Work catering #31: Baker's block

I had a bit of a "baker's block" (Like writer's block.. xP) this week.. as well as a little bit of a lack of motivation... hehe! It's not that I didn't have ideas, it was more like.. the ideas didn't excite me as much! It's hard to explain~ hehe

Anyways made slices this week! The first had the original name of "Golden M&Ms bars" but I've renamed it "M&M cookie slice" because it really tasted like M&M cookies.. just in a slice form!

M&M Cookie Slice
Recipe adaped from tasteofhome

Ingredients
113g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar (I would recommend reducing to 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup brown sugar (again, reduce to 1/2 cup)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and grease and line 20cm square baking tin.
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time and then vanilla until smooth batter.
2. Add flour, baking powder and salt to the batter. Stir in chocolate chips and 1 cup of M&Ms.
3. Spoon batter into baking tin and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup M&Ms.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares to serve. 

bursts of M&M colour ^__^

The second slice is a Chocolate cheesecake slice. Can't go wrong with cheesecake =p This slice is really addictive!! Once you start, it's hard to stop >__< well for cheesecake lovers like me. The marbled melted chocolate gives a lovely crunch factor to the creamy slice.

Chocolate Cheesecake Slice
Recipe adapted from Baker's corner

Ingredients
250g plain chocolate biscuits (I used chocolate ripple biscuits)
90g butter, melted
3 tsp gelatine
2 tbs hot water
250g cream cheese, softened at room temp
395g (1 can) Condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup cream, whipped 
125g dark chocolate, melted

1. Process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and press firmly into lined 20x30cm baking tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. 
2. Dissolve gelatine in hot water in small bowl and allow to cool slightly.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add condensed milk and beat until smooth.
4. Fold in lemon juice and gelatine. Finally fold in cream and spoon mix onto prepared base.
5. Pour over melted dark chocolate and use a knife to create a marbled affect. Refrigerate until firm and cut into squares to serve.

Delicious squares of chocolate cheesecake!

Bite size so you can have MORE bites XD

Hope my motivation comes back next week!!! =D

Work catering #23: Nutella + Cream Cheese = HEAVENLY NUTELLA CHEESECAKE!

Last week I was asked to cater for two sessions (yay! so happy they asked me ^_^) so did a lot of baking! One was for a morning tea so I made Orange and Poppy Seed cake and Blackforest cheesecake, both recipes that I have tried before.

Fanned out~~~

Close up of cake - u can see the poppy seed and orange rind

So now to the next exciting recipe!!! As promised, it is another Nutella recipe =D Remember last week how I made Apple crumble cheesecake and Nutella cookies? Well a colleague at work misheard and thought I made Nutella cheesecake! XD and I thought what a great idea~ so after some blog research I found this recipe for NUTELLA CHEESECAKE! It's super easy (as the original recipe title stated xP)

Nutella Cheesecake

Recipe adapted from ChocolateSuze

Ingredients

250g Nice biscuits

100g butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 x 250g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1/2 cup thickened cream

400g Nutella

1. Process/Crush biscuits until fine. Add melted butter and combine. Press into base of lined baking tray (20 x 30cm) and chill in fridge for ~ 30 minutes.

2. Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence with electric mixer until smooth mixture formed. 

3. Beat in Nutella until smooth. Beat in cream until mixture looks shiny and mousse-like.

4. Dollop mixture onto biscuit base and smooth the surface. Place in fridge for a couple of hours or best overnight.

Bite size squares of Nutella Cheesecake

As there was no gelatin added I thought they might turn to mush but they actually held their shape after being in the fridge overnight. It was quite rich so you can't eat too much... but oh so good ;p....

Next up is something a little fun! Colour M&M cookies ^_^

M&M Cookies
Recipe adapted from Mad cooking fusions

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
225g butter, softened at room temp
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
a pinch of salt
1 cup M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Cream butter and sugars with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix with wooden spoon until combined. 
4. Roll teaspoons of cookie dough into small balls and place on lined baking tray. Gently press to flatten with the palm on your hand. Decorate with M&Ms and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes or until edges turn light brown.

so many COOKIES :D :D :D

Colourful~~~~

Sometimes if it's too hot the M&M's will crack >.<"

These cookies are a lovely snack! and not just for kids =p Big kids too!!! ^______^