Chai Cheesecake Brownies

Chai-ny Cheesecake Brownies

This week I have been pondering all things tiny and Chai-ny. It is true that my latest fascination is baked goods that have an aromatic and spicy flair. This fascination (okay I will call it what it is...obsession) extends to Chai flavouring which has burst into the baking arena with a standing ovation and loyal fan base. With this in mind, it felt like a natural progression to take a cherished brownie recipe given to me by my mother and give it a Chai hit.
This delicious experiment leads me back to my earlier pondering on other tiny matters. I have always been aware that I am not exactly tall perhaps, not even average in height. It would be fair to say that most would classify me as, well, short. Over the years this stature has been framed in a positive and affectionate light, from my parents calling me Cocha-pina (translated roughly it means tiny bug, endearing I know!) to them insisting that "good things come in small packages". In recent years my height has brought to light a social prejudice that I didn't even know existed, it is called SIZE-ISM. "What does this look like in action?" you ask. Well it comes in many forms, from being told that something you wear makes you look "sweet" by a shop assistant (implied undertone: "You are now ready to attend your 5 year old birthday party") to comments such as "You are so small, yet confident and competent" (not implied or even an undertone, loud and clear, really: "Didn't expect much from you").
What does my crazed rant and Chai brownies have to do with each other? Just as all this Sizeist prejudice was getting me down (yes even closer to the floor than I naturally am) I made these brownies and discovered a sweet home truth: Good things do come in small packages and tiny morsels can leave a lasting impression (baking has always been my calorific therapy, and this was indeed a bake-through!) Despite being demure in size, these brownies are memorable. What they lack in stature they make up for in sugar, spice and all things nice! Enjoy a Chai-ny square of these cheesecake brownies and take a trip down spice lane!

Chai Cheesecake Brownies:

125g butter
125g dark chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs lightly beaten
1/3 cup plain flour sifted
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp Chai powder*
250g cream cheese
1/4 cup caster sugar

*You can make your own Chai powder: see note at the bottom of the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 25cm x 16cm tray with baking paper (leave all four edges of the paper overhanging the tin so that when the brownies are baked you can simply lift them out).

Cream the caster sugar, cheese and Chai powder until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer).

In a small saucepan melt the butter and chocolate over a low flame. When they have just melted add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved (it will take on a glossy appearance).  Then take off the heat and whisk in the 3 eggs (in order to minimise the clean up, I like to keep it in the saucepan while I finish off the brownies recipe). Sift in the four, cocoa and baking powder and then gently fold it through.

Pour the brownies mixture into the lined tin. Then take teaspoons of the cheesecake batter and drop them into the brownies batter. Continue dolloping until all the cheesecake is finished. You do not need to press them down as the brownies batter rising around them. Also the cheesecake dollops will end up being close together and some will touch, but that is perfectly fine too.

Bake for 22 minutes (the cheesecake will turn slightly brown and the brownie will still appear gooey, it cooks a little more as it cools in the tin). When cooled for 30 minutes, cut into Chai-ny pieces and enjoy!

*Chai Powder: (you double depending on personal taste)

1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

Magic Cocoa-nut Cake

Coconut and Fudge Brownie Cake 

I want to explain this creation but the question is where to start? Well, like all good creation stories it seems that the best place to start is at the beginning...
While travelling through Venice my mouth stumbled upon the most delicious cake. It was a moist zesty coconut cake that was topped with a layer of decadent chocolate cake. A giant slab of it was delivered to the table and I oggled it questioning whether, for once, my eyes and stomach could match up (sometimes my stomach lets down my eyes. You see, my eyes have the appetite of a  6 foot five sumo wrestler, whereas as my stomach has the appetite of the five foot two human being that I am). My stomach and eyes made a pact that night that neither would let me down and I demolished the coconut chocolate cake slab.
Fast forward six months and I have been dreaming about this cake and cursing the fact that I didn't ask them for the recipe. Undeterred I decided that I would take my never fail fudge brownie recipe and combine it with a tangy coconut cake. The only question remaining was which comes first - the chicken or the egg? Do I pour the coconut cake into the tin first and then top with the brownie fudge, or should it be the other way round? Now, I am no scientist and my attempt to test the batter "density" by lifting up the wooden spoons one at a time, while scratching my head Einstein-style, proved futile. So on a whim I decided: coconut on the bottom and brownie batter on top, crossed my fingers, toes and eyes and popped it into the oven.
Why is this cake called "magic" Cocoa-nut cake? I hear you ask. It is called magic because by some baking magic (think baking fairies  sprinkling icing sugar dust) the brownie batter inverted and landed on the bottom of the cake!

Here are some home truths about this cake:

1. It is dangerously delicious (and mum and I naughtily tucked into while hot, which is a big baking no no as it usually breaks the cake...even so...it was worth it!). Also the same baking fairies who flipped the brownie to the bottom, also ensured that the brownie remained gooey chocolaty heaven while the coconut cake was light and tangy.
2. Despite having to make two batters it is a really quick recipe.
3. It is not going to win any beauty contests. You know how people ask "Is he/she good looking?" and the person pauses and responds, "They have great personality". I have never understood this response...until I made this cake. It is not pretty. It has no "good sides" (I discovered this while trying to cut the perfect piece and take a photo). BUT, what this cake lacks in traditional baking beauty, it makes up for in bounds with punches of flavour and textural layers of personality.
4. It is best eaten on the day, and even it wasn't, it wouldn't last much longer as it would be devoured!

Coconut Cake (Adapted from Raspberricupcakes.com):

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 desiccated coconut
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lime
1 cup caster sugar
125g butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line the bottom of a non-stick 20cm round baking tin with baking paper. Zest lemons and lime (don't be shy with the zest, the more the merrier). Sift flour into a large bowl. Then simply add all other ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon till smooth.  
  
Fudge Brownie: 

125g butter
125g dark chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs lightly beaten
1/3 cup plain flour sifted
1/3 cup cocoa sifted
1/4 tsp baking powder

Combine butter, chocolate and brown sugar over a low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is glossy (be careful with the heat, if it is too hot the sugar will crystallize and the chocolate will seize and become lumpy. A tip is to melt the chocolate and butter first, then add the brown sugar). Take the mixture off the heat and whisk in eggs. Next sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Fold into mixture.

Pour the coconut batter into the prepared baking tin. Then using the back of a large spoon gently poor the fudge brownie of top of the coconut batter moving the bowl and spoon around in order to evenly spread the brownie mixture. (Using the back of the spoon is not essential but it stop the mixture from hitting the batter hard and sinking down into it).

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Then gently run a knife around the edges and ease it out of the tin.

Allow to rest on a cooling rack and then...DEVOUR!  



  

Spiced SubLime Cheesecakes

Cheesecake = piece of cake!

In the post before I mentioned my love affair with all things ginger and spice. Well as vast as my love is for ginger and spice it is only matched by my vast dread for all things cheesecake. When I am perusing recipes if my eye catches the word cheese followed in close succession by the word cake I hold my breath, squeeze my eyes shut and rapidly flick the pages until the words cease to exist. "What caused this aversion to all things cheesecake?" I hear you ask while taking out your psychologist style notebook and sympathetic look, all the while ushering for me to lie down on the leather chaise. Well the truth is...I have no idea. Perhaps it is because cheese and I have had a turbulent relationship over the years, sometimes lactose-loving and other times lactose-hating. Or perhaps it is because I believed that cheesecakes were incredibly fiddly and difficult to make, from the crumb(ly) base to the trench style cracked tops, they developed a stigma. Well I am here to formerly apologise to all the cheesecakes who suffered from my labeling and neglect. You are creamy, delicious and simple. I would also like to thank the lime cheesecake for restoring my faith in their baking species, and the spiced biscuits left over from the wagon wheels who taught me that a base can be a biscuit (no crushing, additional butter, pressing and praying it doesn't crumble required).

Lime Cheesecake (yields 12 minis) 
 
500g Cream Cheese Light, softened

1/2 cup  sugar

1 tsp.  grated lime zest

4 Tbsp.  fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

2 eggs

12 ginger spice biscuits (bake these using the wagon wheel biscuit recipe)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tray with patty cases and at the bottom of each place a ginger spice biscuit. You may have to shave a few around the edges to get them to fit, however it should be a snug fit.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, peel, juice and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs and mix just until blended. Pour the batter into the patty cases (about 3/4 way to the top, as they do slightly rise). Bake for 20 minutes or until firm. They don't go brown on the tops, but when you press lightly they will be firm to the touch and then you know they are ready.

Cool for 5 minutes in the tray, then remove them in their cases onto a cooling tray for an additional 30 minutes (this will stop the cheesecakes from becoming moist and wet, which happens if they are placed in the refrigerator while still warm). Lastly, you will need to refrigerate them for 3 hours or overnight.

To serve simple peel away the patty cases and enjoy these sublime treats! 

 

         

Ginger Wagon Wheels

Reinventing the (wagon) wheel:

At the moment I am having a love affair with ginger, spice and all things nice. I am not sure if it is because I have a secret crush on Santa Claus and the wafting aroma of ginger in the oven creates a makeshift Christmas atmosphere, or because I am dubbed a "Gingy" and thus have an affinity for the like named spice.

Whatever the reason, a discussion with my mother led to the creation of the Ginger Wagon Wheel. The spicy biscuit brings the wheel into the 21st (or are we in the 22nd?) century, turning the cogs towards jammy, marshmallowy heaven. Okay, okay I am done with word-playing - and have run out - so I will deliver you the recipe wheely soon (sorry, couldn't resist: now I am done!)

Spiced Biscuit (adapted from a Women's Weekly recipe)
Yields 60 biscuits (30 wagon wheels)

3 cups of self raising flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
185g butter
3/4 golden syrup
1 egg
Jam
100g dark chocolate
Marshmallow Fluff (can also make your own see my note at the bottom)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Beat flour, sugar, spices and butter until the texture resembles course breadcrumbs. Add the golden syrup and egg, beating until the mixture comes together (usually you will know because the dough begins to form into a ball and away from the sides of the bowl).

On a lightly floured surface (plain flour) knead the dough until smooth. Using baking paper underneath, shape and roll the dough into two logs. the diameter of the circle should be about 5cm. Fold the ends of the baking baking to ensure the dough is covered and place them both in the freezer for 25 minutes.

Then remove and slice the log into biscuit rounds (2cm thick each). Place onto a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes (the biscuits will turn a rich golden colour and will harden when cooling on the tray). Once the biscuits are cool, turn them flat side up and spread half with jam (I used strawberry but the choice is yours) and half with marshmallow fluff. Carefully sandwich together and allow 10 minutes for them to set.

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and spread onto the tops of the wagon wheels. If you wish you can dip the entire biscuit into the chocolate but it does make it very sweet and messy (this is the one time I say that you can actually have too much chocolate!)  

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. These delightful ginger wagon wheels only get better with time (but they are so yum that they won't be around for as long as the wheel!).


If you want to make your own marshmallow:

1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 tbsp gelatine powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine caster sugar and water in a small saucepan, then sprinkle gelatine powder into the mix. Stir over low heat until sugar and gelatine dissolve. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove and cool. When almost cold, pour mixture into a bowl, add vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 8 minutes until mixture is very thick (it will become white and glossy when ready, but can take time depending on the strength of your mixer).

Welcome!

My name is Hayley and, as my motto expresses, I cook simply to live (basic equation: food=fuel=survival) but I live to bake. I dream of baking when I am eating and eating when I am baking, and sometimes I do both at once. Baking is in my maternal DNA, right next to my brown eyes, crafting, fidgeting and love of food. So now you’re thinking (insert Mrs. Doubtfire voice) ”Poor dear, she may love to bake, but someone should have taught her how to spell, it is right not write“. WRONG.

This blog indulges two of my great loves; baking and writing. While I am eating and baking (and baking and eating) I am also a passionate English teacher. Guilty pleasures admission: Literature is my Cake-cain and baking is my Ice(ing sugar).

While this blog will narrate my baking experiments and share my favourite recipes, from time to time you may have to allow me to drift into wordplay, puns, metaphors, stories, dad-style jokes, poetry and general word fun. One last word on this blog,

My Bakeosophy:

1. It is always a good time to bake

2. Use simple recipes; good flavour does not have to be pretentious (in other words to bake using my recipes you will not have to put on a pith helmet in order to source baby vanilla beans bred by the elusive white Anaconda in the depths of the Amazonian jungle)

3. Extra chocolate is always a good thing

4. Pastry and I are not friends. We never will be.

5. I don’t believe in healthy desserts, I would far rather have less of the good stuff, than more of the Brussels Sprout muffins that taste “just like double chocolate cream cake” (not).

Hope you enjoy my recipes, and the treats that you make, with a cup of tea, a slice of friends, a dollop of family and a lashing of love.