Posts from the ‘Other Sweets’ Category

Sep 30

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I believe that pancakes are supposed to be super easy to make, however mine never turn out fat, fluffy and golden brown like the pictures. My pancakes usually end up soggy in the middle and flat, and if I let them cook any longer they turn very golden brown!

Whatever I do wrong when I make pancakes, I consistently do it wrong (I did have a few exceptions with pumpkin, chocolate chip and peanut butter pancakes). So I stopped following recipes and bought a box of pancake mix – all I needed to do was add water.

My first batch from the box pancake mix were fluffy, but they were still soggy inside and too golden brown on the outside, how disappointing! I read a bit closer on the box and found a useful tip – use shortening instead of butter or oil to grease the pan with when you’re making pancakes because shortening doesn’t burn as quickly. I would try this the next time I made pancakes.

Following a recipe which was on the back of the box, I made apple cinnamon pancakes. To make this, the pancake mix is made the regular way with the addition of water, but applesauce and cinnamon were also added to the mix. And I used shortening to grease the pan.

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The result? One batch of the best pancakes I’ve ever made! Because the pancakes didn’t burn as fast (due to the shortening), the insides of the pancakes were able to cook completely. The pancakes were one of the fattest and fluffiest ones I’ve seen. The applesauce and cinnamon gave the pancakes a nice flavor, and was an instant favorite of my 2-year-old son’s.

I’m pretty sure that if you’d like to try the applesauce and cinnamon flavor, it should be able to mix into any plain pancake mix – whether a box mix or a homemade mix – without a problem. For a batch of 12 pancakes, you need to add 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. I used unsweetened applesauce.

Pancakes are great for breakfast, but I never am awake enough to prepare them in the morning! Our apple cinnamon pancakes ended up being dinner for us! :)

Sep 26

10 Comments

Matcha; Not Only For Lattes

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m really keen on matcha. My love for green tea started in 1999 when I visited Australia to see my then-boyfriend (now husband!). He took me to a lovely Japanese restaurant where he convinced me to try a bowl of green tea ice cream. It tasted beautiful and from then, I was hooked!

In the past, I’ve made my own green tea ice cream, hot cocoa with matcha whipped cream, and various matcha cupcakes (one of which was the winner of December 2008′s Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge). Just have a look at all my matcha recipes!

When I was contacted by Matcha Source and asked if I’d like to sample their matcha, there was no way I’d refuse! I haven’t placed an order from Matcha Source before, but they totally won me over with the package they sent me.

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I had to photograph the box. It’s very pretty! But of course, what is most exciting is what is inside the box…

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I received a 10g sample of high quality bright green matcha powder, a Bodum milk frother, various matcha recipes, a discount on my first order, and a lovely handwritten and personalized card from Alissa; she even congratulated me on the birth of my baby! It was really nice that the package was so personalized, this definitely made my day!

That very day, I made a warm, frothy matcha latte to test out their matcha. There really is nothing like the smell and appearance of fresh, bright green matcha; I love opening new packages of matcha.

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The recipe for this is so simple, you could make your own with your eyes closed.

Hot Matcha Green Tea Latte
from Matcha Source

The trick to this classic style beverage is to make the tea first, then add the hot milk and foam.

Sift 1 tsp Gotcha Matcha into a cup.

Melt matcha by adding 2 oz hot water and stirring until matcha becomes a smooth paste.

Pour 6 oz steamed milk into your favorite matcha bowl or teacup.

Add matcha tea to the milk.

Scoop foamy milk on top.

Sprinkle with matcha dust or cocoa powder.

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And enjoy!

Matcha not only tastes great, but has various health benefits as well. It is rich in antioxidants, naturally enhances your mood, promotes weight loss and is rich is nutrients, fiber and chlorophyll. Since matcha is sugar-free, it’s a great choice for diabetics and those who are interested in reducing their sugar intake.

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So it’s great for afternoon tea. Instead of coffee, try a hot matcha latte instead!

But wait, you’ll need a sweet snack to go with that matcha latte. I’ve seen a few different ways to make matcha truffles, but I haven’t yet seen a matcha cake truffle. Surely you’ve seen the cake truffles, sometimes known as cake balls, around the internet; Bakerella did a great job in making them famous! I decided to do the same thing, but use matcha powder in the cake and frosting.

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The process of making these is exactly the same as you’ll find on Bakerella’s website. I made my own vanilla cake and cream cheese frosting, but you can use a box cake mix and frosting if you wish; just sift about one tablespoon matcha to a vanilla cake mix, and optionally, sift 1-2 teaspoons matcha to vanilla or cream cheese frosting for a super matcha taste. The amount of matcha you add to your cake and frosting is totally up to you – add more or less depending on your taste.

Just for reference, I used Billy’s vanilla vanilla cupcakes recipe, which is my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe (I sifted about one tablespoon – a little less – matcha into the dry ingredients), and Chokylit’s green tea cream cheese frosting recipe. I added a bit of shortening to the chocolate as it was melting to make it smoother and easier to work with – the general rule is to add a level 1/2 teaspoon per one ounce of chocolate, or one tablespoon per six ounces of chocolate and melt them together.

I have written up the full recipe at the end of this post to make the matcha cake truffles using a box cake mix and a tub of frosting.

The truffles have an immense matcha taste, with just a hint of dark chocolate.

Keep the finished cake truffles stored in the refrigerator, otherwise they melt and turn gooey really quickly! The truffles taste best after allowing them to completely set in the refrigerator; I thought they tasted better the next day.

In conclusion, if you haven’t yet tried matcha, give it a go! Matcha Source is a great place to start for information on matcha and many different recipes to test out. Just have a read over their Matcha Buyer’s Guide to find out which matcha is right for you.

Matcha Cake Truffles
makes 45-50

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients called for on box)
1 16 oz. tub cream cheese frosting
2 tablespoons matcha powder, divided (see note)
1 12 oz. package dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Directions
Sift 1 tablespoon matcha powder into dry ingredients of cake mix, then prepare and bake the cake as directed on the box.

After cake has completely cooled, crumble into a large bowl by using your fingers or a food processor.

Sift 1 tablespoon matcha powder into frosting and stir thoroughly – you can do this in a separate bowl if you prefer, as it might be too difficult to stir in the tub! Pour frosting into crumbled cake and mix thoroughly.

Roll mixture into quarter-sized balls and lay on a cookie sheet. If the mixture is too soft, place into the refrigerator to firm up (30-60 minutes) before rolling into balls. Tip – keep your hands cold and slightly wet to keep the cake mixture from sticking to your hands.

Refrigerate the cake balls for several hours, or place them in the freezer to make them firm up faster. You’ll need them to be very firm to dip into the chocolate.

Melt chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening over a double boiler, stirring often.

Dip each ball into the melted chocolate to completely coat; using a fork, remove the balls and place on a cookie sheet that is covered with wax paper. Place in refrigerator for several hours, or until chocolate is completely set.

Note: You can use as much or as little matcha powder as you like, however I find that you do need quite a bit for the matcha taste to be prominent.

Sep 13

5 Comments

English Toffee

I’m not too fond of hard candy, but I’ve been determined to make my own toffee for a few months now. I kept putting it off because, like a lot of others, I was scared of using the candy thermometer! In my search for an easy toffee recipe, I came across Paula Deen’s, which looked super easy.

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So I gave it a go and was surprised at how easy it actually was. The only part of the recipe that wasn’t entirely clear was adding the vanilla and salt – I found that I needed to really stir the vanilla in there to get it evenly mixed and for it turn that beautiful caramelly-toffee color.

After spreading the toffee in the cookie sheet and spreading out the chocolate with an offset spatula, I topped about 1/4 of the toffee with M&M’s, for the kids, another 1/4 with chopped pecans, and the rest I left plain. After it was completely cool (I ended up putting it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes!) and the chocolate was hardened, I chopped it into pieces.

Obviously I did not strictly follow Paula Deen’s recipe – she had mixed the pecans into the actual toffee and left the top of the chocolate plain.

The toffee tasted fantastic and was absolutely perfect! I’d highly recommend this super easy recipe for toffee and don’t be scared of using a candy thermometer! :)

Jul 31

2 Comments

Stained Glass Jello

Jello is a very strange food, in my opinion. Its obscenely bright color, its jiggly wiggly consistency and the fact that it’s made from animal fat should put anyone off eating it! However, kids (and adults) have loved Jello for years. My grandmother used to serve it to the kids in our family for dessert – usually strawberry Jello with whipped cream.

But out of all the years I’ve seen Jello in its many forms and molds, I have never seen a creation such as stained glass Jello from The Food Librarian. When I originally saw a photo of the stained glass Jello on either TasteSpotting or FoodGawker, I can’t remember which now, it immediately got placed on my to-do list.

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It looks awesome! It tastes good too, and both of my children could not get enough of it. It was my 2-year-old son’s first experience with Jello and he was totally fascinated with its jiggliness. For me, the hardest part I had getting around was the sweetened condensed milk in this; it just seems so weird to add gelatin to it!

The stained glass Jello is great project to do with kids, so on the next rainy day, I’d highly suggest making this!

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On a totally separate note, I apologize to those of you who may have tried to access The Sweetest Kitchen in the past few days and have been getting errors or warning messages. Something went wrong behind-the-scenes (through no fault of my own) and I had been trying to contact support and not getting much help. Everything should be fixed now, hopefully!

Jul 17

26 Comments

Pillsbury Biscuit Donuts

When I first heard that one could make donuts out of Pillsbury’s refrigerated biscuit dough, I had to give it a go. It didn’t seem to make much sense, after all, this is a biscuit that you eat with dinner, not dessert!

It took me a while to get around to making these. I think I was a little nervous as I’ve never fried anything before using a big pan of very hot oil. As it turned out, these were very simple to make and I would most certainly make donuts this way again.

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I used Pillsbury brand refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough; the one I chose came 8 biscuits to a tin. I took them all out, laid them on a cookie sheet and flattened them slightly with the palm of my hand. I used one of my large metal pastry decorating tips to cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit and then let the dough sit for 10 minutes (I read about resting the dough somewhere, but I can’t find where it was now!).

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While I was fixing up the biscuit dough, I was heating the oil, about 2-inches high in a heavy pan, to 375F using a candy/deep fry thermometer. I put the biscuits in the oil, I did it one by one, for about one minute on each side.

I was so surprised at how fast they cooked and how big they plumped up. They turned a nice golden brown! I took them out and let them sit on paper towels to absorb excess oil. I then left them to cool while I made the chocolate glaze to dip them in (I cut the original glaze recipe in half).

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Like I said, I’m totally surprised by these. While they still have a hint of taste of a regular Pillsbury buttermilk biscuit, the addition of the sweet chocolate glaze covers it up mostly and you’ve got one nice and easy donut. The texture is crunchy on the outside, and soft in the inside. And yes, they still have the appearance of a regular biscuit in the inside!

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These were a real winner with my family, and like I said, they were super easy and I would definitely make these again. In fact, I find it hard not to pick up a tin of biscuit dough when I pass by that section in the store!

Pillsbury Biscuit Donuts
Adapted from myself

Ingredients
1 tin refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
Vegetable oil

Method
Pour enough oil to cover at least 2 inches in the bottom of a heavy pan. Using a deep fry thermometer, heat oil to 375F. Do not leave unattended.

While oil is heating, open biscuit tin and lay each biscuit on a cookie sheet. Flatten each one slightly with the palm of your hand. Use a small circle cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit; keep the holes, you can fry them as well. Let biscuit dough rest for 10 minutes.

Carefully place donuts, one or two at a time, into the oil. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift donuts out of the oil and place onto paper towels to drain and cool completely. Once cool, coat the donuts in chocolate glaze (recipe follows).

Chocolate Donut Glaze
Adapted from Recipezaar
Makes enough to coat 8 donuts

Ingredients
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Sprinkles, optional

Method
Combine the butter with the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and blend with an electric mixer.

Add the vanilla and hot water. Mix until smooth.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 15-30 seconds and stir again until completely melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Add to the plain glaze mixture. Blend until smooth.

When the donuts have cooled, dip each top surface into the glaze and then flip over and cool on a plate until the glaze firms up, about 15 minutes. If desired, add some sprinkles!

Jun 19

4 Comments

Chocolate Raspberry Jello Pie

When I was living with my parents and in my later years of high school, there was a watermelon Jello pie recipe that I just loved. I made it at family gatherings and a few cookouts over the years. I haven’t been able to find watermelon Jello anymore, but this particular recipe will accomodate any flavor of Jello.

So, I decided to try a chocolate raspberry Jello pie. Everything was done exactly the same as the watermelon pie recipe, except I used a chocolate graham cracker crust and raspberry Jello (and of course, I didn’t decorate the pie like a watermelon!).

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The only thing I did that was not in the recipe was to spread a layer of warmed hot fudge topping on the pie crust. I let it harden back up in the refrigerator before pouring over the pie filling. However, I found that the fudge layer did not stay solid as I expected at the bottom of the filling – it poured out when I cut the pie! So I would not add the hot fudge layer next time.

I drizzled a good amount of chocolate sauce over the pie before serving as well! It was so yummy, and brought back memories from the watermelon pie days.

If you’re after a very cooling and light dessert this summer, this pie, in any Jello flavor you want, would be the perfect choice.

Jun 16

6 Comments

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I really have been in a pancake mood lately. I really liked my chocolate chip pancakes and wanted to make them again, but I thought I’d do something different this time – make peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes!

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The peanut butter pancake recipe comes from Sunny Anderson; I just added the chocolate chips myself. I made the batter, dropped the batter into the frying pan, and then sprinkled about one teaspoon of mini chocolate chips on the batter in the frying pan.

The blackberry syrup, or even any other flavor of berry syrup, to accompany the peanut butter pancakes would have been fantastic, but I had no berries at the time and just used maple syrup.

Jun 4

1 Comment

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’ve been trying to find a good chocolate chocolate chip muffin recipe but haven’t found many recipes I’d like to try. I came across this one recently, however, and decided to try it. It comes from My Household Capers.

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I didn’t use any white chocolate chips, just semisweet chocolate chips. I thought it was quite nice, although a little drier than I expected.

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Like I said, it is a nice muffin, but just not quite what I was after. I’d love to find a recipe that would make a muffin like the Otis Spunkmeyer double chocolate chip muffin!

May 31

3 Comments

Strawberry Crumble Muffins

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a little while and finally decided to give it a go this past week. It’s a recipe for beatiful-looking strawberry muffins from Noob Cook. Not only are the photos fantastic, but the muffins appeared to be what I consider the perfect muffin, with nice golden tops.

I followed the recipe for the muffins, except I halved the recipe. I thought it was odd that the recipe stated it would make 16 small muffins, yet there were 3 cups of flour in the recipe (seemed a bit much flour for just 16 small muffins!). By halving the recipe, I ended up with exactly 12 muffins from a regular-sized muffin/cupcake pan.

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Now you’re looking at the picture and wondering what that stuff is on top of my strawberry muffins – that wasn’t in the original recipe! No, it wasn’t. This was my own addition. It’s leftover crumble topping from some individual cherry and strawberry crumbles I had made.

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I’m sure the muffins would have been great on their own, but I didn’t want to waste the leftover crumble topping I had. It would be safe to say that the sole reason I made these muffins was for the leftover crumble topping!

The crumble topping, I believe, was the final touch to these wonderful muffins. The topping gave each bite a satisfying crunch. With brown sugar being one of the ingredients in the topping, it also gave the muffin a little bit more taste.

The muffin itself was incredible! It was actually soft and moist! I was really surprised. The only thing I would change about this recipe next time is I would add maybe another 1/4 cup or so of diced strawberries.

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Actually, maybe next time I’d use fresh strawberries as well. I used frozen for these muffins. I don’t know if fresh berries would have made a difference, but the frozen ones really lost their color and turned very pale. They also became sort of stringy, as you can see in the above photo. Next time I’d try fresh and see if they retain their color and texture a bit better.

As for the recipes, head over to Noob Cook for the muffin recipe. If you’d like the crumble topping recipe, see below. Note that you could also use this topping on other flavors of muffins as well.

Crumble Topping For Strawberry Muffins
Makes enough for a generous topping on 12 muffins, probably more!

Ingredients
60g all purpose flour
50g old-fashioned oats
35g light brown sugar
pinch of salt
60g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

Method
Mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and butter. Rub mixture together with fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Prepare muffin batter according to muffin recipe. Spoon batter into muffin/cupcake pans. Sprinkle crumble topping generously on top of muffin batter and bake as directed in recipe.

The crumble topping is most crunchy on the same day that it is prepared and baked. It softens up quite a bit and loses its crunch the next day due to the moistness of the muffins.

May 25

2 Comments

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I’ve been in pancake-craving mode lately. Not wanting an instant pancake mix, I’ve been waiting to find just the right made-from-scratch recipe. I found one recently for chocolate chip pancakes that looked perfect and tried it out over the weekend.

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They were great! They turned out light and fluffy and I loved the melty mini chocolate chips in them. I cut the recipe in half and ended up with six pancakes; I added 1/2 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips to each pancake.

The recipe comes from Life or Something Like It and I highly recommend this recipe if you’re after some great pancakes! :)

May 24

Frozen Cherry Yogurt Pops

My 3-year-old loves frozen smoothie pops, so when I saw this recipe recently for frozen cherry and yogurt pops I knew she would love it.

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It simply consists of frozen cherries and vanilla yogurt. What I especially love about this recipe is that half of the cherries are totally pureed with the yogurt to make it smooth. This is set aside, and the other half of the cherries are chunkily chopped in the blender, then folded into the smooth mixture. The chunks of cherry give it a bit more texture.

It’s been quite warm and humid here the past couple of days, so these healthy treats help to cool us off after a trip to the playground!