I used to think that crème brûlée was a difficult dessert but after making this recipe time after time, I've realised that it's a super easy way to entertain and impress any guests you may have over for dinner! In fact, it takes less than an hour to make - the most difficult part is waiting for it to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours!
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Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:

          600ml thickened cream
          6 egg yolks
          1/2 cup sugar
          2 tsp. vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
2. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and sugar (until just combined, avoid introducing too much air into mix)
3. Over gentle heat, bring cream to the boil
4. Sieve cream into egg mixture while continuously whisking
5. Divide into ramekins by pouring through a sieve
6. Place a clean tea towel in the base of a baking tray and arrange ramekins
7. Fill baking tray halfway up ramekins with boiling water
8. Carefully place in oven and bake for 30 minutes until set with slight wobble
9. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours
10. To serve, sprinkle with sugar and torch until caramelised

****Tips: 

- If halving the recipe, reduce the oven temperature to 140-150 degrees Celsius to avoid curdling
- Try not to beat too much air into the mixture, as this can cause the crème brûlée to puff up in the oven and form air bubbles and curdle

Similar Recipes:

- Vanilla Custard (no cream)

Click here for the recipe. Smooth and creamy vanilla custard, everything you would want in a custard without the cream!

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I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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My vanilla custard recipe is adapted from a butterscotch pudding I saw a while ago on the tele, while I didn't like the flavour of  the pudding I liked the texture and through a few tweaks I created the perfect (I think so anyway, no hard feelings if you don't agree!) consistency custard without cream! I like to use organic free range eggs for simple egg-based recipes as these eggs typically have a more intensely orange-tinged yolk which will give your custard that lovely yellow custard colour. Ever since I started making this custard recipe, we haven't been getting the occasional urge to buy store-bought custard since it's so easy and tastes so much better!

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Vanilla Custard (No Cream)

Ingredients:

          3 egg yolks (I used organic free range, but any kind of egg will do)
          1/4 cup sugar
          1 1/2 tbsp. cornflour
          3 cups (750ml) milk (I used skimmed milk, to lower fat content)
          20g unsalted butter (salted is also ok, as some people like to add a pinch of salt to their
          recipes)
          1 tsp. vanilla essence (you can sub for vanilla bean too)

Method:

1. Whisk egg and sugar together until thick and pale
2. Sift and whisk in cornflour until smooth
3. Heat milk over stove until steam is visible above saucepan (not boiling)
4. Pour milk into egg mixture to pan and bring to the boil, continuously stirring until thickened then lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes
5. Cover and refrigerate to cool until serving

****Tips: 

- This makes pouring consistency custard, but if you find it a little too thin reduce the milk and you can adjust the consistency by adding more whilst its cooking to lessen the chance of the custard spoiling too quickly

Similar Recipes:

- Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Click here for the recipe. A decadent dessert with a satisfying caramelised sugar toffee to break through before reaching the smooth and creamy vanilla crème.

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My sisters like to eat this as an after-school snack or even fancy it up as a make-believe creme brulee by serving them in ramekins and caramelising some sugar on top of it. They even prefer this over my crème caramel recipe which is a plus for me because it's so quick and easy to make!

I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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This is a super reliable recipe that I like to use when I have overripe bananas lying around. I usually like to freeze bananas for smoothies if they get too ripe or I make this banana bread. The recipe has very little butter which is great if you like to enjoy your banana bread with a little butter spread over it!
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Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients:

          4 overripe bananas, mashed
          50g butter, melted and cooled
          1/4 cup full cream milk
          1/4 cup water
          2 eggs

          2 cups plain flour
          1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
          2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
          1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
          1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius
2. Combine bananas, butter, milk, water and eggs in a medium bowl
3. Sift together flour and baking powder and stir in brown sugar
4. Stir both wet and dry mixtures together until just combined
5. Fold in desired additions
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

****Tips: 

- You can add 1/2 cup walnuts for extra texture if desired
- Melted butter can be switched out for equal amounts coconut oil or any other oil
- Instead of water and milk, skimmed milk can be used
- To make brown sugar you can use 2/3 cup raw sugar mixed with 2 tsp. golden syrup
- I often freeze slices of the bread and take it out the night before for a nice breakfast or as part of a packed lunch

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I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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First attempt at 'Mexican' coffee bun that's not really Mexican (originates from Malaysia)

I decided that I wanted to try making the Papparoti type coffee bun after seeing a recipe in the Vietnamese newspaper. By the time I went to make the buns I had lost the recipe from the newspaper (I forgot to cut the page out!). So I went looking online and found recipes citing a bread-making method called 'tang zhong' or 'water roux' which apparently is essential for keeping breads soft and fluffy for longer. Knowing that, I pulled a standard sweet bread recipe for the bun and went looking for a coffee crust recipe that looked good to me (I basically just went through Google images to find the crust that I thought looked most similar to the ones at Papparoti).

The buns smell so good after coming out of the oven, and I think the decision to add extra coffee grounds to the top of the buns just enhances that coffee smell and flavour when you bite into them. The grounds give a bitterness to balance with the sweetness of the bun and the buttery filling. The coffee crust is a lovely crunchy contrast to the soft and fluffy sweet bun which has the same sweet smell and texture as the store-bought sweet buns from Asian bakeries.

Mexican coffee bun: fluffy sweet bun with coffee crust and vanilla butter filling

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Mexican Coffee Buns (Papparoti)

Ingredients:

 (water roux):

          25g plain flour
          125ml water

(sweet bread):

          350g plain flour
          8g dry instant yeast
          50g sugar
          1/4 tsp. salt

          1 egg
          125ml milk
          30g butter, room temp. cubed
        

(filling):

          50g butter, room temp.
          1/4 tsp. vanilla essence
          1 tbsp. brown sugar

(coffee crust):

          100g butter, room temp.
          80g icing sugar, sifted
          1 egg, lightly beaten

          1-2 tbsp. strong coffee
          100g plain flour
          Coffee grounds, to sprinkle on top
         

Method:

1. (water roux) Cook flour and water in a saucepan over a low heat while continuously stirring until a thick paste forms. Set aside until needed.
2. (filling) Cream together butter and sugar until pale. Add vanilla and refrigerate until needed.
3. (sweet bread) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except butter and knead into a rough dough.
4. Add butter and knead for a further 15 minutes when the dough is elastic and no longer sticky
5. Cover dough with cling film and set in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until dough has doubled
6. Once doubled, knock the air out of the dough, kneading for a few minutes
7. Divide into 12 portions and place 1/2 tsp. filling inside each portion of dough and pinch to seal
8. Prove for a further 15-20 minutes on a lined baking tray, leaving enough room for dough to expand
9. (topping) Cream together butter and sugar until pale.Beat to combine egg. Beat in coffee, then mix in sifted flour. Refrigerate until needed (remove from fridge 5 minutes before use)
10. Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius
11. Pipe spirals of topping on each bun and sprinkle coffee grounds on top
12. Bake for 12 minutes or until buns have become golden brown, turning the tray halfway through
13. Serve warm.

****Tips: 

- Coffee amounts in the crust can be adjusted as desired
- Plain butter can be used as a filling to reduce sugar
- If consuming the following day, buns should be toasted in a toaster oven or grilled to warm up bread and crisp up the coffee crust

Related Posts

<<PHOTO>>

- Ingredients Explained: Water Roux

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Even though I added more coffee than the recipe stated, I still feel that it needed more. So next time I will probably add 2-3 tablespoons of coffee. Since these buns are best eaten warm, I gave some to my next-door neighbours (I hope they liked them!) I read a few comments online in regards to these buns saying that they went hard the next day and were no longer edible, so I'll put an update as to how these hold up!

I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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References:

- http://mandysbakingjourney.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/mexican-coffee-buns-roti-boy.html
- http://kraftibakes.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/coffee-buns-aka-roti-buns.html

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<<PHOTO>>

Water roux, otherwise known as Tang zhong (湯種) is a step used in bread-making. This technique was developed in order to increase the water retained by flour used in breads. By cooking the starch it absorbs the water and expands which develops the gluten within the flour. The increased water content and ability for the flour to retain moisture is a key factor in the moistness of breads which will therefore yield a softer bread that will supposedly remain softer for longer than non-water roux based recipes. 

What it's made of

A very simple part of soft bread-making techniques, water roux is made of just two ingredients: flour and water, used in a 1:5 ratio of flour:water.

Origins

This bread-making technique was developed in Japanese bakeries and popularised throughout Asia in the 1990s following the release of Yvonne Chen's book "The 65° Bread Doctor". Although the use of this technique still exists, the introduction of additives and preservatives has allowed breads to last longer than they would using the technique alone.

Reasons for use

The addition of water roux works similarly to preservatives and additives typically added to breads to increase their shelf-life and to create a softer texture. Activating some of the flour used in a bread recipe allows water to be introduced and retained in the starches and for gluten to be activated within the dough.

Recipe: Water Roux

       Ingredients

                    50g plain flour
                    250ml water

       Method

1. Stir water and flour continuously over a low heat until mixture thickens and becomes slightly translucent (mixture should be consistency of baby food/smooth oat porridge)
2. Cover with cling wrap touching the roux to prevent a skin forming
3. Set in the fridge to cool. Roux will last up to 3 days
4. Bring back to room temperature when using in recipes

Reccommended recipes

- Mexican Coffee Buns (Papparoti):

Click here for the recipe. A fluffy sweet bun with a crunchy coffee topping and vanilla butter filling. It's like a pre-buttered bun! Very popular in Malaysia (where it originates, not sure where the 'Mexican' part came from!)

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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References:

- http://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Tang_zhong

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Cottage Pie dinner with creamy mash and a crispy golden-brown crust

I had a look around online for cottage pie recipes and the ones that stood out most were Laura Vitale's from Laura In The Kitchen on YouTube and Curtis Stone's root vegetable cottage pie for Coles (recipes clickable through italicised text). Not many in my family are fans of celery so I decided to omit it and replace with extra carrots, which I think turned out great! This is the type of recipe that you can add extra vegetables to or omit the ones you like freely.
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Cottage Pie (Potato Topped Pie)

(serves 12)

Ingredients

(filling):

          1.5kg beef mince
          2 large onions, diced
          6 carrots, diced
          4 cloves garlic, minced
          4 tbsp. plain flour
          1 x 140g can tomato paste

          2 beef stock cubes
          2 cups water
          3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
          2 tsp. rosemary, finely minced
          1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
          Salt and pepper, to season

(potato top):

          2kg potatoes
          1 cup milk
          1 cup cream

          90g butter
          Salt (to season)

Method:

1. (For filling) In a heavy-based pan on high heat, cook the mince (without oil, as it will cook in its own fat). Season the beef with salt as it cooks and break up the larger chunks using a wooden spoon. Transfer the beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon
2. In the same pan, use the liquid from cooking the beef to fry off onions and carrots until tender and lightly brown. Season with salt and pepper
3. Add garlic, stir through and cook lightly until fragrant
4. Add beef back into the pan and stir ingredients together
5. Sprinkle in flour and stir continuously to cook and prevent lumps from forming
6. Add the tomato paste until colour deepens slightly
7. Crumble in stock cube, then pour in water, Worcestershire sauce and rosemary stir ingredients together and allow to come to the boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes
8. Add peas and stir through, allow to cook enough for ingredients to come to the same temperature
9. Divide filling into individual dishes or into casserole dish and set aside
10. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius
11. (For potato top) Boil potatoes in salted water, drain then mash and set aside
12. Warm milk, cream and butter in a saucepan and pour into potatoes and combine to create a slightly wet mash (this prevents a dry potato top, the some of the liquid will evaporate in the oven)
13. Season mash with salt
14. Spread over the top of filling, creating peaks with the back of a spoon (the more surface area created, the more texture and crunch achieved with the potato top in the oven)
15. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
16. Serve with fresh salad or steamed green beans

****Tips: 

- Try not to over-mix your mash, as this can make it gluey
- You can add or omit any vegetables you like
- For a curry pie, add curry powder when cooking the mince

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This recipe was a hit with everyone and is such an easy way to feed a lot of people with one dish! Leftovers are also great the next day!

I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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References:

- http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/shepards-pie/
- http://recipes.coles.com.au/recipes/3008/root-vegetable-cottage-pie/

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I was looking for a quick and easy dessert to make using nectarines since I had a whole bag of them in my fridge. Then I came across this recipe! As usual, I tweaked it, adding cinnamon and using Greek yogurt + milk instead of regular unsweetened yogurt, but it turned out beautifully! I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out so I made just 3 small ramekins worth, but I will make this again in the future for sure!

It's such an easy baked dessert. Essentially, it's just baked fruit with a rock cake type biscuity topping. The addition of cinnamon just emphasises the warm feel of the cobbler, but the real satisfaction comes when you go for your first spoonful as the lovely juices from the fruit overflow over the sides of the ramekin. Beautiful nectarine syrup turned purple from the few blueberries that have burst under the heat of the oven. Those blueberries that still hold their shape by the time you delve into your cobbler provide extra bursts of scalding flavour - so be careful when you're eating this, it's best served hot, but be cautious! The textures of this dessert are just perfect, with the crunch of the topping which then transforms into a syrup soaked cakey texture where it meets the fruit; then that beautifully tender hot baked nectarine.

I served these with my baked cinnamon apple chips to further bring through that cinnamon flavour, but you can choose to serve these with cream or even ice cream!
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White Nectarine & Blueberry Cobbler

(for two...or three)

Ingredients 

(fruit):

          3 nectarines
          1/4 punnet blueberries (frozen is fine)
          1-2 tbsp. lemon juice

          Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
          3 tbsp. sugar
          1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

(topping):

          75g plain flour
          1/4 tsp. baking soda
          1 tsp. baking powder
          1 tbsp. sugar
          38g butter, softened

          1 tbsp. unsweetened Greek yogurt
          1 tbsp. milk
          Demerara sugar (to sprinkle on top)
          Cinnamon sugar (to sprinkle on top)
         

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celsius
2. Blanch nectarines in a pot to allow for easy peeling (I usually blanch then peel mine with a butter knife) and roughly dice nectarines.
3. In a small bowl, combine nectarines, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon and set aside
4. For topping, sift together dry ingredients and rub in butter with your fingertips until a breadcrumb consistency is achieved (you can also choose to do this in a food processor)
5. Then, fold in yogurt and milk to achieve a wet dough, be sure not to over mix the dough as it can become tough
6. Divide the fruit mixture into the ramekins
7. Top with teaspoonfuls of the dough, being as rustic as possible (the more surface area you create through peaks in the dough, the more crunch you will achieve)
8. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and a pinch of cinnamon
9. Set ramekins on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until topping is golden brown and dough is cooked through

****Tips: 

- You can, of course, make a large cobbler to serve at the table just bake for twice the time
- Replace Greek yogurt and milk for regular unsweetened yogurt (just use what you have at hand)
- Cinnamon can be omitted if desired
- Any fruit can be substituted in this recipe
- Use orange juice and zest at Christmas to bring a more festive flavour to the dessert

Complementing Recipes:

- Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips:

Click here for the recipe. Lovely way to use up apples to create a light, crunchy snack for work or school.

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This dessert would be perfect to make with frozen stone fruits that I may have from the summer for guests at a dinner party in the winter or just on cold, rainy days.

I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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(Once again, please excuse the poor-quality photo. I will upload a clearer image soon!)

I've made this recipe a couple of times and it turns out perfectly every time, admittedly there isn't anything difficult about it - it's just a little time consuming! So long as you leave a time on your oven then it's pretty much a set and forget (for 2 hours) kind of recipe. It's a perfect crunchy snack to take to work and school, especially when you're craving something with that type of texture of snack on! Although it's got added sugar (which can, of course, be omitted or replaced with stevia) it's a much healthier snack than store bought dried fruits, as they aren't drenched in sugar to preserve - just simply dehydrated!
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Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips

Ingredients:

          1.5-2kg apples (I used Royal Gala, but any will do - I've used Granny Smith in the past)
          3 tbsp. sugar
          1 tsp. cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 110 degrees Celsius 
2. Slice the apples as thinly as possible (you can use a mandoline for consistency)
3. Arrange slices in a single layer on a lined baking tray 
   
4. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apple slices
5. Bake to dehydrate for 2 hours, overturning the slices halfway through
6. Like cookies, chips will be a little soft while warm. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
7. Store in an airtight container to prevent chips from going stale
   
   

****Tips: 

- If you have a dehydrator, feel free to use it, that will make the recipe raw and vegan!
- You can core the apples beforehand if you wish, but the 'core' of an apple is really a myth, the only inedible part is the seeds and stalk
- This dehydration method can be done with pears or other fruits
- Spices can also be substituted, you don't have to use cinnamon
- Sugar can be omitted or replaced with stevia

Complementing Recipes:

- White Nectarine & Blueberry Cobbler:

Click here for the recipe. Perfect way to use up fruits that doesn't involve making pie pastry and rolling it out! Beautiful end to a meal  that's sure to impress!

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I tend to make small batches of this at a time since, really, I can only fit this many in my oven at any one time and would prefer not to have apple slices sitting on my bench for 2 hours and browning (which doesn't affect the recipe, of course!). Also, making a few at a time ensures that the chips won't stale before you get the chance to enjoy them - this is especially an issue in the humid Australian weather!

I'd love to see your versions of my recipes if you try them! Feel free to send them through to my email address; on Instagram with the tag (@unadornedeats) and/or hash-tag (#unadornedeats); or attach them to a comment below!

Love and luck in your cooking!

- Unadorned Eats

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