Chocolate Caramel Tarts! *Dies of dehydration from excessive drool*

Ever since my oldest sister and I started going to Café's together, Chocolate Caramel Slice has been a favourite of mine! Sweet and caramely but not too filling, just enough to sate you until home time, and the mild coconut taste of the base always contrasted that sweetness perfectly. 

Anywhoo, it was my sister's birthday last week and she sincerely wanted caramel slice to make an appearance, and as the caterer of this party I had to be practical- Slices can be tricky, sometimes the chocolate sets too hard and you can't cut pieces small enough to be considered finger food. As well as the obvious issue of caramel from the sides of each slice getting on people's hands, not that this kind of caramel is overly sticky, but still, a slice just didn't seem right in this case. The alternative? Tarts!

I took the recipe I had for caramel slice, made a few alterations (it didn't advocate the addition of coconut! and also, it was a slice...) and voila! Perfect party food, so perfect that half of them didn't even make it out of the kitchen! (Insert disgruntled dieting comments)

Whether you use this recipe for your own sweet party treats, or just a self-love binge, you won't be disappointed! 

Note: The caramel is insanely easy to make so don't worry! 

What you'll need:

1 cup of plain flour

90g butter

1/4 cup of caster sugar

1/2-3/4 cup of desiccated coconut

400g can sweetened condensed milk

30g butter, extra

2 tablespoons golden syrup

100g dark chocolate, melted

Makes about 24 (though I had a bit of caramel left over)

Method

1. Preheat oven to moderate (160-180˚C). Grease two 12-hole mini-muffin pans. 

2. Blend or process flour, butter, sugar and coconut until ingredients just come together. Press level tablespoons of butter mixture into each hole of prepared pans. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. When they come out of the oven, they may have risen slightly, in which case lightly press the bases down again to create room for filling. 

3. Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan; stir until smooth, but do not boil. 

4. Using a small spoon, fill the hot bases with the hot caramel; return to the oven for about 3 minutes or until the caramel is beginning to brown around the edges. Stand for 2 minutes then, using a knife, gently remove tarts from pans. Allow to cool on a plate.

5. Melt the chocolate in a metal saucepan over boiling water. Spread top of cooled tarts with chocolate and allow to stand until set. 

Enjoy! and don't forget to come back!

Ideas

* Add a macadamia or other nut to the top of caramel, just before you spread over the chocolate.

* A wider- shallower tart could be achieved using a normal muffin pan

*I do not own the original recipe that this was adapted from, it is the property of The Australian Womens Weekly. The above image belongs to www.taste.com.au.  

Perfect Pancakes with Butterscotch Sauce

Now I'm not normally a fan of pancakes, personally I've always hated the taste. Until recently a friend and I had breakfast at the restaurant Pancake Manor and the macadamia pancakes blew my mind, they were marvelous! Fluffy and sweet, and their special sauce practically knocked me over.

So what was different about these pancakes? For one, they weren't flat like the usual shake and bake I remember, and two, the flavour was perfect, not too savoury, not too sweet. I was determined to have this recipe for myself! Unfortunately, magicians don't tell their secrets. Alternatively I searched and searched the web and countless recipe books, and I have perfected the ultimate recipe for that perfect pancake! Oh and that special sauce?.. What was that.. I've tasted it before.. I could've sworn I'd made it before.. it drove me crazy until the lightbulb went off- Butter Scotch! 

What You'll Need:

3/4 cup of milk                     

2 tbsp. white vinegar

1 cup of plain flour

2-3 tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2- 1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

2 tbsp. butter, melted. 

Butterscotch Sauce:

3-4 tbsp. butter

3-4 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup thickened cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence or extract

1-2 tbsp. icing sugar

Makes 5-7 medium to large pancakes

Method:

1. Combine milk with vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour". I know, I know, what the heck is the vinegar for? It works as buttermilk, basically giving the pancakes that perfect fluffyness, I promise it won't make them sour!

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. 

3. Whisk the egg and melted butter into the soured milk. 

4. Combine the flour mixture and wet mixture, mix well but try not to over-stir, it should be lightly bubbling due to the combination of the vinegar and baking soda. 

5. Pour about 3/4 cup of mixture into a hot frypan and gently spread the pancake, only slightly, it should still be about 1- 1.5 cm deep. Once you see the top of the pancake bubbling, flip it over and cook the other side, but not for too long, I always find the second side will cook much faster than the first. 

Butterscotch Sauce:

1. Melt the butter and sugar overheat until smooth.

2. Add cream, vanilla, sugar, and bring to a light boil for 10-20 seconds, then take off the heat and stir, don't burn. 

3. The sauce should become slightly thicker on standing and is then poured liberally over the pancakes,  if desired, will thicken much more in the fridge.

Tips:

* Dust the pancakes with a bit of icing sugar for extra sweetness. 

* For a twist, at the end of step 4. add something to the batter- Chocolate chips, macadamias, roast hazelnuts, anything really, you're only limited by your imagination! 

* Add a scoop or two of Icecream to your pancakes with butterscotch. 

Enjoy!

Rosie.x 

* Image found through google. 

Sweet and Creamy Mini Bee Stings

Don't fret, I know these appear to be a disaster waiting to happen but they're actually really easy

The cake/cupcake is sinfully sweet and firm, and yet light meaning the whipped cream holds perfectly between the two halves, the flaked almonds are technically optional but I must admit they do give these beauties that certain touch..

So if you've tried to get that custard filled, multi layered classic Bee Sting right, with no such luck. These are a cute, innovative and delicious alternative!

What you'll need:


1 stick/ 115g butter, softened

Heaped 1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg, separated

7-9 tbsp honey plus 1/2 cup to drizzle

2 1/2 cups of plain flour

1 tsp. baking soda

about 4 tbsp. milk

1 1/3 cups/ 300 ml whipping/ thickened cream

3/4 cups flaked almonds

Makes 12-18
Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/ 200˚C/ Gas Mark 6. Grease a 12-hole muffin pan, if you find at the end that you have extra mixture, grease a second pan. 
2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk. Slowly add the 7-9 tablespoons of honey, beating well. 
3. Add the flour and baking soda and gently stir into the mixture until just combined. Add enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. 
4. Whisk the egg white until stiff and then fold into the mixture until incorporated. Spoon the mixture as equally as possible into the muffin cups. 
5. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden and risen. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. 
6. Whisk/beat the cream until stiff and thick, but not dry. Cut each cupcake in half width-ways and place a spoonful of whipped cream on each flat half. 
7. Drizzle with some of the remaining honey. Replace the tops of the cupcakes and drizzle with more honey. 
8. To finish, press flaked almonds into the top of each cupcake to decorate. 

Whether these sweet and creamy loves are intended for a stylish tea party or just that relaxed sunday at home, everyone will love them and the amazing cook who made them! 

Tips:

* Don't be discouraged by the complex look of these, they really are very simple to put together. 

* If you whip the cream just right, and allow the cupcakes to cool completely, they will hold their shape perfectly!

* Make sure you have one before they're all gobbled up! 

Enjoy!

Rosie.x 

* I do not own this recipe. The ingredients/method were sourced from the recipe book, Foodlovers Cupcakes and Bakes, Trans Atlantic Press, 2011. 

Light and Fluffy Rosewater Cupcakes with Scrumptious buttercream Frosting

Coinciding with the Diamond Jubilee, I felt an elegant cupcake would be perfect!

Rosewater is a flavouring which many have never tried, it works beautifully with white chocolate or on its own. It is hard to describe this sweet, fragrant essence, but if you can imagine the taste of fairy floss (cotton candy) while standing in a garden of roses, their light but sweet fragrance wafting across the garden which is being tended too by Manu Feildel himself, then your close! 

Fantasies aside, this flavouring happens to also be quite the miracle worker. It can take a plain, simple recipe.. or chef.. to something resembling a fine feat of the renaissance.. Very little talent or patience required!

 I would rate this recipe 5 stars for its simplicity, yet wonderful result, loved by young and old! You'll have these darlings whipped up in under 10 minutes, baked in 20 and iced in 5! 

Perfect for parents and the busy alike who want it to still seem like they made that extra bit of effort. 

What You'll Need

1 1/2 Sticks/175g Butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

1-1 1/2 tsp Rosewater essence 

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups Self-Raising flour

For the delectable buttercream:

5 tbsp/ 75g Butter

1 1/3 cups/ 175g confectioners' (icing) sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract or essence

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C/ Gas Mark 4. Place paper cases, or well grease a 12-hole muffin tin. 
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. 
3.  Stir in the vanilla and rosewater. Gradually beat in the eggs. 
4. Gently fold through the flour. 
5. Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes, depending on your oven this may take more or less time, they're ready when they're just golden, risen and firm.
6. Allow to cool, on wire rack or in the fridge. Definitely allow to cool before icing. 
7. For the buttercream, beat the butter in a bowl until creamy.
8. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla. 
9. For an easy yet lovely touch, pipe the icing onto your cupcakes, otherwise spread on gently with a knife.

These cupcakes are a great base for some simple decoration such as topping each cake with 1 fresh raspberry or half strawberry, or something in season all year round like sprinkles or lightly arranged cachous. 

Either way these cupcakes are stress free to make and taste absolutely marvelous! The sweet and heavenly rosewater perfectly mingles with the creamy vanilla topping. 

Tips

* Rosewater mixes best with neutral flavours, as on its own it really stands out, because of this it is best not to go overboard 2-2 1/2 tsp max! 

* If these are intended for a children's or young ones party, ditch the paper cases, you'll just have to find them all later and try using a mini muffin tin instead! They're a bit easier for the little ones who just want a quick sweet treat. 

* WARNING! It is near impossible to resist eating the batter or the cupcakes prior to icing, they are simply divine!

Enjoy your drop into heaven and the acclaim and compliments that are sure to follow! 

Rosie.x