Farmersgirl Kitchen

Saturday, 13 June 2015

Sensational Strawberry Pavlova and 'How Baking Works' Review

I've been making pavlova for many years and didn't think I had much to learn about making this meringue based dessert. WRONG! You see I've been reading How Baking Works (and what to do when it doesn't) by James Morton. I'm sure you remember James Morton from the Great British Bake Off, this young medical student (now qualified) has taken his medical scientific mind and applied it to the science of baking.

So what is in the book? It starts by telling us 'How This Works', James promises no flowery language everything simple and direct. The book is designed to explain to you how to make the basics of baking, with some recipe suggestions but with the intention that, once mastered, you will go on to make your own variations.

Forebake is an excellent primer for baking well. A list of ingredients with full explanation of their contribution to the bake and how best to use them. There is also a list of essential equipment which won't scare you off as it really is pretty basic.

The Basics takes you through techniques and staples, reducing the fear factor of Creme Patissiere, Creme Anglaise, Creme Brulee, Frangipane and Caramel, including how to save crystallised caramel. Melting chocolate is demystified and chocolate ganache couldn't be easier. Three different types of buttercream to fill those lovely cakes, marizpan, crumble topping and even jam and curd making. Each one described carefully and simply with step by step instructions.

So now we are really ready to start baking each chapter starts with some basic instructions and lots of reasons why you need to do certain things, I do like to know why, don't you?
The detailed notes on the variations will help you make changes to your recipes without risking disaster. If things still go wrong, James is ready with a list of troubleshooting tips.

This is the pattern for CAKE, SPONGE, BROWNIE, MUFFINS, TORTE, BISCUIT, SHORT, SWEET, CHOUX PUFF, MERINGUE and MACARON. Following the whys and wherefores are the recipes.

And here are some of the recipes that took my fancy: Celeriac Cake with Strawberries and Cream, Wee Sponges with Passion Fruit Curd and Italian Meringue, Macadamia and Raspberry Blondies, Yoghurt Muffins, Squidgy Gingerbread Muffins, Torta Caprese, Chocolate Orange Cookies, Iced Rings, Mushroom and Thyme Tart with Poached Egg, Cherry Bakewell , Frangipane Fruit Tart, Choux Divorces, Eccles Cakes, Kiwi Pavlova (I made it with strawberry instead!) Mango, Raspberry and Pistachio Roulade and Caramel Macarons.

Who is it for? When I first started to read this book, I thought it was a book for baking geeks, who look at baking as a science rather than an art and who need to know every little detail before they start to bake. Well it would suit that type of baker, but to be honest, I think everyone who bakes would benefit from reading How Baking Works and I do mean READ. It was only when I sat down to read the book that it all came together for me and I could see what James was trying to achieve.

Pros: One of the things I really liked about this book was just how clearly you could hear James' voice. Perhaps that was easier because I watch GBBO avidly, however the style is informal, the language is quite clearly James' own.

Cons: There are less recipes than you usually get in a cook book this size, but as explained at the beginning that's because the real purpose is to teach you to understand how each type of bake works.

The Verdict: This book should be on the shelf of every wannabe baker and also of those of us who have been baking successfully for years but didn't know quite why we were successful! I will certainly branch out a little more using the knowledge I've gained from reading How Baking Works.

James Morton's Kiwi Pavlova
and Janice's Strawberry Lemon Curd variation
makes one sizeable spectacle

4 medium egg whites
200g caster sugar
1 pint double cream
caster sugar and vanilla extract, to taste
6 kiwi fruits

1. First, preheat your oven to 120C/100C fan/Gas 1/2.
2. Into a large clean bowl (not plastic or silicone), place the egg whites. They should be free of any trace of yolk - if there is any remaining, use a soon to coop it out and use a torch or the light on your phone to make sure there is none left.
3. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer on the highest speak available, whisk the whites until light, fluffy and stiff. When they're not getting any bigger, start adding the caster sugar, a teaspoon at a time, still whisking on the highest speed. When it's all incorporated, keep whisking for a bit longer before setting aside.
4. Use a wee touch of the meringue to stick a sheet of baking paper to a baking tray. Then, scoop your meringue into one massive circular blob. Try to make it thinner in the middle and thicker towards the edges. A thicker crust is required because so much of the centre will become soggy when laden with cream.
5. Bake your meringue for approximately 2 hours - I like a bit of beige (even brown) on my Pavlova. Leave it to cool on the tray.

6. Whip the cream by hand in a cold bowl until just coagulated, adding sugar and vanilla to taste. Peel and slice the kiwi fruits.
7. Scoop about the cream on top of the meringue disc and spread it around. Add about a third of the kiwi fruits then cover completely with another layer of cream and top with the rest of the fruit. Preferably in a big pile. Keep in the fridge and serve over the course of the following day.

To make the strawberry variation use 1 punnet of strawberries, hull and half them. Mix 3 tbsp lemon curd into the whipped cream or use good quality Greek yogurt. Put all the cream or yogurt mixture onto the pavlova and place the strawberry halves on top in circles. Dust with a little icing sugar.

I've always added cornflour and vinegar to my pavlova to create the marshmallowy texture inside the crisp shell, but this recipe did all that without any additives and was just fabulous and will be the ONLY way I will make pavlova in future.

As James would say of the pavlova of his childhood: " There would be an attempt to slice it, but then it would simply be scraped from it's tray and shovelled into a bowl, just as it should be"

How Baking Works by James Morton
Photography by Andy Sewell

Published by Ebury Press

RRP £20

Here are some other Pavlova variations you might like to try:
Mini Chocolate and Rhubarb Pavlovas - Tin and Thyme
Banana Pavlova with Chocolate Fudge Sauce - Farmersgirl Kitchen
Chocolate Berry Pavlova - Farmersgirl Kitchen
Strawberry and Creme Fraiche Pavlova -Lancashire Food
Diamond Jubilee Pavlova - Fab Food 4 All

I'm adding this to Dom's Simply Eggcellent Linky at Belleau Kitchen as there would be no pavlova without eggs!

Not forgetting Simple and in Season over at Ren Behan/Food for those wonderful seasonal strawberries.

And Bake of the Week, I'm not quite sure how Helen at Casa Costello manages to keep this weekly linky going, but she does and it's a source of lots of amazing bakes so please do visit.

Labels: cake, GBBO, Great British Bake Off, How Baking Works, James Morton, meringue, pavlova, review, Strawberry Pavlova

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Calling all budding Bake Off contestants - Mich Turner's Cake School

I've learned so much watching the Great British Bake Off. It's clear that the bakers who excel on the Bake Off generally have a lot of knowledge and experience of a wide range of baking techniques and this gets them through, not only the bakes they have practiced, but more importantly, brings success in the technical challenges.

If you wanted to prepare yourself for Bake Off then learning the techniques in Mich Turner's Cake School would be a good place to start. Although there are many recipes in the book, the real value comes from the step by step tutorials which teach the principles of cake making.

About the author

Mich Turner's Cake School

Lesson 1 - Making and Baking Cakes starts with the basics in a chapter about ingredients: sugars, flours, fats, eggs, spices, flavours and alcohols and other ingredients, each section with helpful tips from Mich.

Preparation comes next with tutorials on lining cake tins and removing cakes from various tins.

Then on to the different Cake-baking Methods. The Creamed Cake Method is a classic and Mich shows you how to create a perfect cake and also shows you how to test that your cake is ready. This is followed by a full page of images of cakes that have gone wrong, with clear explanations of what is likely to make your cake e.g. sink in the middle, bulge at the sides etc. Recipes follow for Heavenly Vanilla Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Courgette Pecan Loaf.

The Whisked Cake Method is one of those I tend to avoid as these delicate cakes are slightly more temperamental, but the clear picture instructions are tempting me to have a go, especially with recipes like Coffee Hazelnut Roulade, Chocolate Cherry Genoise and a beautiful Orange and Almond Cake.

The Batter and Foam Method is another one that I have used only infrequently, there are more steps to this cake method but the cakes turn out light and airy and make a great carrier for additional flavourings, they can also be refrigerated without drying due to using oil rather than butter. I certainly would like to try to make the Orange Chiffon Cake or a Beetroot Cake.

Back on familiar ground with the All-in-one Method, I've never had any trouble with it but I know some people do find it more difficult to get good results than the Creamed Cake Method, I am sorely tempted by the Marble Cake with a coffee glaze and the Coconut Cake made with creamed coconut.

The Melted Method is another with which I am very familiar, and Mich uses it to showcase a sticky Treacle Gingerbread, a Luxury Fruit Cake, Sweet Potato Cake and Banana and Pecan Cake.

Cake Conversion tables are included covering a wide range of sizes for three of Mich's cakes.
There are also chapters on different fillings, icing and decorating all with fabulous photographs and clear instructions.

Lesson 2 is about Putting it all Together with fillings and frosting, fruit purees, citrus curds, sauces and cream based fillings. Recipes include Lime and Pistachio Roulade with Creme Chantilly, Hazelnut Praline, Honeycomb and the gloriously rich Darina Kelly's Rum and Raisin Chocolate Biscuit Cake. Recipes are provided for a Dark Chocolate and a White Chocolate Ganache as well as the ubiquitous Vanilla buttercream. As you can see in the photo above you also get instructions for How to Skim Coat a cake.

There is information about applying a ganache and piping with buttercream and various nozzles to create different effects, once you have had a practice you will be ready to recreate the Raspberry Rose Cake, with its rose-like swirls of pink buttercream.

Recipes and techniques for Glace Icing, Italian Meringue, Swiss meringue buttercream, and Royal Icing are all provided. Then we are on to preparing marzipan/almond paste and covering a cake with it. Interestingly Mich doesn't make her own sugar paste (are you listening Mary Berry!) but she does colour it herself giving full instructions for this and covering a cake and the board with sugar paste.

She does however make her own 'fondant' this is a covering icing such as you would find on a fondant fancy. If you have plans to make a tiered celebration cake such as a Wedding Cake, then the instructions on how to make Royal Icing, stacking cakes, using pillars and blocking are all explained.

Lesson 3 is all about Decorating
There is a lot about piping with Royal Icing and some absolutely stunning looking cakes, my favourite was the Brush embroidery technique, if I have time, I might do this on my Christmas Cake this year.

As well as the techniques, Mich provides some outstanding examples of celebration cakes decorated with piping.

The final chapters cover hand moulding from a simple chocolate sugar paste rose to the most incredible, delicate Glorioso Lily. There are even some ideas for special cookies and for hand painting on sugar paste cakes. Templates are provided for some of the designs, finishing with a list of tools and suppliers.

Who is it for?
Anyone who would like to learn to bake or improve their repertoire of cakes and bakes.

Pros
Detailed step-by-step instructions with lots of excellent photographs, so you know exactly what your cake should look like at every stage. Some really delicious looking recipes and some good basics which, once you have mastered the techniques and understood how the bakes work, can become the basis for you to start to experiment with your own flavours.

Cons
There really are no Cons. The book does what it says it will, which is to provide you with a personal Cake School experience and I think it really does do that.

I haven't had the chance to make any of the recipes yet, however I have quite a few bookmarked and having read this book I feel more confident about trying or re-trying some of the different techniques that Mich explains so well.

If you would like a copy of Mich Turner's Cake School you can order a copy at the discounted price of £24.00 incl P&P (RRP £30.00) telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG212.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Mich Turner's Cake School
Author: Mich Turner MBE
Photography by: Amanda Heywood
is published by Jacqui Small www.jacquismallpub.com (@JacquiSmallPub)

Labels: book review, cake, Cake School, cookbook review, Great British Bake Off, Mich Turner, review

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

How to Bake Paul Hollywood's Christmas Cake

What do you think about when you think of Paul Hollywood? Oh stop it, you naughty readers. If you were behaving yourselves, you might think of baking but more specifically, baking bread. Certainly, I associate Paul Hollywood with bread baking rather than cake baking. So I was surprised and delighted when I received a copy of his book 'How to Bake' to review, to see that there were indeed lots of bread recipes but also lots of other bakes too.

How to Bake by Paul Hollywood

Getting started with Bread is a great way to start, it’s a comprehensive guide to baking bread covering everything from different types of flour, through techniques and tools. I liked the use of step by step pictures as well as written instructions.

Basic Breads covers white and wholemeal loaves in different shapes and variations, soda bread, flat breads, Italian breads and even crumpets.

Flavoured Breads moves us on to introducing savoury and sweet ingredients into the dough, some lovely recipes for bread sticks, Coriander, olive and onion bread, Bacon and Cheddar loaves, Pecan loaf and Hot Cross Buns.

Sourdough Bread is a real challenge for any baker but Paul takes us through all the steps and makes it sound achievable. As well as basic sourdough breads, he offers recipes such as Sour olive bread, Muesli and banana sourdough and Lavender honey and toasted almond sourdough. So many tempting flavours, it makes me really want to give this a go!

Croissants, Danish & Brioche takes us into the realm of sweetened yeasted dough, there is a lot of technique involved in making these sweet breads and they can be time consuming. If you are worried about technique there is a double page spread of photographs showing how to make the croissant dough, they are clear and easy to follow.

Biscuits, Puddings and Cakes and now we come to the chapter which surprised me, however it’s clear that these recipes are just as important to Paul as the bread. Sweet and savoury biscuits, strudels, Baklava, crumble, soufflé, cheesecake, chocolate cake, muffins, brownies, Buche de Noel and Christmas cake.

Tarts and Pies

If you’ve seen the Great British Bake off, you will know that pies are something Paul is passionate about. In this chapter Paul demystifies pastry making with recipes and techniques for different types of pastry and recipes for everything from Lemon meringue pie to hot water crust pork pies.

Who is it for?

How to Bake is a book for anyone who wants to bake, whether you want to learn how to make bread for the first time, to extend your repertoire or challenge yourself to try something new.

Pros and Cons

Pros

I loved the step by step photographs and there is also a photo of every recipe. I like to know what I’m aiming for. The introductions to each chapter make you feel that you are really getting the benefit of Paul Hollywood’s years of experience

Cons

It’s a big book and quite heavy, but that is a very little ‘con’ and only relevant if you are trying to read it in bed!

Ease of use

The instructions are easy to follow, there is quite a lot to read at the start of each chapter and it’s worth reading this through before diving into the recipes.

Worth buying?

I would recommend this book, it is well thought out with techniques explained clearly in words and pictures, definitely worth buying.

As I hadn't yet made my Christmas cake, I decided to try Paul's recipe, the photograph above is from the book.

Christmas Cake

Makes at least 16 slices / prep 1 hour, plus pre-soaking fruit / bake 3–3½ hours
This is a classic, richly fruited Christmas cake – deliciously moist and
substantial. It tastes wonderful just as it is, but of course the addition of
marzipan and snowy white icing make it much more festive and spectacular.
You can either make your own marzipan, or use a good-quality bought
one. The same goes for the icing.
450g sultanas
225g raisins
225g dried apricots, chopped
115g prunes, chopped
55g glacé pineapple
225g glacé cherries, chopped
225g chopped candied peel
115g blanched almonds, toasted and very roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
70ml brandy
225g unsalted butter, softened
200g light muscovado sugar
5 large eggs
280g plain flour

To finish
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 quantity marzipan (see page 255), or a 500g packet ready made marzipan
Icing sugar for dusting
1 quantity royal icing (see page 255), or a 500g packet ready-to-
roll royal icing

1. Combine all the dried and glacé fruit, candied peel and almonds in
a large bowl. Add the orange zest and juice, and the brandy. Mix well,
cover and leave for several hours or overnight.
2. Heat your oven to 150˚C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm round deep
cake tin with a double thickness of baking parchment, cutting it so that
it stands a good 5cm proud of the top of the tin.
3. In a very large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for
several minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time,
adding a little of the flour with each to prevent the mixture splitting.
Stir in the fruit mixture. Sift the remaining flour over the mixture and
fold in, using a large metal spoon. Spoon the mixture into the prepared
cake tin and level the surface.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 3 hours, then check by inserting
a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
If not, give it a further 15–30 minutes. Leave the cake to cool before
removing it from the tin.
5. When your cake is completely cooled – and ideally after a couple of days
– you can marzipan and ice it. Warm the apricot jam gently in a saucepan
with a splash of water to thin it down, sieve, then brush all over the cake.
6. Roll out 300g of the marzipan to a large circle, about 4mm thick. Using
the cake tin as a guide, cut a round of marzipan to fit the top of the cake
and position it. Roll out the other 200g marzipan with the trimmings
and cut 2 long strips to fit around the side of the cake. Position these,
then smooth the marzipan and mould the edges together.
7. If you are using ready-to-roll icing, roll it out on a surface lightly
dusted with icing sugar to a thickness of about 5mm. Lift it over the
marzipan, smooth down and trim off the excess at the base.
8. If you are using homemade royal icing, smooth it over the cake with
a palette knife. You can leave it smooth or swirl it into peaks with the
back of a spoon or your palette knife, as you choose. Leave to set.
9. Wrap a ribbon around the side of your Christmas cake and finish as you
wish with festive decorations.

Here is my cake, it is much lighter than the one I usually make but it is packed full of fruit. There seemed to be a lot of mixture, too much for my 20cm tin, so I baked the remaining mixture in a small loaf tin.

The advantage of this was that I was able to taste the cake without cutting into my Christmas cake! In fact the cake cuts very well as the texture of the cake is quite dense but moist and not over sweet. As an apricot and prune fan, I particularly enjoyed the dried fruits. I'll be interested to see how the cake matures.

How to Bake by Paul Hollywood is published by Bloomsbury RRP £20, Popular On line Retailer £8.86

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the opportunity to review this book

Labels: apricots, book review, Christmas Cake, cookery book review, Great British Bake Off, How to Bake, Paul Hollywood, prunes

Thursday, 18 October 2012

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies - a Review

Now the Great British Bake Off has reached it's finale, thousands of fans are wondering just what they are going to do without Paul, Mary, Sue, Mel and the brave bakers. The answer, of course, is to get into the kitchen and BAKE!

To help you along you might want to get yourself a copy of Cookies, Cookies and more Cookies! by Lilach German. The book begins with a little history of cookies with the theory that the first cookie was actually a 'test' for a cake recipe. This introduction is followed by a chapter on tools and another on ingredients, it's full of really good tips and information. As this is an American book, it's really worth reading about the ingredients to be sure you are reading the recipes correctly.

I loved the Basic Recipes chapter, which has a range of cookie recipes that you could adapt yourself, including a dairy free recipe.

After the basic Recipes we get into the main chapters, there are more than 75 recipes to choose from covering Classic Cookies, Cookies for Kids, Cookies for Occasions, Cookies for the Health Conscious, Cookies for Chocolate Lovers and Cookies for the Connoisseur.

Put a smile on a child’s face with a Sprinkled Chocolate Ball or Nutella Thumbprint. Enjoy classic temptations like Madeleines and Linzer Sables, or decadent brownies and truffles. Satisfy the most discerning palate with icing-filled macaroons, lady fingers, or Scottish shortbread. Even the health-conscious will find yummy options, including energy bars and Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies. Many of the recipes produce large batches, perfect for sharing with family and friends. Includes instructions for whipping up basic types of dough, icing, and meringue.

The book concludes with a useful page of conversion charts which I really appreciated.

I decided to make some Madeleines, I wouldn't really consider these to be cookies, more little sponge cakes, but they are in the book so I gave it a go. One of the reasons I wanted to make them was to try out my silicon madeleine mould I bought from Sew White. I'd really recommend visiting her website, as there are lots of unusual baking items and the customer service is excellent.

Madeleine Cookies

3 eggs

1/4 cup/ 48g sugar

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup/ 60ml milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I only used one and it was enough)

1 1/2 sticks butter/200g butter, melted

1 1/2 cups/210g all purpose (plain) flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Madeleine Pan Mould

1. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together the eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light fluffy. Add the honey, milk, vanilla extract and butter, and whisk until all ingredients are combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.

2. Gradually add the flour to the wet mixture and whisk until the mixture is smooth.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a Madeleine pan mould. (if using a silicon mould, there is no need to butter, really?)

5. Pour the chilled batter into the pan mould, filling each mould to the very top. Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick, placed in the centre, come out dry.

6. Allow to chill to room temperature before serving.

7. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

In true Bake Off Style I had a bit of a disaster...

Yes, the madeleines stuck to the silicon mould, so I lost the shell like definition. I think I will probably butter them a little next time. You can just about see what it would have been like on the closest madeleine.

Fortunately I had more batter than would fit in the mould, so I made some madeleines in muffin cases and they turned out perfectly. If the madeleine recipe is anything to go by, this is an excellent addition to any bakers bookshelf, I can't wait to make some more cookies.

Taste Test!

One of the advantages of the madeleines in the mould not turning out right, is that there are plenty of 'bits' of cake to test. I was really pleased with the light texture and buttery flavour of the madeleines, the 30 minute chilling time for the batter was very interesting, as it came out decidedly thicker and bubbling slightly. I'll report back on my next trial with the silicon baking mould.

Cookies, Cookies and more Cookies is written by Lilach German, the founder of Lilach: Food and Design, a successful gourmet catering company. Her sophisticated sense of style shines through clearly in the colourful photographs. Lilach studied at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris.

Published by Charlesbridge, RRP £8.99

Also available through a popular online bookshop for £5.39

Labels: Book Reviews, buns, cakes, cookies, Great British Bake Off, madeleines, Muffins

Saturday, 25 August 2012

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Cake

I've had a birthday recently, yes another one, they definitely come round quicker every year. Quite often I end up with a bought cake from M&S but as I was on holiday at home, I decided to make my own cake.

I chose this White Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Cake from the Great British Bake Off book from 2011, the recipe is widely available on the web so I've linked to one which is a reliable source.

The cake was relatively easy to make although it did stick to my tins a little bit, so make sure you grease them very well or use cake release spray. I probably slightly overbaked my sponges too as they seemed to still be wobbly in the middle. However, it didn't affect the taste or moistness of the sponge they are just a little darker than I would have liked. Putting the cake together is 'a piece of cake' and the 'value' strawberries I used were ideal, being smaller but packed with flavour rather than water.

As most of you know I like to enter cooking/baking challenges and was rather perplexed because this didn't fit any of them. Then I remembered Bookmarked Recipes run by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and founded by Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

I'm hoping that I can just sneak in as this is the last Saturday of the month and the round up is due.

Labels: birthday cake, Bookmarked Recipes, cake, cream, Great British Bake Off, strawberries, Tinned Tomatoes, white chocolate

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Gingerbread Cupcake Sparklers!

When I first spied this recipe in The Great British Bake Off 'How to Bake' book, I knew right away that I had to make them. I just love gingerbread and these little cakes do not disappoint, they are moist and rich with all the dark spicy flavours you expect from great gingerbread. It's also an incredibly easy recipe.

The other reason I chose this recipe was because 'ginger and bonfire treats' is the theme for the Teatime Treats challenge run by Karen, who is hosting for November at Lavender and Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked . Which might just explain why I called these 'Sparklers'!!!

I have adapted the recipe a little as I didn't have any stem ginger, also the GBBO version is not iced, but I wanted to try a little piping. Depsite having been cooking and baking for around 40 years I've never really mastered piping, I think this isn't bad for a first attempt but I need to get a bigger piping nozzle to make the squishy sort of toppings that go with cupcakes, any recommendations for which nozzles to get and where to get them, gratefully accepted.

Gingerbread Cupcake Sparklers

Makes 12 (I froze the other six un-iced)

175g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ginger

pinch of salt

100g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp treacle

100ml milk

100g muscovado sugar

1 egg beaten

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Sift flour, bicarb, spices and salt into a bowl.

2. Melt the butter with the syrup and treacle in a pan, when melted remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Warm the milk and sugar in another pan, stirring until the sugar has disolved. Remove from heat until the milk is lukewarm.

4. Pour the milk mixure onto the flour mixture, followed by the butter mixture and the beaten egg.

5. Mix well to make a thick, sticky batter.

6. Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cases.

7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

8. Remove from the oven and lift the gingerbread cupcakes onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Butter Icing

Will ice 12 large cupcakes (I halved the quantities for 6 cupcakes)

125g unsalted butter, softened

400g icing sugar

3-4 tablespoons of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Edible gold glitter (optional)

1. Put the butter into a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until pale and creamy.

2. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl.

3. Add the milk and vanilla extract.

4. Beat until smooth and thick.

5. Fill a piping back with a star nozzle and ice the cupcakes.

6. Sprinkle a little gold glitter over the cupcake before the icing sets.

As this was a recipe I had marked out to make, I am also entering this for Bookmarked Recipes run by Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes from an idea by Ruth at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Labels: bonfire night, Bookmarked Recipes, butter icing, cupcakes, Ginger, Gingerbread, Great British Bake Off, Lavender and Lovage, spice, syrup, Tea Time Treats, Tinned Tomatoes, treacle

Monday, 17 October 2011

Baked Chilli Chocolate Custards

The plan for the 'We should Cocoa' challenge was to make Chilli Chocolate Ice cream, but I forgot to put the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer soon enough, so had to find an alternative!

I had my new favourite cookbook, Supper for a Song by Tamasin Day Lewis, out on the counter from making the Pineapple Chilli Jam, so had a look to see what Tamasin had to offer in the way of choccie delights.

This recipe for Baked bitter chocolate custards was ideal for spicing up with a bit of chilli.

Baked Chilli Chocolate Custards

Serves 4

100g/3.5oz dark chocolate

4 tbsp double cream

1 tbsp freshly made strong coffee, cooled to tepid

200ml/half pint Jersey or full cream milk (I used semi-skimmed, was all I had)

4 large egg yolks

55g/2oz caster sugar

1 red chilli, desseeded and finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2.

Warm the cream gently in a pan with the chopped chilli. Remove from the heat (I have been listening to Mary Berry on the masterclass for the Great British Bake Off) chop the chocolate and add to the warm cream, as the chocolate melts stir in the coffee, then once it has all melted whisk in the milk.

Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl, then whisk in the sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy. Pour in the chocolate mixture and fold together using a spatula until evenly combined.

Pour the chocolate mixture into 4 ramekins, dividing it equally between them. Stand the ramekins in a roasting tin and surround with enough boiling water to come half way up the sides. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the custards have set.

Remove the ramekins from their bain marie and let the custards cool to warm before serving.

I topped it with some whipped cream. Initially I was a bit disappointed with the look of the custard, but when you break through the top...you hit the rich, gooey chocolate custard with just a hint of chilli heat. I would probably add more chilli next time, but I am definitely making these again with or without chilli.

Labels: chilli, chocolate, cream, custard, Great British Bake Off, Mary Berry, Supper for a Song, Tamasin Day-Lewis, We should Cocoa

Monday, 3 October 2011

The Great British Bake Off - Farmersgirl Bakes!

No, I'm not a contestant in the Great British Bake Off. I am sure I would crack under the pressure and probably swear, maybe even throw my cake at Paul Hollywood and tip my macaroons into Mary Berry's lap. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I bake best when I have the kitchen to myself, some good music playing and permission to deviate from the recipe on a whim!

I have, however, given in and bought the book. I got it yesterday in Tesco for a tenner, I used my points vouchers which makes it feel like it cost nothing at all - result!

I thought I would honour the final of GBBO which will be shown on Tuesday 4th October by baking something from the book. I needed to make something for the Macmillan Cancer coffee morning we are having at work, it's not till Thursday so it had to be a biscuit that I could put in an airtight tin to keep.

I was taken with the shortbread recipe, which uses cornflour or rice flour as well as plain wheat flour. I didn't have any rice flour but plenty of cornflour. The recipe is for Ginger Shortbread, but I have left out the ginger because I didn't have any crystalised ginger so I just made it plain.

I make shortbread every Christmas with THIS recipe, which works well. It was interesting to see how a different recipe worked. I will try the variations from the GBBO book another time. The biscuits were easy to make and baked very evenly. Looking forward to trying more recipes from the book.

Good Luck to Holly, Jo and Mary Ann in the Final of the Great British Bake Off. You have given us some fabulous bakes, some nail biting moments and it will be strange not to join you all on a Tuesday evening.

Labels: Great British Bake Off, Macmillan Cancer, Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, shortbread

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Paul Hollywood's Chocolate Muffins

In order to prevent overdosing on chocolate birthday cake, I suggested to Mr Farmer that we had chocolate muffins for this birthday rather than a 7" or 8" cake! He was quite happy to go with this, especially when I found this recipe by Paul Hollywood on the UKTV Good Food Channel.

It is a really interesting recipe, it uses strong bread flour and after you make the mixture you chill it in the fridge for 2 hours. Then you put a teaspoonful in the bottom of the muffin case add a square of dark chocolate and then more muffin mixture on top.

The muffins are very moist and and airy. When served warm, the chocolate in the middle is gooey and melting. If cold then it doesn't go completely hard again, just not so gooey.

I can really recommend this recipe, it is high fat, high sugar and absolutely delicious, so most of the rest of the muffins are destined for Mr Farmer's office to remove them from temptation!

Labels: chocolate muffins, Great British Bake Off, Paul Hollywood

This Page