Peanut butter Macarons - meltingly divine!

Unforgettable sweetness that melt in your mouth and lingers on......

Peanut butter Macarons

Ingredients:

100g Almond Flour

90g icing sugar

95g egg whites

115g castor sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

Peanut butter

Method:

1. Sift flour and icing sugar together till no lumps are seen. Sift twice.

2. Heat the sugar and egg whites together over gentle heat and whisk till sugar dissolves and mixture looks frothy.

3. Whisk at high speed till stiff peaks formed and the meringe looks glossy.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients part by part into the meringe till it’s of lava consistency i.e.if it falls off in ribbons or you can draw a figure 8, it’s ready to pipe.

5. Pipe out circles of 1.5” diameter on a greased/lined tray and bang the tin to spread the batter out.

6. Dry the batter for 30-40 minutes or till touch dry.

7. Bake in oven at 300 deg F or 150 deg C for 14 minutes, rotating the tin half way to ensure an even bake.

8. Cool for 10-15 mins.

9. Pipe frosting onto macaron shell and press another shell on top.

10. Store in fridge for 2-3 days when they will taste best by this time. ENJOY!

Baked White Chocolate Kiwi Cheesecake - to die for!

Heaven for cheesecake lovers and you'll never want another kind.....

Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base:

35g butter/oil (I used EVO)

150g plain digestive biscuits, crushed

Cheesecake:

150g Belgian white chocolate

450g full-fat cream cheese e.g. Philadelphia, at room temperature

1½ tbsp plain flour

½ tbsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

100ml Greek yoghurt, full cream

Decoration:

Lemon zest – half a lemon

1 Kiwi fruit - sliced

Method:

1. BASE – melt the butter in the microwave and stir in the biscuit crumbs. Press into the base of cake tin evenly and bake in a preheated oven at 170 deg C for 10 mins. Set aside to cool.

2. MAIN CAKE – break the chocolate into pieces and melt in the microwave for 2-3 minutes stirring it until it’s liquidy. Set aside to cool.

3. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese in a mixing bowl for 2 mins until creamy and smooth. Add flour, salt, vanilla and beat in the egg, melted chocolate and yoghurt. Mix for another 1-2 mins.

4. Pour the mixture into a lined or greased tin and bake in 220 deg C for 10 mins.

5. Lower the oven temperature to 90 deg C and bake for another 40 mins till the cake is set and a bit wobbly.

6. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for 10-15 mins with the oven door ajar.

7. Remove the cake from its tin and decorate with lemon zest and kiwi fruit slices. ENJOY!

White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns with spices!

Sweet breads for occasions.....these are filled with spices, fruits and all things so nice that you won't or can't put them down!

White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

(These are made using a sweet levain to achieve a softer fluffier texture.)

(For Vegans, replace the egg with soy milk, butter with EVO)

Ingredients:

Sweet Levain:

50g Active sourdough starter

50g water

50g White bread flour (WBF)

15g sugar

Dough:

280g WBF

15g sugar

1 egg, leave 1.5 tbs for egg-wash

50g milk

20g butter/oil (I used EVO) [= extra virgin oil]

Mixed fruit – soaked in tea and drained

1 tsb mixed spice

1 tsb nutmeg

Toppings/Piping:

Egg-wash - 1.5 tbs + 1 tsb water

40g white cooking chocolate

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients for the sweet levain and put in fridge overnight.

2. Mix the WBF, egg and milk well till you get a window pane.

3. Add all other ingredients and then the butter/EVO.

4. Rest till dough doubles in size.

5. Punch the inflated dough down and divide on floured surface into 80-90g pieces.

6. Shape and arrange in greased tins.

7. Proof for 1-2 hours till they've increased in size and egg-wash the top of buns.

8. Bake in oven 180 deg C for 20 mins till golden brown.

9. Melt some 40g white belgian chocolate in microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring now and then to ensure it’s melted. Cool a little before piping onto buns. ENJOY!