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Beetroot Honeycomb with White Chocolate

Beetroot Honeycomb with White Chocolate

by | Jun 14, 2018 | 0 comments

This beetroot honeycomb is a not just a pretty face. It’s loaded with earthy flavour, white chocolate and a pinch of pink salt to round off the sweetness. 

Honeycomb was one of the first things I created that made me fall completely in love with baking. It’s got that magic – like meringue – where you can make something glorious out of a handful of very basic ingredients. It really comes down to science, but it’s still damn cool when you sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into a molten pot of caramel and it fizzes up like a heavenly volcano. And it seems the whole world has a thing for it too! Us South Africans call honeycomb coated in chocolate ‘crunchies’ (check out my recipe for them here), the rest of the world calls it cinder toffee (okay, America), or hokey pokey (because that’s what it’s all about, right Britain?).

It’s not often that you can create a recipe that no one else has thought of before. I often wake up in the middle of the night with what I think is the most brilliant idea ever for a cake or doughnut and think to myself ‘there’s no way anyone has thought of this!’ only for Google to tell me otherwise. This, is not one of those times. A quick google will tell you that beetroot honeycomb does not exist on the internet, until now! *happy dance*. Don’t be alarmed that I’m putting vegetables in sweets, this REALLY works. This beetroot honeycomb is still wonderfully sweet and crunchy but has a slight earthiness at the end. The white chocolate and sea salt do it a lot of favours too! 

There are a few tricks to nailing this beetroot honeycomb so listen up:

  1. Never make honeycomb on a rainy or humid day. Sugar is hygroscopic (big Sciency word alert!) which means it absorbs any moisture from the air. That’s bad news if you’re making toffees, marshmallows etc as they usually end up sticky and dissolve into a puddle of syrup rather quickly. 
  2. Use a sugar thermometer (there’s a list of my favourite baking gadgets over here) 
  3. Whisk the bicarbonate of soda in thoroughly but not too much. If you don’t whisk it in thoroughly you end up with big air bubbles and risk biting into lumps of bicarb (yuck!). Whisk it too much and all the CO2 will be released and you’ll have no bubbles. 
  4. Immediately put the honeycomb in the fridge or freezer. This is to quickly cool it down and set the structure before all the gas escapes. Once it’s set, remove it immediately (fridges/freezers have moisture too!)
  5. Silica sachets are your friend. You know those new shoes or that new handbag you’ve had your eye on? You definitely need to buy it so you can keep those silica sachets ;). Pop a few in the airtight container you’re storing the beetroot honeycomb in, and it will stay crisp and crunchy. 

Or, you know, you can eat it all in one go and then you won’t have to worry about storage! 

Beetroot Honeycomb
Serves 6
The beetroot juice gives a slight earthy flavour to this honeycomb, but you can easily replace it with water.
Print
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
0 calories
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
0g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 0mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 0g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
0%
Iron
0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. BEETROOT HONEYCOMB
  2. 415g caster sugar or white sugar
  3. 150g glucose syrup
  4. 65g honey
  5. 70ml beetroot juice (you can swop this out for water, if you prefer)
  6. 18g bicarbonate of soda
  7. deep pink gel food colouring, as needed
  8. The Kate Tin White Chocolate, melted and pink sea salt, to serve
Instructions
  1. Line a deep 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the caster sugar, glucose syrup, honey and beetroot juice into a medium saucepan and place over low medium heat.
  3. Stir to dissolve the sugar completely then bring to the boil.
  4. Cook until mixture reaches 155 degrees Celsius on a sugar thermometer.
  5. Remove from heat, add the food colouring then carefully add bicarbonate of soda and whisk quickly to incorporate it well - about 1 minute.
  6. Quickly pour into prepared tray and place in the freezer to cool down as quickly as possible - about 20 minutes.
  7. Break into large chunks, dip into the melted white chocolate and sprinkle with pink sea salt.
  8. Allow to set completely then store in an airtight container.
Notes
  1. Honeycomb is best made on a dry day - wet rainy weather will cause the honeycomb to be wet and sticky.
  2. Save the silica sachets from new shoes and handbags and pop those into the airtight container with the honeycomb to keep it crisp and dry.
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calories
0
fat
0g
protein
0g
carbs
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The Kate Tin https://thekatetin.com/
Chocolate Espresso Bliss Balls

Chocolate Espresso Bliss Balls

by | Jun 13, 2018 | 0 comments

These Chocolate Espresso Bliss Balls are the perfect morning or afternoon pick-me-up and can be made with or without dates.

#SPONSORED

Ah, bliss balls. The perfect no-bake, no-work, no-prep sweet snack that anyone can make. Low effort, high reward. My favourite kind of treat! There’s no real trick to making bliss balls – they are super easy. Bang everything in a food processor. Blend. Roll. Eat. They fall in the same wonderful category as one-bowl cakes and one-pan biscuits. And if you’re not a fan of dates, don’t worry. You can make these chocolate espresso bliss balls without them!      

I’ve loaded these little balls of yumminess up with the new BAKERS Good Morning™ Breakfast Biscuits Chocolate biscuits which give them a lovely crunchy texture. The biscuits are filled with wheat, barley, oats and rye so they add loads of fibre and I’ve added peanut butter and a jolt of espresso powder for energy. The recipe is so versatile, you can add whatever you like – they can be as healthy or as decadent as you want them to be! Add cocoa nibs, coconut, chopped nuts, dried fruit, chia seeds, but definitely, DEFINITELY, coat them in chocolate! 

 

Chocolate Espresso Bliss Balls
Yields 12
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
0 calories
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
0g
Yields
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 0mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 0g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
0%
Iron
0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BLISS BALLS
  2. Makes 25
  3. 8 BAKERS Good Morning™ Chocolate Biscuits
  4. 55g smooth peanut butter or almond butter
  5. 5ml instant espresso powder
  6. 25g fresh dates, pitted*
  7. For coating
  8. 100g 80% dark chocolate, melted, for coating
  9. Cocoa powder
  10. Desiccated coconut
  11. Dried rose petals
  12. Pistachio nuts
  13. Goji Berries
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, blend the biscuits, peanut butter, espresso and dates to form a thick paste. Lightly wet your hands and scoop a teaspoon of the mix into the palm of your hand and roll to form a smooth ball.
  2. Place on a lined baking tray and refrigerate until set.
  3. Drizzle or dip the truffles in the melted chocolate, sprinkle your choice of topping over the chocolate and allow to set.
Notes
  1. The bliss balls will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
  2. *If you want to make this recipe without dates, simply swop them out for butter or coconut oil.
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calories
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fat
0g
protein
0g
carbs
0g
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The Kate Tin https://thekatetin.com/

 

HERE ARE SOME MORE OF MY FAVOURITE SNACKS:

Romany Cream Chocolate Truffles

5-Ingredient Nutty Magic Bars
Chocolate Chai Chickpea Fudge

Chocolate Chai Chickpea Fudge

by | Jun 9, 2018 | 0 comments

Chickpea fudge is a buttery, sweet, biscuit-like slice made with chickpea flour, icing sugar, spices and ghee, also known as chana magaj.

Chocolate Chai Chickpea Fudge

#SPONSORED

If you’ve never heard of chickpea fudge before, then don’t worry, join the club! I first came across the treat when my friends over at Natura Sugars challenged me to do my own spin on it. Now, the word ‘chickpea’ doesn’t do this fudge any favours, but forget what you thought about chickpeas (remember these revolutionary egg-free macarons made with chickpea water?), because this fudge is AMAZING! 

Made with just ghee, chickpea flour and icing sugar, it’s smooth and biscuity and utterly moreish. Now, because it’s made with so few ingredients, you need to make sure they are the absolute best ingredients you can find. Get your hands on fine chickpea flour – its available in the health aisle of most supermarkets or in spice shops. It’s often called ‘Chana’ – that’s the stuff you want! Next, use the best-quality icing sugar, because not all are created equal! I love the Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar because it is made from unrefined sugar so it still has some of the goodness and flavour of cane sugar locked inside which gives it a light caramel flavour. Best of all it’s non-GMO. As for the ghee, I was lucky enough to be gifted some by Shaheen from Natura Sugars who gets hers on her trips to Mauritius to source her beautiful sugars. Good-quality ghee makes all the difference! 

Chocolate Chai Chickpea Fudge

While chickpea fudge has been made super trendy by the Instagram health foodie brigade who have all made sugar-free, lactose-free, fun-free versions, I love the authentic chana magaj that most of you have probably been making for years already! I bumped up the traditional cardamom spice by adding fragrant chai spices, some chocolatey-ness (chocolate is never a bad thing) and sprinkled it with toasted almonds for crunch. But if you’d like to keep it more traditional, 1 tsp of ground cardamom is all it really needs to be just perfect. 

**I’m running a GIVEAWAY of Natura Sugars over on my Instagram page HERE so head over and enter to win one of two sugar hampers for you and a friend worth R400 each.

WATCH ME MAKE THIS RECIPE ON YOUTUBE!

 

CHOCOLATE CHAI CHICKPEA FUDGE
Serves 10
Chickpea fudge is a buttery, sweet, biscuit-like slice made with chickpea flour, icing sugar, spices and ghee, also known as chana magaj.
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
5772 calories
523 g
781 g
383 g
101 g
196 g
1206 g
294 g
341 g
0 g
163 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1206g
Servings
10
Amount Per Serving
Calories 5772
Calories from Fat 3331
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 383g
589%
Saturated Fat 196g
982%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 35g
Monounsaturated Fat 128g
Cholesterol 781mg
260%
Sodium 294mg
12%
Total Carbohydrates 523g
174%
Dietary Fiber 55g
219%
Sugars 341g
Protein 101g
Vitamin A
193%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
72%
Iron
128%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 300g ghee
  2. 300g chickpea flour
  3. 80g ground almonds
  4. 300g Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar
  5. 165g full cream milk powder
  6. Chai Spice Mix
  7. 1 tbsp ground cardamom
  8. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  9. ½ tsp ground cloves
  10. ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  11. 20g cocoa powder
  12. 30g flaked almonds, toasted (optional)
Instructions
  1. Line a 32cm loaf tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the ghee and the chickpea flour into a large non-stick frying pan.
  3. Braise on medium heat, for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the colour starts to turn a light golden brown caramel.
  4. Remove from heat and add the ground almonds, icing sugar and milk powder then return to the heat and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until a deep golden caramel colour.
  5. Stir in the spices then press half the mixture into the base of the cake tin.
  6. Mix in the cocoa powder and pour the mixture on top of the previous layer.
  7. Smooth out the top then sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
  8. Refrigerate until set then slice into thin pieces to serve.
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calories
5772
fat
383g
protein
101g
carbs
523g
more
The Kate Tin https://thekatetin.com/
Raspberry Coconut Ice Hearts (No-Cook)

Raspberry Coconut Ice Hearts (No-Cook)

by | Jan 21, 2018 | 0 comments

Boiled coconut ice was one of my favourite things to make as a kid – I used to use the recipe on the side of the sugar packet until quite recently, well, until I discovered this no-cook coconut ice and my life changed forever! Because nobody likes standing over a boiling pot of sugar in the middle of summer!  Icing sugar, condensed milk and coconut make a deliciously creamy treat, especially when layered with tart raspberries. Make it extra special and drizzle or dip it in dark chocolate - or white chocolate!

Raspberry Coconut Ice Hearts

Makes 24

 

2 cups Natura Sugars Demerara icing sugar, sifted

3 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

1 can (397g) condensed milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 drops rose water (optional)

pink food colouring

60g blended, fresh raspberries.

 

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. To make the coconut ice, place the icing sugar and coconut into a large mixing bowl. Add the condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Press half the mixture into the lined baking tin to form a smooth layer. To the remaining coconut ice, add the rose water, pink food colouring and blended fresh raspberries. If the mixture is still sticky, add a little coconut until it’s the same consistency as the white layer. Press the pink layer on top of the white layer and allow to firm up for 1 hour. Once slightly firm, unmould the coconut ice then slice the 20cm square in half. Place the one half on top of the other to form 4 stripes. Using a sharp bread knife, slice the coconut ice into 1cm slices then use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the slices. Place on a lined baking sheet, uncovered, for 1-2 hours until firm. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

 

 

TIP Save the off cuts and fold them into ice cream or crumble on top of a frosted cake as a quick decoration.

Meringue Christmas Tree

Meringue Christmas Tree

by | Dec 2, 2017 | 0 comments

#SPONSORED

The best kind of Christmas tree? The one you can eat, of course! Imagine not having to worry about table decorations for Christmas this year? Imagine that the table decorations ARE the dessert! I came up with the idea for this Meringue Christmas Tree when I was dreaming up desserts that guests can have fun with and assemble themselves. They’ll have more fun, and more importantly, it’s less stressful for you! One giant meringue christmas tree in the middle of the table then becomes the pavlova at the end of the meal! Simply put bowls of ice cream, whipped cream, custard, fresh fruit and maybe a bottle or two of liqueur and everyone breaks off shards of meringue to create their own masterpiece!

Meringue Christmas Tree

Because this is quite a structure, you’re going to need to make sure you make a really good meringue! Here are my tips:

  1. Use room temperature egg whites
  2. Make sure your bowl and whisks are sparkling clean – any grease or fat will stop the whites from frothing
  3. There shouldn’t be any egg yolk in sight.
  4. Use a really good-quality sugar, I love the Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar because it’s unrefined which means it’s not just sweet, it has a light caramel flavour which adds so much extra flavour oomph to the merinuge! The fine texture is also important so it can dissolve and form a crisp shell.
  5. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form before you start adding the sugar, and then add it gradually – not all at once.
  6. Whip the meringue until the Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar is completely dissolved.

 The meringue stars can be made up to a week before serving which means the only thing you need to worry about on Christmas day is stacking them, adorning the ‘tree’ with gold balls, glitter and a generous dusting of Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar.

Meringue Christmas Tree

Watch how to make the Meringue Christmas Tree below:

 

Print
Meringue Christmas Tree

Ingredients

  • Serves 6-8
  • 10 large egg whites
  • 550g Natura Golden Caster Sugar
  • 150ml cornstarch
  • 1 tsp drop vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup Natura Demerara Icing Sugar, for dusting
  • Decorate with gold leaf, chocolate stars or any other desired decorations.
  • Whipped cream and berries, to serve

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 100 ?C and line two to three large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Trace star shapes onto one side of the baking paper, ranging from 25cm wide to 5 cm wide then flip the paper over onto a baking tray. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Combine the cornflour and caster sugar together then gradually start adding the mix, little by little, continuing to whip, until the meringue is very thick and glossy. Whisk in the vanilla then place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe the meringue into star shapes on the templates created. Place in the preheated oven to dry (wedge a wooden spoon between the oven and the oven door to keep it ajar) until the meringues are crisp but still soft in the middle, 1 – 2 hours. Take out and allow to cool completely.Once all the meringue stars have dried out and cooled, stack the stars on top of each other. Twisting each star so the points don’t all face the same way. Decorate with desired decorations and dust generously with icing sugar. Serve the Meringue Christmas tree with whipped cream and berries.
https://thekatetin.com/meringue-christmas-tree/

What will you be making for Christmas dessert this year? Let me know in the comments below! And if you don’t already know, here are a few more ideas:

 

Colour of the Year Cake & Homemade Sprinkles

Colour of the Year Cake & Homemade Sprinkles

by | Sep 19, 2017 | 3 comments

#SPONSOREDDulux - Comforting Home Colour Palette2

Dulux has just unveiled the Colour of the Year for 2018 and it couldn’t be more swoon-worthy! Also dubbed grown-up pink, you’ll be seeing Pictured Rocks everywhere in the coming year – from décor to fashion and of course, that means it’s going to be all over cakes too! The folks over at Dulux challenged me to create a cake inspired by the Colour of the Year and the Comforting Home Palette and boy, did I have fun!

Dulux - Comforting Home Colour Palette

Because store-bought sprinkles come in boring colours, I thought I’d show you how you can make your own – that way, you can make them in the Colour of the Year – or any other colour for that matter. Your cakes and bakes will be on-trend, and best of all, stand out from the crowd!

Homemade Sprinkles in the Comforting Home Colour Palette

Making your own DIY sprinkles is as easy as whipping up a batch of royal icing, colouring it and then piping it in strips (however thick you like) on a lined baking tray. Allow them to dry at room temperature and then break them up – easy!

 

 

I made mine in the Colour of the Year (Pictured Rocks) and a dusty pink to compliment the colour scheme of my cake.

 

Homemade Sprinkles

To mix the Pictured Rocks frosting, I used equal amounts of light purple powder colouring and tulip pink, and then added a touch of navy blue and a touch of black. Matching the frosting to the Dulux colour was actually easier than I thought it would be – give it a try, you’ll be surprised!

Homemade Sprinkles in Comforting Colour Palette

The Colour of the Year represents the warmth of natural wood and goes perfectly with shades of chocolate, coffee, toffee, vanilla frosting, and spices – warm comforting colours that look so decadent you just want to eat them!

Plate with frosting in the Dulux Comforting Home Colour Palette

I used a vanilla frosting as a base and tinted it in a variety of shades that go well with the grown-up pink. Then I had fun ‘painting’ the cake using an oil-painting effect with the frostings. Dab and smear blobs of different coloured frosting all along the side of the cake.

Cake with frostings in the Dulux colour of the year, Pictured Rocks

To give it wow-factor I topped it off with a big white chocolate sail (tinted with powder colouring), some white chocolate geometric shapes and of course, macarons to finish it off.

Cake inspired by the Comforting Home Palette and the Colour of the Year, Pictured rocks

This cake was a ridiculous amount of fun and the one thing I realized was that I’ll be taking more colour inspiration from paint palettes in the future!

HOMEMADE SPRINKLES

Makes 2 cups of sprinkles

Royal icing

1 egg white, beaten

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

squeeze of lemon juice

To make the royal icing, whisk the egg white gently then add the icing sugar until a stiff paste forms. Add the lemon juice and stir. To make your own sprinkles, fill a piping bag fitted with small plain nozzle with coloured royal icing and pipe long strips of royal icing onto a piece of baking paper and allow to dry overnight or in a low oven (60 degrees). Once dry, break them up and mix the colours together. Store in an airtight jar.

Cake inspired by the Comforting Home Palette and the Colour of the Year, Pictured rocks

WHITE CHOCOLATE SAIL DECORATIONS

2 x A4 plastic acetate sheets (also known as transparency sheets - available from stationery shops)

500g white couverture chocolate, tempered OR good-quality white baking chocolate, melted

powder food colouring of your choice

 

Arrange two rolling pins or cylindrical objects on a countertop (these are going to be used to give the sails their wavy shapes). Place the acetate sheets on a clean counter. Colour the chocolate with the food colouring. Spread the white chocolate thinly over the sheets using a palette knife. Arrange the chocolate-coated sheet over the rolling pins or objects and leave them to set. Peel off the acetate and they're now ready to be be used on the cake.