This one looks so tasty ... making it tomorrow morning to take to my sisters for dessert - guess I will have to make home made custard too ... delicious.
Will up date you tomorrow evening !
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Chocolate, peanut and raisin clusters p.202 / 203
Crumbly .... and you just must have a second one to make sure they are as inviting as the first one suggests.
Always heat your oven first and prepare your tins .... efficient preparation is a must.
Melt 80g of the dark chocolate, syrup and butter together in a bowl seated above a saucepan of simmering water - be sure the bowl does not touch the water - if you do the chocolate might 'burn' or indeed size if it comes into contact with water.
In another bowl mix the remaining chopped chocolate, peanuts and raisins. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder.
Next add the melted chocolate mixture combining thoroughly all the ingredients.
Form tablespoons of the dark mixture in to little bumpy mounds leaving space in between them because they will spread a little during baking.
Bake them for 15 minutes - they will be soft when they come out of the oven so it is best to leave them on the baking tray until they are firm enough to handle then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and, as I did, eat one or maybe more ... keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Share and enjoy or .... greedily keep them for yourself.
Always heat your oven first and prepare your tins .... efficient preparation is a must.
Melt 80g of the dark chocolate, syrup and butter together in a bowl seated above a saucepan of simmering water - be sure the bowl does not touch the water - if you do the chocolate might 'burn' or indeed size if it comes into contact with water.
I had to toast the peanuts because I couldn't find any on sale that were toasted.
The melted chocolate, syrup and butter :
In another bowl mix the remaining chopped chocolate, peanuts and raisins. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder.
Form tablespoons of the dark mixture in to little bumpy mounds leaving space in between them because they will spread a little during baking.
Bake them for 15 minutes - they will be soft when they come out of the oven so it is best to leave them on the baking tray until they are firm enough to handle then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and, as I did, eat one or maybe more ... keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Share and enjoy or .... greedily keep them for yourself.
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Portuguese egg custard tarts p.286/287
Made and tasted already !
Very silky smooth and certainly moresish :)
You can look at my account of making puff pastry for the pithvier I made in February.
It takes about a couple hours to actually makes but 2 overnight chills plus rolling out several times.
Use 300gms of puff pastry.
But first make the custard by whisking 60gms of the sugar with the egg yolks, cornflour and salt, in a bowl, together until smooth and combined. Put aside.
Put the milk into a saucepan with the split half vanilla pod and cinnamon stick - ring to the boil then remove from the heat. Pour a quartere of it to the mix - whisk it as you pour it in.
Return it to the boiled milk in the saucepan.
Put it back and heat gently, stirring continuously until it thickens. Immediately take it off the heat and beat it for a little while to get rid of any lumps. Then pass it through a sieve which will catch the cinnamon and vanilla. Put it in a bowl and place a disc of baking parchment over the top to prevent a skin from forming as it cools. It must cool completely.
Roll out your puff pastry on a surface which has been lightly floured. Create a rectangle anout 30 cms X 20 cms. Roll it up as you would a swiss role. Cut it twelve even sections then roll each one and press into the lightly buttered muffin tin. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Line pastry cases with a square of baking parchment and baking beans or pasta. Bake blind for 8-10 mins. Then remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to dry the bases.
Remove and set aside.
Lower the temperature to 160 degrees.
Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until you have stiff peaks - then gradually add the remaining sugar. Gently fold this mix into the cold custard. You must then pour / spoon this combined mixture into the puff pastry cases 3/4 full.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the custard is puffed up.
Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.
Heaven on a plate.
Oh dear ... can't seem to upload my photos from my phone .... help !
Well rest assured they are deliciously moreish even though I can't load the photos I took - you'll just have to make them instead of eating them with your eyes :)
Very silky smooth and certainly moresish :)
You can look at my account of making puff pastry for the pithvier I made in February.
It takes about a couple hours to actually makes but 2 overnight chills plus rolling out several times.
Use 300gms of puff pastry.
But first make the custard by whisking 60gms of the sugar with the egg yolks, cornflour and salt, in a bowl, together until smooth and combined. Put aside.
Put the milk into a saucepan with the split half vanilla pod and cinnamon stick - ring to the boil then remove from the heat. Pour a quartere of it to the mix - whisk it as you pour it in.
Return it to the boiled milk in the saucepan.
Put it back and heat gently, stirring continuously until it thickens. Immediately take it off the heat and beat it for a little while to get rid of any lumps. Then pass it through a sieve which will catch the cinnamon and vanilla. Put it in a bowl and place a disc of baking parchment over the top to prevent a skin from forming as it cools. It must cool completely.
Roll out your puff pastry on a surface which has been lightly floured. Create a rectangle anout 30 cms X 20 cms. Roll it up as you would a swiss role. Cut it twelve even sections then roll each one and press into the lightly buttered muffin tin. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Line pastry cases with a square of baking parchment and baking beans or pasta. Bake blind for 8-10 mins. Then remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to dry the bases.
Remove and set aside.
Lower the temperature to 160 degrees.
Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until you have stiff peaks - then gradually add the remaining sugar. Gently fold this mix into the cold custard. You must then pour / spoon this combined mixture into the puff pastry cases 3/4 full.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the custard is puffed up.
Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.
Heaven on a plate.
Oh dear ... can't seem to upload my photos from my phone .... help !
Well rest assured they are deliciously moreish even though I can't load the photos I took - you'll just have to make them instead of eating them with your eyes :)
Monday, 18 March 2013
Cherry chocolate muffins p.246/247
After this weekend's mass tasting of the bacon & cheese croissants I had to make a quick 'Simon & Garfunkel's' ... Keep the Customer Satisfied ... batch of cherry chocolate muffins.
Will tell you all about it a little later .. Happy Sunny Monday !
Finally - hi !
In the pic. you can see the unsalted buter being beaten with the caster sugar. Do this until it is light and fluffy.
As it is beating, chop up the plain chocolate. I used a combination of Green's 70% cocoa solids and some Bournville. Paul Hollywood advocates Bourneville.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Weigh and then sieve the flour, baking powder and salt over the mixture and fold in lightly, with the milk, until only just combined.
Do not overwork it.
Add the chopped pieces of chocolate to the mix - fold in
With the remaining morello cherries push them into the top of each filled muffin case so that they are just on the surface.
Cool on rack though ... barely out of the oven hadf try one while hot ... need I say any more.
Buy it !
Next one will be puff pastry for the Portuguese egg custard tarts p.286/287.
Will tell you all about it a little later .. Happy Sunny Monday !
Finally - hi !
In the pic. you can see the unsalted buter being beaten with the caster sugar. Do this until it is light and fluffy.
Weigh and then sieve the flour, baking powder and salt over the mixture and fold in lightly, with the milk, until only just combined.
Do not overwork it.
Drain the morello cherries and add two thirds of them to the mix.
Combine and when just combined fill the muffin cases - you can make your own muffin cases with unbleached parchment and scrunching squares of it into muffin tins.
I used ready made ones but have made my own in the past.
Bake at 200 drgrees/gas mark 5 for 15-20 min utes until they are golden brown and are firm and spring back when gently pressed.
Mmmmm ... breath in the freshly baked, sweet and so wholesome goodness --- you could use wholemeal flour to add some extra wholesome goodness.
Cool on rack though ... barely out of the oven hadf try one while hot ... need I say any more.
Buy it !
Next one will be puff pastry for the Portuguese egg custard tarts p.286/287.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Croissants ... with bacon & cheese p.164/165
We have been here before and WOW - they were so good - didn't get to many tasters - nearly hogged the lot but helped by my sister and stalwarts Sarah & Wyn.
To these I shall be adding bacon & cheese.
So I am making a triple quantity to feed the bus of supporters going up to Cardiff on Saturday - imagine a bus full of tasters ... can't wait but several hours to go first. Tomorrow I will finish making them but will freeze them and then defrost Friday night and then prove and cook Saturday morning.
So to start weigh out your strong plain flour and on one side weigh the salt and sugar and on the other side the quick yeast. Then add the 300ml of cool water and using the dough hook on the mixer mix ona slow speed for 2 minutes then on a medium speed for 6 minutes.
Having removed it from the fridge roll the dough into a rectangle to 60 X 20 cms.
Then flatten your butter to a rectangle of 40 X 19 cms - get rid of your bad day at the office -
and bash your butter to flatten it - best cover your butter with flour first.
Position the butter onto the dough so it covers the bottom two thirds - it should be placed so it comes almost to the edges. Fold the top exposed part down over the middle third, then carefully cut the portion of buter still exposed, but not cutting the dough, and place on top of of the part just folded down. Then turn up the bottom third of dough - pinch the edges.
Place it back into the plastic bag and chill for another hour.
Remove the beg of dough from the fridge after an hour and using a rolling pin rill out so you have a rectangle measuring 60X20 cms. This time fold up the bottom third then fold down the top third to make a neat square.
This called a single turn and you need to do this two more times placing it in the fridge after each turn.
And that is as far as I have got .. oops no - need to do another turn !
Be right back :)
OK ... Back after the two turns the dough then needs to be placed into its plastic bag again. The bag and dough then placed into your fridge for at least 8 hours - better still overnight as I did.
The next day I rolled out the dough into a rectangle measuring 30cms X 42cms. Neaten the edges then cut into two strips.
From each you should get 6 triangles measuring 12cms at the base and 15cms tall at the mid-point. After cutting your triangles hold them at the base and tug at the mid point so you create a sort of tension. You need to make sure your cheese is grated, then tmix it with your pre- cooked bacon. Take a desert spoon of this mix and place it at the thicker/ wider end - then roll up the dough. Do this for all the croissants - you may freeze them at this point, as I did, or put on a baking tray into clean plastic bags to prove for two hours - or at least until they have doubled in size. Then bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a crispy golden brown.
Take out of the oven and place onto a cooling rack.
At this point I had to taste one- warm and so not too hot - well, so crispy, buttery moreish. Of you so decide to to freeze them - makes sure you thorougy defrost then .
These are a must make 😀.
And the feedback from the bus - gorgeous ...
When I make them again shall have to try pain au chocolate xx
To these I shall be adding bacon & cheese.
So I am making a triple quantity to feed the bus of supporters going up to Cardiff on Saturday - imagine a bus full of tasters ... can't wait but several hours to go first. Tomorrow I will finish making them but will freeze them and then defrost Friday night and then prove and cook Saturday morning.
So to start weigh out your strong plain flour and on one side weigh the salt and sugar and on the other side the quick yeast. Then add the 300ml of cool water and using the dough hook on the mixer mix ona slow speed for 2 minutes then on a medium speed for 6 minutes.
Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured surface- it will be rather stiff, shape it into a ball then puit into a plastic bag and into fridge for an hour.
Then flatten your butter to a rectangle of 40 X 19 cms - get rid of your bad day at the office -
and bash your butter to flatten it - best cover your butter with flour first.
Position the butter onto the dough so it covers the bottom two thirds - it should be placed so it comes almost to the edges. Fold the top exposed part down over the middle third, then carefully cut the portion of buter still exposed, but not cutting the dough, and place on top of of the part just folded down. Then turn up the bottom third of dough - pinch the edges.
Place it back into the plastic bag and chill for another hour.
Remove the beg of dough from the fridge after an hour and using a rolling pin rill out so you have a rectangle measuring 60X20 cms. This time fold up the bottom third then fold down the top third to make a neat square.
This called a single turn and you need to do this two more times placing it in the fridge after each turn.
And that is as far as I have got .. oops no - need to do another turn !
Be right back :)
OK ... Back after the two turns the dough then needs to be placed into its plastic bag again. The bag and dough then placed into your fridge for at least 8 hours - better still overnight as I did.
The next day I rolled out the dough into a rectangle measuring 30cms X 42cms. Neaten the edges then cut into two strips.
From each you should get 6 triangles measuring 12cms at the base and 15cms tall at the mid-point. After cutting your triangles hold them at the base and tug at the mid point so you create a sort of tension. You need to make sure your cheese is grated, then tmix it with your pre- cooked bacon. Take a desert spoon of this mix and place it at the thicker/ wider end - then roll up the dough. Do this for all the croissants - you may freeze them at this point, as I did, or put on a baking tray into clean plastic bags to prove for two hours - or at least until they have doubled in size. Then bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a crispy golden brown.
Take out of the oven and place onto a cooling rack.
At this point I had to taste one- warm and so not too hot - well, so crispy, buttery moreish. Of you so decide to to freeze them - makes sure you thorougy defrost then .
These are a must make 😀.
And the feedback from the bus - gorgeous ...
When I make them again shall have to try pain au chocolate xx
Monday, 11 March 2013
Chocolate brownies with dried cranberries p.248 / 249
Well .... I had to make something quick and pleasurable with the limited time I had so conjured up these - with thanks of course to Paul Hollywood and his easy to follow instruction.
Be warned if you are on anti-coagulants e.g. warfarin / dabigratan use dried cherries instead of cranberries because cranberries will affect your INR levels.
That health warning aside ... so succulent and moist .... and yes, so very pleasurable leaving you wanting for more... enough said I will leave that to your imagination
Line your baking tin which should measure 20cms squared.
Melt your unsalted butter and chocolate - as Paul Hollywood used Bournville so did I, because you have the dark sultryness -( or is it sultriness ... hmmmmm anyway) and not the sort of intense twangy... iron tang ... if you see what I mean ..
As they are melting in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, do be sure your bowl does not touch the water ... which can cause the chocolate to become thick and grainy - whisk the sugar and eggs together until it holds a trail when the beaters are lifted.
But by accident the mixer fell back and as it fell to the floor pulled the wires out the plug .... could have been a lot worse I guess so took to my faithful Kitchen Aid mixer
:
Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs and sugar mix.
Sift the flour together with the baking powder and cocoa powder over the chcoclate mix. Fold it in carefully so you don't knock out the air.
Finally fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
Pour the mix into your lined tin and place into your pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes until it has formed a crust but still soft in the middle ...
Look at these - crisp on the outside yet yieldingly soft in the inside.
OK ...lightly dusted with icing sugar.
Serve with ice cream ...Joe's ice cream if you from Swansesa, South Wales. If you are not then since anything else is just ice cream start a campaign to get Joe's ice cream into your local stores - indeed start a : 'We want Joe's Ice Cream Campaign'#
You can also serve it with creme fraiche, sorbet, cream .....
Now these are so moreish - beware - I warned you ! :)
Be warned if you are on anti-coagulants e.g. warfarin / dabigratan use dried cherries instead of cranberries because cranberries will affect your INR levels.
That health warning aside ... so succulent and moist .... and yes, so very pleasurable leaving you wanting for more... enough said I will leave that to your imagination
Line your baking tin which should measure 20cms squared.
Melt your unsalted butter and chocolate - as Paul Hollywood used Bournville so did I, because you have the dark sultryness -( or is it sultriness ... hmmmmm anyway) and not the sort of intense twangy... iron tang ... if you see what I mean ..
As they are melting in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, do be sure your bowl does not touch the water ... which can cause the chocolate to become thick and grainy - whisk the sugar and eggs together until it holds a trail when the beaters are lifted.
But by accident the mixer fell back and as it fell to the floor pulled the wires out the plug .... could have been a lot worse I guess so took to my faithful Kitchen Aid mixer
:
Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs and sugar mix.
Sift the flour together with the baking powder and cocoa powder over the chcoclate mix. Fold it in carefully so you don't knock out the air.
Finally fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
Pour the mix into your lined tin and place into your pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes until it has formed a crust but still soft in the middle ...
Instead of wishing you could have some - make some ...
Go on ... try it ...
It's inviting you ...
Sprinkled with angel dust ....
OK ...lightly dusted with icing sugar.
Serve with ice cream ...Joe's ice cream if you from Swansesa, South Wales. If you are not then since anything else is just ice cream start a campaign to get Joe's ice cream into your local stores - indeed start a : 'We want Joe's Ice Cream Campaign'#
You can also serve it with creme fraiche, sorbet, cream .....
Now these are so moreish - beware - I warned you ! :)
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Banana bread with walnuts p.232 / 233
Well - while waiting for for the sourdough starter to prove/bubblefy/mature (not me - no way) I had to keep my panel of taster happy - salivating for more and so, as they say, a quickie to keep them keen and wanting for more.
Hence banana bread with walnuts.
So ... heat your oven to 190 dregrees / gas mark 5.
Line a 1kg/ 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
Using a mixer or hand electric mixer whick the bananas and sugar ntil fluffy.
Add the softened unsalted butter and neat until evenly distributed. Beat the eggs, one ata atime, adding a spoonful of flour to prevent mix curdling/splitting.
Sift in the remaining flour & baking powder - fold in carefully.
Finally carefully fold in the walnut pieces.
Put the mix into the lined loaf tin and bake for 40 mins or certainly an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack:
I had to have a slice :
mmmmmm ... the aroma ... smothered in salty butter .... well - the panel had their tasty treats with Wyn putting up into the top 3 !
In the evening I had a slice with caramel sauce ( which I made that evening) and cream ... so naughty. but so deliciously moreishly so gooood.
Not to be missed.
Go on - make it.
Next time I would add some chopped walnuts to the very top just before placing into the oven to bake and maybe some chucky pieces of brown sugar.
Hence banana bread with walnuts.
So ... heat your oven to 190 dregrees / gas mark 5.
Line a 1kg/ 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
Using a mixer or hand electric mixer whick the bananas and sugar ntil fluffy.
Add the softened unsalted butter and neat until evenly distributed. Beat the eggs, one ata atime, adding a spoonful of flour to prevent mix curdling/splitting.
Sift in the remaining flour & baking powder - fold in carefully.
Finally carefully fold in the walnut pieces.
Put the mix into the lined loaf tin and bake for 40 mins or certainly an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack:
I had to have a slice :
In the evening I had a slice with caramel sauce ( which I made that evening) and cream ... so naughty. but so deliciously moreishly so gooood.
Not to be missed.
Go on - make it.
Next time I would add some chopped walnuts to the very top just before placing into the oven to bake and maybe some chucky pieces of brown sugar.
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