Marlow & Sons Chocolate Caramel / Snickers Tart

My first taste of something as decadent as a chocolate caramel tart was actually from Humble Origins, a little cafe / bakery at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It was a sweet surprise from a friend (thanks Huazie!) but I wasn't expecting much. Imagine my delight when I bit into it - The smooth chocolate ganache and rich gooey caramel, all from a simple start up cafe in NUS! 

I was inspired by their take on the tart, but wanted to amp it up a notch. I replaced the crust with Francois Payard's sweet tart dough and added some peanut crunch for a little Snickers kick. It's really a candy bar no brainer! Payard's recipe may require a little more effort, but it's so worth it. Your crust will be firm and buttery, like a shortbread. 

For the Sweet Tart Dough (Adapted from Chocolate Epiphany) (Makes 1 9 inch crust shell)

3 ¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs yolks

1 egg

11.    Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer, beat on medium speed until combined.

  2. With the motor running, add egg yolks and egg one at a time. Add the flour and mix until dough is smooth.

  3.  Remove the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Preferably overnight.

  4. To prepare, dust a clean surface with flour. Roll out the dough to desired diameter but make sure it is ¼ inch thick. Prick the dough with a fork. (The recipe said to chill the dough again but being an eager beaver, I skipped this step)

  5.  Preheat your oven to 175C. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

      For the Caramel Filling (Adapted from Lottie & Doof ) Serves 8

            1/2 cup water

            2 cups granulated sugar

            1/4 cup light corn syrup

            1/2 cup heavy cream

            8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

            2 tablespoons crème fraîche / sour cream

For the Chocolate Ganache

            1/2 cup heavy cream

            3 1/2 (100g) ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. Caramel :  Place 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Add sugar and corn syrup, and cook mixture over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until it becomes a medium amber caramel. (Mine took about 20 minutes, do NOT leave your sugar unwatched)

2. Caramel : Remove pan from heat, carefully and slowly (the piping caramel will bubble and splatter, so be careful!) add the heavy cream followed by the butter and crème fraîche. Stir until smooth. (Excess caramel can be frozen for up to 3 months)  

Pour the caramel into the cooled tart shell and allow to set, first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator.

3. Ganache glaze : Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour the ganache and spread over the tart. Refrigerate until set.

Serve and enjoy with some coffee! 

Baker Notes

1. The pastry dough takes time to prepare, but it is so worth it. The crust is extremely buttery and moreish.

2.You don’t need a candy thermometer, just a watchful eye for your caramel.

3. For a little added crunch, I tossed in some extra peanut brittle to give it a peanutty/ snickers spin. You're free to spin your own variations - pecans / walnuts / dried fruit! 

Sticky Ginger Cake

My friends hate ginger cake. It hardly ever shows up in bakeries in Singapore, maybe except during December. In Singapore, ginger's prominently used in Chinese cooking, and I do have fond memories of it garnishing my fish cchouk (congee), salted mince pork patties and even in my chicken rice! 

But the absence of it in desserts is just S. A. D., especially with such a spicy kick that I JUST HAD TO BAKE IT IN A CAKE. It was met with mixed results - approval and delight from grown adults vs. a slight confusion ( + a hasty downing of a cup of water) from younger kids. 

Grating fresh ginger is abit of a chore, but makes the flavour profile that much stronger. Have a merry Christmas in August everybody!

David’s sticky ginger cake (Makes 9 cupcakes)

2-ounce (60-g) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup (250 ml) mild-flavored molasses

1/2 cup (or less) (100 g) sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups (175 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup (125 ml) water

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup soaked rum raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or with a chef’s knife, chop the ginger until very fine. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. Soak raisins in hot water and add 3 tablespoons of rum, leave for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.

3. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the molasses mixture, then add the chopped ginger. Drain the raisins and add to mixture.

4. Gradually sift the flour mixture over the molasses mixture, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared springform or cake pan and bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool completely before frosting.

Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting (Frosts 9 exactly) 


1/2 package (110g) cream cheese 

30 g unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of 1/2 an orange


1. Cream butter till soft and fluffy. Then, beat in zest and vanilla.

2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix. Finally, blended in cream cheese until smooth. 


Baker's Notes


1. With the fresh ginger and array of spices, this is a fragrant, spicy cake. Not for the fainted hearted!


2. Do grate in some citrus zest in your cream cheese frosting for a flavour boost!


3. I added in raisins from the original recipe, but feel free to substitute in chocolate chips, walnuts etc; THE PANTRY IS YOUR PARTY PLACE! 


4. I topped it with a dollop of apricot jam, apricots go so well with ginger anyway! 

Sarabeth's Chocolate Chubbies

I'm not an innate fan of cookies, having dubbed them as too crispy, too hard as a child. Dessert always seemed to belong in the tender, soft and YES.. mushy ( love love mushy bread pudding!) department. But children's day (in Singapore) is arriving, and I've been racking my brains to think of what to treat my students with. And Sarabeth Levine's Chocolate Chubbies recipe popped up whilst I was browsing cookbooks in Kinokuniya - so what fate, no?

Edit : Just came back from classes, and the unanimous response for cookie flavours? CHOCOLATE CHIP. Such an oldie but goodie, kids after my own heart. :')

These cookies are fudgey and insanely chocolatey, with a welcomed texture break from nuts!

Adapted from Sarabeth's Bakery : From My Hands to Yours (Makes 12 cookies)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (60g)

4.5 ounces semisweet chocolate (125g)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate / cocoa powder (74g)

¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso 

2 medium eggs

½ cup sugar

 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup white chocolate chips (175g)

1 cup chopped peanuts (175g)

1    1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line baking tray with parchment paper.

      

      2. Melt butter, add 2 kinds of chocolate, and stir until smooth. Stir occasionally and let cool until warm, about 5 mins.

3    

      3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Whip the eggs in a bowl on medium speed, until thick and foamy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed till high, and add sugar and vanilla. Whip until eggs are pale yellow and very thick, about 3 minutes.

      

      4. Reduce mixer to medium speed, beat in tepid chocolate. Turn mixer to low, gradually add in flour mixture. Then stir in chocolate / raisins.

      5. Using a 2 inch diameter ice cream scoop, portion the cookies about 1.5 inches apart. ( I used tablespoons!) Bake 17 – 20 minutes, the edges should set easily though the centre might seem underdone.

Baker's Notes

1. To make the chocolate flavour more intense, I added in 1 teaspoon of espresso powder
2. This is a decidedly more adult variation. To make it more kid friendly, add in MnMs / Pretzels / cornflakes.
3. It's best baked on the same day it's made - with a shiny crackly top. But I did store the extra batter in the freezer for future treats / guests!