosting XD

Optional: Ice with cream cheese frosting - the reason I did this was because my cake turned out really dense :S I think I didn't whisk enough to get air in... so to mask my failure, I smothered it with frosting. muahhaha =p Baker's secret~

Work Catering #52: A year of catering~

It's been 52 weeks... a year since work catering!! wow...... anyways I'm always looking for inspirations for bakes so if you ever find a recipe or idea that seems interesting, let me know! :D I have a friend who sends me dessert pics all the time ^^ love it!

The two bakes this week are really simple recipes but delicious~ They don't need many ingredients but most of the ingredients you can find in your pantry! Let's start off with a simple and moist chocolate cake :) 

Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
Recipe adapted from Happy Flour

Ingredients
75g unsalted butter
75g sour cram
140g caster sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 165oC. Grease bundt tin.
2. Sift together cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream butter, sour cream and sugar together until light and fluffy. 4. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla essence until well combined.
5. Fold in flour mixture until combined. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool on wire rack.

This cake was light and fluffy and really simple to make. I drizzled on some chocolate ganache and sprinkled toasted coconut on top for decoration ^^ Makes the cake look more tasty right? haha

weird photo colour...

Next up are these addictive Nutella shortbread cookies with even less ingredients and less steps than the cake!

Nutella Shortbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from Kirbie Cravings

Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in vanilla and Nutella.
2. Stir in flour and mix until dough comes together. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Place dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. Roll the dough into a rectangle shape about 1/2 cm thick. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 160oC. Cut dough into 5x5cm squares. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cookies turn brown at the edges.

I topped my shortbread biscuits with a squirt of chocolate frosting piped on with a star nozzle. It made it look a little bit more fancy and also added a bit of moisture to the shortbread.

squares of yummy shortbread

I still have so many bakes to blog about! So stay tuned :D

Work Catering #51: Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake

It's strawberry season! hooray~~ so time to use them in some desserts! They add delicious flavour but more importantly COLOUR :D Below is the recipe for this Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake I made. Philadelphia had a special addition Strawberry Cream cheese block so I decided to try it out. It doesn't taste that great by itself but in this cheesecake.. Mmm.. mm.. mmmm!!! I originally made it as a cake and then adapted it into a slice =) I prefer the slice! hehe

Cake version for a friend's surprise birthday~

Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from Little Cake House

Ingredients
200g chocolate ripple biscuits
75g unsalted butter, melted
300g strawberry flavoured cream cheese, softened at room temperature
300ml thickened cream
150g white chocolate, melted
1 tbs water
1 tsp powdered gelatine
150g strawberry Oreos
strawberries to decorate

1. Line rectangular (20x30cm) baking pan with foil. (or if making a cake, a round 23cm springform/cheesecake tin)
2. Process chocolate biscuits until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix until combined. Press mixture over base of pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Put water and gelatine in small heatproof bowl. Place bowl in small saucepan of simmering water until gelatine dissolves.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in gelatine and melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
5. Whip cream in separate bowl until soft peaks formed. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture until combined.
6. Break oreos into small pieces and stir into cream cheese mixture. Pour mixture over the prepared biscuit base smoothly the mixture evenly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or better, overnight. Decorate with sliced strawberries.

Cheesecake squares! strawberries so red!

Yummy oreos inside~

This was a winner in so many ways! What's not to love? It's cheesecake... it had oreos... and fresh strawberries :D

My next bake was something very american! I had to wiki "snickledoodle" - a type of cookie made with butter/oil, sugar and flour rolled in cinnamon; basically a cinnamon cookie. 

White chocolate snickledoodle blondies
Recipe adapted from Sally's baking addiction

Ingredients
Blondies
2 1/3 cups (290g)  plain flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup (180g) white chocolate chips
Cinnamon-sugar filling
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (67g) caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line rectangular (20x30cm) baking pan with baking paper. 
2. Beat butter on high speed in large bowl until creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Fold in white chocolate chips. Spoon half the batter into pan evenly. 
4. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of bottom layer, reserving 1 tbs for the top layer. Spread remaining batter over top. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. 
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. 

It's like a cinnamon donut as a blondie!!

I loved the cinnamon sugar layer in the centre! Delicioussss~~
Sorry for my belated posts! still have so many more bakes to blog about!! Till then... HAPPY BAKING :D

Work catering #50: BICOTTI :D

WOw! I made it to 50 weeks catering for work~~ :) :) Doesn't feel like that long but it's been super fun! Hope there's 50 more weeks to go! haha I love experimenting and finding different recipes.

I still had a few packets of Oreos from last week's catering so after searching for Oreo recipes, I came across Oreo Biscotti!!! Biscotti has been on my To-Bake-List for ages!!! For some reason, I've always thought it would be hard to make :/ I was so WRONG! This is one of the easiest things I've made XD Especially because I can put everything in my stand mixer~~ hehe! So give it a go! :)

Oreo Biscotti
Recipe adapted from Mom Advice

Ingredients
1 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup (75g) butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Mix sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. (You can throw everything in a large bowl and let the stand mixer do it's job :D)
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Stir in chopped oreos.
4. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 23cm loaf on prepared baking tray. Bake for 25-30 minute or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Cut each loaf into 15 slices about 1 cm thick. You can slice it thinner for a crunchier and thinner biscotti. Place slices flat on baking tray. Bake for another 8-10 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted on both sides. Cool completely on wire rack.

lots of biscotti!!

These would taste lovely with a cup of hot chocolate or tea or coffee! Or maybe you could drizzle them with melted chocolate or dip one end in chocolate ^__^

The next recipe is for peanut butter lovers again~ Although these weren't too peanut buttery for those who don't like peanut butter. Win win for both =p

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Recipe adapted from Daily Delicious

Ingredients
100g salted butter
90g caster sugar
85g brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
200g plain flour
150g chunky peanut butter
70g chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 170oC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter until softened. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add in peanut butter and beat until combined.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Pour in the chocolate chips and fold to combine.
5. Place teaspoonsful (or tablespoonsful if you want larger cookie) on baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool then reduce oven temperature to 150oC and dry cooled cookies in the oven for 10 minutes.

Not super round~~

But yummy and peanut buttery and chocolatey ~

Going to do a LOT of baking next week =p will let you know more later~ so watch this space! happy baking!

Work Catering #49: Oh Hello Oreo!

This week I stuck with an Oreo theme! Bought these cute mini oreos (they are about the size of a 10c coin!) and searched for some interesting Oreo recipes. First up are what I like to call "Inception cookies" - a cookie within a cookie ^_^ it was so funny seeing people's reaction when they bit into the choc chip cookie: "THERE'S AN OREO IN HERE!? AWESOME!!" xD

Mini Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Teenie Baker

Ingredients
1/2 cup (115g) butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla essence
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
30 mini oreos

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt and flour. Slowly add to the butter mixture and stir until full combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Take a teaspoonful of cookie dough and place on baking tray. Place one mini Oreo on top then cover with another teaspoon of cookie dough. Pinch the edges together, then roll into a ball using your hands.
5. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until golden.

they just look like normal cookies but wait till you see the surprise!

The next is a recipe that I've tried a few times (and somehow each time turns out different..) and this time I've used Oreos as the flavouring. I have also made it just plain and a layered one with Tim Tams which I will blog about another time XD

Oreo Japanese Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from All recipes

Ingredients
85g cream cheese
1/4 cup (60ml) milk
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar, divided
2 egg whites
1/3 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbs plain flour
1 1/2 tbs corn flour
50g oreos, crushed (I used mini oreos)

1. Preheat oven to 175oC. Line 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Warm cream cheese and milk in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in half of sugar and continue to beat to stiff peaks.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in cream cheese mixture then sift in flour and corn flour. Stir until combined. Fold in egg whites and oreos.
5. Pour into prepared tin and place in larger baking tray. Place tray into oven and pour water into the baking tray until half way full. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce to heat to 150oC and continue to bake for 15 more minutes. Let cake cook before removing from pan. Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing.

Didn't rise as much as I would have liked...

but love the chunks of oreo and golden brown top :D

soft, fluffy clouds of oreo japanese cheesecake

I like Japanese cheesecake because it is really LIGHT!!! So you can eat multiple slices but feel like you haven't eaten much at all! hahahha

Work Catering #48: Addictive Cookies!!!

I don't know what the winning combination is or the secret ingredient but these cookies are SO ADDICTIVE! you CAN'T just stop at one! They have a lovely soft texture and are packed with chocolate chips!

The seminar at work was actually cancelled last minute so I had ALL these cookies left!!! Shared them with my colleagues and friends though! Had to.. otherwise I would have eaten them ALL!! XD

Double Chocolate Chip Swirl Cookies
Recipe adapted from Sally's baking addiction

Ingredients

Chocolate White chocolate Cookie dough
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g plain flour
57g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs milk
200g (1 cup + 2 tbs) white chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip Cookie dough
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla essence
250g plain flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200g dark chocolate chips

1. Make the chocolate white chocolate chip cookie dough by creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix it into the wet ingredients on low speed. The dough will be thick. Mix in the milk until combined then fold in white chocolate chips.
4. Make the chocolate chip cookie dough by creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed until combined.
6. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix it into the wet ingredients on low speed. The dough will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Cover both cookie doughs with foil and chill for at least 2 hour or up to 3 days.
8. Preheat oven to 180oC and line baking trays with baking paper. Roll 1 teaspoon of chocolate cookie dough into a ball. Roll 1 teaspoon of chocolate chip cookie dough into a ball. Press the two balls together and roll them into one large ball and place on lined baking tray. Repeat for each cookie.
9. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Press a few extra chocolate chips into each cookie.

The other cookie that I made were these coco pops chocolate chip cookies. They are essentially a chocolate chip cookie with a nutella filling and coated in coco pops. They tasted SOOO GOOD when they came out of the oven because the coco pops had this crunch.. however the next day it was a little soft and stale =/ so recommended to eat fresh from the oven ^^"

Coco Pops Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Coles catalogue

Ingredients
150g butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup (73g) brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup condensed milk
2 cups (300g) self raising flour
250g chocolate chips
3 cups coco pops
1/2 cup nutella

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and condensed milk and continue to beat until well combined.
4. Stir in flour and chocolate chips.
5. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and coat in coco pops. Place on baking tray, make a small indent and fill with nutella.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

super crunchy cookies!

Just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy.. and a cookie =p hehe

Pretty Pandan Pannacotta

This dessert was for a dinner "party" at my friend's house. She was cooking the mains and I was going to bring dessert. The theme was "asian" so I decided to go for a Malaysian/thai inspired pannacotta. The week before I had tried this AWESOME crepe cake at a Thai restaurant! It was a thai milk tea crepe cake with coconut icecream.. so good!!!

this was the cake! from Jinda Thai~ photo credit to Cut to the cheese

Pandan Pannacotta with Lychee jelly and Coconut cream

Ingredients
Pannacotta
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup thickened cream
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
4 tsp powdered gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tbs pandan essence
1 tsp pandan paste

Lychee jelly
450ml tin lychees
1 packet (85g) create-a-jelly (Aeroplane jelly brand)

Shredded coconut

1. Place cream, coconut milk and condensed milk in saucepan over medium heat. Stir till all combined.
2. Add 4 tbs boiling water to gelatin in small bowl and mix to form a gel. Add gelatin mix into cream mixture and stir till gelatin dissolved.
3. Reserve 1 cup of coconut mixture. Add pandan essence and paste into saucepan and stir until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Pour into jug and pour into plastic glasses (~1/2 full). Drain canned lychees (reserving 200ml lychee juice) and cut each in half. Place 3 lychee halves into each glass and refrigerate for around 1 hour or until set.
5. Empty jelly powder into separate jug, and add 1 cup (250ml) boiling water. Stir and dissolve well. 
6. Add 200ml of lychee juice and stir well. Remove pannacotta from fridge (once set) and pour lychee jelly into each shot glass. Return back to fridge and allow to set.
7. Pour a layer of reserved coconut mixture into each glass.
7. Place shredded coconut on lined baking tray. Bake for around 10 minutes at 200oC or until toasted. Sprinkle coconut onto pannacotta and serve.

3 layered glass dessert :)

Everyone enjoyed the dessert (YAY!) only had a little problem with getting the pannacotta out of the stem of the glass =_=" haha! Pannacotta is really simple to make!! Especially if you do cheats version and leave it in the glass/bowl ^^"

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread~

Feel like some banana bread? Sometimes I have random cravings.. and hoping my bananas will quickly ripen! This is a delicious banana bread with a twist~ or should I say "swirl" hahha! Super quick and super easy :D

Cinnamon Swirl Banana bread

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

Banana bread

2 cups (250g) plain flour

3/4 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

60g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups ripe banana, mashed (about 3 bananas)

1/3g (80g) plain/vanilla yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Cinnamon Swirl

1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Simple Glaze

1/2 cup (60g) soft icing sugar

1 tbs heavy cream

Chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line a loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, bicarb soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a separate large bowl beat the brown sugar and butter on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon - do not overmix. Batter will be thick.

4. Spoon half batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar swirl ingredients. Top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

5. Make glaze by combining icing sugar and heavy cream. Add more icing sugar if needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over banana bread and top with some chopped walnuts (optional).

my not so cinnamon "swirl"

This banana bread is super moist! and the glaze gives it a nice sweetness :D

Work Catering #47: Bacon week!

So apparently it's Bacon week in Australia this week (22 - 28 June). Who knew that something like this existed? Not me! But I looked it up and quite a few famous dessert places are producing bacon desserts! Such as a maple bacon zonut from Adriano Zumbo or Kevin Bacon flavoured gelato from Gelato Messina. It just so happened that I was watching Masterchef and was inspired by this dessert of Peanut Butter Mousse with Grilled Banana and Maple Bacon Crumb made by Emelia~ I also had some leftover bacon from home made brunch the other day (it was sooo good! post to come soon ^^) so decided to do something whacky!! So here's the recipe for my bacon inspired recipe!!!

Bacon and Maple Caramel Slice
Recipe adapted from Baker's corner and also inspired by Epic Millionaire's shortbread by SORTED Food

Ingredients
3 rashers of streaky bacon
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut
125g butter, melted
100g butter, extra
2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
200g dark chocolate melted
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs maple syrup, extra

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line a tray and a rectangle baking pan (20 x 30cm) with baking paper.
2. Place the bacon on baking tray and cook for 15 minutes, until very crispy, leave to cool.
3. Blitz the bacon in a food processor until resembles crumbs.
4. Combine flour, sugar, coconut and 3 tbs of bacon crumb in medium bowl. Add melted butter and mix well. Press mixture firmly into base of prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
5. Place extra butter, condensed milk and syrup in medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth. Pour over base and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool.
6. Combine melted chocolate, oil and extra maple syrup until smooth. Pour evenly over slice. Sprinkle with remainder of bacon crumb.

Specks of bacon

the signage might have turned people off xP

The overall consensus was that the bacon flavour was not that pronounced... could do with a bit more bacon XD My other suggestion would add some salt flakes into the caramel for a "salted caramel" filling ^^

I also had limited time to bake so made this no bake fudge! Super quick and easy! Only need a microwave!

Cookies and Cream Fudge
Recipe adapted from Kirbie Cravings

Ingredients
1 packet (150g) Oreos, crushed into smaller pieces
3 cups (510g) white chocolate
1 can (395g) condensed milk

1. Line 23cm square baking pan with foil.
2. Combine chocolate and condensed milk in large bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until smooth and all chocolate melted.
3. Sprinkle half crushed Oreos across the bottom of the pan. Pour chocolate on top. Sprinkle remaining Oreos on the surface and gently press to flatten the surface.
4. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight until set. Cut and serve!

Lotsa Oreos!

looks like cookies and cream cheesecake xD

Hope you enjoy these super sweet and crazy recipes!!! Especially the bacon one! hehe.. can't wait to see what my next flavour combination will be!!