Imagine the scene - craving something bad for you, you check out the kitchen. You find icecream in the freezer, but alas, you want something a bit more fancy that a bowl of icecream. If only you had some kind of terribly decadent topping for your icecream... but! Tragedy! All you have in the house except for icecream is some sugar, a bit of butter, and a salt shaker.
Rather than do something sensible and grown up like going to the store and maybe getting some vegetables, why not whip up some dangerously tasty salted caramel sauce?
Icecream Salted Caramel Sauce
4 tablespoons of white sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of icecream
Salt to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (I like my salted caramel salty)
DANGER: This recipe involves hot sugar napalm. Be extremely careful with melted sugar, because quite frankly it is probably one of the most dangerous things in your kitchen.
Put the sugar and salt into a small, non-stick saucepan and place over a medium heat.
Note about melting sugar; avoid stirring molten sugar - to do so can make it grainy (melted sugar is a supersaturation solution of sugar - if you add some sort of seed crystal it causes the rest of the sugar to start clumping). Instead, swirl the pan around as the sugar melts to incorperate the sugar evenly into the melted mix.
Swirl the pan regularly to help the sugar melt evenly.
When all the sugar is liquid and a golden colour (not dark gold), remove from heat and add the butter. The mixture will foam violently! This is normal.
Swirl to mix in the butter evenly.
Return the pan to the heat and then imediately add the icecream. It may foam again, and that's fine.
Keep swirling the pan on the heal while the icecream melts.
Once the icecream is melted and mixed through, remove the pan from the heat.
You can spoon this directly onto icecream (the icecream will cool the sauce so you won't burn yourself on it), or leave for 15 minutes to cool. It can be stored in the fridge, just give it 20 seconds or so in the microwave so it is spoonable.
Dangerously addictive!
Saturday 18 May 2013
Friday 17 May 2013
Dark and Mean Brownie (Cupcakes)
I love most things chocolate, but unless I'm in the mood for something easy or decidedly frou-frou my preference is for dark chocolate. Most baking recipes for things chocolately involve a lot of sugar, and while this is good in it's place sometimes one wants something not-so-sweet to "fill in the corners" (if one were a hobbit). This recipe fits the bill, as well as being super easy. You can make it in a 20 cm X 20 cm pan if you feel like it, or in a cupcake pan. I just squeezed it into 6 cupcake cups, nit it would probably work better in 8 to 9 cups.
Dark and Mean Brownie (Cupcakes)
150 g butter (about 3/5 of a cup)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Yes, you read that right - 1/2 cup of cocoa. I use Dutch, but feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand.
Preheat the oven to 160 C, 320 F.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each egg.
Add vanilla and salt.
Add flour and mix well.
Add cocoa and mix well. You can sift the cocoa first if you feel like it - if not, just make sure you scrape the bowl once or twice to get rid of any big lumps.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
The mixture should be soft and creamy when you either spread it into a lined pan or divide it between cupcake holes - if you are not using a silicon cupcake pan, make sure the holes are either lined with cases or well greased.
Bake for 25-35 minutes.
Cool completely before removing from the pan.
The brownies/cupcakes will have a crisp top, with a rich, moist centre. Enjoy the deep, dark chocolate goodness.
Dark and Mean Brownie (Cupcakes)
150 g butter (about 3/5 of a cup)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Yes, you read that right - 1/2 cup of cocoa. I use Dutch, but feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand.
Preheat the oven to 160 C, 320 F.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each egg.
Add vanilla and salt.
Add flour and mix well.
Add cocoa and mix well. You can sift the cocoa first if you feel like it - if not, just make sure you scrape the bowl once or twice to get rid of any big lumps.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
The mixture should be soft and creamy when you either spread it into a lined pan or divide it between cupcake holes - if you are not using a silicon cupcake pan, make sure the holes are either lined with cases or well greased.
Bake for 25-35 minutes.
Cool completely before removing from the pan.
The brownies/cupcakes will have a crisp top, with a rich, moist centre. Enjoy the deep, dark chocolate goodness.
Friday 10 May 2013
The Cake is a Lie Cookies (plus a bonus sneaky recipe)
There are two things you need to know about this recipe. One; it was billed as a Cake Batter Cookie recipe. While tasty, these cookies do not taste like cake batter. Two; this recipe uses packet cake mix. I know, I know. I am embarassed. I hate it when recipes call for a pre-packaged ingredient. That being said, I was willing to give it a try for the sake of cake batter flavoured cookies. All in all, these cookies are nice, but if you want home made cookies for the sake of being home made you're better off just busting out a sugar cookie recipe.
The Cake is a Lie Cookies
2 and 1/2 cups butter cake mix (I used Homebrand, because I couldn't bring myself to use a froufrou cake mix in cookies)
2 and 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla (or less - I'm a bit of a vanilla addict)
1 egg
3 tablespoons jimmies/sprinkles
Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F
Mix together cake mix and flour
Cream together butter and sugar
Add egg and vanilla, and mix until incorperated
Slowly mix in flour/cake mix until a reasonably firm dough is formed (you may not need to use all of the dry mix - just enough to form a dough that isn't sticky)
Knead into a ball (add more of the dry mix if needed)
Flatten the ball, add the sprinkles, and knead though until evenly distributed
Roll dough to about 1/2 tp 3/4 cm thick (1/4 inch or so), cut out and place cookies on a lined tray (about 3 cm/ 1 inch apart)
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden at the edges
Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then cool completely on a rack
These cookies spread a little, but will still hold their shape pretty well. They're a nice solid cookie, not too crisp and not too soft. They'd probably work well with a simple icing, too!
Bonus Sneaky Recipe
Speaking of cake mix, this is an ideal recipe when you need cookies in a hurry. All you need to do is take a packet of cake mix and omit the liquid portion of the required ingedients. Add any required eggs and butter/oil, but do not add any milk or water. This will form a fairly thick dough.
Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking tray and throw in the oven for somewhere around 10 minutes, somewhere around 180 C/350 F. This will make puffy, soft cookies that are perfect for emergencies.
The Cake is a Lie Cookies
2 and 1/2 cups butter cake mix (I used Homebrand, because I couldn't bring myself to use a froufrou cake mix in cookies)
2 and 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla (or less - I'm a bit of a vanilla addict)
1 egg
3 tablespoons jimmies/sprinkles
Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F
Mix together cake mix and flour
Cream together butter and sugar
Add egg and vanilla, and mix until incorperated
Slowly mix in flour/cake mix until a reasonably firm dough is formed (you may not need to use all of the dry mix - just enough to form a dough that isn't sticky)
Knead into a ball (add more of the dry mix if needed)
Flatten the ball, add the sprinkles, and knead though until evenly distributed
Roll dough to about 1/2 tp 3/4 cm thick (1/4 inch or so), cut out and place cookies on a lined tray (about 3 cm/ 1 inch apart)
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden at the edges
Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then cool completely on a rack
These cookies spread a little, but will still hold their shape pretty well. They're a nice solid cookie, not too crisp and not too soft. They'd probably work well with a simple icing, too!
Bonus Sneaky Recipe
Speaking of cake mix, this is an ideal recipe when you need cookies in a hurry. All you need to do is take a packet of cake mix and omit the liquid portion of the required ingedients. Add any required eggs and butter/oil, but do not add any milk or water. This will form a fairly thick dough.
Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking tray and throw in the oven for somewhere around 10 minutes, somewhere around 180 C/350 F. This will make puffy, soft cookies that are perfect for emergencies.
Sultana Oat Cookies
You know those days where you want to eat something sweet, but you want to pretend that you're being healthy? Add dried fruit and oats to it, and eat it in self-righteous glory! These cookies are a bit like fruity Anzac biscuits, and the recipe is pretty damn easy. Nehold!
Sultana Oat Cookies
1 and 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking - you want self-righteous-home-made-muesli type oats)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sultanas
150 g butter (just under half a cup - most sticks of butter in Australia have 50 g markings on the wrappers)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt (can be omitted)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)
In a large bowl mix together flour, oats, sugar, fruit, salt and cinnamon
Put butter, syrup, sodium bicarbonate and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan.
Slowly melt wet ingredients together in the saucepan - it will froth and bubble, which is normal. Do not lick the spoon! The sodium bicarb will make you gag if you do. That stuff is nasty.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, and mix until combined. It will seem quite crumbly - that's normal
Place tablespoons of the mixture about 4 cm (1 and 1/2 inch) apart on a lined baking tray amd bake for 15-18 minutes
Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely
These super tasty, easy cookies store well, but they won't hang around long enough for that to be an issue. Enjoy!
Sultana Oat Cookies
1 and 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking - you want self-righteous-home-made-muesli type oats)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sultanas
150 g butter (just under half a cup - most sticks of butter in Australia have 50 g markings on the wrappers)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt (can be omitted)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)
In a large bowl mix together flour, oats, sugar, fruit, salt and cinnamon
Put butter, syrup, sodium bicarbonate and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan.
Slowly melt wet ingredients together in the saucepan - it will froth and bubble, which is normal. Do not lick the spoon! The sodium bicarb will make you gag if you do. That stuff is nasty.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, and mix until combined. It will seem quite crumbly - that's normal
Place tablespoons of the mixture about 4 cm (1 and 1/2 inch) apart on a lined baking tray amd bake for 15-18 minutes
Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely
These super tasty, easy cookies store well, but they won't hang around long enough for that to be an issue. Enjoy!
Thursday 2 May 2013
Level 30 Rolled Sugar Cookies
I found this recipe for rolled sugar cookies when I was looking for a tasty answer to the need for cookies to celebrate the final session of out long-running Dungeons and Dragons game. The makers of this recipe lied. Lied with dirty lies! Don't misunderstand, they are very tasty, but very, very difficult to use as a rolled/cut out cookies. You can see the problem I had when I tried to use this dough to make cookie versions of our might level 30 characters.
That being said, it can be used to make cut out cookies, but not if you are a cookie novice. There is an insane chilling/rolling/chilling/cutting/chilling/removing excess dough/chilling/baking process involved. If you feel that you are not up to a level 30 cut out cookie encounter, this works really well as a drop cookie recipe too.
Level 30 Rolled Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 200 C (375 F)
Cream the butter and sugar together
Add the eggs and milk and mix well
Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
Form into two disks, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour
(Awesome Baking Fact: chilling cookie dough not only makes the dough easier to work with, but it allows the dough to 'relax', making for more tender/less tough cookies)
Form your cookies (see below) and place on a parchment lined tray 3 cm (1 inch) apart
Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden at the edges
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to racks to cool completely
Level 1 Cookies
Once chilled, roll dough into walnut-sized balls
Place on tray and flatten slightly
Bake as above
Level 30 Cookies
Working with one disk at a time, roll dough out to about 1 cm (1/4 inch) thick
Place dough on a parchment-lined baking tray and return to the fridge
While this is cooling, repeat with dough until you have 2 or 3 trays covered with dough
Take the first tray and cut the dough into desired shapes, the return to the fridge
Repeat with other trays
Take the first tray and carefully remove excess dough (retain and chill for later) - place tray in the oven and bake as above
Repeat with other trays
Once the cookies are moved to racks, allow trays to cool to room temperature
Repeat with remaining dough
No matter how you make them these cookies can be eaten as is, or covered with your favourite icing mixture.
That being said, it can be used to make cut out cookies, but not if you are a cookie novice. There is an insane chilling/rolling/chilling/cutting/chilling/removing excess dough/chilling/baking process involved. If you feel that you are not up to a level 30 cut out cookie encounter, this works really well as a drop cookie recipe too.
Level 30 Rolled Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 200 C (375 F)
Cream the butter and sugar together
Add the eggs and milk and mix well
Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
Form into two disks, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour
(Awesome Baking Fact: chilling cookie dough not only makes the dough easier to work with, but it allows the dough to 'relax', making for more tender/less tough cookies)
Form your cookies (see below) and place on a parchment lined tray 3 cm (1 inch) apart
Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden at the edges
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to racks to cool completely
Level 1 Cookies
Once chilled, roll dough into walnut-sized balls
Place on tray and flatten slightly
Bake as above
Level 30 Cookies
Working with one disk at a time, roll dough out to about 1 cm (1/4 inch) thick
Place dough on a parchment-lined baking tray and return to the fridge
While this is cooling, repeat with dough until you have 2 or 3 trays covered with dough
Take the first tray and cut the dough into desired shapes, the return to the fridge
Repeat with other trays
Take the first tray and carefully remove excess dough (retain and chill for later) - place tray in the oven and bake as above
Repeat with other trays
Once the cookies are moved to racks, allow trays to cool to room temperature
Repeat with remaining dough
No matter how you make them these cookies can be eaten as is, or covered with your favourite icing mixture.
Cookie Dough Not-Quite-Fudge
This recipe was billed as being a fudge, but I have to disagree - it doesn't nearly set as much as a real fudge does, and ends up being soft and yielding even after refridgeration. On the upside, it freezes super well and is nothing short of life-threatening when coated with chocolate. Behold!
Cookie Dough Not-Quite-Fudge
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I like to use jarred vanilla paste, which is amazing)
2 cups of plain flour
1 can (395 g/14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
(Optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips)
Cream the butter and the sugar with the vanilla until pale and fluffy
While mixing, add half of the flour, then half of the sweetened condensed milk - repeat once the first lot is incorperated
(Fold in chocolate chips, if using)
Spread into a lined 20 cm x 20 cm (8 inch x 8 inch) pan, and chill for at least 3 hours
You can eat it straigh from the pan, giggling with glee, but I recommend putting on a pair of disposable gloves and rolling it into walnut-sized balls. These can be frozen for a quick sugary doughy fix, or drizzled in chocolate before stuffing into your gob.
Cookie Dough Not-Quite-Fudge
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I like to use jarred vanilla paste, which is amazing)
2 cups of plain flour
1 can (395 g/14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
(Optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips)
Cream the butter and the sugar with the vanilla until pale and fluffy
While mixing, add half of the flour, then half of the sweetened condensed milk - repeat once the first lot is incorperated
(Fold in chocolate chips, if using)
Spread into a lined 20 cm x 20 cm (8 inch x 8 inch) pan, and chill for at least 3 hours
You can eat it straigh from the pan, giggling with glee, but I recommend putting on a pair of disposable gloves and rolling it into walnut-sized balls. These can be frozen for a quick sugary doughy fix, or drizzled in chocolate before stuffing into your gob.
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