Kazza the Blank One: Food and Recipes Archives

White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake

By Kazza the Blank One on April 9, 2012 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So I've had ~300g of blueberries in the freezer for the longest time. And decided I really should use them. And some butter that's been in the fridge a while too. The obvious solution to this problem? A cheesecake! No, really :)

I googled some recipes and found this one on taste.com.au.

I changed the base (I used my regular biscuit base - a crushed packet of Nice biscuits and 125g melted butter).

I took it along to the games night on Saturday night where it was well received. So will have to try it again some time :)

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

Method

Biscuit base:

250g pack Arnotts Nice biscuits, crushed

125g butter, melted

Crush a whole pack of Arnotts Nice biscuits to breadcrumb size

Melt 125g butter

Mix butter into biscuit crumbs

Spread mix a greased springform tin

Refrigerate to set

Filling:

2x 250g packs cream cheese, room temperature

180g white chocolate, melted

185mL can light evaporated milk

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tblsp boiling water

3 ½ tsp gelatine powder

Sprinkle the gelatine over boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.

Melt the chocolate and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually beat in evaporated milk, chocolate and gelatine mixture.

Pour cream cheese mixture into pan.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or until set.

Options and Notes

Adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/19939/white+chocolate+and+berry+cheesecake

Add 300g fresh or frozen berries to make a berry cheesecake

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Butter

2x 250g packs cream cheese

(Berries)

250g Nice Biscuits

180g white chocolate

185mL can light evaporated milk

Caster sugar

Vanilla essence

Gelatine powder

Ardeche

By Kazza the Blank One on March 6, 2012 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The sweetie and I went to Ardeche in Civic for dinner tonight. We were the only ones there, except for the crowd from the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club :)

Started off with some garlic bread which was pretty average :/

The sweetie had a special - North African style chicken with dates, lemon and chick peas served with couscous and minted yoghurt ($26.50)

I had "Escalope de veau avec moutare et crème" ($32) - Veal escalope coated in French mustard, pan-fried and flambé in brandy, served with a creamy wine sauce and a sweet potato Lyonaise. The veal was soo tender and tasty and there was heaps of lovely creamy sauce. Yum!!

Some token veggies

We decided to have some dessert.

The sweetie had Tarte Tatin

And I had Crème Caramel

Lovely meal and evening :)

Alice's

By Kazza the Blank One on February 27, 2012 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Went to Alice's again tonight for the first time since last October.

Had to have the Crying Duck again, cause that was just awesome.

And we also had a beef massaman curry. The beef was fall-apart tender, yum!

Christmas Cookies

By Kazza the Blank One on December 25, 2011 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Actually made in late November. Have been too lazy to make anything else since then.

More foodie goodness

By Kazza the Blank One on October 31, 2011 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Saturday morning we went to Black Pepper for breakfast then did our food shopping.

Dessert Saturday night was pretty simple and wheat-free - strawberries dipped in white chocolate, and mandarin pieces and raspberries dipped in dark chocolate. The strawberries especially were nommmm!!!

Sunday was mostly a quiet day at home, although I did go down to Tony's to do a plant swap - some fish tank plants for a big bunch of rosemary for the night's lamb roast. As well as delicious lamb, we did a whole heap of vegetables - garlic, pumpkin, sweet potato, swede, zucchini, carrot, red onion, mushroom and capsicum. So yummy! And so simple, and apart from a good sloshing of oil, amazingly healthy (well maybe not the lamb so much hehe).

Rice

By Kazza the Blank One on October 11, 2011 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The sweetie and I went to Rice Asian Tapas Bar in Civic for dinner tonight. We just got five "tapas" - really just entrees you'd get at any Asian restaurant.

Fish cakes

Peking duck

Curry puffs

Money bags

Satay chicken sticks

It was all pretty tasty, and we had the place entirely to ourselves heh.

Melting Moments

By Kazza the Blank One on October 2, 2011 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My dessert challenge this weekend was "Melting Moments". They turned out pretty well, although the shortbread is pretty dry/floury, I've never been a huge fan of shortbread. Still, they were liked so that's the main thing.

Melting Moments

Ingredients

Method

Biscuits:

250g butter, cubed, at room temperature

1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 3/4 cups plain flour

1/3 cup cornflour

Filling:

60g butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 orange, rind finely grated

2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence in a medium bowl with electric beaters until pale and creamy.

Sift together the flour and cornflour, add to the butter mixture and mix with the beaters on low speed until just combined and a soft dough forms.

Lightly flour hands then roll the mixture into small balls. Place on the prepared baking tray about 5cm apart. Use a fork that has been dipped in flour to flatten each ball to about 3cm in diameter and 1 cm thick.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Beat the butter, vanilla essence and orange rind in a small bowl with electric beaters until pale and creamy.

Add the icing sugar and beat until combined.

To assemble biscuits, spread the base of a biscuit with filling and then join with another biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling.

Options and Notes

From http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/10246/melting+moments

Makes twenty completed biscuits

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Apple Pie!

By Kazza the Blank One on July 16, 2011 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I spent about four hours tonight making this. (Four hours from when I started to when I served it).

Yep.

But on a lighter note, it did actually turn out pretty impressively. Nice filling, and a decent crust. I thought when I had made it that the crust was far too powdery/flakey to work, but it actually turned out rather well. And was able to flop the whole thing out without it disintegrating.

I'd say I'd happily make it again, but it was such a lot of work that I just don't know.... Maybe it'd be a bit easier with a food processor.. not so much fiddling with the flour and butter..

Violet Crumble Cheesecake Slice

By Kazza the Blank One on May 8, 2011 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I happened across this recipe for Violet Crumble Cheesecake Slice during the week and was inspired to make it this weekend.

I decided to make a traditional cheesecake base rather than using the waffles. And I probably added a bit too much "Violet Crumble" on top (I couldn't actually find any real Violet Crumble - I haven't seen the bags of it in forever. I ended up using a brand I'd never heard of, as Crunchie just isn't the same. It was ok, better than Crunchie, but not as good as "real" Violet Crumble).

It turned out well enough, could maybe have been a little firmer. But I did hack the original recipe a bit - I used 500g cream cheese because that was the sized tubs it comes in. Maybe should have used a bit more gelatine?

Unfortunately I won't be able to take this one to work for morning teas. Will just have to work our way through it at home during the week :)

Violet Crumble Cheesecake Slice

Ingredients

Method

Biscuit base:

250g pack Arnotts Nice biscuits, crushed

125g butter, melted

Crush a whole pack of Arnotts Nice biscuits to breadcrumb size

Melt 125g butter

Mix butter into biscuit crumbs

Spread mix onto a lined large baking tray

Refrigerate to set

Filling:

2x 250g packs cream cheese, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup caster sugar

300mL thickened cream

3tsp gelatine powder

300g Violet Crumble, roughly crushed

Sprinkle the gelatine over 1/4 cup (60ml) of water in a heatproof bowl. Place in a saucepan over simmering water and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.

Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, vanilla essence and sugar until smooth.

Use clean electric beaters to beat the cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture with the gelatine and half the Violet Crumble.

Spoon the cheese mixture into the pan and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Scatter with the remaining Violet Crumble to serve.

Options and Notes

Adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13453/violet%20crumble%20cheesecake%20slice

and http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/23428/kims+cheesecake

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Ingredients in stock

Butter

2x 250g tubs cream cheese

300mL thickened cream

250g Nice Biscuits

Violet crumble

Caster sugar

Vanilla essence

Gelatine powder

Anzac Biscuits

By Kazza the Blank One on May 8, 2011 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I should have made these on Anzac Day, but didn't actually think of it. Then Lisa posted a pic of hers from last year. So last weekend I had a go at making some.

They were awesome!! Most of them didn't last the weekend. I did hide a few, which I took to work to eat as morning teas all week.

Recently in Food and Recipes Category

White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake

Ardeche

Alice's

Christmas Cookies

More foodie goodness

Rice

Melting Moments

Apple Pie!

Violet Crumble Cheesecake Slice

Anzac Biscuits

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