Chocolate brownies for Easter!

The team at Food Obsession wishes everyone a very Happy Easter! We hope that you have had a good long weekend and a well-deserved break with the company of all your loved ones (surrounded by food of course!).

It has been a chocolate-filled week for me (chocolate Easter eggs, chocolate hot cross buns etc.), and to make matters worse, I've had this craving for chocolate brownies for awhile now. So, when I found this recipe, I just had to make it!

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownie Squares

What do you think? Nothing better than some homemade brownies, yes? Make some and have them a bit warm with some ice cream, maybe?

Recipe (adapted from sortedfood.com) 
Chocolate base:
140g butter
200g dark chocolate 
225g caster sugar (I used a lot less than this!)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs 
60g plain flour 
60g cocoa 

Orange cream cheese filling 
75g cream cheese
50g caster sugar (once again, I didn't use as much sugar) 
1 egg
75g plain flour
zest of 1 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a rectangular baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt butter, chocolate and sugar in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
3. Crack in the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth and glossy.
4. Add the flour and cocoa into the chocolate mix and beat well.
5. Pour into the lined baking tin. 
6. Beat the sugar and vanilla into the cream cheese, then beat in the egg, flour and zest of the orange to create the cream cheese filling.
7. Spoon the cream cheese mix into the brownie in blobs and use a knife to move the mixture around, creating a marbled effect.
8. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes and allow to cool fully in the tin before cutting into square pieces to serve. 

A big thank you to the guys at Sorted Food for coming up with this recipe! The only thing I might do differently next time is reduce the flour content for the cream cheese filling. Other than that, it would have been a perfect brownie.

This has definitely satisfied my brownie craving, even though it means that I will need to find a way to burn away all these calories. Meh, maybe another day!

Sugar rush!

For the first time ever, we've planned a dessert party and all invited guests were to bring a dessert to share. 

L-R from top: spiced butterfly cookies, fried rice, orange & poppy seed cake, cream puffs and chocolate sea salt & olive oil cupcakes. 

 L-R from top: red velvet cake, berries cheesecake, lemon tart and pavlova

 From top (clockwise) : berries smash, durian cake, banana caramel cupcake, brownies (with and without nuts), batik cake (also known as hedgehog) and funny faces biscuits. 

I'm glad we ''allowed'' our guests to bring in savoury dishes if sweets were not their thing. At least it provided  a slight balance to the party. Besides fried rice, we had chicken claypot rice which was totally yum. A few friends were game enough to eat the strong pungent king of fruits! One thought it tasted as bad as it smelt, another thought it tasted like passionfruit. I am one of the very few who is actually okay with it, neither love it nor hate it. 

Happy Australia Day, everyone!

Mmm...cupcakes!

Pretty. 

That's the first thing which came to mind when I saw the colourful variety at Bella's Cupcake World.

My friend and I were on our way to do some errands when we walked past the stall and got distracted by the prettiness of these cupcakes.


After spending a few minutes circling the stall like vultures, we decided that we just had to buy the cupcakes for afternoon tea! There were so many flavours to choose from and it took me ages to pick. A box of 6 costs $20 (if I am not wrong) and it was worth it!

Clockwise from left: Passionfruit, Choc Mint, Cookies and Cream and Vanilla.

Bella's Cupcake World 

Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre 

Chilling out with bubble tea!

It has been a busy few weeks with the prospect of becoming busier in months to come. However, I finally managed to make time to catch up with a long lost friend from college last weekend. While walking around looking for a good place to sit and chat, we found a new place in the hidden corners of Northbridge.

The funkiness and bright colours of the shop intrigued us. The comfortable couches and atmosphere were perfect for us. The best of all, it sold a variety of Asian desserts and of course, my favourite drink, bubble tea! Like it's name, it was a great place to get a little sweet fix and chill out. The only problem was though, when the place got packed, it turned really stuffy and just a tad too noisy for us.

My friend and I decided that the next time we visit Sweet Fix, we would try their desserts. And on my list 'to try' are the soya bean custard (I am assuming this is 'tau fu fah') and the ever so popular mango pudding! <3 

Note: Maybe don't bother with the Mango Green Milk Tea unless your tastes buds can handle the complicated flavour. The initial sip of mango flavour followed by an aftertaste of green tea. I was smart enough to stick to my usual Oolong Tea. 

*Sweet Fix is located on James Street, Northbridge (on the Ground Floor, below Utopia)*

Travelogue Adelaide Day 3: Chocolate heaven

If it isn’t obvious enough, I love my chocolate. This just means that our tour to the Haigh’s Chocolate Factory was absolutely fantastic (I'm biased, I know).

Learning about how Haigh’s chocolates are made actually made me appreciate it even more. The different combination of cocoa beans make up that distinct flavour of your choice– dark, milk or white. And the best part? The free chocolate tastings during and after the tour! Maybe I should work there one day…

Chocolates can help you express so much more than words! Be it love, Easter holidays, Christmas holidays, thinking of you during my holiday and so much more! Hehe.

So why is Haigh’s so special? It’s unique; it’s good quality chocolate; and it's not commercialised. You can never find these in your local supermarkets. You can only find these yummilicious things in Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney. Note: Haigh’s isn’t sold in Western Australia! >.<

Come on and give it a try. You know you want it.

Travelogue Adelaide Day 3: Candy girl!

~ Sugar! Oh honey, honey! You are my candy girl! ~

This is what happens when one mentions that there’s a lolly shop nearby. Never tell me that there is a lolly shop nearby. You’ll regret it; but Mich took me anyway.
This place is amazing. It reminds me of Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, but filled with sweets instead of toys; magical. You can find all sorts of goodies here - from imported Japanese canned drinks to Mich’s Cap N’ Crunch Cereal, and let’s not forget, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

It took me so much willpower to exit the shop with just some Salt Water Taffy and a pack of Mega Sours. I could have done a lot worse.

Blackeby’s Sweets
28 James Place
Adelaide SA 5000
http://www.blackebysweets.com.au/

Dreaming a little chocolate dream...

My colleagues and I were talking about an international food trip around Perth and we finally managed to get together for a Spanish dessert lunch a few weeks ago.

Yes, you read right. *Dessert* lunch. Four girls. Two plates of Fondue for Two. Yum!

Look at the melted chocolate dip. On the tasting plate, we have churros, bananas, nuts, caramel popcorn, strawberries, chocolate brownies, pretzels and marshy mallows! All worthy of chocolate dipping!

I thought we should have eaten a proper lunch first, but I am glad we didn't. I was stuffed and so hyped with sugar (and loaded with all those calories)!

San Churro Chocolateria
132 James Street
Northbridge, Western Australia

Sweetie sweets

From left to right: Mango sorbet, Tia Maria Cheesecake, Berry slushie, Chocolate Tart

I just found out that I did not mention friends in Season's eatings of our Special Projects. It is not too late though. =) FRIENDS make festive seasons extra special.

It has been an interesting phase of my life lately and it also has been fun-filled with some amazing people in my life. To celebrate a friend's next phase of life, we went for dinner and of course, desserts. Another new dessert house in the city, Sweety, this place has the atmosphere of a bar but somehow has board games during their ''happy hours''. I thought that was pretty cool and there was live music too! We thought the desserts could be overpriced but I guess we are paying for the atmosphere somewhat (and the pianist!). Don't look at it as a fancy dessert place with expectations of french macarons but as another late hang-out joint and you'll be just fine. Having said that, the cheesecake and chocolate tart is pretty decent. Mango sorbet is really refreshing but at the same time gives me more of a citrusy flavour.

Mongkok Sweety (upstairs)
Gouger St (could not get add from google)
Adelaide SA 5000

note: Black sesame soup has been blacklisted.

Time to bounce off the walls!

Homemade Sesame and Peanut Tong Yuen, Mango Cream Dessert, Lemon Cheesecake from Michel's

Looks like a Junkie Friday night to me!!!

Anyway, I have these amazing talented friends who can make yummy desserts [ignore Cafe Michel's cheesecake]. They make things sound so easy, for instance ''The mango cream dessert is a no baking one. Just chuck everything together." Oh, do I need to say that this friend of mine looks nothing like a baker? You would think he is a gym junkie. Before I drift off topic too far, I love the fresh mango in it!

We only had one main course and possibly 5 different desserts?! Besides these three, we had tapioca kueh, ice cream and fresh fruits [last minute change from a chocolate fondue]. Oh, six it is!

My secret stash

This is what happens when chocolates go on sale...

Okay, I rarely get that carried away but imported Meiji chocolates for $1?! And to be fair, these have lasted me for quite awhile, being my loyal companion throughout my stressful moments like tonight, hence the Junkie Friday post.

I did not buy the 95% dark cocoa, though. With each nibble (yes, nibble!), you can taste true cocoa and then the aftermath of bitterness hits you. Just think of all the antioxidants you have consumed! Hehe =P

How 'bout dyeing cake?

Okay, I don't literally mean dyeing cake but batik is a fabric dyeing technique This treat from Malaysia [specifically Sarawak] is known as the 'batik cake' [or the hedgehog slice in Oz]. Having said that, I never knew about it being 'Malaysian' until recently. Baked and brought to a gathering by my friends, I finally had a taste of this rich sweet goodness.

So why did I consider this a junkie treat besides the fact that sweets should always be taken in moderation? This batik cake requires only 4 ingredients and boy, they are seriously naughty ingredients; condensed milk, milo, butter and marie biscuits. The no-bake recipe can be provided upon request, however there are many similar recipes available on the web.

My parents would never introduce me to this and I did confirm it again. Mama goes "Condensed milk!''. After all, I was one of those kids out there with restricted access to sweets of all kinds in my childhood days.

I did enjoy little bits of it, but ''OMG, It's sweeeeeeeet.'' and I'm also not a big fan of butter! It does not mean it wasn't awesome though. =)

I *heart* pink #2

This week’s entry is a bit different. It’s my week to dedicate to pink so I don’t intend to give a full blown review; but it's also the end of the week! Apart from featuring macarons as part of this week's Junkie Friday, I hope the yummilicious treats justify my version of *I <3 Pink*

Yummy cotton candy with pop rocks; raspberry with dark chocolate; and blueberry with orange filling

I bought these from Cimbalino at Enex 100 Food Court. The different shades of pink represent the different women in the world regardless of race, background, culture and belief. At this point, you might ask why I added a blue macaroon into the picture. Well, in very rare cases, men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer.

I am thinking P.I.N.K. this October. Are you?

Deadlines vs. procrastination

Things have been really hectic lately, especially with work and assignments amongst other personal commitments. No matter how busy it gets, I always find the excuse to fit in a little bit of chocolate =P

This was actually my friend’s suggestion after work a couple of weeks ago; it was a good break away from the busy schedule to sit back, catch up and take a breather.

The so-called "Cookies and Cream" cake.

The 'Chocolate Affair' (melted milk chocolate and fruits with marshmallows!)

Yum! I was a bit disappointed with the so-called cookies and cream cake, though. It tasted more like chocolate cake with Oreo bits on top as decoration. However, the Chocolate Affair was amazing. I haven’t had bananas for the longest time; I polished most of it off by myself! Did I do any work after that? Nope! I tried but I ended up having a huge sugar crash. *blushes*

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge
Shop 47 Waterford Plaza
Corner Kent Street and Manning Road
Karawara WA 6152

My special delivery...

“Specially flown all the way from Melbourne for you…” ^^

I caught up with my friend over lunch last Friday, and he gave me a box of these delicious macarons – a souvenir from Melbourne (and no, I am not kidding).

Clockwise (from top right): Strawberry, with a delicious creamy filling and strawberry bits; pistachio flavoured with a bits of real pistachios in the filling; salted caramel which has that perfect burnt caramelised flavour and not overly sweet; black sesame, which is surprisingly not too sweet and just perfect.

My plan to ‘slice’ open and capture the 'innards' of each macaroon on camera failed. The delicate shell just crumbled with each attempt (even the strawberry macaron just barely survived the journey to Perth); hence, my long winded descriptions of each one.

The macarons were yummy. I *hearts* the pistachio and black sesame flavours. Actually, I loved all of them.

This special gift made the perfect end to a very long week. Thank you. =)

The Cupcake Family
Shop 22 Red Cape Lane, QC Centre
Melbourne VIC 3000
http://thecupcakefamily.com.au

Arguably one of the best, if not the best scones in PJ

Scones are popular especially in United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand but also serves in many other countries. It's the basic component of English tea. We could easily find scones in most franchised coffee chains (Starbucks, Coffee bean etc) and some selected cafes, but good scones are hard to find.

I am about to introduce to you, one of the best, if not the best scones in PJ. It is sold in a cafe in Dream Center, Section 13. Dream Center is also known as DUMC (Damansara Utama Methodist Church), and yes, you heard me right. It is sold in a church but its cafe indeed serves the community around that area and is usually packed with office workers during lunch time.

I was told that there are a limited amount of scones sold daily, on a first come first serve basis. The scones offered were complimented by freshly whipped cream and strawberry. They prepared the scones with raw ingredients and not buying ready made ones off the shelf. At Dream Center Cafe, butter is not served alongside the scones, but trust me, even for a butter lover myself, it tasted just as good without it.

Scones baked to perfection.

Super-yummy ready-to-be-consumed scone!

Carrot cake - another notable dessert sold at Dream Center :)

Location:

Dream Center (Cafe)

Damansara Utama Methodist Church

2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13

46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Mmm…dreamy…

I know I shouldn’t have, but these miniature babies were too cute not to buy.

“Mini Dreams” doughnuts from Dreamy Donuts

This was my ‘reward’ after a very horrible week of assignment and work. If my memory does not fail me, like it always does, the box of Mini Dreams costs under $6. They make such perfect gifts or tea time treats. Having said that, I only liked the chocolate and cinnamon doughnuts.

Dreamy Donuts
Kiosk 120 Westfield Carousel
1382 Albany Highway, Cannington WA 6107

Arigato gozaimasu!

This was such a surprise. A colleague of mine came back from Japan with souvenirs and she gave me this box of chocolates from Kobe.

Each piece is individually wrapped, which is brilliant! I can now ensure I ration my chocolate intake.

Even though I am not a fan of coffee, this coffee-flavoured, chocolate-coated wafer does not have an overpowering coffee taste, which suits me just fine.

It isn’t overly sweet, but it does not have that creamy texture that you expect chocolates to have, though. However, it still serves as a snack, especially when you crave for something sweet after dinner.

Arigato! ^_^

Sinful Sunday

This post is the reason why I rarely head to the Subiaco Station Street Markets. I realised that it is very dangerous for me to walk past the La Galette de France patisserie.

This pastry, which I do not have the exact name for, looks like your typical danish without the custard. And despite all of that icing sugar, it wasn't overly sweet.

I actually had such a difficult time choosing what I wanted from the patisserie. I had to pick between croissants, fruit tarlets, danishes, brioche, just to name a few, and they are all freshly baked! If only I can have pastries like this for breakfast every day! Thank goodness I do not visit the markets every weekend!

Where will I meet you?

The best way to celebrate another public holiday is a day out with girls, with food and shopping. =D Although I have to say, I can only shop for the necessities now.

As if oily goodness of crumbly flaky egg tarts and fried salt and pepper squid weren't sufficient, we adjourned for coffee and sweets after a good dimsum brunch.

Sorry for the horrible picture, but I was a bit self-conscious while taking the picture. And The Coffee Club has always been so popular among the locals, goodness knows why. Well, they do promote themselves as ''Good food, great service, excellent coffee"

On top of all the cappucino and lattes we ordered, we had a blueberry chessecake which I personally found it 'pretty-looking'. I am still contemplating if I liked the idea of them cutting the cheesecake into half but it definitely made my photo presentation here easier. It irritates me when waiting staff in the restaurants 'destroys' an almost perfect looking object or to be exact, I was irritated when a staff flattened my portion of rice in a restaurant I dined not too long ago.

This is the chocolate brownie I ordered. The chocolate topping smelt so heavenly when it arrived at the table. Having said that, the brownie was a bit dry.

And the german cheesecake. I never knew the difference between cheesecakes, or at least between a normal cheesecake and a german one. But a german cheesecake is meant to be lighter, so I believe its TIME to read more on cheesecakes. =D Haha, not a big fan of cheesecake but the comment on this cheesecake was ''It's good"

With that, my awesome long Easter weekend has just ended and its back to work tomorrow.

The Coffee Club
100 Rundle Mall
Adelaide SA 5000

100% Cookies and Cream

This, my friends, is the real deal. Available from the Margaret River Chocolate Company, Western Australia, the gourmet cookies and cream chocolate is absolutely to die for. Okay, maybe not literally, but if you are a fan of cookies and cream, you definitely must try this.

Unlike other brands, this piece of chocolate is exactly what I imagined it to be. With each bite, you can taste the crunchy Oreo-like bits mixed with rich white chocolate.

It may be a long drive to either the Margaret River or Swan Valley branches to get your hands on these delectable chocolates, and it may burn a hole in your wallet, but it will be worth it. Did I mention they allow free chocolate tasting as well?

Visit the Margaret River Chocolate Company (Swan Valley branch)
5123 West Swan Road
West Swan WA 6055
www.chocolatefactory.com.au