Author: Michael

Christmas 2013

- Michael Leave a comment

Well hello, and a Happy New Year to everyone. This is my first post of 2014. I hope everyone had a super awesome Christmas and New Year. Mine was a mixed bag all in all. Christmas itself was great, we went to spend it on Mull at my parent’s cottage, which is available for rental now coughHINTcough.  It was great to get to the middle of nowhere and also to get some walking in. Also baked several times while I was there, as well as helping cook.

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We were very fortunate however, as the storm that went through the UK hit that area fairly badly. My mother and sister only just managed to get to the island on the last ferry that ran before Christmas.

I baked a Cheese, onion and mustard loaf.

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A cranberry and orange loaf.

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And a chocolate Loaf, which was a bit of a disaster (the tin I used was too small) but still tasted pretty awesome.

And guess what?! My mum got me this amazing “Bearded Bakery” apron.

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Unfortunately, what made the period less good was breaking up with my Girlfriend, which happened the night I got back, which got me down. I won’t go in to it, because you don’t want to hear it; you’re here for food, not my life story, afterall.

If you want any recipes for the above things, just drop me an email or leave a comment. I’m sure I’ll get around to them eventually! This post actually started off as being about Brioche Buns, which were my first bake of the year. But I’ll just have to do that one tomorrow!

 

OH YEAH. I almost forgot. I also made some Reindeer pretzl cookies for a party just before Christmas.

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Hope everyone has a great year, all the  best.

(ps, This blog is 1 soon. How exciting?)

Nutella Filled Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

- Michael Leave a comment

Christmas is in 9 days. I repeat, Christmas is in 9 days. Where the hell has the time gone? I am running out! With a trip to Scotland booked in from December 21st to December 27th, I am very limited with the time I have left, to shop, bake, see the Hobbit and generally exist along the way. However, it’s time for my second Festive Baking recipe. And you guessed it, it involves cinnamon. Although what you may not have  expected was Nutella. And what you may also not have expected, with it being festive, is that they are muffins. Cinnamon topped and Nutella stuffed Muffins, yum. What makes these different as well is that they use a slightly different flour to the usual plain white. I used a plain wholemeal, which made them slightly heavier but also works great on a cold night and compliments the Nutella and Cinnamon really well.

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The recipe only makes a few, 9 to be exact, but can be very easily doubled (and will be later this week when I am baking for a party). Speaking of the party, I’m also baking a couple of my Cranberry and Orange loaves, as well as some Reindeer pretzel cookies! It is the day I finish work for Christmas, so it’s safe to say that I’ll undoubtedly be a little worse for wear before it’s done. I’m also starting to plan in bakes for when I’m up at my parent’s cottage on Mull next week.

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Nutella Filled Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
 
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Serves: 9
Ingredients
  • 5 Tablespoons or 75g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 120ml milk
  • 190g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 teaspoons Nutella
  • Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 45g unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C(200°C fan) and grease a muffin tin (I used butter but a spray will work just as well).
  2. Cream together the sugar and the butter, on a medium speed.
  3. Mix in the egg, beating well, before mixing in the vanilla and the milk.
  4. Gently mix in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. When mixing these together be careful not to over-mix them. Do it until only just combined to avoid a heavy mixture.
  5. Divide up the batter into the muffin tins. Do this by putting one heaped tablespoon in to each hole. On top of each of these, place a dollop of Nutella. Cover with the remaining batter.
  6. Bake at 220°C for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 175°C(155°C fan) and bake for a further 13-17 minutes
  7. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes.
  8. While they are cooling, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter (either in a microwave or a pan).
  9. Take a muffin, dip the top in to the butter and then dip it in to the sugar mix to top it.
  10. Place upright on a cooling rack until they are cooled properly.

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Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Loaves

- Michael Leave a comment

December is here. That means one thing. Cinnamon. On everything. The festive season is great, mainly due to the food. I always put on a ridiculous amount of weight. But man is it worth it. I’ll be baking my Cranberry & Orange Loaves as gifts for a bunch of people, but other than that I’ll be keeping things fairly themed. These Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Loaves are just as delicious. They have just enough cinnamon for it not to overpower everything. The recipe, which I found on Sally’s baking addiction (the things she can do with cinnamon!) is fantastic. So I thought I’d kick off my festive baking with this. The loaves are perfect to go with a cup of hot tea or coffee. They are warming and moist.

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I haven’t much more to say about these (I’m having a bit of writer’s block at the moment), other than you really need to try them.

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Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Loaves
 
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Ingredients
  • 250g all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 120g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 150g light brown sugar (or dark brown)
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 240ml buttermilk
  • 80ml vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Cinnamon Swirl
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C(155°C fan) and grease a loaf tin (I used butter but a spray works just as well.
  2. Mix together the ingredients for the swirl and set aside.
  3. Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips until combined, set aside.
  4. Whisk the sugars and egg together until there are no lumps of brown sugar left.
  5. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
  6. Slowly pour the wet ingredients in to the dry. Mixing until they have only just combined. Be very careful not to overmix as it will lead to a very tough bread.
  7. Pour the first half in to the prepared pan. Using about ¾ of the cinnamon mixture, cover the top evenly.
  8. Add the rest of the batter, using the remaining cinnamon on top along with any extra chocolate chips, if desired.
  9. Cover (very) loosely with foil and bake for between 45 minutes and 1 hour. It can take anywhere between this time. It’s done when a tooth pick inserted in to the center comes out clean.
  10. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
 

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Nutter Butter Brownies

- Michael Leave a comment

Well guys, it’s been a while. America was absolutely incredible, and I’ll be inundating you with photos soon enough. But for now, it’s time for what people seem to come here for, recipes. While I was away I was under strict instructions to bring back things to bake with. In particular Nutter Butters. My girlfriend originally bought some back when she went hoping I’d bake them in to something, but we kinda got drunk and ate them. Can you blame us? I mean, Nutter Butters are so damn tasty. I’d much rather have them in the UK than Oreos. But hey, I’ve got a bit of a peanut butter problem. The next decision to make was what to do with them. I mean, I’ve baked Reeses and Oreos in to pretty much everything imaginable; cakes, cookies, truffles, cupcakes. You name it, I’ve probably done it. So I had to do something different. Brownies. That’s right, Nutter Butter Brownies. Bake them in to something ridiculously rich and gooey. I decided no ordinary brownie would do. No, it had to be something decadent. Why not do something with even more peanut butter?

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I also decided that something this good needed layers. Three of them to be precise. Each slightly different to the last. Or at least, in how they were put together anyway.

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These will be made again, as long as I can get hold of Nutter Butters in England that is. Hook a brother up?

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Nutter Butter Brownies
 
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Ingredients
  • 225g crunchy peanut butter
  • 200g bar dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 280g soft light brown sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 15-20 Nutter Butters
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C and line a 20cm tin with greaseproof paper.
  2. Set aside 50g of the peanut butter and 50g of the chocolate.
  3. Melt together the rest of the peanut butter and chocolate, along with the sugar. Stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the sugar has just about finished melting, turn off the heat. Mix in the eggs, one by one before finally, mixing in the flour.
  4. Spread a thin layer along the bottom of the line tin. Spread out several whole nutter butters over the layer and then cover with the remaining mixture. Break up several nutter butters and decorate this next layer with them.
  5. Melt the remaining peanut butter and chocolate, pouring them over the top of the current brownie. In addition I added a few splodges of peanut butter and topped with one final nutter butter.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the outside layer is crisp but the center is still slightly underdone.
  7. Once removed from the oven allow to cool in the tin and divide in to squares.

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America!

- Michael Leave a comment

Hello everyone, just a heads up that there likely won’t be any updates for a couple of weeks as I’m going to America (Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville and New York City). I’m going to Fest 12, the halloween horror nights and generally being a tourist. It does mean however, that I’ll be eating a whole lot of food, that I’ll likely blog about. Plus I’ll be bringing back some American treats to bake in to things. Nutter Butter cookies anyone? I’ll see you all when I get back. Happy Baking!