How To: Rocky Road Bunny Pops (Easter Special)

Hi Nibblers!

      Can you believe it? Easter is already here! How quickly has the year gone by? It feels like only yesterday that I was putting up the Christmas tree and opening gifts. I was perusing my instagram feed as I usually do in the morning and found an array of amazing Easter desserts. Cute bunny cupcakes, cake pops and Easter eggs galore - I love it all. I wanted to make something simple so I could focus on the artsy bit of the recipe. It definitely took a good chunk of my afternoon but the end result is too adorable to handle so it's all worth it.

How To: Rocky Road Bunny Pops (Easter Special)

What you'll need:
Makes roughly 24 bunny pops
 - 8 paper plates
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
- Paddle Pop sticks
- 200g roast hazelnut milk chocolate block
- 200g almond chocolate block
- 200g dark chocolate block
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 250g marshmallows (quartered)
- An extra 20 marshmallows (roughly 100g)
- 150g Jubes (halved)
- 600g white chocolate buttons
- A handful of chocolate buttons for bunny's eyes
- One pink marshmallow cut into small pieces for bunny's nose (24 pieces)
- Black icing writing pen
Optional:
To help with drying process / display, pierce 1cm cuts into a styrofoam board to place bunny pops into to dry. If you can only find styrofoam balls, use masking tape to tape balls side by side to make a rectangular board for bunny pops to sit in

How To:
1. Roll paper plates into a cylinder with a diameter of roughly 3cm then tape together
2. Cut cylinders into three equal rolls then tape one end to close the cylinder roll then set aside until needed
3. Mix quartered marshmallows, jubes, and coconut into a bowl then set aside
4. In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt hazelnut, almond and dark chocolate blocks together until smooth and creamy
5. Add melted chocolate over the sweets bowl and mix until well combined
6. Divide evenly in between each cylinder then pop into fridge to set for at least 3 hours (Pop paddle pop sticks into the middle of each chocholate cylinder approximately an hour through setting process)
7. In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt white chocolate until smooth then remove from heat
8. Remove paper from chocolate moulds then dip one half of a marshmallow into white chocolate then stick marshmallow to the top left of the cylinder chocolate pieces
9. Repeat step 8 and place halved marshmallows to the top right
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all chocolate cylinders have bunny ears then place into the fridge to set for ten minutes
11. Dip all bunny heads into white chocolate one at a time until well coated then quickly pop two chocolate buttons to act as the bunny's eyes and a small marshmallow piece directly underneath and in the centre for bunny's nose then set aside to set in fridge for 10 minutes
12. Once dry, draw whiskers and mouth onto bunny's face then enjoy!

Ready to set!

All set :)

           I love the way these pops turned out. Deliciously chocolate centres and super cute for any occasion. These were a great hit at work so definitely give this one a go. Hope you're all having a lovely day and enjoy the rest of the Easter weekend.

NOM NOM!

Nibble Away,
         
           Jo

How To: 'Golden Gaytime' Cheesecake

Hi Nibblers!

          One of my best friends Thao celebrated her 23rd birthday a few months ago. She was overseas on her actual birthday so we had a belated celebration. Thao and I have known each other for half our lives. We had actually crossed paths at an after school tutoring class but didn't know we actually went to the same school. We were in two different classes and it was too early in the year to know anyone else in the grade. It wasn't until school had finally started and we both rocked up in our matching uniforms to the tutoring class that we were acquainted. From then, we hung out together at school together during breaks and have been trucking along since.
           What I love about our friendship apart from all the giggles we have is our love for food. Thao has been a lover of cheesecake for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately for me, cheesecake hasn't been on the top of my list. I do understand the cheesecake hype though. Crunchy biscuit base, smooth velvet centre with a zesty kick, who couldn't fall in love with it? However, after years of being in denial and peering over at Thao when she's had a cheesecake in hand has converted me. So, in celebration of our friendship and to honour her love of cheesecake I surprised her with one for her birthday. By now you Nibblers know that I love to experiment so, I decided to combine an Aussie classic dessert 'The Golden Gaytime' (also one of Thao's favourites) and cheesecake together. This recipe turned out exactly how I envisioned and luckily for me, it was a hit with her! I'm so happy with how this turned out and now you guys can give it a go too.

How To: 'Golden Gaytime' Cheesecake

Makes one 20cm x 20cm cheesecake
What you'll need:
Base:
- 75g unsalted butter (melted)
- 100g biscuits (I just used a simple digestive biscuit)
- 150g honeycomb chocolate bars (I used Crunchie bars)
Filling:
- 300mL thickened full cream
- 3 Tbs. white sugar
- 250g cream cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 50g Jersey caramels
- 2 Tbs. milk
Topping:
- 1/4 cup of granulated peanuts (roasted)

How To:
Base:
1. Place crushed biscuits and honeycomb into a sealed bag or food processor and crush until it roughly resembles bread crumbs
2. Add melted butter to mix and combine until well coated
3. Place buttery biscuit mix into cake tin and evenly spread across base of tin and sides to form a cup well for filling to go into later - use a cup to help press down on biscuit mix for a more even look then place in fridge to set or until needed
Filling:
1. Pop caramels and milk into a heat proof bowl and melt caramels until smooth (either quick pulses at 30 seconds each time in the microwave - stirring in between or a double boiler method) then set aside to cool
2. Beat thickened cream and sugar until firm stiff peaks form then set aside
3. In a seperate bowl, beat vanilla, lemon juice and cream cheese until well combined
4. Fold thickened cream and cream cheese until well mixed
5. Place filling mixture into tin and smooth around to the edges

6. Spoon small amounts of caramel sauce around the cream cheese/cream and then using a skewer, swirl around to create a marble effect
7. Sprinkle roasted granulated nuts over cheesecake the place cheesecake to set for at least 4 hours before serving!

             This recipe was so simple to make and definitely a crowd pleaser. With a lovely honey combed biscuit base, zesty cheese filling with hints of caramel goodness and a peanut crunch on top it certainly sounds like every 'Golden Gaytime' I've ever eaten. I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you do give it a go, be sure to comment below.

Nibble Away,

                    Jo

                 

                 

How To: Apple and Custard Buttercream Cupcakes

Hi Nibblers!

           When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. It's been a tough month since I last posted with the passing of my Grandma. She was battling lung cancer for almost two years. She was never a smoker which made her illness difficult to accept. My Grandma was always so loving and caring. She just took things as they came and willing to help those in need even if it made things a little more difficult for her.

            My most fondest memory of my grandma was when she was recovering after a lung surgery in hospital. She was not able to speak a word of english nor understood what anyone said but she would happily parade to other patient's beds beside her, telling them about her life - all in Vietnamese. I would giggle every time she did so. She didn't care that they didn't understand her. She just continued on her day with no care. She hugged the nurses and thanked them when she was discharged. Offered them fruit as they were passing by and never complained as they attended to her observations. She tolerated pain well but it was heartbreaking to watch. Her hands painted with bruises from missed cannulas but she shrugged them off as her motivation to live outweighed the rest.
           I would be lying if I said that looking after my Grandma in hospital wasn't tiring. It was extremely exhausting and emotionally draining. As her cancer progressed, her symptoms worsened. She was unable to eat, confused and lost her quality of life. It definitely took its toll on the family. But, I don't want to replay those melancholy memories anymore. I want to remember my Grandma smiling. I want to remember the amazing things my Grandma did to build a new life in a foreign land despite a war. I want to remember her babysitting me as a toddler and how I used to hide under tables and have her look everywhere for me. I am so lucky I had the chance to see my Grandma through the ups and lows. Looking back, as weary as I may have been, it has been such a great privilege to look after my Grandma and I am forever grateful for the love I have experienced knowing her. This recipe was the last experiment I was able to share with my Grandma. She may not have had the strength to eat them but I'm glad she at least had the chance to see them.

How To: Apple and Custard Buttercream Cupcakes
Makes approx. 12 medium sized cupcakes

What you'll need:
Apple Cupcakes:
- 2 medium apples (peeled and diced into rough 0.5cm cubes)
- 170g self raising flour
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 Tbs. cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 125mL oil
- 90g brown sugar
Custard Buttercream:
- 500g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 4 tsp. instant custard powder
- 2 Tbs. warm milk
- 200g icing sugar (sifted)

How To:
Apple Cupcakes
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Line cupcake tin with patty tin liners then set aside
3. Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon in bowl then set aside
4. Beat oil, milk and eggs together until combined
5. Form a well in the middle of dry ingredients then add wet ingredients and stir until well combined
6. Fold apples through 
7. Evenly divide batter into cupcake tin
8. Pop into the oven for 16 minutes then set aside to cool - remember to check if they're cooked by inserting a skewer to ensure no batter sticks to it!
Custard Buttercream:
1. Beat butter on high for approximately 5 minutes until butter turns from yellow to off white tone
2. In a seperate bowl, combine warm milk with custard powder and mix until dissolved
3. Add custard/milk mixture, vanilla essence and icing sugar to butter and mix until well combined - approximately 6 minutes until light and fluffy
4. Once cupcakes are cooled, decorate as desired! - Enjoy!

         I hope you enjoyed this recipe! These cupcakes turned out exactly how I envisioned them and I couldn't be happier with the taste. They were moist, creamy with a lovely tart crunch from the apples. Thank you Nibblers for your continued support! Stay tuned for more recipes to come!

Nibble Away,

   

               Jo