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Weekend Baking
Former Member
Owl WhispererPosts: 1,020 Wise Owl
Baking cheers me up, especially during a chilly rainy weekend, or just because I'm in the mood. Everybody loves cakes so mine don't hang around which is why I often make more than one. This afternoon I made a couple of different, but very popular cakes and hope to be adding more recipes here when time allows.
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Because my girl is such a pig for buttercream, I have to make twice the quantity so as to spread it over the cake to twice the depth. Same applies with marzipan over Christmas cake, but this recipe should give more than enough frosting for the average person. The buttercream is utterly delicious, so if nobody's looking, lick the bowl clean.
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 12, but realistically serves 6 with seconds
For the Cake
1 pound carrots (peeled and trimmed)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flour (white whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups neutral oil (such as canola)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disc, grate the carrots. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and white whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, use an electric hand mixer or whisk to beat together the oil, sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Beat in the eggs one at a time until they are fully incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Mix the batter just until smooth. Fold in the grated carrots until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until the cakes are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops are golden, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting
Now for the Buttercream Frosting
It will also pipe perfectly.
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Notes before we start: Frosting can be made 1-2 days in advance, cover tightly and transfer to the fridge. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before frosting cakes (or cupcakes if making). Frosting will also freeze well for 2-3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and mix well before frosting cupcakes/cakes.
1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons double cream or heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
pinch of salt, adjust to taste
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed at first, then increase to medium speed and continue mixing for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture starts to come together.
Add in the cream (start with 2 tablespoons and add a little more if needed), vanilla extract, and salt and continue mixing on medium-high speed for another minute or until everything is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Because my girl is such a pig for buttercream, I have to make twice the quantity so as to spread it over the cake to twice the depth. Same applies with marzipan over Christmas cake, but this recipe should give more than enough frosting for the average person. The buttercream is utterly delicious, so if nobody's looking, lick the bowl clean.
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 12, but realistically serves 6 with seconds
For the Cake
1 pound carrots (peeled and trimmed)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flour (white whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups neutral oil (such as canola)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disc, grate the carrots. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and white whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, use an electric hand mixer or whisk to beat together the oil, sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Beat in the eggs one at a time until they are fully incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Mix the batter just until smooth. Fold in the grated carrots until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until the cakes are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops are golden, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting
Now for the Buttercream Frosting
It will also pipe perfectly.
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Notes before we start: Frosting can be made 1-2 days in advance, cover tightly and transfer to the fridge. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before frosting cakes (or cupcakes if making). Frosting will also freeze well for 2-3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and mix well before frosting cupcakes/cakes.
1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons double cream or heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
pinch of salt, adjust to taste
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed at first, then increase to medium speed and continue mixing for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture starts to come together.
Add in the cream (start with 2 tablespoons and add a little more if needed), vanilla extract, and salt and continue mixing on medium-high speed for another minute or until everything is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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This recipe by Nigel Slater is made with unsalted butter, unrefined sugar and free-range organic eggs, you will have something infinitely superior to any shop-bought cake. It takes an hour from start to finish and will keep for several days, sealed and at room temperature. Serves 8-10.
For the Cake
175g unsalted butter
175g unrefined golden caster sugar
65g walnut pieces
3 large eggs
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp instant coffee granules
For the Filling
200g unsalted butter
400g icing sugar
2 tsps instant coffee granules
60g walnut pieces
You will also need 2 x 21cm loose-bottomed sponge tins.
Beat the butter and sugar till it is light, pale and fluffy. You could do this by hand, but it is far easier and better with an electric mixer. Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4. Meanwhile, line the base of two 21cm sponge tins with greaseproof paper and chop the walnuts. Crack the eggs into a bowl, break them up with a fork and add them a little at a time to the butter and sugar, beating well after each addition.
Mix the flour and baking powder together and mix into the butter and sugar gently, with the mixer on a slow speed or by hand, with a large metal spoon. Dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tbsp boiling water, then stir into the cake. Chop the walnuts and fold gently into the cake.
Divide the cake mixture between the two cake tins, smooth lightly, and bake for 20-25 minutes. I have noticed mine are pretty much consistently done after 23 minutes.
To make the frosting, beat the butter till soft and pale with an electric beater, then add the sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. Stir 1 tbsp boiling water into the coffee granules then mix it into the buttercream. Fold in the walnut pieces.
As soon as it is cool, turn one half of the cake upside down on a plate or board, spread it with a good third of the buttercream, then place the second half on top. Spread the remaining buttercream on top and round the sides.
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For my vegetarian friends, you can of course omit the lardons (bacon) if you wish, and add some fried mushrooms maybe? The dish can be part-cooked (as in the potatoes boiled and the onions and bacon fried) and assembled, but it can then be popped in the fridge until you need to bake it – just remember to take it out half an hour beforehand to bring it to room temperature – this makes it a fabulous recipe to have prepared for any family supper, especially handy for after work or over the weekend. This recipe which I was allowed to watch being made will serve 4.
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 25 min
and total time, 40 mins
What you need:
1.2kg potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
200g smoked lardons (or smoked streaky bacon cut into small pieces)
2 large pink or red onions, peeled and diced (or 10 pink shallots)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
150 mls dry white wine
1 x 500g Reblochon cheese
6 tablespoons crème fraiche
butter
salt and pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 and butter an oven-proof gratin dish or shallow casserole dish.
Boil the potatoes until just soft. Drain them and allow them to cool before cutting them into slices. Meanwhile, fry the lardons (or bacon pieces), onions and garlic until the lardons are crisp and the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.
Add half of the wine to the lardons and onion mixture, turn the heat up and de-glaze the wine for 2 to 3 minutes until half of it has cooked down with the other ingredients. Add the cooked potatoes to the lardon and onion mixture and gently mix together. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared dish.
Cut the Reblochon cheese in half through the centre, and the cut the two halves into cubes. Scatter half of the Reblochon cheese cubes over the lardon and onion mixture, crust side up, then spoon the remaining lardon and onion mixture over the top. Pour over the remaining wine and spoon the crème fraiche over the top. Season with salt (not too much as the lardons are salty) and pepper.
Scatter the rest of the Reblochon cheese cubes over the top, crust side up again, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the tartiflette is golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot from the oven with salad, cornichons (gherkins), pickled onions, charcuterie and crusty bread.
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Paprika? That's interesting. That would be a savoury flavour added to sweet. pm me the recipe, could you? I'd like to try that and thank you for sharing.
These look more like a biscuit; my recipe will make 100. They are so moreish that you could double the recipe for a party, or just to keep in an airtight tin for munching on throughout the week, even take some to the office @TheMix :thumb:
Note: The dough can be chilled, wrapped in foil or a plastic bag for a week or frozen for up to two months. The crackers can be baked a few days ahead and cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you like, you can reheat them on a baking sheet in a 350° F / 175° C oven for about 5 minutes.
Ingredients:
113 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
340 g sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (on the large holes of a box grater)
1 large egg yolk
1 cup / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp dried mustard
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper,
1 tsp caraway seeds
Combine the butter, cheese, and yolk in the bowl of a food processor, and blend until smooth. The mixture may seem very thick and lumpy and cement-like at first, but persevere, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides as needed; it will eventually come together into a smooth, thick paste. When it does, add the flour, dried mustard, and salt, and pulse until just combined. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper, and divide it into three portions. NB: Do not clean the food processor yet.
Return one portion to the food processor, add the pepper, and pulse until combined well. Transfer the dough to another sheet of parchment paper. Using the paper as an aid, shape the dough into a log roughly 20 cm in length and 4 cm thick. Roll up the log in the paper, and twist the ends to seal it closed.
Now clean the processor and dry it well. Make another log on a separate sheet of wax paper in the same manner, using caraway seeds instead of pepper. Place the final, unseasoned portion of dough on another sheet of wax paper, and make it into a log as well. Chill the logs until firm, about 2 hours.
When you’re ready to bake the crisps, put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 175° Centigrade. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unwrap one log and using a paring knife, cut enough thin slices – about 3 mm thick – from it to cover the baking sheet, arranging the slices about 2.5 cm apart. Bake the crisps until their edges are golden, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer them on the parchment to a rack and cool them slightly, about 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Serve them warm or at room temperature.
Here you go - when I first read it I nearly never put the paprika in as it seemed strange but it actually adds a decent amount of taste! Hopefully you think the same.
INGREDIENTS
175G Butter
125G Demerara Sugar
2 TBSP Golden Syrup
400G Porridge Oats
1TBSP Paprika
Place the butter, syrup and sugar into a large saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and butter melts. Then remove from the heat.
Stir in the porridge Oats and a dash of paprika until blended.
Press mixture into a greased tin to bake at 180 degrees or gas mark four. Bake until golden brown, for between 20-30mins.
Once golden brown in colour, remove from oven and leave to cool before slicing into squares. (if you cut while it's hot then it'll crumble)
Happy Baking 😊
Pekin Duck Fried Rice
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 15 mins
4 cups cooked leftover rice (refridgerated, from the night before)
3 tablespoons light oil
2 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
oil for frying
1 white onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup red onions, sliced
2 cups Peking or roast duck meat, chopped
a few shakes of white pepper (to taste)
a few drops sesame oil
coriander to serve
Mix the oil, hoi sin and soy sauce in a small bowl until combined. Mix with the rice coating the grains as much as possible.
Heat a frypan on high heat and fry the onion in oil. Add the green onions, duck meat and then cook until the rice until the rice is crispy and cooked through. Add white pepper and sesame oil and serve with fresh coriander.
Sticky Spiced Ribs with Chive Dip
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 3 to 4 hours
Serves 4 or 8 with other BBQ food
2 racks baby back pork ribs
2 cans cola (Coke or Pepsi your choice)
2 tsp toasted sesame seed (optional)
For the sauce
8 tbsp tomato ketchup
8 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
Soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Lee & Perrins is excellent)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp paprika
For the chive dip
300ml pot half-fat soured cream
2 tbsp salad cream
small bunch chives, snipped
6 spring onions
Spring onions, sliced
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and snugly fit the ribs into a roasting tin. Pour over the cola and enough water to cover the ribs, then cover the tin tightly with foil. Roast for 2-3 hrs, turning halfway through, until the ribs are really tender but not falling apart.
Meanwhile, put all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Gently heat, then bubble for about 2 mins, stirring.
When the ribs are done, carefully lift each out of the tin and sit on kitchen paper to dry. Tip away the liquid and wipe out the tin. Put the dry ribs back in the tin and coat all over with the sticky sauce. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr to marinate, but better still up to 24 hrs. Can be frozen at this stage.
Mix the dip ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
Heat the barbecue and wait for the flames to die down, or heat oven to 220C/200C/gas 7. Add the ribs (in a roasting tin, if using the oven) and cook for 20 mins, turning occasionally, and basting often with remaining sauce.
When ribs are sticky, hot through and crisping on the outside, slice to serve. Scatter with sesame seeds, if you like, and plate up with any remaining sticky sauce, warmed, and the chive dip.
Recipe ref: BBC Good Food mag.
Bacon and Egg Pie - doesn't it look rather nice?
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It's just the sort of nourishing, satisfying tummy filler for a nasty cold wet and windy day. I'm going to be making it for tomorrow's lunch. :thumb:
Prep time 40 mins + 1 hour resting
Cooking time 20 mins + 55 mins so I can get some reading done while waiting.
Note: For the cheese, I'd choose a good mature cheddar for the flavour to shine through
For the Sour Cream Pastry
200g/7ozs. butter, chilled and cubed
125ml/4flozs. sour cream
250g/8.8ozs. plain flour
For the Bacon & Egg Pie Filling
8 boiled eggs, peeled
4 eggs
300g/10.6ozs. bacon, rind and fat removed, chopped
1.5 cups grated cheese
1 cup milk
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 red capsicum, seeded and chopped
Place all three ingredient in a food processor and pulse until they come together. Knead into a ball, flatten and cover with cling film. Rest for 1 hour. This can be frozen for up to 6 months too.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and place in a 20cm/8inch springform tin. Freeze for 30 minutes. Then line with foil and place pie weights inside. Bake for 15 minutes. Then carefully peel back some of the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove foil and weights.
Decrease oven temperature to 180C/350F. Make the filling. Whisk the eggs and the milk together. Mix in the bacon, cheese, green onions and capsicum. Place the boiled eggs on the base of the pastry and then pour the bacon mixture on top. Bake for 55 minutes and you're done.
Recipe ref: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/01/31/bacon-egg-pie/
Though both use Calvados, its alcohol will evaporate during the preparation, but leaves a delicious flavour. If Calvados can't be used, then make some fresh custard instead. (Custard recipe included in-between the baked apple recipes)
Recipe illustration. Recipe ref: Saveur
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Coxs Orange Pippins, Fujis, Braeburns or Russets may be used. Or for a more tart tastes use Granny Smiths.
Tip: If using Coxs, aunty says they will be perfectly ripe when shaken and you hear their pips rattling inside. Sounds good! :thumb:
Recipe makes 6
Ingredients:
6 baking apples
6 tbsp. butter
1 orange
6 tbsp. honey
1⁄2 cup calvados
10 whole cloves
6 star anise
3 sticks cinnamon
1⁄4 cup shelled pistachios
Preheat oven to 400°.
Core apples and peel off and discard the top third of their skin. Place in a baking dish. Cut butter into small pieces, placing a little inside each apple and the rest on top, dividing it evenly among them.
Zest orange, setting zest aside, then squeeze juice from it and pour over apples. Add zest to baking dish, either in one long ribbon or in smaller pieces. Drizzle honey on top of and into the cavity of each apple.
Pour calvados into baking dish, over and around apples. Scatter cloves, star anise, and cinnamon around the apples, distributing them evenly. Coarsely chop pistachios. Sprinkle over apples, making sure that some fragments fall into the hollowed-out cavities of each one.
Bake in oven for 45–60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes or so to keep apples from drying out, or until apples are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven. Liquid in the baking dish should have reduced by this time to a slightly thickened, syrupy sauce. Place each apple on a dessert plate and spoon the sauce over and around apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients:
570ml double cream, single cream or milk
6 large egg yolks
50g golden caster sugar mixed with 1 level dessertspoon of cornflour
1 dessertspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Place the cream in a pan over a gentle heat and heat it to just below simmering point, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
While the cream is heating, use a balloon whisk to whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour mixture and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a cloth underneath to steady it. Then, whisking the egg mixture all the time with one hand, gradually pour the hot cream into the bowl.
When it's all in, immediately return the whole lot back to the saucepan using a rubber spatula. Now back it goes on to the same gentle heat as you continue whisking until the custard is thick and smooth, which will happen as soon as it reaches simmering point. If you do overheat it and it looks grainy, don't worry, just transfer it to a jug or bowl and continue to whisk until it becomes smooth again.
Pour the custard into a jug or bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool. To serve it warm later, remove the clingfilm and sit the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. It also freezes really well.
Recipe illustration only. Recipe ref: Delicious Magazine
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This comforting pudding recipe of hot baked apples has a calvados glaze and currant filling.
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 45 mins
Serves 6
Ingredients:
90g mixed raisins and sultanas (or other dried fruit)
75ml calvados
6 eating apples (apple choice as recipe above)
60g unsalted butter, softened, plus an extra knob
30g soft light brown sugar
50g blanched almonds, chopped
a good grating of nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
Put the dried fruit and calvados in a small pan over a low heat. Warm for a minute, then cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Core the apples, put in a pan of simmering water and cook for 5-10 seconds. Remove, cool and put in a roasting tin big enough to hold the apples with gaps in between.
Mix the 60g butter, soft light brown sugar, almonds and spices in a bowl. Drain the dried fruit, reserving the calvados left in the pan, and add the fruit to the butter and sugar mix. Beat well to combine.
Stuff the apples with the mixture, then bake, stuffed ends up, for 30-40 minutes until the apples are just soft.
Meanwhile, put the caster sugar, knob of butter and 2 tbsp cold water in a heavy-based pan with the reserved calvados over a medium- high heat. Bubble for 3-4 minutes until the mix forms a glossy caramel.
Remove the apples from the oven and pour over the caramel. Serve with custard and cream.
These nutritious cereal bars are great for munching during revision times, or just pop into your pocket for munchies on the move. Packed with protein, they contain healthy ingredients and contain just enough sugar to allow the flavour of the fruit to shine through.
Makes 16
4 oz / 125g unsalted butter
5 oz / 150g soft brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
4 oz / 125g no-sugar-added crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 oz / 75g honey, plus a little more to finish
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
7 oz / 200g porridge oats (not jumbo)
5 oz / 150g dried fruit, such as raisins, sultanas and chopped apricots, prunes or dates, either singly or in combination.
5 oz / 150g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, linseed and sesame
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Grease and line a baking tin, about 8 inches / 20cm square.
Put the butter, sugar, peanut butter, honey and grated citrus zests in a deep saucepan over a very low heat. Leave until melted, stirring from time to time.
Stir the oats, dried fruit and three-quarters of the seeds into the melted butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture out evenly in the baking tin, smoothing the top as you go.
Scatter the remaining seeds over the surface and trickle with a little more honey. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden in the centre and golden-brown at the edges.
Leave to cool completely in the tin (be patient – it cuts much better when cold), then turn out and cut into squares with a sharp knife. These bars will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight tin.
My Pâte Sablée Biscuits
Now...you can use a food processor to cut down the prep time, but processors work far too quickly and you will lose that lovely sandy texture which makes them so appealing. It's not a lot of bother doing the biscuits by hand, and if it's a rainy day so much the better. I love baking on rainy days.
Essential To Know: Use the best unsalted butter you can find. Don't skim on quality! The better the butter, the better my biscuits are going to taste. I've used Normandy butter that was hand churned. They came out so lovely that I regretted not making double. Now, I make double and you'll soon know why when eating them!
Another Tip: I never used a biscuit/cookie cutter. Instead I either cut the dough into disks or, use a 2 in / 2 cm diameter jam jar and pat the disks out. Choice is your's.
Make Ahead
The biscuits can be kept in a tin at room temperature for about 5 days if you prefer or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month. However, beware of biscuit thieves. Jules.
Ingredients
1 1/4 sticks (5 oz; 140 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Slightly rounded 1/2 cup (125 g) sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
Put the butter in the work bowl of a food processor (if you must) fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar and process and scrape until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the egg and continue to process, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the flour all at once, then pulse 10 to 15 times, until the dough forms clumps and curds and looks like streusel.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the ball in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap the disks in plastic. If you have the time, chill the disks until they are firm, about 4 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can roll the dough out immediately; it will be a little stickier, but fine. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch (4 and 7 mm) thick. Using a 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can and place them on the lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) space between them. (You can gather the scraps into a disk and chill them, then roll, cut, and bake 'em later.)
Bake the biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set, but pale. (If some of the cookies are thinner than the others, the thin ones may brown around the edges. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.
Now grab a glass of chilled milk, a handful of biscuits and vanish.
Much as I love McVitie's digestive biscuits, these have a nice honey taste which partners cheese, especially a tangy cheddar or Boursan.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Makes 20
400 g (14 oz) wholemeal plain flour
125 g (4 oz) oatmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
125 g (4 oz) soft light brown sugar
175 g (6 oz) cold butter, diced
1 tbsp clear honey
100 ml-150 ml (31⁄2 fl oz-5 fl oz) milk
Preheat oven to 170ºC (150ºC fan) mark 3. Line three baking sheets with parchment. Put flour, oatmeal, baking powder and sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Mix in honey and enough milk to form a stiff dough. If sticky, add more flour; if too dry, add a drop of milk. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 15min.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm (1?4in) thickness. Cut out circles with a 6.5cm (21?2in) cutter, then prick each with a fork three times. Bake for 15-18min until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Will keep for five days.
Pistachio and Lemon Thyme Biscuits
A lovely recipe by Nigel Slater
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Baked initially, I find these crisp yet chewy biscuits are even more suited to contrast the softness of a fool or to crumble over the surface of a summer ice. Let the biscuits settle for 10 minutes before lifting them from their baking sheet, then eat a few of them warm, before they have time to crisp. Makes 8-10
shelled pistachios 45g
ground almonds 30g
butter 125g
icing sugar 50g
lemon thyme leaves 1 tbsp
plain flour 75g
To finish
dried rose petals 2 tsp
roughly chopped pistachios 2 tbsp
Grind the pistachios coarsely – they should not be quite as fine as ready-ground almonds – then mix them with the almonds. Put the butter in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a flat paddle attachment, add the icing sugar and beat to a soft cream.
Chop the lemon thyme leaves and add to the creamed butter and sugar. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Mix the ground nuts and the plain flour with the creamed butter, sugar and thyme and roll into a soft dough. Chill in the fridge for a good 30 minutes. Set the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Lightly flour a work surface, divide the mixture into 8 to 10 equal lumps then roll each into a ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and flatten them slightly with a fork. (They will spread as they bake.) Bake for 8-12 minutes until the biscuits are pale gold in colour, remove from the oven and scatter with the rose petals and the roughly chopped pistachios. Leave the biscuits in place for a few minutes until cool enough to move carefully to a cooling rack with the aid of a palette knife.
by Nigel Slater
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These are perfect for Elevensies that aunty loves. Being a biscuit lover, I quite agree. Makes about 10, but they taste so good that you should make 20.
butter 170g
golden caster sugar 100g
ground almonds 110g
plain flour 200g
finely grated orange or clementine zest 1 tsp
icing sugar
Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (I recommend a food mixer with a beater attachment.) Stir the nuts, flour and zest into the mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. I sometimes knead the mixture a little to mix it fully.
Roll generously heaped tablespoons of the mixture into large balls. You should get 8-10. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet. Flatten each slightly with a fork.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the biscuits are barely coloured. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before attempting to lift them from the tray with a palette knife. Roll them in icing sugar. Eat the biscuits slightly warm, or store them in a tin, where they will harden, to use as a dunking biscuit.
Lovely little biscuits by Nigel Slater
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There is nothing remotely Italian about these little biscuits, but I include them for those who are looking for a crisp, lightly spiced biscuit to hang from their Christmas tree. The mixture doesn't spread very much during cooking and so is ideal for the cookie-cutter treatment.
butter 70g
light muscovado sugar 80g
black treacle or molasses 2 heaping tbsp
cardamom pods 8
plain flour 250g
bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp
ground cinnamon 2 level tsp
ground ginger 1 tsp
an egg yolk
milk 3-4 tbsp
icing sugar
Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the molasses. Break the cardamom pods open and crush the seeds finely. Add them to the mixture with the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger and yolk.
Beat in a couple of tablespoons of milk, then slowly add more until you have reached a point where the mixture is soft enough to roll out. Bring the ingredients together then roll out on a floured board like pastry.
Cut the biscuits into rounds, moons and stars. I sometimes do a few Christmas trees, too. Lay them on a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with icing sugar, and leave to cool on a rack.
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These Italian amaretti cookies have a crunchy crust and a chewy center. I love them this way. In case you prefer them to be crunchy and crispy all over, simply let them bake in the oven a little longer. Makes about 35.
Recipe ref: http://www.lilvienna.com/italian-amaretti-cookies/
Ingredients
1 large egg (60 g incl. egg shell)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
100 g (about 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
a pinch of fine salt
125 g (about 1 1/4 cup) almond meal (I used the one with skins but blanched ones are also fine)
Additionally: Granulated sugar and powdered sugar for rolling
Whisk egg, almond extract, sugar and salt with a fork until well combined. Add almond meal and mix until the ground almonds are equally moist.
Cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight) so that the batter gets firmer. (I omitted this step once and the balls spread into flat cookies, so make sure to cool the batter properly.)
Roll the batter into small balls, 1.5 teaspoons each. Roll each ball in a small bowl with granulated sugar first and then, in a separate bowl, in powdered sugar until nicely covered.
Place the cookies onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper with 1-inch space between them (they will spread a little).
Bake them for 12-15 minutes in a 320 F (160 C) preheated oven. Depending on their size and your oven, the baking time may vary. The cookies should still be kind of soft to the touch and they will firm up when cooled. Rather underbake them because you can always put them back into the oven for a minute or two once they are cooled and you have checked the consistency.
A very quick, easy and yummy accompaniment to any ice cream, sorbet or mousse. Note: the brandy's alcohol will evaporate during baking. Makes around 18.
50g unsalted butter, diced
25g caster sugar
25g soft brown sugar
50g golden syrup
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
50g plain flour
1 tsp cider brandy or brandy
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and line two baking trays with nonstick baking parchment or silicone sheets. Put the butter, sugars and syrup in a saucepan over a moderate heat, and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Add the lemon juice and remove the pan from the heat. Add the flour and beat until smooth, then stir in the brandy.
Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture, a few centimeters apart, on the baking trays. Bake for about seven minutes, until brown and lacy. Allow to cool slightly, but remove from the tray while still warm. Use a palette knife to ease them off and then wrap them around a rolling pin or the handle of a wooden spoon and leave until they cool and set.
Honey Brandy Snaps - Recipe 2
Makes around 22 brandy snaps.
50g butter, diced
25g unrefined caster sugar
25g soft brown sugar
50g honey
Juice of half a lemon
50g plain flour
1 tsp diced preserved stem ginger
1 tsp cider brandy (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease two baking trays. Heat the butter, sugars and honey in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugars dissolve. Add the lemon juice, remove from the heat and stir in the flour and ginger until smooth. Add the brandy, if using. Place teaspoons of the mix a few inches apart on the trays. Bake until brown and lacy - seven to eight minutes - then remove and allow to cool for a minute or two. While still warm, lift each biscuit from the tray with a palette knife and wrap around the handle of a wooden spoon or rolling pin, to make attractive curls.
Now I might give this one a go! I love ginger biscuits!
Didn't get time for any baking last weekend so no exciting recipes to share I'm afraid - I'll be sure to share the result of my ginger biscuit experiment though! Thanks for dropping all of these recipes in they're great - I do love baking!
I've just returned from Majorca and have a bunch more recipes from Alcúdia and Palma, so watch out for when I come back.
Happy baking! :rainbow2:
The Pud: the single, most appreciated thing at any table, and in any season. Our guy crew like steamed puds like they love their sausages. But now you steam your puds in a microwave, they're only going to take only minutes to cook, instead of hours. And the beauty of microwaving them is while you serve and eat the main course, you the host can secretly smug from your guests, who are wondering just how you managed to get it all done.
How to do it:
150g/6oz butter
150g/6oz caster sugar
2 eggs
200g/7oz self raising flour
1 tablespoon milk
Chosen flavourings, see below..
900ml or 1 pint pudding basin, buttered and floured.
Really cream the butter and sugar until the mixture looks like cream and the sugar has dissolved completely. The better you do this, the better the end result. It does take a bit longer than you expect . . .Beat in the eggs one at a time and then beat in the flour until it is just incorporated. Stir in the milk.
Spoon the mixture into the basin, but don’t pour it.
Cover with an inverted plate and microwave 8-10 minutes at Medium High in an 850 watt cooker, but around Medium on a 1000-1200 watt cooker: Check it is well-risen and spongy to the touch. Sometimes an extra 30 seconds might be all it needs. Then let it stand three to five minutes, run a knife blade around the inside of the bowl and then invert as above.
Some great suggestions for this versatile pud:
Steamed puddings were often made with breadcrumbs and, perhaps surprisingly, this gives a really nice light texture. You can replace the flour with 200g to 250g/6-8 oz fresh white breadcrumbs from a good loaf like sourdough or wholemeal, or use a mixture of 50g/2oz self-raising flour and 100-150g/ 4-5 oz fresh white breadcrumbs. Crumbs from sliced white bread, let it be said, are unspeakable. Don't even think about it. Old Fanny Craddock my grandma said, used to use sliced white breadcrumbs among other culinary atrocities which is probably why the British public voted by switching their tellies off.
Chocolate: use 50g / 2oz less flour but add 50g / 2oz cocoa (not drinking chocolate) and 50-100g / 2-4oz chopped chocolate - use 70% choc as this really is stonkingly good: serve with hot chocolate sauce, custard sauce (chocolate or not) a nut sauce or a raspberry sauce.. Oh yum! Most of the mixtures you’d put into the bottom of a plain, orange or lemon steamed pudding can go into the basin of a chocolate one.
Fresh raspberries in and under a chocolate pudding gets the vote of the more sophisticated palate, remembering that such are perfect partners in crime, haha. For a real buzz, add the chocolate in chunks, add small marshmallows and then lightly season the pudding mixture with Tabasco.
Golden syrup: stir a generous slug through the mixture and as much as you like at the bottom of the basin: three or four tablespoons is the norm: ring the changes by also adding long shreds of lemon or orange zest or a mixture of both
Jam: you can use any fruity jam and not just the usual raspberry; add three or four tablespoons of apricot or plum or pineapple or strawberry or greengage jam or lumpier conserve to the bottom of the basin before you add in the mixture.
The possibilities are amazing if the sponge is spiced or citrus flavoured, especially if you choose orange.
Lemon: put two tablespoons of butter, the grated zest of one lemon and the juice of two into the bottom of the basin: stir the zest from the second lemon into the mixture.
Maple syrup & pecan: micro-roast a handful of pecan nuts and chop about a third of them quite finely. Stir the finely chopped nuts and a tablespoon of maple syrup through the pudding mixture. Put three tablespoons of maple syrup, a tablespoon of butter and the rest of the nuts in the bottom of the pudding basin.
Marmalade: three or four tablespoons of coarse cut marmalade at the bottom of the basin: zest of an orange through the pudding. Some dark rum sprinkled over the marmalade is only a good thing. For puddings, lovely old fashioned Frank Cooper’s Oxford is superior to their very dark Vintage marmalade
Mixed berries: half a pack of frozen mixed berries makes a spectacular base for a steamed pudding. The other half can be lightly heated in the microwave at the last moment and then artfully tumbled over the servings. Lashings of cream seem miserly with this; it needs clotted cream and ice cream.
Pie mixes: cans of thickened fruit mixtures meant to be baked in a pie make wondrous accompaniments to steamed puddings; the best is black or red cherry or anything based on berries or mixed berries but if you use apricots sharpen the flavour with lemon, lime or orange zest. Put up to a half in the base of the pudding bowl, perhaps choosing a slightly bigger bowl than normal; the remainder is heated and served as a sauce.
Raspberry/strawberry: this can be anything you like, really.
Just jam: three to four tablespoons in the bottom of the bowl or jam in the bottom and fruit mixed through, or mashed fruit, sugar and butter in the bottom . . . you can’t go wrong, really.
Spiced: add a tablespoon of ground ginger, cinnamon or good fresh mixed spice through the mixture; if you are cooking by microwave, use half that amount.
Particularly good with golden syrup.
Toffee-pear and rum: peel core and then roughly chop 500g/1lb firm sweet pears: Williams or Comice are always the best choice.
Melt together 90g/3oz butter, 175g/6oz muscavado or dark brown sugar and two tablespoons dark rum until blended.
Put one-third of this into the base of a buttered and floured 1.5 litre/3 pint pudding bowl.
Mix the pears into the remaining warm liquid.
Make the basic sponge pudding and then swirl the pear mixture unevenly through it Don’t fuss, because an informality of colour and flavour is this pudding’s appeal. Rum custard or cream, of course.
Makes 12 Takes about an hour to make. They are very moreish.
300g soft brown sugar
250g butter
250g chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
3 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk
60g flour
60g finest quality cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Need: a 23x23cm, preferably non-stick, or a small roasting tin
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Break the chocolate into pieces, set 50g of it aside and melt the rest in a bowl suspended over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. As soon as the chocolate has melted remove it from the heat.
Chop the remaining 50g into gravel-sized pieces. Beat the sugar and butter using electric beaters for several minutes until white and fluffy. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix in a pinch of salt.
With your friend holding the beaters on a low speed, introduce the beaten egg a little at a time, having him speed up in between additions.
Remove the bowl from the mixer to the work surface, then mix in the melted and the chopped chocolate with a large metal spoon.
Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa, gently and firmly, without knocking any of the air out. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and bake for 30 minutes. The top will have risen slightly and the cake will appear slightly softer in the middle than around the edges.
Pierce the centre of the cake with a fork - it should come out sticky, but not with raw mixture attached to it. If it does, then return the brownie to the oven for three more minutes. It is worth remembering that it will solidify a little on cooling, so if it appears a bit wet, don't worry.
Deceptively simple to make and utterly divine, panna cotta takes no time at all. It is a traditional Italian dessert which literally translates as 'cooked cream'. Hailing from the region of Piedmont in Italy, it is a simple mixture of sweetened cream and gelatine. A good panna cotta is one that is only just set, but can still stand unsupported once out of the mould. Panna cotta is very easy to make and can be made the day before a dinner party to save time.
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Prep time takes just 10 minutes
Recipe serves 6
For the Panna Cotta
500 ml 2 cups / 17 fl oz fresh cream
100 ml / 3.5 fl oz of fresh whole milk
1 vanilla bean
50 g / one-quarter cup of sugar
15 g of gelatine sheets
For the Caramel Sauce
70 g / one-quarter cup sugar
2 tablespoons of orange juice
Soak the sheet gelatine in a bowl with cold water for about 10 minutes.
Pour cream and milk in a saucepan, add sugar and vanilla seeds scraped with a knife.
Warm cream and milk until they begin to simmer, then remove from the heat.
Wring gently the gelatine to remove excess water and dissolve it into the saucepan.
Prepare the caramel sauce now. Add the sugar in a small pan and melt it on medium heat without stirring until golden. Swirl the pan to melt the sugar. Pour in the orange juice and stir thoroughly.
Spoon the caramel into six glasses, if you want to serve the panna cotta as it is, or into six ramekins or moulds - I found silicone moulds are perfect for panna cotta - if you want to unmould the panna cotta and serve it with the caramel on top.
Pour now the cream over the caramel sauce and leave in the fridge until the next day.
To unmould the panna cotta pass a knife on the edges and gently tip the bottom of your mould - and then you are done! :thumb:
Deceptively simple to make and utterly divine, panna cotta takes no time at all. It is a traditional Italian dessert which literally translates as 'cooked cream'. Hailing from the region of Piedmont in Italy, it is a simple mixture of sweetened cream and gelatine. A good panna cotta is one that is only just set, but can still stand unsupported once out of the mould. Panna cotta is very easy to make and can be made the day before a dinner party to save time.
Prep time takes just 10 minutes
Recipe serves 6
For the Panna Cotta
500 ml 2 cups / 17 fl oz fresh cream
100 ml / 3.5 fl oz of fresh whole milk
1 vanilla bean
50 g / one-quarter cup of sugar
15 g of gelatine sheets
For the Caramel Sauce
70 g / one-quarter cup sugar
2 tablespoons of orange juice
Soak the sheet gelatine in a bowl with cold water for about 10 minutes.
Pour cream and milk in a saucepan, add sugar and vanilla seeds scraped with a knife.
Warm cream and milk until they begin to simmer, then remove from the heat.
Wring gently the gelatine to remove excess water and dissolve it into the saucepan.
Prepare the caramel sauce now. Add the sugar in a small pan and melt it on medium heat without stirring until golden. Swirl the pan to melt the sugar. Pour in the orange juice and stir thoroughly.
Spoon the caramel into six glasses, if you want to serve the panna cotta as it is, or into six ramekins or moulds - I found silicone moulds are perfect for panna cotta - if you want to unmould the panna cotta and serve it with the caramel on top.
Pour now the cream over the caramel sauce and leave in the fridge until the next day.
To unmould the panna cotta pass a knife on the edges and gently tip the bottom of your mould - and then you are done! :thumb:
Zabaione has such a long and fascinating story as it is made with ingredients which were easily available to families. Using only 3 ingredients, it is relaxing and rewarding to make a zabaione, but it doesn’t even get close the pleasure of sharing it with someone you love in a cold winter day.
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Prep time: 1 minute
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 11 minutes
Serves 2
To make the Zabaione
3 egg yolks
3 scant tablespoons of sugar
dry Marsala wine or also a Tuscan Vinsanto, Madeira, Moscato, Porto or Malaga
Separate egg yolks and egg white and put your yolks in a little bowl, suitable for a bain-marie. Save an egg shell as your are going to use it as a measuring spoon. Add sugar and marsala to the yolks. To measure Marsala pour it in a broken egg shell and fill half of it. Whisk the ingredients until well combined, then put them in a double boiler.
It is important not to heat the yolks abruptly, as you might find yourself with a prosaic batch of scrambled eggs. :razz:
Keep whisking the yolks over slowly simmering water until you'll obtain a thick and smooth zabaione. it will require from 5 up to 10 minutes.
You can serve it hot or cold. If you prefer a cold version, put the bowl in a bigger bowl with ice and water and keep stirring until cold.
To make the Lingue di Gatto or Cat's Tongues
Use the same weight of egg whites, unsalted butter, sugar and flour. Start beating butter and sugar until creamy, than stir in the sifted flour and the egg whites, as they are, you won’t require whipped egg whites.
Scrape the batter into a pastry bag and draw little 1 cm thin lines onto a tray lined with parchment paper. They’ll tend to expand.
Bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes, until slightly brown on the edges. Just out of the oven they are still flexible, then they will get crisp once cold.
Recipe reference including a brief history of how zabaione was found: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/zabaione
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Fit for a king or a queen, this splendid rich chocolate cake will not disappoint. Serves 16 though more like 8 because you'll want another slice.
Ingredients:
100g Belgian milk chocolate
a little unsalted butter, to grease
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
25g cocoa powder (such as Van Houten's as it's not bitter tasting)
125ml sunflower oil
125g light soft brown sugar
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
For the filling and decoration:
150g Belgian dark chocolate (minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids)
50ml milk
125ml double cream
2-3 tbsp raspberry jam
150g mixed summer fruit (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt slowly in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of just‑simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once melted, set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 360F/180C/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins with greaseproof paper. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Stir the oil, 75ml water and sugar into the melted chocolate, then whisk in the eggs. Pour half the mixture into the well and fold in, then mix in the remaining chocolate mixture.
Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake for 20‑25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the tins and cool on a wire rack. Make a chocolate ganache icing by melting the dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, as before. Stir in the milk then set aside to cool.
Whip the cream in a separate bowl until thick and moussey. Use a large metal spoon to fold in one large spoonful of the cream to the chocolate mixture. Continue to gently fold in the remaining cream until smooth.
Put one cake half on a cake stand and cover the top with jam. Place the other cake half on top. Spoon about half the ganache on top of the cake and slowly start to work it down the sides to cover the cake, adding spoonfuls of ganache to the sides until it is all covered. Put the remaining ganache on top and swirl into a pleasing pattern. Pile the fruit into the middle of the cake, slice and serve.
Recipe from Chocolate Fit for a Queen in association with Historic Royal Palaces (Ebury Press, £10)
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Makes: 10 large, very rich slices
Preparation time: just 15 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
125g (4 and a half oz) unsalted butter
75g (3oz) golden syrup
200g (7oz) 70% Green & Black's dark chocolate, broken into pieces.
1 egg
50g (2oz) digestive biscuits
50g (2oz) whole walnuts
50g (2oz) sultanas
50g (2oz) glacé cherries, reserving a few for decoration
Line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment and set aside.
Melt the butter and syrup together in a small saucepan over a gentle heat until they begin to boil.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water, then mix thoroughly with the butter and golden syrup.
Pasteurise the egg by beating it slowly and continuously into the hot chocolate mixture.
Break up the biscuits into large chunks; remember, they will be broken further when mixed, so don't make them too small.
Add the walnuts, sultanas and most of the cherries.
Pour the chocolate mixture on to the dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Press the mixture into the tin and decorate with reserved glacé cherries.
Leave to set in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Remove from the fridge, peel off the paper and cut into slices or cubes. Serve chilled.
Sorry, but I haven't had time to post this in full, so here is the recipe link: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pineapple_upside_down_cake/
Just one look at that colourful picture and you'll be wanting to make it.
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This cake is as Italian, tasty, and I am telling you this is as caloric as Pasta Carbonara. Decorate in a rustic fashion and imagine your Nonna placing this on the table after a huge Sunday night dinner. Be warned - this cake is to die for.
For ganache filling and frosting:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
16 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
8oz Hazelnuts. Finely chop half and save rest for decoration
For Chocolate Cake:
1 cup Valrhona cocoa, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup strong coffee, boiling
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
For chocolate frangilico mousse:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
5 tablespoons Frangilico
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For decoration (optional):
Handful of Dried Apricots
Extra Hazelnuts
Cookies
Chocolate Shavings
Make ganache:
Bring cream and butter to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to low. Whisk in chocolate until smooth and remove from heat. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring every 30 minutes, until thickened but spreadable, about 2 hours. (If ganache becomes too stiff, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)
For Cake:
Place rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Sift cocoa; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for around 20 minutes, then rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen them from the pan. Remove cakes from pans, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make mousse and assemble torta:
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, and stir in Cognac. Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of softened butter, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too stiff, let stand at room temperature until softened.)
Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks, then chill, covered, while beginning to assemble torte.
Put 1 cake layer on cardboard round on a rack set in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Spread 1/2 cup ganache evenly over top of layer and sprinkle with all of chopped Hazelnuts.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add sugar and beat at high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir whipped cream into chocolate frangilico mixture, then stir in one third of whites to lighten. Fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon mousse immediately onto cake layer (it sets quickly), spreading evenly, then top with third cake layer. Chill torte, covered, until mousse layer is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency at room temperature, chilling, covered, if it becomes too soft.
Frost with melted ganache and decorate with cookies, hazelnuts, apricots (made to look like flowers), and top with chocolate shavings.[/FONT]