Fresh from the oven - White Tin Loaf

Since baking my own bread I can't remember the last time I bought a sliced loaf. As much as I love all the artisan style bread I bake, sometimes only a traditional white tin loaf will do and shop-bought bread certainly doesn't cut the mustard for me any more. When I found out that this months Fresh from the Oven's host was going to be Linda from With Knife & Fork and she had chosen White Tin Loaf I was really pleased.

This recipe uses a different kneading method to what I'm used to and sometimes the urge to whack all the ingredients into the KitchenAid can be to much, but this time I stuck with it and was genuinely impressed with the results. When I initially read the kneading instructions I could see how it could work, but I was proven wrong.

It produced a loaf with amazing oven spring and the perfect texture and size for bacon cobs. Although it doesn't have the strong taste like some of my bread does this makes it great for simple sandwiches. Everyone once in a while wants a basic, comforting sarnie be the filling ham and pickle or cheese and tomato. Don't be put off by the long looking method. It is truly worth it.



The 1 tip I would give would be that 10 min before the end of baking turn the loaf upside down in the tin. This helps the bottom of the loaf to crusten up.

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Dan Lepard says he developed this when he was working full time in commercial kitchens (that made artisan hand kneaded bread) because there wasn’t time for full 10 minute knead of all the different bread batches so he switched to short kneads spaced out and found it works just as well, part of the development of a good gluten structure is dependent on the time elapsed not the vigorous kneading. I liked the idea because I’d not been getting good textures with either a machine or a normal hand knead. I am now a wholesale convert.

Note:

You must use oil not flour on the kneading surface and your hands. Something like vegetable oil is good.

The dough must be quite sticky and soft to start with. It will firm up when kneaded and as time progresses.

Steps:

* Once you have soft sticky dough leave it covered in the bowl for 10 minutes.
* Now oil your kneading surface and hands and tip the dough out.
* Knead for about 12 seconds by folding in the edges to the centre, a bit like shaping a round loaf, rotate the dough as you go.
* Flip the dough over, leave it on the surface and cover with a cloth. Wash out the bowl and then oil it lightly. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover.
* Leave for 10-15 minutes and then do another 12 second knead. You will notice the dough is already less sticky and firmer.
* Leave for 20 -30 mins and repeat the fast knead. You are aiming to have kneaded the dough 3 times in the first hour.
* Leave covered to rise until at least 50% larger but not more than double in size.
* Tip out onto the oil surface and press the air out of the dough using the tips of your fingers so its square-ish in shape. Repeat the fast knead process (or fold in to thirds then rotate through 90, flatten again and fold into 3rds again).
* Shape the dough as required for the particular loaf you are making. Put it in a tin, or supported in a floured cloth in a bowl.
* Leave to rise until at least 50% larger and preferably almost double in size.
* Slash top and bake as per your recipe.

White Tin Loaf (based on Dan Lepard’s Quick White Loaf, p63 of the Handmade Loaf)

2lb loaf tin greased and floured or lined with baking parchment (no need to line the short ends just oil them).

Oven to be pre-heated to its maximum setting (R10/250C) and with a tray of water in the bottom to create steam.

Ingredients:

200g semi skimmed milk at room temp (Dan uses whole milk but semi skimmed seems to work fine)

150g water at room temp (remember 1g = 1ml but its easier to be accurate weighing fluids)

1 tsp fast action yeast (or 2 tsp fresh yeast crumbled)

200g plain white flour

300g strong white bread flour

1 ½ tsp fine sea salt

Method:

Mix the flours and salt together in a bowl.

Mix the water and milk together in a separate bowl and whisk in the yeast.

Add the liquid to the flour and mix with the fingers of one hand to a soft sticky rough dough. You may need to add a little more liquid do this a teaspoon at a time until you have a soft sticky dough.

Follow the kneading instructions above.

The first rise will probably take about an hour from the last knead.

To shape for a tin loaf, flatten the dough to a square about the same width as your tin. Roll the dough into a cylinder and press the seam firmly, fold under the two short ends and place in the tin seam side down.

Allow to rise (covered) to 1 ½ to 2 times volume i.e. to the top of the tin.

Slash the top of the loaf along it length and put it straight into the oven for 10 minutes at maximum temperature. After 10 minutes check how it’s browning and drop the temperature as follows (these baking guidelines are from the River Cottage Bread Book):

R6/200C if the crust is pale

R4/180C if crust is noticeably browning

R3/170C if crust is browning quickly

And cook for a further 40-50 minutes.

I usually check again part way through this time and either adjust temperature again or cover the top with foil if it’s brown enough. Also note that with a traditional gas oven (i.e. one without a fan) the top may brown far too quickly on the side near the heat at the initial temperature so you might want to start at a lower setting of R8/9 for the first 10 minutes. Adapt the setting for what you know about your oven and how things usually bake.

When it’s cooked turn it out of the tin and allow to cool.

Fresh from the oven - Beer Bread Bowls.

October's Fresh from the oven challenge was hosted by Corry. She recommended a fantastic recipe inspired by from Richard Bertinet’s fabulous book Dough – Simple Contemporary Bread

I tried this particular recipe last year, but keen to adapt recipe and in keeping with my sudden preoccupation of baking with beer, I wanted to try this recipe to make beer bread bowls, specifically to be served with scouse.

I use quite a bit of Sam Smiths beers in baking as their fruit beers give great taste to the likes of ice cream & brownies and their other beers have a strong defined taste that is perfect for stews and bread. The oatmeal stout I decided to use has a definite oaty aroma and I thought it would be perfect for bread.

This time the dough seemed to work better than my first attempt last year and they worked well. I now have ideas to make these bowls as a fruit bread then filling them with custard..mmmm..

Beer Bread Bowls
makes 6 16cm bowls

500g strong bread flour
20g course semolina
15g fresh yeast (or 5g fast action yeast)
10g salt
50g olive oil
320g beer
chilli or spice (optional for added flavour)

1) Preheat the oven to 250˚C (500˚F). Mix together the flour and semolina and rub in the yeast as if you were making a crumble (Richard Bertinet’s method – see below for video link). If using a mixer, switch it on to the slowest speed, add salt, olive oil and beer and mix for 2 minutes, then turn the speed up to the next lowest speed and mix for 6 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

2) If you are kneading by hand, knead for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until you have a nice smooth elastic ball of dough. Richard Bertinet has a unique kneading technique referred to as the French fold that can take approximately 5 to 10 minutes depending on practice. You can view his method in a online video at the Gourmet Webpage. In this video, he is actually doing sweet dough but the same technique can be used for most bread dough.

3) Place the dough into a bowl that has been floured, cover with a tea towel and leave in a draught free place for approximately 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

4) Lightly oil or spray with non-stick spray, the outside of 6 ovenproof bows (I used pyrex bowls). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 to 8 pieces (depending on the size of your baking bowls). Taking one piece of dough at a time and using a rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle (similar to making pizza). Shake off excess flour and shape each piece over an upturned bowl, patting into shape and pressing gently to remove air bubbles from between the dough and the bowl. Rest the dough for 10 minutes. Place the upturned bowls, two at a time, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then into the preheated oven. Turn the oven down to 200˚C (400˚F) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Using a fine-bladed knife, gently loosen the bread from the bowls and ease off. Cool on a wire rack.

It is probably safer to serve the bowls on a plate, as they do become soggy after a while and the soup may leak through.

Fresh from the oven - Tomato & Garlic Focaccia

This months challenge from Fresh from the oven is to make a Focaccia using which ever recipe we wanted to. Focaccia is becoming a staple in this house. I probably make some version of focaccia more than any other type of bread. It's perfect for barbecues or when we have people over to dinner because it is easy to share.

I made this variant for my Birthday BBQ and it went down very well. The tomatoes give it a nice change in texture and sweetness. The only slight alteration I would make next time would be to add the garlic to the dough as it caught a bit on top when added to the oil.

Tomato & Garlic Focaccia
Makes 1 large foccacia
Based on a recipe from River Cottage - Bread

500g strong white bread flour
5g fast action yeast
10g fine salt
325ml warm water (mix 100ml boiling water with 225ml of cold water)
1 tbsp olive oil (for the dough)
2 tbsp olive oil mixed with 2 minced garlic cloves (for the topping)
rosemary
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
flaky sea salt

1) Mix together the flour, yeast, salt and water. Once the ingredients are combined add the olive oil. Knead for around 10 min until the dough is smooth and silky. At the stage, if using a mixer, the bowl should be clean of dough.

2) Shape the dough into a round and leave to rise in a covered and greased bowl until it has nearly doubled in size.

3) Tip the dough out and work in a rough rectangle shape then place in an oiled baking tray. Cover and allow to rise for 20 min.

4) Preheat the oven to 250oc (or as high as it will go). When the bread has had its half hour rise prod it with your fingers to get the cratered texture then push the tomato halves into the dough. Drizzle with the garlicky olive oil then sprinkle with salt & rosemary.

5) Bake for 10 min then bake for a further 10min at 200oc. Leave to cool on a wire rack for around 10 min before serving.

Mini Egg Tiffin

I can't believe how fast this week has gone. I'm already half the way through my Easter hols. It's now Good Friday and our Easter tree has been up for about a week. I was first introduced to Easter trees 20 years ago in Germany and decided I wanted one in our house this year. Traditionally you are meant to have some branches in buds, but apart from hacking away at nextdoor's plants I decided to use some decorative branches we already had in the house. I picked up the decorations at a garden centre. It's added a nice bit of colour to the lounge.

I've done quite a bit of Easter baking recently; primarily Simnel Cupcakes and Mini Egg Tiffin for work. I've made the tiffin 3 times in the last few week. First was for my work mates, second for Hubby's workmates (who consequently threatened to hold Hubby to ransom until I made them some more!) and then I decided I couldn't let Hubby & I go without. As I have quite a few other things on my plate at the moment it had to be a quick Easter cake...plus Mini Eggs are my weakness. Forget creme eggs, far too sickly sweet for me, I love mini eggs.

The word tiffin originates from the British India meaning a light meal coming from the old English tiffing as in to take a little drink or sip. Oop North it also relates to a refrigerator cake.



This cake is based on my Malteser cake and the basic recipe can be easily adapted to add different fillings. It's really easy for kids to make, so much so we'll be making a similar cake in Cookery Club, and can be prepared in 5 minutes. Julia @ A Slice of Cherry Pie is hosting her Easter Cake Bake again this year and I've submitted my Mini Egg Tiffin.

Mini Egg Tiffin
Fills 1 x 1lb tin

85g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp cocoa
170g digestives, crushed (I usually blitz them in a food processor)
170g mini eggs, lightly crushed
30g mini eggs, left whole

1) Gently melt butter and golden syrup in large pan. Stir in cocoa, digestives and crushed mini eggs.

2) Line a 1lb loaf tin with cling film. Press mixture into tin then press the whole mini eggs into the top. Refrigerate until set.

Adopt a Blogger

A few months back on Dine & Dish put out a plea for both veteran and newbie bloggers to come together for Adopt a Blogger event - Round 2

I was paired with Jessica @ Practically Vegan, a vegan blogger from Atlanta who like me loves Asian food. I was really glad to be paired with a blog that is quite a bit different to mine and I'm looking forward to expanding my vegan knowledge. I have a few vegan friends and always want to know how I can cook for them.

Jessica's gorgeous dog Miso.

If you take a peek at her flikr photostream you'll find some fantastic photos. So to help introduce Jessica & her blog here is a few questions I asked her:

1. Where are you based Jessica? Is it a good location for foodies?

I am based in Atlanta. I believe it is a good location for foodies because there are a bunch of great farmers markets (at least 5 permanent ones and then seasonal ones). It's very easy to get natural and fresh ingredients as well as a wide range of ethnic foods which are all great for vegan recipes.


2. How long have you been blogging and why did you decide to set up a food blog?

I've only been blogging for a few months and not as regular as I would like. Hence my mentor is trying to help me set aside more time for blogging. I started a blog one year after I became a vegan. I wanted to show the world that making the transition really isn't hard and doesn't require a lot of extra money in your grocery bill or time in the kitchen (unless you want to as there are some really fun vegan recipes that are worth the extra time). I wish I had had someone who could have shown me earlier just how easy it was and I'm hoping I can be that last little boost for people looking to become vegan. So the name fits. Practically vegan for people who are almost there, and practically vegan for methods that are more down to earth.


3. What kind of cooking do you enjoy? Do you eat differently when you go out for a meal?

I am very much into Japanese food and I love trying new recipes from traditional Asian cookbooks. If the book isn't vegan I modify it which is always fun. When I go out to eat I have to be careful that my food does not contain hidden animal ingredients. But the longer you are vegan the easier it gets. I still very much enjoy Asian food when I go out such as Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Indian food is always good.


4. Where do you find inspiration for the dishes you create?

I love to find recipes that are not vegan from various cookbooks or websites and then modify them to be vegan. I also find recipes from other vegan blogs but my main source is my ridiculous cookbook collection. You can never have too many!!!


5. Can you tell us about four of your most creative or successful dishes that you have blogged?

One of my favorite recipes of all time is spicy tempeh suchi rolls. Its so easy and I usually eat it once a week. I just can't get enough of it and its such a filling meal.


6. Would you blog about a dish that has gone disastrously wrong?
Oh sure I think the blogs should be real. I'm not perfect, neither is the food I make. Its about the trials and tribulations of being a vegan. I think when readers know that your not Ms. Chef of the year they can relate to you more.


7. What do you think are important ingredients of a good blog?

Well first thing is first you have to keep writing. (which is my problem at the moment, not due to lack of subject matter but lack of time). Variety is important, you don't want to bore your readers. Humor is always good to keep it light hearted. And the main thing I think is originality. So many blogs are just regurgitated information from other blogs. Talk about what you know best from your point of view. That is what makes things original.

Celebrating British Food - Bakewell Tart

Summer made a brief appearance here in the UK over the weekend; basking the ground in glorious autumnal sunshine. Hey it was short lived, but at least it brought us some cheer.

We spent Sunday at Kedleston Hall on the outskirts of Derby, walking around the grounds and eating picnic on the lawn. It was packed out with people taking advantage of the beautiful weather, The Duchess exhibition and the fact they were giving free puddings away in the restaurant as part of their British Food Fortnight events.



This is why I love Britain, in particular Derbyshire not only do we have awe inspiring scenery but fantastic food. 20th September till 5th October is British Food Fortnight and the lovely Antonia @ Food, Glorious Food is hosting a British Food Fortnight Challenge. As soon as I heard about the challenge there was one thing I knew I had to make, Bakewell Tart. Possibly one of the most famous cakes in Derbyshire

Now there is lots of myths surrounding Bakewell Pudding/Tart. Don't let Mr Kipling make you believe a Cherry Bakewell is traditional. The Bakewell Pudding is believed to have begun in a pub in Bakewell when an inexperienced chef in the kitchen was meant to make a strawberry tart, but made something very different. The Bakewell Pudding is a tart made with puff pastry shell, layer of jam and eggy custard topping and an alleged "secret ingredient" (No I've never been able to work the ingredient out). The Bakewell Tart however has evolved from the Bakewell Pudding and is made with a sweet shortcrust base, layer of jam and a rich almond sponge topping. My original intentions were to make a Bakewell pudding, but decided a Bakewell Tart was more picnic friendly.



Bakewell Tart is one of my favourite cakes and I believe a perfect Bakewell tart should have a thin, but supporting layer of pastry, thick layer of raspberry jam and a deep, dense, moist frangipane sponge. A dry, tasteless Cherry Bakewell it ain't!

I admit I'm not too confident with pastry, but with the help of my trusty KitchenAid I'm getting there. I was really pleased with how the pastry and the overall tart worked out. For me it was the perfect Bakewell Tart, and trust me in my lifetime I've eaten my fair share!



Bakewell Tart
Serves 8-10

PASTRY

125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter, cold and diced
25g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp cold water
1 egg white

FILLING

100g raspberry jam
100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
25g plain flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
30g flaked almonds

1)In a large bowl mix together flour, salt and sugar then rub in butter until you have the consistency of breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and water until you have a smooth dough. Flatten into a disk, cover in clingfilm and refrigerate for 45 min.

2)On a floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 3mm thick then line a 20cm tart tin with the pastry. Lightly prick the base with a fork and chill for 30 min.

3) Preheat the oven to 180oc (160oc fan). Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans then bake for 20min until pastry is a light golden colour. Remove the beans and parchment, brush the inside of the pastry shell with egg white and bake for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 min

4) While the pastry is cooling beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and almond extract. Stir in the flour and ground almonds until well combined.

5) Spread the jam generously over the pastry base then pour frangipane mix on top of the jam. Level out with a pallet knife. Sprinkle with sliced almonds then bake for 35-40 until risen and golden.

6) Allow to cool in tin before eating.

Summer Pudding

Yet another day of dodging the torrential rain showers. Yesterday after going to the PYO farm and trying to convince myself that yes it is summer (not that the weather wants to make us believe that) I decided to try my hand at Summer Pudding.

The smell of the fruits simmering was glorious. You can't beat summer fruits. Tonight was the tasting and it was delicious. The tartness of the blackcurrants was matched perfectly with the sweetness of the crème de framboise all finished off with a spoonful of extra thick cream from the local dairy.

Incidently, to find your nearest PYO farm pop along to this great website. www.pickyourown.org
I've entered this recipe to Cook Sister's - WTSIM Blog Event

Individual Summer Puddings
Makes 2

250g summer fruits (I used raspberries, blackcurrants and strawberries)
50g vanilla sugar
4 slices of white bread, minus the crusts
2 tbsp crème de framboise

1) In a saucepan gently simmer the fruit and sugar for 3 min. Don't over simmer or the fruit will fall apart. You should have the fruit floating in a nice syrup. Allow to cool. Stir in crème de framboise.

2) Line 2 individual pudding basins with cling film. Cut 2 circles of bread just bigger than the base of the pudding basin and 2 circles the size of the top of the pudding basins.

3) Dunk the smaller bread circles into the syrup. Allow the bread to absorb the syrup then place 1 at the bottom of each pudding basin. Share the fruit out between the two basins.

4) Place the larger circle on top of the fruit then drizzle with the remaining syrup, ensuring all the bread is covered. Fold over the remaining cling film and weigh down with a weight (I used weights from my scales). Chill overnight.

5) Turn out onto a plate and drizzle with a small amount of crème de framboise.

Queen of Puddings

Every month Rosie from Rosie Bakes a "Peace" of Cake, runs a blog event based around great British puddings. This month was Queen of Puddings. I haven't had the pudding before, but have always been intrigued by it. In good old British pudding style it uses simple storecupboard ingredients and/or leftovers.

How this pudding had slipped my pudding radar for so many years, I don't know! It was pure comfort and at the same time not being too heavy. It would be lovely served with cream or vanilla icecream. The original recipe for Queen of Puddings can be found at Rosie's link above. As there is only 2 of us I halved it and served it in ramekins.

Queen of Puddings
makes 3 ramekins

35g fresh breadcrumbs, made for day old bread
13g butter
Grated rind of quarter of a lemon
50g caster sugar
1 large egg - separated
1/4 pt of milk (both whole and semi-skimmed work)
4 tsp raspberry jam – heated through

1) Preheat oven to 180oc. Bring to the boil the milk, half of the sugar, butter and lemon rind. Take off the heat then stir in breadcrumbs. Leave to soak for 20 minutes.

2) Beat the egg yolk into the breadcrumb mixture. Pour the breadcrumb mixture into your well buttered ramekins and bake for 15 minutes or until set. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then gently spread the warmed jam over the top.

3) Beat the egg white until stiff, then gently fold in the sugar. Pile the meringue on top of the jam, making sure you spread it to the edges of the dish, sealing in the jam. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until the meringue is set and lightly browned.

Sticky Pork & Purple Sprouting Broccoli Stirfry

This months In The Bag event is to cook with purple sprouting broccoli (PSB). I've eaten this veg in various forms over the last few weeks and tonight wanted to try something a bit different with it.

As Hubby has gone to the local beer festival I wanted to cook something quick, tasty and easy giving me the longest time to watch cheesy Saturday evening tv. This recipe is loosly based on my sticky pork recipe. I meant to add sesame seeds, but totally forgot!

Sticky Pork and Broccoli Stirfry
Serves 1

1 pork steak, sliced into strips
handful of purple sprouting brocolli
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp soft dark sugar
1 sheet of noodles

1) Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and sugar in shallow bowl. Marinade steak for up to 24 hours.

2) Cook steaks in saute pan (minus the extra marinade) for about 3 min each side until cooked. Remove steaks from pan and allow to rest. Cook noodles then drain. Add broccoli remaining marinade to pan, boil until sticky.

3) Add noodles to broccoli and mix until coated in sauce. Stir in pork. Serve.

Simnel loaf and cupcakes

In England it is traditional to make a simnel cake to celebrate Easter. Similar to a Christmas cake in that it is a spiced fruit cake. It features 11 balls of marzipan which represent the 12 apostles excluding Judas. The cake is thought to have been around since Medieval times and the name comes from the Latin simila meaning fine wheat flour.

Tradition dictates that it should be baked on Mothering Sunday by a daughter. If it is still moist when cut open on Easter Sunday it is a sign of a good cook (and potential wife!) As I only found this information out yesterday, and had missed Mothering Sunday I still decided to go ahead with it.

The original recipe for this Simnel Loaf cake featured in this months GFM, I made some alterations due to ingredients I had available. I also made my own marzipan, which is far better than any shop bought version. It is meant to make 1 2lb loaf, but I was left with loads of extra cake batter so made some simnel cupcakes to go with the loaf. It turned out beautifully moist, I'm glad it did or I would have been proved to be a shocking wife and cook! Method wise it is very similar to a Boiled Fruit Cake. Rather than the important 11 marzipan balls being on the top of the cake they are distributed throughout the cake, a bit like a stollen. You can use this recipe to make just simnel cupcakes (I guess this recipe will make about 18), use the same amounts. The cooking times for the cupcakes are below. I've entered the cakes in to Julia's Easter Cake Bake.

It's snowing here at the moment and we've been predicted heavy snow for tomorrow so we could be in for a white Easter.

Simnel Loaf and Cupcakes
Makes 1 2lb loaf and around 6 cupcakes

Marzipan
Makes 250g

125g ground almonds
60g icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten well (you won't use all of it)

1) Sift sugar into bowl then mix in almonds.

2) Add the lemon juice then the egg a tiny bit at a time. Beat to a firm paste then knead. It will end up having the texture of grainy dough. If it is too sticky add a bit more sugar and almonds. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in fridge while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Cake

140g unsalted butter, cubed
175g golden caster sugar
250ml orange juice
75g dried apricots, quartered
275g mixed fruit
220g glace cherries
200g marzipan (see above)
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
50g flaked almonds

Icing
1 egg white
250g icing sugar
50g marzipan

1) Preheat oven to 150oc. Line 2lb with baking parchment. Ensure it goes high up the sides as the cake will rise.

2) In a large saucepan slowly heat butter, sugar, orange juice, dried fruits until boiling. Simmer for 10 minutes then allow to cool for 15 min. While this is cooling shape the cake marzipan into 11 balls around 2cm across.

3) Sift flour, spice and baking powder into the pan, then stir in eggs and almonds until everything is well combined.

4) Spoon cake mix into tin until it is about half full. Arrange the marzipan balls evenly over the cake mix then cover with the remaining cake mix (don't over fill the tin). Smooth over the top. Bake loaf for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 until a skewer will come out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 15 min, then remove and finish cooling on wire rack. Allow cake to cool fully before icing.

If cooking cupcakes bake for 30 minutes at 150oc.

5) Lightly whisk egg white then beat in icing sugar until you have thick spreadable icing. Spread over the top of cake. Roll remaining marzipan into balls and brown with a blow torch (you could do this under the grill). When the icing is almost set press the marzipan balls along the top.

Irish Mocha Cupcakes - Homage to the Baileys Blitz

The second item for my marathon "cheer up" baking session are Irish Mocha Cupcakes. These cupcakes are inspired by Sugar Plum's St Paddy's Day Pub Crawl Blogging Event and a coffee called a Baileys Blitz that fueled my university days. Baileys Blitz was a mocha coffee with a shot of Baileys topped with lashings of whipped cream and (rather randomly) maltesers....mmmmmmm..

In these cupcakes I've forgone the malteasers, but all the other ingredients are there in some form or another. I'm really pleased how well they turned out. Of course I had to "test" one of the cakes just to check they are fit for my workmates ;) The rich coffee chocolate sponge is complimented perfectly with the Baileys icing.

Irish Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 12

For the cupcakes
110g butter, softened
110g golden caster sugar
2 eggs
85g self-raising flour
30g cocoa
2-3 tbsp cold strong coffee

For the Baileys icing
210g icing sugar, sifted
95g butter, softened
2 tbsp Baileys

1) Preheat oven to 180oc. Cream butter and sugar together into light and fluffy. Stir in one egg at a time so they don't curdle.

2) Fold in sifted flour and cocoa, then stir in the coffee one tbsp at a time.

3) Spoon into cupcake cases then bake for 15 min. Allow to thoroughly cool before icing.

4) Beat all of the icing ingredients together. If the icing it too stiff add some more baileys, if it is too runny add a tiny bit more icing sugar. Ice cakes using a piping bag.

Vegan Flapjacks

Things have been rough in work recently and we all can't wait for half term, bring on Thursday. To help cheer everyone up I've had a bit of a baking marathon today. First to be made was a batch of vegan flapjacks. One of my workmates is vegan and I didn't want her to feel left out.

I have to admit I feel confident with vegetarian cooking, but not vegan. I'm always worried about putting in an ingredient that isn't vegan. A few months back I nearly made a huge booboo when in a fleeting moment I thought of putting honey in a vegan dish, luckily I clicked before putting it in! I decided vegan flapjacks was the fail safe option. Of course if you wanted to make an non-vegan version just replace the soya spread with butter.

I've entered these flapjacks into Mansi's Weekend Breakfast Blogging event.

Vegan Flapjacks
Makes 8

170g soya margarine
170g golden caster sugar
225g muesli base mix or rolled oats
handful of sultanas

1) Preheat oven to 180oc. In a saucepan melt soya margarine. Take off the heat then stir in the remaining ingredients.

2) Pour into a lined 8inch square tin. Flatten with the back of a metal spoon.

3) Bake for 25 min until golden. Slice as soon as it is out of the oven.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pot Pie

I'm on my little lonesome for most dinners this week so have taken the opportunity to eat veggie and try out some new recipes, so expect a lot of updates this week! I'm renowned for eating badly when I'm cooking for 1 so I've planned my whole menu for the week and already have most of the ingredients in. I don't have an excuse not to eat well.

This morning I took the chance to check out the market in town where I managed to pick up lots of lovely veg. Just a shame the people who served me on both stalls were miserable so-and-sos, I won't be visiting their stalls again and sticking to my usual veg provider.

Tonight I made a delicious (if I must say myself!) purple sprouting broccoli pot pie. I was worried the PSB may bleed into the sauce, but it kept it's colour beautifully. I had the pie with some peas plus roasted baby potatoes and radishes, as inspired by The Great Big Vegetable Challenge. The pie is based on the cauliflower and bacon pie I made back in October. I've submitted the pie to The Mini Pie Revolution for their pot pie blog event.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pot Pie
Serves 1

handful of purple sprouting broccoli
2 spring onions, chopped
100ml creme fraiche
50g mature cheddar (I use Quickes cheddar)
seasoning
120g puff pastry
egg, lightly beaten

1) Preheat oven to 200oc. Fry spring onions until they have softened. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together (apart from pastry) then spoon into the pie dish.

2) Roll out puff pastry to size of dishes then place on top. Pinch around the edges to help seal. Then use a knife to put 2 slits into the piece of pastry to stop it getting soggy underneath. Brush with a small amount of egg. Cook for 25-30 min.

Toffee Apple Pudding - The Great British Pudding Challenge

This months Great British Pudding Challenge is Toffee Apple Pudding. There is a copy of the recipe & rules on Rosie's blog. As there's just the two of us I halved the recipe and steamed for 55 min in 2 mini pudding basins. In the words of Nigella my pudding looks very *cough* "rustic" thanks to me not greasing the mounds enough. I also meant to serve them with custard. I wasn't in the mood to make proper custard so was going to use some readymade stuff I had on standby, but the custard tasted so horrible we ended up serving it with whipped cream.

I felt like I was on Masterchef trying to get the puddings on to steam within minutes of the pies being ready. Poor Hubby got quite a shock as he walked into the kitchen to find dirty dishes all over the place. I admit I'm not the tidiest cook, but trying to keep everything on track tonight almost got the better of me!

Chocolate Steamed Pudding & Custard

The weather here has been bitterly cold and sleeting all day, so much so we've had a fire going since 2pm. Usually we don't light it until around 5pm. Saying this I did get a bit of a shock 10 minutes ago when I went outside to put the rubbish out to find a thick covering of snow!

Rosie & Maria have set a cooking challenge called The Great British Pudding Challenge. This months challenge is Chocolate Steamed Pudding (you can find the recipe on Rosie's blog) and I was never going to turn down the chance to cook a chocolate pudding! Apparently the traditional British pud is in decline and the idea of the challenge is promote awareness of the fantastic puds on available in the UK. This is the first proper steamed pud I've made and the steamer I own isn't big enough so cooked it the way Gordon Ramsey advises in his Just Desserts book; in a large pan with boiling water about half way up the pudding bowl. It seemed to work and the pudding was beautifully light and not too sweet. To accompany the pudding, rather than the chocolate sauce that Rosie made I made custard. This is the first time I have made custard from scratch and was pleased with the results. But I admit there is times when totally fake Ambrosia custard is called for! The custard recipe is adapted from River Cottage Family Cookbook.


Proper Custard


Serves 2-3

125ml Whole milk
125ml single cream
vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tbsp

1)Pour milk and cream into saucepan, add vanilla seeds. Heat gently until cream and milk begins to steam. Take off the heat.

2)Whisk egg and sugar together for about a minute. Pour the hot milk/cream into egg mix and quickly whisk. Pour back into the saucepan and gently heat. Stir with a wooden spoon constantly.

3) Once the custard evenly coats he back of the spoon, you can run your finger down the back of the spoon and the line stays distinct the custard is ready. According to Hugh this happens at 78oc. Strain the custard into a jug.

Gah...blogger formatting is playing up yet again...