mini pavlovas
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
Mini Pavlovas:
160 ml / 2/3 cup egg whites (5 – 6 large eggs) (Note 1)
1 1/4 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 1/2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch (Note 2)
1 tsp white vinegar (Note 2)
Whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy/thickened cream (whipping cream), COLD
1/2 cup mascarpone, OPTIONAL for stabilising (Note 3)
3 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings – choose:
Strawberries, mangoes – diced into 1cm / 1/3" cubes
Blueberries, raspberries, kiwi sliced, passionfruit pulp
Small mint sprigs
Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
Method
Mini Pavlovas:
Egg whites – Separate the egg yolks from egg whites while fridge cold (it's easier). Measure out 2/3 cup (160 ml) egg whites then set aside to come to room temperature for 30 minutes (fluffs better at room temp).
Preheat oven to 150°C / 325°F (all oven types).
Add sugar – In a stand mixer or using an electric beater, beat the egg whites on high for 1 minute. While still beating, add the sugar 1 dessert spoon at a time.
Beat 8 minutes – Continue to beat for 8 minutes on high until it's fluffy, glossy, and there are no sugar grains remaining when you rub a bit between your fingers. Add vinegar and cornflour then beat for a further 30 seconds.
Line tray – Dab a bit on the corner of 2 trays then cover with baking paper (parchment).
Pipe mounds Transfer meringue mixture into a large piping bag fitted with nozzle of choice. Pipe 12 – 13 mounds 6 – 7 cm / 2.5" wide about 5 cm / 2" tall. Use a spoon to flatten and make a slight dent on the surface to hold cream and fruit. Pavs should end up about 4 cm / 1.6" high.
Bake 1 hour 30 minutes – Place both trays in the oven, immediately turn oven DOWN to 110°C/225°F (100°C fan) and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until they are dry to touch. Keep baking if still sticky – exact times may vary. (Note 4)
Cool in oven – Turn oven OFF and leave to fully cool for 4 hours or overnight around 10 hours (I usually do this).
Airtight container – As soon as the pavs are fully cool, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until required. (Note 6)
Cream – Beat cream ingredients (including mascarpone, if using) in a large bowl on high until soft peaks form (1 minute using a stand mixer, 2 – 3 minutes with hand held beater).
Decorate – Just before serving, spoon a big dollop of cream in the nest, top with fruit and dust with icing sugar if using.
red velvet cupcakes
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups cake flour (sub plain / all purpose flour, Note 1)
1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened (Note 2)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (not baking soda, Note 3)
Pinch of salt
60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , softened (Note 4)
2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 large eggs , at room temperature (Note 5)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
1/2 cup buttermilk , at room temperature (Note 6)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar (Note 7)
1 tbsp red food colouring (yes, 1 whole tablespoon!)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/3 cup unsalted butter , softened (Note 4)
170g / 6oz Philadelphia block cream cheese , softened (Note 8)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups soft icing sugar mixture (powdered sugar) , sifted (Note 9)
Method
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a standard 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Sift Dry ingredients together into a bowl.
Cream butter: Put the butter in a separate bowl and beat on speed 2 for 1 minute with an electric mixer or stand mixer (paddle attachment).
Cream sugar: Add sugar then beat for a further 2 minutes, same speed, until the butter is very pale yellow, almost white.
Beat in eggs: Add the eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds on speed 1 after each addition.
Add remaining Wet ingredients: Add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and red food colouring then beat on Speed 1 until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Beat in flour: Sprinkle the Dry ingredients across the surface and mix on Speed 1 for just 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then mix again for 10 seconds. The batter should now be smooth – few small lumps is ok. Do not keep beating – overworks batter = cupcakes not as soft!
Fill pan: Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners – it should fill 3/4 of the way, but it depends on the size of the cupcake liners you use.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the middle cupcake comes out clean.
Cool: Immediately remove cupcakes onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
Frosting:
Cream butter: Place butter in a bowl and beat for 1 minute until it's smooth and starts to become paler in colour – speed 6 on stand mixer, speed 9 for electric beater.
Cream cream cheese: Add cream cheese then beat for a further 1 minute on the same speed until smooth.
Add icing sugar: Add icing sugar in 4 batches, beating in between until incorporated, starting on speed 1 so you don't get a dust storm in your face!
Beat until fluffy: Add vanilla and salt, then beat for 2 minutes until fluffy – speed 6 with stand mixer, speed 9 with electric beater. It should be creamy but still hold its shape in a peak (see video). If it's too sloppy, place in fridge for 30 minutes, then beat again.
Pipe: Transfer into piping bag with desired piping tip. Pipe onto cupcakes – makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes as pictured in post.
sticky date pudding
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
280g / 9 oz pitted dates , roughly chopped
1 tsp baking soda / bi carb soda
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup brown sugar , loosely packed
80g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
2 eggs , at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar , tightly packed
1 1/2 cups thickened cream (heavy cream)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
70g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter
Serving:
Ice cream or dolloping cream
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
Grease 7 pudding moulds (Note 2) with butter or grease and line a 20 cm / 8″ square cake pan with overhang.
Mashed Dates:
Place dates in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Pour over boiling water. Stand 10 minutes, then mash well with a potato masher (or fork) until it resembles sloppy porridge (see video for texture / thickness). (Note 3)
Batter:
Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat until combined and smooth.
Add eggs, beat until incorporated.
Add flour then sprinkle baking powder across the surface. Mix until flour is incorporated.
Add dates, mix quickly until dates are well incorporated into the batter. (Note 2) Follow directions to make one pudding or individual ones.
One Pudding:
Pour into cake pan, smooth surface. Bake 35 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
While still hot, poke about 40 holes all over the surface using a skewer. Pour over 1/2 cup Butterscotch Sauce, leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Use overhang to lift cake out. Cut, serve warm with remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream.
Baking Individual Puddings:
Pour batter into pudding moulds, only fill 2/3 of the way up.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
While still hot, poke about 10 holes on the surface of the pudding. Spoon over 1 tbsp of Butterscotch Sauce per Pudding. Leave to soak 10 minutes.
Turn pudding moulds upside down on serving plate. Serve warm with remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream.
Butterscotch Sauce:
Place ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, stir, then bring to simmer.
Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring once, then remove from heat. Serve warm.
no bake nutella cheesecake
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
Base:
200g/ 7oz Oreo cookies (1.5 standard packs, Note 1)
60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
Nutella mousse filling:
3 tsp gelatine powder
1/4 cup water
500g / 1 lb cream cheese , softened (block form, Note 3)
1/2 cup soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (Note 4)
1 cup Nutella (Note 5)
1 cup heavy/thickened cream
Nutella ganache topping:
1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
1/2 cup Nutella
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/semi-sweet chocolate chips
Toppings:
1/4 cup hazelnuts , lightly toasted then chopped
1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream (for whipping)
3 tbsp Nutella , warmed
Method
Prepare pan: Flip the base of a 20cm / 8" springform pan upside down – this makes it easier to remove the finished cheesecake without the lip in the way. Butter pan base, then press on a square sheet of baking paper. Clip the pan sides onto the base, letting the excess paper overhang. Butter and line the pan sides with more baking paper.
Oreo biscuit base:
Blitz cookies: Roughly break up Oreos with hands and place in food processor. Blitz until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz again until combined.
Press into pan: Transfer crumbs into prepared pan, pressing evenly and firmly on to the base (I use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed cup measure to do this).
Nutella mousse filling:
Bloom gelatine: Place water in a small bowl then sprinkle the gelatine powder across the surface. Stir to partly dissolve. Set aside 5 minutes. It will turn thick; this process is called blooming. Microwave the gelatine for 15 seconds to turn it into liquid, stir, then let it stand for 5 minutes to cool.
Cream cheese and Nutella mixture: Beat cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar until smooth. Add the cooled gelatine liquid and beat another 30 seconds.
Whip cream: In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold in cream: Add one third of the whipped cream to the Nutella mixture and gently fold until just combined. Fold in another third of the cream the same way. Then fold in the remaining cream.
Transfer to cake pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place back in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
Decorating
Nutella ganache: Place cream, Nutella and chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Microwave in two 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
Pour ganache onto cheesecake: Allow ganache to cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the set cheesecake base. Tilt pan to spread it over the surface evenly.
Refrigerate cheesecake at least 3 hours before sprinkling with hazelnuts (otherwise they sink into the cake!)
Decorate: Sprinkle over hazelnuts. Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edge, then drizzle with warm Nutella. Slice greedy-sized wedges and devour!
Recipe Notes:
1. Oreo cookies – You can also use plain chocolate biscuits instead, such as Arnott’s Chocolate Ripple, but add 1 1/2 tbsp / 20g of butter. This is because Oreo cookies have a filling which is partly what helps bond the crust.
2. Gelatine – I use McKenzie’s brand, widely available at grocery stores in Australia.
3. Cream cheese – You must use BLOCK cream cheese which is firmer than the tub form, which is designed to be spreadable.
4. Icing sugar – Note for Australians: It’s better to use SOFT icing sugar rather than PURE icing sugar, but it’s ok to use pure icing sugar in this recipe. Pure icing sugar sets hard and is used for things like royal icing. Soft icing sugar is mixed with tapioca/maize starch so it sets more softly, and is used for things like buttercream frosting.
5. Nutella – I’ve used non-Nutella brand hazelnut spreads successfully in the past.
Homemade Nutella – Though I haven’t tried it for this particular recipe, homemade Nutella would elevate this to epic-like status. However, you’ll need to add an extra 1/2 tsp of gelatine as homemade Nutella is runnier than store bought.
6. How to toast hazelnuts – Heat a pan over medium heat (no oil). Put the hazelnuts in and toast for 3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until you can start to smell strong nutty aromas. Remove from pan, cool, then chop reasonably finely (I like to chop it finely enough to have some “dust”)
red velvet crinkle cookies
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/3 cup of All Purpose Flour
2/3 cup of Granulated Sugar
3 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp of Baking Powder
1/4 tsp of Salt
2 Eggs
Red Food Coloring
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup of Confectioner Sugar
Unwrapped Hershey Kisses
Preparation
1) In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, set aside.
2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, add the vanilla and eggs and mix until creamy and smooth.
3) Add the dry ingredients and mix them in long enough to combine and add enough food coloring to achieve the intense red color you’re looking for.
4) Place the dough in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or up to overnight.
5) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
6) Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, form little balls of dough and coat them in the confectioner sugar, place them a couple inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
7) Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from the oven, allow them to sit for 2 minutes (they will deflate a bit) and then place a little kiss
Chocolate covered strawberries
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup (175g) chocolate chips (Note 1)
2 tsp vegetable oil (or grapeseed oil, canola, peanut or other neutral oil) (Note 2)
500g / 1 lb strawberries (~25 strawberries, depends on size, Note 3)
Optional - for coating
Desiccated coconut
Crushed nuts
Sprinkles
Other coating of choice
Method
Line a tray with baking paper (parchment paper).
Place chocolate in a microwave proof bowl.
Microwave on high in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
Pick up a strawberry by its stem, or gather up the leaves around the stem to get a grip hold on the strawberry.
Dip into the chocolate, rolling to coat most of it (see video), the place onto the tray.
Repeat with remaining strawberries.
If using coconut / nuts or other coating, dip into the coating then lay on tray.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
Best served within 12 hours of making.
Brown butter cookies
Brown Butter Cookie Recipe
RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup (170g) cold Browned Butter cut into cubes
1 cup (213g) Brown Sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 tsp Aged Vanilla Extract
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1½ cups (180g) cake flour
1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp kosher salt
8oz (227g) solid milk chocolate, broken into chunks
½ cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups (226g) chopped walnuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 415°F (210°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the browned butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating after each addition until fully incorporated.
Add the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, and walnuts by hand. The dough will be a bit more crumbly than a typical cookie dough, but if you feel it won’t hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Divide the mixture into 8 large mounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Make the mounds tall and large, just how you want them to look when they finish. (They don’t spread much while baking.)
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy the cookies while still warm and gooey.
Red Velvet Brownies
Red Velvet
Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup of Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp of Salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup of Flour
3 Tbsp of Cocoa powder
1 tsp of Distilled Wine Vinegar
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Filling:
8oz of Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1 Egg
3-1/2 Tbsp of Sugar
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
Preparation
Grease an 8x8 square baking pan with non stick spray and lay the bottom with parchment paper making sure the parchment paper comes up the sides of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and beat well. Add the cocoa powder and mix it in, add the salt followed by the food coloring and vinegar making sure to mix between adding each ingredient. Add the flour last and just mix it long enough to incorporate.
Reserve 1/4 of the batter and pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan.
In a different bowl, using a handheld electric mixer cream together the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla very well until there are no more lumps left
Spread the cream cheese (don’t panic if you can’t smooth it perfectly) on top of the brownie layer, then using two small spoons, dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of batter on top of the cream cheese and using a butter knife, swirl the batter into the cream cheese mixture.
Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving!
Red velvet Cookies
Red Velvet Cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (110g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar (220g)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream of plain yoghurt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tbsp red food colouring
2 cups plain white flour (250g)
1 tsp baking powder
Cream Cheese Frosting
6 tbsp unsalted butter (75g)
5oz/150g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar (225g)
Decoration
Red sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
COOKIES
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Line two cookie sheets with baking (parchment) paper. I streak the tray with a bit of butter to make the paper stay in place.
Use a mixer or handheld beater to cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugar until light and fluffy - around 3 minutes on high.
Add the eggs, sour cream, cocoa powder and red food colouring and mix until combined.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.
Drop heaped tablespoons of batter onto the baking tray, spacing them out around 1 inch / 2.5cm from each other and the edge of the tray.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the top springs back when touched.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Top with cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles, if using.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Beat the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth - around 5 minutes on high.