No Mother Cook Book

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

2015-03-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Great fun to make, and with a surprise strawberry and cheesecake filling on the inside! Makes 12 large cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cake

350g Plain Flour

1.5tbsp Baking Powder

140g Caster Sugar

Finely Grated Rind of Two Oranges

1/2tsp Salt

2 Eggs

250ml Milk

85g Butter, Melted

For the Filling

175g Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

3 tbsp Sugar

6 Strawberries, Halved

For the Icing

100g Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

10g Butter, Softened

300-500g Icing Sugar

Freeze-Dried Strawberries (optional)

Method

1. Grease or line a muffin tin and preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the orange rind and salt.

2. Beat the eggs and milk in a small jug, and stir in the butter. Add to the dry ingredients gradually to make a loose and slightly lumpy mixture.

3. For the filling, mix the cream cheese and sugar together. Half fill each hole in your tin with cake mix, then push in half a strawberry, and top with a teaspoon of filling. Then add a spoon of cake mix on top to cover the strawberry and filling.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, and leave to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by beating the sugar and cheese together until fluffy, and then gradually adding the icing sugar until you get a thick paste consistency that is still spreadable.

6. To finish, using a small palette knife, spread the top of each cupcake with icing, and sprinkle on some freeze-dried strawberry pieces.

Enjoy :)

Italy-Inspired Three Flavour Focaccia

2015-03-09T14:41:00.001-07:00

Soft and moist on the inside and topped with some great flavours, this bread is so easy, yet tastes so good and looks like the italian flag! Makes 2 18x27cm loaves.

Ingredients

For the Focaccia

400g Strong White Flour

100g Fine-Ground Semolina

7g Instant Yeast

1/2tbsp Salt

1/2tbsp Golden Caster Sugar

300ml Lukewarm Water

For the Olive Topping

Two handfuls of pitted Green Olives

Salt

For the Feta Topping

Approx. 50g Feta, cubed

20g Parmesan, Grated

Salt

For the Tomato Topping

Two handfuls of Cherry Tomatoes

A handful of Sun Dried Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Splash of White Wine Vinegar

Large Handful of Rosemary

Olive Oil

Handful of Basil, Roughly Cut

Method

1. Add the yeast and sugar to the water, and set aside. Mix the flour, semolina and salt together in a large mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle.

2. Once the yeast has started to foam, gradually add the water-yeast mixture to the flour, stirring with a fork as you go, and then using your hands, bring together to form a ball of dough, picking up as much flour from the bowl as possible.

3. Place onto worktop, and knead for about five minutes, or until you get a smooth, springy dough. Lightly grease your bowl with olive oil, and place dough inside and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm area, and leave to rise until doubled in size, or about half an hour.

4. In the mean time, prepare the tomato topping. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, and chop the sun dried tomatoes. Place in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Once the dough has risen, punch the air out of it, and split it into half if you want to make two loafs. Stretch each out in separate lightly olive-oiled 18x27cm baking tins, and place the olives on one third of each loaf, the feta and parmesan in the middle, and the tomato topping on the last third. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle on some roughly cut basil and rosemary leaves.

6. Preheat the oven to 220C, and leave loafs to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Bake for 20 mins, or until golden on the outside, and leave to cool for a few minutes before taking out of the tins.

Enjoy :)

Banoffee Cupcakes

2014-12-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

A fantastic recipe making use of my favourite flavour combination - banana and toffee. What really makes it is the rich caramel filling right in the middle. If you don't want to make the caramel sauce though, you can always buy some. Quantities were a bit weird; this ended up making about 36 mini cupcakes, and probably would make about 18-20 normal sized cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cakes

225g Plain Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

1/2tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

115g Butter, Softened

170g Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2 Eggs, Beaten, and at room temperature

3 Bananas, very ripe, mashed

For the Caramel Sauce

125g Caster Sugar

71ml Double Cream

25g Butter

Liquid Glucose

For the Mascarpone Icing

133g Mascarpone Cheese

73g Full Fat Cream Cheese

1/2tsp Vanilla Paste

300g Icing Sugar

Banana Chips (Optional)

Chocolate Decorations (Optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F, and grease or line some muffin trays. Beat the butter and the sugar for the cake mix in a freestanding mixer until the mix is cream-coloured. Add the vanilla paste and mix, and then gradually add the beaten eggs, making sure to mix thoroughly between each addition.

2. Fold in the mashed bananas, and then sieve in the dry ingredients and fold them in. Fill the cupcake holes/cases 2/3 the way full, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or unitl a skewer placed in the middle of one comes out clean. Place onto a wire rack to cool.

3. While the cakes are baking, make the caramel sauce by adding the sugar and 2tbsp water to a saucepan, and stirring on a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to boil, adding a squirt of liquid glucose to ensure it doesn't crystallise.

4. Leave the mix boiling until a caramel colour is achieved, but be careful not to burn it, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat as soon as you have the right colour, and stir in the cream and butter. Leave to cool completely.

5. While waiting for the cakes and sauce to cool, make the icing. Beat the cheeses in a mixer until smooth and light, then add the vanilla paste, and sieve in the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating slow at first each time to make sure icing sugar doesn't get everywhere. Add a teaspoon or two of the caramel sauce if you want.

Mix until well incorporated and at a consistency you like. If too thick, add a small bit of milk, and if too loose, add more icing sugar.

6. To assemble the cupcakes, cut a circle into the top of each cupcake with a knife, careful not to go too deep, and cut a small hole, taking out a small cylinder of cake. Remove the bottom part of the cylinder, so you have a small cap for each of the holes, and using a piping bag or a squeezy bottle, fill each hole with caramel sauce, and place the cap on top.

7. Place the icing into a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice, and pipe on to the cupcake. Alternatively spread it on with a palette knife. Finish with banana chips and/or chocolate decorations and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Enjoy :)

Bhuna Gosht ('Bhuna' Lamb or Beef Curry)

2014-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Unlike many curries, this one isn't surrounded by lakes of sauce, rather a great aromatic, thick and punchy sauce. The recipe works great with beef or lamb, and I often like to use a beef off the bone, and lamb bones to enhance the flavour. Serves 4-6, and serve with chapatis or rice, and an onion relish of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mint and coriander with a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredients

Spice Mix

2tsp Whole Cumin Seeds

4tsp Whole Coriander Seeds

2tsp Whole Mustard Seeds

4 Whole, Dried Chillies

1tsp whole Caraway Seeds

2tsp Whole Fenugreek Seeds

Curry Ingredients

5tbsp Corn or Peanut Oil

140g Shallots, peeled and very finely chopped

4cm Fresh Ginger, peeled and very finely chopped

5-6 Cloves Garlic, peeled and very finely chopped

13 Curry Leaves, fresh if possible

2 Medium Tomatoes

900g Boneless Lamb or Stewing Beef, cut into 3cm pieces

1.5kg Lamb bones (just ask at the butcher; I often get them with a bit of meat on them) - optional

1.5tsp Salt

Method

1. Place a medium frying pan or skillet on a medium-high heat. When hot, add the spice mix, and stir on the heat until lightly browned and toasted.

2. Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the spices to a powder, and set aside.

3. Before you start the curry, score an 'x' in the bottom of the tomatoes, and place in boiling water for about 30 seconds, and then remove, peel and chop.

4. Pour the oil into quite a large saucepan with a lid, and set over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the shallots, ginger and garlic and fry, stirring as you go along, for about 5 minutes or until the mix goes golden-brown. Add the curry leaves and tomatoes and cook on a lower heat until the tomatoes are reduced to a paste, stirring to make sure nothing sticks.

5. Stir in the spice mix, and cook for another minute before adding the meat, bones and salt, and cook on a medium-high heat to sear the meat. Add 250ml water, and bring to the boil, then turn down to a low heat to simmer. Cover the pan and cook for about 1.5 hours, or until the meat is tender (Lamb might take 1 hour 20 minutes, depending on preference).

6. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and stir continuously to reduce the sauce until the point where it's thick and clings to the meat.

Enjoy :)

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

2014-10-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

A nice twist on a classic dessert; these zesty cupcakes should blow your taste buds away. It's comprised of lemon cupcake, lemon curd, swiss meringue and a little biscuit. If you're lucky enough to have a blowtorch, then you can use it to finish the cupcakes, otherwise they will need to go under the grill. Makes 12 Cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Cupcakes

100g Butter, Softened

200g Caster Sugar

4 tsp Lemon Zest

2 Eggs, Beaten and at Room Temperature

225g Self-Raising Flour

125ml Milk

For the Biscuits

112g Plain Flour

55g Butter, Cubed

40g Sugar

1/2 a Large Egg, Beaten

2 tsp Lemon Zest

For the Swiss Meringue

2 Egg Whites

125g Caster Sugar

Lemon Curd, Store-bought or homemade

Method

1.Start with the biscuits. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F, and line a baking tray. Place the flour, butter and sugar into a mixing bowl, and rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the lemon zest and the egg to form a dough, and wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. After chilling, roll dough on a floured surface to about 1cm thickness, and using small cookie cutters or a knife (depending on the size of cupcakes you're making), cut out the biscuits, and place on the baking tray.

3. Place the baking tray in the fridge for about 10 minutes to ensure the biscuits hold their shape, and then place in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Take out and cool on a wire rack, and keep the oven on.

4. For the cakes; grease/line cupcake trays, and cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in a freestanding or hand mixer until cream in colour, and then gradually add the beaten egg, mixing well after each addition, being careful not to add too much to make the mix curdle.

5. Sieve 1/4 of the flour into the mix, and fold in with a large spoon. Add in 1/4 of the milk and do the same. Alternate between folding in flour and milk until finished, and then divide between cupcake holes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean (beware - they are lighter than normal cupcakes, so be careful not to overbake). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. In each of the cupcakes, cut a small cylinder out of the centre with a sharp knife, and cut of some of the bottom of the cylinder you have just cut out, to form almost a lid for the hole. Fill a piping bag with lemon curd, and using a fine nozzle, or a cut a small hole, and pipe the lemon curd into the cupcakes and cover with the 'lids'.

7. For the meringue, set up a bain-marie by putting water in a saucepan, and keeping it at a temperature where it's not bubbling on the surface at all, but steaming. Place the egg whites and sugar in a plastic bowl, and place on top of the pan. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk, making sure to touch the bottom of the bowl. Once you start to see pretty defined waves created by the mixer, mix for about 2-3 minutes more, where you should have a pretty thick consistency that holds a peak. Take the bowl off the saucepan and leave to cool.

8. Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, or even a round one, pipe the meringue onto the cupcakes in any design you want. If you have a blowtorch, heat around the top of the cupcakes until browned as much as you want, otherwise place the cupcakes under the grill, keeping an eye on how brown they are getting. Once done, place a biscuit on top.

Enjoy :)

Carrot Cupcakes

2014-07-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

The pineapple in these keep them moist, but also add a subtle 'tropical' flavour - perfect for those like me who are stuck in a country that thinks that it's winter during summer, so at least when it's raining, you can still pretend. Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Cakes

88g Plain Flour

1/2tsp Baking Powder

1/4tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

A Pinch of Salt

1 Large Egg

100g Caster Sugar

50ml Vegetable/Sunflower Oil

1/4tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Large Carrot, Peeled and Finely Grated

30g Tinned Pineapple, Drained and Finely Chopped

2tbsp Chopped Walnuts, Plus Extra for Decorating

For the Cream Cheese Icing

22g Unsalted Butter, Softened

120g Full Fat Cream Cheese

150g Approx. Icing Sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4, and grease/line a cupcake tin. Weigh and measure the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt, and mix together in a bowl.

2. Using a freestanding or handheld mixer, beat the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy; about 10 minutes. Gradually add the oil and vanilla, beating meanwhile, until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients, and fold in with a metal spoon until evenly distributed.

3. Stir in the carrots, walnuts and pineapple, and divide mixture between muffin cases. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. Leave to cool fully before icing.

4. While the cakes are cooling, beat the butter until very soft, and then add the cream cheese, mixing until completely incorporated. Then sieve in 1/3 of the icing sugar, and mix in, starting slowly. Repeat with the next third, and the last, adding milk or more sugar to reach the desired consistency. If you want to pipe it, it should be fairly thick.

5. Pipe or spread the icing as desired on the cool cakes, and top with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.

Enjoy :)

Maryland Cookie's and Cream Cake

2014-05-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Maryland cookies are by far the best packaged chocolate chip cookies you can find in the UK (even though they're not even made or sold in Maryland, or for that matter, the US), so why not make a cake out of them? If you haven't got buttermilk, you can just mix half plain natural yoghurt with half milk.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

110g Unsalted Butter,Softened

380g Caster Sugar

320g Plain Flour

4tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Salt

320ml Buttermilk

3 Large Eggs

135g Maryland Cookies (or any other chocolate chip cookies)

For the Icing:

500g Icing Sugar, Sifted

160g Unsalted Butter, Softened

250g Mascarpone

3 Maryland/Chocolate Chip cookies, crumbled

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150C fan/170C/Gas 3, and line the bottom three 20cm (8inch) cake tins, and grease the sides. If you only have one, don't worry, it will just mean it will take longer, and you'll have more trips to the oven.

2. In a freestanding electric mixer or a handheld whisk, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale (it won't have the regular consistency of creamed butter and sugar as the ratio of butter to sugar is different).

3. In a large jug, mix the buttermilk and the eggs. Very gradually, in a slow but steady stream, add about half of the jug while the mixture is being whisked, making sure it all stays well combined. Once half is added, sieve in the dry ingredients, and continue to mix on a slower speed. Then again, very gradually add the rest of the jug into the mix.

4. Break the cookies into pieces by hand, no more than about 2cm in length, and fold into the batter. Divide into three cake tins, and place into the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown, springs back to the touch, and a skewer comes out clean. Once the cakes are cool to the touch, go around the edges of the cakes with a small palette knife to loosen it a bit, and remove from the tins, transferring them to a wire rack.

5. For the icing, use a free standing mixer or handheld whisk to cream the butter and sugar together until very light and pale, starting on a low speed so that icing sugar doesn't go everywhere. Add about a third of the mascarpone and beat until smooth, then add the rest, and mix for a few minutes on a high speed until much lighter in texture and colour.

6. Once cakes are completely cool, you can start assembling. Take one cake, and add about 4 or 5 tablespoons of icing on top, smoothing out with a palette knife, and liberally sprinkling cookie crumbs on top. Top with the next cake and repeat. Add the last layer, and frost the top and sides of the cake, trying to ensure there are no gaps. Top with either leftover crumbs, broken up cookie pieces, or just leave plain.

Enjoy :)

After Eight Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

2014-01-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like mint and chocolate? This recipe tries to copy the 'after eight' mint, with the dark chocolate cake, and the secret mint fondant filling inside. Not really sure what to say about quantity though, for me it made 24 mini muffins and 4 regular ones.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

123g Butter

113g Sugar

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Self-Raising Flour

1.5 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Salt

Mint Filling

100g Icing Sugar

3/4tsp Peppermint Extract

Some Water

Mint Buttercream

60g Butter, Soft

250g Icing Sugar

1/2tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Some Milk

Green Food Colouring

A few thin mint chocolate crisps

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line/Grease a mini muffin or regular muffin tin. Put the chocolate and butter into a bain-marie and melt, stirring throughout. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

2. Beat the mix with a handheld or freestanding mixer for about 3 minutes, or until much lighter in colour, and gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well inbetween each addition for about 10 seconds. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold in until well incorporated.

3. Fill the holes of the tins 3/4 of the way with mix, and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. They should have a brownie-like texture. In the oven they will rise, and then fall, so don't be alarmed if they do so. Place on a wire rack to cool.

4. Whilst they are cooling, make the fondant filling. Mix the icing sugar, 1tbsp water and peppermint extract with a whisk until blended, then add about 1/2 tbsp more water and whisk until well incorporated. You are looking for a thick liquid texture.

5. Once the cakes are fully cooled, using a knife, and not cutting too deep, cut a cylinder out of the top of a cupcake, and fill with fondant filling. Place the cylinder back in to the cupcake and set aside. Do the same for all.

6. For the icing, mix the sugar and soft butter together, then add the flavourings. Add 1 tbsp milk, and use a handheld whisk to bring it all together. Add another as much milk as necessary to form a quite thick icing, mixing inbetween additions, and add food colouring slowly to reach your desired colour. Pipe onto the cupcakes with a star nozzle.

7. Cut the chocolate crisps into shards or rectangles, and stick on the top of the cake.

Enjoy :)

Parmesan Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato, Mascarpone and Spinach Sauce

2014-01-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

A recipe PERFECT for these freezing winter months, and good hearty dish that will impress anyone once you've told them you made it from scratch! Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi:

50g Parmesan, Grated

1kg Starchy Potatoes (eg Desiree)

350g 00 Flour, plus extra

For the Sauce:

400g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes

120g Mascarpone

20g Full Fat Cream Cheese

1tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

200g Baby Spinach

Handful of Basil Leaves

Pinch Oregano

Grated/Shaved Parmesan, to serve

Butter, to pan fry the gnocchi

Method

1. Boil the potatoes with the skins ON until soft when a knife is put in it, can be 10-30 minutes depending on the size and type of potato. Once boiled, peel them and mash thoroughly - making sure there is no lumps. This is most efficiently done with a potato ricer. Leave to cool by spreading out on a kitchen worktop.

2. Meanwhile the potatoes are boiling and cooling, make the sauce. Start by heating the oil in a medium saucepan, and frying the garlic until golden. Next, (and do it quickly to avoid splattering oil) pour the tomatoes in, turn down the heat, and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, season, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

3. Back to the gnocchi, and the flour and parmesan bit by bit, working it into a cohesive dough. This might take a while, so be patient and keep working it in. Flour your worktop, and make long sausage shapes out of the dough, about 1"-1.5" thickness. Line them up, and cut squares, or 'pillows' out of them, and place aside separately on floured worktop.

4. To get the true, italian gnocchi, you need to shape it to get those great ridges on them. You can do this either with the back of a fork, or a gnocchi board, as in the picture. With either of them, flatten the pillow against the ridges or prongs, and pick up one and curl it around. I know these aren't the clearest of instructions, but in the end it just takes practise. Again, place the shaped gnocchi separate from each other on a floured surface.

5. Start heating the sauce, and fill a large saucepan with water, and heat it until boiling. Turn down the heat, and with a sieve, lower the gnocchi into the water. It will float up when its ready, so take out the finished ones with a slotted spoon, and place into a bowl. Heat up some butter in a frying pan, and pan fry a serving at a time of gnocchi until very lightly browned, place into a bowl, and top with sauce.

Enjoy :)

Banana Boston Cream Cake

2013-10-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

A fantastic recipe; this chocolate covered banana cake is filled with homemade custard - and tastes amazing. A nice fruity, indulgent version of the traditional Boston Cream Pie. Takes a good few hours, but is definately worth it!

Ingredients

For the Sponge

100g Unsalted Butter, Softened

150g Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs, Beaten and at room temperature

2 Very Ripe Bananas, Mashed

125g Soured Cream

1tsp Vanilla Extract

300g Plain Flour

1/2tsp Salt

3/4tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Custard

250ml Whole Milk

1tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Egg Yolks

50g Caster Sugar

15g Plain Flour

15g Cornflour

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache

150g Good Quality Dark Cooking Chocolate, Chopped

150ml Whipping/Double Cream

To Decorate (Optional)

20g White Cooking Chocolate

20g Dark Cooking Chocolate

5g Margarine

1 Digestive Biscuit, Crushed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3, and line or grease two 20cm sandwich tins.

2. Using a free-standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it turns a cream colour. Slowly add a bit of the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition.

3. In a jug, mix the mashed bananas, soured cream and vanilla, and then slowly add to the mixer on a low speed, making sure everything is incorporated. At this point it may curdle, but don't worry.

4. Sieve in all of the dry ingredients, and fold in with a spatula until even and smooth. Split between the two tins, and bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, take them out of the tins after 10 minutes of cooling time, and then leave on a wire rack to cool fully.

5. Whilst the cakes are baking, prepare the custard. Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and a medium-low heat until it boils. Meanwhile mix the yolks, sugar and flours to form a paste. Pour a bit of the warmed milk onto the paste and mix. Place paste into the saucepan, and put on a medium heat. Whisk for about 4-5 minutes, or until it properly thickens up and is smooth - but no longer or the eggs will scramble. Pour onto a baking tray and cover with cling film - this will stop a skin from forming. Leave to cool.

6. As the cakes are cooling, prepare the ganache. Do this by heating the cream in a saucepan until it's almost boiling and then pour on top of the chocolate, mixing until its all melted, and a smooth and glossy ganache is formed. Set aside to cool.

7. Once the cakes are cool, using a hand mixer, whisk the custard until smooth. Then spread the custard on top of one of the cakes with a palette knife, and place the other cake on top. Wrap the sides tightly with cling film, and place in the fridge for 40 minutes so the custard sets.

8. Whilst the cake is setting, make the chocolate curls. Melt the two chocolates separately, the dark with 3g of margarine, and the white with 2g. Pour into a lined ramekin, and swirl with a toothpick. Place in the fridge until completely set, and then remove the block of chocolate, and (with cold hands) use a swivel bladed vegetable peeler to peel off curls. This step may take a few attempts, and a few times you might have to put the block in the fridge for a bit before carrying on. Place the finished curls in the fridge until needed.

9. Once the cake has set, take off the cling film, and place on a wire rack with a plate underneath. Pour the ganache on top and smooth out with a palette knife around the sides. Leave for a while, and then before the ganache has completely set, place your biscuit crumbs and curls however you want.

Enjoy :)

Foolproof Chocolate Fondants

2013-08-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite, rich recipes of all time, this mouth watering chocolate sauce-filled sponge dessert awesome. Make sure you use good quality chocolate.

Makes 4.

Ingredients

100g Dark Cooking Chocolate

120g Caster Sugar

!00g Plain Flour, Sifted

100g Unsalted Butter

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

2tsp Tia Maria Liqueur (optional)

Some Cocoa Powder

Strawberries and Ice Cream (To Serve)

Method

1. Grease 4 ramekins and dust with cocoa powder, spreading evenly and letting the excess fall into the next one. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan.

2. Melt the butter and the chocolate over a bain-marie, and leave to cool slightly

3. Whisk the eggs, yolks and the sugar until pale and thick, and then add the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour and liqueur, and distribute between the 4 ramekins.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops of all of them don't look glossy. Leave for 3 minutes.

5. Carefully go around the outside of each fondant with a small palette knife - if you muck this up, it won't turn out properly. Carefully turn onto plates, and serve immediately.

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Milk Cupcakes

2013-06-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Exam season is over! Time for summer holidays! A recipe trying to imitate the refreshing cold chocolate drink, it's originally from the 'Lola's Cupcakes' recipe book, but with a few alterations. I decided to experiment with the decoration, instead of the chocolate sprinkles suggested by the recipe, I decided to do a range of toppings; cake crumbs, chocolate shards and chocolate leaves. It's up to you which one you choose, but each method is in the instructions. Makes 12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins.

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate, Chopped

87g Butter

112g Caster Sugar

50g Self-Raising Flour

1 1/4 tbsp Cocoa Powder

A Pinch of Salt

For the Vanilla Buttercream

60g Butter, Softened

250g Icing Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Milk

For the Chocolate Leaves/Shards

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

Small, edible, non-toxic leaves with deep veins, such as bay leaves, mint leaves or rose leaves - Thoroughly Washed and Dried

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4, and grease a 12 hole muffin tin, or a 24 hole mini muffin tin.

2. Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a bain-marie, remove from heat, and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, and transfer into a mixing bowl.

3. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 3 minutes, then gradually pour in the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Sieve in the flour, cocoa and salt, and fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated.

4. Pour the mixture into the tin, filling the holes up around just over 3/4 of the way, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen, and if a skewer is placed inside, it comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes to cool, then with a small palette knife, gently ease the cupcakes out by going around the edges of the holes, and leave to cool on a wire rack. If you want to decorate your cakes with crumbs, scrape the residue left on the tin, and reserve for later.

5. While they're cooling, for the chocolate leaves, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. With a pastry brush, or a small palette knife paint the underside of the leaves, and gently place on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Place in the fridge to set. Once completely set (around 20 minutes), gently peel the leaves away, and place the chocolate back onto the greaseproof paper, and chill until use.

6. Alternatively, for the chocolate shards, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, and using a palette knife, quickly spread the chocolate onto a sheet of greaseproof paper into a layer around 2mm thick, and roll the sheet into a cylinder. Place the cylinder in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set (around 20 minutes), and remove from the fridge. Unroll the cylinder, and the chocolate should break into shards. Make them smaller if needed by breaking the pieces apart with your hands. Chill until use.

7. For the Buttercream, beat the butter in a mixing bowl until very smooth and creamy, and then sieve in half of the icing sugar. Using a spoon first, slowly mix the butter and sugar together, and then once most is incorporated, use a hand whisk. Repeat for the rest of the icing sugar, and then add the milk and vanilla extract.

8. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, using either a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, or a palette knife, apply the icing to the cupcake. Add your desired decoration - be very gentle with the leaves as they are extremely delicate.

Enjoy :)

The Ultimate Banoffee Pie

2013-06-10T12:05:00.003-07:00

For this one, I only have one person to thank; Ruth Davis, for providing me with the base recipe for this incredible dessert. Incredibly simple and no-bake, this rich and crumbly dessert will please anyone!

Ingredients

For the Biscuit Base

250g Chocolate Digestives

85g Butter

For the Filling

3 or 4 Bananas

397g Can of Caramel Condensed Milk

300ml Double/Whipping Cream

Caster Sugar, to Taste

For the Dark Chocolate Curls

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

2tsp Butter

Method

1. For the chocolate curls, line a ramekin and place in the freezer while melting the chocolate and the butter together in a bain-marie. Pour melted mix into the ramekin, and place in the fridge for about 1 hour, or until you're sure it's completely set.

2. Meanwhile, place the biscuits in a plastic bag and close it. Use a rolling pin to bash them into fine crumbs, or alternatively, place the biscuits in a food processor and whizz until fine crumbs. Place crumbs into a bowl.

3. Melt the butter (for the biscuit base) in a small saucepan, and pour into the the biscuit crumbs, and mix. Pour mix into a 23cm loose bottom flan tin, and using the back of a spoon, spread evenly along the bottom and sides, compacting it to create a pie shell.

4. Chop up the bananas into slices, and line the pie shell evenly with them. Pour the condensed milk on top, and spread evenly with a palette knife. Place pie in the fridge.

5. Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl, and add a few spoons of sugar. Taste it, and if not sweet enough, add more. Using a hand whisk, beat it until thick, and holds a solid trail. Place in the fridge.

6. Take the ramekin out of the fridge, and carefully remove your chocolate block. [Wash your hands with cold water to ensure your body heat doesn't melt the chocolate while doing the next part] Using a swivel-edged peeler along the edge of the block, peel curls out of the block and place into a bowl. Place in the fridge.

7. Remove pie from the fridge, and fill a piping bag with a 1.5cm plain nozzle with the cream. Pipe lines across like I did, or any other design you want onto the pie. Take the curls out of the fridge, and place them all in the middle, or in lines onto your cream, and break up the excess ones and sprinkle them on top, or use them to fill in the gaps where the condensed milk is showing.

8. Place pie in the fridge until it's time to serve. If you want, you can take it out of the tin, but if you do, be extremely careful, as the biscuit base is incredibly delicate (thats why I say to use a loose bottomed tin).

Enjoy :)

Spicy Gingerbread Custard Creams

2013-05-05T08:40:00.001-07:00

It's coming to the end of my academic year, and I wanted to make something for my teachers as a sort of 'thank you'. Inspired by an idea of lots of spice going into gingerbread, I thought - how about spicy gingerbread? It turned out very well, and I embossed the tops with a special tool used to emboss letters. Makes about 30 sandwich biscuits.

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

113g Softened Butter

75g Granulated Sugar

165g Dark Brown Muscavado Sugar

1/4tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2tsp Salt

3tsp Ground Cinnamon

3/4tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/2tsp Ground Ginger

1/4tsp Ground White Pepper

1/4tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

235g Plain Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

Chilli Powder

For the Filling

25g Softened Butter

1.5tbsp Instead Custard Powder

100g Icing Sugar, sieved

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

2tsp Milk

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add all the other dry ingredients except the flour, and mix until properly incorporated.

2. Slowly add the beaten egg, mixing between each addition, then add the flour, and fold in. Collect up all the dough and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 20 mins. Preheat oven to 190C/fan 170C.

3. Take a lump of dough, and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2cm in thickness and using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies, and using a palette knife, transfer onto a lined baking tray. Rub a little chilli powder into each biscuit, and place batch in the oven for 9-10 mins. In the meantime, roll out and cut another batch. Once cooked, leave for 2 mins, then place on a wire rack. They will be soft and will harden when cool, so be careful.

4. To make the filling, cream the butter until light, and slowly add the custard powder and sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined. Add more milk/icing sugar until you achieve a thick paste texture. Spread a dollop on one, leaving a bit on the edges without, and place another on top, wiggling it to spread the filling around the entire biscuit.

Enjoy :)

Simple Artisan Macaroons

2013-03-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Since it's Passover, I decided to include a flourless recipe for my blog. I am no expert in macaroons, but these turned out pretty good, and are really much easier than they seem. Try to use aged egg whites, you can fill them with whatever you want, but I have included a recipe for buttercream. Makes about 15.

Ingredients

For the Macaroons

230g Icing Sugar

60g Caster Sugar

4 Large Egg Whites

120g Ground Almonds

Pinch Of Salt

Food Colouring (Optional)

For the Buttercream Filling

150g Icing Sugar

50g Butter/Margarine, Softened

Milk or Water

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Pass the ground almonds, icing sugar and salt through a sieve twice, and throw away any bits or lumps that don't pass easily. Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C, and line two baking trays with non stick paper.

2. Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar to form stiff peaks, and then add your desired food colouring. Be quite liberal with it, as the colour fades while baking. Whisk for about 1 minute.

3. Fold the almond and sugar mix in with a spatula, but be careful not to overmix; it should be quite thick yet smooth, and shouldn't easily run off the spatula if held above the bowl.

4. Fill a piping bag with the mix, and pipe small circles onto the trays, letting the little end flick go over the circle. Once finished, rap the trays against the worktop a few times to prevent cracking. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Place in the oven for around 22 mintues, or until they come off the tray cleanly, and leave to cool.

6. Beat the butter in a mixer until creamy, then sieve in the icing sugar and pour in 2tsp water/milk and vanilla. Let it mix for around 5 minutes until completely smooth and pale in colour. You want a fairly thick paste consistency, so add more icing sugar/liquid if needed.

7. Pair the macaroons with ones that fit together well, and spread a large dollop of buttercream on one half with a palette knife, leaving a bit of room by the edge. Place the other half on top, pressing down gently while moving it in a circle to spread the buttercream around to the edges.

Enjoy :)

Grandma's Gingerbread

2013-02-25T12:26:00.002-08:00

Sometimes it's better to go back in time for the best recipes. Originally my grandma's, this bake is simple and delicious, but it can get messy with the golden syrup! I decided to add the topping though, to give a crunch, and really bring through the flavour of the ginger. Serve with butter.

Ingredients

330g Plain Flour

50g Caster Sugar

210ml Golden Syrup

2tsp Mixed Spice

1tsp Ground Ginger

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

230g Butter

2 Eggs, Beaten

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Topping

25g Light Muscavado Sugar

25g Flour

25g Oatmeal

1tsp Ground Ginger

35g Cold Butter, Diced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C, and line a standard size loaf tin. Place the butter and the syrup in a small saucepan on a low heat until all the butter has melted. Leave for a minute to cool.

2. While the butter is melting, sift the flour, sugar, mixed spice, ginger and baking powder into a bowl, and set aside.

3. Add the syrup mix into the sieved ones and mix together. Then gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Mix the bicarb and 1tsp boiling water, then add to the cake mix.

4. Place in the oven, and set the timer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the topping by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl, and rubbing it between your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. After 20 minutes sprinkle a thin layer on top of the loaf.

5. Put back in the oven for another 25-30 mins, or until a darkish brown, and a skewer comes out clean. Serve with butter and enjoy :)

Chocolate and Almond Cake Pops

2013-02-11T10:33:00.001-08:00

A product of hours of testing, experimental bakes and developments, these cake pops were the subject of my GCSE coursework final practical, the theme of which was winter. Again, these need to be made with a cake pop mould, which are easily available on the internet. But beware - they are not for beginners, and be sure to lay down some newspaper before making the spun sugar.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

125g Butter, Softened

125g Caster Sugar

125 Self-Raising Flour

2 Eggs, Beaten

2tsp Cocoa Powder

1/2tsp Almond Essence

12g Ground Almonds

For the White Chocolate Ganache

175g White Cooking Chocolate, broken up into small pieces

175ml Whipping Cream

For the Spun Sugar

3g Liquid Glucose

Pinch Cream of Tartar

33g Caster Sugar

15ml Water

25g Dark Cooking Chocolate

12 Wooden Skewers

Cake Pop Mould

Polystyrene Block

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C/180C fan/Gas mark 3. Grease the mould well. Cream the butter and sugar together until a very light off-white (this will take at least 10 minutes), and very slowly add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift and fold in the flour with a metal spoon.

2. Divide the mixture in half, and in one add the cocoa powder, and to the other add the almond essence and ground almonds. Fill up one half of the mould; half with each mix, and marble with a cocktail stick. Place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean when placed through the hole at the top.

3. While the cakes are cooking, heat the cream until bubbling, and pour on top of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and mix until all the chocolate has melted. Whisk with for a few minutes and then place in the fridge. Leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack before taking them out of the mould.

4. Once the cakes have cooled, melt the dark chocolate, and coat the tip of a wooden skewer. Carefully push it through one of the balls about halfway, making sure a small amount of chocolate leaks out. This will be the glue for the skewer. Place in a dish with an edge, such as a cake tin (image above), and repeat for all the cake pops. Place in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set.

5. Take the ganache out of the fridge, and whisk until its a thick liquid. Try dipping a cake pop into it, and if it easily enrobes the cake without being translucent or too stiff, its the right consistency. To loosen it, put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Dip each pop by the skewer into the ganache, letting any excess drip off, and push the bottom part of the skewer into a polystyrene block. Leave to set completely.

6. Lay out over the edge of your work surface three metal handles. To make the spun sugar, place all ingredients into a saucepan. Place the pan on a low heat, and stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, make sure all the sugar near the surface of the liquid stuck to the side of the saucepan is brushed away, or into the liquid to prevent recrystallisation. Turn up the heat slightly, so it gently bubbles. Heat until you see the very slightest change in colour to a slight caramel colour, and dip quickly the base of the saucepan in a bowl of water to stop it cooking. Using give it a second or two to thicken slightly, and using two forks back to back, dip them in, and flick them back and forth across the handles, to create thin, hair-like strands. Collect a few straight after you created them, and bend them with your hands into a slightly more circular shape, and place on top of a cake pop. If the liquid sets, place on a low heat, and wait for it to loosen again.

Enjoy :)

Jam Doughnuts

2012-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season, so I decided to add a suitable recipe. Contrary to popular belief, these can be made without a deep fat fryer, all you need is a deep pan, a candy thermometer, and 2 bottles of vegetable oil, and hey presto you have a deep fryer. These taste incredible, though make 20, so feel free to halve the quantities.

Ingredients

500g Strong White Bread Flour

50g Caster Sugar

40g Unsalted Butter, Very Soft

14g Dry Instant Yeast

10g Salt

2 Large Eggs, at Room Temperature, Beaten

150ml Lukewarm Milk

130ml Lukewarm Water

1 Jar Strawberry Jam

Caster Sugar, For Rolling

2 Large Bottles Vegetable Oil, For Frying

Essential Equipment

Slotted Spoon

Fillable Squeezy Bottle or Piping Bag

If you don't have a deep fat fryer:

Deep Saucepan

Sugar Thermometer/Probe

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar, butter, yeast, salt, eggs, milk, and 100ml of the water into a large mixing bowl, and with your hands, combine to form a firm but not hard or dry dough.

2.Slowly add the rest of the water, working it into the dough, then gently work the dough for 4 minutes in the bowl - or use the dough hook on a free-standing mixer at a low speed. The dough should be soft and start to get a bit stretchy but not sticky.

3. If using an electric mixer with a dough hook, put it on a medium low speed for 10 minutes, otherwise turn the dough on lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes to make a very smooth and quite elastic dough. Clean and lightly oil the mixing bowl and place the dough into it, and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise at room temperature for an hour.

4. Once risen, whilst the dough is still in the bowl, give it a light punch, or 'knock back', turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 20 equal balls. Place them onto lightly floured trays, slightly spaced out, and leave to rise for another hour.

5. Toward the end of the rising time, heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep saucepan to 180C. Once risen, if the doughnuts have slightly flattened, roll them into balls before carefully dropping a few at a time into the oil. Leave to go golden brown on one side before turning. It will only take around 3-5 to brown, so pay attention to them.

6. As soon as one is done, take it out with a slotted spoon to remove excess oil, and immediately roll in caster sugar. Leave to cool completely.

7. Whilst waiting for them to cool, sieve the jam to remove seeds and lumps, and place into a squeezy bottle or piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Once cooled, make a deep cut using a small knife in each of the doughnuts and fill with jam.

Enjoy :)

Jammie Dodgers: My Take

2012-12-08T12:24:00.001-08:00

'If it 'aint broke, don't fix it' - Bert Lance. I decided to take on the challenge of making a variation to jammie dodgers, and it actually worked quite well. Essentially I have made a brown sugar shortbread biscuit with reduced strawberry jam in the middle and a lemon icing on top. This recipe made about 32 biscuit sandwiches for me as I experimented with quantities of ingredients, so get ready for multiple trips to the oven!

Ingredients

For the Biscuits:

225g Unsalted Butter, Softened

100g Brown Sugar

100g Caster Sugar

412g Plain Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

2tsp Baking Powder

2tbsp Milk

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

For the Jam Filling:

340g Strawberry/Raspberry Jam

Few Drops of Lemon Juice

For the Lemon Icing:

150g Icing Sugar, sieved

1tsp Lemon Juice

Method

1. Beat the butter until creamy and fluffy, then add both of the sugars gradually. Mix until very light in colour and texture. Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the butter mix gradually, alternating with the milk, mixing at a low speed between each addition. Add vanilla extract.

3. Divide dough into to two portions, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins.

4. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C and line a few baking trays with greaseproof paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 of an inch thickness. Using a 2 inch cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible, and reroll and cut the remaining pastry until as much as possible is used up. In half of your biscuits, either using an apple corer, or a smaller cutter, cut out a hole in the middle.

5. Place biscuits onto baking trays and bake for about 10 mins or until slightly browned. When they come out the oven they will be soft, but they will harden. Cool on a wire rack.

6. To prepare the jam: pass all of the jam through a sieve to remove lumps and seeds. Then place into a saucepan with a few drops of lemon juice, and heat on a medium-low heat until steaming, then let it simmer on a lower heat for 2 mins. Chill in the fridge while preparing the icing.

7. To prepare the icing: Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice to form a loose paste - add more icing sugar/lemon juice if necessary. Put the icing into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle. Place all of the cooled biscuits with the hole in the middle on a sheet of greaseproof paper bunched together, and pipe long lines across all of them. Leave to set.

8. Take the jam out of the fridge and lightly spread the biscuits without the hole with a palette knife. Once the icing has set on the tops, place them on top, giving it a light push, so some of the jam will move to the hole in the middle. Add a drop of jam into the hole of each biscuit.

9. Leave the biscuits in the fridge for the jam to firm up, and they will be ready. Enjoy :)

Banana and Pecan Muffins

2012-12-08T05:12:00.000-08:00

A change from the normal incredibly unhealthy recipes I put on this blog, these fibre-full treats taste good, and serve as a fantastic snack. I make them mini-muffin size, and I recommend to as well, as with most bakes, I find the standard muffin size too large. This recipe makes around 8 or 9 normal sized muffins.

Ingredients

250g Plain Flour

25g Natural Wheatgerm

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1tsp Baking Powder

1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

100g Pecans, Roughly Chopped

3 Small Bananas (350g total weight including skins)

1 Egg, Beaten

85g Butter, Melted

100g Light Muscovado Sugar

175ml Buttermilk

Icing Sugar for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C. Grease or line your muffin tin. In a large bowl combine the flour, wheatgerm, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and 85g of the pecans. Peel and mash the bananas.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, butter and sugar, then stir in the mashed banana and buttermilk. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined, but don't overmix it or the cake will turn out heavy.

3. Spoon the mixture into the tin, about 3/4 the way up. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans, and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

4. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar, or cut a design out of a circle of greaseproof paper to make a template, and dust over that.

Gingerbread Latte

2012-11-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

The days are getting shorter and colder, and at this time of the year people need a pic-me-up. Overpriced coffee shops love to bring out winter ranges, and this is a staple whom's taste is incomparable, and can easily and cheaply be made at home, as it really is just coffee and the special gingerbread syrup. This recipe will make a small jug of syrup, of which not much is needed for each cup, so will probably last long enough for even the most keen coffee-holic.

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Syrup

2 Cups Water

1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

2 1/2tsp Ground Ginger

1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

A Pinch Ground Nutmeg

Strong Coffee

Milk

To Finish (optional)

Whipped Cream

Cocoa Powder

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Nutmeg

Mini Marshmallows

Method

1. Place all of the gingerbread syrup ingredients into a medium saucepan, and bring to the boil, mixing every so often

2. Reduce heat to a medium and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. This is to boil of some of the water, and reduce the syrup, making it thick and with a more concentrated flavour. Once done, it should be thicker than before, yet not as thick as something like golden syrup.

3. Remove from heat and pour into a jug or a resealable container. Make your coffee, and then add around 1/4 cup of syrup (less or more if desired) and add milk (frothed milk is nice with this recipe).

4. To finish, add whipped cream, and then possibly cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever you want and enjoy :)

To store, seal the container, or cover the jug with cling film in a cool, dry place.

Marbled Cake Pops

2012-11-03T12:22:00.001-07:00

A recipe I am planning to make in school and wanted to try out at home, these cake pops are so good, but you do need the cake pop tin. The actual cake is very simple, and this is really not too hard to make - you just need time.

Ingredients

The Cake
125g Self-Raising Flour
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
125g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2tsp Cocoa Powder

The Finish
200g Dark/Milk COOKING chocolate
100g White Chocolate
Ground Almonds or Dessicated Coconut

Wooden Skewers/Cake Pop Sticks

Method
1. Grease the mould and preheat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, then beat the eggs together in a jug, and gradually pour them in, beating well after each addition.

3. Fold in the flour, and then put half the mix in a separate bowl, and add the cocoa powder to one of them.

4. Place a bit of both of the mixes in each pod, and then marble with a toothpick. Make sure it only reaches a small dome above the lip of each pod. Place in the oven for about 15, but place a cake tester in the hole before taking them out.

5. While the cakes are cooling, melt the dark/milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and pour into a ramekin.

6. Once the cakes have cooled, pop them out. Dip one end of the skewer about 1cm into the chocolate, and then push into one side of the cake about 3/4 of the way, and place on a sheet of greaseproof paper, stick up.

7. To stop the chocolate in the ramekin from hardening, place the ramekin into a larger bowl with hot water. Once the chocolate around the sticks have hardened and the sticks are held in place, dip each pop into the chocolate in the ramekin until its completely enrobed in chocolate, letting excess drip back into the ramekin. Place one end of the skewer into a colander, as in the picture to let the chocolate harden.

8. Once all the dark/milk chocolate has hardened, melt the white chocolate like the dark/milk and while turning the skewer of a cake pop, pick up a small amount of white chocolate on a teaspoon, and let it drip onto the cake pop, creating swirls.

9. Before you return the pops to the colander, sprinkle with a some ground almonds or dessicated coconut so it sticks to the white chocolate, and shake off the excess. Return to the colander and leave to set.

Vanilla and Double Chocolate Chess Cake

2012-09-22T15:27:00.001-07:00

Originally from 'The Great British Bake Off: How to turn everyday bakes into showstoppers' by Linda Collister, this cake is a great twist to the marble cake. Originally three layers, I compressed it down to two, and it was still quite tall. It is essential though, that you have two relatively large piping bags with 1.5cm tubes, otherwise you will not get the chessboard effect.

Ingredients

The Sponge

233g Butter,Softened

233g Caster Sugar

233g Self-Raising Flour

40ml Milk

33g Cocoa Powder

4 Large Eggs, Beaten

2/3 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

White Chocolate Ganache

87g White Chocolate, finely chopped

63ml Whipping Cream

25g Unsalted Butter

Dark Chocolate Ganache

150g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), finely chopped

150ml Whipping Cream

To Finish

A slab of white chocolate (not much will be used)

8 Boozy Chocolate Truffles (click link for recipe)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20.5 sandwich tins, and line the bases with baking paper. Put the butter into a large mixing bowl, and beat with a free standing mixer until very creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla. Keep beating (scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time) until the mixture is very pale and fluffy in texture.

2. Gradually add the eggs, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour with each of the last 2 portions of egg to prevent curdling.

3. Sift the remaining flour and the salt into the bowl, and gently fold in using a large metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Transfer half of the mixture into another large bowl.

4. Sift the cocoa into one bowl, and add half of the milk; fold in until completely blended. Fold the rest of the milk into the second bowl of mix. Fit two piping bags with 1.5cm plain tubes, and place each in two large glasses, folding the top of the piping bags over the rim of the glasses.

5. Fill the piping bags 2/3 of the way up, one with the vanilla mix, and one with the chocolate mix. Take one sandwich tin, and pipe a chocolate ring around the inside edge. Then pipe a vanilla ring inside the chocolate ring. Repeat with alternate piping bags until the tin is filled. In the next tin, start with the vanilla mix on the inside edge, and again, alternate piping bags until the tin is full. Make sure all of the rings are even the whole way round before baking.

6. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until browned/ a skewer will come out clean. Run a knife around the inside of each tin, and turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.

7. For either/both ganaches, put the chocolate (and butter for the white chocolate ganache)into a heatproof bowl. Heat up the corresponding quantity of cream until right before it starts boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Slowly stir with a spoon until all the chocolate has melted, and leave in the fridge to set.

8. Once the ganaches have become much thicker, but still spreadable and glossy, take them out of the fridge and evenly spread one cake, browned side uppermost, with the white chocolate ganache, and place the other cake on top. Wipe away any trickling ganache. Next, cover the top and sides of the cake with the dark chocolate ganache, scooping away any excess. If the ganache has set too much that you cant spread it properly, hold a palette knife under hot water, dry, and then use to spread the ganache. Leave to set.

9. Take the block of white chocolate, and scrape a large knife across it, to create a bunch curls or shavings. Then take a small round cookie cutter and place in the middle of your cake. Place the chocolate curls in the ring, and lift the ring away, letting the curls cascade down. Place the truffles around the edges, and you are finished! Consume within 4 days.

Simple Boozy Chocolate Truffles

2012-09-22T14:24:00.001-07:00

Perfect as decorations for cakes, gifts, or an indulgent dessert, these are great! For a non-adult version, remove the Cognac (they still taste as good). Can be quite tricky to get the ganache right, but the rest is simple. Makes approx. 18 (depends on how big you want them)

Ingredients

100g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids Minimum)

100ml Whipping Cream

2tbsp Cognac

Cocoa Powder

Method

1. Make sure the chocolate is at room temperature, then chop the chocolate into very small pieces, and place into a heatproof bowl.

2. Heat up the cream in a saucepan right its about to boil, and pour over the chocolate. Stir a little (but not too much, or it will separate) until the chocolate is completely melted. Be patient with this, as it might take a while (if the mix goes cold and the chocolate still hasn't melted, pour a few centimeters of very hot water into a larger heatproof bowl, and place the smaller one inside for a bit).

3. Stir in the cognac, and place the bowl in the fridge. Leave to set until the consistency resembles a thick chocolate mousse.

4. Cover a large chopping board with a thin layer of cocoa powder, and take a small scoop of the chocolate mix, and roll into a ball in your hands. Next, roll it in the cocoa powder until completely covered, then place on a dish

5. Repeat until all the mix is used up. Store in the fridge and enjoy :)

Cookies 'n' Cream Muffins with Homemade Marshmallow Fluff Icing

2012-09-03T03:39:00.002-07:00

I don't think I have met one person who doesn't like oreos; so this recipe will suit everyone! Minus my tweaks, the original recipe was from the 'Primrose Bakery', and is the best cookies n cream cupcake/muffin recipe I have found yet, and it works great with the marshmallow fluff icing! It makes around 18 muffins(use a muffin tin, not a cupcake tin). The Marshmallow Fluff recipe makes a lot, so once you've finished icing, store the remaining fluff in the fridge to eat with toast, or use in cakes, drinks etc.

Ingredients

Cupcake Mix (the 'Cookie')

115g Dark Chocolate

85g Butter

175g Light Muscavado Sugar

2 Eggs (separated)

185g Plain Flour

3/4tsp Baking Powder

3/4tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Pinch of Salt

250ml Semi-Skimmed Milk

1tsp Vanilla Extract

Marshmallow Fluff Icing(the 'Cream')

120g Granulated Sugar

80g Golden Syrup

1.5tbsp Water

2 Egg Whites

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Pack of Oreos

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas mark 5. Line a 2 12 hole muffin tins with about 18 muffin cases (if you only have one tin, you can bake them in batches).

2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave. Leave to cool for about 2 minutes.

3. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until pale and smooth, then slowly add the egg yolks bit by bit and beat well. Once combined, add the melted chocolate and beat well again.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl and mix together until combined. Measure the milk into a jug and stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Gradually add alternate amounts of the dry floury mix and the milk mix into the creamed butter/sugar/chocolate mix, beating well between each addition.

6. In a clean bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks have formed. Then, using a spatula or a metal spoon, fold in the egg whites into the batter until thoroughly combined.

7. Using two spoons, spoon the batter into the cases, filling them about 2/3 of the way up, and bake for around 20 minutes (you'll know if you put the right amount of mix in if it's ready in exactly 20 minutes), or until when you stick a skewer in one, it comes out clean. If you don't have two muffin tins like me, cooking in batches might take a while, so start on the icing once the first batch is done.

8. For the marshmallow fluff icing, put the sugar, golden syrup and water into a pan, and cook on a high heat for about two minutes until the mixture thickens and turns golden (it will resemble caramel).

9. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then keep beating while slowly adding the hot sugar mixture. Don't worry if your whites lose their stiffness.

10. Continue beating at a higher speed until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and cool. Towards the end, add the vanilla extract.

11. Wait about 10 minutes for the muffins to cool a bit before adding the icing, then spoon on a small dollop onto each muffin, and smoothen out with a small palette knife, or a round-ended knife.

12. Chop your oreos into quarters, and save the crumbs. Place two quarters on each cake, and sprinkle the remaining crumbs around them.

And as always, enjoy! :)