How To: Fairy Cupcakes

Hey Nibblers!

         Nothing makes me happier than the sight of fairy bread at a party. Yeah sure I'm an adult now but, who can resist? It reminds me of the days I was a kid. For those that are not familiar with this little piece of awesome it's a slice of heavenly white bread smeared with butter and sprinkled with 100s & 1000s and cut into four triangles. Sounds simple but, this Aussie delicacy will be sending you bananas for more. My next #CountdownToChristmas recipe will be my spin on this food classic. So without further adieu, I present to you ...

How To: Fairy Cupcakes

What you'll need: 
Fairy Cupcake:
- 100g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 200g of 100s & 1000s (150g for cake batter and 50g for sprinkling before baking)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tsp. vanilla essence
- 1 cup of sugar or 200g of sugar
- 220g of sifted self-raising flour (or plain flour with a pinch of salt)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup of milk or 250mL of milk
For pink coffee cream frosting:
- 5 tsp. instant coffee
- 2 tsp. boiling water
- 3 Tbl. of milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 100g sifted icing sugar
- 250g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 3 drops of pink food colouring

How To:
Yields approximately 12-15 medium sized cupcakes
Fairy Cupcake:
1. Line cupcake tin with patty pans or spray with oil
2. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Farenheit
3. Beat butter and sugar until well combined
4. Add eggs and beat
5. Add vanilla essence, baking powder, milk and flour and mix until well incorporated
6. Fold 150g of 100s & 1000s into the batter
7. Divide evenly into patty pans (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up)
8. Sprinkle a pinch of 100s &1000s from remaining 50g onto each cupcake
9. Pop into the oven for about 16-18 minutes, checking with a toothpick to see if it's cooked (toothpick should come out clean)
10. Let cupcakes cool down for about 15 minutes before frosting

Pink Coffee frosting:
1. Mix instant coffee with water until well combined then set aside to cool
2. Beat butter until it becomes a pale, off white colour (takes at least 10 minutes, the paler, the better)
3. Mix vanilla essence and milk into butter
4. Add icing sugar and mix until well incorporated
5. Add coffee into butter cream
6. Add pink colouring into butter cream and mix until well combined
7. Beat for an extra five minutes to ensure all ingredients have moulded together
    Note: If you wanted thicker buttercream texture, slowly add icing sugar until desired texture.
              If you wanted thinner buttercream, add 1 Tbs. of milk until desired texture
8. Decorate cupcakes!
   

           The #CountdownToChristmas is getting so real! About six weeks away and shopping centres are already crowded. Hope you enjoy this fun Fairy Cupcake recipe. Remember to comment below or tag me @nibblejo_x if you make these. OR better yet, why not try making Fairy Bread if you haven't tried it? It'll be a life changer.

Nibble Away,
            Jo

How To: Bánh Patê Sô (Vietnamese Pastry Pie)

Hey Nibblers!

           Christmas is coming! Stress levels may be raging this time of year but, it's my favourite time of year. I love it for the food, the lights, the buzz and being able to sit down and relax with family. To celebrate, I wanted to post as many finger-licking recipes as possible for the #CountdownToChristmas!!
          This first recipe is one of my all time favourite things to make for a party or as a road trip snack. They're easy to make, so many different variations to choose from and always a crowd pleaser. 'Patê Sô' or also known as 'Pate Chaud' are French inspired and traditionally consisted of a pork filling with a flaky pastry exterior. They can be found in many Vietnamese bakeries and chicken and beef fillings are now also widely used. My aunty makes banging Patê Sô but, I've since adopted my own version and twisted it Nibble Nation style.

How To: Bánh Patê Sô

Yields approx. 90-108 Patê Sô pieces for every kilo of mince meat

Recipe below will yield approx. 54 Patê Sô pieces as I'm only using 500g of mince. Just double content if you want a larger yield. 

What you will need: 

Pastry sheet cut into 9 squares

- 6 sheets of ready to use puff pastry (You'll need at least 10-12 sheets if you're using a kilo of mince.)
- 500g of chicken mince (any other mince (pork, beef etc.) will work well)
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbs. garlic salt
- Approx. 420g of corn kernels and peas (canned or frozen. If canned, drain excess juices)
- 1 1/2 large onions, diced (The more onions, the more moist the mince comes out)
- 2 tsp. pepper
- 3 egg yolks (One egg yolk can wash about 20 Patê Sô pieces so all depends on how many you want to bake in one go)

How To:

Marinated mince

1. Mix chicken mince, soy sauce, garlic salt, pepper, diced onions, corn kernels and peas together until well combined and then set aside to marinate for at least and hour
2. Leave puff pastry sheets to defrost for about an hour before use to make it more pliable
3. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius or 300 degrees Farenheit fan-forced about 30 minutes before baking
4. Cut puff pastry sheet into 9 relatively equal square pieces
5. Add one heaped tsp. of marinated mince into the middle of the puff pastry square
6. Fold diagonal corners together to form a triangle and press firmly to ensure pastry is sealed on all sides
7. Using a fork, decorate edges to create grooves for visual purposes (optional)
8. Repeat steps 4-7 until pastry/ marinated mince is used up
             Note: you can make Patê Sô pieces in advanced and freeze them until you need them. No need to defrost, just give them a quick egg-wash, pop them into the oven and they're as good as a fresh batch.
9. Break adequate amount of egg yolks to wash over pastry to achieve the amazing golden brown colour (Use those egg whites for some healthy scrambled eggs or a mousse.)
10. Pop into the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and enjoy!

One heaped tsp. into the centre of each square

Seal those corners by pressing firmly

Decorate the triangle Patê Sô

Egg washed and ready for baking!

Eat me!

         These taste amazing and I can't help but gobble a few when they're piping hot. I also love that I can make these in advanced and bake them whenever I need them. So, when I know I have guests coming over or a party coming up and know I'll be stuck at work, I just make a bunch in bulk a week ahead and bake them for when I need it. People will definitely woo over them and think you got down and dirty to make these.
         Hope you enjoyed the first recipe of my #CountdownToChristmas series! Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you have tried this recipe out for yourself.

Nibble Away,
          Jo

How To: Maltesers Cupcakes

Hey Nibblers!


            I've been wanting to put this recipe up for so long! With university nearing its end, time has just been slipping out of my fingers. Three more weeks and I'll have to start fending for myself in the real world!
            This has been my go-to recipe lately. It's easy and doesn't require any sort piping skill. I'm also loving the feedback that they're receiving from my family and friends. Even Kevin who isn't keen on sweets, gives it the tick of approval. So with the festive season coming up, this just might be the recipe for you.

Maltesers Cupcakes
Yields 12-14 medium cupcakes

What you will need: Cupcake base

- 1 cup or 180g self-raising flour (plain flour will work just add a pinch of salt)
- 2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1/2 cup or 80g of cocoa powder
- 50g butter (softened to room temperature)
- 3/4 cup or 150g of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup or 250ml of milk
- 3/4 tsp.  of vanilla essence
Maltesers Buttercream:
- 400g Maltesers Chocolate (For decoration/buttercream purposes oh and for snacking in between!)
- 250g of unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 100g icing sugar (sifted)
- 2 Tbs. of milk
- 2 tsp. of vanilla essence 

How To: Cupcake Base

Malteser Cupcake base - Surprise crunch!

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 360 degrees Farenheit (fan-forced preferably)

2. Line tin with cupcake patty pans

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and cocoa in a medium mixing bowl then set aside

4. Beat together the softened butter and white sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes)
5. Add eggs in one at a time and mix into butter/sugar component 

6. Add vanilla essence to wet ingredients and mix

7. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the milk into the wet mixture and mix

8. Repeat step 7 until all ingredients are all combined

9. Spoon about 3 Tbs. of the cupcake mixture evenly into each of the lined patty pans about 1/2 - 3/4 way up
10. Add  3 x Maltesers into each patty pan 

11. Pop into the oven for about 15-18 minutes checking with a skewer at the end to see if it's cooked (depending on your oven - I checked mine at 15 minutes and they were cooked)

12. Rest the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes before popping the Maltesers cream on

How To: Maltesers Buttercream

Crushed Maltesers 

1. Crush about 200g of the Maltesers Chocolates into chunky pieces then set aside (I used a bowl and pestle but, a food processor or using a knife and cutting the chocolates into rough 1/4 pieces would work)
2. Beat softened butter on high for 5-7 minutes until the yellow butter turns to a creamy - off white colour
3. Add and mix milk and vanilla essence until well combined
4. Add sifted icing sugar and beat for 5 minutes until well incorporated
5. Mix crushed Maltesers into the buttercream
6. Spread the Maltesers cream onto cupcakes (I just used a butter knife and spread about 1-2 Tbs. on each cupcake)
7. Pop 1 x Malteser onto the centre of each cupcake and nibble away!

           Let me know if you give this lovely recipe a go. I'm always on Instagram so if you ever wanted to share a recipe or picture just tag me @nibblejo_x. These cupcakes are great for their simplicity and the crunchy Maltesers cream with the moist chocolate cupcake base is heaven. Hope you enjoyed this post!

Nibble Away,
          Jo

How To: Mancakes (Father's Day Special)

Hey Nibblers!

           Father's Day is just around the corner for those of us in the land down under (Sunday September 7th to be exact). My Dad is so hard to buy for. He spoils himself with things he wants so I never have the chance to swoop in. I've also reached the age where handmade 'I Love Dad' cards are never completed due to time constraints so instead, I've turned to homemade breakfast instead.
           Pancakes are one of my favourite breakfast treats. They're easy to make and so versatile because you can enjoy them sweet or savoury. My inspiration for my 'Mancakes' came from my lovely cousin, Kelly. Back when we were in London together, she made me pancakes with bacon bits and a fried egg in the middle. It was the perfect combination of flavours and textures. So, with her in mind, I created my own version that would guarantee Dad's approval.

How To: Mancakes

Made some Mancakes with a side of Pancakes

yields 6-8 mancakes depending on the size of your frypan and preference Mancake size
What you'll need:
Cake batter:
- 1 cup or 150g of plain flour
- 1 cup or 250mL of milk
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1 egg
- 25g melted butter
Man batter:
- 200g of minced beef (or whatever you prefer)
- 100g of diced bacon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs. mixed herbs
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional - for spice)

How To: Mancakes

Pancakes cooking away

1. Mix 'Man batter' i.e. minced beef, salt, mixed herbs, bacon and cayenne pepper then set aside
2. Sift baking powder, flour and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre then set aside
3. Mix lemon juice, milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla essence until well incorporated
4. Add wet mixture into the well of the dry ingredients bowl and stir until it becomes a runny paste with no lumps then set aside in a jug
5. Heat frypan to medium heat then fry off 'Man batter' mixture by constantly coating to ensure the minced beef breaks apart into small clusters then leave to cool for 10 minutes
6. Add cooked 'Man batter' into 'Cake batter' and stir
7. Re-heat saucepan to low to medium heat and pour Mancake batter into the centre
             Note: if you wanted to be more fancy, crack an egg into the frypan first before adding batter to make a complete breakfast. Just be wary that flipping the pancake is more challenging due to its weight. End process will taste great but it might not look as pretty and circular. It's the thought that counts though, right?
8. Cook one side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown before flipping to the other side and repeating the cooking process
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you've finished the batter
10. Enjoy!

Ultimate Mancake. I forgot to take a picture of the end result
due to the state it was in. But man, was it delicious!

      I love how simple these were to make and took about half an hour all up. They tasted great and it's a nice twist on the classic pancake. If the 'Mancake' isn't your type of thing, simply ignore the 'Man batter' component and enjoy the pancakes on their own. It's quick and they tasted deliciously fluffy. You will definitely be in Dad's good books for the day.
     Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know in the comments below if you've given this a try!

Mancakes with maple syrup because why not? 

Happy (early) Father's Day to those Dads out there,
Nibble Away,

             Jo.

How to: Parsley Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Hey Nibblers!

     Chicken? Check.
     Rocket? Check.
     Bread? Check.
     Pesto? Check.
     Sandwich time? Oh yeah.

     When I'm trying to cut down on my carbs in my day to day life, it only heightens my obsession and lust for sandwiches. I don't know what it is about the crusty outside and deliciously yeasty soft insides that makes me bend of my knees for more. Satisfying my cravings doesn't come at a better time when I have leftover pesto sitting in the fridge. As mentioned in my previous 'Parsley Pesto' recipe post, it makes for a tasty and quick marinade when you're low on time. So, with about half a cup left in my fridge, I just had to!

What you'll need: [to make adequate sized two sandwiches]
- Parsley pesto (1/2 cup)
- 1 x double breasted chicken (any cut fillet would work as well)
- 1 small tomato sliced
- Handful of baby rocket/spinach (or salad mix of your choice)
- Mayonnaise
- 1/2 avocado
- Pinch of salt/pepper
- Bread (I bought a big loaf to slice into nice 1.5cm horizontal slices but use your favourite!)

How to:
1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius
2. Marinade your chicken and pesto mixture in a bowl for 10 - 15 minutes at room temperature
        Note: We want the chicken at almost room temperature before cooking to achieve a more tender/ even texture

3. Pop your chicken onto a lined oven tray and pop that into the oven for 20 - 25mins before taking out to rest
4. Slice those tomatoes and prep your bread, salad, mayo and avocado while the chicken is cooking in the oven if you haven't already done so
5. Leave your chicken to cool once out of the oven for about 5 mins before slicing to not lose any of those juices
6. Slice your chicken pieces into small 5 x 0.5cm slices (Or to your preferred size)

The almonds have browned nicely, great for added crunch.

6. Assemble your sandwich. If you want to know how I make my sandwiches, just keep scrolling down.

Lay your bread on a flat surface

Smear a generous layer of mayo to each slice

Continue smearing the avocado onto one half. Add pinch of salt and pepper to season the avocado

Add your parsley pesto chicken slices

Add tomato slices 

Add baby rocket/spinach leaves

          Sandwich accomplished! 

        Now, you know how it goes. If you know how to make a delicious sandwich, you'll be sure to bag a hubby/wifey. But please, the only sandwiches I'm making are for myself. Food + my belly = best relationship ever. Seriously, you guys should try it. It'll be the best decision you've ever made.

Served with some chilled water with lemon slices? 

Can we just say, Hello Spring?

           Sandwiches are awesome because you can customise them to whatever tickles your fancy. It's also simple and satisfying. So hope you Nibblers will give this one a try or even, leave picture responses of your own creations!

          Hope you're all having an amazing week!

Nibble Away,

             Jo x.

How to: Parsley Pesto

Hey Nibblers!

I've always loved my pesto. If there's anything pesto on the menu, I'm the one to order it. My Mumma has been tending her little herb garden religiously for about two years now. So, when she said she wanted me to use the abundance of parsley for her, I gladly did, by making one of my favourite things. It's not your traditional basil pestos but, if you're a fan of parsley, you'll be a fan of this.

What you'll need:
- 110g of parsley
- 100g of grated cheddar cheese
- 60g of raw almonds
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- A food processor or blender
          Note: These aren't traditional ingredients for pesto but as a proud pantry hunter, this combination works well together

How to:

1. Throw your parsley, almonds, oil and cheddar into your food processor/ blender

2. Blend until well combined. I like my pesto chunky so I've blitzed it to my desired texture

3. Add salt to taste. 

          Note: This made about a small bowls worth of pesto. I added about 1 tsp. of salt. Be careful though. Cheddar is already salty so it's all trial and error

         If you find your pesto is too dry, add more oil. Don't go crazy because it takes a while for it to set in.

Now, you're all set! It's that simple. But the thing I love most about pesto is its versatility. Eat it as a dip, on some bread, or even spooned over some freshly cooked pasta makes dinner fast and easy. Parsley gives it a much stronger taste but one that is equally addictive as their basil counterparts.

       

I had a little bit of an accident when pouring my oil in so it's a tad too thin for me but still super delicious!

Tossed with some freshly cooked pasta, add in some poultry and dinner/ lunch is ready to go.

Hope you're all having an amazing week and perhaps try this recipe out if you're a parsley lover like me!

Nibble Away,

         Jo x.

How to: Fish Cakes wrapped in lettuce with guacamole.

Hey Nibblers!
       
       Fish and I aren't really friends. Leftover fish and I are definitely enemies. However, I have found a super easy way to jazz these fishes up.
       For those of you that feel like you are missing some omega 3 in your life because fish just isn't you cup of tea, I think it's a nice way to enjoy fish. It makes such an awesome snack, lunch and dinner alternative. Whipped these fish cakes in a salad and you're good to go! Healthy and delicious, how can anyone say no?

What you'll need: (Approx. makes 2 servings)
Fish Cake Component
- 50g cous cous
         Note: Usually made with breadcrumbs for the crispy texture however, cous cous works just as well
- 230g of leftover fish
          Note: I used 115g of my Mum's grilled salmon and a can of John West's 'Chilli' flavoured. Feel free to use any flavour or form of fish you like
- 1 egg

Method:

Fish cakes:

1. Prepare cous cous as directed

2. Add cous cous and egg to fish container

3. Mix cous cous, egg and fish together until well combined, season with a pinch of salt and pepper

Oh mix me!

I'm well combined thanks!

4. Divide fish portion into sections, ready to mould (I wanted 8 cakes)

8 equal portions

5. Using clean hands, mould fish mix into hamburger - like patties

I'm a fish patty!

6. Heat non-stick fry pan to medium / high heat 

             Note: The natural oils from the fish are good enough to oil the pan, however if you feel they're going to stick, add a tablespoon of oil 

7. Place fish patties into pan, cooking one side for approx. 3 minutes before flipping

             Note: Try and be patient, flipping these cakes early will mean they're not crisp and will break down

After 3 minutes on one side

8. Continue cooking the other side for another 3-4 minutes until both sides are crispy and identical. 

             Note: Don't keep flipping these cakes no matter how much you want to otherwise they won't be  as crispy/ uneven cooking

9. Serve as is with your favourite sauce(s) or continue on reading for my take on guacamole that work perfectly with these crispy fish cakes

My favourite sauces to enjoy these with are sweet chille & ranch!

What you'll need:

Lettuce/ Guacamole component

- 3 layers of iceberg lettuce (or however much you prefer)
- 1 medium/ large avocado
- 1 small cucumber (diced)
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- 1 Tbs. coriander (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 red onion (diced)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice

Method:
1. Mash avocado in a small bowl
             Note: I left mine chunky but mash away if you prefer it more finely minced
2. Combine  cucumber, tomato, red onion, lemon juice and coriander to the avocado and mix well
         Note: I know traditionally, cucumber isn't usually used in guacamole dishes but, I love my cucumber and by adding all these ingredients with the avocado, it's like a salad in a bowl

Yummy guacamole!

3. Add a pinch of salt to taste

4. Assemble those fish cake lettuce wraps: Take layer of lettuce, pop on some guacamole and tear in some fish cake!

           What I love about these is how fast and easy they are to make. They're so crispy and great when you may only have canned fish in your pantry. You can customise them however you like and better yet, fall in love with leftover fish as I have.

            

            Hope you are all are having an amazing week as I have. Cheers to end of exams, finally!

Nibble Away,

              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.