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 #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

say... CHEESE-cake!

It was recently my younger sister's birthday and we were having a little *surprise* gathering for her so I decided to make the birthday cake!! It was also good timing because I had just bought cream cheese!!! which means... CHEESECAKE!! My sister just thought I was making it for fun... but little did she know it was for her birthday!

Happy 21st~~

The last time I attempted to make a cheesecake was YEARS ago back when I was in.. high school? we went over to a friends house to bake it~ back then i wasn't really into baking that much and the cheesecake turned out... alright.. a bit too dense and not so sweet. So this is the FIRST cheesecake I have made since BakingTray began =p

This is a frozen cheesecake (NO BAKING INVOLVED!!!) and really simple but the end result is delicious!! The recipe is from one of my fave blogs to follow.. Happy Home Baking :) you can find the recipe HERE or my edited version below ^^

STRAWBERRY JELLY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

Base:110g Marie biscuits(about 8 pieces), chopped into fine crumbs
40g melted butter

Filling:
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
50g icing sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
40ml boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 box Jelly crystal (strawberry flavour)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

Some strawberries and a cherry for the top

1. Mix biscuit crumbs & melted butter together and press firmly with the help of a spoon onto the base of a 18cm springform tin. Chill for 30 minutes.

2. Slowly pour gelatin into a bowl of boiling water, constantly stirring until all gelatin is dissolved.

3. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese , icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth & creamy. Blend in gelatin solution and mix well.

4. Pour the cheese mixture into the cake tin. Layer the strawberries on the cheese mixture. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.

5. Dissolve the jelly crystal in the cup of boiling water, followed by the cold water. Pour the jelly on the cheese mixture. Let it set before removing from the cake tin.

blow the candles out~~

slice up~~



say.. "CHEESECAKE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!