Adding sweet floral touch

Caramelised white chocolate block at heart of these two delicious creations

Blondie is a new caramelised white chocolate block from Whittaker’s, with a natural blend of toasted caramel and milk flavours, and a smooth buttery finish.

The chocolate is caramelised in an authentic way by heating the ingredients to the perfect high temperature for a precise amount of time, without the need for any colour or flavour additives.

The resulting delicious flavour is perfect to savour on its own or to get creative with in baking.

Try out these recipes:

WHITTAKER’S BLONDIE PRESSED FLOWER BROWNIE

Liv Glazebrook @kitchenoftreats Serves: 18

Ingredients

■ 300g butter

■ 3⁄4 cup dark cocoa

■ 21⁄2 cup brown sugar

■ 3 (large) eggs

■ 11⁄2 cups flour

■ 250g Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate

■ 11⁄2 Tbsp neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable oil)

■ Pressed edible flowers (refer notes below on how to press)

Method

Preheat oven to 160C fan bake. Grease and a line a 20x30cm baking tin (we used one with high sides).

In a large saucepan, melt butter and cocoa over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and add brown sugar.

Quickly beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm around the edges. Remove from oven, allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Once completely cool, return to the baking tin. Break up blocks of Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate and melt with oil in the microwave (in short increments to avoid burning). Pour on to the top of the cooked brownie.

Leave for about 10 minutes until partially set, then lay edible pressed flowers on top of the soft chocolate.

Allow to set completely and then cut into squares (to ensure a clean cut, place the brownie in the freezer for about 5 minutes).

Pressing flowers

Use scissors to cut the flower as close to the bottom of the bloom as possible. Place the blooms on a paper towel and lay another paper towel on top.

Place them inside the microwave and weigh down the flowers with a microwave-safe dish.

Make sure all the flowers are under the weight.

Microwave strength will vary, so we recommend microwaving your flowers for a minute to start and check the flowers as you go.

Heat the flowers until they are dry and appear flat.

WHITTAKER’S BLONDIE NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

Amelia Morrison

Ingredients

BASE:

■ 375g gingernut biscuits

■ 120g butter CHEESECAKE FILLING:

■ 750g cream cheese

■ 1 tsp vanilla essence

■ 3⁄4 cup caster sugar

■ 300g Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate

■ 3⁄4 cup thickened cream TOPPING (optional):

■ 150g Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate

■ 1 tsp neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable oil)

■ 1⁄4 cup cream

Method

Grease or line a 22x22cm springform cake tin.

Crush biscuits in a food processor (if you don’t have a food processor crush them by placing them in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin). Transfer biscuit crumb to a bowl, add melted butter and mix to combine. Firmly press crumb mixture into the prepared tin. Cover the tin and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set.

In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla, and caster sugar until creamy and satiny (this can take quite a while).

Break up blocks of Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate and melt in the microwave (in short increments to avoid burning). Fold thickened cream and melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture until combined (you can continue to use a beater if desired, but keep it on a low speed).

Once combined, pour cream cheese filling on to the biscuit base and smooth out the top. Cover and refrigerate until set (at least 4 hours).

If opting for the topping, melt Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate, oil, and cream in the microwave (in short increments to avoid burning) until smooth. Pour the topping mixture over the chilled cheesecake and return to the fridge to set before serving.

Decoration (optional): Using remaining Whittaker’s Blondie Chocolate, create chocolate shards by shaving the back of the chocolate with a sharp knife (or chop roughly into small chunks) and sprinkle around the edge of the cheesecake.