R U OK? DAY cake competition

For those who didn't know, it was R U OK? DAY 2 weeks ago in Australia. This day is to encourage people to ask others "R U OK?" in the hope of having a meaningful conversation =) and support those going through trouble. A very good cause. You can find out more info on their website.

We had a cake competition at work for this day. The theme was: Black and Yellow - the colours of the R U OK? DAY logo. The judging was based on looks alone so you had to be quite creative with it. I must admit, I am not a cake decorator.. (I do want to learn though!) so I made a simple chocolate banana cake (it's actually the recipe for chocolate banana bread but I baked it in a round cake tin =p) and iced the top with cream cheese icing with a little yellow food dye added to it. I wrote the logo with my handy icing pen and decorated the border with some oreo cheesecake balls.

The results were anounced this week and............. I .... didn't win =( hahha! but I wasn't really expecting anything. The winners' cakes were AMAZING!!! there was this minion cake and cake pops.. just really creative entries! But I'm just glad I could share this cake with colleagues and got them talking about R U OK? day ^^"

Work catering #30: Salted caramel & Nutella stuffed double chocolate chip cookies!!!!

That's a mouthful!!! hahah literally XD As soon as I was shown this recipe, I HAD TO MAKE THESE COOKIES!!! Just the thought of salted caramel oozing out of a chocolate cookie fresh from the oven .... :O :D haha!!

anyways all credits go to Top with Cinnamon! Great food blog :) She made GIANT cookies!! But i made smaller ones... probably couldn't fit as much nutella

Salted Caramel and Nutella stuffed Double Chocolate chip cookies
Recipe adapted from TopWithCinnamon

Ingredients

Cookies
110g butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups plain flour
100g dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup nutella

Salted caramel
66g caster sugar
3 tbs water
8g butter
3 tbs thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. To make the salted caramel, put sugar and water into medium saucepan. Stir together over medium-high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Tilt and swirl the pan while the mixture boils (do not mix with spoon!). Keep swirling until it has reached a yellowish-golden colour. Immediately take off heat!
2. Add butter (be careful as may splatter) and swirl it in.
3. Stir in cream, then vanilla and salt. Place in small bowl and set aside for later.
4. To make the cookies, preheat oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
5. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Take off heat and stir in brown sugar and eggs.
6. Add cocoa, salt and baking powder. Stir until combined.
7. Add in flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
8. Take a heaped teaspoon (or tablespoon =p depending on how big of a cookie you want) of dough and roll into a ball. Place on baking paper and press lightly with palm of your hand. Use your finger to make an little well in the centre of dough.
9. Fill hole with small blob of nutella and top with salted caramel. Top with a little bit more dough and seal the edges. 
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

yummy chocolatey cookies!

oozing salted caramel~

Just to balance out the super sweetness, made some no bake Lemon Slice :)

Lemon Slice
Recipe adapted from Diminishing Lucy

Ingredients

1/2 cup condensed milk 
100g butter
200g Marie biscuits
1 cup desiccated coconut
zest of 2 lemons

Lemon icing
1 cup icing sugar
20g butter, softened
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Grease and line 8 inch square cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place condensed milk and butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir for about 5 minutes or until butter has melted.
3. Process/crush biscuits until fine crumbs. Add to mixing bowl with coconut and lemon zest. Add hot butter mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Press mixture into prepared pan using back of metal spoon.Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours or until firm.
5. To make icing, place icing sugar, butter and lemon juice in bowl. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Spread over slice. (note: for a thicker layer of icing, double recipe).
6. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve

lemon slice squares~

topped with zesty lemon icing :)

Oh and in exciting news I was invited to join Everyrecipe ^___^ a compilation of Australian cooking sites and blogs :) It's pretty cool so I can get more readers to my blog =D so check it out for more baking inspiration!!!

Work catering #29: Cream cheese theme~

I love everything cream cheese! I mean, who doesn't? You can make frozen cheesecake.. cream cheese frosting... baked cheesecake.. slices.. cakes.. so much variety!!! =D =D OR you can just eat it by itself =p haha ok.. maybe that's going a little too far!

After recipe searching, I found this delicious recipe for Green Tea cream cheese brownies! YUM! everything I love~~ Green tea.... cream cheese... brownies!! =D

Green tea cream cheese brownies
Recipe adapted from dailydelicious

Ingredients
Green tea cream cheese batter
170g cream cheese
35g caster sugar
1 tbs plain flour
1 egg
30ml thickened cream
2 tsp green tea powder

Brownie batter
70g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
130g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate
175g caster sugar
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line 23cm square pan with baking paper.
2. To make green tea cream cheese batter, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
3. Add cream and egg and beat until smooth. Sift green tea powder and stir until combined. Add flour and stir to combine. Set aside.
4. For brownie batter, place butter and chocolate into saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted.
5. Add sugar and salt and sugar until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. (if the batter is too hot, it will scramble the eggs!)
6. Beat eggs together and add to bowl, stir to combine.
7. Sift over the flour and baking powder and stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spoon the green tea cream cheese batter on top and swirl with a knife to create marbled effect.
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Don't overcook it (as I almost did!) as it can become dry.

Brownie squares =D

See the marbled top? ^^

I also made my oreo cheesecake balls! (sticking to the cream cheese theme =p). You can find the recipe here.

Hmmm..... looking for more inspiration for next bakes! Feel free to give me suggestions!! =D

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 #27: White chocolate's perfect match

This week I decided to have a WHITE CHOCOLATE theme! Found a bunch of white chocolate melts in the cupboard that I needed to use up, so here is what I've made with them :) First up, truffles!!! I've never made truffles before but have realised they are so simple! Of course, I could have made White chocolate truffles but wanted to do something a little different. So the question is, what flavours match with white chocolate? 1) LEMON and COCONUT =D

Lemon and Coconut white chocolate truffles

Recipe adapted from Max and Me

Ingredients

1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream

250g white chocolate, chopped

2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1. Heat cream for one minute in bowl over pot of simmering water (double boiler).

2. Add chopped white chocolate and stir with metal spoon until melted and smooth.

3. Remove bowl from heat and stir in lemon rind. Cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours.. or overnight as I did ^^)

4. Line baking tray with baking paper. Remove truffle mix from fridge and roll into balls.

5. Coat in desiccated coconut and place on tray. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I think I needed to make more =p

Deliciously lemony ^_^ 

Everybody seemed to love them! Just goes to show sometimes simple is best =) they kinda reminded me of Lindt balls ^_^ Just needed to coat them in white chocolate!

So the next flavour match for white chocolate I have chosen is 2) PISTACHIO and RASPBERRY! Made some blondies - which are just like brownies but blond =p so made with white chocolate!

White chocolate, Pistachio and Raspberry Blondies

Recipe adapted from Baker's corner

Ingredients

270g white chocolate, chopped

38g butter, chopped

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups (~300g) plain flour

1 cup (190g) white chocolate chips

1 cup (140g) pistachio

1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 180oC/160oC fan forced. Grease and line base of 30x20cm rectangle slice tin.

2. Melt butter, white chocolate and sugar in large saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in eggs and mix well. Add flour, then pistachios, white chocolate chips and raspberries. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until mixture is firm to touch. Allow to cool in pan. 

5. Remove slice from pan and cut into squares to serve.

Blond blondies ^^

Look at the colour! LOVE IT! :D

I've had many exciting foodie adventures recently that have given me lots of inspiration =) so thinking next week's catering will be a bit more.. creative? ^___^"

Work catering #26: Yo yo yo! It's salted caramel time!

Yoyo's are one of my favourite cookies! I love the buttery dough sandwiched with buttercream filling =p.. yum! My favourite flavour would probably be the classic PASSIONFRUIT! I've made Melting moments before but they were quite huge so decided to make these smaller yoyos :)

Passionfruit Petit Yoyo's 
Recipe adapted from Simply great meals

Ingredients (Makes ~40 petit yoyos)

Yoyos
225g butter
6 tbs icing sugar
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup custard powder

Butter cream
60g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1-2 tbs passionfruit pulp (tinned or fresh)

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour and custard powder and mix to form firm dough.
3. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into ball and place onto baking tray. Press lightly with the back of a fork and bake for 8-10 minutes.
4. Make butter cream by beating butter, icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in passionfruit until combined. Sandwich yoyos together with butter cream.

before people grabbed them~ ahha

Can see the passionfruit seeds in the butter cream :]

I also LOVE SALTED CARAMEL!!!!! So wanted to try out this swiss roll. I haven't made many swiss rolls and I think this one turned out a little small for my liking but the salted caramel made up for it ^_^"

Salted Caramel Swiss roll
Recipe adapted from Happy flour

Ingredients

Sponge:
3 eggs, separated
50g brown sugar, sifted
52g cake flour (I used plain flour with a bit of corn flour mixed in)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
35g vegetable oil

Salted caramel sauce:
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp salt

Salted Caramel Butter cream:
100g unsalted butter
1 tbs icing sugar
3 tbs salted caramel sauce

Sponge:
1. Preheat oven to 200oC and line 20x30cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Whisk egg whites with electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add in sugar until stiff peaks form (using a stand mixer would be very helpful! otherwise your arm may get sore :P)
4. On medium speed, gradually add in egg yolks. Whisk for another minute until combined.
5. Fold flour into meringue in 3 portions until well blended.
6. Lastly, fold oil into batter until well combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared baking tray and smooth surface. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove cake and place on rack to cool with skin facing up.

Sponge ready to be spread with salted caramel butter cream!

Caramel Sauce:
1. Melt sugar over medium low heat in saucepan
2. One sugar has melted and turned into golden brown liquid, remove from stove. (Don't burn the sugar!!)
3. Carefully and slowly pour cream over caramelized sugar. Mixture may splatter and caramelized sugar will harden but don't worry!
4. Return saucepan to stove with low heat, stir mixture until caramelized sugar melts and is smooth - this may take a while but BE PATIENT ^^
5. Stir in salt and remove from stove. Set aside to cool. Can be stored in fridge if necessary but thaw to room temperature before use.

Salted Caramel butter cream:
1. Beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add in salted caramel sauce and beat till combined.

Cake assembly:
1. Carefully transfer cake onto greaseproof paper with skin facing down.
2. Spread butter cream evenly on sponge.
3. Gently roll cake using paper to lift the cake and roll.
4. Rest the roll in fridge to maintain shape.
5. Remove, slice and serve.

Salted caramel wreath ^^

yum yum yum =D

Work catering #25: BakingTray back baking balls and slices!

It's been a while since I catered for work! Really missed it actually ~ So what to bake for my comeback? haha...well a friend showed me this recipe (THANK YOU ^^) and as soon as I saw it, I thought "YES! MUST BAKE!". Not only is it a no-bake recipe, but only needs 3 ingredients (well 4 including the white chocolate)! and you know me? I can be the lazy baker.

Oreo cheesecake balls
Recipe adapted from Kraft recipes

Ingredients
450g oreos (3 x 150g packets should be enough)
250g block cream cheese, room temperature
250g dark chocolate melted
50g white chocolate, melted

1. Process oreos until resembles fine crumbs.
2. Mix oreo crumbs with cream cheese until combined.
3. Roll into small balls. Place on tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Coat balls in dark chocolate and place on tray.
5. Pipe white chocolate squiggles on top and refrigerate.

Balls of oreo cheesecake goodness!

I also had a spare can of passionfruit pulp that I bought the other day so was looking up some passionfruit recipes and found this one for passionfruit slice. Yummy ;)

Passionfruit slice
Recipe adapted from Exclusively food

Ingredients
1/3 cup passionfruit pulp and juice (you can use fresh or canned)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
125g butter, melted
110ml lemon juice
395g (1 can) condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan-forced) and line a 20x30cm slice pan with baking paper.
2. Sift icing sugar and flour into large bowl. Add coconut and stir until well combined.
3. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Firmly press mixture over base of pan using back of spoon.
4. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until slightly risen and lightly browned around the edges.
5. For topping, place passionfruit pulp in medium bowl. Add lemon juice and condensed milk and stir until well combined (mixture should thicken).
6. Pour mixture over base and spread evenly with a spatula. Return pan to oven and bake for further 10 minutes.
7. Allow slice to cool in pan before removing and refrigerating before slicing.

Prepped for catering~

You get the crunch of the passionfruit seeds~

I'm glad to be back baking! Actually been on a baking spree XD so lots more posts to come! =D This is what happens when I go a month without baking =p