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 

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 ^^"

Work catering #28: Inspiration from desserteries - Zumbo Patisserie and B&P sweet studio

I've been eating wayyyy to many sweets recently >____<" but all in the name of research ;P haha! Adriano Zumbo has opened up a pop up shop recently selling his "Chouxmacas - choux pastry topped with a macaron" and I've somehow become a regular customer =p" 

Pina coloda chouxmaca! so cute ^^

taking a look inside the Banana cheesecake chouxmaca! my favourite one~~~

Masterchef has also made Burch & Purchese sweet studio quite popular too! So went to visit (again) and the desserts were AMAZING!!! =D =D =D!!! Oh and I met a former Masterchef contestant -> KYLIE :) she was lovely ^^

Delicious desserts!! love all the layers and textures and flavours! <3

Kylie! super nice :) Has the dream job at B&P!

So those desserts have given my inspiration for this week's work catering =) I made lychee and coconut pannacotta - inspired by B&P's multi-layered desserts; and chocolate macarons - inspired by Zumbo's macarons!!
Lychee and Coconut Pannacotta

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups thickened cream
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 tsp gelatin
1 can lychees 
1 packet (85g) create-a-jelly (Aeroplane brand)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. Place cream, milk and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir till sugar dissolved.
2. Add 3 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. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Pour into jug and pour into plastic shot glasses (~3/4 full). Drain canned lychees (reserving 200ml lychee juice) and cut each in half. Place lychee half 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. Place shredded coconut on lined baking tray. Bake for around 10 minutes at 200oC or until toasted. Sprinkle coconut onto pannacotta and serve.

I wanted to create different textures (creamy pannacotta plus crunchy toasted coconut) and also add an element of surprise (the lychee in the middle). I'm really happy with this one! The flavours complimented each other really well, no ingredient overpowering the other (HAHA! sounding like a Masterchef judge). I was really happy because many people gave great comments ^___^" Like "this is the best thing you have ever made" - whoa... and "who bought these?" =D The only complaint was "you should make the glasses bigger" hahaha

Since I was making a an order of macarons, decided to make extra for work! Haven't made them in a while and glad they turned out well! No strange/creative flavours like Zumbo does, just simple chocolate :) You can find the recipe for my Chocolate Macarons here. Still my most visited recipe ^_^"

Oh and EXCITING NEWS! ADRIANO ZUMBRO TRIED THESE MACARONS!!!! Yes!!!! He came to his pop up shop for the last day and so i brought some of these for him to try XD XD while most people were asking for a photo and autogtraph, I stood there holding my box of macarons and asked if he would try one! XD XD! He said "a bit too crunchy, they should be softer..." i think because they weren't freshly made and dried out a little! but happy to get some feedback from the Macaon Master himself!! hehe... oh and I did get a photo too ;P

with the macaron master Adriano Zumbo!

Macarons finally making an appearance for work catering =p

close up of macarons! see the "feet" hehe

Work Catering #24: Pretty pannacotta~

Pannacotta - deceivingly simple!!!

BakingTray work catering is going to take a break for the next couple of weeks... because I'm going to Malaysia/Singapore! so excited to taste all the exotic food =D 

Anyways this week made some "non-bake" recipes for work. First up is a recipe I stole from DK who made these lovely pannacottas for his sister's wedding! They looked so professional but when I found out they were super easy.... I thought I'd give them a go! The recipe is for a basic pannacotta so you can really make up your own flavour by changing the topping! 

Blueberry Coconut Pannacotta
Recipe adapted from DK

Ingredients
1 cup cream
1 cup coconut milk/milk
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp gelatin

Topping
1 cup blueberries
2 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs corn starch

1. Place cream, milk and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir till sugar dissolved.
2. Add some 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. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Pour into measuring jug and pour into plastic shot glasses (~2/3 full). Refrigerate for around 1 hour or until set.
5. For topping, place blueberries, caster sugar and ~1/2 water in small pot over medium heat. Allow blueberries to soften and smash with back of spoon. 
6. Strain blueberry juice to remove pulp. Return juice back into pot and stir in corn starch till dissolved. Heat until slightly thickened. Allow to cool slightly.
7. Place tablespoon full of blueberry syrup on top of pannacotta. Place blueberry in centre. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lil shotglass of pannacotta ^^

Trio of pannacotta

I also made Mango Jelly Slice - same recipe as Strawberry Jelly slice but with mango flavoured jelly =) The base was a little bit crumbly... should not be stingy on the butter next time =p

Bright yellow!!

crumbly base ><

Well see you all soon!! Maybe I'll get some inspiration from Malaysian/Singaporean desserts for when I come back =) HAPPY (non)-BAKING!!!