Berry Charlotte

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO? I am disgusted to hear that the Oxford dictionary has added 'twerking' to their esteemed dictionary. I had always imagined a lengthy process for getting a word put into the Oxford dictionary (something involving Hogwartonian (now they should put that in the dictionary!)-dressed Oxford University English professors having heated debates in leather armchairs beside a crackling fire). It is pretty well respected after all, a source for academics and scholars around the world. Apparently the Oxford dictionary people anticipate doctorates and dissertations on the subject for which a thorough definition of 'twerking' will be required. Lord knows we wouldn't want the 'hip thrusting' angle to be overlooked....

On to the desert goodness. 

This Berry Charlotte is another creation from the beautiful 'Patisserie at Home' book from Will Torrent; a recent purchase that has filled my thoughts with delicate delicious elegance from the moment I read the first page. Homemade lady fingers (so much softer than the shop bought) encase a light electric pink raspberry mousse. And because it is summer we heap berries on top for shop window sophistication. 

Don't be put off by the seemingly intricate method. If you take your time to measure and cut the sponge so it fills the tin snugly and then leave the whole cake overnight in the fridge, you will be singing with delight. Or twerking with delight.... Although that would be pretty weird..... 

Ladyfingers (makes extra which freezes well and would be an excellent base for trifles!)

6 eggs, separated 

350g caster sugar 

350g plain flour 

Raspberry and vanilla mousse 

3 leaves gelatine

250ml single cream 

125ml pureed raspberry 

1 tablespoon of icing sugar 

125g vanilla yogurt 

1 large egg white 

2 1/2 tablespoons of caster sugar 

Start the day before you want to serve 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC. Measure the height of your 18cm/7inch round springform cake pan (i.e. how tall the cake will be). Take a sheet of greaseproof paper and draw parallel lines the height of the pan. On another sheet of greaseproof draw a circle around the base of the cake tin. This will form your bottom. 

2. Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk under soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat until glossy. Gradually sift in the flour and fold gently  with a wooden spoon. Fold in the egg yolks. 

3. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe finger shapes on your greaseproof paper between the parallel lines. You should need around twenty. Sprinkle caster sugar on them. 

4. Spread the rest of the mixture onto your circle in a THIN layer (saw as thick as an American pancake). You may have extra mixture. I baked mine as a back up bottom. 

5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden. Allow to cool completely. 

6. Once cool trim the tops and sides of the ladyfingers so that they are identical in width and height and as tall as the side of the tin. They will have spread a little during baking. Trim the bottom if needed (put you want it to be jammed into the bottom, not loose so don't trim too much), then place in the tin. Line up the ladyfingers around the outside sugar side out. They should be very tightly packed; you may have to squeeze the last one in. 

7. Put the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften for a few minutes. 

8. Beat the cream until soft peaks start to form then refrigerate. 

9. Put the raspberry puree in a saucepan with the icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice and heat until hot. Remove from the heat, add the softened gelatine, squeezed of excess water and stir until the gelatine is dissolved. 

10. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt. If you have Cointreau or raspberry liqueur you can check in 3 tablespoons at this stage. 

11. Whisk the egg white and sugar until glossy and quite stiff. 

12. Fold the egg whites into the yogurt mixture gently and then finally fold in the cream until the mousse is even. 

13. Allow the mousse to cool completely then pour into the ladyfinger lined pan. 

14. Put in the fridge very loosely covered in clingfilm for the night. 

15. The next day pop out of the tin gently using the springform mechanism and top with berries of your choice. 

16. Cut with a hot sharp knife. 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tarts

People have been talking about getting older a lot recently.

You think you haven't changed but you have. I look at my closest friends and in the last 5 years we have definitely..... matured. The kids are still in there but they have learned plenty in the interim. We have been influenced by all sorts of happenings, the break up's, the hook up's, college and exams, travel, PEOPLE. Because people change people without a doubt... I'm no Dali lama but I have put that piece of the jigsaw together.

Caramel changes nothing. Salted caramel changes everything. If you haven't been there go. Then put bacon in your cookies. Because we're not too old to mix it up every once in a while.

The cheetah pattern comes from tempered chocolate spread onto a chocolate transfer sheet I bought here. Method for tempering chocolate below.

For the pastry "Pate sablee"
200g butter softened
100g icing sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
finely grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g plain flour

1. Beat the butter, sugar and salt together until pale- about 5 minutes.
2. Split the vanilla bean lengthways and using the knife at a 45 degree angle scrape the seeds out. Add to the bowl with the lemon zest.
3. With the beaters running, gradually add the eggs mixing until fully incorporated.
4. Gently fold in the flour but do not overwork.
5. Bring the dough together into a bowl with your fingers, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate until needed- at least 2 hours and overnight is preferred. The pastry is very soft so the longer you leave it in the fridge the better.
6. Cut the pastry into six. Roll each piece out and use to cover a tartlet tin. Cut off excess. Cut out squares of greaseproof paper and put inside the tartlet tins. Weigh down with baking beans or rice. Put back in the fridge for a half hour.

For the Tarts
25g dark chocolate

Salted caramel
125g sugar
75ml single cream
1 vanilla bean
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate ganache
150ml whipped cream
2 tablespoons of butter
pinch of salt
275g dark chocolate

1. Bake the tartlets for 10-15 minutes at 180oC. Lower the temperature to 160oC and remove the tartlets. Remove the greaseproof paper and beans from the tartlet pans and return to the ovven for 5 minutes.
2. Melt the 25g of dark chocolate and brush the inside of the tartlet tins when they are cooled. This will seal the pastry.

For the salted caramel 
3. Heat the cream in a small pan over a gentle heat.
4. Put the sugar in a pan over a low heat. Do not use a teflon pan as the teflon may prevent the sugar from caramelising. Do not stir. It may take 20-30 minutes but keep an eye on it. The sugar will start to melt on the inside but still do not stir. The sugar should turn a deep golden brown- for those with a sugar thermometer that is 320oF -350oF. Stir with a silicone spatula to ensure that all the sugar is dissolved.
5. Add the cream to the caramel a little at a time keeping the pan over a low heat. The caramel will splutter but that is a good sign. Keep stirring if the caramel goes lumpy as you add the cream. It will go smooth with a little heat and constant stirring. Add the vanilla bean seeds. Keep stirring over the heat for another minute or so and then add the butter and salt. Remove from the heat and stir until the butter has melted. You should have a smooth glossy caramel sauce.
6. Allow the caramel to cool for ten minutes and then divide among the six tartlet cases.

For the filling 
7. Put the cream, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the boiled cream into a heatproof bowl. Add the broken up chocolate. Using a spatula mix a tight circle in the centre of the bowl until the chocolate starts to melt smoothly. Gradually widen the circle until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is shiny and smooth.
8. Spoon the ganache over the salted caramel and leave to cool overnight at room temperature. Do not put in the fridge as the ganache may go grey.
9. Pop out of the tins and serve with cream.

For the cheetah chocolate transfer sheet 
1. Cut a strip of transfer sheet and place on a big sheet of greaseproof paper with the rough/cocoa butter side up.
2. Melt the chocolate and temper using the 'seeding' method.
3. Put two thirds of your desired amount of chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water and don't let the water into the chocolate.
4. Heat the chocolate to 45oC/113oF and measure using a thermometer. If it goes too high take off the heat and allow to cool to the correct temperature. Add in teh reamining third chocolate and continue to stir until it reaches 32oC/89.6 (for dark chocolate), 31oC/87.8F (for milk) and 29-30/84-86 (for white chocolate). Use straightaway before the chocolate cools.
5. Pour onto the chocolate transfer sheet and spread into an even thin layer using a palette knife or spatula. Don't dig at the design.
6. Leave to cool for an hour at room temperature.
7. Turn the transfer sheet around and pull off the plastic sheet. The chocolate should have your design and should be shiny and snap like a cracker.

Lavender Macarons

Lavender reminds me of my holidays in Croatia. Of basking sun and lavender scented islands. Of crystal clear waters and white stone beaches. The islands of Hvar are famous for lavender and the shops all along the coast sell lavender in hand stitched cloth bags. I love it. 

Naturally when I got home I wanted to bust out the culinary lavender I bought to make this lavender shortbread. Lavender is in season now so you can buy some fresh, wash it and grind it up. 

And if you haven't tried lavender before, it is lovely used in small quantities, not soapy at all. 

When you need a little 'posh' in your life pull the macarons out. You'll feel like Kate Middleton pre poop and nappies. 

Make using the Bravetart basic recipe here with 1 tablespoon of lavender ground into the ground almonds and my swiss buttercream recipe here. 

Maple Apple Quinoa Granola

I haven't blogged in a while. There were pangs of self pity going around. We all want to be successful. But we all can't be. Especially if we give up. Get over it. Enough said. 

This granola makes getting up in the morning a lot less harder. And that is coming from me, someone who feels physically unwell when the alarm goes off. 

And actually I have eaten this granola at many times during the day. It's so good that I find it impossible to leave alone (we had to introduce a granola ban because we were going through so much of it). The addition of quinoa makes the granola much more fluffy and light than the traditional oat granola with a satisfying extra crunch. 

Gwynnie uses all quinoa in her granola but I think post iron man pay check probably justifies this - dang quinoa is expensive! Back in the real (can't wait til payday also known as angry as how much tax I pay day) world I made a cost saving addition by  using 1/3 granola and 2/3 oats. Still irresistible.

Adopted from a Gwyneth Paltrow recipe

1 2/3 cup porridge oats 

1/3 cup quinoa 

1 tsp cinnamon  

2 eating apples 

1/2 cup maple syrup 

1/2 cup sunflower oil 

Additions 

3/4 cup dried fruit of choice- including sultanas, raisins, prunes, apricots, dried figs etc. etc. 

1/2 cup mixed seeds 

4 tablespoons of chia seeds (optional) 

1. Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear and then drain thoroughly. Put in a big bowl with the porridge oats, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix well. 

2. Dice the apples and throw in with the oats/quinoa. 

3. Mix the maple syrup and oil together until well blended. Throw into the dry mixture and mix throughly. 

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180oC turning and mixing about 3 times to make sure it browns evenly. When cool add in your fruit, nuts and chia seeds, if using. 

Almond and Vanilla Bean Madelines

We could talk about how rubbish my baking has been of late, how my new oven is as dodgy as the plot lines of Revenge, about my recent obsession with Michael Fassbender and closely connected fascination with re-watching scenes from the 2011 version of Jane Eyre... 

But lets cut straight to the butter and sugar. Madelines are a French shell shaped sponge. You do need to buy the speciality tin to make them, which are relatively tricky to get your hands on. The tin featured here is a "Masterclass" tin and it is heavy duty with a strong anti-stick coating (although you still need to take time to properly grease the tins). Let's face it- it's not exactly essential bakeware, a splurge really.  But one look at these adorable shells and you will be smitten by the delicate shape that remind me of mermaids and fairy tales. 

Leaving the batter to sit overnight is the key. The perfect madeline has a hump shape on the back, as seen in this photo here. The first time I made them I left the batter just for an hour and a result was a hunchback-less and heavier madeline.

From Neven Maguire



50 g butter (diced, plus extra for greasing)


25 g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)


seeds scraped from ¼ vanilla pod


1 egg white (at room temperature)


0.50 tsp finely grated orange zest


50 g icing sugar (sifted)


25 g ground almonds






1. Brush the tins with melted butter and then sprinkle with flour. Put in the fridge to set for 2 hours.


2. Brown the butter by placing in a small pan and melt on a gently heat. Once melted crank up the heat to MEDIUM and simmer. The butter will crack and sizzle, this is fine. Once the butter goes light brown and the crackling stops the butter is ready. Take off the heat and allow to cool.


3. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the vanilla seeds, egg white, orange zest, sifted icing sugar and ground almonds. Using an electric beater, beat the ingredients until well combined and smooth. 4. Gradually add the brown, melted butter and slowly mix for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm (3/4in) plain nozzle and chill the bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours until firm.


5. When ready to cook, preheat the over to 180ºC (350ºC/Gas 4). Pipe the mixture into the moulds, releasing it from the nozzle with a knife dipped in warm water and using the knife to spread the mixture a little in the tin. Don’t worry if the mixture doesn’t completely fill the moulds as it will spread when cooking.


6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges.


7. Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Faux-oreos

Dear Luas driver who held the tram for me,

Thanks. Like seriously. Not that it-was-drilled-into-me-as-a-child habitual thanks I give to the cashier in a shop but like a proper 'Thanks for saving my bacon.' Most likely it was pity that drove you to pause for me. I am not an attractive runner, I am all flailing arms and legs. And let's not even acknowledge that I was simultaneously trying to lasso my earphones off the ground so I wouldn't step on them and find my travel card in the world's most untidy-est handbag. But one man's pity is another's saving grace.

I could tell you that I was late because I was taking a quick shot of these homemade Oreos but you would probably think I was a little mad. Its a disease/gift/obsession... Maybe we just shouldn't go there.
 
This recipe is from the epic Bravetart. She has also an obsession with recreating the treats of childhood down to perfect carbon copies without the artificial nasties. These cookies taste bang on, the biscuit has just a hint of bitter with the sweetness of the buttercream coming to the rescue.

3oz/75g butter at room temperature
3.75g/93g caster sugar
1.5oz/37.5g brown sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
scant 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coffee powder
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 egg yolks
4oz/100g rice flour sifted (or plain flour)
3oz/75g cocoa powder sifted

For the Frosting
3oz/75g butter
5oz/125g icing sugar sifted
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven to 175oC/350oF. Beat the butter and sugar, baking soda, powder, espresso, vanilla and salt until just combined, for one minute only.
2. Add the yolks one at a time and then scrape down the bowl.
3. Add the rice flour and cocoa powder and mix until a stiff dough forms.
4. Roll into a ball, then flatten and wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30 minutes at least.
5. Once chilled, dust a surface with cocoa powder. Roll out the dough to 1/8inch thickness only. If you have them any thicker, once you sandwich them you will have a doorstopper instead of a biscuit!
6. Stamp out the biscuits and put on a baking sheet. Gather up about 1.5oz/40g of dough scraps and put in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of hot water at a time and beat vigorously until you have a paste that is the thickness of frosting.
7. Put in a piping bag with the smallest nib you have or alternatively snip the corner off a zip lock bag. Pipe a swirly crazy pattern on top of the biscuits. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
8. Leave them to cool on the sheet.
9. Put all the ingredients for the frosting in a big bowl and beat with an electric beater for 10 minutes straight.
10. Pipe/Spoon the frosting onto half of the biscuits and then put another biscuit on top. Press down gently and refrigerate for several hours. This is very important as refrigeration gives the biscuits their authentic taste.

Semlor and a very Swedish weekend

I have had a very Swedish themed weekend. Sweden was furtherest from my mind when the weekend started out but I am now jealously looking at photos of Stockholm and imagining myself strolling down the Swedish snow flecked street, ruby cheeked, popping into a Swedish bakery for a cinnamon bun and a coffee. 

I have wanted to make Semlor for months after happening across a recipe while researching Swedish cinnamon buns. They are a sweet enriched cardamom flavoured yeast bread dough filled with marzipan and cream and are one of my favourite creations of the last few months. Light, scented and fluffy they are a beautiful Scandinavian treat. 

In other, but related news, I am moving to a new apartment next week. My first proper home in many ways. A home for me is a place that you bake and cook in, share and relax in. I could not really do any of those things in the places I lived in while at college so I am really excited about this new chapter I am starting. I went to Ikea today to pick up a few ideas and bits and pieces in anticipation of the move. I respect Ikea as a brand that not only embraces its nationality but uses it as a seminal marketing tool. Ikea is Swedish all over, from the food to the names of the items on sale. I picked up some loganberry jam so I can make proper Swedish meatballs next week as well as some adorable decorations for the kitchen and living room. I can't wait to get settled in and make it a proper home. 

Adapted from donalskehan.com
Makes approx 9

350g strong white flour
70g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom (break open the pod using the flat of a knife and grind the seeds)
pinch of salt
75g unsalted butter
175ml milk
1 sachet easy action yeast (7g)
1/2 egg beaten

1. Mix flour, sugar, cardamon, salt in  a bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Melt the butter gently and then add the milk. It probably won't need much heat to bring it to lukewarm. Add the yeast and whisk gently.
2. Add the milk, butter and egg to the dry ingredients and mix throughly until a soft dough is formed.
3. Turn out on a floured counter and knead for 4 minutes. Turn back into a large bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place for 1.5 hours to double in size.
4. Once the dough has risen punch the dough and turn out onto the counter. Divide the dough into nine. Each section should roughly weigh 80g. Roll into balls and put on a sheet of greaseproof paper. Cover with the clingfilm loosely and allow to rise up for 15-20 minutes. While rising heat the oven to 190oC.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden on top. Allow to cool.

For the filling 
100g marzipan, from the fridge
2-3 tbsp milk
250ml cream
2 tsp icing sugar

1. Grate the marzipan. Cute a triangular hole out of the top of each bun and scoop out the insides. Break the bread into breadcrumbs. Put in a bowl with the marzipan and add the milk to make a paste.
2. Spoon the marzipan/breadcrumbs mix back into the buns.
3. Beat the cream and icing sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
3. Pipe the cream on top of the triangular hole and then place the triangular piece on top.
4. Dust liberally with icing sugar.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Let's talk about how this ice cream rocks my not-always-matching-socks. Seriously no Haagen Daas, Ben & Jerry's or other luxury ice cream can hold a flame to this recipe. And I can that say while retaining modesty because this is not my own but rather Ina Garten's recipe (Three cheers for Ina). The caramel is sweet with that sneaky bam! of flaked sea salt. The ice cream base is smooth and slinky. I up-ed the sea salt quantity, as I felt it got fairly lost when it got mixed in with the vanilla ice cream. Omit it completely if you wish, no harm done.... other than a lost opportunity to savour the caramel/salt explosion, which is a type of harm in itself.

Is it a bit cold for ice cream? I thought about this before making it. Piffle, tut and other words of indignation- of course not! But if you are a cold blooded creature serve it with something warm like I did- chocolate malt bread and butter pudding, coming soon to a blog near you!!

For the ice cream base
1 cup whole milk
2 cups cream
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp flaky sea salt

1. Heat the milk over a medium heat in a pan until almost to a boil. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric beater until pale in colour. Add the milk in a stream from a height while continuously beating. Pour back into the pan and beat continuously until thickened, around 5 minutes.
3. Put through a strainer to remove any egg lumps and allow to cool for half hour. Add the cream and salt and allow to cool for many hours.

For the salted caramel
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp flaky sea salt


1. Heat the sugar in a pan over a medium heat. Don't use a non-stick pan, it will prevent caramelisation.
2. Stir at first until the sugar starts to melt then stop stirring. Allow to turn a dark amber colour.
3. Add the cream and be careful as it may sputter.
4. Strain if there are any lumps into a bowl and then add the sea salt. Put the bowl in an ice bath or inside a bigger bowl with very cold water. That will stop the caramel continuing to cook.
5. Once completely cold mix in with the ice cream base.
6. Use an ice cream maker to churn and then freeze overnight or if you don't have one put in a container in the freezer and give it a good mix every few hours to prevent crystallisation.

Lychee Macarons with an Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Ganache

"Love will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free..."

Mumford and Sons, Sigh no More 

Just thought I'd put that song lyric out there.... It's good isn't it? 

I am moving back to the city, embracing the adult world with nervous laughter and starting my first law-related "proper" job. Obviously I am going to have less time to bake. Currently I bake like I leisurely lunch, eating ingredients as I go, turning off the electric beaters when a song I like comes on the radio so I can sing along and generally wandering around the kitchen in aimless circles. In the future I might have to focus my mind a little more and be more organised with ingredients. 

Macarons are one bake that cannot be rushed. They need, hell they deserve plenty of attention while baking. See my macaron adventures here and here if you are looking for a reliable recipe and tips. 

So although I've been prolific in the baking of macarons in the last two weeks, I thought I'd have one last hurrah while I have the time this weekend. 

Lychee fruit come in tins from the Asian food store. They are floral and sweet with rose tones and nicely contrasted without being taken over by the bitter dark chocolate. I added earl grey flavour to the ganache to mirror that fragrance of the lychees. Bear in mind the lychees will make the macarons soft in the centre so eat on the day of making or the next day.

Earl Grey Ganache (enough to sandwich 40 macarons made with this recipe)- Inspired by the macarondiaries blog

200ml double cream
2 Earl Grey Teabags
200g dark chocolate

1. Heat the cream with the tea bags in a small pan over a medium heat until just below boiling. Keep poking at the tea bags until the earl grey flavour comes out, colouring the cream brown. When the cream comes to below boiling take out the teabags and squeez, let fall into the cream, take out and squeez again a few times.
2. Take off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and melted. Leave to cool in the fridge for half hour.
3. Pipe a circle of macarons half a cm from the edge of one macaron. Slice a lychee in three and put one third in the centre of the circle. Top with the other macaron and press gently down.
4. Eat within 48 hours. 

Carrot Cupcakes

One crosses a line when one starts making vegetables out of sugar paste. There is something insanely wrong about it. You're taking something healthy and natural and replicating it with pure sugar and food colouring. But boy do they look cute! In fact they are so shiny and orangey that they make me want to eat actual carrots... Oh my, maybe I've figured out the greatest parenting trick of the 21st Century! Make little sugar replicas of all the good stuff they won't eat so that they start feeling positive when they see the real thing. What is that called - positive reinforcement? Reverse psychology? Brainwashing? I'll stock up on sugarpaste and start clinical trials right away...

Carrot cake is a sort of alien in the cake world. We have accepted it's weird vegetable-in-cake premise much more readily than say, beetroot which is also delicious but which people would instantly turn their nose up at. It is paving the way for vegetable domination of the cake world, one cafe at a time...

I don't like using oil in cakes period because I can always taste the oil. I know that so many famous bakeries and bakers use oil in their carrot cakes, in fact I was hard pressed to find a recipe that didn't, so I may be the only one who finds that greasy after taste even while using sunflower oil which is recommended by BBC Good Food as an oil to use in baking. It's butter all the way for me and even better this recipe from (my hero) Bravetart uses brown butter which I have adored since I used it to make pancake muffins here. It adds a dark caramel type flavour to the butter.

Makes 18 large cupcakes
200g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
 85g brown sugar
1/2 tbsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves, mace and nutmeg each
3 eggs
200g wholemeal flour
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
400g grated carrot
200g nuts (like pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts)

1. Put the butter in a small pan and melt gently. Once melted jack up the heat to medium and allow to sizzle until the bottom of the pan goes slightly brown and a foam forms. Allow to cook until the pan goes silent and there is a caramel smell. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Beat the eggs, sugars, baking soda, baking powder salt and spices in a bowl for 4-5 minutes until the eggs have lightened and coloured. Mix in the vanilla and with the beater going pour in the butter in a steady stream.
3. Pour in the flour all in one go and fold gently until just combined. Add the carrots and nuts and barely fold in.
4. Make at 180oC for 15-18 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

For the mini carrots I used tinted sugarpaste and angelica for the greens.

White Chocolate Mousse with Creme de Cacao Liqueur

I got my lower wisdom teeth out last Friday and boy has it been unpleasant. My cheeks are still blown up like a little fed up pug and I'm incapable of chewing or talking comfortably. I enjoy being creative with food but even with a little flair I am getting fed up of soup, smoothies and mashed potatoes. Missing a delicious roast pork dinner on Sunday was nothing short of a travesty but there was no way I could miss Sunday dessert. Sunday dinner is my chance to spend a bit extra on ingredients and on time and to produce something delicious, special and sometimes a bit showy-offy.

But as it turns out desserts the texture of baby food can be delicious too! I added Creme de Cacao Liqueur to give a deeper flavour beneath the white chocolate. Sometimes I find white chocolate flavoured mousses and cheesecakes can be sickeningly sweet without some sharpness to provide contrast like a coulis or dark chocolate layer. The booze is that contrast here but if you are a white chocolate fan or are serving for teetotallers/children omit the 'grown up juice' and beat in only one egg yolk.

Note there are raw egg yolks in this so it may not be suitable for pregnant people or people with concerns about raw eggs. Sure hasn't killed me yet....

Adapted from Joy the Baker

150g white chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of water
2 tablespoons of Creme de Cacao Liqueur or other white chocolate liqueur
275ml single cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of icing sugar

1. Put white chocolate, butter and water in a pan and heat gently until the chocolate is almost dissolved. Take off the heat and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the butter is combined with the chocolate. It will keep trying to separate so keeping stirring every now and then until it cools.
2. Beat the cream, salt and icing sugar until soft peaks form.
3. When the white chocolate mixture is cooled, beat in the liqueur and egg yolks until no traces of egg yolk remain. Then fold the white chocolate mix into the beaten cream. Mix gently with a big spoon until just combined. You don't want to deflate the cream.
4. Spoon into ramekins, little serving dishes or for the novelty sterile jars. Leave to set for at least 2-3 hours or preferably overnight.

Decorations here were simply made with piped melted chocolate.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

I have decided to partake in the AlphaBakes challenge hosted by The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline Makes blogs. Alphabakes is a fun challenge where the baker must submit an entry based on a random letter picked for the relevant month. This month's letter is D. Doughnuts make me think of carnivals and fairs in the 1940's where the whole town flocked to eat candy floss, doughnuts and other sugary delights, watch the glittering show with runaway performers and pay a couple of pence for the dizzing heights of the Ferris wheel... It seems that no one makes them at home any more, which is a real shame. They don't skimp on calories or sugar but they sure are naughty delicious. My favourite is a simple cinnamon and sugar coated ring, although you could ice these doughnuts or pipe them with chocolate ganache, jam or apple sauce. 

Paul Hollywood Recipe


For the doughnuts
500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour

50g/2oz caster sugar

40g/1½oz unsalted butter

2 free-range eggs

2 x 7g sachets instant yeast

10g/¼oz salt

150ml/5fl oz warm milk

130ml/4½fl oz water

For the coating

100g caster sugar 

3 tsp cinnamon

1. Put flour and salt in a bowl and mix in the butter with your fingertips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. 

2. Then add yeast and stir. Pour in the rest of the ingredients (save 1fl oz of the water) and mix to a floury dough with your fingers. 

3. Add the rest of the water and bring the dough together. It may be sticky. Knead in the bowl for four minutes then take out onto a floured surface and knead for another 10 minutes. 

4. Leave to rise for at least 1 hour in a warm place covered with clingfilm.  

5. After an hour punch the dough back, form into 12 equal sized balls. Flatten slightly, then push a whole in the centre of the ball. Put your index finger through the hole and whirl the dough around your finger until quite a large hole is formed. Bear in mind the next rise will make the hole smaller. 

6. Do this with all 12 balls then leave to rise for another hour covered with clingfilm. 

7. Heat sunflower or veg oil to 180oC in a deep fat fryer or deep saucepan. Have your sugar and cinnamon on a large plate ready. Bake the doughnuts for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Toss in sugar straight from the fryer.

Pistachio and Rose Macarons

Ooops there was a minor typo on the initial buttercream recipe regarding the pistachio quantity! Sorry!

Oh dear. I am kind of in love with making macarons right now. Like having macaron related dreams and watching the Da Vinci Code movie just so I can get that little bit closer to the home of macarons, Paris. (BTW Audrey Tatou makes me want to learn French. It is just a pity that this girl crush didn't motivate me when I was actually learning French in school - seriously how cute is she? They should play that Chanel ad she is in to teenagers).

My older sister should have been born into a rich family in the Upper East Side of New York because her taste in almost everything is decidedly fancy. She has an exam this week and a macaron care package seemed a way to A. Salvage my baking reputation after two disasterous batches I made her previously, B. Indulge in my macaron obsession and C. Cheer her up with her favourite treats. The flavour combo was her choice- she choose pistachio and being a messer I decided to add rosewater for an underlying floral scent.

In the interests of learning here are my notes on macaron baking: 
- Like I said in my initial post I used Bavetart's recipe.
- This time around I had a less successful batch with around 4 on each tray cracking on the top. I think that I beat my meringue too much as I kept adding more colour to get the desired colour and beating. Next time I would add the colour a minute sooner. Also the first time I left out her last minute of beating and that batter was more successful.
- Have all your equipment ready.
- I used the bottom of an egg cup to trace the shape I wanted my macs on the baking paper.
- You should bake macs on the lower third part of your oven.
- Some of these browned slightly on the top, even after only 15 minutes of baking even though the last batch didn't at all and I followed the exact same procedure! Very annoying and mysterious. I think next time I will give them 13 minutes and then check to see if they are done.
- If the batter is making, for want of a better analogy (and there is want) 'farting' noises as you pipe it out then you should return the batter and mix it another few strokes because it has too much air and will crack. I make this mistake.
- I sieved the almond and icing sugar on top of the meringue before mixing in as I felt it would doubly ensure no lumps of dry ingredients.
- The colour will get paler as the macs cook so make them slightly darker than you wish the end result to be.
- Pipe the macs down rather than from the side like choux pastry and she will ensure they are all round and not oval.
- If the peaks remain on your macs after you pipe and tap then your batter is undermixed.

These are just things I found out by trial and error, by no means professional instructions.

For the buttercream
85g caster sugar
4 tablespoons of water
150g butter, softened but not runny
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp rosewater
50g pistachios, finely chopped or ideally ground in a pestle and mortar


1. Beat egg yolk briefly with an electrical beaters until light in colour.
2. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Do not boil. When melted bring rapidly to the boil and boil until the syrup reaches 110oC/225oF on a sugar thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer then test the syrup by flicking a string of it into a bowl of cold water. When you attempt to pick it back out it should form a 'ball' between your fingers that is soft- this is aptly named 'soft ball stage'. This will take 2-3 minutes approx.
3. While beating the egg pour in the syrup in a gentle stream. Beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and completely cold.
4. Gradually beat in the softened butter cube by cube and beat for another 2-3 minutes until there are no lumps. Add the rosewater and beat for another minute. Stop the beaters and fold in the pistachios. Pipe onto the macarons for a clean finish.

Marble Bundt Cake

I like snow. When I have no where to go and no intention of leaving the house that is. Otherwise it is a complete pain in the derrière.  I won't forget cycling to an exam in a blizzard in final year or spending five hours on a bus to get home from college for Christmas- a journey that usually takes one and a half hours. But when you are aren't inching cautiously around in a car you can enjoy the benefits of snow. Firstly the panoramic snowy scenes and the satisfying crunch of the snow beneath your shoes. Secondly the freezing weather provides an excuse to stay inside, put on the fire and eat plenty of cake, bundt cake to be exact.

This marble bundt is what Nigella would call a 'spruced up' simple Victoria sponge.  The result is a pretty buttery sponge that is easy peasy and would impress the heck out of guests if placed on a table as an after party treat.

But first a few snaps of an Irish winter.

For a 1L Bundt Tin
225g butter or margarine softened
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self raising flour sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa dissolved in 3 tablespoons of boiling water, allowed to cool

To prepare your bundt tin- brush with melted butter or spray oil then dust lightly with flour. Knock out the extra flour by giving the tin a whack upside down over the sink. Don't forget to brush the inside ring! Place in the fridge for 20 minutes before putting the batter inside.

1. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until soft and light in colour- 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the egg one at a time with a heaped tablespoon of the flour. Beat well after each addition.
3. Fold in the flour gently, or beat on slow with the beater.
4. Divide the batter in half roughly. Into one half mix the cocoa powder gently. To the other add the milk and vanilla and mix in well.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180oC until a skewer comes out clean. All

My Baking Everest - French Macarons and French Coffee Buttercream

Macarons are in baking vogue right now. The crown jewel of french baking, they colourfully adorn pattisserie windows and counters in expensive department stores like edible rainbows. But you only have to do a quick 'macaron troubleshooting' google search to appreciate the gargantuan number of problems bakers face making macarons. Making macaron batter even has its own word-'macaronage' and macaron anatomy is more troublesome than Grey's.

From seriouseats.com

I've tried to make them numerous times before- three times to be precise. I am not used to being a complete disaster in the kitchen and frankly my pride couldn't take another shambolic attempt. It was time to knuckle down to some macaron homework.

There are a number of great sites that I read and picked up hints and tips. I finally settled for the recipe on Bravetart. Stella has been named one of America's top pastry chefs by Food and Wine Magazine so clearly she has the credits behind her. But what I like about her even more than her training is that she takes a complete no nonsense approach to baking macarons. She rubbishes all the myths and murk behind macaron baking (like 'ageing' egg whites, letting them rest etc.) with her simple, easy to follow instructions. And her recipe 100% worked for me, a serial macaron killer.

I didn't add any colour or flavouring to the macarons this time because I wanted to appreciate the elementary aspects of the process first. This batch isn't perfect; I think it needed a little more mixing but I can't wait to experiment with colours and flavours now that I feel a (little) more confident about the basics.

Also check out
http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.ie/2010/08/macaron-troubleshooting-new-recipe.html
http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2011/04/how-to-make-macarons-whats-working-for-me-right-now/

Good luck!!

For the Buttercream - From Great British Bake Off book- Enough to sandwich 40 macarons

This french buttercream is less tricky than the illustrious swiss meringue buttercream but just as silky smooth and decadent.

2 egg yolks
85g caster sugar
4 tablespoons of water
150g unsalted butter softened and cubed
2 tablespoons of dark coffee

1. Beat egg yolk briefly with an electrical beaters until light in colour.
2. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Do not boil. When melted bring rapidly to the boil and boil until the syrup reaches 110oC/225oF on a sugar thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer then test the syrup by flicking a string of it into a bowl of cold water. When you attempt to pick it back out it should form a 'ball' between your fingers that is soft- this is aptly named 'soft ball stage'. This will take 2-3 minutes approx.
3. While beating the egg pour in the syrup in a gentle stream. Beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and completely cold.
4. Gradually beat in the softened butter cube by cube and beat for another 2-3 minutes until there are no lumps. Add the coffee and beat for another minute.

Challah bread

I have found tastespotting again and my foodie senses are tingling with excitement over a few new blogs I have found through it. Baker's Royale take indulgence cute baking to an extravagant level. I NEED to try Slutty Cheesecake Bars, Zebra Bundt Cake and Double Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes among many others.

The Cake Hunter is another stellar addition to my bloglovin account and it is through Sophie's blog that I found this recipe for Challah bread, originally belonging to the Smitten Kitchen. I've been drooling over her Chocolate Torte with Coffee Whiskey Mascarpone and her version of the GBBO challenge Fraisier Cake.

Challah bread is a Jewish yeast bread, traditionally eaten on the Sabbath and special holidays and is considered to be an important way for followers to connect with God. The bread is braided and each one of the six sections represent a different tribe of Israel. It is enriched with eggs and so rises slowly giving greater flavour. To me it is a meeting between a brioche and a white loaf. It is less sweet than a brioche but with a similar soft and delicate texture. I used it to make a chocolate bread pudding so I didn't sprinkle it with seeds as is commonly done. Do so if you wish or knead in 70g raisins or chocolate chips. Or use it to make French toast or spread with jam and butter for a delicious tea time treat.

This is the first time I plaited a loaf BTW. It is a little bit uneven but I was happy for a first try! I have a crazy desire to plait every loaf I make from now on!

Makes 2 large loaves
1 1/2 package fast action dried yeast (11g approx)
1/2 cup caster sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp salt
8 cups strong white flour (around 1kg)
1/2 cup olive or veg oil

1. Whisk the yeast, 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until the yeast dissolves.
2. Add the oil and whisk then beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally beat in the sugar and salt.
3. Gradually add the flour until you have a smooth, not too-sticky dough. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup of extra flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
4. Knead for 5-10 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Clean out the bowl and oil with 1 tsp oil. Put the dough back in, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Punch the air out of the dough after 1 1/2 hours and allow to rise for another half hour covered. After this you can knead in the raisins or chocolate chips.
6. After the half hour turn out and split in 2. Roll one half into 6 separate balls.
7. Roll each 6 balls into 12 inch long sausages. Place the sausages parallel on a floured counter. Dampen the ends of the sausages on one side with a little bit of water and pinch the ends together. This will be the start of your plait.
8. Now to make your plait! Follow the instructions carefully. The plait may look like a mess but it will come together if you are careful to follow the instructions.

1. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. 
2. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. 
3. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. 
4. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. 

9. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
10. Brush with beaten egg. Either freeze the loaves at this stage or allow to rise for another hour covered.
11. Preheat the oven to 190oC/375oF.
12. Brush the loaves again with egg. Bake for 30 -40 minutes until golden and the bread is hollow when you turn it over.
13. If freezing defrost for 5 hours at room temperature before baking.

Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting

This week I started yoga classes and ate quinoa 'superfood' for the first time and I am feeling rather proud of myself. This wholesome living is, of course, completely isolated from an incident involving a tin of danish butter cookies and my heartfelt late night goodbye to Friday Night Lights, a TV show I become quietly addicted to two months ago. ('Hey Y'all' to all the Tim Riggins fans out there). In my defence the cookies come in this adorable tin with toy solider design and are butter-meets-sugar heaven. My favourites are the squares ones covered in granulated sugar... Anyway like I said this has nothing to do with that. 

Vegetables in our sweet stuff is a new major food trend. I like the thought of healthy-ing up my baking and messing around with flavours at the same time. I tackled beetroot chocolate cake first here and now it is my go-to crowd pleasing chocolate cake. Now I am going all the way and cutting out butter and eggs with these vegan avocado cupcakes. I am not a fan of using oil in baking, I think it leaves an after taste even when using vegetable or sunflower oil, but you only need 2 tablespoons here so there is no impact on taste. The moist avocado acts as a butter substitute giving a moist light crumb. 

You definitely wouldn't know there was avocado in them.  Probably best to only tell the guests after they leave their cupcake cases like this:

From Joy the Baker 

1 1/2 cups plain flour sifted 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking/bread soda 

1 cup caster sugar 

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado (around 1/2 medium sized avocado) 

1 cup water 

1 tablespoon of white vinegar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking and bread soda and salt into a bowl. 

2. In a separate bowl mix sugar, oil, avocado, water, vinegar and vanilla extract. 

3. Add the flour mixture to the avocado mixture and mix well to ensure there are no hidden pockets of flour. 

4. The batter will be very light. Fill the cupcake liners to over 2/3's full. The batter will not rise too much. 

5. Make for 18-20 minutes at 350oF/180oC until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool for ten minutes once out of the oven then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. 

This cream cheese chocolate frosting is moreish and devine and a big winner with those who find normal buttercream too sweet as it is made with unsweetened cocoa powder. 

For the frosting: Frosts 12-14 cupcakes 

From Joy the Baker cookbook

100g cream cheese 

1/2 cup (100g) unsalted butter 

1/8 cup cocoa powder unsweetened (I use Bourneville) 

pinch of salt 

1 cup icing sugar sifted 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp milk 

1. Allow the cream cheese and butter to soften at room temperature for 1-2 hours. 

2. Beat the cream cheese allow with an electric beater until soft and pliable. Add the butter and beat until the butter is broken down and mixed with the cream cheese. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 30 seconds until incorporated. 

3. Add the salt, icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Beat until well combined- 3-4 minutes. 

Spiced Poached Prunes

I'm obsessed with star anise right now. It is available in good supermarkets and asian food shops sell it cheaply. It's flavour is liquoricy but not with that nasty harsh aftertaste of liquorice candy, it is more subtle and warm. I've been making hot chai lattes these last few days, they are perfect for these chilly nights. Use the link above and make with hot instead of cold milk. The spices are warm and comforting, the milk sends you softly to the land of nod. 

So I am bringing the winning combination to breakfast time with these delicious soft prunes with spicy juices. Amazing with natural yogurt as an anytime snack. I ate it with overnight porridge this morning, recipe to follow!

Adapted From Neven Maguire's Cookery Collection
350g pitted prunes
25g caster sugar
2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla pod split

1. Put sugar and 275ml water in a saucepan and melt over a gently heat. Add the spices. Bring to the boil and tip in the prunes. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the juice.
3. These will keep in the fridge in a lunchbox for 3 weeks.

Malibu and Vanilla Bean Creme Caramel

Caramel is my adult Regina George. If you don't get the Mean Girls reference, caramel is that pretty girl in school that was mean and you hated but secretly you wanted to be her friend and was in awe of her amazing hair/skin/figure and the way guys just fell for her. I love caramel but I fear it. Sometimes it is sweet to me. It colours perfectly and smells devine. Sometimes it turns on me like a snake and crystallises into a white rock hard mess. But I can't walk away because it tastes so damn good... 

Practice will make perfect.... Right?

Creme caramel is a classic baked custard dessert. This version is fancied up with the addition of malibu rum in the caramel and vanilla beans in the custard. 

From Neven Maguire 'Home Chef', makes 7/8
400ml can coconut milk
100ml cream
1 vanilla pod, split with seeds scraped open
4 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar

For the caramel
150g caster sugar
100ml Malibu


1. First make the caramel. Place the caster sugar in small, heavy based, not non-stick saucepan with 50ml water. Bring to the boil stirring so that the water and sugar are mixed together. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stop stirring once the sugar has dissolved. Otherwise the sugar will crystallise.
2. Continue to cook for 10 minutes at least until the syrup has turned a dark copper colour. If you have a sugar thermometer this is around 320-350oF/160-176oC. Take off the heat.
3. Pour in 100ml water into the hot caramel to prevent it browning further and burning. The mixture may splutter be careful. The caramel may go funny and lumpy at this stage. Add the malibu and return to the heat until the caramel has a thick consistency, like honey.
4. Divide the caramel among 7/8 ramekin dishes or small teacups that have been lightly oiled with sunflower oil and kitchen paper.
5. Place the coconut milk, cream and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat subsequently and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes so that the eggs don't scramble.
6. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla seeds together until incorporated. Pour the hot milk mixture in in a steady stream whisking all the time.
7. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a jug. Carefully pour on top of the caramel filling each ramekin to the rim.
8. Bake at 140oC for 30-40 minutes until set to the touch but still a little wobbly in the centre, like jelly. The outside should be fairly firm.
9. Leave in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours but preferably overnight.
10. To serve run a sharp knife around the outside of the creme caramel. Place a bowl on top of the ramekin. Keep the ramekin/bowl at your chest level, then with your fingers on top of the ramekin sharply lower the ramekin/bowl to waist level until you hear the plop of the creme caramel out on the bowl. This may take a few tries of sharp movement.



 

Spinach, banana, clemintine smoothie

Anyone else a little bit scared of health food shops? I am sure I am alone in this (and other) peculiarity. Its the smell that gets me first and I'm pretty sure this is a common enough smell in health food shops. It is strong and strange, a musky smell mixed with what I would imagine to be the vapours of a deep well mine, soaked with minerals made from long dormant lava. You get used to it after a few minutes of rooting around but the initial blow as you enter the shop sends me reeling slightly.

Then my ignorance about wholefoods shows me up. I don't know what goji berries are, what fish oils are for or how to take macra powder. I have a rough aspiration of having the energy of a young cheetah and know that I should take something for my rubbish joints but have no clue of the product that is going to help me. The sales assistant is helpful but I always feel intimidated and out of my depth.

Joy the Baker had a post recently on this spinach smoothie which I have tweaked slightly. She mentioned chia seeds as a happy health food addition and after a bit of googling I learned that they are good for energy, boosting your metabolism (equals more cake) and full of antioxidants (equals good skin and hair). Milled linseed is available in most supermarkets and is also a good source of omega 3.

The clemintine orange adds a sweet hint behind the stronger spinach and peanut butter flavours.

Ingredients: Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 clemintine orange peeled
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1 cup soya/almond or cows milk
1/2 cup natural yogurt
1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon of milled linseed (optional)

1. Put the spinach, banana, peanut butter, honey, clemintine and milk in a food processor or deep bowl. Blitz for 30 seconds smooth. 

2. Add the natural yogurt, chia seeds and linseed if using and blitz for 10 seconds until incorporated.