Winter Warner

A roast and a warming apple crumble... a perfect way to spend a cold New Year's day.

I used a basic crumble recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and put my own twist on it. I just can't cook apples without Cinnamon, and my mu always put sultanas in her apple desserts. 

So here it is:

Ingredients

180g plain flour

120g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

80g caster sugar

80g brown sugar

1kg Bramley apples

Zest of ½ lemon

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1-2 tbsp water

Handful of sultanas

Teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Put the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (or pulse it in a food processor). Tip in 40g each of caster and brown sugar and mix. Refrigerate while you assemble the rest. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Peel and core the apples, and cut the flesh into large chunks. Toss the apples with the lemon zest and juice, the remaining sugar and the water. Tip into a shallow, ovenproof dish.

Scatter the topping over the apples, squishing some of it into small chunks as you go, then bake for about 40 minutes, until golden. Serve with whipped cream, custard or ice-cream.

Baby shower cupcakes

My oldest and dearest friend is pregnant with her first baby and I was lucky enough to be back in Australia for her baby shower over the Christmas holidays. Obviously I offered to make some baby shower cupcakes, and thankfully this time it wasn't a buttercream melting 39 degree day so things went a bit more to plan. 

Once again I used the fail safe Hummingbird cupcake recipe in Vanilla and chocolate and their vanilla buttercream recipe, colours blue as we know the baby is a boy. 

Once again, due to my lack of excess time, I ordered some cupcake toppers, this time from Sugar and Spice Cupcakes. If you are looking for great quality products and fabulous friendly service, contact Stacy at Sugar and Spice.

So that was it really ... all that was left was to eat the cupcakes.

Merry Christmas - A selection of Christmas treats

As I spent Christmas with my family in Australia this year I didn't have much chance to do a lot of Christmas baking. However, I managed to get a few things in.

The first were some Christmas cupcakes. I used he hummingbird recipe that I have mentioned in previous blogs, both vanilla and chocolate. Simple buttercream on top (although if I'd not known beforehand I certainly proved the point that making buttercream in 39 degree temperatures isn't a great idea).

I ordered some cupcake toppers from Baking Pleasures and that was that.

The second item I made was a Christmas cake. My mum had made the cake already, I just competed the decoration. Normally you would cover the cake in Marzipan and then rolled fondant but on this occasion I just used the fondant. A few simple decorations using mould, cutters and some paste food colouring and the job was done in an hour or so.

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Birthday Anya!

So this weekend has been my second real project cake: a 1st birthday cake for the gorgeous Anya who turned 1 a few weeks ago.

This one didn't turn out exactly how I had planned it out in my head, but rather a lot more of an 'improvisation along the way' kind of job. But I'm still pleased with how it turned out. And like with every cake I make, I learned a few valuable lessons along the way.

So here it is, a beautiful celebration scene for a beautiful little girl.

And here is how I did it. 

My initial intention was to make a fanfetti cake like this but for some reason all my 100's and 1000's disappeared into the cake when it was in the oven ... so it's pretty much just a plain butter cake. That was the first thing that didn't go according to plan. The second was the size of the cake. I had intended to make one large block with Anya's name around the 4 sides, however the 6x6" size I made would have only been 4" tall with the 1 quantity of cake mix the recipe made. So, again I improvised and decided to cut the 2 6" cakes into 4 individual squares and make 4 blocks to spell Anya's name, as you can see below.  

Next it was assembly time. I used vanilla buttercream (same recipe as I usually use) to sandwich the 2 layers of each block together and then covered each block with a layer of buttercream to form the base layer for the rolled fondant. This was a little tricky and messy but the cakes are sturdy enough to withstand a bit of handling. A good tip if you find you buttercream difficult to spread is to dip you palette knife in some hot water. Make sure you dry it off as you don't want any excess water in your buttercream, but it will make spreading it, especially around the sides of your cake a lot easier.

Next was the rolled fondant. I used Ivory for the base colour just because I didn't want it to be bright white, but you could use any colour you like. I was tempted to go with a pale yellow colour but decided to stick with the ivory as it meant one less batch to colour by hand. 

I rolled out the ivory and covered each block. This once again was a bit tricky and I tried a few different methods. The one I found most successful was to cut along strip of fondant that is the width of the cake (in this case 3"x3") and then wrap it around the sides of the cake. Then cut out at 3"x3" square for the top of the cake. I used a ball tool to smooth the joins, but since I was planning to cover the sides with buttercream I knew no one would notice the join lines. 

I then cut out letters (making sure I had one letter form Anya's name in each colour) from 4 different colours of fondant which I coloured using Sugarflair paste colours.  Sticking them onto the 4 cakes was simple: just brush the back of each letter with a small amount of water and stick on. 

Next it was the buttercream. Once again, coloured using Sugarflair paste colours. I piped tiny roses around each of the 3 sides of each block before lifting the cake using a spatula onto the covered board. Then I piped roses along the bottom edge of the cake, making sure to cover the join with the board.

All the decorations (Pooh, hunny pot and Butterflies) I made a few weeks ago and left to dry in a cardboard box on my bookshelf. I simply then stuck them around the cakes and on the board with a bit of buttercream and we are done.

All up this cake probably took me about 5 hours to make, but making the decorations ahead of time certainly saved me time last night.  If I was to do it again I would also cut out the letters ahead of time as that is the time consuming part as you have to colour the fondant, roll it out and cut out the letters. There is no reason why they couldn't be done weeks ahead and left to dry. 

Up up and away.....

So, like I said last week I have a few project cakes in the coming weeks and toady saw the first: a cake for a farewell party for some lucky friends who are going off on a round the world trip.

So, here is how I did it. I made a 10" square chocolate Guinness cake using 2 quantities of the recipe I used in my first post, and layed it out on a 14" cake board, as you can see in the below picture. I chose to put mine off centre, but you could place it wherever you like on the board.

Next it was covering the cake. First I covered it in a crumb coat of plain buttercream, followed by some light blue fondant rolled out to fit the cake and the board.

Then it was time to decorate it. I cut out some clouds using a stencil image that I printed on the computer, and stuck them on using a bit of cold water and a paintbrush. The aeroplane I made ahead of time using white fondant and a little black for the decorations. Left to dry in a cardboard box it hardened nicely making it easier to place on the cake. Make sure you don't put any fondant decorations in an airtight container as they will sweat and so limp. Either leave them in open air or in a cardboard box to dry.

Some text cut out using an alphabet cutter and placed delicately on the cake along with some suitcases made from fondant and you're done. A simple piece of blue ribbon wrapped and glued around the side of the cake board for a finishing touch.

Cake to cure breast cancer

In aide of raising money for breast cancer awareness and research a group of colleagues organised a bake sale this week, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try my hand at a rose cake ... naturally a pink one.

I've seen many ideas and designs on the Internet, mostly through my hours spent trawling through images on Pintrest (I have to say what a fabulous idea it is...if you don't know about it, go check it out here). I have combined many of the ideas I have read from various Internet sources and come up with this. I think it turned out quite well for my first attempt.

So here is how I did it....

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter - room temperature
250g golden caster sugar
1tsp vanilla paste/essence
5 large eggs, cracked into a jug
85g plain flour
100g Greek yogurt
250g self-raising flour
3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

I also coloured my cake using a few drops of pink food colouring. I use the Sugar Flair paste colours as they are much more concentrated and don't interfere with the consistency of your mixture. For this cake I used the colour named **insert colour name here***

Syrup

50g golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste/essence

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt.
3. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk. Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition. Leave to cool completely before icing. 

In light of the occasion I made my cake pink by adding some paste colour before baking it, but you can of course leave it plain.

Once the cake is cool you can commence icing it. This design uses butter cream icing, and lots of it. 

The recipe I like to use is from the Hummingbird Bakery as is as follows...

Ingredients

150g Icing Sugar
80g Butter, softened to room temperature
25ml Milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence/paste

Method

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar until they come together using a handheld or standards electric mixer.
2. Mix the milk and vanilla in a jug and pour gradually into the butter and sugar mixture, beating continuously. 
3. Turn the mixer up to high speed and mix until light and fluffy. The more you mix it, the lighter your butter cream will be. 

If you want to colour the icing you can add the colour during step 3. Once again, I used paste colours as they don't interfere with the consistence of the icing. 

To ice this cake I used 3 quantities of this recipe. If you have any left over you can freeze it, just remember to beat it for a minute or so when it's defrosted before you use it next time. 

I have made mine into 3 different shades. White for the base coat of the cake and 2 different shades of pink for the decoration. 

First of all you need to cover the cake in a smooth layer of white butter cream to form the base coat of your icing.

Next you want to fill your piping bag with pink icing. I chose to use both shades of pink in the same icing bag, but you could chose to do one layer of each colour, or graduate the rose decorations in different shades. It's all up to you. To get the rose shape, I am using a 1M piping nozzle.

I started by piping roses around the sides of the cake. To pipe each rose, simply start from the inside of the flower, and work your way out in a circular motion. You can make each rose as big or as small as you like. Mine are about the same size as an average cupcake. 

Then simply carry on covering the cake with the rose design until you have covered the entire surface of the cake. Then you're done. See, it wasn't that hard was it? :)

Stay tuned for some more cake tales as I have 2 special projects on the go over the next few weeks. 

Happy Baking!!

Tantalising Thai - who fancies a Red Curry??

OK....so the Thai flavours are, I would have to say, my favourite combinations around. Spicy Chili, tempered by the tangy lime, cool coconut and amazing coriander. Whether it's a curry, Phad Thai or even a Thai salad ... if it has Lime, Coriander, Chili and Coconut in it ... I'll eat it!

The Thai curry has become a regular favourite in our kitchen, be it red or green, and the options really are endless when it comes to what you wan to put in it. I don't eat seafood, so my curries are usually chicken, and my only other rule is red vegetables for a red curry and green vegetables for the green curry. This isn't a Thai rule.... it's just my rule......My kitchen...my rules :)

So, onto the recipe. This is one from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute cook book, although I think the only part I follow in his recipe for the paste. Whilst this book is a great source of recipes for quick meal ideas, I don't think I've made one complete meal from it. Like I said, my kitchen my rules. Jamie's 30 minute meal book is a reflection of his taste and flavour combinations. If you don't like something ... don't use it. For me, cooking is about creating something that suits your tastes. Just because a famous TV chef says something in a recipe, doesn't mean you have to follow it to the letter.  But anyway, this isn't a review of Jamie Oliver...so lets get on with the curry.

Thai Red Curry

These quantities should serve 2-3 people

500g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 x 400g can coconut milk

4-5 tomatoes, cut into 4-8 pieces each

1 red pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 lime to serve

1 pack prawn crackers to serve

handful coriander leaves to serve

Red Curry Paste

2 stalks of lemongrass

1 fresh red chill

2 cloves of garlic

Optional: 4 faffir lime leaves

A bunch of fresh coriander

2 jarred red peppers in oil

1 heaped tea spoon of tomato puree

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2cm piece fresh ginger

Method

1. Roughly chop all ingredients for the paste and place them all in a bullet blender, or a tall container for use with a stick blender. Blend into a tick paste. 

2. Place a little olive oil into a wok on medium heat, add the chicken and brown slightly, along with 1-2 tablespoons of the red curry paste. Cook through for a few minutes until the chicken is browned. 

3. Add the remaining paste to the wok, followed by the coconut milk. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and red pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes or so on a low heat. The tomatoes will start to break down a bit. When this happens you know it's ready. Make sure you stir regularly

I serve this dish with some sticky Thai rice or basmati rice. You can serve it all in one bowl, or in an individual bowl like I have done. Coriander leaves for decoration, and some prawn crackers and you're done.

Happy cooking. :)