Sunday Sweets - Giant Ice-Cream Sandwich cake

The weekends are when I get a chance to experiment with recipes and put aside ideas that I want to try for the next special occasion. I loved this recipe I saw for a giant ice cream sandwich cake via Oh Happy Day. I think it would be perfect for all the summer entertaining we do.

Take a look.....

For the Ice Cream:

3.5 quarts (from 2 1.75qt containers) vanilla ice cream, softened

Line a 9×13″ baking pan with cling wrap and scoop out the ice cream into the pan. This helps it out with softening more if needed and makes it easier to spread out. If the ice cream still needs to soften let it sit for about 5 minutes then use an offset spatula to smooth it out evenly in the pan. Fold in the edges of the cling wrap and top with one more piece of cling wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours, preferably 6 or overnight just to make it as frozen as possible, and easiest for you to work with.

For the Cake:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 cup well shaken buttermilk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F and prep a 9×13″ baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and a strip of parchment with overhang so you can lift the cake out of the pan easily.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder until it’s nice and combined. In a large measuring cup, 3-4 cups is perfect, measure out the buttermilk, then the oil, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat with a fork until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and use a silicone spatula to mix everything together. Add half the batter to the prepared pan, sooth it out with an offset spatula, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you have two pans then by all means bake up both pans, but if you’re like me and only have one then cover the second half of cake batter with plastic wrap while the first cake is baking. Once that cake is baked let it cool for 10 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack, then prep the pan with the parchment and non-stick spray and bake the second half of the batter.

When that one’s baked let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes before using the parchment handles to transfer it to a cooling rack and let the cakes cool completely.

When you’re ready to assemble the cake, pick the prettier of the two and use the fatter end of a chopstick or a paintbrush handle, something along that size and poke holes in the cake, alternating rows of 4 then 3 holes with each row spaced about 1″ apart. It helps if your cake has been peeled away from the parchment then placed back on there. Once you have all the holes poked place an upside down white chocolate chip in each hole and gently push it into the cake.

Place the other cake onto whatever you’re serving it on (I use the baking sheet flipped over) top down then carefully unwrap your ice cream and place that on top of the cake. If the edges need to be cleaned up use an offset spatula to smooth them out. To finish up the cake place the other layer of cake on top with the chocolate chips facing up and serve! If your ice cream is too soft or you still have time to kill then just place the cake in the freezer until you’re ready to serve.

What do you think? It reminds me of the good old Monaco Bar. Yum!

You can find so many more great ideas and recipes on their site here

Recipe and photos via Oh Happy Day

Recipe for Pimms, White Wine Sangria and Rocky Road Cheesecake

After my last post I had a few enquiries on the recipe for the cocktails and the Rocky Road Cheesecake. I thought I would share them here.

Recipe for White Wine Sangria.

We originally had this drink for the first time at Manly Wine and they were lovely enough to give us the recipe. It is now a fixture at most of our gatherings. It's so light and refreshing to drink.

Place 1 lemon cut into wedges, a handful of fresh mint leaves, 5 lychees (tinned is fine) 60ml Martini Bianco, 30ml Cointreau and 250ml Chardonnay into a jug. Stir vigorously. Top with ice and lemonade. 

We serve Sangria differently depending on the occasion.

If it is just a couple of friends over we will make up a jug and scoop out the lychees, lemon and mint into each glass as we pour it.

If we have a bigger crowd we will pop the drink into our larger mason jars.

This one from Kmart is our current favourite. (I sprayed the stand white)

To make up the quantities for the 3 litre jar add

180ml Cinzano Bianco

90ml Cointreau (or Triple Sec)

60mls of the lychee syrup from the can

750ml Chardonnay

Topped with lemonade (approx 2 litres)

Add 4 lemon wedges, 4 lychees, 10 torn mint leaves

We also keep little bowls of lemon, lychees and mint nearby so each person can add 1 of each to their glass before pouring in the Sangria. This frees you up as the host as people can help themselves to drinks while you get the food ready etc.

Recipe for Pimms

1 part Pimms

3 parts Schweppes Lemonade

Orange, strawberries, mint (cucumber is a traditional addition but I'm not a fan!)

If you don't like your drink too sweet. Add 1 part of Dry Ginger Ale and take away 1 part of lemonade. 

Same serving suggestions as above -

 If it is just a couple of friends over we will make up a jug and scoop out the mint, oranges and strawberries.

If we are serving from the big jars then little bowls of the fruit will be nearby.

Recipe for Rocky Road Cheesecake.

The first step is to make your Rocky Road. Everyone usually has their own favourite Rocky Road recipe so feel free to use your own if you like. Most recipes use nuts but I leave them out due to lots of people with nut allergies.

I use a Twix Rocky Road recipe. It adds a little extra texture.

Recipe for Twix Rocky Road

4 x 58g Twix chocolate bars chopped

1 cup of rice bubbles

150g marshmallows chopped

400g milk chocolate chopped

40g copha chopped

(1 cup of unsalted roasted peanuts if you like)

Line a rectangular baking tray with baking paper. Combine Twix bars, rice bubbles, marshmallows and peanuts in a bowl. Place chocolate and copha in a pan. Stir over a low heat until chocolate is melted. Cool slightly. Pour mixture over Twix mixture, mix well. Spoon onto prepared tray.  Refrigerate until set. Cut into small squares/pieces.

Recipe for Cheesecake

125g sweet chocolate biscuits

60g butter melted

625g cream cheese softened

395g can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

Preheat oven to moderately slow (160 - 140 (fan forced) degrees celsius)

Process the biscuits until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl, stir in butter. Press biscuit mixture over the base of a 23cm springform tin, refrigerate until firm.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth, then add the condensed milk and beat until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, until just combined.

Place tin on an oven tray, pour the cheesecake mixture into tin. Press half of the Rocky Road into the surface. Bake in moderately slow oven about 1 1/4 hours or until set. Cool in oven with door ajar.

Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. 

Decorate with the remaining Rocky Road and dust with icing sugar if desired.

What do you think? Tempted to give them a go?

They might come in handy if you are entertaining this long weekend.

Weekend cooking inspiration - Savoury + sweet

It's a bit of a drizzly, grey weekend here and we have nowhere to be so I'm tempted to try out a few new recipes to mix up our weekly meals a bit. 

Here are a few recipes I pinned that I would love to try.

Giant vegetable rosti

Prawn + asparagus with a lemon sauce

One pan chicken burrito bowl

Lamington icecream bars

Also this week I have been addicted to Iced Green Tea. I'm loving the Gorgeous Geisha and Green Rose from T2.

Recipe

I fill my 2 litre jug (mines from T2) with cold tap water. I then add 8 teaspoons of tea to the infuser and let it brew on the bench for a few hours. Any longer and it can get a little bitter. I then empty the infuser (sometimes I will reuse the leaves in another jug for a slightly weaker batch) and pop the jug in the fridge to cool. To serve I put in a few extra ice cubes and some quartered strawberries. Yum!

Addicted to iced tea!

Links to the recipes via my Pinterest page.

What are you up to this weekend?

Tried any new recipes this week?

Blogger Bake Off - with Salt & Pepper.

I was approached by Salt & Pepper to take part in a bake off with a few other bloggers.  I wanted to pop up a couple of the simple recipes I used.
The first one was for a Crunchy Chocolate Granola. This recipe is for those mornings when you need something a little sweet to start your day.

 Details of the recipe here You can vote for this recipe on the Salt & Pepper Facebook page here The second recipe was the decadent Peanut Butter Choc Ripple Cake I made for Simon's birthday.

This cake doesn't so much have a recipe but more of a "how to put it together" you can find it here Obviously you can change the ice cream filling to your favourite  You can vote for this recipe here As you can read by my blurb, sweet always takes precedent over savoury here ;)

So  here are my fellow Bake Off Bloggers. Make sure you pop on over to the Salt & Pepper Facebook page and check out their delicious recipes too.

So what is your preference? Sweet or Savoury?

Saturday Sweets - Chocolate Crunch Bars

Saturday is the day where I usually get a chance to potter around the kitchen.
Sweet always takes preference over savoury in this house, so I am always on the lookout for yummy new recipes to try.  Chocolate anything is always a favourite!
I loved the look of these Chocolate Crunch Bars I saw on TakeaMegabite.com
They also look super easy, I have the ingredients in my cupboard and the kids can help me make them. Win, win, win!

Chocolate Crunch Bars Recipe from Mast Brothers Chocolate Cookbook Ingredients:  1 1/2 lbs. dark chocolate, chopped 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 2 T peanut butter 1 T honey 4 cups rice krispies (rice bubbles) sea salt, for sprinkling Directions: In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Add peanut butter and honey. Mix in rice krispies and pour into a parchment lined 9-inch baking dish. Pop in the fridge or freezer until firm. Slice! Recipe and photo by Take a Mega Bite

Some recipes I want to try :)

I'm always on the look out for new recipes. 

I have cookbooks galore and tear outs from magazines piled high! 

These two recipes caught my eye this week :-

These savoury tomato, basil and cheese tarts I saw on Pinterest but I've forgotten the link so don't have the recipe but I'm sure I can wing it!

This will be perfect as an afternoon snack for the boys when they come home from school as they are always STARVING! 

 They would also be perfect for in the lunch-box too :)

Dinner tonight is this stuffed Calamari that Louise from Table Tonic had for dinner the other night!

A little bit weird to have a peek into their kitchen and think yum, I'll have that too!!

Have you come across any new recipes lately? 

What's for dinner tonight?

Have a gorgeous day

Simone xx