Cakes and Desserts

Welcome to the YOURLifeChoices Cakes and Desserts page. Enjoy our recipes, updated weekly and don't forget to check out our Wine Search page! Our Main Meals page has the largest selection of food with categories such as Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Seafood, Meat-Free Food and Other meats.

If you are looking for something a bit Sweet, our Cakes and Desserts page features a Chocolate Pudding to die for! The Noodles and Pasta page has some great noodle dishes, and features a delicious Tuscan Potato Gnocchi. If your looking to host a party or just have a couple of friends around, our Party Foods page has a large variety of recipes ranging from Salt and Pepper Calamari to Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil.

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Home made treats

Shop bought Christmas treats are expensive and often uninspiring.  Making your own delicacies is much more thoughtful and they can be done at the last minute or you can have them on standby for unexpected guests.

Tempting Turkish Delight

Ingredients
neutral-tasting oil, such as canola
25g powdered gelatine
255ml water
4 teaspoons rose water
450g caster sugar
3-4 drops red food colouring
3 tablespoons icing sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour

Method
Lightly oil a 20x25cm baking tin.
Mix the gelatine, water and rose water in a large heavy-based pan and add the sugar.
Heat the mixture gently, stirring continuously, until the sugar and gelatine have dissolved then bring to the boil without stirring.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the food colouring, then allow to cool for a few minutes.
Once cool, pour the mixture into the greased tin and allow to set overnight.
Once set, cut in to bite sized squares and roll in the combined corn flour and icing sugar.
Present on a layer of greaseproof paper in a pretty box and tie with ribbon

Magic Marshmallows

Ingredients
450g caster sugar
275ml cold water
14g powdered gelatine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons icing sugar

Method
Grease a 20cm square cake tin with canola oil, line with greaseproof paper and grease again. Mix the corn flour and icing sugar and toss a little into the pan to coat evenly the base and sides.
Pour the sugar and 175ml of water in to a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves.  Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.  Keep and eye on the mixture until it looks like soft balls or reads 113°C.
Meanwhile, place the gelatine and remaining water into a bowl and stand for 10 minutes to soften. Once it has loosened up and the sugar syrup has reached the required temperature, begin to whisk the gelatine with an electric food mixer on a low setting.  Gradually add the syrup in a slow, steady stream, whisking until it is fully incorporated. 
Add the vanilla extract and increase the whisking speed, beat for 20 minutes until cool and beginning to set.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly and smoothing the surface using a palette knife dipped in boiling water. Dust with a little more of the icing sugar and corn flour mixture, cover with cling film and allow to set in a cool, dry place (not the fridge) for 1–2 hours or overnight.
Once set, dust a work surface with the remaining icing sugar mixture and turn out the marshmallow slab.  Cut into bite-sized pieces and toss around in the icing sugar mixture.
Wrap in cellophane and tie with a brightly coloured piece of string and gift tag.

Chocolate Christmas Fudge

Ingredients
115g softened, unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
405g condensed milk
115g plain chocolate, broken into squares
800g sifted icing sugar, sifted

Method
Line a 20 x 30 cm shallow baking tin with baking parchment paper.
Place the butter in a large bowl and beat in the vanilla extract and condensed milk until smooth.
Melt the chocolate squares in a bain-marie, remove from heat and stir with a wooden spoon.
Allow the chocolate to cool and then gradually beat it in to the butter mixture. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time. Incorporate until it forms a soft, dough-like mixture.
Press the mixture into the tin ensuring that the surface is even. Mark the fudge into 80 pieces and allow to set in the fridge for at least four hours.
Once set, turn the fudge onto a board and cut into pieces.  Place in gift bags and delight friends over the festive period.

Spicy Stem Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
125g softened, unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
75g dark brown sugar
1 egg
205g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
150g chopped crystallised stem ginger

Method
Grease a biscuit tray and preheat oven to 1800C.
Cream butter and sugar then add egg and ground ginger and combine. 
Gradually add salt and flour and mix.
Add ginger pieces to the biscuit dough.
Roll into balls then press on to greased biscuit tray.
Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Once cooled, place on an old tea-plate, which can be purchased from an op-shop, wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.  To make cookies extra special, dip one half in melted dark chocolate and allow to set before wrapping.

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Coffee Heaven

Cappuccino Muffins

Makes six muffins
Ingredients

· 1 cup self-raising flour
· 1/4 cup sugar
· 1 & 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder or instant coffee
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
· 1/2 cup whole milk
· 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
· 1/2 egg, slightly beaten
· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 190’C and grease your muffin tins.
In a bowl, whisk your nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, coffee, flour, sugar, espresso and baking powder together and then set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the vanilla, egg, milk and butter until combined
Now in your flour mixture, stir the milk mixture in slowly until combined but make sure you don’t overmix. Now fold in the chocolate chips.
Now pour your mixture into your muffin tin, filling ¾ full and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Espresso Cheesecake

Ingredients

· 350g sweet biscuits
· 2 teaspoons almond extract
· 3/4 stick butter or 6 tablespoons of margarine, softened
· A 250g block of Club chocolate
· 1kg cream cheese, softened
· 3 eggs
· 160ml sugar
· 80ml milk
· 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder

Directions

Preheat over to 180’C. Break your biscuits into a crumb texture (you can place in a bag and hit softly with a rolling pin if you need). Now in a 9 by 3 inch pan, use your fingers to mix the biscuit crumbs, almond extract and butter/margarine and then press into the bottom and side of the pan leaving 1 inch at the top of the pan not covered with the mixture.
In a saucepan, place on low heat and melt 200g of chocolate. Now in a mixer, on low speed, beat your cream cheese until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, eggs, sugar, milk and coffee and now beat until blended together. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Now pour this mixture into the crust in the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cover and cool for 4 hours. Grate the remaining chocolate and garnish on top of the cheesecake.

Chocolate Coffee Custard

Ingredients

· 50 g dark chocolate
· 75 ml double cream
· 120 ml milk
· 4 tbs sugar
· 1 tsp instant coffee
· 2 egg yolks
· 1 whole egg

Method

Preheat over to 160’C. Melt the chocolate on low heat in a pan. In another pan, heat the cream, 100ml milk and 2 tablespoons sugar until just boiling. While this is happening, in a bowl, add your coffee and remaining milk so that the coffee dissolves into it and now mix into the cream/milk/sugar mixture in the pan.

Beat the two egg yolks and another whole egg with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Now add the eggs to the mixture and whisk thoroughly. Pour mixture into ramekin dishes and set in a pan of cool water and cover with foil.  Bake for 20-25 minutes then remove and uncover and let cool. Chill overnight and serve with whipped cream if you desire!