Chocolate Honeycomb Snaps - The Sweet Swap

When I signed up for The Sweet Swap I was conjuring up in my mind incredible sweet creations reminiscent of my childhood reading the fantasy world of The Magic Faraway Tree...

I wanted shortbread, toffee, chocolate, honeycomb, meringue....

But the week of baking began and somehow I just started creating as I went along - hence my Chocolate Honeycomb Snaps were born - and wow I was not disappointed.

These little bites of deliciousness are crispy, sweet, salty and leave you wanting more.

They may seem complicated but when you break it down into its components it is really simple.

To make the shortbread you combine flour, rice flour, sugar and butter until a dough forms.

Combine your cocoa into half of the dough.

Roll the doughs out and cut into a rectangle shape.

Take your salted honeycomb (recipe at the end) and process until a powder.

It is pure gold.

Generously sprinkle a layer of honeycomb powder over the dough. 

Top with the alternate dough and sprinkle again with honeycomb powder

Carefully roll up.

After chilling in the fridge cut your roll into slices.

Place on lined baking tray leaving plenty of space.

Transfer to a cooling rack.

Drizzle with a little dark melted chocolate.

Last but not least it was such a delight to package these beauties and post off to my three Sweet Swap Matches - The Hangry Bitch, Voracious Vander and The Random Foodie.

 A huge thank you to Belly Rumbles and Chewtown for hosting such a great event where all the bloggers were able to share our love of baking and also to help some of the greatest people in need, providing banana shoots for families in Uganda.

But of course I cannot leave you without sharing the wonderful sweets I in turn received in the post.

Nutty BonBons from One Small Pot

Macadamia Toffee Crisps from Apricot Tart

Chablis Hearts from Flame Tree Flowers

Chocolate Honeycomb Snaps

(makes 50)

Salted Honeycomb Powder

100g caster sugar (I use raw)

50g honey

30g water

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used crushed pink salt)

1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda

Line a shoe box with baking paper, ready to pour the honeycomb into (Zumbo tip!).

Combine sugar, honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve and then bring to a boil until 150 degreesC. Take off heat and whisk in the salt followed quickly by the bi-carb. 

Pour into box and allow to cool completely.

Break into pieces and process until a powder.

Shortbread (plain and chocolate)

1 cup plain flour

1 tbsp rice flour

125g butter

1/4 cup caster sugar (I use raw)

1 tbsp cocoa

50g dark chocolate

Combine the flours, butter and sugar until a dough forms.

Divide the dough in two, set one aside and incorporate the cocoa into the other.

Roll out the doughs between grease proof papers until about 2-3 mm thick. 

Using a rectangle template (I a used a sturdy flyer covered in foil - 10cmx21cm) cut out shape.

Carefully spread out an even layer of honeycomb powder on the rolled out plain dough,

layer on the piece of rolled out chocolate dough, and carefully spread another even layer of honeycomb powder.

Carefully roll up. 

(You should be able to make two rolls.)

Place in fridge for about 15 minutes and preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.

Cut into slices (4-5mm) and place on lined baking tray.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Leave on tray for a couple of minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Melt dark chocolate in a ceramic bowl over a saucepan of simmered water. 

Put in a ziplock bag while hot and let cool for a few minutes so its not so runny and more controllable to pipe. 

Cut a very small corner of the bag and drizzle over the cooled snaps.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Spiral Shortbread

This year I joined the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.

Not only did I get to bake a dozen cookies for three of my fellow food bloggers (Manu's Menu, Sweetly Baked, Cookie Queen Kitsch'n) but I also received three sets of delicious cookies in the mail. Win win.

Christmas Biscotti from Cut the Cookie.

Roasted Almond, Chocolate and Honeycomb cookies from ChewTown.

Peanut butter cup and pretzel cookies from Modest Munchies.

They were sooooooo good!

So for my contribution I chose to cook these spiral shortbread cookies.

Simply combine plain flour, rice flour, butter and caster sugar.

Earlier I chopped up rhubarb and strawberries, cooked in a saucepan with a little water until soft, then cooled and pureed.

Separate a third of your dough and mix in the pureed strawberry and rhubarb.

The remainder of the dough was rolled out and refrigerated for about five minutes. 

Carefully spread the fruity mix on top and refrigerate for about fifteen minutes.

Carefully roll up.

 If it cracks, stop and let it soften slightly first.

Refrigerate for an hour.

 I turn it slightly every ten minutes to try and keep it round and avoid a flat side.

Now its ready to slice and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 160 degrees celcius.

Cool on a rack.

Wrapped up ready to post.

Melt in your mouth shortbread.

 The fruitiness is on the subtle side but is made up for by the prettiness!

Strawberry and Rhubarb Spiral Shortbread

(makes three dozen)

2 cups plain flour

2 tbsp rice flour

250g butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

couple of sticks of rhubarb 

handful strawberries

Cut up the rhubarb and strawberries and place in a small saucepan. 

Add a tablespoon of water and place on a gentle heat until soft.

Set aside to cool then puree.

Combine the flours, butter and sugar until a dough forms.

Divide a third of the dough and set aside.

Roll out the remaining dough between grease proof paper until about 5 mm thick.

Place in the fridge for 5 minutes.

Combine the puree with the dough you set aside.

Carefully spread out in an even layer on the rolled out dough.

Place in fridge for about 15 minutes.

Carefully roll up. 

(NB. if it cracks you will need to let it sit at room temperature and soften a bit)

Place in fridge for an hour turning often to try and avoid a flat side.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.

Cut into slices (about 8mm) and place on lined baking tray.

Bake for 25 minutes or until just golden around the edges.

Cool on a cooling rack.

Eat.

If you want to be reminded about the cookie swap to join in next year please click here.

Zumbo honey comb-over

I finally decided to have a go at making one of Adriano Zumbo's creations.

As you flick through the pages of his book there are so many wacky, wonderful and delicious looking sweets.

I mainly chose this one because I had the ingredients (well most of them) and I do love honeycomb.

Really it is a straight forward cake, right? a cake rolled with buttercream covered in a glaze then topped with some honeycomb.

But as you make your way though the recipe it does get a bit more complicated. 

You start with the glaze which requires a 'neutral glaze' that you must prepare first.

It also requires ingredients such as gelatin leaves (I used powdered), pectin (I used jam setter - yes really) and liquid glucose (left it out).

Not surprisingly my glaze was not perfect, but it still tasted good.

The honey comb is poured into a shoe box to cool, seriously that is what Zumbo recommends!

A decent chunk is broken off, chopped finely and folded through the buttercream.

The buttercream also requires preparation of creme patisserie, and it contains almond meal which I found odd but actually it tasted great.

I loved the spiced cake which was made mainly of honey that is whipped with butter.

It is coated with coconut then rolled up with the delicious buttercream.

The glaze is then poured over the cake and decorated with honeycomb.

The aroma of this honey cake was heavenly, and it tasted beautiful, very sweet.

The best part - sharing it with friends under fairy lights.

The Ultimate Sticky Bun

This is not the first time I have fallen for the cover photo on SBS Feast magazine and cooked the recipe. 

So this month was sticky buns, and they are certainly something special.

And if you are unable to buy your own copy of Feast this month they have the recipe posted on their website.

It involves preparing a dough, a very indulgent dough made of butter, eggs and sugar. The dough is left to rise and then rolled out and topped with the butter, cinnamon, sugar, pecan deliciousness.

Then roll, cut and place in a dish that you have already poured freshly made caramel and toasted pecans into.....yes that is what makes these amazing.

Once again allow the dough to rise and then bake.

They are briefly cooled before you spoon over the caramel you have saved and warmed for just this moment.

Let cool a little bit longer (mine was about 20 minutes) and then drizzle with icing and sprinkle over more toasted pecans.

I may have got a little carried away but you can almost see the scrolls!

We shared them with friends, still warm, out of the dish. The beautifully soft warm bread smothered with sticky caramel and crunchy pecans.....

And yes they were very well received, 'heavenly' may have been mentioned!