Light and Fluffy Sweet Cream

I have been using butter-cream a lot, so I wanted to try something different. I loved this recipe because it sweetens cream subtly but perfectly. Great for scones or dryer cakes!

Ingredients

• 1 cup double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1) With an electric mixer, simply whisk all of these ingredients together until soft peaks form. This recipe also works well in a piping bag. However, I tried to dye the cream after I whisked it and it separated into curds and whey, so I would just leave it un-coloured as that was easier.

Credit: recipes.howstuffworks.com

Classic Victoria Sponge

 I wanted to make something to celebrate the end of the Olympics and team GB, so I made a classic Victoria Sponge. I know this is a day late, but I fell out with the icing yesterday. Firstly, I attempted to make a cream cheese icing but it completely flopped, who knew that simply butter, cream cheese and icing sugar would form a consistency of water? So today, I tried a sweetened cream. I was planning to colour it with food colouring and ice the Union Jack (for team GB) onto the cake, but apparently if you add food colouring to sweetened cream it separates and turns to curds and whey. Oh well! Learn from your mistakes.

 Victoria Sponge is not my favourite cake, as I don't particularly like jam. However this recipe has made me change my mind! Light, sweet, soft, fantastic. So easy to make and a great treat if you're feeling a bit peckish!

Ingredients

• 4 free-range eggs
• 225g/8oz caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake
• 225g/8oz self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 225g/8oz softened margarine or butter, plus a little extra to grease the tins
• Cream and jam for filling and/or icing

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2) Grease and line two cake tins, making sure you get up all the sides so that when the cake is baked it will be easy to take out.

3) For this recipe, use the all-in-one method. This is simply putting every single ingredient into the bowl and mixing them together, in the order listed above. When everything is combined, the finished mixture should fall off a spoon easily.

4) Next, pour the mixture into the two cake tins. Try to get the same amount in each tin, but it doesn't matter if the amounts are slightly different.

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes. To test if they are baked, stick a skewer down inside the center of the cake and if it comes out clean the are ready.  I found that the cakes felt too soft and under-baked, however this is how Victoria Sponge is meant to be; it is a very delicate cake. The cakes also have to look golden-brown when they are done. Put the tins on the side and after several minutes move the cakes onto a cooling rack.

6) When cool, cover one half with the jam (you can also cover cream on top too or you can use it for icing at the end). Sandwich the other half upside-down on top of the covered half, so that the top of the cake is flat. You can use ay icing you want- a dusting of icing sugar, butter-cream, royal icing. I sweetened the cream (using this recipe) and used it as icing instead of a filling.

This cake has converted me to loving jam on my cake! I now also have a special love for delicate cakes like Victoria Sponge, opposed to dense chocolate fudge cakes.  4/5

Happy baking!

Credit: www.bbc.co.uk/food/

Jaffa Cakes

I heard about this recipe from a friend, she made a video tutorial on how to make them. Click here to see it.
These are amazing! I thought shop-bought Jaffa Cakes were good, but these are better.  The dark chocolate compliments the zesty orange filling so nicely. They take a while to make, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz plain flour, sieved
• 1x135g packet of orange jelly, chopped
• 1tblsp orange marmalade
• 125ml boiling water
• 200g/7oz dark chocolate

Method
1) Make the jelly first. To do this, chop up the packet of jelly into cubes and put in a medium-sized bowl with the marmalade. Then, add the boiling water. Stir until the jelly dissolves.
2) Line a shallow baking tray with cling-film and pour the dissolved jelly into it. Put in the fridge to set overnight.
3) The next day, when the jelly has set, prepare a bain-marie (fill a pot half-way with water and place a small bowl on top) on the stove, on a low heat so that the water starts to simmer. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Photograph source: afoodieabroad.blogspot.co.uk

3) The recipe says that when the water is simmering to add the eggs and sugar to the bowl on top and whisk until it light and creamy. However, when I did this the egg started to cook. So, I took the bowl off the stove and then whisked  it until combined. Then, I heated the mixture -back in the pot- until it became creamy.

4) Take this off the stove and sift in the flour. Do not mix in the flour, but fold it in.

5) Grease a cupcake tray and fill each section half-way with the batter. Put in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes.

6) While that's in the oven, break the chocolate into blocks and use the bain-marie (wash it first!) at a low temperature to slowly melt it. Also, take the jelly out of the fridge and the cling-film.

7) When the cakes are out of the oven and cooled, cut circles out of the jelly with a cookie cutter (make sure the circle fits each cake!). Place a circle onto each cake.

8) When that's done, cover each cake with the melted chocolate and put in the fridge to set.

These are very rich and very orangey, so if you find normal Jaffa Cakes too much I wouldn't recommend these. However if you love a good tasty, zingy treat please try these! 4/5

Happy Baking

Easy-Peasy Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

If I'm honest, I wasn't sure that this would work.  The recipe didn't involve any techniques that I thought people did to make ice cream, it was essentially mixing egg whites with a cream mixture and freezing it.  However, it turned out perfect! The texture and taste were exactly the same as ice cream should be.  It was a great, refreshing treat to cool us down in this weather!

Ingredients

• 600ml double cream
• 250g caster sugar
• 6 eggs, seperated
• 1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large bowls

Method

1)  In the first bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff.

2)  In the second bowl, whip the cream with the vanilla until stiff.

3)  In the third bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar until creamy.

4)  Add egg yolks mixture to cream mixture and beat again.

5)  Fold (carefully and slowly passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top. the egg whites into this mixture.  Folding reduces the amount of air lost, opposed to simply mixing.

6)  Pour into a container and freeze for a day.

This recipe is very quick to mix up and simple to do, certainly something I will be doing again! 5/5

Happy baking!

Quick n' Easy Ginger Nuts

Ginger Nuts

I've bought Ginger Nuts a couple of times, but never made them at home- and they are by far better home-made! The ingredients are common so are easy to find in the shops, and the method is brilliantly simple and quick- anyone can make them!

Ingredients
(Makes 16)

• 4oz (110g) self-raising flour
• 1 slightly rounded tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 (40g) sugar
• 2oz (50g) margarine
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Method
1)  Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C).  Line with grease-proof paper or grease a medium or large baking tray.
2)  Measure flour, ginger, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.  Then, lightly rub in the margarine (Tip: Putting the margarine in the microwave for a couple of seconds will help make it easier to use) until the mixture is crumbly.
3)  Add the syrup and mix until a stiff paste is formed.

4)  Divide the mixture into small balls and place on the baking tray.  Lightly press them down with the back of a spoon, still leaving at least a 1cm gap between each one.
5) Put in the oven for 10 minutes.  When they come out, leave to cool for 10 minutes as well.  Bear in mind the will be very soft when taken out of the oven, so lift them carefully so that they don't break.  The will harden as they cool.

I love this recipe simply because it is so so quick and easy whilst giving great results! 5/5

Happy baking!

Milk Tart with Cinnamon

Milk Tart

Milk Tart is my favourite dessert.  It's crunchy, biscuity base goes so well with the soft, creamy filling.  I can never get enough! I strongly recommend trying this out.

Ingredients 

- 500ml milk

- 100g sugar
- 30ml plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 40g butter
- 2ml salt
- 30ml cornflour
- 5ml vanilla essence
-  Large pastry dish
- Cinnamon

Method
1)  Measure out milk, sugar, butter and salt into a medium-sized pot.  Set aside.
2)  In a small bowl, measure out the flour and cornflour.  Gradually add drops of milk until it becomes a thick paste.
3)  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together.  Add to paste.
4)  Turn stove to medium heat and heat the mixture in the pot.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
5)  When simmering, add the mixture from the small bowl. Now QUICKLY stir until the mixture becomes a thick paste- this avoids lumps.
6)  Pour into the pastry dish and leave to cool down for a couple of minutes.
7)  Making sure the mixture is level, cover the whole of the top with cinnamon.  Make sure no white is visible.
8)  Put in the fridge to set.

Definitely try this out! Am certainly going to make this again soon.  5/5

Happy baking!

Chocolate Pots

Chocolate Pots

Ingredients

• 225 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 400 ml double cream, plus extra for serving
• 150 ml milk
• 50 g icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• cocoa powder, to dust 

Method

1. Put the chopped chocolate into a large bowl.  

 

2. Put the cream into a saucepan, bring it gently to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Stir together until the chocolate melts and put this mixture to one side.

3. In another bowl, mix together the milk, icing sugar and yolks. 

 4. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the chocolate, stir till combined, then strain through a sieve into a clean bowl.

 

 5. Pour the mixture into small pots.

 6. Put the pots in the fridge and leave overnight.

 7. To serve, remove the pots from the fridge and dust with cocoa.

 credits to: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/599888
 

A piece of pizza!

Mushroom and Bacon Pizza

 This pizza is soft, stretchy and fluffy. Very basic and simple to make this great dish!

Ingredients

1. 290ml hand-hot water
2. 2 tbsp Olive oil
3. 1/2 tsp Salt
4. 1 tsp Sugar
5. 480g Strong bread/plain white flour
6. 2 1/2 tsp Yeast

Method
1) Mix the sugar and yeast into the jug of water.  Whisk until mixed and leave to stand for about 10 minutes until it starts to get frothy.

2) Meanwhile, measure out the flour and sift into a large bowl. Add the sugar and salt.

3) Create a well in the dry ingredients; pour the olive oil into the well and mix.  Then, create a second well and gradually add the yeast, salt and water mixture into it (while mixing in-between). You may have to add a extra drop of warm water.  You should have a  ball of dough that leaves the bowl clean.

4) Next, place the dough onto a clean, floured surface. Knead thoroughly until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

5) Return the dough to the bowl and cover with clingfilm or a tea-towel. Place in a warm area until the dough has doubled in size this will take about an hour.

6) Place the dough onto a floured surface and knock down to it's original size. Tear the dough in two and press each half onto it's own tray. Do this by pushing it down with your knuckles and gradually stretch it to fit the whole tray.  Be careful not to tear the dough.

7) Now, put your chosen toppings onto your pizza.  Remember to start with the tomato paste and then the cheese.

8) Place your pizza onto the top shelf of the oven and cook until golden-brown.

9) Enjoy your pizza!

This pizza is very nice, but did not live up to what I expected.  It was good, but, even though it is simple to make, the effort put into it was not worth the taste. 3/5

Happy baking!

Gone like a chocolate scone

Classic Scones are out, and chocolate scones are in! These triple chocolate scones are encased in a thin, crispy shell that when broken reveals a delicate, almost chewy, center.  Every chocolate chip becomes a rich, chocolatey surprise in this chewy/chocolatey/crispy treat.

Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 cup flour
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 1 Tbsp. baking powder
4. 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5. 1/2 tsp. salt
6. 1 tsp. vanilla
7. 6 Tbsp. butter
8. 7-8 Tbsp. milk
9. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
10. 3 Tbsp. chopped or grated dark chocolate (optional, I did not use these)

 Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  Line one flat baking tray with grease-proof paper.

2. Sift first five ingredients and chocolate chips and/or grated chocolate into a bowl. Then, add vanilla and chopped up butter.

3. After you have done that, blend all of the ingredients together while gradually adding the milk; until the dough is moist enough to form a small ball, but not sticky. 

4. In this stage, be careful not to handle the dough too much.  Place the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and carefully press down to about 1/2 an inch thick.

5. Cut into desired shapes, I just used a small rounded cookie cutter. Then, place onto your baking tray.  Leave a couple of centimeters space between each scone to prevent them from rising into each other.

6. Once you have used up all of your dough, put the scones in the oven to bake for about 8-15 minutes (depending on the size of each one).

I love these! They have the perfect amount of cocoa, and are a perfect texture for scones. 5/5

(Credit to: http://teapartyideas.wordpress.com)