Away With The Fairycakes

Do Something Different - Meat Free Mondays

2012-01-30T19:00:00.005Z

So we're nearly into February and I'm not doing too bad a job of keeping my New Year's Resolution of being more organised : ) I bring this up because I've been reading the Flylady book (readers from across the pond may know who I'm talking about), and have been trying a couple of the things from it, one of these being menu planning. I've always been all for menu planning, I've just never been organised enough to see it through... so hopefully I can keep it up this year! Roughly following Flylady's guide I decided on a category for each day of the week (Monday - Beef, Tuesday - Pasta etc etc.) and you don't have to do it this way but I tend to find it helps narrow down the choices or I'd be there all week trying to decide what to eat! Then pick a meal that falls under that category and so for a week I have an evening meal planned for every day. It helps me use up what I have in my cupboards already, helps use up the things I know are going to be going off soon and means that I only buy the things that I actually NEED. As a single mum of two that generally spends most of her day doing a headless chicken impression, it's quite helpful to know what I'm going to be making that evening so that I'm not throwing together something completely random at the last minute.

So feeling rather pleased with myself that I've got this menu planning thing in place I went one better and am trying to introduce Meat Free Mondays in our household. It basically is what it says, on a Monday you cook something vegetarian. It does sound quite daunting at first, I'm not gonna lie, I'd never willingly become a vegetarian! But I'd like to think that in some small way I'm 'doing my bit' and no, one meal isn't going to change the world but if we all did it then wouldn't it make a difference : ) And hands up those of us that could do with eating a few more veggies!! When you think about it there are so many everyday staples, that with an omission or two can become vegetarian; pastas, risottos, salads...

Tonight's post is of our first Meat Free Monday meal. It evolved from a back-of-the-packet recipe so I didn't have too high hopes but it was surprisingly delicious (hence the poor quality photo, I hadn't planned on blogging this recipe but it was sooo good!). I didn't miss not having meat and the kids didn't complain too much either! You can find the original recipe here, or see below for my take on it. Please don't worry that my recipe isn't too precise, this dish is so simple that you really can't go wrong so feel free to tweak it to your own tastes. I used about 4 tomatoes and 1 ball of mozzarella but depending on how big you roll out your pastry you may need a few more tomatoes and another ball of mozzarella, or you may indeed find that you have some left over. If you really can't go without the meat, I think some slices of salami or chorizo tucked in between would be just delicious.

Tomato, Mozzarella & Pesto Tart

Serves 4

1 500g block of puff pastry (or to save time, a ready rolled sheet)
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp pesto
4-6 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 125g ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced
A pinch of dried oregano
Salt and black pepper
Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze

Preheat your oven to 220c/ Fan 200c. Roll out your pastry into a rectangle (or square or circle!) and transfer onto a baking sheet with a rim, so you don't ruin your nice clean oven when tomato juice leaks everywhere (I learnt the hard way!). Mix the tomato paste and the pesto together and spread over your pastry base, leaving a border round the edges to allow the pastry to rise. Simply arrange your tomato and mozzarella slices over the base, I did a row of tomatoes and then a row of mozzarella slightly overlapping the previous layer and repeated this until I used all my ingredients up. Once you've done this, sprinkle over a little dried oregano and a pinch of salt, a good grinding of black pepper and drizzle with a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and the cheese is bubbling. Serve with dressed salad leaves and garlic bread.

Julia Child's Reine De Saba (Chocolate And Almond Cake)

2012-01-18T18:53:00.006Z

Reine de Saba is the moist and fudgy chocolate and almond cake that stars in Julie and Julia. I decided to bake this cake when I had some leftover chocolate buttercream that needed using up. I'd started to mix the cake batter when I realised that the 'Tidy Fairy' had thrown away my buttercream... so from icing and no cake to cake and no icing : ( I almost didn't finish baking it as I didn't have the ingredients to make more chocolate icing but I'm really glad that I did. It wasn't until I baked it that I realised why it was chosen to take centre stage in the film, delicious is an understatement!

Although it doesn't look as spectacular as some this cake is a real showstopper and would make a fabulous dessert for a Valentine's Day dinner. You can find the recipe here... Bon appetit!

Larger-Than-Life, Chunky-Bulky Bittersweet Chocolate Praline Cookies

2012-01-11T16:42:00.008Z

Happy New Year! Seems a bit daft saying it now, feels like ages ago! Well I've started the year with the best of intentions and (as always!) my New Year's resolution is to be more organised and hopefully free up some time to blog more. Feeling really inspired by the great foodie programs on telly at the moment and by the wonderful cookbooks I got from Santa for Christmas : ) These cookies come from the fabulously pink baking encyclopedia 'Baking Style' by Lisa Yockelson. If you're still sticking to your New Year diet... Well done you! (And look away now!) And if you've given up or didn't start one then whip up a batch, they're delicious ; )

Larger-Than-Life, Chunky-Bulky Bittersweet Chocolate Praline Cookies

Makes approx 20 large cookies (The amount in this recipe is half of that in the book, don't get me wrong I LOVE cookies but I couldn't eat 3 1/2 dozen in one go!)

2 cups unsifted plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
(I added an egg to the batter before mixing in the flour as the dough seemed a bit too dry but I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to add one or not)
12 ounces bittersweet (dark) chocolate, cut into rough chunks
1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180c). Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of baking paper or into a bowl.

Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, add the light brown sugar and beat for 1 minute and finally add the granulated sugar and beat for 1 minute longer. Stir in the vanilla extract.

On low speed, mix in the sifted ingredients in 2 additions, beating just until the flour particles are absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the dough even-textured. Work in the chocolate chunks and pecans.

Use an ice-cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure to mound the dough onto your baking sheet. Space the mounds about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes until set and lightly golden. Let them stand for a minute before transferring to cooling racks. Let cool completely and store in an airtight tin.

Tasting The New Menu At ASK Italian

2011-11-28T19:53:00.030Z

Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited up to ASK Italian in Spring Street, London to sample their newly revamped menu. All 123 of their restaurants are currently undergoing complete transformation in order to bring a 'fresh, bold and authentic dining experience to the high street.' The new decor is inspired by Italy's fashion capital Milan and as you can see from the pictures below, is refreshingly colourful and vibrant.

ASK Italian have also been working closely with experts Theo Randall and Adrian Garforth

Adrian Garforth is the Master of Wine (Mow) at ASK Italian, one of only 300 MoWs in the world, he developed a passion for Italian wines during his time working with vineyards and wineries in Italy. He has worked with ASK Italian to create a wine list that complements the flavours of their new dishes. The all Italian wine list is currently on trial in 11 restaurants and due to launch nationally in March.

Theo Randall is one of the UK's most celebrated chefs, he spent ten years working as Head Chef at River Cafe and is passionate about Italian food. He is helping to inspire the team at ASK to create a truly authentic seasonal Italian menu.

Below are some of the dishes from the new menu that we sampled:

Antipasti: Olive Marinati

From the front: Gamberoni, Insalata Caprese & Prosciutto e Rucola

Primi, From the front: Spaghetti al Pomodoro, Fettucine Con Verdure, Lasagne della Casa

Secondi, From the Front: Panino Pollo, Panino Portobello, Spigola al Forno & Risotto Gamberoni

Pizza: Prima Pizza Gamberetti e Zucchine

Insalata dello Chef & Prima Pizza Caprina

Prima Pizza Natale, ASK's festive special - 'featuring tomato, mozzarella, chicken, smoked prosciutto, sautéed mixed mushrooms and Grana Padano cheese. Served with a side-mix of sautéed chestnut, red onion and pancetta for you to add the finishing touches.'

With added Christmas sparkle of course!

And finally, Dolce: From their selection of Gelato, Espresso flavour & Gelato Con Frutta

With Chef Theo Randall

I have to admit that I hadn't been to ASK for a very long time but was pleasantly surprised by how different the restaurant was. The decor is bold in a kind of either love-it or hate-it way but I was won over with their funky touches. It's also really nice to see that they go the extra mile for genuine ingredients, the little extras like their Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Puglia. From speaking to the Marketing Manager and Marketing Director of ASK Italian I can see that they're very passionate about Italian food and more importantly about getting it right. I really enjoyed their new menu, a wide variety of Italian classics, done simply, but done very well.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

2011-11-18T10:15:00.006Z

Ever do something that seemed like a really good idea at the time but in hindsight was probably best left well alone?! Well readers, allow me to introduce to you the Martha Stewart Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake... Our local newsagents has started selling Martha Stewart Living magazine and I picked up a copy for Thanksgiving dinner inspiration only to be seduced by this picture:

Image from MarthaStewart.com

So I saw this picture and thought 'Hey! I'll make this cake!' No real occasion... just because! I do really love Salted Caramel, I love the whole 'Urgh salt really shouldn't be in there... but Ooo it works really well!' reaction to it. So I just really wanted to make this cake and more to point to prove to myself that I could actually make it.

The recipe is in 3 parts, the sponge, the caramel and the frosting. I warn you now, this cake is not for the faint-hearted... The amount of butter, cream, sugar and chocolate in this is unreal!

So I started the cake on Wednesday night, I thought if I broke it down then it'd be a bit less scary to make. The sponge went absolutely fine, as it was quite late I just left the tins on the side to cool and figured that I'd unmould them in the morning. And that's where it all started to go wrong. I refrigerated the cakes in the morning, as recommended, so they firm up a bit and are easier to frost. Except now I couldn't get them out the tins... After a little gentle persuasion (and by gentle persuasion I mean stabbing with a palette knife and banging the tins violently on the worktop) I managed to get them out.

I'd also, quite unbelievably, managed to make the caramel for the filling. I really struggle with caramel, I'm very aware that the golden rule is that you let it do it's thing, no stirring, no touching. But I'm terribly impatient and somehow I just can't seem to LEAVE IT ALONE! The thought of burning sugar gives me actual anxiety. But I was very restrained and had actually managed to make this caramel, painfully stirred in a whole block of butter, one... tablespoon... at... a ... time, and had left it on the side to cool. Being the tidy baker that I'm really not, I thought it'd be best to try and tidy up as I went along so I went to soak the pans the caramel had been in, only to find that I'd managed to glue my Le Creuset casserole to my glass oven top with caramel. So I'm pulling away at this dish and it's really not going anywhere, in fact I probably had more of a chance of lifting my whole oven off the floor than I did getting this dish off the hob. So then I tried to prise it off with a spatula, and I'm huffing and puffing and thinking 'I bet this never happens to Martha...'. So there's only one thing left for it, and in the hope that it's gonna make it better and not worse I turn on the hob to try and melt the thing off. Success!

Fortunately I managed to whip up the frosting without a hitch so now for the tricky part, putting the whole thing together. Now because I'm so impatient I may have not waited for the caramel to 'cool completely' as advised... So I'm sure you can imagine what's going to happen next. I layer up the cakes, put it in the fridge to set and all of a sudden it's really starting to resemble the Tower of Pisa. So regular adjustments are required to make sure the Tower of Pisa is still standing... until wait... it slides over in the fridge. Great. So I stack it all up again and insert two metal skewers as a kind of makeshift scaffolding until it sets. Except my whole fridge now needs to be rearranged to make space for the cake to fit in with it's skewers sticking out the top. At this point I'm just really glad I didn't decide to cut the cake layers in two to make a six layer cake. Could quite easily see myself in a ball on the kitchen floor rocking back and forth haha!

After an hour the cake showed signs of behaving itself so I attempted to frost it. If you ever make this cake I'd really recommend making double the amount of frosting. I know, just pretend you don't know how much chocolate is in it! I found that I had just enough to coat the cake. It also sets pretty quickly too so you have to work fast to get a smooth layer. I have to say this was my favourite part, because even the biggest of flaws can be masked with a thick glossy layer of frosting : )

Ta-Da! Was really quite chuffed with the end result and it tastes really good, though you only need a tiny slice as it's sooooo rich! Definitely pleased that I made it but next time I get the urge to make an extravagant cake I think I'll leave it for a special occasion!

If you do fancy making this cake then just click on the hyperlink at the top of this post, it'll take you to the recipe : )

Vanilla Whoopie Pies

2011-11-14T19:14:00.008Z

For those of you that don't know, A whoopie pie is apparently 'not quite a sandwich cookie, not quite a cake'. They seem to have become incredibly trendy recently, popping up in supermarkets everywhere and already there are boxed cake mixes to make them. I find them quite intriguing, whoopie pies are the one thing I get asked most about. I made some for the first time the other day and they were surprisingly easy to bake. I've seen specialty tins and recommendations for using a piping bag to create a perfectly round cake but I just dropped tablespoons of mixture onto a baking sheet and was pretty pleased with the result. As for all the fuss, I'm kind of a bit on the fence about the whoopie, maybe I'm just a die-hard cupcake fan... Don't get me wrong they were delicious, but I kind of didn't think they were anything special. Have you tried making Whoopie Pies? What do you think?

Vanilla Whoopie Pies

Makes 48 two-inch cakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375F (190c). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and creamy. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined. In a measuring jug, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1tbsp of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

~*~

Once cool you can sandwich the cakes together with whatever filling you like. I used some leftover cream cheese frosting but you could try whipped cream, chocolate ganache, jam or buttercream icing. You can also play around with the flavour of the cakes to make whatever flavour combinations you fancy.

Caramelised Banana Bread & Butter Pudding With Toasted Pecans

2011-10-04T19:08:00.014+01:00

There's nothing I love more than making a fabulous dish out of what would otherwise be odds and ends destined for the bin. This recipe, from Lorraine Pascale's Home Cooking Made Easy, has fast become my favourite for using up blackened bananas. It's a scrummy alternative to the usual banana bread or muffins.

I'm terrible for not being able to throw anything away and managed to whip this up from various bits and pieces lurking in the back of my fridge. I like to keep the end crusts of loaves of bread in my freezer, though they usually get kept for breadcrumbs they worked really well in this, left out on the side for a while beforehand to go slightly stale they soaked up the custard beautifully. I also replaced the creme fraiche with half a tin of evaporated milk and I had 4 eggs whites that got thrown in instead of whole eggs. I was a bit worried when I mixed it all together, mainly that the custard wouldn't set properly, but I put it in the oven with fingers crossed and it emerged a wonderful golden brown and really exceeded my expectations. I've never really been a bread pudding fan but this was delicious. I served it with a little more (extra thick!) double cream and some maple syrup but I'd definitely love to try it again with a little vanilla ice cream.

Perfect now it's getting chilly : )

Ingredients:

75g butter, at room temperature
1 medium loaf of crusty white bread, cut into 8-10 slices
400ml double cream
300ml creme fraiche
75g soft light brown sugar, plus 25g extra sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
2 bananas, peeled and cut into slices
100g pecan nuts

Preheat the oven to 180c (350F), Gas Mark 4. Grease your ovenproof dish with a little of the butter.

Use the remaining butter to butter the bread slices on one side. Cut the slices in half diagonally and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.

Next put the cream, creme fraiche, the 75g sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs in a large jug and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and well mixed.

Now put the banana slices and pecans between the slices of bread. Pour the liquid over the bread and allow it to soak in for a few seconds, then use the back of a spoon to squidge everything down into the liquid. Finally scatter the remaining sugar evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the mixture has just set and looks nicely caramelised. Serve at once.

Spanish... Erm Well Quiche?!

2011-07-05T19:13:00.005+01:00

I'm not entirely sure where the inspiration for this came from, I think it's all this sunshine and the fact that I'm craving a holiday! For the moment it's only my cooking that seems to be transporting me to far flung places : (

I was originally going to make a Quiche Lorraine as I had a block of pastry in the freezer that needed using up. But I thought I'd spice things up a bit and instead use some chorizo that I had lying around and the rest of the ingredients kind of fell into place. The recipe is adapted from a Quiche Lorraine recipe by Rachel Allen, I'm not entirely sure of the exact amounts of each ingredient that I used so feel free to tweak it and add more or less of what you do or don't like. I had wanted to use some sliced cooked potato but ran out of room, but it kind of led me to thinking that if you're a vegetarian you could omit the chorizo and use potato and maybe some olives instead?

And please, feel free to leave a comment if you can think of anything more exotic to call this than Spanish Quiche!

Spanish Quiche

A block of shortcrust pastry, or of course you can make your own (or use a pre-baked pastry case!)
1 tbsp olive oil (I used a little of the oil from my jar of roasted peppers)
100g chorizo, diced
a red onion, finely chopped
50g roasted red peppers (from a jar is absolutely fine)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 eggs plus 2 yolks
250ml double cream (milk will do if you don't have any to hand)
salt and pepper
one tomato, thinly sliced
100g cheddar, half cubed for in the quiche, half grated for the top

1. Leave your pastry to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180c (350F)/ Gas Mark 4. Line your tart tin and bake blind for 15-20 minutes.

2. Whilst the pastry is baking, fry the chorizo, onion, red peppers and thyme in a pan with the oil until softened, about 10 minutes, then leave to one side to cool.

3. Whisk the eggs in a bowl (a pyrex jug is useful for ease of pouring into the case), add the cream/ milk and season well with the salt and pepper.

4. When the pastry case is done spread your chorizo mix evenly over it, dotting the cubed cheddar around it. Lay your tomato slices over the top in a decorative pattern and then pour your cream mixture over the top. (It is best to pour in just a little of the cream mixture, then return the tin to the oven and top it up, this helps to avoid any spillages as you put it in the oven.*) I also found that I didn't need all of the cream mixture but this will vary depending on the depth and diameter of your tart tin. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the centre has set.

*You would also think that I listen to my own advice... my pastry case shrunk after blind baking and I poured in too much of the mixture, resulting in major leakage out the sides of the case, through the bottom of the tin and onto the bottom of my oven whilst cooking : ( Sometimes, we never learn!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!

2011-07-04T19:45:00.003+01:00

As promised here is the recipe for Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Superfudge Brownie Ice Cream : ) For some reason it didn't turn out quite as well as the first batch of chocolate ice cream I made, it wasn't quite as smooth, but was still delicious! I added chunks of white chocolate to jazz it up a bit but feel free to mix it up and add whatever (chocolate chips, nuts etc.) you prefer.

Vanilla Superfudge Brownie Ice Cream

1 cup coarsely chopped Superfudge Brownies (see previous post)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups double or whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. About one hour before making the ice cream, place the brownies in a bowl, cover and freeze.

2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk and vanilla and whisk to blend.

3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

4. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the brownies, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Have fun in the sun!

Ben & Jerry's Superfudge Brownies

2011-06-27T20:47:00.002+01:00

After making these I remembered why I don't make brownies more often... So addictive! I'm a bit of a brownie perfectionist, in my eyes the perfect brownie has to have just the right amount of squidge and these most certainly have that, along with a slightly crisp top, Yum! This recipe is from the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream & Dessert Book and I have (just about) managed to hold back a few squares for their Brownie ice cream recipe which I hope to make tomorrow, perfect for this gorgeous weather we've been having :-D Watch this space!

Superfudge Brownies

4oz plain chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180c). Butter and lightly flour a 13x9 inch baking pan. (I used a 20cm square silicone pan)

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler (bain-marie) over simmering water. Let cool in the pan to room temperature.

3. Beat the eggs and salt in a mixing bowl until very fluffy. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. Add the flour and fold just until blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes (45minutes if using a square pan). Let cool in the pan completely before cutting.

Spinach & Philadelphia Canelloni

2011-04-19T19:52:00.006+01:00

This recipe is an adaptation of the Ricotta Cannelloni in Light of Lucia by Luciana Sampogna. I rarely ever buy ricotta but I always seem to have some form of cream cheese in my fridge and I find more often than not one works just as well as the other. I cook quite a lot with Philadelphia, especially in pasta dishes, and today I used the Grilled Pepper flavour which complimented the dish really nicely. I swapped out half of the ricotta in the recipe for spinach, just to make it a bit more interesting. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cheese but 500g of ricotta seemed a bit too much.

It was also a nice change to cook something vegetarian, and to be honest I didn't even miss the meat! My Mum, brother and his girlfriend popped in for dinner and it went down really well, and the biggest shock was that the kids wolfed it down! Defnitely be making this one again : )

Spinach & Philadelphia Cannelloni

Filling

250g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Light Grilled Pepper, but feel free to use your favourite)
250g frozen spinach, thawed, drained and any excess water squeezed out
250g parmesan
1 egg, beaten
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Sauce

40g unsalted butter
2 x 400g tinned whole tomatoes, pureed
125ml milk

1 pack fresh lasagne sheets (I had six sheets in my pack)

To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl

To make the sauce

Place the butter and tomatoes in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the milk, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 35 minutes. Season and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200c (400F/ Gas 6). Spread 2tbsp of filling over each rectangle of pasta and roll up, starting at one long side, to form a cylinder. Place in a large, greased baking dish, seam side down. Cover with sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Serves 4

Easter Nest Cakes

2011-04-19T15:59:00.003+01:00

Have you thought about making Easter Nest Cakes with the kids this Easter Holidays?? Super fun, really easy, cheep (sorry!) and a great way to use up all those Easter eggs : )

You can find the recipe here.

If The Thought Of Carrot Cake Makes You Queasy... Look Away Now!!

2011-04-12T12:11:00.009+01:00

Introducing Courgette Cake...

It's my Mum's Birthday today and so last night I was panicking about ideas for a cake for her. Eyeball deep in cookbooks I was beginning to get frustrated as nothing was really jumping out at me. I was on the verge of giving up and baking a mountain of glittery brownies when whilst leafing through Nigella's 'How To Be A Domestic Goddess' I came across Flora's Famous Courgette Cake.

Ok, stop for a second. I know what you're thinking, but there's method in the madness.

If you were to ask me or my brother which food we both hate more than anything on this planet then I can guarantee you we will both say courgettes. My Mum RUINED them for us when we were kids. It seemed like every dinner came with those big fat slimy coins, bleurgh! And of course there was no pudding until we'd eaten our dinner, so it was down the hatch and chew like your life depended on it. Believe me if we'd had a dog it would have been living off of courgettes.

So naturally, I thought it would be kind of funny, to make this cake for Mum.

I took a bit of a gamble, because you take Courgette Cake (which let's face it isn't sounding all that appealing) and sandwich it with... lime curd and frost with some cream cheese icing. But actually it was unbelievably delicious, it's one of those unexplainable combinations that somehow... just works! I beg you, make this cake, because I'm all about getting my five a day espcially if it involves cake :-D

For The Cake:

250g courgettes (2-3) weighed before grating
2 large eggs
125ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

2 x 21cm sandwich tins, greased and lined

For The Filling:

75g unsalted butter
3 large eggs
75g caster sugar
125ml lime juice (of approx 4 limes)
zest of 1 lime

For The Icing:

200g cream cheese
100g icing sugar, sieved
juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
2-3 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts (optional, to decorate)

Preheat the oven to 180c/ gas mark 4

Grate the courgettes using a coarse grater, then turn into a sieve over the sink to remove excess water. Put the eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl and beat them until creamy. Sieve in the flour, bicarb and baking powder and continue to beat until well combined. Now stir in the grated courgette. Pour the mixture into the tins, and bake for 30 minutes until slightly browned and firm to the touch.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan, add all the other ingredients and whisk to a custard over a gentle heat. Leave to cool before filling the cake.

To make the cream cheese icing, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth, add the sieved icing sugar, beating well to combine and then stir in the lime juice to taste.

Put one cake on the plate and spread with the completely cooled lime curd. Spread the second cake with the cream cheese icing and place on top of the first.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

2010-12-20T21:25:00.002Z

Tis The Season...

2010-12-15T20:07:00.006Z

To be running around like a headless chicken that is! I find no matter how organised I think I am when it comes to Christmas, something always seems to slip my mind. So I realised today that I've completely forgotten to buy Chloe's teacher a Christmas present so I came home from school and set about making her some fudge to take in tomorrow morning. The Crumbly Vanilla Pod Fudge from Hope And Greenwood's 'Life is Sweet' book has become my go-to recipe and as scary as it first was to make, I feel like I have kind of mastered it now. It really is so simple, just five ingredients, and as long as you keep an eye on it and can stir for England you can't go wrong.

You will need a sugar thermometer for this recipe and I also find (though not completely necessary) a 20cm square silicone mould works wonders for this as you can pop the fudge out with ease once set. A deep pan is also a good idea, burnt sugar on your hob is NOT good.

Crumbly Vanilla Fudge

Makes about 20-30 squares - Takes 30 minutes to make; a couple of hours to cool

700g (1lb 7oz) granulated sugar
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
200ml (7fl oz) evaporated milk
200ml (7fl oz) double cream
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod (sadly I don't keep vanilla pods to hand so I used 1dsp vanilla extract, but adjust to your preference)

- Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment

- Place the sugar, butter, evaporated milk and cream into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and gently heat until all the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon (use one with the longest handle you have)

- Now turn the heat up to medium and place your sugar thermometer in the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil (and at this point I start stirring like a crazy person to make sure that the mixture doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan) After 15 minutes the mixture should have reached 100c (212F). Now turn the heat down to a simmer, as it is at this point that the fudge is most likely to burn. (Also a good time to don a pair of oven gloves, hot sugar spits and if your pan isn't deep enough you're going to end up burning your arms)

- Keep heating until the mixture has reached 115c (240F). Take the pan off the heat. Using an electric whisk or food mixer, beat the mixture for 10 minutes. Add the vanilla seeds (or extract) and beat for a further 10 minutes until the fudge loses its gloss and goes quite grainy around the edges. (I find that getting to this point always takes about 10 minutes altogether when using my hand whisk so use your judgement, I stop when my fudge starts to look like wet sand and becomes stiff)

- Pour into the prepared tin. After an hour or so, score the fudge with a knife to create squares. Once set, snap the fudge into rough squares.

Et voila! I had bought this jar as a gift to give to someone else (full of fudge of course!) so I hold my hands up I had it lying around, though nowadays you can get pretty Kilner style preserving jars from most good supermarkets. At only £3 from TK Maxx (ribbon from Poundland) I probably would have spent a little over a fiver, though on this occasion I did happen to have the ingredients at home. Yes, maybe it did take a little effort but way less than having to go into town to get a box of chocs or similar, and it feels damn good to show off and say I made these myself : )

So why don't you give it a try and make these for someone you love for Christmas?

Being A Busy Bee!

2010-04-27T16:14:00.006+01:00

I realise it's been a while since I've blogged and I promise you it's because I've been busy busy busy! Here's a look at what's been going on behind the scenes...

Making a Red Velvet Cake for a Ruby Anniversary, my first proper order!

And spending HOURS cleaning my kitchen from top to bottom for my Food Hygiene Inspection (which I passed!) only to mess it up again the very same day...

... to make another order for a birthday cake!

So tonight I'll be taking a well earned break and kicking back with a hot chocolate and these yummy biscuits, because I start all over again on Thursday with a cupcake order, phew!

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-04-04T17:54:00.007+01:00

For those in the know, these cupcakes need no introduction. They're from the Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, the New York bakery made globally famous by the Sex and the City girls.

Seriously, THAT is how you eat a cupcake!

The bakery is now a featured stop for tourists on the Sex and the City tour and you can expect to queue for hours just to get in. The bakery has been credited with starting the 90's cupcakes craze and in my eyes they will never go out of fashion!

Believe the hype and make these, I sent Mick to work with some and I think someone actually described them as 'orgasmic'...

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 cup (2 sticks/ 220g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened (dark) chocolate, melted
1 cup butttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180c).

Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers (I use 'muffin' cases). Set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Chocolate Buttercream

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks/ 330g) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp milk
9 ounces semisweet (milk) chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' (icing) sugar

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the vanilla and beat again. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency.

2010-03-27T14:59:00.005Z

It is a sad, sad fact of life that up until a week ago I had never made Rocky Road. I've had the recipe since I bought Nigella Express but I kind of never got round to making it. Probably just as well I hadn't discovered it way back then because these were gone in less than a day...

This marvellous 'blond' version of the classic Rocky Road is the genius invention of Gizzi Erskine. Feel free to play around with the ingredients and swap the nuts and biscuits for whatever takes your fancy.

Blond Rocky Road

Makes 24 Squares

100ml double cream
1 tbsp instant espresso powder (I used 1tsp Nescafe, we don't have posh coffee!)
125g unsalted butter
300g white chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tbsp honey
200g shortbread
100g mini marshmallows
100g macadamia nuts, toasted (toyed with the idea of glace cherries as I'm not a nutty person)
100g fudge, chopped into small cubes

Heat the double cream in a small, heavy based pan over a low heat. Add the coffee and stir until dissolved. Now add the butter, white chocolate and honey and stir until melted. Set to one side to cool slightly.

Place the shortbread in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have small pieces. Put the shortbread pieces along with the marshmallows, macadamias and fudge into a mixing bowl and mix well.

Pour the white chocolate mix (keep one third back in the pan) over the other ingredients and stir well to combine.

Line a 24cm square brownie tin with clingfilm (silicone bakeware works wonders here). Pour in the rocky road mixture and level off the surface. Now pour over the reserved white chocolate mix and smooth the surface. Pop in the fridge and leave to chill for at least two hours, or overnight. Cut into squares to serve. Keep chilled to avoid a nice sticky mess : )

Like A Woman Posessed...

2010-03-17T16:12:00.006Z

I have to stay away from Next. Seriously. My cousin, who I know is reading this, is exactly the same. We just can't help ourselves. I went in there to spend a voucher I was given for Jake and along with some gorgeous little summer bits for him I came away with this gorgeous cake stand...

but very nearly went away with this...

and these...

and these...

I'll be back...

(and for those of you oooh-ing and ahhh-ing, I hyperlinked all the images for you, Happy Shopping!)

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-03-17T15:29:00.004Z

Yes I know it's late but for me Mother's Day has kind of run over a whole week. I see my Mum and my Grandparents on a Thursday and so last Thursday we did a few little presents and this Thursday we're having a nice Mother's Day lunch : )

I was lucky enough to be sent the gorgeous Biscuiteers Shoe Box by the lovely people at Interflora, who do a whole range of Mother's Day flowers as well as foodie gifts and hampers. But of course there doesn't need to be an occasion to send flowers, hint hint! (though I'm sure that will have gone straight over all the men's heads!)

So we all had some lovely shoe shaped biscuits to nibble on, which especially pleased my mum as the Biscuiteers biscuits I got at Christmas didn't hang around long enough for her to try, oops! I can't help it though, they're seriously yummy!

And for tomorrow's lunch I've made Gizzi Erskine's Smoked Salmon, Goat's Cheese & Pea tarts, I can't stop cooking from that book, it's great! Now I just need to decide what to make for pudding...

Hope you all had a relaxing Mother's Day! xXx

Become a Fan of Away With The Fairycakes

2010-03-16T20:46:00.001Z

For more Fairycake fun meet me on Facebook, click the widget on the right or follow the link here : )

Food For Thought

2010-03-16T08:28:00.005Z

"Whatever craziness there is around me, I know there's that bonkers alchemy about baking, that if you put this ingredient with that ingredient, something beautiful will happen. I wish life could be like a recipe sometimes."

- Anne-Marie Duff

The Things We Do For Our Kids!

2010-03-07T18:57:00.005Z

So tomorrow, my not-so-little-anymore girl is turning 5. Where did 5 years go?! To celebrate her big birthday I made her some butterfly cupcakes and some little cakes to take in to her friends at school...

Happy Birthday Chloe xxx

I Couldn't Help Myself!

2010-03-06T10:21:00.004Z

£6 from Accessorize, love it!

Join Me On Facebook!

2010-03-06T10:13:00.001Z

Become a Fan here : )