Travel Nibbles: 'Sora Lella' Review

Hey Nibblers!

        This week, we still find ourselves reviewing Roma. This is my last documented meal/ last dinner in Roma so, when we saw the raves of a Michelin star ratings and ads all over their entrance door plus a 4/5 Tripadvisor score, we just had to try it.

        Situated on Isola Tiberina, a small island in Rome, it sits on a corner of one of Rome's bridges on the way to Trastevere. So, if you're lucky enough to cross there, you'll find 'Sora Lella.' According to reviews on Tripadvisor, it can be pretty packed so reservations are necessary. We did make a booking but by popping in early that morning to reserve seats on our way to Trastevere and Vatican City.

'Sora Lella' Review
Where: Via Ponte Quattro Capi 16                                 Website: http://www.soralella.com/

Image viewed from Lifestyle/ Tastebook at 'http://www.i-italy.org/8407/mood-amatriciana-try-sora-lella'

               One of the main reasons why we wanted to try 'Sora Lella' was because my cousin Katy (Kelly's older sister,) was joining us for the rest of her trip to Florence, Germany etc. as she needed to go back to London to get settled for her move. She said Florence had the best tripe dish she had ever had so she was hoping Roma would produce one of the same standards. We had actually made a booking for the previous night but we were so tired to go back out as it would have been a 30-45 minute walk after a whole day of exploring. We blew them off that previous night and they remembered our faces when we came back to make another reservation. They were surprisingly really nice about it and said they thought we had lost our way.

               We were seated promptly as soon as we arrived. First ones in the restaurant that night at 730PM. People in Europe sure eat late! It was really cosy and were given a bread basket as soon as we sat down. The pretzel like sticks in the 'Roberto' packet were delicious! I wish I had time to go to the supermarket to grab these as a snack!              

Those Roberto bread sticks. mmmmmm

            As it was our last night in Roma, I had not yet had a traditional gnocchi. So, as soon as I say gnocchi on the menu I immediately said yes. We decided to share the dish between the three of us. What I loved about their service here was they actually portioned out three separate plates of gnocchi for us so we didn't have to dig and split it ourselves. It was steaming hot when it came out. It was soft, not chewy and the tomato sauce was flavoursome. The menu also said it had pig's cheek infused but, I couldn't taste it nor see it. 

Gnocchi di Palate all' Amatriciana 'Home-made Gnocchi in a classic Roman sauce with cured pig's cheek, tomatoes and Roman pecorino'

            For my main, I ordered 'Polpettine di Nonna Lella' which translated is 'Grandmother's traditional veal balls' which was served with pureed potatoes on the side. These meatballs were so full of flavour. They were perfectly cooked and just melted in your mouth. I loved the hit of all the spices in the meatball and it just tasted fresh. The pureed potatoes were of the same standard. It was fluffy, smooth and meshed well with the meatballs. It did have a lot of butter mixed in which is delicious but oh the arteries!

Polpettine di Nonna Lella / Grandmother's traditional veal balls with pureed potatoes

               Kelly ordered a lamb dish. I've tried to search the menu for this one and no luck. Taste wise, the lamb was soft and just pulled away from the bone. It had a great rosemary flavour and was nice dipped with a bit bread. 

Lamb dish. Anyone care to help if you have been?

               Katy of course ordered the 'Trippa di Vitello alla Romana' or Roman-Style Veal tripe with tomatos sauce flavoured with mint and pecorino cheese. It was nice of the waiter to clarify with Katy that she knew which part of the body tripe comes from. He didn't know the word so just rubbed his stomach. It was such a sweet thing of him to do. Good laugh!

             I don't know what Florence tripe tastes like but, like the other two dishes, the sauce is flavoursome. Full of the rich tomato taste it tasted very home-made and fresh. 

Trippa di Vitello alla Romana / Roman-Style Veal tripe with tomatos sauce flavoured with mint and pecorino cheese.

Our dinner before devouring

           For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu to share. We were quite disappointed with this one. The serving was tiny and presentation was not eye-catching. My picture is too blurry to post up but it was just basically served in a 250ml clear glass cup. Nothing special nor were the tastes. I prefer the 'Life' tiramisu.
               All in all, 'Soral Lella' is a lovely, cosy place. Great if you want a nice home-cooked feel meal. To get all the rave and Michelin Star rating I don't understand. While the dishes were not terrible, I don't see a 'WOW' factor in any of them. All  had the same soft, mushy textures. It could of possibly been our dishes we chose but, I still think while the sauces were full of fresh flavour, my expectation for a Michelin star restaurant was not met. Price wise, I forgot to write down the figures but from reading the Tripadvisor posts, many travellers thought it was overpriced for portions. 

            If I was ever in Rome again, I would probably go again just for the familiarity of it all and the great atmosphere/ staff. I think it's a good place for lunch/dinner with friends if you want a place to relax after a day of exploring. But, if it was to impress a certain special someone, I say count 'Sora Lella' out. Otherwise, I'm sure you will run the risk of being friend-zoned. 

    Hope you have a lovely rest of the week!

          Nibble away,
                   Jo x.

How to: Banh Bong Lan (Vanilla Sponge Cake)

Hey Nibblers!

       On Friday, my amazing mum turned 50! She's my inspiration when it comes to cooking. She loves to experiment and always tries to perfect her recipe if she makes the tiniest mistake. She mostly cooks Vietnamese cuisine as that's our background which is great because that way, I've learnt to cook some traditional dishes myself. One of her favourite cakes is the 'Vanilla Sponge Cake' or in Vietnamese translation, 'Banh Bong Lan.' She makes it almost every other week to give to my relatives and is always telling me to learn to make it. I didn't. But, it's only because I wanted to surprise her on her birthday!

        I took it a step further and decorated the cake in one of her other favorite desserts, profiteroles (I'll be sure to post a recipe for these in the future) and had nuts covered on the side. It didn't turn out as symmetrical and neat as I wanted it to. But, the taste was all there. And, she was surprised so win-win situation. I was also time constricted as I had to rush home from work and only had 2hr 1/2min to do the 'banh bong lan' component, the icing for the nuts to stick, the custard, the melting of chocolate and profiteroles casing. My dedication to finish in time override my hunger so, I even skipped dinner.

Mum's cake with the 'Banh Bong Lan' sponge bottom

        The popularity surrounding 'Banh Bong Lanh' lies in how light and fluffy the sponge is. It's all in the technique and so, I failed with Mum's cake last night. The flavours were all there and it did rise a fair amount but, the oil in the batter did not mix in well so, it had a thick layer of thick cake when I cut the cake open. Mum said it took her a couple of tries to make it perfect but, it all comes down to technique/patience. So, since I sort of failed, I re-did it this morning with Mum's supervision but, in muffin form because it's less cooking time. The cake version has the exact same recipe just in a different tin.
        So, let's break it down and take it one step at a time.

How to: Banh Bong Lan (Vanilla Sponge Cake)

What you need: 

- 6 eggs
- 140g of white sugar (doesn't need to be caster)
- 180g of self- raising flour
- 1/2 tsp. of cream of tartar
- 1 Tbs. Vanilla extract or 1/2 Tbs. vanilla sugar
- 90ml of canola oil
- 90ml of milk
        Note: This makes one standard round cake tin, standard bundt tin or 12 large muffins
                          P.s. For muffin form, it's best to use muffin paper (cafe styled) so these babies have space to rise. You can find these papers pre-fold at local supermarkets or simply cut squares out of some baking paper and folding them to make four edges to fit in a standard muffin tin.
                  For large cake form pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celcius and bake for 45-50min
                  For muffin form pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and bake for 20min

How to: (Pictures below show this recipe but doubled in quantity as Mum wanted me to make 24 muffins)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Separate egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and egg yolks in another
3. Beat egg whites on high using an electric mixer for 30 seconds before adding 2/3 of the sugar into the bowl.
4. Continue to beat until egg whites for about 7 mins or until the egg peaks are able to hold their shape

Beating egg whites on high

Until they form peaks/ hold their shape

5. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, the rest of the sugar to egg yolk and beat using the same electric beater on high for about 5 mins or until mixture turns from the deep orange to a light yellow/beige colour

From bright orange yolk to yellow/ beige in colour

6. Add oil and milk into a large mixing bowl

Oil and milk in a large bowl

7. Transfer egg yolk mixture into large mixing bowl filled with oil and milk
8. Fold egg yolk mixture, oil and milk
          Note: Try and fold/ separate as much oil as you can throughout the mixture. Most of it won't disappear until you the rest of the ingredients so, don't stress
9. Add a large ladle full of the egg whites into the large mixing bowl spreading it evenly across the surface and then using a wooden spatula, fold it a couple of times

Ladle dollop of egg whites

10. Sift a thin layer of the flour into the mixture, spreading it evenly across the surface (To prevent lumps in mixture) and then folding it in a couple of times
          Note: Oil may have sunken to the bottom of the bowl so be sure to scoop and fold to make sure there's no oily bits left (it'll leave a thick layer of dough looking bit in your cake). If you see a patch of oil add some flour and keep folding/scooping the area to spread the oil. It'll take time so keep adding flour/ egg whites while taking care of those nasty oil blobs.

Using a normal sift or one like this can help your arm tire less. It also distributes even amounts of flour and allows for flour dispensing direction control

11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all the egg whites and flour has been well combined.
         Note: It is a long process but the end results are worth it. Be sure to fold gently to minimise the loss of air from the mixture
                  The end mixture should be the texture between say Ski yoghurt you find in supermarkets and greek yogurt sold at health food stores. The super runny bits, may indicate oil has not yet been combined well.

Mixture well combined

12. Scoop mixture in a measuring jug to make it easier to pop into muffin tins

Makes it easier to pour mixture in evenly

13. Pour mixture to the brim of muffin casings
13. Pop into pre-heated oven for 20 minutes

Beautifully risen at 16 minutes

3 minutes in

14. Let them cool for about 5 minutes and serve

They'll rise a lot in the oven but as they cool, the deflate a cm or so

Ready to eat!

Success! Light, fluffy and delicious

Happy Birthday Mum! <3

           We've just come back from Mum's birthday dinner at 'Criniti's' Darling Harbour which I'll be doing a review on soon. 'Vivid' Sydney is also in full swing at the moment so it was a great post-dinner activity. 'Vivid' is a light, music and ideas festival running from 24th of May to the 10th of June. So, if you find yourself in the city/ Circular Quay side have a look around.
       

Snap shot from Vivid Sydney

           Hope you all have an amazing week.
     
Nibble away,
         Jo x.

Travel Nibbles: 'Arlu' Review

Buongiorno Nibblers!

         I know it's not morning but with a term of learning Italian at school under my belt, I say remembering two words is a great start.

'Arlu' Review

Where: Borgio Pio, 125 San Pietro            Website: http://www.ristorantearlu.com/arlu.php?secc=home

Picture taken from 'Arlu's website.

        After a 551 step climb up to the cupola of St Peter's Basilica, we needed the carbs. And yes, we were in carbs city. So, we didn't have to go far to get to 'Arlu.' According to Trip Advisor, 'Arlu' had a rating of 4.5/5 and after the success with 'Life,' 'Arlu' had big shoes to fill. Situated in one of the smaller streets near Vatican City, it was just a joy to see the authentic Italian surroundings and soak in the culture.

     I ordered the 'Tonnarelli pasta with sea fruits.' I'm usually not a seafood person but when in Italy, I wanted to try as many things as I could. This dish was amazing. The pasta was steaming hot, full of fish-stock flavour. The tonnarelli was also cooked a bit over al dente but, I like how the pasta didn't have a bite and meshed on well with the other textures. The seafood was well seasoned and quite generous with their serving. The sprinkles of parsley really added a different flavour in your mouth but a great combination. 

Tonnarelli pasta with sea fruits. ( €10 approx. $13AUD) 

            Kelly ordered her favourite pasta dish, 'La Carbonara.' Her dish came out probably 5 minutes before mine which was the only disappointing thing with service. I watched her eat while my stomach of in full throttle grumbling mode. 'Arlu' has a great atmosphere, lovely tables and friendly service which made up for this little down fall. The 'La Carbonara' was good. Servings were generous and pasta al dente. The Parmigiano- Reggiano coated every strand of pasta and the flavours crisp and pungent. Add small crisp pieces of salty bacon to the mix and that's a winner. If you're a carbonara fan, I say this dish is pretty good.

'La Carbonara' ( €10 approx. $13 AUD)

              If you don't know us by now, we quite the nibblers so, we had to have a dessert. We ordered the 'Panna Cotta' with caramel sauce and sprinkled in icing sugar. I lost my Panna Cotta virginity at 'Arlu' and boy, was it amazing! It was soft, not too sweet and an absolute delight. The caramel gave it the sugar hit but it was so well balanced, I could have licked that plate clean. It wasn't the cleanest in terms of presentation but, flavours were all there to props to 'Arlu's chefs.

'Panna Cotta' with caramel sauce sprinkled with icing sugar. ( € 5 approx. $7AUD)

           All in all, it was a wonderful lunch. I really enjoyed it and if I was to ever go back I say go to 'Arlu.' There's going to be a lot of staff waiting outside their restaurants with menus to lure you in when you're walking down this alley way. Don't be tempted by your growling stomach and make a dash for 'Arlu.' We were lucky enough not to wait as there had been a massive group from a tour that had just finished their lunch in time for us to take their tables. It was food fate.
         Hope you all have an amazing week and for you Sydney siders, let's cross our fingers that the rain does not stay long tomorrow as forecasted.

        Nibble away,
                   Jo x.

Meat Wine & Co. Review

Hey Nibblers!
       
           A couple of weeks ago, my amazing bestie, Lily turned 20. She wanted to have steak so we opted to try 'Meat Wine & Co.' There were 7 in our dinner group and we had reservations so there was no wait to get in.

Meat Wine & Co.
Where: L1, 31 Wheat Rd, IMAX Theatre Complex, Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour   Website: http://themeatandwineco.com/locations/australia/nsw/darling-harbour

           When we arrived, there was quite a bustle. People were chatting away and the atmosphere was great for a catch-up with friends or a night for romance.
            For our entree, we ordered the 'Tasting Plate' which consisted of 'Szechuan calamari and nam jim sauce, bruschetta, Louisiana chicken wings and Portugese prawns served with a cabbage, capsicum and brown rice pilaf.'
            The calamari was delicious. Crispy and flavoursome! I definitely wanted some more.
            The bruschetta was nothing special. They were very generous with their tomato and cheese but, nothing special where it would be a must.
            The chicken wings were surprising good. I thought they may have been dry inside because the pieces were small. However, it packed a heap of flavour and were moist, perfectly cooked inside.
            The prawns were my favourite starter. The nam jim sauce they cooked the prawns in was divine. It was spicy but not enough to overtake your taste buds. The prawns were cooked to perfection and I would definitely order this again.

Tasting Plate ($55 AUD)

         We also wanted some greens on the side so, we ordered the Meat Wine & Co. salad that consisted of avocado, sliced biltong, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red capsicum, mixed lettuce with a sweet ginger, garlic , citrus dressing.

           For what we paid, I don't think it was worth it at all. The portion was tiny and the avocado looked great for presentation but were hard as rock and weren't ripe enough to eat. The dressing didn't taste as it was described. It more was a citrus and oil dressing with no huge hint of the ginger or garlic flavours. Would probably pass on this salad.

The MWC Salad ($19 AUD)

             For the mains, the girls all ordered the 300g Rump which came with a side of chips and optional side sauce. I didn't go for a side sauce for my Rump but, I did try the mushroom sauce and it wasn't bad. I won't say it was brilliant and a must but, it ties in well with the steak. 

             The rump was so juicy and moist. Cooked to the perfect medium - rare as I had asked them too and the grilled marks were fabulous.

             The side of chips was just as dazzling. The potato just melted in your mouth and the crisp outside added to whole experience.

Rump with a side of chips ($27 AUD) + Mushroom sauce ($4 AUD)

               The boys on the other hand shared three dishes. I didn't try much of it but, presentation was clean and inviting. The first dish was the 400g New York Monte Dry-Aged with a side of creamy garlic sauce. I didn't try the steak but when I saw it being cut into, it was cooked to a perfect medium-rare. The grill marks were amazing and chips were great. What I did try was the creamy garlic sauce. I'm a sucker when it comes to garlic flavoured dishes and this was one of them. It was delicious and had the texture of custard. The garlic flavour was pungent which is what you want.

400g NY Dry ($46 AUD) + Creamy Garlic ($4 AUD)

            Next was the 'Marinated Chicken Skewer.' I loved the presentation of this dish. And that pretty much summed up the 'wow' factor of this dish. Again, the flavours were there but it wasn't amazing enough to the point I would want to come back for the skewer. I say stick to the steaks.

Marinated Chicken Skewer ($29 AUD) served with a side of brown rice pilaf.

            The last dish they ordered was the full rack of pork ribs. This looked delicious! I had a rib and it was pretty good. The bbq marinate was sweet and salty at the same time which I loved. The meat was moist and easily peeled away from the bone which is what we want. I do have to say that 'Hurricane's Grill' ribs are better. Their portions are larger, and they're more generous on the marinade which leaves you with sticky, licking fingers.

Full rack of ribs and chips included ($54 AUD)

          Lastly, I want to make one comment on their drinks. There was a tomato juice ordered that night and if you love tomato paste you should order this because that's exactly what it tasted like. Drinking spaghetti. The pineapple juice on the other hand tasted like pineapples and was refreshing.

Tomato and Pineapple juice ($4.50 AUD)

          All in all, it was a good experience however, next time I would probably just stick to the prawns, steaks and creamy garlic sauce. 

          It was still a lovely 20th celebration and we spent the rest of the night singing our lungs out. Lily, the amazing bestie has also just started her own fashion blog. We recently just went to 'Fashion Weekend' together and took some great shots of her outfits. She also does quick posts on her outfits, nail colours and other bits and bobs. So, if you're interested click this link to her blog: http://startwelve.blogspot.com.au/ <3

          Hope you're all having an amazing week!

Nibble away,

Jo x.

Travel Nibbles: 'Life' Review

Ciao Nibblers!
       

     
       This week, we find ourselves in Rome, Italy. I had high expectations for Rome. I couldn't wait to eat pizza, have gelato even in winter and eat my carbs load of pasta.

       The best thing about travelling in Europe is having 'Trip Advisor' installed onto your phone so that you can log in to get instant reviews of places to stay, eat and things to do wherever you are. It's great as most of the reviews are written by other travellers that have already been so it helps you make an informed decision. Restaurants even advertise their rating in the window to attract tourists.

       I find it that a two hour flight in Europe takes you across several countries which in our case was England to Italy, while in Australia, a two hour plane trip only lands you across states.
       We were starving when we landed. Our first Trip Advisor place, 'Ristorante Tema' we tried received 4.5/5 ratings and, it was such a bust it's worth blogging about. We ordered the risotto, fettucine and gnocchi all with mushrooms and honestly every thing was just tasteless. The pasta was also still hard in the centre. Not a first great impression of pasta in Rome.

        By dinner time, we were so hungry that we decided to give another Trip Advisor recommendation and decided on 'Life.'


'Life' Review

Where: Via della Vite 00187, Rome                                                                                  Website: http://www.ristorantelife.com/

         'Life' has a very modern, sophisticated feel to it. It has a 4.5/5 rating on Trip advisor but after the lunch disappointment, we weren't expecting much from this. Staff were very welcoming and happily answered all of our questions.

        For our shared entree, we ordered the 'Smoked duck breast with pears and honey.' We mostly ordered this for the urge to try something new. It tastes like a less salty, sweeter version of proscuitto. With the accompanying pear/honey sauce it really gives it another texture and dimension. It was great with the side of bread as well. However, the bread was nothing special on its own. Hard on the outside and cold/dry on the inside.

'Smoked duck breast with pear/honey' €10.00 (approx. $13 AUD)

        For the mains, my cousin Katy ordered the 'Home made short pasta with Scampi from Mediterranean sea, Sea Bass, tomato.' I took a bite of hers and the pasta was al dente. It had a great tomato flavour and even though it looked like a small serving, there was a lot on there. It came out steaming hot and was such an improvement on lunch's offering. This is what I imagine pasta to taste like in Italy. 

'Home made short pasta with Scampi from Mediterranean sea, sea bass & tomato' €14.00 (approx. $18 AUD)

             Kelly and I went for the pizza. We were only going to be in Italy for 3-4 days so we wanted to tackle everything as quickly as possible. Kelly ordered the 'Carbonara' pizza. These pizzas had a thin crust and quite generous in their meat offering. The diameter was about 20cm so we were pretty stuffed by the end of it. What I loved about Kelly's was you could see the marks from the pizza cooking under a woodfire and a nicely cooked egg directly in the centre that shouts 'carbonara' at you. I had a bit of hers and it was pretty good. Had lots of flavour and was exactly like a carbonara but in pizza form. Such a great concept.

'Carbonara' pizza € 9.00 (approx. $11 AUD)

         I ordered the 'Pollo' pizza. This consisted of mozzarella cheese, chicken, bacon, tommato and was a but spicy. I enjoyed this. It came out fresh and hot and the topics span out pretty much around the whole base, there was not really a crust I had to chew on. Flavours were there and it was delicious. The only thing is there wasn't much generosity in the meat department.

'Pollo' pizza €10.00 (approx. $13 AUD)

       For dessert, we ordered two dishes. The first was 'Pastry with chantilly cream and dark chocolate.' I love chantilly cream so when I saw it on the menu I had to. The pastry was crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Mix that with the sweet creaminess of the chantilly and this was absolute heaven. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

'Pastry with chantilly cream and dark chocolate.' € 5.00 (approx. $7 AUD)

           And what is a trip to Italy without trying 'Tiramisu?' Presentation wise it wasn't the best but, it sure packed a punch. The coffe flavour was intense but with the cream on top it balanced out wonderfully. Judging on the last dessert and this one they're doing pretty well in the sweets department.

'Home-made Tiramisu' €5.00 (approx. $7 AUD)

        That rounds up our first Roma dining experience. Try and finish your exploring around the Spanish steps because 'Life' is located around there. I liked this place and if I ever go back to Italy I would probably come back to 'Life.' I also have to add that if you come to Italy expecting pasta to be stuffed meat sauces and bacon, you'll be disappointed. I learnt that an Italian dinner course consists of four courses. The first would be your entree (e.g. bruschetta), your first course (pasta with mushrooms usually), your second course (steak, fish aka. meat course) and then your dessert. So, if you're craving some protein, the second course menus is probably what you should look at.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Jo x.

How to: Peanut Butter Cake Pops

Hey Nibblers!

       I just wanted to wish all the Mums out there a Happy Mother's Day.
       It was foggy one in Sydney this morning but that cleared up and we had a beautiful, sunny day. My Mum had to go to work today so, I wasn't able to hang out with her as much. Luckily, we were super organised and made it a whole family affair yesterday to celebrate.

      I made a 4 desserts for our dessert table. I made my 'Carrot Loaf' but  in muffin form which took only 20 minutes in the oven, my 'Banana Bread' in muffin form (20 minutes int he oven) with chocolate and nut coating, Profiteroles and Peanut Butter Cake pops!

'Carrot Loaf' muffins and 'Banana Bread' muffins. Just as moist in muffin form.

The whole table full of sweets and finger food in the lead up to our hot-pot dinner

            The success of all four desserts has left me in a lovely mood that I thought I would share a quick and easy recipe for all those peanut butter lovers out there!

How to: Peanut Butter Cake Pops

      Traditionally, cake pops are made with frosting but, I find them too sweet that it overpowers the other components. So, I thought why not try peanut butter as the binding agent? Verdict? It works out perfectly for me.

What you will need:

- any form of sponge cake. (I used the other half remaining from my Lamington's post.)

       Note: I was able to make about 30 small cake balls.

                      The amount you make depends on how small/ big you want them. I wanted them to fit in the small muffin papers so I made them according to that scale.

                      You could always bake your own sponge

                      Grocery bought plain sponges help you save time if you're rushing           

- 1/2 cup of peanut butter

- 350g melting chocolate (I used Cadbury Melting Bits)

- Your choice of decorations

           I used granulated nuts and 100 & 1000s

Method:

1. Crumb your cake in a mixing bowl until it look like breadcrumbs

2. Add your peanut butter into the mixture

3. Knead the peanut butter into the breadcrumbs as if it was raw dough. I find using clean hands works the best to combine

4. Continue kneading the mixture until most of the cake crumbs are tightly densed together. Feel free to add more peanut butter if you want a more peanut-taste or you think it needs a bit more of a binding agent. 

5. Form your desired sized cake balls from the mixture

My desired sized cake ball was small to fit my muffin paper

6. Refrigerate your cake balls for at least an hour so the balls are dense and set

I left mine overnight to refrigerate  

8. Melt some chocolate as we did in my last post (scroll down or click Lamingtons)

Melting chocolate over a double-boiler. (Put mixing bowl over a small pot of simmer/boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water to avoid burnt chocolate) 

9. Coat your cake pops into the melted chocolate and dunk them into your desired topics.

        If you wanted these babies on sticks, just follow the same steps in that 'Lamington' post.

        I chose to only do the top as the richness of peanut butter is already so delicious, it doesn't need chocolate's help.

10. Pop them into your muffin papers and serve

Top of the stand!

        What I love about these cake pops are they're so easy to make especially when you don't have a lot of time on your hands. You can decorate them however you like for whatever occasion and they're always lovely to look at. They're also so versatile so using a vanilla sponge with 'Nutella' as the binder and a white chocolate coating would work or even a chocolate sponge.

          Hope you enjoyed this post and have an amazing rest of the weekends.

          Nibble away,

 

                    Jo x.