Baking

A collection of baking recipes

Easter Mini Egg Nests

- Michael 1 Comment

Easter is here. Which means mini eggs, everywhere. All the time. On top of everything. Inside everything (why not in brownies instead of the chocolate chips?). It also means the obligatory mini egg nests. Which is possibly one of the easiest “bakes” around and requires absolutely zero baking. Just some melting. And who doesn’t like melting stuff? (I tried to find a video of Phoebe first meeting her brother and him spending the whole time melting things, but the internet, for once, failed me).

DSC_0059

DSC_0065

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet just because there isn’t all that much you can say about Easter (especially as a non-religious person) and even less you can say about nests. The one thing I would say is that I prefer shredded wheat to cornflakes. It goes less soggy and gives a much better crispiness/nest look. Let me know what you’re baking for Easter in the comments below!

DSC_0060

Easter Mini Egg Nests
 
Print
Serves: 18
Ingredients
  • 300g Milk Chocolate
  • Tablespoon Peanut Butter (Optional)
  • 3-4 Large Shredded Wheat
  • 1 Packet of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs or equivalent non-brand.
Instructions
  1. Either in a microwave or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water), melt the chocolate with the peanut butter until it’s smooth.
  2. Break in the shredded wheat and mix together, coating the shredded wheat well.
  3. Transfer spoonfuls of the mixture to cupcake cases, allowing to cool slightly before adding the eggs.
  4. Chill in the fridge to set.
  5. Eat. All of them.
  6. Have a good Easter.

DSC_0063

DSC_0061

Blue Cheese Scones

- Michael 2 Comments

 

I’ve waffled on about my parent’s holiday cottage on Mull several times now. It makes me happy, alright? The very first booking is imminent and my parents went up the other week for one last weekend of making sure everything was in order and the house was ready for guests to stay in. It made me realise I’ve not been up in about 4 months, which I hate, especially as now it’s completely booked up I don’t get to go again until August. Anyway, my Mother bought me back a wedge of Hebridean Blue from the Isle of Mull Cheese Company. It won silver in the world cheese awards a number of years ago and it’s by far the best cheese I’ve ever eaten (blue cheese is the best cheese, end of discussion). I thought this would be a great chance for me to bake something full of the stuff… but er, I kinda ate the whole thing, in a few days… Oh well, my intentions were good, so I bought myself another wedge of blue (less good, but still served its purpose wonderfully).

 DSC_0011

So then I had to decide what I actually wanted to make, bread? Tartlets? Muffins? I decided on Scones. I realise I’d not made scones since last year when I made my Chorizo and Smoked Cheddar Scones after a trip to York food festival (which I thought I’d written up but apparently never did, whoops!). Savory scones are definitely the best kind of scones, in my opinion at least. Blue cheese works wonderfully well, especially when you add something like caramelised onion. All these need with them is some chutney and perhaps some soup and they are perfect for a snack. Why not wash ‘em down with a bottle of real ale and a pork pie? Now I want a pork pie, someone bring me a pork pie.

 DSC_0007

Blue Cheese Scones
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 115g (plus 2 tablespoons for the onions) cold butter, divided
  • 2 medium onions, finely diced
  • Salt and black pepper to season
  • 255g all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon baking soda
  • 90g Blue Cheese (crumbled)
  • 180ml Buttermilk (they sell it in M&S, only place I’ve found in Leeds center that does)
  • 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 220°C(200°C fan assisted) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  2. Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry the onions over a medium to high heat until the start to brown at the edges. Reduce to a low heat and cook for a further 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t cash. They’ll be soft and caramelised by the time it’s done. Set aside and allow to cool.
  3. While the onions are cooking whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda. Incorporate the butter in to the flour mixture, do this using your fingers, a fork or an electric mixer. Combine until it resembles coarse bread crumbs/meal.
  4. Once the onions are done and cooled slightly, add them, along with the blue cheese and buttermilk to the flour mixture and fold to form a dough. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour.
  5. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and roll out into a square that’s roughly 20cm x 20cm. Divide in to 8 matching portions and transfer them to prepared baking tray. Brush the top of each one with the beaten egg, this will help them glaze.
  6. Place in the middle of the oven and cook until they are golden brown. This should be around 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a rack. Best served fresh but they’ll last a couple of days after in a sealed container.

DSC_0013

DSC_0008

DSC_0009

Triple Chocolate Brownies

- Michael 4 Comments

First of all, sorry for the lack of updates. As I am still laptopless in the evenings it’s kinda getting in the way. I am also no longer with a copy of lightroom, so apologies if the photos aren’t quite so good. My fingers have got so itchy that I’ve actually stayed in work late to get this posted, and likely will be doing so a few times this week (I’ve got Guinness cake and Blue Cheese Scones to write up as well)… Anyway, BROWNIES. My greatest foe (not really, but I had a couple of disasters the other week when I tried making some using various different recipes I found on the old interwebs. I knew I should have stuck to the usual one). I also got myself a new giant brownie pan. So wanted the excuse to make them. I thought I’d keep it simple with some triple chocolate brownies.

DSC_0989

DSC_0994

I’m fairly sure I’ve ranted before about shop bought brownies being too cakey and how, to me, that’s just not what a brownie is. It should be a gooey, chocolatey mass of awesome.

DSC_0983

DSC_0996

For a smaller 20cm tin halve the ingredients.

Update (September 2016): This recipe requires some serious whisking, I’d recommend you did this with an electric whisk or at the very least a hand-whisk.

Triple Chocolate Brownies
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 30
Ingredients
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 250g best dark chocolate
  • 115g plain flour
  • 53g cocoa powder
  • 100g white chocolate
  • 100g milk chocolate
  • 4 large eggs
  • 370g golden caster sugar
Instructions
  1. Melt together the butter and dark chocolate, by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture together as it starts to melt, over a low heat. (You can do this stage in the microwave, but I don’t own one). Set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. While it is cooling, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan assisted) and grease/line your tin.
  3. Over a medium sized bowl, sieve the flour and cocoa powder in together.
  4. Roughly chop the white and milk chocolate into chips and set aside.
  5. Break the eggs and caster sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer and whisk on high speed until it looks thick and creamy. This can take anywhere between 3 and 8 minutes. When you take out the paddle, as it dribbles onto the surface and leaves a trail for a second or two then it’s perfect.
  6. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly folding it until it’s completely incorporated. You want them mixed without knocking out all the air you just added in to the mixture with the whisking.
  7. Sift the flour mix into the egg/chocolate mix and mix until it’s completely combined. Again, being careful not to knock the air out. Followed by the chocolate chips.
  8. Pour this into the prepared pan. Ensuring that it is spread evenly, by pushing it around gently with the spatula.
  9. Place in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes (20 if using the smaller pan). You’ll be able to see if it is done by wobbling the tray slightly. If the middle wobbles it needs a little longer, so put it back in for another 5 minutes.
  10. Once cooked, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack, still in the tin and leave to cool completely before removing and dividing in to squares.

DSC_0997

DSC_0986

 

Millionaire’s Shortbread

- Michael 1 Comment

So last week I made Shortbread, on impulse, for the first time in absolutely ages (years maybe?) and it reminded me how some of the best bakes are the most simple. I mean, Shortbread can be thrown together in the space of 50 minutes (which includes chilling AND cook time) and with very simple ingredients. I contrasted this the next day with one of the more complex things I’ve ever made, my Marmite Caramel Cupcakes. This was the first time I’d ever actually made caramel and it made me want to do it again. So the logical progressing was Millionaire’s Shortbread. The number of store bought millionaire’s shortbread I’ve had and been disappointed in are far too many to count. What’s with the “shortbread”? It’s more like the base of a cheesecake or something. Not even remotely like good old fashioned crunchy shortbread. Couple proper shortbread with well-made caramel, and good chocolate, you get something truly wonderful.

DSC_0951

DSC_0958

My only issue is that I made the caramel while the shortbread was in the oven. And it took absolutely bloody ages to cool down. And it needs to cool properly, as it thickens as it cools. If you don’t wait, it’s far too runny but once it’s chilled it’s thick and spreadable. So I’d recommend doing the Caramel in advance (I’m going to upload the recipe for that separately (as well). I also really didn’t want to use the condensed milk method that most places recommend.

DSC_0948

DSC_0963

DSC_0955

Millionaire's Shortbread
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • For the Caramel:
  • 250gm sugar
  • 400ml cream
  • 50gm unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt (optional)
  • Vanilla extract (optional).
  • For the Shortbread:
  • 125g/4oz butter
  • 55g/2oz caster sugar, plus extra to finish
  • 180g/6oz plain flour
  • For the topping:
  • 150g Dark Chocolate
  • Decent sized chunk of butter. (You can always add more)
Instructions
  1. For the caramel:
  2. In the bottom of a large heavy based stew pot, heap the sugar and place over a low heat.
  3. As the edges start to melt, mix (using a wooden spoon) them in to the non-melted sugar. At this point my sugar started spreading out over the pan.
  4. Keep stirring so it doesn’t catch on the pan. Allow it to completely melt. It will colour at this point. The longer you leave it the more bitter it will be.
  5. Take off the heat. Stir in half the cream. The mixture will bubble up furiously. Be careful of any steam coming out. Parts of the mix may start to harden, but keep on stirring and it should all combine nicely.
  6. Add the remaining cream then return to the low heat. Add the butter and the other ingredients (if using). Keep stirring over the heat until the butter is combined.
  7. Take off the stove and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour in to jars and allow to cool. It’ll be very runny at this point but will thicken as it cools. It’ll last about 3 weeks in the fridge and you’ll have MORE than enough.
  8. For the Shortbread:
  9. Heat the oven to 190°C(170°C fan assisted). I currently don’t have a deep tin/dish (anymore, left it at my ex’s oops) for this so just did it on a baking tray. Obviously something with deep sides would be better.
  10. Combine together the butter and the sugar. Mixing until it’s smooth.
  11. Add in the flour and mix until it makes a paste. I had to use a wooden spoon to finish this off.
  12. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and roll out until it’s around 1cm thick. If using a tin, cut to fit. Otherwise slice up in to a rectangle/square.
  13. Place on baking paper on a tray and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
  14. Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
  15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
  16. Once this has cooled spoon the caramel over the top and spread it so it’s evenly distributed.
  17. Return to the fridge while you sort the chocolate. Either in the microwave (I don’t own one!) or in a bowl over hot water, melt the butter and chocolate together.
  18. Spread this over the top of the shortbread/caramel and place back in the fridge until it’s set.
  19. Divide up in to squares.

DSC_0952

DSC_0954

Marmite Caramel Cupcakes

- Michael Leave a comment

Love it or hate it, you just can’t escape it. It’s everywhere at the moment, especially today. The day when everyone decides to try and pour scorn on some and adoration on others. I am of course, talking about the day I made Marmite Caramel Cupcakes. It made a line down the middle of the room. Lovers, or haters. And hey, I actually managed to convert some of the haters (in this case at least). The trick to get Marmite into something sweet is to work out what flavours you can take advantage of. It’s such a salty flavour that it works perfectly to add to a caramel. Salted Caramel has seen a huge boom over the last year or so. You can get pretty much anything with salted caramel in or on it. I’m not complaining, I love the stuff. (Oh yeah, it’s Valentine’s day too. So like, hearts and stuff. Pass the gin, pizza and Digimon marathon). I originally found this idea across at Ms Marmite Lover.

tumblr_n0vw5l4btz1qk2stno1_500

DSC_0909

So let’s get this in to gear. You will need to do this in several stages. Starting with the Caramel, then the frosting before moving on to the cakes and then filling/decorating them.

DSC_0924

Marmite Caramel Cupcakes
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • For the caramel:
  • 125ml Cold Water
  • 330g Caster Sugar
  • 250ml Double Cream
  • Marmite to taste
  • For the Frosting:
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 62g cream cheese
  • 32g unsalted butter
  • For the cupcakes:
  • 130g unsalted butter
  • 130g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 130g beaten egg
  • 195g plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 60ml milk
Instructions
  1. For the Caramel:
  2. Mix together the water and sugar in a medium sized saucepan until it has dissolved.
  3. Put over heat and bring to the boil without stirring.
  4. Use a wet brush to keep the sides clear of crystals. Once it has started boiling swirl it around occasionally to make the colouring even.
  5. Leave until it is browned to your preferred colour. The darker it is the more bitter. Remember that you will be getting extra colour from the marmite.
  6. Set aside to cool slightly and carefully whisk in the double cream. Leave it to cool a little more and mix in the marmite while it’s still warm enough to melt but not hot enough to burn your lips.
  7. Set a small bowl of the caramel aside and add more marmite to it. This will go in the center of the cakes. The rest will be used for the frosting later.
  8. For the Frosting:
  9. Cream together the cream cheese and ⅓ of the icing sugar until smooth.
  10. Melt the butter until it’s bubbling.
  11. Mix in the rest of the sugar and while it’s mixing add in the bubbling butter.
  12. Fold through the caramel gradually. Don’t add too much or it will collapse. My frosting was still very gooey and not stiff. Set it to one side, covered tightly so it doesn’t crust over.
  13. For the cupcakes:
  14. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan assisted) and line a tray with cases.
  15. Cream together the butter and sugar on high for several minutes until light and fluffy.
  16. Add the beaten eggs, slowly. Beating well after each addition to prevent curdling.
  17. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
  18. Mix the flour into the wet mixture until properly incorporated.
  19. Add in the milk (at room temperature) and the vanilla.
  20. Slow the speed of your mixer down so as not to beat the air out. Scrape down the sides occasionally.
  21. Divide the mixture out evenly among the 12 cases.
  22. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  23. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
  24. Decoration:
  25. Using a small sharp knife, cut a small well into the top/middle of each cake. Keeping the “cap” set aside.
  26. Fill this hole with some of the stronger caramel you set aside earlier and then place the cap back on top.
  27. Using a palette knife cover the cakes with the caramel frosting. Decorate however you please after.