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!!

Work Catering #39: have a break! Have a KitKat .. cheesecake!

Sorry... another cheesecake post! But this one is different!! it's got KITKAT bars in it XD I have made a similar cheesecake using Tim Tams.. and Cherry Ripes. Any other suggestions for chocolate bars? =P

Also made some blueberry cookies. I always enjoy putting fruit into cookies but usually I used dried fruit however this time I tried out fresh fruit! Enjoy the recipes :D

KIT KAT Cheesecake Slice
Recipe adapted from Bakers Corner

Ingredients
250g plain chocolate biscuits
100g unsalted butter, melted
375g cream cheese, softened
1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
2 tsp powdered gelatine
1 1/2 tbs boiling water
1 tsp vanilla essence
180g Kit Kat, coarsely chopped
45g Kit Kat, extra, coarsely chopped

1. Line a 20x30cm pan with foil.
2. Process/Crush chocolate biscuits until fine. Add butter and process until well combined. Press mixture firmly over the base of prepared pan. Refrigerate while making filling.
3. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in condensed milk and cream until well combined. Dissolve gelatine in water, then add to cream cheese mix. Beat in vanilla then fold in chopped Kit Kat pieces.
4. Carefully pour mixture into prepared base. Sprinkle with extra Kit Kat pieces and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut in squares and serve.

Look at the Kit Kat chunks!! XD

Brown Sugar Blueberry Cookies
Recipe adapted from The Baker Upstairs

Ingredients
113g butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (I used frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 190oC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix well to combine.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon with mixer on low speed. Mix until dough comes together then add milk. If dough still dry and crumbly, add 1 tbs milk at a time until it comes together.
4. Carefully fold in blueberries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Remove dough from fridge. Roll teaspoonful of dough and place on baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

I'm not sure if it was because I used frozen blueberries, but the cookies were a bit soft. I think the moisture from the frozen blueberries may have softened the cookies after they were baked however the flavours were still there. It actually tasted like cookie dough so I didn't mind ^^ The cinnamon, brown sugar and blueberry went really well together.

Cookie time!

Work Catering #36: Last of 2013 - Tim tam Cheesecake!

So this is the last of my "Work Catering" series for 2013! It's been a really fun year! Enjoyed baking and being creative/adventurous each week! (haha! sounds like I am saying a farewell speech or something =p). Hopefully I can continue next year though! Anyways Baking Tray will still be baking so don't worry!

Deleeecious cheesecake :D

To end off the year I stuck with what I loveee to bake (or NOT bake).. and that's CHEESECAKE :D This time I used Tim Tams! Because.. who DOESN'T love Tim Tams?? Classic Aussie chocolate biscuits! Too bad America doesn't have them! They are missing out!! (btw I am not sponsored by Tim Tams at all.. but.. not saying no either if they are reading this post XD)

This recipe was originally for a round cake (22cm) but I have modified it to be made as a slice.

Tim Tam Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from Butter Hearts Sugar

Ingredients

Chocolate base
250g plain chocolate biscuits (I used chocolate ripple biscuits0
120g butter, melted

Cheesecake filling
2 tsp powdered gelatine
2 tbs boiling water
375g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
300ml thickened cream
180g white chocolate, melted
300g Tim Tams (~ 1 1/2 packets), roughly chopped

1. Line baking slice pan (20x30cm) with foil.
2. Crush/process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process until combined. Press mixture evenly over the base of pan and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Make filling by beating cream cheese, vanilla and sugar with electric beaters until smooth. Beat in cream until combined.
5. In a small heatproof bowl, dissolve gelatine in boiling water. Add to cream cheese mixture along with melted white chocolate. Beat until combined.
6. Stir through chopped Tim Tams.
7. Spread into pan, smoothing over the top. Refrigerate for at lease 3 hours until set.

This cheesecake is REALLLLLLLLYYY good! it's probably up there with the White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake and Apple Crumble Cheesecake! Or maybe I'm just biased towards cheesecake =p

Next up is another easy no bake slice with MILO! (Also not sponsored by Milo =p). I used to drink this everyday back when I was in primary school! Not so much anymore but this slice brought me back to those days. It's quite sticky and sweet but a lovely Milo topping crunch!

Milo Slice
Recipe adapted from Retro Mumma

Ingredients

Base
250g packet Marie biscuits
395g (1 can) condensed milk
100g butter
1 cup Milo

Topping
200g white chocolate
50g butter
4 tbs Milo

1. Line baking slice pan (20x30cm) with foil.
2. Crush/process biscuits until fine crumbs. 
3. Place butter and condensed milk into large saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter has melted and mixture has combined. 
4. Add crushed biscuits and Milo. Stir until well combined.
5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and use the back of a metal spoon to even it out. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until firm.
6. For the topping, place butter and chocolate in bowl over a double boiler. Mix until melted then pour evenly over slice. Sprinkle with Milo and refrigerate until set. 

yummy sticky and sweet Milo slice~

Could have improved the white chocolate middle layer...

So.. that's it!!! Enjoy bakinggggg!!! I'll be finally blogging about all the other things I've made for birthdays or other random events so see you then =)

Work Catering #36: White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake slice and cookies

I couldn't think of a creative title! haha! Nice to get back into some cheesecake =D I realised that Scotch finger biscuits taste really good for a cheesecake base =) maybe because they are so buttery.. hehe! I liked this cheesecake BUT.. the only problem was the topping :( it was supposed to be a marbled raspberry topping... but kinda ended up being a messy splodge =___= oh wells! still tasted yummy! hehe

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake slice
Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au

Ingredients
250g packet Arnott's Scotch Finger biscuits
100g butter, melted
2 tbs boiling water
3 tsp powdered gelatine
375g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
300ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
180g white chocolate, melted and cooled

Raspberry topping
1 tbs boiling water
1 tsp powdered gelatine
200g frozen raspberries, thawed

1. Line base of 20x30cm slice pan with foil or baking paper.
2. Process biscuits and butter in food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Use back of spoon to press biscuit mixture over base of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl until smooth. Add cream, vanilla essence and chocolate and beat until well combined.
4. Dissolve gelatine in boiling water in small bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before adding to cream cheese mix. Pour cheesecake mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface.
5. To make topping, blend/process raspberries until smooth. (I had to add a bit of water to get it to a smooth puree). Dissolve gelatine in small bowl in boiling water then mix into raspberry puree.
6. Spoon raspberry mixture over cheesecake. Use a skewer to create a swirled effect. Place in fridge for 3 hours or until set. Cut into small pieces to serve.

see? not very pretty..

Looks a bit artificially red here..

I also made these cookies also knows as "Crisps".. not sure why though! haha I would personally call them chocolate crackled cookies ^^ They were of a chewy texture and very simple to make!

Chocolate Lace Crisps
Recipe adapted from The Organised Housewife

Ingredients
100g dark chocolate melts
80g unsalted butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 cup pure icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place chocolate and butter in small saucepan and melt over low heat.
3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, egg, flour, bicarb soda and cocoa.
4. Pour in chocolate mix and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. Roll teaspoonsful of dough into balls and roll in icing sugar. 

balls rolled in icing sugar

Place on baking trays (allowing room for them to spread) and bake for 15 minutes.

Baking in the oven. Allow room for spreading~

Nice and crackly!

with sprinkles of icing sugar =)

Work Catering #33: Egg free bake

 

I must have subconsciously picked these recipes for work catering because the speaker at the talk is allergic to eggs and both recipes are EGG FREE!!! hehe! First up are these cheesecake cookies! yum! Found the recipe while looking for interesting chocolate chip cookies for this month's Aspiring Baker's challenge.

Egg free Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe adapted from InspiredMe

Ingredients
250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup (113g) butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup
30g dark chocolate, melted (optional)
30g white chocolate melted (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat cream cheese, butter, salt, sugar together with electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add flour and mix with wooden spoon until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Roll teaspoon full of dough into ball. Place on tray and press slightly with back of spoon or palm of hand. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow to cool before transferring to wire rack.
4. To decorate, place melted dark chocolate into piping bag (or small sandwich bag with the tip cut off) and pipe squiggles over the top.

So...I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #36: Choc-a-cookie (October 2013) hosted by Genie of Honeybee916food.

Next up is Mars Bar slice inspired by my cousin... although I don't think this is the one she was talking about because this doesn't use as much butter as she described.. oh wells! still yummy :D 

Mars Bar Slice
Recipe adapted from Julia from Boredom Abounds

Ingredients
70g butter
1 tbs golden syrup
4 x 53g Mars Bars, chopped up
3 cups rice bubbles
250g milk or dark chocolate, melted

1. Place butter, golden syrup and chopped Mars bars in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all melted then remove from heat.
2. Stir in rice bubbles until well combined. Spoon mix into prepared 20 x 30cm baking tray lined with foil. Press down using back of large spoon and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Pour melted chocolate over the top of slice and spread evenly. Refrigerate again for an hour or until set and slice into squares to serve.

I have to say this slice is SUPER SWEET!! But I guess if you love Mars Bars then you will love this slice. This could even be a great base for a cheesecake! Hmmm.. *ideas churning... hehe*

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 #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!!!

Work catering #21: BakingTray recognised :)

I wasn't able to make the lunchtime seminar last week but I still catered :) And I was very touched to here that the speaker's supervisor actually said thank you for the catering ^____^v really happy to hear people appreciate my baking =) =)

Then I met a friend to give her some baked goodies and she said she bumped into a work colleague who attended the seminar and said my baking was yummy ^_^" awww.. so nice to hear that =D Is this the beginning of BakingTray catering business? HAHA! who knows~

So this time I made cheesecake and cookies. The cheesecake was a bit softer than normal, maybe I didn't add enough gelatine.... I actually froze a piece for a couple of days and I have to say, tastes delicious frozen!!! Oh and if you love Cherry Ripe then I'm pretty sure you'll love this slice!

Cherry Choc Cheesecake Slice
Recipe adapted from Baker's Corner

Ingredients
200g Nice biscuits, crushed
1/3 cup (25g) desiccated coconut
125g butter, melted
250g cream cheese, softened at room temp
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
1 can (395g) condensed milk
3 tsp gelatine
1/4 cup (60ml) boiling water
300ml thickened cream
3 x 55g cherry ripe bars, finely chopped

1. Grease and line 20x30cm baking pan with foil. 
2. Combine biscuits, coconut and butter in bowl. Press mixture firmly into base of pan and refrigerate for around 30 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese, lemon juice and condensed milk with electric mixer until smooth. Dissolve gelatine in boiling water. Fold into cream cheese mixture. 
4. In separate bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
5. Fold in chopped cherry ripe bars. Pour mixture over base. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares and serve~

Stretched out! haha they weren't that wide

Close up of cherry choc cheesecake slice - the bits of Cherry ripe oozing out

Chocolate Caramel Fudge cookies
Recipe adapted from Baker's corner

Ingredients
65g butter
1/2 cup (75g) dark chocolate chips
2 eggs
120g caster sugar
150g brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1/3 (35g) cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup (140g) caramel choc chips

1. Preheat oven to 180oC/160oC fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter and dark chocolate chips. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in eggs, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla essence.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Stir in chocolate mixture and caramel choc chips. Mix until combined. Roll teaspoon dough into balls and place on prepared trays. Bake for 10 minutes. Stand cookies on trays for 5 minutes before  transferring to wire rack to cool.

MMmm big pile of delicious cookies!

Close up of cookies! YUMMYYYY!

The cookies were indeed FUDGEY! :D Mmm.. could dig into some right now~~
Oh and OOPS on the labelling xD