Peanut Butter and Bourbon Cookies

What happens when you start baking and realise you’ve ran out of vanilla essence? Bourbon. Bourbon is what happens when you realise you’ve ran out of vanilla essence.  Or at least, it is in my house. I don’t mean drown your vanilla-less sorrows in a sea of bourbon, I’m not condoning becoming an alcoholic here, but the vanilla flavours present in bourbon make it perfect as a substitute in recipes where the alcohol has a chance to cook off. I was putting together some butterless and flourless cookies, i.e. I was baking simply because I had the urge to bake and hadn’t stocked up on some of the necessities, when the situation arose. I was following a recipe, which was first done by Averie Cooks, which it calls for fairly sizable amount of vanilla, meaning that a complete omission just wouldn’t be a good idea. Fortunately I had a bottle of cheap bourbon nearby and substituted the vanilla for a healthy glug of the hard stuff. Thus the Peanut Butter and Bourbon Cookies were born. The lack of butter and flour made them friendly to the vegan and gluten free friends.

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I’ve never had something requested to be made again so rabidly. I made them again just two days later and will undoubtedly make them again soon.

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Peanut Butter and Bourbon Cookies
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • Ingredients:
  • 260g Smooth peanut butter (I have done this since with “crunchy” peanut butter but preferred the result of the cheaper smooth stuff that I used first time around partly as the cheaper peanut butter spreads less.)
  • 220g light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Medium Eggs
  • 1 tsp Bourbon Whiskey (I used a cheap brand, no sense in wasting good whiskey and the cheaper brands tend to have more flavourings in them) OR 1tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 150g dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly (larger chunks are encouraged)
Instructions
  1. Instructions:
  2. Start by creaming together the peanut butter and the sugar on a medium speed. Once they have encorporated, beat in the eggs. One at a time.
  3. Add in the glug of bourbon and beat until the mixture isn’t at all granular.
  4. Beat in the baking soda. Once this is incorporated beat in the chocolate chips. This won’t need much and you don’t want to blitz the chips themselves too much.
  5. Place in the fridge for between 2 and 24 hours. You want the dough nice and chilled.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
  7. Form the dough into small balls and press them (gently, you don’t want these too flat) onto the baking tray a couple of inches apart
  8. Bake for around 8-10 minutes, until the edges have cooked but the center is still gooey.
  9. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack.

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Blueberry Muffins

With summer well and truly here I felt that continuing the summer baking just made sense. Blueberry muffins are simple, and taste delicious. They are a staple of almost any coffee shop, be it a Starbucks or one of the better quality independent places (we’ve a few great ones kicking about in Leeds, like Mrs Athas and Laynes Espresso). Filling a muffin with fruit, especially berries, adds that extra burst of flavour. It gives me the chance to say “it’s got fruit in it, it’s healthy”.

The key with this recipe is to leave it to rest for as long as you can allow yourself. (As  I often bake on a weeknight I usually don’t wait as long as I usually should). If you can allow it, leave it overnight and the cakes will taste just that bit better. This is a recipe for a relatively small batch, I didn’t want too many as I was making biscuits later in the night for my trip up to Scotland.

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This is also the first time that I’ve managed to get my DSLR involved with the photos. The charger simply disappeared a while ago and I had to order a new one. Part of this blog is going to be me teaching myself what I’m actually doing with it, so I’m hoping the pictures get better as I go along.

Blueberry Muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 110g plain flour
  • 110g butter
  • 65g caster sugar
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 125g blueberries, or equivalent in frozen blueberries
  • pinch nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
  2. Cream together the butter and the sugar until creamy, this can take several minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Mix in the flour, beating until smooth.
  4. Leave the batter covered in the fridge overnight, or at least one hour.
  5. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a muffin tray.
  6. Spoon the batter into each case, it should fill to around half way in each. Dot the top of the muffins with blueberries, 8-10 in each depending on how you want them to taste.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Pecan Brownies

I am fed up of store bought brownies. They just never seem to be right. They are either too cakelike without enough chew or the top isn’t glazed. I don’t even understand why, brownies couldn’t be much simpler. Couple a good chewy brownie with some nuts and you’ve got heaven. There isn’t even much more I can say about that. I just got a craving, one that could only be satisfied by Pecan Brownies.

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I’m a bit of a cheat with brownies. I got a brownie tin a little while back that allows me to bake them into individual squares, rather than into one big slab.

Pecan Brownies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 225 grams light brown muscovado sugar
  • 75 grams self-raising flour
  • 25 grams cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs (beaten)
  • 400 grams milk chocolate
  • 200 grams butter
  • 100 grams pecan nuts (chopped)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
  2. Melt the chocolate with the butter using a water bath, placing a heatproof bowl over hot water and stirring until they have melted together.
  3. Add the sugar to the molten chocolate and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the nuts.
  4. Combine the flour and cocoa powder then sift into the chocolate mixture, mixing well.
  5. If using a tin similar to mine, divide up the mixture to around half way up each of the holes. You’ll have enough leftover for either a second batch or else a small tin worth and bake for 35-45 minutes.
  6. Otherwise pour into an 8 inch square tin and bake for 60 minutes (1 hour).

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Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Summer has well and truly hit Yorkshire this last week or so. With the sun shining it has lead me towards some more summer themed recipes. Along with a visit to the York food festival, which is just brimming with local food produce. I stocked up on various things (that my budget allowed) and came home with some Chorizo, Brie, Oak Smoked Cheddar and fresh Strawberries. There was infinitely more that I wanted, but I just couldn’t justify it. The trip to York was a delight, involving sun, food, ice cream, sights, beer and good company. There isn’t much of a better time to visit York (apart from maybe just before Christmas, when all the decorations are up). When the sun is out it is undoubtedly one of the prettiest cities in the UK. Even if, to me, it has the whole “hometown” dullness that happens when you live somewhere for your teenage years.

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The pieces I picked up prompted me to make a couple of different things and over the next couple of days I’ll be uploading a couple of different recipes. This one involves the strawberries I picked up; Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes. It’s a quick recipe and absolutely perfect for summer. Especially if you are a Wimbledon fan. Strawberries and Cream is just one of the best simple combinations possible.  Coupled with the surprise of a Strawberry Jam centre to add that extra hit of flavour these cupcakes can be put together quickly and don’t even feel unhealthy. Keeping them small and topped with a fresh strawberry you just can’t go wrong.

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Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
 
Ingredients
  • 200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g/7oz caster sugar
  • 4 free-range eggs
  • 200g/7oz self-raising flour
  • 4 tbsp good-quality strawberry jam
  • 250ml/9fl oz lightly whipped double cream
  • 250g/9oz strawberries, hulled
  • icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a cupcake tray with cases.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, this can take several minutes, so persevere.
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beating well after each addition.
  4. Fold in the flour until you have a smooth mixture, it will be quite thick.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling about half way. Spoon about ½ a teaspoon of jam into the middle of each case. Cover with more cake mix. The final case should be around ¾ full.
  6. Place in the centre of your preheated oven and bake for between 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  7. Remove from the oven and set to cool on a wire rack.
  8. Once they have cooled, whip up the double cream. With a small sharp knife, cut a small well into the top of each cake.
  9. Pipe the cream into the well and top with a strawberry. Dust with icing sugar.
  10. Store in the fridge, these are best eaten straight away.

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Oreo Truffle Cupcakes with Oreo Frosting

You’ve all seen my Oreo Truffle recipe. Something quick and easy that tastes incredible. Well what happens if you take that, and put it inside a cake? I already had a recipe that I’d used a few times for gooey centred cupcakes.  It works great, rising up around the cream cheese filling. I had a bit of a brainwave to take the Oreo truffles I loved so much and put them in place of the chocolate/cream cheese filling from that recipe (I of course Googled it and realised that I wasn’t the first one to think of it). These cakes are decadent and once they’ve been topped off with a wonderful Oreo frosting they just taste incredible. Coupled with the look of surprise on most people’s faces when they reach the truffle centre. Oreo Truffle cupcakes are born.

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Oreo Truffle Cupcakes with Oreo Frosting
 
Ingredients
  • For the truffles:
  • 250g Cream Cheese
  • 2 x Packets Oreos
  • For the cupcakes:
  • 190g all-purpose flour
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 64g sifted cocoa powder (for chocolate cupcakes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, cracked into a small cup or saucer
  • 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 120ml buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 120ml hot water
  • For the Frosting:
  • 100g Cream Cheese
  • ¾ Packet Oreos (put the others aside for decoration)
  • 100g Powdered Sugar
  • 100g Unsalted Butter
Instructions
  1. Start with the truffles. Obliterate the Oreos, mix in with the cream cheese. Form in to balls and place in the fridge to chill while you make the batter.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line your muffin tin with cases.
  3. Mix together the “dry” ingredients; flour, salt, baking soda (and cocoa powder if using). In the bowl of your electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar.
  4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Then, alternate between adding the flour and the hot water in three stages. Starting and ending with the flour. Beat on a medium speed until smooth (this can take a few minutes).
  5. Divide the batter out between the cases. The cases should be filled to around ⅘ of the case. Drop a truffle into the centre of each cake. They are fairly heavy, so will probably sink towards the bottom, but make sure you don’t push them.
  6. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they have risen and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
  8. While they are cooling, make the frosting. Cream together the butter and the powdered sugar. Add the cream cheese and Oreos and beat together. If you want to thicken it up, add more powdered sugar and more butter if you want it thinner.
  9. Once the cakes have completely cooled, ice them with a knife. Decorate with remaining Oreos.

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