recipe: chocolate croissants.

instagram.com/bakingwithmaggie
I LOVE croissants but what makes a croissant even better? Chocolate of course!

This recipe makes approximately 40 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 sheets of puff pastry
• 3x 230g choc chips

METHOD:

1. Defrost puff pastry sheets.
2. Preheat oven to 180˚C fan forced.
3. Cut pastry in half, then cut the halves into triangles (see picture below).
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of choc chips onto pastry.
5. Roll pastry from thickest end to thinest.
6. Bake for 20mins.
7. VOILA! Eat while hot and share the choc love!

Image from @bakingwithmaggie Instagram

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homemade hot chips.

One of my favourite snacks, especially during winter, is hot chips. For those who've been around me during lunch hour would know my first choice 90% of the time is hot chips. Although this is well and good while I'm out and about, when I'm at home I prefer to make my own food from scratch. So, here is my recipe for homemade chips.

This recipe makes approximately two servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large cream delight potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Extra virgin oil

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C fan forced.
2. Cut up the potatoes into the size and shape you desire, I usually cut them quite thin so they cook faster.
3. Drizzle with oil and add a pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper and paprika - rub in the seasoning.
4. Bake for 30 mins, or until chips go golden brown.
5. VOILA! Hot chips is made! Enjoy as a side or as a snack :)

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hpnotiq lemonade.

My boyfriend & I received a bottle of "Original" Hpnotiq for our 21st birthday last year, and let's just say it did not last long. It is the perfect mix of exotic fruit juices, French vodka and a touch of Cognac. I haven't had a chance to try the "Harmonie" yet but the offerings of infused fruits and flowers sounds delicious!

Because the Hpnotiq had such a full fruity flavour we mixed it with some lemonade, a neutral mixer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml Hpnotiq
• Sprite Lemonade

METHOD:

1. Pour Hpnotiq into highball glass filled with ice and top with lemonade
2. VOILA! A refreshing beverage, perfect for summer!

Image from @lpmmags Instagram

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cocoa cake.

For Easter I decided to make a tasty chocolate cake but didn't want the typical heavy chocolate cake made with chocolate, so I switched it up and tried to make a cake with cocoa powder. This is probably one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes. It's even better when it's been in the fridge as the cake becomes almost like a brownie.

P.S: I decorated the cake with the top of the Easter eggs from my cheesecake easter eggs.

This recipe makes about 8-10 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups plain flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⅓ cups water
• Icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD: 

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Butter round cake pan - mine had a diameter of 25cm.
3. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat together butter and brown sugar with electric mixer until pale and fluffy in large mixing bowl.
5. Add eggs in 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Then beat in vanilla.
7. Add flour mixture and water in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until well combined.
8. Pour batter into cake pan and bake until springy to touch and skewer comes out clean - about 45minutes.
9. Cool in pan for an hour before dusting with icing sugar.
10. VOILA! The perfect chocolate cake! 

Image from @lpmmags Instagram

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riccadonna flirtini.

For those pineapple lovers - this is the drink for you!

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml Riccadonna
• 30ml pineapple juice
• 15ml Skyy Vodka

METHOD:

1. Stir all ingredients together and strain into a martini glass.
2. VOILA! The perfect pineapple cocktail!

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thai beef salad.

This recipe makes two very large servings or three decent ones.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two pieces of steak - the better the steak, the rarer it can be. I used two pieces of porterhouse.
• 300g salad mix
• 1 small red onion
• 225g sliced beetroot in a can
• 50g snow peas
• 60ml lime juice
• 4 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• Fresh chilis or chili flakes

METHOD:

1. Marinade the steak in a mix of the garlic, chili, lime, fish sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce for about an hour or two.
2. Sear the meat until cooked to your preference, pour the remaining marinade over the meat.
3. While the meat cooks, prep your salad by adding the snow peas, beetroot and red onion, both sliced in to ribbons.
4. Slice the beef and pour remaining sauce over the salad - at this point you can make another small (about half) batch of marinade as sauce to go over the whole salad.
5. VOILA! Thai beef salad is ready to be served!

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riccadonna strawberry bellini (rossini).

Here's a new twist on the classic strawberry and champagne!

INGREDIENTS:

• 120ml Riccadonna
• 30ml pureed strawberries

METHOD:

1. Gently stir the Riccadonna and strawberry puree with ice and strain into a flute
2. ENJOY! A sweet and refreshing Riccadonna based cocktail!

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cheesecake easter eggs.

It's been a while since I've done a recipe post and I apologise. I've been so ridiculously broke recently I couldn't afford even the simplest ingredients to whip up something. BUT seeing as it's Easter I decided to spend the little I had saved up for a cute little recipe I saw on Dear Gladys.

This recipe makes approximately 24 eggs (6cm x 4cm).

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 hollow Cadbury easter eggs
• 225g lemon flavoured cream cheese, softened - if you don't have lemon flavoured just add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice)
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300ml thickened cream
• 2 passionfruits - passionfruits were expensive so I bought a can of passionfruit pulp
• 30g apricot jam
• 30g unsalted butter

METHOD:

1. Using a serrated knife (I used a steak knife), carefully remove the tops of the chocolate eggs - as it has been ridiculously hot I had my chocolate eggs in the fridge overnight, so use a cup of hot water to heat the knife up so you can actually cut the egg without crushing it completely).
2. Place the eggs in the fridge to keep them chilled as you make the cheesecake filling. I used a empty egg carton to hold the eggs.
3. Mix cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric beater until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
4. Whip the thickened cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks - be careful of over-whipping and therefore splitting the cream.
5. Gently whisk and combine the thickened cream with the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
6. Carefully spoon or pipe the mixture into the eggs.
7. Chill eggs for at least 30 minutes to allow for it to set.
8. Strain passionfruit pulp to remove seeds and place in a small saucepan with apricot jam and butter.
9. On low heat, whisk until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and place in fridge until it thickens slightly.
10. Using the tip of a sharp knife, carve out a hole in the centre of the cheesecake mixture approximately 1cm wide and high. Fill hole with passionfruit filling. Return eggs to fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
11. Remove eggs approximately 10 minutes before serving. VOILA! A tasty treat for Easter!
12. Note: Eggs can be made 2-3days in advance. Just keep the eggs in an airtight or tightly cling-wrapped container to prevent them from drying out.

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riccadonna with dancing cranberries.

With the long weekend around the corner, it's time to start thinking about get togethers and what to serve at said get togethers - and Riccadonna based cocktails are the way to go! The new addition to the Riccadonna family, 'Allegra' is "an elegant, full-bodied semi-dry sparkling wine full of fruity and floral aromas".  The next few weeks I'll be bringing you some delicious cocktails for you to mix up!

INGREDIENTS:

• 120ml Riccadonna
• 1 teaspoon cranberries
• Splash of Vodka

METHOD:

1. Let the one teaspoon of cranberries soak in a little vodka for 2 hours
2. Add to a flute and top with Riccadonna
3. VOILA! This cocktail is perfect as the cranberries bring an extra sweetness to the semi-dry wine!

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chicken avocado salad.

This recipe makes two large servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium avocado
• 150g rocket and spinach salad mix
• 500g chicken tenderloin
• Pepper
• Balsamic vinegar

METHOD:

1. Cook chicken in frying pan coated in olive oil, season with pepper while it's cooking
2. Separate salad into two bowls and cut up half an avocado into each bowl
3. Place cooked chicken into bowls - optional: cut up chicken to make it easier to eat
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar generously over salad
5. VOILA! This salad is extremely filling and delicious!

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frangelico affogato.

When I attended the Frangelico Master Class and learnt the art of making cocktails with Frangelico, our night was topped off with a Frangelico affogato. I love affogato! How can you not? Ice-cream, coffee, and the adult version with a shot of something-something - it's a drink/dessert no one can resist!

This recipe makes one serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 scoop of vanilla ice-cream
• 45ml Frangelico
• 30ml espresso coffee

METHOD:

1. Put scoop of ice-cream in small glass
2. Pour the Frangelico and coffee in
3. VOILA! Now eat it up with a spoon or drink it up, and enjoy the lovely harmony of flavours!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

 

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zucchini fettuccine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 small zucchini
• 8 small zucchini flowers
• 500g fettuccine
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small brown onion, diced
• 1 cup cream
• 150g mascarpone
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• salt and pepper
• parmesan cheese, shaved

METHOD:

1. Cook pasta in salted bowling water until al dente
2. Slice zucchini and flowers lengthways
3. Heat olive oil and saute garlic, onion and zucchini in frying pan until softened
4. Pour in cream and simmer gently for 3-5mins
5. Stir in mascarpone and oregano, season with salt and pepper
6. Drain pasta and add to frying pan, toss to combine
7. Serve with parmesan and zucchini flowers

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frangelico sparkling italian punch carafe.

This recipe is perfect if you and your friends like your sparkling wines! I wasn't a huge fan of this cocktail from the Frangelico Master Class but there was bound to be one or two drinks I didn't like :)

This recipe makes approx. 850ml.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400ml Prosecco
• 120ml Frangelico
• 30ml lemon juice
• 5 mint springs
• 5 lime wheels
• 300ml soda water

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into a carafe
2. Put two to three scoops of ice in and stir
3. Serve in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge
4. VOILA! Your sparkling Frangelico cocktail is ready to be enjoyed!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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french toast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices of bread per person
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 40g unsalted butter

METHOD:

1. Whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl
2. Heat pan on medium heat and melt butter - if the butter sizzles furiously the pan is too hot and you may be burning the butter, remove the pan from the heat and cool it down a little
3. Dip bread into egg mixture and coat generously, draining excess and fry in pan until each side becomes golden brown
4. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey, and garnish with fruits like bananas and berries to serve - VOILA! French toast!

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mud cake.

Mud cake reminds me of that scene from my favourite childhood movie Matilda. Although that scene makes me completely and utterly sick I can't help but love the decadent chocolate cake with a generous serving of vanilla ice-cream.

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g butter, chopped
• 2x 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
• 1½ cups plain flour, sifted
• ¼ cocoa powder, sifted
• ⅔ cup thickened cream

METHOD:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Grease round cake tin.
3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat, add chocolate, sugar and 1 cup of cold water - constantly stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add eggs, stir to combine.
5. Add flours and cocoa, stir to smooth.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.

Ganache

1. Pour chocolate and cream into a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for 30minutes or until thick enough to spread.
3. Spread over cake and VOILA! Chocolate mud cake! Serve with a generous amount of vanilla ice-cream and you've got the perfect childhood dessert.

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frangelico west iced tea carafe.

This is another carafe recipe from the Frangelico Master Classto for you to pre-prepare before a party to save you from being made the bartender for the night ;) I quite enjoyed this recipe, despite cringing when I saw mint was in the recipe - trust me, you can't taste it!

This recipe makes approx. 750ml.

INGREDIENTS:

• 240ml Frangelico
• 500ml cold & strong green tea
• 4 lemon wedges
• 3 mint springs

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into carafe, squeeze lemon juice in before putting wedges into carafe
2. Put two to three scoops of ice in and stir
3. Serve in glass filled with glass and garnish with a spring of mint
4. VOILA! Enjoy this tasty beverage, just in time for summer picnics and barbeques!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

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sesame chicken with soba noodles.

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅓ cup sesame seeds
• 600g chicken tenderloins
• 1½ tablespoons peanut oil
• 270g packet dried soba noodles
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
• ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
• 100g snow peas, trimmed, cut diagonally
• 1 onion, sliced

METHOD:

1. Place sesame seeds on a large plate and put chicken in and coat
2. Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water, drain and rinse under cold water
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in non-stick frying pan over high heat and cook chicken until each side is golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and set to the side
4. Place cornflour in a bowl and gradually add teriyaki sauce, stirring until smooth and combine then stir in sesame oil
5. Heat pan and add remaining peanut oil and cook snow peas and onion. Stir-fry until snow peas are bright green and just tender
6. Add cornflour mixture and noodles and stir-fry until heated through, and serve with chicken
7. VOILA! A healthy Japanese dish!

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gingerbread men.

INGREDIENTS:

• 125g butter, softened
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2½ cups plain flour
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup white chocolate melts

METHOD:

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer or food processor
2. Add maple syrup and egg, beat to combine
3. Sift flour, bicarbonate soda, ginger and cinnamon over butter mixture
4. With a wooden spoon, stir until just combined and a soft dough forms
5. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth
6. Shape into disc and wrap in plastic wrap, place in fridge for 1 hour or until firm
7. Preheat oven to 180˚C
8. Roll dough beween 2 sheets of baking paper until about 5mm thick
9. Cut shapes out of dough with cutters, I used a gingerbread man cutter
10. Re-roll dough scraps and continue to cut until dough is used up
11. Place shapes/men on baking trays lined with baking paper about 2cm apart
12. Bake trays separately for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm to touch
13. Stand tray to cool for 5 minutes
14. Place melts in a heatproof/microwave safe bowl and microwave enough to melt the chocolate melts. Stir the melts until smooth consistency and decorate your gingerbread men with a skewer or pipping bag
15. VOILA! Tasty ginger treats are ready to be enjoyed!!

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frangelico hazelnut fresca carafe.

This recipe is perfect for parties because, let's be honest, you don't want to be caught out making cocktails for your friends all evening. So this is your solution, a 1L jug of cocktail mix ready to be enjoyed! This was definitely my favourite carafe cocktail mix from the Frangelico Master Class. And in true Maggie style, the measurements were all estimated...

This recipe makes 1.4L.

INGREDIENTS:

• 200ml Frangelico
• 200ml SKYY Vodka
• 100ml fresh lime juice
• 900ml ginger ale
• 5 lime wheels
• 5 orange wheels

METHOD:

1. Pour all ingredients into large 1L carafe
2. Put two or three scoops of ice and stir
3. Serve in glasses filled with ice and garnish with a lime and orange wheel
4. VOILA! You can now sit back and relax at your party, or just at home alone or with your loved one!

 Image courtesy of @lpmmags Instagram

 

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chicken & olive bake.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 Chicken drumstick
• 250g pitted Kalamata olives
• 5 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 can of diced tomato

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C
2. Lightly brown chicken drumsticks in a pan, then remove onto baking tray
3. With a little oil, brown garlic then add olives and canned tomato - I like to use the same pan as the drumstick pan so to save on using too many utensils
4. Simmer for 5minutes then pour over chicken drumsticks
5. Cover tray in aluminum foil and bake for 45minutes
6. VOILA! Dinner is served! Serve with a side of salad or roast veggies :)

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