How To: Vanilla Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting (Catcakes 2.0)

Hi Nibblers!

       Last year, I made my first ever Catcakes for my bestie Tree. This year, I decided to take it up a notch and make a 3D version of a cat. There was a lot of sweat involved and thanks to Sydney's humid weather, it almost sabotaged the whole cupcake mission! Thankfully, I had Kevin who offered to be my baker in crime for the day. I'm really happy with how the Catcakes turned out this year and received good feedback in terms of taste as well. I used my Banh Bong Lan recipe for the base and flavoured my standard buttercream with a mocha flavouring. If you want to just learn how I make my vanilla sponge / bang bong lan, click on the link or keep reading on to see how I decorated the Catcakes.

How To: Vanilla Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting (Catcakes 2.0)

What you will need: Banh Bong Lan
- 6 eggs (separated into whites and egg yolks bowls)
- 180g self raising flour (or plain - just add a pinch of salt) - sifted
- 140g of sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla essence
- 90mL of milk
- 90mL of vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- 250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 Tbs. of milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 110g icing sugar (sifted)
- 5 tsp. of instant coffee (mixed with 2 tsp. of warm water)
- 1/3 cup approx. 90g of melted chocolate (I prefer a dark chocolate (70%) as I don't like frosting to be too sweet)
Cat props
- 1/3 cup or approx. 90g of melted chocolate (I used 70% dark chocolate)
- 6 pink mini M&Ms cut into halves (Cat's nose - you may need a few extras incase they get lost, in your belly)
- 24 brown mini M&Ms (Cat's eyes)

How To: Banh Bong Lan
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Line cupcake tin with patty pans
3. Beat egg whites on high using an electric mixer for 30 seconds before adding sugar into the bowl
4. Continue to beat until egg whites for about 7 mins or until the egg peaks are glossy and are able to hold their shape then put aside
5. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, oil and milk to egg yolk bowl and beat on high for about 5 mins until mixture turns from the deep orange to a light yellow/beige colour
6. Add 3/4 of flour into egg yolk mixture and beat until well combined
7. Transfer egg yolk mixture into large mixing bowl 
8. Add a large spoonful of egg whites into egg yolk mixture then fold until well combined
9. Add remaining 1/4 of flour evenly into mixing bowl and fold until you can no longer see flour trails
10. Repeat step 8 until all egg whites have 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 a sweetened yoghurt (such as Ski)  and greek yogurt. The super runny bits, may indicate oil has not yet been combined well so keep gently folding.
11. Scoop mixture in a measuring jug to make it easier to pop into muffin tins
12. Pour mixture half-way up the patty pans
13. Pop into pre-heated oven for 16 minutes - 20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean  
14. Leave to cool before decorating
Cat Props:

Pink noses and cat eyes ready to go!

1. Melt 90g of chocolate under a double boiler or in a microwave (whichever you prefer) until silky and smooth
2. Pop melted chocolate into a piping bag (careful it's hot!) then pipe on a tray lined with baking paper at least 24 filled triangles with 2cm side then pop into the fridge to set
3. Pipe chocolate lines on a separate baking paper lined tray to act as whiskers then pop into the fridge to set
Mocha Buttercream Frosting:
1. Melt 90g of chocolate under a double boiler or in a microwave (whichever you prefer) until silky and smooth then set aside

      

Our lines were a bit thin and hard to handle so make them thicker!

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, remembering to scrape the sides
5. Add melted chocolate and coffee mixture into the buttercream and mix well
      Note: - If you find your mixture too runny, add 2x Tbs. icing sugar until you have the perfect
                   consistency
                - If you find it too stiff, add a Tbs. of milk until you have the perfect consistency
                - Perfect - pipeable consistency is when it'll only slide of your spatula if you force it back                     into the bowl with one swift hand movement

Assemble time!
1. Using any closed star tip, pipe rough 0.5cm peaks around the whole cupcake then build upwards in layers until it comes to a point like a mountain
2. Working quickly, pop the chocolate triangles onto the top left and right side corners of the frosting mountain 
3. Pop brown M&Ms about 1cm underneath the ears to resemble eyes
4. Add pink M&Ms 1cm underneath and in the middle of the two eyes
5. Cut chocolate lines into rough 1.5cm lines then add 2 strands (each side) next to the nose to act as whiskers!
        Note: Chocolate whiskers and chocolate ears were hard to handle as it was so hot, it melted in our hands. So take the decorating process slowly, pop the props into the fridge if you need to or even the cupcakes! The taste was not affected at all.

          I hope you love this recipe. If you do try it for yourself, make sure to leave a comment below or tag me on twitter (nibblejo_x) or instagram (nibblejo_x). Unfortunately, I'm still not a cat lover but, I had so much fun making these. Tree is still trying to convert me to the cat world with little progress. Maybe next year, Tree? Hope you all are having a lovely week!

Left over chocolate creations

Three cutie cats

 Nibble Away,

              Jo

It's a New Year. Welcome to 2015!

Hi Nibblers,

        It's a new year! Welcome to 2015. I hope this year brings you happiness, good fortune and awesome food.
        Before I delve into my plans and aspirations for this new year, I wanted to quickly reflect on 2014. To be honest, it wasn't my most favourite year. I felt quite lost at times and found it difficult to balance university, work, social and Nibble Nation. It was hard to have all these new recipe ideas in my head but unable to actually experiment and write them out. But negatives aside, I am glad that I was able to complete my #365daysofdinner challenge and carry out my #CountdownToChristmas series. I loved being able to recreate dishes I enjoy. I felt as if every time a new recipe went live, you were able to experience a piece of who I am. Taking a more personal perspective and sharing food experiences with you. I also turned 22 and finished my Nursing degree which means I'm out in the real world this year,

I turned 22 at the end of 2014. Here's a pic of amazing people that I was able to share that with.

Picture of my 'Gelato Messina's 'Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom' cake from my friends Tree & Adrian. Thank you!

        My hopes for 2015 for Nibble Nation, is to continue putting out more recipes that represent me. I want to also continue with restaurants whether local or internationally whenever I can. I know I may not be as concise and technical in my food descriptions but hey, I'm no Gordon Ramsay. I'm just giving you my first impressions of places I go to and hope that we can share our food thoughts together.
        Lastly, I want to thank you to those that do follow me and try out any of my recipes. I'm glad I plucked up the courage to put myself out there on the internet because it feels great having a project that you can say is yours. Better yet, I can't believe that Nibble Nation is almost two years old. I feel I've grown a lot in these two years in both style of writing as well as improving my food photography skills. So, thank you and may 2015 bring in some more awesome food to fill our bellies.

Nibble Away,

         Jo

How To: Strawberries and Cream Crepes

Merry Christmas Nibblers!

         Christmas is here and to celebrate, I wanted to share my 'Strawberries and Cream Crepes.' These are so easy to make and will please any crowd. If you're busy you can just make all the components in advanced, pop it all in the fridge a day ahead and assemble them the day of your occasion. Perfect for this festive season!

How To: Strawberry and Cream Crepes

What you'll need:
Makes 6-7 Crepes/Pancakes (23cm in diameter)
- 50g plain flour
- 2 Tbs. of caster sugar
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 drop of pink food colouring 
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup of milk (125ml)
The Filling:
- 1 punnet of Strawberries sliced into approx. 5mm wide slices(250g)
- 150g thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1 Tbs. caster sugar
- 1tsp. vanilla essence

How To: 
Crepe batter Preparation:
1. Beat eggs, sugar, food dye, oil, vanilla essence and milk until well combined
2. Add flour and stir until incorporated
3. Sieve the crepe/pancake batter through a sift into a new bowl to rid of the lumps
4. Cover the batter mixture and leave at room temperature for 30-60 minutes
The Filling: Attend to filling component now while waiting
5. Fill a large bowl with water and ice to make an ice bath (To ensure the cream doesn't split)
6. Pop a small mixing bowl into the ice bath and add cream, sugar and vanilla then whisk until hard (about 5 minutes) then set in fridge until needed
Crepes/Pancake component
8. Lightly spray frypan (If it's a non-stick fry pan, you won't need to oil it)
9. Heat frypan on low heat
10. Using  a small ladle or 1/4 cup, mix the crepe batter and then add into the middle of the fry pan
11. Swirl the batter around the pan to the edges
12. Cover the frypan and leave for approx. 1.5 - 2 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges
13. Slide the crepe/ pancake onto a plate and repeat until the batter is finished
14. Cover the crepes/ pancake with some cling film and leave in the fridge to cool for approx. 30 minutes
15. Construct pancake - a dollop of cream in the middle of the crepe, 3-4 strawberry slices on top and then fold in the sides and fold.

          I hope you're all having a lovely Christmas! I'm so happy with the recipes I've been able to put out during this festive period despite being so busy with work. May you all have an amazing day and enjoy with your friends and family. Hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Much love,
       Merry Christmas!

                      Jo

How To: Meat Pastry Shell Pies

Hi Nibblers!

        Whenever I come home from overseas, the first thing I crave is a good old Aussie meat pie. That shortcut pastry at the base, simple beef mince filling and flaky puff pastry on top is the best. What's better is the comfort of a home-made pie and having the house smelling of baking goodness. The weather has been miserable in Sydney at the moment. It's raining and has been storming constantly. So, I decided to make my own little version of the classic meat pie to enjoy. This version is best enjoyed at the table as it can be difficult to handle. But, trust me, the cutlery use is worth it because they taste amazing. Crunchy pastry shell with saucy minced beef filling, being fancy on a budget. Hope you enjoy this #CountdownToChristmas Recipe!

How To: Meat Pastry Shell Pies

Yields 10 large pies and 12 mini pies
What you'll need:
- 6 ready made puff pastry sheets
- 500g of minced beef
- 1 Tbs mixed herbs
- 2 Tbs. cornflour with 1 TBs. water to form a paste
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 medium sized onions (diced)
- 250mL beef stock
- 70mL of thickened cream
- 3 eggs separated into yolk (egg wash) / white
- 2 Tbs. curry powder (optional - if you want a twist on your pies. It tastes amazing)
- Circle cookie cutters (Doesn't matter what size as long as one of the circle cutters is larger than the other. I used a large lid from my peanut butter jar)

How To:

Don't chuck the left over pastry,
mould it into something new

1. Cook diced onions in a large saucepan on a medium heat until light brown
2. Add minced meat to saucepan and keep stirring to separate the mince and cook for about 5 minutes or until brown
3. Add stock, salt, cream, egg whites, herbs and stir until well incorporated
       Note: If you would like curry flavoured mince, add curry powder to mince and stir until well combined. I did half a traditional mince and half curry filling
4. Add cornflour paste to saucepan and wait until meat boils then, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes until think and leave to cool.

Pastry Shells ready to go!

The pastry shell recipe was inspired by Food Wishes Recipe Video. Click the link to see how Chef John made his pastry shells. I found it messier to egg wash the whole pastry sheet so, decided to only egg wash after cutting out the shapes.
5. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius or 400 degrees Farenheit
6. For each pastry shell, cut two larger circles and one smaller circle from puff pastry sheet
7. Place one of the large circles cut outs on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash, then place`another large circle cut out directly on top of the first cut out. Brush again with egg wash then place the smaller circular cut out in the centre of the first two stacked cut outs. Brush again with egg wash to ensure a perfect golden brown.
8. Repeat steps 7-8 until you've used all puff pastry sheets (should produce 10 pastry shells)

I did half curry and traditional mince

9. Place pastry shells into oven for 20-25 minutes or until brown then leave to cool
10. Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Farenheit
11. With remaining puff pastry scraps from cut out, mould together into a ball and roll into a log about 30cm long
12. Divide log into 12 equal pieces and using your fingers (or rolling pin) stretch pastry until it fits into a greased 12 mould muffin tin
13. Place about 1 and a half Tbs. of mince filling into each mould
14. Brush egg wash onto the corners of each pastry mould and pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown
15. Reheat remaining mince in saucepan until warmed evenly through
16. Cut a lid for each pastry shell then spoon in minced filling (Fits about 4 Tbs. in each pie) then enjoy!

Pastry Shells cooling

Cut the top to make a lid

Then fill it with mince

           It may look a tad complicated in words but trust me, it's super easy! They taste great on their own or with a it of sauce. I couldn't help consuming a few of these pies after I had finished taking photos of them. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to take pictures of the mini pies but, if you head to my 'Mini Quiche' recipe, they turned out quite similar visually.
           The larger pies are best eaten as soon as they're made so you can make the shells in advanced, but don't fill them until you want to eat them. As for the mini pies, I left mine in the fridge and reheated them for a quick breakfast whenever I was on the go. I also love these pastry shells because they're so versatile and you can put anything you want in them. Hope you enjoyed this recipe and leave a comment below if you try this recipe out!

Nibble Away,

            Jo

How To: Ginger Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Hey Nibblers!

           I haven't had many gingerbread cookies in my life. It was never love at first taste for me. I love the way the cookies are decorated but, never craved the ginger goodness. But with Christmas only 27 days away, I suddenly had a craving for a gingerbread cookie. So, instead of heading to a bakery for my fix I thought I would make my own twist on the classic gingerbread cookie with the only way I know how, in cupcake form. I love how these cupcakes turned out. The ginger flavour is pungent and ties in nicely with the the cream cheese frosting to give a sweet, sour and tangy taste all in one bite.

How To:  Ginger Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields 12-14 cupcakes
What you'll need:
Ginger Cupcake component:
- 230g of self raising flour (sifted)
- 100g butter softened to room temp
- 150g of raw brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbs. ginger powder
- 3 tsp. vanilla essence
- 250mL of milk
- 2 tsp. baking powder

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 200g softened cream cheese
- 3 Tbs. of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of mixed dried fruit

How To:

The perfect rise

Ginger Cupcake:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius / 350 degrees Farenheit
2. Line cupcake tin with patty pans / grease tin
3. Beat butter and sugar together until well incorporated
4. Add eggs and mix
5. Add vanilla essence, baking powder and mix
6. Add about half flour and milk and mix until well combined
7. Repeat step 6
8. Beat for a further 2 minutes to ensure all ingredients are fused well together
9. Divide batter into lined cupcake tin
10. Pop into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until cooked (check using the toothpick method at 16 minutes)
11. Let cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting!

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Ready

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. Beat cream cheese until it becomes creamier in texture (about 5 minutes)
2. Add orange juice and beat until well combined
3. Add mixed fruit and beat until well incorporated
4. Spoon a tsp. or two on top of eat cupcake then consume!
         Note: If you feel the frosting is too liquified for your taste, beat in a Tbs. of icing sugar until your preferred consistency or alternatively, refrigerate frosting for 5-10 minutes before serving to ensure the frosting holds its shape

          Hope you enjoyed this #CountdownToChristmas recipe. After the success of these cupcakes, I officially have an appreciation for ginger. They have converted me to the ginger loving society. My parents were skeptical at first but, have asked for me to remake these again which means they can covert the toughest of the crowds. If you do give these a try, be sure to comment below as I would love to hear your thoughts!

Nibble Away,
       
               Jo.

How To: Mini Quiche

Hi Nibblers!

         I still remember the first time I ever made quiche. It was in my food technology class in high school. I had never tasted quiche nor knew how to pronounce it properly. Since that lesson, I have made the recipe over and over again until I quiche-d out! Until one day, Mum came home with a home-made quiche her friend had prepared earlier. It was the best quiche I had ever tasted so I decided to recreate it. I love how this recipe turned out. It's a little bit different as I added ingredients that I enjoyed but, that's the fun with quiche. You can make it your own and still be able to please the crowd. These mini quiches will be a great nibble and a lovely addition to my #CountdownToChristmas series.

How To: Mini Quiche

Yields approximately 48 mini quiches
      Note: You can make quiches in advanced and freeze them until needed. Just freeze unbaked quiches in cupcake tin to hold their shape. Remove from the tin and store them in a tightly sealed bag to minimise storage space.
What you'll need:
- 1 Tbs. mixed herbs

Stretch pastry moulds

- 300 mL thickened cream
- 200g sliced olives
- 50mL milk
- 6 eggs
- Egg yolks (for pastry egg wash - 1 yolk per dozen quiches)
- 100g wilted spinach
- 1 diced small capsicum
- 200g diced bacon (substitute for whichever poultry you prefer i.e. roast beef)
- 100g diced ham (substitute for whichever poultry you prefer i.e. shredded chicken)
- 150g grated cheddar cheese
- 6 x puff pastry sheets (each sheet is sliced into 9 squares)

How To:

Filled pastry cups

1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius / 300 degrees Farenheit (fan-forced in applicable)
2. Grease cupcake tin with oil spray to stop pastry from sticking
3. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl
4. Add herbs, cream, olives, milk, spinach, bacon, ham and cheese to eggs and mix until well combined then set aside
5. Grab a 1 x 9 square of puff pastry and stretch edges until they fit into cupcake tin
6. Repeat step 5 until all cupcake tin is filled
7. Fill each pastry square mould with about 1 and a half Tbs. of filling - about 3/4 way up each mould until finished
8. Brush a bit of egg wash on the corners of each quiche
9. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes
10. Leave to cool for 5-10minutes before nibbling away!

        This recipe is so easy to make and tastes delicious. As I said earlier, you can add whatever you like. Diced carrots, zucchini, corn kernels or mushrooms, you name it.  If you feel like there's too many ingredients and not enough saucy goodness, add a splash of milk and an egg! It won't change anything apart from yielding a larger portion of mini quiches so, have a few extra puff pastry sheets handy. Hope you enjoyed this recipe and be sure to leave a comment below if you've tried this recipe out or about your best quiche experience.

Nibble Away,
         
              Jo

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