How To: Pineapple M&Ms Upside Down Cake

Hi Nibblers!

        A few weeks ago, Kevin's Dad turned 50! I didn't have much time to prepare as shift work had my hours all over the place so I needed a cake that was easy and delicious. My only brief was to make it fruity. I was thinking of no bake desserts but nothing really stood out in my mind and mostly incorporated rich chocolate flavours. I rummaged through the pantry and stumbled across a can of pineapples. 'That's it!' I thought and it was then the recipe was born.

        This cake turned out moist and with the slight tartness of the pineapple it ticked all boxes. I added pineapple flavoured M&Ms to the cake for decorative purposes however felt it took away from the natural flavours so feel free to omit that completely. I did pop some in the pan while it was baking but the M&Ms melted hence gave the cake a green hue. I can definitely say it worked in theory but was probably not my best idea. All in all, still a great tasting cake and definitely one you should make if you're short on time!

 

How To: Pineapple M&Ms Upside Down Cake

Makes one 20cm tin cake - serves 8-10

What you'll need:

- 525g of tinned pineapple rings (in pineapple juice)

- 3 eggs (separated)

-150g or 2/3 cup of sugar

- 150g or 1 cup of self raising flour

- 2 tsp. Vanilla essence

- 100mL pineapple juice (from can)

- 30g unsalted butter (melted)

- 30g brown sugar

- 100g Pineapple flavoured M&Ms (optional)

 

How To:

1. Place melted unsalted butter into baking tin and spread even around sides

2. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly on base of tin then set aside

3. Line pineapples rings on base of cake tin to cover all covers (Optional: Place M&Ms in any empty spaces) then roughly dice remaining pineapple pieces then set aside

4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 375 degrees Farenheit

5. Beat separated egg whites on high until fluffy then add 2/3 cups of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form then set aside

6. In a seperate bowl, mix egg yolks, vanilla essence, remaining pineapple pieces and pineapple juice until well combined - (Optional - add remaining M&Ms)

7. Slowly fold in flour and beaten egg white/sugar into yolky mix approximately a third of each mixture each time until all well incorporated

8. Pour cake mixture evenly into tin

9. Pop cake into oven for approximately 30 minutes or until skewer pops out clean

10. Remove from oven then leave to cool for 10 minutes then remove from tin before serving

 

              I loved the end result of this cake. Made in no time and the sponge was oh so soft. It definitely received some rave reviews. If you do give this a go please make sure to leave a comment below letting me how you go!

                Before I end this post, I also wanted to say thank you for sticking by me for the past three years. I've enjoyed every bit of it and it's been amazing to see how much I've improved in these few years. To celebrate, I have decided to move Nibble Nation to a new platform - Wordpress. All my old content has all been imported over and I will no longer be posting to my blogspot account. So, you'll still be able to access everything I have ever posted. If you haven't already and would like to follow me on the next chapter, head to nibblenation.wordpress.com ! I hope to see you there and hope you like the look. It was hard work to start off with but I'm loving the templates on Wordpress and believe things can only improve here on in.

                  

Until next time

            Nibble Away,

                            Jo

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

How To: Bánh Da Lợn (Vietnamese Steamed Layer Pandan/ Mung Bean Cake)

Hi Nibblers!

        Happy New Year Nibblers! I'm a little late on the celebratory new year post but I've just been out and about. There have been many recipes that I've written to do in 2015 that have yet to be made and my mind is racing with new innovative recipes for 2016. As per my resolutions for 2015, I do strive to continue on with pushing out recipes in 2016. Going back to recipes inspired from my own Vietnamese background and also exploring new avenues in the foodie world will be the key themes I hope to achieve this year. In addition to this, I hope to build more on Nibble Nation and improve my style, photography and taking on new creative routes.
         Bánh da lợn is one of my all time favourite Vietnamese desserts. My Mum used to make it on a 
pretty frequent basis when I was younger but has since moved on to other food ventures. It was only a
few weeks ago that I was roaming the dessert section in my local Asian supermarket that I saw a whole 
tray of these bánh da lợn sitting there staring at me. It re-ignited something inside of me. I just had to have it. I asked Mum if we should just buy some to satisfy those cravings. But when Mum looked at the prices, she said we could make four large cakes with the cost so we set off to buy ingredients instead. So here we are, recipe time! And after the whole experience, I don't think I'll ever buy bánh da lợn in the shops again. So simple to make and delicious!

How To: Bánh Da Lợn (Vietnamese Steamed Layer Pandan/ Mung Bean Cake)

Makes approx. 4 x 20cm cakes

Steamed mung beans

What you'll need:
For pandan level -
- 400g sugar
- 500g tapioca starch
- 1L of water
- 400mL coconut milk
- Approx. 200g or 6-8 pandan leaves (found at most Asian stores)
       Can be replaced with 3 Tbs. pandan extract however flavour may not be as intense  
- 2 drops of pandan extract (mostly for colour purposes)
For mung bean level -

Pandan mixture - unmixed

- 375g mung beans (soaked for an hour then drained)
- 375 tapoca starch
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 260g sugar
- 1050 mL of water

How To:
Mung Bean component
1. Place drained mung beans on a cloth in a steamer for approximately 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from cloth and set aside
2. Mix tapioca starch, sugar, vanilla extract and water in a mixing bowl and combine until you can no longer feel granules at the bottom of bowl then set aside
3. Pop steamed mung beans into blender in about four batches and blend until smooth - if your blender needs liquid to pulsate, use as much of the tapioca/sugar/water/vanilla mixture as needed

Mung Bean layer

4. Once all mung beans have been blitzed smoothly, combine all the water components and mung beans together until well combined then set aside
Pandan component
1. Blend pandan leaves with 200mL of water

Blitzed pandan juice

2. Place a cloth in a colander and on top of a measuring jug then pour blitz pandan leaves to drain.
3. Picking up just the cloth with pandan leaves squeeze as much excess water into measuring jug
4. Take note of the amount of mLs in measuring jug as this adds into the whole 1L water limit
5. Mix pandan extract, pandan juice, tapioca starch, sugar and coconut milk in a large mixing bowl
6. Measure remaining fluid to make 1L of water and pour into the rest of the ingredients then stir until well combined
Assemble! (Mung bean layer should also be sandwiched in between pandan layers)
1. Lightly spray 4 x 20cm cake tins with oil (If you don't have tins, you'll be able to reuse tins given the cakes have had time to cool before being flipped onto plate)
2. Bring water in your steamer pot boil then place cake tin in centre of steamer
3. Stir pandan layer then once ready, spoon in about 3/4 cup of the mixture into cake tin in the steamer - be careful as it can get very hot! - OR to make things easier, mix pandan layer then transfer 200-250mL into a measuring jug before pouring into cake tin - heaps keeps layers even
4. Pop lid onto steamer and leave for 3 minutes or until layer is just about cooked - mixture should not coat back of a spoon. If it does, leave for another 1 minute, you don't want it raw as layers will combine but not too cooked as layers will seperate

The set up!

5. Prepare mung bean layer much like pandan layer, stir, transfer 200mL-250mL of mixture into measuring jug then pour into tin ensuring all corners of tin are covered then cover with lid for 5 minutes - test layer by using the back of spoon method
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until cake tin is filled and always leave the last pandan layer in steamer for 5 minutes instead of the usual 3 as this acts as your base of cake
7. Continue with steps until all mixtures are used up!
8. Leave cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before pressing the sides to dislodge from cake tin. Once all sides have been dislodged, carefully flip cake onto plate before serving!

Just after steaming!

               I hope you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds a bit hectic with all the components involved but once you do the first cake, it's simple to get the hang of things. It's okay if it doesn't work out the first time, the layers on their own taste great! This recipe is so versatile in terms of cake sizes as you can use whatever tin you like, just adjust the amount of mung bean/ pandan mixture you add so that the layers are even. If you do have any leftover cake, simply pop into the freezer for several weeks then thaw when ready OR pop into the fridge to last for up to a week then re-heat in microwave for about 40 seconds before consumption. Make sure to leave a comment below if you try this out.

Nibble Away,

             Jo

How To: Christmas Tree Profiteroles

Hi Nibblers!

     I love the Christmas season. It's my favourite time of year but it goes by in a blink of an eye. It's always buzzing and Christmas movies are always so heart warming. It eases all the stresses of everyday life even if it's just for a moment. I do have to admit, Sydney's Christmas are a tad too hot for my liking but it does mean I'm able to enjoy lovely potato salads and seafood all day. It also means being able to enjoy those cold desserts and not suffering from frost bitten fingers afterwards!
      The inspiration for this recipe stemmed from my love for profiteroles and Christmas! Back before I was into baking my own sweet treats, Kevin used to rush off to the local supermarket and buy me a box of custard filled profiteroles. It was always one of the best surprises back in high school. To this day, I still have such fond memories of those occasions so I decided to honour that memory with a recipe.

How To: Christmas Tree Profiteroles
Makes approx. 40 medium sized profiteroles

What you'll need:
For choux pastry
- 250mL water
- 100g unsalted butter (diced)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 125g all purpose flour
- 4 eggs
For filling / decorating
- 600mL thickened cream - setting aside 1/2 cup for ganache
- 4 Tbs. sugar
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chip buttons
- 1/2 tsp. Pandan paste OR 2 drops green food colouring (for colour purposes)
- Sprinkles to decorate (whatever you fancy)

How To:
The Choux Pastry
1. Pre-heat oven to 210 degrees Celcius or 410 degrees Farenheit
2. Place cold water and unsalted butter into a saucepan and mix until a gentle simmer
2. Add salt and flour and beat until it forms a paste / smooth dough that comes away from the sides of the pan
3. Remove pan from heat and beat egg one at a time and mix well - this takes a bit of arm power and patience - don't add all eggs at once
4. Pop choux pastry into a piping bag and squeeze into equal rounds on a baking sheet tray - approximately 3cm in diameter
5. Use a damp finger to push down on any spikes to ensure those spikes don't burn on the oven
6. Pop choux pastry in the oven for at least 15 minutes or until puffed and golden then set aside on cooling rack to cool
The Filling
1. While profiteroles are cooling, whip thickened cream with sugar until stiff peaks form then set aside in fridge until needed
The Coating

1. Place 1/2 cup of thickened cream and white chocolate buttons into a microwave save bowl and microwave at 1 minute intervals (stirring in between) until ganache forms a smooth velvety past - Takes about 3 minutes

2. Add pandan paste or food colouring to ganache and mix until well incorporated then set aside until needed
Assemble!
1. Poke a hole in each of the profiteroles bottoms and pipe whipped cream into the centre - stopping when you feel some resistance
2. Dip the filled profiteroles into ganache then set aside to set

3. Once all profiteroles are filled, assemble a circular base for the tree and work upwards to form a christmas tree and voila! Christmas centre piece made easy - I added my own self-drawn star to add height but you can do whatever you please.
4. Add some sprinkles and you're set!

        I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! I do have to apologise from the lack of posts this Christmas but the truth is, it hasn't been the best end to the year. A few things have come up that I have no control over which has taken all my free time that I would otherwise dedicate to this blog. But, enough of the pity party - Christmas is still exciting and if you Nibblers do try out this recipe, let me know how it goes in the comment below!

Nibble Away,
           Jo

How To: Lindt Lindor Peppermint Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

Hi Nibblers!

        It's December! When I hear people say how quickly the year goes by, I didn't feel it much. But ever since leaving uni and working full-time, the year goes by at lightning speed. The festive season is definitely more stressful in adulthood because I can't seem to find a time where shops are open when I'm off work. Luckily, I had a few hours on hand and headed to the shops to window shop for present ideas. I stumbled upon 'Lindt Lindor Peppermint - Christmas Edition' truffles. I had been wanting to do a mint related recipe for a while but couldn't find the oomph I was looking for until now. I quickly popped back home and started baking. Keep reading ahead to find out how!

How To: Lindt Lindor Peppermint Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies
Makes: Approximately 20 cookies 

What you'll need:
- 250g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 400g plain flour - all purpose
- 4 tsp. vanilla essence
- 40g cocoa
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbs. milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. red food colouring
- 180g brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 250g of Lindt Lindor Peppermint
Optional: For decoration
- Handful green sprinkles
- 3 large candy canes - roughly chopped

How To:
1. Beat butter until smooth and creamy
2. Add white and brown sugar and beat until well incorporated
3. Add vanilla, eggs, milk and red food colouring
4. Mix in baking soda, flour and cocoa
5. Add choc chips and stir until mixed
6. Pop cookie dough into the fridge for at least an 1/2 hour
        Note:  This step is essential if you want soft,  pillowy, risen cookies. It allows the cookie dough more pliable and less sticky
7. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Farenheit
8. Remove all Lindt Lindor Peppermints from their wrappers then set aside
9. Roll a heaped Tbs. of cookie dough into a ball before flattening it out in the palm of your hand to form a pancake shape then place Lindor in the centre dough before covering the whole Lindor truffle with cookie batter
10. Place onto lined baking tray about 5cm apart from one another
11. Pop into the oven for 11-12 minutes
11. Take cookies out of the oven then lightly press down on each cookie 
12. Decorate cookies with sprinkles and crushed candy canes 
13. Allow cookies to cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack then devour!
        Note:  Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cookie dough and cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed (for eating) or baked frozen (but need an extra 2 minutes in the oven)

          This recipe is definitely for those choc mint lovers out there. The cookies are crunchy on the inside and chewy soft in the centre. The crushed candy canes are a surprise crunch which I really like. These are so easy to make and taste great even without the Lindor centres. Leave a comment below if you give this a try :)

Nibble Away,
         
               Jo