Friday, December 14, 2012

Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream without a machine

My name is Tracey and I have a Peanut Butter addiction.

There I said it.....!!!!! I can't get enough of the stuff. Yummy is the only word I have for it at the moment.

So yesterday in my web surfing I decided to look up Homemade Ice Cream recipes as I bought a 'popsicle' molds for icy poles and thought it would be good to have frozen yoghurt in them - made - easy peasy but then I thought of myself. The banana frozen yoghurt is for the kids. So I looked up......you guessed it - Peanut Butter ice cream. I was feeling lazy and didn't want to wait for the ice cream maker to do it's work so looked up recipes that you can throw straight in to the freezer. 

Normally with a recipe like this you use full fat whipping cream but hey I wanted to create a lower fat version and I even omitted the butter that the recipe required and guess what - it turned out like normal ice cream so will include it in the recipe but you can leave out if you want to.

Here are the ingredients except the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips (OMG 
they are the bomb). 
Just out of the freezer. Was in there for 5hrs. 

Peanut Butter Ice Cream - no machine
Ingredients:
1 can Nestle Reduced Fat Cream
1/2 recipe of Homemade Sweetened condensed milk with Natvia 
1/4 cup Peanut butter
1/4 cup Peanut butter chips - optional
3 Tbs butter, melted

Whip the cream with a teaspoon of Natvia (just for taste). Whisk/mix together sweetened condensed milk, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Mix cream mix and peanut butter mix together. 

Pour into a container and cover. Freeze for 5-6hrs or until you liking. 

If you want the full fat cream version have 1 cup heavy cream and whip it. Fold the peanut butter mix with the whipped cream. The can of reduced fat cream does not whip like normal cream. 


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Toffee Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake a while ago. I bought the Hershey's Choc Toffee Bits from the US a while ago too and decided to make a cheesecake with it. Was so so so yummy. 

I know, I know, I shouldn't be eating it and to tell you the truth it was so long ago that I can't even remember when it was. But it was a hit with me and my middle child. Old fashioned toffee bits are awesome. 

So here is a super duper 'sugary' but so so so yummy cheesecake. 

Next time I will have to try it with some Natvia. What do you think....???


I only made a third of this recipe from the Hershey's site. If you get a chance to buy the Toffee Bits buy them. They rock. Mine are the chocolate ones but it still tastes yummo. 

By the way - I used Digestive biscuits as my base. See ya.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Easy Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

I know I didn't want to post this up just yet but couldn't help myself as I am super duper excited.

There are a lot of recipes - especially my no bake cheesecakes that require a can of sweetened condensed milk. Not only is that (of course) packed full of sugar it is too sickly sweet for me and tends to give me a sugar headache if I do so thought I would get a recipe for Homemade Sweetened Condensed milk and use Natvia instead of sugar.

There are many floating around but I used a really easy version. 


Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk - Sugar free
Ingredients:
1/3 cup water - boiled
1/4 cup Natvia
1 cup skim dry milk powder - sifted
3 Tbs butter

Method: 
In a small bowl mix all ingredients with an electric mixer or wire whisk. Make sure you add water last. Mix until nice and smooth. Refridgerate until you need to use. Best used on day that you make it. 

If you don't sift your milk powder you may get lumps, like I did. I actually used just under 1/3 cup of Natvia but found it was a little too sweet for my taste so I will reduce the quantity to 1/4 cup next time. 

Enjoy making you sugar free no bake desserts. I can't wait to get started using it. 

Update ****** Troubleshooting: I used this and the sugar wasn't quite dissolved so next time I will dissolve it in the boiled water first and then add the water and sugar mix to the milk powder and butter. 

Cinnabon Muffins with cream cheese glaze plus a party

Sorry for the lack of posts recently - it seems this time of year just gets to me and I always feel incredibly stressed and I also had a couple of parties (see below for a couple of pics of my DD's 5th party) to organize - oh and I also have been going to the gym a lot lately so that has taken a lot of my time. 

Ever since I made the Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff  I have been meaning to make muffins or at least single serves of the cake so they could be frozen. Of course, I have no idea whether they will freeze well but can only try but with a huge fan in my husband I don't know whether they will last long enough to freeze anyway.

I tweeked the recipe so it contains Natvia and wholemeal flour instead of white flour. Of course apart from the sugar being substituted it isn't really low in fat or sugar as it has a lot of butter and brown sugar but you know what when you want to indulge I think this is my go to recipe.

Just before going in the oven. 

 With glaze

Cut in half. 

Cinnabon Muffins Recipe - adjusted from Six Sisters' Stuff
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour (I used wholemeal but you could use white)
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup Natvia (1/2 cup if you use proper sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk (i used skim)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs butter, melted

Cinnamon mix:
1/2 cup butter - 125g - softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs flour
1/2 Tbs cinnamon

Glaze:
2oz cream cheese (1/4 block of cream cheese)
1 TBS milk
3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
4 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp vanilla (I didn't use this)

Directions:
With an electric beater or mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, egg, and vanilla. Once well combined, slowly stir in the melted butter. Will a tablespoon, spoon mix in to a 12 cup muffin tray. 

In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon until well combined. Drop a tsp size ball on to the cake mix and with a toothpick or knife swirl the cinnamon mix in to the cake mix. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. Will be cooked when toothpick comes out clean from center.

In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, milk, butter, icing sugar and mix with an electric beater. mix well and put on to the top of the warm muffins. Will melt.

Trouleshooting: I made 10 1/2 muffins but the cinnamon mix on top bubbled and spilled over the muffin tray on to the bottom of my oven. If you can maybe try putting the cinnamon mix in first or put smaller amounts in the muffin tray and make more of them. The mix actually went hard like toffee so was an added bonus. 
_______________________________________________________________________________

My little missy is celebrating her 5th birthday this month and we had a party really early this year so her friends could come. Here is just a couple of her. 

Rolling the cake balls for the cake pops. Unfortunately I forgot
to take photos of the finished product but they tasted good. 
 The candy table that she wanted. Not as fancy as I was hoping but 
the kids barely touched the lollies they were happy playing 
with each other. 
 Ashley posing with the huge lollipop cases we found at the $2 shop.
They contained 8 little lollipops. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Mascapone Panna Cotta

I am addicted to Pinterest.

Yes I said it but it is true LOL.

In my searches I have come across Panna Cotta. Never heard of it so I pinned a couple recipes and decided to give it a go over the weekend.

For this recipe I used - you guessed it Natvia - had to use my new pack that I received in the mail. LOL.

It actually is quite nice and I will certainly be making again if I want something quick to make. 

Panna Cotta with Mascapone
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon gelatin
1 Tbs water - for gelatin
250ml of cream
25g sugar (if using Natvia - 15g or 1 TBS)
1/3 cup Mascapone cheese

Directions:
Mix gelatin and water together and set aside.
In a pot heat and cream and sugar together and mix well until sugar is dissolved and cream is heated. Add gelatin and remove from heat. Let cream mix cool until warm (can't be hot) and mix mascapone in to cream mix until well combined. Put in to moulds, cups - whatever you are using and put in fridge for at least 5 hours. Gelatin should set the mix.

I made 5 really small serves of this so the whole family could try but you could do just two larger servings. 
Top with fresh fruit.

I am a regular

.....contributor to the Natvia Sweeter Life Club

If you have been wondering why I have been using so much Natvia lately this is why. I was stoked when I was asked and when I accepted I was sent this fabulous pack to continue to use this great sugar substitute which has a fraction of the calories. I must say that this product - unlike Splenda - taste almost exactly like real sugar. For me I always use less than what the recipes call for because it tastes so much sweeter. 


Yes I let my hubby take a photo of me which I hate but here it is.


Monday, November 19, 2012

Zucchini Muffins

One of my favourite meals and one of my son Lachlan's is Zucchini slice. We always have a problem though. We end up with a little bit left over that ends up getting thrown away and frankly I hate waste - especially with something I like so much. So..............I decided to make the same recipe but make them in to Muffins instead of baking in a slice tray. 

These taste really yummy - just like slice but individual serves. Best bit - you can freeze them and eat another time. My favourite thing to do.


Zucchini Muffins 
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, grated
1 onion, chopped
6 rashers bacon, diced
5 eggs
1 cup grated tasty cheese
salt and pepper for taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup self raising flour

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except eggs and flour. Lightly beat the eggs, add to the mixture with the flour. Bake at 180 degrees C for 25-30mins or until brown on top. If making it in to a slice cook for 30 - 40 mins until brown on top. 

I baked these in a greased muffin tray but they stuck so my advise is to use muffin papers to line. Don't know they they will stick to that either. Up to you but be warned LOL. 

Monday, November 12, 2012

Low Fat Pumpkin Scones

Here in Australia we don't particularly go nuts over Pumpkin. I don't eat it or at least not unless it is roasted in the oven until now. 

I have been seeing lots and lots and lots of recipes on the net from the US that contain Pumpkin. Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin Cheesecake. Pumpkin Brownies. You name it and you can find it somewhere. Why....??? I asked that question to all my US friends and the only responses I got were from my Aussie friends. Pumpkin is naturally sweet and is great in all these things. Think Apples. So I thought I would buy half a Butternut Pumpkin (the yanks call it Butternut Squash I believe) and cook it up. Cooked, mashed and ready to go. 

What to make with it....???

I did a search for Pumpkin Scones. My hubby mentioned liking them a little while ago so thought I would give a go and I found a low fat recipe at Food.com. I, however, did not use sugar - I used Natvia. Yep my new favourite sugar. 
Low Fat Pumpkin Scones (adjusted from Food.com)
Ingredients:
  • 2 1/2 cups self raising flour
  • 1/4 cup Natvia (original called for 1/2 cup of sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon butter - salt reduced if you can
  • 1 cup cooked pumpkin
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 50ml milk
  • canola cooking spray


Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.
  • Cream butter and sugar together (I did with a wooden spoon).
  • In a large bowl place all ingredients and mix all ingredients with wooden spoon until just mixed. 
  • Depending on the wetness of the mixture, you may need to add a little more milk.
  • Lightly grease muffin tray with spray oil and spoon in mixture. 
  • Bake for 10-15mins or until tops of muffins spring back when lightly touched.


I actually kneaded my dough a little just coz it wouldn't mix properly with the spoon. I 'cut' it with the wooden spoon so I had 12 little lumps of dough. 

These tasted divine. I am in love. Seriously the first and won't be the last time I cook these scones. 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Low Cal Sugar Free Mint Delight

In my travels on Pinterest I came across Whipped Coconut Cream. Never heard of it. So I looked at it and instantly pinned it. How cool....!!!! I like the thought of a lower cal cream and it is so easy to make. 

I have also been thinking about mint - a lot....!!!! So wanted to do something with mint for this mini dessert. Why do I say mini - coz I was only able to make two full mini desserts. These cups are small. Really small. You can only get about 3-4 Tbs in to them so you have to be careful what and how much you put in so you get all the yummy layers - of course depending on what you do. 

First you start with you Coconut Milk. No not a can of Coconut Cream - MILK. Why...??? Coconut milk develops a 'cream' on top when not shaken....SOOOOOOO.......what you have to do is - refridgerate overnight. I used this brand but must stay next time I will try a different brand as it did not yield as much cream as I would have liked. 

 After leaving in the fridge overnight - in my case a week (coz I couldn't figure out what to use it with) - you open the lid carefully and scoop out the cream on top.
 Sorry about lack of photos on this one but I whipped my cream with some Natvia (sweetener). So yummy. Think I used about 1 tablespoon as I didn't want it too sweet. Add some green colouring and peppermint essence (which I got from my local supermarket) and whip until to your tastes. I kept adding more and more essence coz I wanted to get a very minty flavour. This dessert has Jello-O Chocolate Fat Free & Sugar Free Pudding (from the US) so to substitute this you just need to use Weight Watcher Chocolate Mousse as it makes enough to fill two little cups. 

I love the Coconut cream but you would have to adjust to the different flavour to normal whipping cream. Totally yummy. Give it a go. No guilt mini dessert. 


Low Cal Sugar Free Mint Delight
Ingredients:
1 pkt of WW instant Chocolate Mousse
125ml skim milk

1 x 400ml can of Coconut milk, chilled in fridge overnight
Peppermint essence
1 -2 Tbs Natvia
Green food colouring

2 mini dessert cups

Method:
Whip the Mousse per the packet instructions. Put in cups and refridgerate until coconut cream is ready. 

Open can of coconut milk and scoop the cream from top. Be careful - if you shake the can it will mix the cream with the oily milk and you will have to wait for it to resettle.

Whip the coconut milk with 1 Tbs of Natvia (depends on your sweetness level- I stuck with the 1 but it is not overly sweet). Add a few drops of food colour and about 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint essence. I think I added about 15 drops so probably a little over 1/2 teaspoons.

Mix well and put on top of chocolate mousse. Refridgerate for a couple of hours. 


I ate both of these in one go. Were so yummy that I couldn't help myself. Good thing they are low cal. Enjoy. Great little dessert or you could think big and do this for maybe Christmas as a minty treat. 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Individual Peanut Butter Dessert two versions

In addition to cheesecake I love Peanut Butter anything - my favourite in Peanut Butter cookies as well as Malaysian Creamy Satay (packet mix) that calls for peanut butter. Alas though I have been indulging too much and have put on a bit of weight so I am now on a quest to lower the sugar or even get rid of sugar all together in my recipes/baking/cooking. 

So I found a recipe that is fully indulgent but really is too naughty as it has lots and lots of sugar - so when I made the first version with all the sugar that the universe contains (yes I am exaggerating - at half recipe) I found that the sugar high and resulting headache was too much to bear. So I had to change the recipe. Yep I changed it and you will see below the major differences.

Sugar Loaded Version
Individual Peanut Butter Dessert (naughty version half recipe)
Ingredients:
6 Digestive biscuits - blitzed in food processor
4-5 Tbs butter melted

1/2 cup whipping cream
125g Cream cheese (half block)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup icing sugar 
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:
Mix biscuits and butter together and place in to 4 -6 individual glasses/cups and put in fridge to chill.

Whip cream until nice and thick. On medium speed beat the Cream cheese and Peanut Butter together until nice and smooth. Reduce speed and gradually add the icing sugar. Add condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling and then fold the rest until just mixed. 

Put in fridge for a couple of house until set.
I whipped some more cream and put on top with some salted peanuts. 

Now you can see why I had the sugar overload.

I discovered Natvia a little while ago when I bought a book called "I Quit Sugar" by Sarah Wilson. It is a great substitute to real sugar and has nearly next to no calories in it which makes this a much better version of the dessert. 

Lower Cal Natvia Individual Peanut Butter Desserts
Lower Cal Natvia Individual Peanut Butter Desserts
Ingredients:
5 Oreo Cookies
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
125g Light Cream Cheese, room temp
1/2 cup light Peanut butter
1/2 cup light cream
150ml Greek Style Yoghurt
3 teaspoons Natvia
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
25ml water (to dissolve gelatin)

Recipe Method:
Place Oreo cookies in food processor until crumbs. Mix with melted butter and put a small amount in to six individual dessert bowls/cups. Place in the fridge to chill.

Whip 1 teaspoon of Natvia with cream just until slightly thick. You will find it does not whip properly like full fat cream.

Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until well combined. Add yoghurt, gelatin and 1 teaspoon Natvia. Mix well. Add the cream and fold in to mixture. Doesn’t have to be perfect. If not sweet enough for your liking, add another teaspoon of the Natvia.

Scoop out the mix in to the cups and refridgerate for a couple of hours.

Tips and Tricks:
If you want a fuller mix use full fat cream and fold in at the end when you add the light cream.

If you want even sweeter – just add more and more Natvia until to your liking.

To lower the calories don’t use the oreos – just place in the cups by itself.

Feeling naughty – Whip up some full fat cream with a teaspoon of Natvia for a more indulgent dessert.
These also taste awesome with salted peanuts.

This recipe actually tastes better the day after as it has the 'saltiness' of the peanut butter in it.

This recipe will be posted to The Sweeter Life Club soon so if you are looking for good recipes in Australia (or even overseas) take a look at the 'sweet' recipes they have to offer. 



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Strawberry 'Cheesecake'

In my search for a lower calories dessert I stumbled across the Weight Watchers Strawberry Mousse which has 125 calories for the whole packet - but it is very small and is only two serves. I love my cheese cake so did a search online to try and find a recipe that uses it. Nope none.

So it got me thinking about what I can do. A Strawberry cheesecake that has the WW Mousse and cream cheese to make it like a cheesecake. I followed the directions on the packet for the Mousse. Beat the Cream cheese until it was nice and smooth. Folded in the strawberry mousse. 

Done. Hmmm not quite. It actually tasted just like cream cheese and not strawberry. So I got out my strawberry Jam and added one tablespoon at a time and mixed it up. In total I added 5 tablespoons and it tastes so nice. For a lower calorie alternative you could use Weight Watchers Strawberry jam and it would be 81cals instead of the 160 for normal jam. 

 One thing I will point out is that it definately needs gelatin. It is sloppy. I actually remedied mine by putting it in the freezer overnight and then thawing it out again in the fridge. It was set but of course having gelatin in it would work better. Enjoy. 
I used Digestive biscuits for the base and about 4-5 tablespoons of unsalted butter but you could probably reduce the calories down even lower using something like a pretzel base. 

Strawberry Cheesecake - lower Calorie
Ingredients:
Base:
6 digestive biscuits
4-5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Filling:
Weight Watchers Strawberry flavoured Mousse
125 ml skim milk
250g reduced fat cream cheese - I used the 50% less fat one from Safeway.
5 tablespoons of strawberry jam
Gelatin - follow the instructions on packet for about 400ml of liquid. 

Put biscuits in food processor until they are fine crumbs. Mix the melted butter and crumbs together and put in to the base of you pie dish. Put in fridge to chill.

Mix the milk and mousse mix together until nice and thick. Beat the cream cheese until nice and smooth and fold the mousse in to it. With the mixer beat all ingredients with the jam. Add in the gelatin and mix well. 

Cover with plastic wrap (it will dry out if you don't) and put in the fridge for a couple of hours at least. 

If you don't want to use the gelatin, do what I did and put in the freezer. 

225 calories in each serve if you cut in to 12 slices - if you can bring that up to 16 slices it drops it to 150 cals per serve. 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Choc Chip Muffins

Last Christmas Ashley received a cookbook with Chef's hat and apron from my sister Bev and her hubby. The recipe book is called Great Recipes Kids can Cook. We have not made anything with the recipes as of yet and my little miss got it out this morning and pointed out the Apple Muffin recipe that she wanted to make. 

Okay - well yep we can do that. Unfortunately - no apples in the house (at least after her brothers had one each in their lunch box for school). I don't like cooked fruit - especially apples. I remember when growing up my mum would cook apple pies all the time and I always missed out coz I didn't like it. Don't know why. I just can't stomach cooked fruit.

Anyway so this morning we made the Muffins with mini choc chips. They are a new product here in Australia - yes we are deprived but we finally have them and I think they have to be the perfect size for muffins and especially cookies so the next batch of choc chip cookies will be made with them too. 

 So on to the making. Ashley wanted to be very involved so here she is mixing. 

 And now putting in to the muffin tray.

Finished muffins. They taste so yummy. They taste like scones.
I made sure I had mine while hot and put butter on it. Yummy. Yummy
Yummy. LOL. 

Choc Chip Muffins (kid friendly)
Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar
125g butter, melted
2 cups of plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 bag of Nestle Mini Choc Baking chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray.

Beat (mix) eggs, milk, and sugar together in a bowl.
Add the butter and mix well.
Sift flour and baking powder then add to the bowl.
Gently fold the flour in to the wet ingredients.
Stir through the chocolate chips - being sure not to over mix.
Place dessertspoons - approx 2 - of mixture in to muffin tray and bake for 12-15 mins. Cool. 

If you eat these warm - try a little butter on them - it melts and tastes so yummy. 

Monday, October 29, 2012

One Big Oreo Biscuit Base

FIGJAM....!!!! Yep I said it I am good. If you don't know what FIGJAM is google it. You will laugh. 

Why am I good....???? Well my dears I came up with (I think) the first Full Oreo Biscuit Base. What does that mean...??? Well traditionally when making a cheesecake or pie etc you blitz your Oreo's or Graham Crackers (or digestives if you are in Australia) in a food processor and add melted butter and sugar. Well I made one big homemade Oreo cookie and used it as my base. No blitzing. No melted butter. No added sugar. 

Why....??? Because no one else has done it and I wanted a challenge. LOL. I Googled 'Oreo base' and all I came up with was the crumbed biscuits bases not a full 'biscuit' so I am saying I am the first so there. LOL.

So first things first I needed an Oreo recipe. Got it. So on to the work. 


 I used a 6.5" springform, leak proof pan. 

 Make your Oreo cookie dough and then roll out to a 1/8 inch thickness.
I think mine was a little thicker than that but not matter.

 I took my tin and with a knife I cut out the dough to be about 3/4 inch wider than 
the bottom of the tin. 

 This was the hard part and it was a mess in the end but it worked when cooked.
I pushed the round dough in to the tin and then 'mended' all the rips and gaps
with the left over dough on the bench. 

 Close up of it - mess and all.

 Cooked it for 6 1/2 mins at 180 degrees celsius. 
The cookies are supposed to be cooked for 10 - 12 mins at the small size so thought
this was perfect time.

 Here are the cookies I made with the left over dough. 

 Made a NY based style cheesecake and poured in to the tin on top of 
Oreo base. I cooked in oven at 180 degrees for 12mins and then reduced temp 
down to 120 degrees for 45mins. You could take out as soon as you think it is ready.
Different ovens - different times normally. 

Sorry about the horrible plate but the hazards of having kids. I put on plate and 
then realized I needed to take a photo. You get the idea though. 

 This was the finished product. Oh so yummy. Fluffy and the base........????

This is why I say I am good. It turned out perfectly. It didn't break when I cut the piece off. The underneath was nice and moist from the cheesecake sitting on top of it. It is not hard like I thought it might be. 

So there you have it. I did it. You have seen a first (as far as I know). 

I got my Oreo cookie recipe here.
My NY Baked Cheesecake recipe from here (I used half recipe with 2 eggs and one egg white instead of three eggs). 

Now do you think it could work with a Homemade Graham Cracker dough.....?? I reckon it could. 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Chocolate Brownie Mousse Trifle

I call this trifle but in the traditional sense it isn't - more of a layered dessert but am going to stick to Trifle.

After making my Red Velvet Trifle yesterday I proceeded to make this dessert. This one has layers of cream, Chocolate Brownie, Italian Custard Cream, Chocolate Mousse, Brownie and then another layer of the custard cream. So so so nice. I have never had Italian custard cream before and must say that it is so yummy. Pretty much custard but oh so much better than the store bought one and a lot thicker too. 

I used the Chocolate Mousse recipe that I always use - can be found here

Basic Brownie Recipe
  • 400g caster sugar (2 cups)
  • 225g butter, melted
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g plain flour (1 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 60g walnut halves

1. Mix all ingredients in the order given. 

2. Bake at 180 C for 20 - 25 minutes in greased baking tin. 

3. Cool and cut out circles with circle cookie cutter.

Tip: I halved the mix and baked in two pans so I could cut at least 16 circles to fit in the cups. I reduced cooking time to 15mins - I did over cook on purpose as I have put the yummy goodness to add with it. 

RECIPE: ITALIAN CUSTARD CREAM (Makes about 3 cups, enough to fill and ice one 9-inch cake) from Baking with Cake Boss book. 
2 1/2 cups whole milk 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

1 cup sugar 

2/3 cup cake flour, sifted 

5 extra-large egg yolks 

2 teaspoons salted butter 

Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

In a bowl, whip together the sugar, flour, and egg yolks with a hand mixer. Ladle a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bolw and beat to temper the yolks. 

Add the yolk mixture to the pot and beat over medium heat with the hand mixer until thick and creamy, about 1 minute. As you are beating, move the pot on and off the flame so that you don’t scramble the eggs. 

Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and whip for 2 minutes to thicken the cream. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Will keep for up to 1 week.