Coconut Choc Chip Biscotti

I wanted to post some cookies to a friend and decided that biscotti would be the most likely to arrive intact and still tasting fresh thanks to their long shelf life. As I was had a rummage through the cupboards for some chocolate chips and my eyes settled on a bag of desiccated coconut and I knew I had to try adding that into the mix too. I was a little unsure if the coconut would make them too crumbly but the dough came together without any problems.

They went into the oven formed into little logs but they grew and spread while baking into wide fingers which I was at first alarmed with but this actually made them turn out a perfect biscotti shape when sliced.

The biscotti were very light and quite crumbly due to the coconut strands, but this meant they were perfect for munching on without having to dip them first. The little dots of dark chocolate worked perfectly with the toasty coconut flavour. I wrapped the best biscotti into bags, labeled them and sent them on their merry way and I’m pleased to say the recipient informs me they survived intact and still perfectly crisp. So if you want to post someone some cookies, biscotti would make an excellent choice; they adapt so well to different flavour combinations so you can create a biscotti to suit the recipients tastes.

Coconut Choc Chip Biscotti
Ingredients
280g plain flour
60g desiccated coconut
50g dark chocolate chips
150g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
100g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Melt the butter and set to one side.
Place the flour, coconut, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl.
Lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla into the butter and pour over the flour mixture.
Beat together until well combined.
Add the chocolate chips and mix once more until they are evenly distributed.
Cut the dough into two and, with floured hands, shape each one into a long log shape about 2inches/5cm wide. Place on the baking tray, leaving a good 3inches/7.5cm gap between them.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden in colour and spread.
Remove them from the oven, leave to cool and firm up for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack. Spray the tops of the biscotti with water to make slicing easier and leave for 5 minutes more.
Then slice the biscotti log into 1cm slices and lay them back onto the baking tray.
Bake for 15-20 more until crisp and golden in colour.
Transfer the biscotti to a wire wrack to cool and repeat with the remaining log.
If stored in an airtight container they will keep for 2 weeks.
Makes 35-40 biscotti

Daring Bakers August Challenge: Chocolate Éclairs

The hosts of this months challenge were Tony of Olive Juice and Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey? and they selected chocolate éclairs by Pierre Herme which got an instant thumbs up from my family. Éclairs are made using choux pastry, although personally I think it’s more of a batter as you have to pipe it rather than roll it out. It’s also the pastry used to make profiteroles, of which I have made often, but I had never made éclairs before so was looking forward to the attempting to pipe in straight lines. We were also required to make a crème patisserie filling and then top them of with a rich chocolate glaze.

The recipe provided was for chocolate crème patisserie and chocolate glaze but we were allowed to be creative and change one of these options if we wished. I decided to keep the chocolate glaze and vary the flavour of the crème filling. I made a large batch of vanilla crème patisserie and then divided it into three separate bowls from which I kept one vanilla, flavoured one with chocolate and for the third flavour I ground some pistachios into a paste and stirred it through the crème. I loved how just changing the filling gave the éclairs such a different appearance and flavour. I could happily have eaten the silky crème patisserie by the spoonful.The recipe makes quite a lot of éclairs and they are best eaten as fresh a possible. I made mine one weekend when we were having a family BBQ and so they didn’t go to waste. Having a choice of filling flavours proved very popular as it meant people could choose which one most appealed, vanilla for traditionalists, chocolate for chocoholics or pistachio for people who wanted something a little different. They were all a success although my favourite was the pistachio, I loved the little flecks of green and the nutty overtone and it went perfectly with the chocolate glaze.

Thanks Tony and Meeta for choosing such a great recipe. Be sure to check out the other Daring Bakers éclairs.

Chocolate Éclairs

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds bypositioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff. The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes.
Notes:

1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:

•Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)

• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40 degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:

1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water, stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create bubbles.

2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Cream Puff Dough:

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk

• ½ cup (125g) water

• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

• ¼ teaspoon sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:

1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.

2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined bakingsheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer thepiped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream:

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé

• 2 cups (500g) whole milk

• 4 large egg yolks

• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted

• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.

3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.

4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.

5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.
Notes:

1) The pastry cream can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.

3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze:

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 1 cup or 300g)

• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream

• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:

1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.

2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce:

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)

• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 cup (250 g) water

• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream

• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

2) It may take 10-15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:

1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.

2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is great American favourite and yet it has only recently started to take off here in the UK. It has quickly become one of my favourite flavour combinations. The creamy, nutty and slightly salty peanut flavour paired with rich, bittersweet chocolate provides a great sweet/savoury yin and yang match. What better way to encourage people to experience this taste sensation than in a simple cupcake, after all everyone likes cake.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
For the cupcakes
100g self raising flour
115g butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
20g cocoa powder

Peanut Butter Frosting
100g butter
40g smooth peanut butter
150g icing sugar

Decoration
Chocolate buttons

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
Beat together the butter, sugar until smooth and then beat in the eggs.
Sift over the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and beat until well combined.
Spoon into the muffin cases, using a tablespoon, filling each case half way.
Bake for 22-24 minutes until risen and springy.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.
Meanwhile make the frosting. Beat the butter and peanut butter together until well combined.
Sift over the icing sugar in two batches, beating well between each batch until smooth.
Spread a generous amount of the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes and top with a large chocolate button.
Makes 10-12 cupcakes

Daring Bakers July Challenge: Filbert (Hazelnut) Gateau with Praline Buttercream

When Chris of Mele Cotte chose Hazelnut Praline Gateau for this months challenge I was thrilled. My favourite chocolates are pralines and so using that flavour for a cake sounded a wonderful idea and it so was. This cake is amazing. The toasted hazelnuts used in all components of the cake give a fabulous flavour and aroma.

I decided to half the recipe as I didn’t want too large a cake. The Hazelnut Genoise was light and tender and dotted with tiny nuggets of hazelnuts. The toasted hazelnuts worked so well in the cake that when I tasted a few scrapes of the cake from around the tin I had to prevent myself from not taking a bite out of the cake before it was finished.

I used a little rum in the syrup which gave it flavour but I was careful not to add too much. I then used amaretto in the buttercream to enhance the nutty flavour but didn’t add any more liqueurs to any of the other components as I wanted the hazelnuts to be the main flavour.

For the praline paste I used hazelnuts which were pre chopped which worked well as it meant they got more of an even coating in the caramel. I ate a bit of the brittle before I blitzed it and it tasted so good, the caramel coating really enhanced the praline flavour. I saved a few of the brittle pieces back to help decorate the top of the cake and I like how they were small pieces rather than a whole nut. It took longer to blitz the brittle into a smooth paste that I anticipated and I had to keep scraping down the sides of the processor, but the aroma it released while being crushes was unbelievable. Every time I removed the lid of the processor a cloud of deep toasted hazelnut aroma would waft up and smelt so unbelievably good it would almost make me feel lightheaded. It was enough to make you want to weep with happiness.
When it came to assembling the cake all was going to plan. I had lots of praline buttercream leftover and not wanting it to go o waste I decided to use it to cover the top and sides of the cake as well. This worked fine and I put it in the fridge to chill while I made the ganache. When it came to pouring the ganache over the cake I suffered a minor disaster. The ganache flowed and settled on the flat top of the cake fine, but when I tried to smooth it over the sides of the cake it ran off in horrible blotchy patches where it began to melt the butter in the buttercream and run off in oily patches – not good. I piled it all on anyway, stuck it back in the fridge to chill and hoped for the best. When the ganache had cooled but was still spreadable I removed the cake from the fridge and tried to scoop it up the sides of the cake. Thankfully it did stick this time but the end result looked like a monstrosity. Back into the fridge it went and then sufficiently chilled I removed it once again and carefully began to remove the excess ganache from the plate. A few minutes later and ta-da, the cake had been transformed from a blob into something quite presentable – whew! I have learnt a good lesson though, never cover the sides of a cake with buttercream if you want to cover it in a warm glaze :)
When I tasted the finished cake it was well worth the effort and I would definitely consider making it again for a celebration. The hazelnut flavour was gorgeous and all the tastes and textures mingled together well and the smooth dark chocolate ganache finished it off perfectly. The gateau is quite rich so small slices were sufficient.

Be sure to check out the blogroll to see other Daring Bakers creations.

Filbert (Hazelnut) Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by carol Walter
Hazelnut Genoise

225g toasted skinned hazelnuts
75g plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
7 egg yolks
55g & 160g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp grated lemon rind
5 egg whites
50g clarified butter, melted

Method
Heat the oven to 180C. Grease and flour a 10inch spring form tin and set to one side. (Use a 6inch tin if halving the recipe)
Place the nuts, flour and cornflour in a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds. Then pulse until you get a fine powdery mixture, but don’t over process. Set aside.
Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk for 3-4 minutes until they are light in colour and tripled in volume. Slowly add the 160g of sugar a tablespoon at a time. The mixture should turn moussey and leave a ribbon trail.
Mix in the vanilla and lemon and set aside.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then add the 55g of sugar a spoonful at a time until glossy.
Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg whites and whisk until just combined.
Scatter over two tablespoons of the flour nut mixture and fold in gently using a spatula. Continue doing this with the remaining mixture until you have only two tablespoons left. Then drizzle over the clarified butter, add the remaining nutty flour and fold in well.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until it feels springy to the touch and has started to come away from the sides of the tin.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool.

Sugar Syrup
225ml water
55g caster sugar
2 tbsp rum or liqueur of choice

Method
In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar together until dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in your liqueur of choice. Set aside.

Swiss Buttercream
4 egg whites
160g caster sugar
300g butter
1 tbsp Grand Marnier or liqueur of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Beat the egg whites in a large glass bowl until foamy and nearly at soft peak stage. Then place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, but the bowl shouldn’t touch the water.
Whisk the egg whites, adding tablespoons of sugar one at a time. Continue to beat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm. The mixture should look like fluffy marshmallow.
Remove the bowl from the heat and beat for 5 minutes until cool.
Place the butter in a clean bowl and beat until soft and fluffy. Continue to beat the butter, adding tablespoons of the meringue mixture until it is all used up.
Beat in the vanilla and liqueur of your choice.
Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before using.

Praline Paste
150g toasted skinned hazelnuts
150g caster sugar

Method
Scatter the sugar over the bottom of a heavy frying pan and heat over a low flame for 10-20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and formed a light caramel. Do not stir the sugar, but the odd shake of the pan is ok to enable even melting.
When the sugar has completely melted remove from the heat and stir in the hazelnuts.
Quickly spread the mixture over a baking try lined and greased with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
Leave to cool before breaking into pieces and blitzing in a food processor to form a paste. This can take up to 10 minutes and you will need to scrape down the sides every so often.
Transfer to a bowl and cover until ready to use, do not put in the fridge.

Praline Buttercream
1 x Swiss buttercream
1 x praline paste
1 tbsp rum or liqueur of choice

Method
Whisk half the buttercream into the praline paste until well combined. Then add the rest of the buttercream and fold in the liqueur of choice.

Ganache Glaze
175g dark chocolate
300g double cream
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp liqueur of choice
¾ tsp vanilla extract

Method
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl and set to one side.
Heat the cream and the syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Leave it until it just reaches a gentle boil, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.
Stir until smooth and well combined. Stir in the vanilla and liqueur of choice.
Leave to cool and thickened slightly before using, but don’t leave it too long or it will set.

To Assemble
Cut the cake into three even layers and turn the top layer upside down to use as the base.
Brush the layer with some of the sugar syrup and a third of the praline buttercream.
Top with another layer of sponge, moisten with syrup and spread with another third of buttercream.
Top with the final cake layer, moisten with syrup and spread over the rest of the buttercream.
Transfer the cake to a wrack set over a deep baking tray. Brush the sides with a little melted apricot jam and pour over the still soft chocolate ganache glaze. Spreading it out evenly over the top and sides of the cake, catching any excess in the tray below.
Using leftover buttercream or whipped double cream, decorate the top of the cake.
Store in the fridge until required. It can be kept for up to 5 days.

Decadent Chocolate Brownie Cookies

These cookies are my new favourite treat for when I want a chocolate hit. They have all the moist chocolate richness of a brownie but with a thin cookie exterior. They are so decadent that I have had to make two batches in the last week as the first batch vanished in a matter of hours.

Their cookie form means they are perfect for packing into lunchboxes, taking on journeys, eating on their own or transforming into brownie cookie ice cream sandwiches.

I added some swirly white chocolate chips to mine but you could of course add any number of add-ins, raisins, nuts etc. They only require one saucepan to make too, meaning they are very quick to make. So hop to it – go and bake some now.

Decadent Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Recipe adapted from Leiths Baking Bible
Ingredients
60g butter
50g dark chocolate
70g caster sugar
70g soft brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g plain flour
15g cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder
70g white chocolate chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C and grease a baking tray.
Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a saucepan until smooth and then remove from the heat.
Stir in the caster sugar and brown sugar and beat until the crystals have dissolved. Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and beat until all combined. The mixture will turn very stiff at this stage but this is what you want.
Finally chop the white chocolate into chunks and stir through the chocolate batter.
Place rounded tablespoons of the chocolate mixture onto the baking tray, leaving a two inch gap between each one. Flatten slightly.
Bake in the oven for 9 minutes only before removing and leaving for 2 minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire wrack to cool. Do not over bake or they will become crispy when cool.
Makes around 14 cookies

Very GÜ’d Puds

Have you ever heard of GÜ Puds? If not then you’re missing out. They make wickedly tempting chocolate treats and desserts. Last week I was lucky enough to try two of their latest creations, some Hot Chocolate Melting Middle Puds and a pack of Chocolate Trifles.

I love how much attention to detail has been given to presenting the products. The black glossy box with the contrasting white GÜ gives the impression of elegance and luxury even though it’s kept simple. The GÜ looks like a happy smiling face to me, almost as if it’s hinting at the treats awaiting you inside. The hot chocolate puds come wrapped in decorative brown and gold paper muffin style cases and really give the impression that this is something indulgent and of premium quality. The film lid of the trifle pots is decorated in white swirls and even the inside of the trifle box is covered in ornate black swirls, just because a little of it is on show surrounding the product. It really made me think that care had been taken when designing the packaging.
GÜ Hot Chocolate Melting Middle Puds
The puds can be heated in either the microwave or the oven and so in the interest of a fair review (and because it was the perfect excuse to be greedy) I decided to cook and sample one prepared each way.

Microwaved pud
The pud kept its shape well, and had a smooth puffed up surface which slowly relaxed and cracked revealing a sneak preview of its dark glossy centre. It had a thin fragile top crust, similar to that of a brownie, which when broken released a dark and velvety smooth gü-ey chocolate heart that was just heavenly. It was rich and thick, coating your tongue and filling your mouth with an explosion of deep dark chocolate flavour with the texture of molten chocolate ganache. This molten chocolaty gü was encased in a tender sponge shell, which helped the pud keep its shape and provided another texture.

You can really tell that good quality dark chocolate had been used, it was wickedly dark and indulgent. The box states 70% cocoa and for a dark chocolate fan this was just divine – the perfect balance of sweet and bitter and very chocolaty. For someone who is often disappointed in bought chocolate puddings, which often taste of nothing but sugar with a milky chocolate aftertaste, this intense chocolate hit was wonderful.

Oven baked pud
This pud also kept its shape well. I was worried it might break when transferring it from baking tray to plate, but the spongy sides provided a good barrier to the molten centre. The first noticeable difference to the microwaved version was the aroma. As it warmed in the oven it released an intense, hot melting chocolate aroma which even enticed my brother away from the computer (which is nothing short of a miracle). For some reason the pudding stayed quite sunken in the centre compared to the photo on the box, perhaps it needed a couple of extra minutes in the oven but this probably meant there was more gü-ey filling, which is never a bad thing. The sponge sides seemed marginally thicker on this pudding, but I think this was just because they had a slightly crisper coating due to being oven cooked. The gü-ey centre was just as seductive and silky smooth. There really was not much difference in quality between them, both were oh so good. The hardest part was trying to keep my family from demolishing the puds while I was taking photos, they all gathered round me with their spoons at the ready.

GÜ Chocolate Trifles These looked very tempting. Upon peeling back the lid you are greeted with a dark chocolate mousse that is studded with air bubbles, promising a light and airy texture. My spoon sunk through this chocolate layer to the softly whipped cream beneath. The top chocolate layer was thick, moussey and very light and the cream was soft and full of air bubbles which dissolved smoothly on my tongue. The cream was followed by a small mound of tender chocolate sponge and ended in a bottom layer of thick sticky chocolate ganache. The chocolate flavour was prominent, although not as intense as the melting middle puddings thanks to the whipped cream which mingled with the chocolate, preventing it from being too rich. The chocolate ganache was wonderfully smooth and creamy, although I would have quite liked it to be layered after the cream and before the layer of cake as I found it got left behind in the base of the pot when taking a spoonful, but then I suppose you wouldn’t get such a good layered trifle effect. A less bitter dark chocolate is used in this dessert meaning it would suit all grades of chocolate lover whilst still providing the desired indulgent chocolate hit.

I was impressed with both these puds although my favourite was the melting chocolate puddings, which were oh so gü’d!

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Tray Bake

Last weekend it was our local village fete. My family always help run a few game stalls for the children and supply a few little cakes for the refreshment stand. This tray bake was one of the cakes contributed.

It’s an all-in-one cake meaning you simply have to put all the ingredients into a bowl and beat it together, so it’s very easy to make. Swirling together vanilla and chocolate flavoured batters makes it more appealing to the eye and means it will please both vanilla and chocolate cake fans. I topped the cake off with a dark chocolate buttercream and drizzled over a little white chocolate to keep the two tone colour theme going.

The cake was light and tender and I loved how the dark chocolate swirl stood out against the vanilla sponge. The buttercream was sweet, with a rich chocolate flavour that prevented it from being over sweet. Cut into squares it went down well with both children and adults at the fete.

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Tray Bake
For the cake
200g self raising flour
200g butter or margarine
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
20g cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk

For the buttercream
100g butter
200g icing sugar
75g plain chocolate
50g white chocolate

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 30cm x 20cm baking tin.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter, sugar and eggs and beat using an electric mixer until smooth and slightly lighter in colour.
Beat in the vanilla.
Mark the cake batter in half using a spatula and then dollop tablespoonfuls of half the vanilla mixture at regular intervals in the tin, leaving spaces between each one.
With the remaining half of the batter, sift over the cocoa powder and beat in until well incorporated. Add the milk to slacken the mixture and mix well.
Dollop tablespoonfuls of the chocolate mixture in-between the vanilla blobs in the tin.
Take a skewer or thin bladed knife and run it up and down through the mixture to swirl the two cake mixes together.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire wrack to cool.

For the buttercream
Beat the butter until soft and creamy.
Sift over the icing sugar in two batches and beat well until smooth.
Melt the dark chocolate, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then beat into the buttercream. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Spread the buttercream evenly over the top of the cake. Melt the white chocolate and place into a piping bag with a small nozzle.
Drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the cake and leave to set before cutting into squares.
Makes 15 squares.

Profiteroles

Everyone was wanting a little treat for after dinner and profiteroles got a unanimous vote. The nice thing about making the little choux buns is that you can fill and top them with whatever takes your fancy. My family and I went the traditional route of fresh whipped cream or ice cream topped with lots of rich chocolate sauce. Filling them with crème patisserie and topping them off with caramel turns them into elegant croquembouche and piping the choux pastry into logs will result in éclairs. Choux buns can also be stuffed with savoury fillings so they are extremely versatile.

When you making choux pastry it is important to have all your ingredients ready as the pastry (which is more like a batter) requires lots of vigorous beating after adding each ingredient is added to keep it lump free. It can then be piped or spooned onto a baking sheet where it then puffs us and become hollow during baking. It’s a good idea to splash your baking tray with water before baking the buns as the resulting steam produced helps the buns rise. You must also pierce a small hole in the top of each bun to allow the steam to escape as soon as its out of the oven or else you risk them turning soggy.

These little buns are quite simple to make but look impressive enough to serve for guests. They are best eaten the day they are made, but this didn’t prove to be a problem in my house.

Profiteroles
(Recipe by Delia Smith)
Ingredients
60g strong plain flour
150ml water
1 tsp caster sugar
50g butter
2 eggs

For the filling
250ml double cream, vanilla ice cream or crème patisserie

For the chocolate sauce
100g dark chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
100ml milk

Method – for the choux buns
Heat the oven to 200C. Grease and line two baking trays and set to one side.
Weight out the flour and sugar together and place onto a sheet of greaseproof paper that you can pick up easily in order to add the flour quickly later on.
Break the eggs into a cup and whisk lightly.
Heat the water and butter together in a pan until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
Quickly shoot in the flour and sugar and beat until the flour has been completely worked into the water and the mixture has turned thick and glossy and is forming a sticky ball in the middle of the pan – around a minute.
Gradually beat in the egg a little at a time until silky smooth.
Now run your baking trays under the tap so that water droplets cover the surface.
Using a teaspoon, dot spoonfuls of batter over the baking trays, leaving a 1 inch gap. Alternatively you could pipe blobs using a piping bag.
Bake for 10 minutes in the 200C preheated oven, then increase the temperature to 220C for a further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, they should be crisp, puffed up and golden brown in colour.
Transfer the buns to a wire wrack to cool, piercing a small hole in the top of each one to allow the steam to escape. The hole will be covered in chocolate sauce later.

For the chocolate sauce
Break the chocolate into small pieces and add to a pan along with the golden syrup and milk.
Heat very gently, stirring frequently until the chocolate has dissolved.
At this stage it will look far too liquid but keep stirring it over the heat, allowing a few small bubbles to appear. It will suddenly start to thicken, at which point remove it from the heat and continue to stir until you have a thick glossy sauce.
Can be used straight away or left to cool to room temperature.

To assemble
Whip the cream into soft peaks.
Pipe or spoon the cream into the centre of the choux buns and pour over the chocolate sauce.
Makes 25 choux buns

I’m off on holiday to Marrakesch with my sister very early tomorrow morning, so there won’t be any posts for the next 10 days or so.

Cherry & White Chocolate Cookies

After a request from someone at work for a Monday Munchers treat involving cherries and white chocolate I came up with these cookies. Not very adventurous I’ll admit, but delicious none the same. They had a crisp outer edge with a bendy/chewy centre which was a nice change from the soft cakey cookies I made them last time.

I based the cookies on a recipe from the King Arthur Flour Company, only I halved the recipe and altered a few of the ingredients. I baked the cookies in two batches and the first batch spread far too much and they ended up joined together like some sort of crazy paving, I think it was because I tinkered with the recipe, but I added more flour and the second batch turned out much better. The recipe below includes the added flour.

I used dried Bing cherries which are un-dyed and quite tart, but this went well with the chunks of sweet white chocolate.

Cherry & White Chocolate Cookies
(Recipe adapted from the King Arthur Flour Company)
Ingredients
115g butter
100g light soft brown sugar
75g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ beaten egg
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g plain flour
75g white chocolate
75g dried cherries

Method
Heat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla and beaten egg.
Sift over the flour and bicarb and beat until well incorporated.
Chop the chocolate into small chunks and fold into the batter along with the dried cherries.
Place tablespoons of the cookie dough onto the baking tray, leaving a 2inch gap between each one. Slightly flatten the dough into a rough round.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden around the edges.
Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely.
Makes 18 cookies

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

It’s my 21st birthday today and so for the Monday Munchers this week I wanted to try and bake something fun and a bit different. Somewhere in the back of my mind was an idea of baking cake in ice cream cones and then decorating them to look like ice creams. I think I probably got this idea from another blog, but I can’t remember which one. I baked one on its own to start with, to determine how full I needed to fill the cones with the cake batter. The cones I used had a little ridge in them, about an inch from the top, and this turned out to be the perfect measure of where to fill them up to allow the batter to rise to the top during baking.

It’s important to use flat bottomed ice cream cones, as they have got to stand up while you bake them. I wanted to make a choice of flavours and so made a plain sponge batter and then divided it in half and flavoured one half lemon and the other chocolate. Once baked the chocolate ones were topped with a layer of dulce de leche caramel and a whipped chocolate cream. The lemony ones were topped with lemon curd and a lemon and white chocolate cream. I also added sugar sprinkles for a fun party touch.

The cones turn a little chewy after being baked, but are still crisp and sturdy enough to hold the cake and stand unsupported. I was really please with how they turned out and they really did look like ice creams, although my chocolate ones must have been in the sun too long as they look a bit melted! (I didn’t beat the cream stiff enough before piping it on). I loved all the different tastes and textures you could get in one bite – creamy topping, sweet gooey sauce, fluffy cake and crisp wafer cone.

They are a bit messy (yet fun) to eat and after the first bite it’s a good idea to spread some of the topping down the side of the cake for ease of eating or else you might end up squishing your nose it in! They were a hit at work and were a novel twist on the traditional birthday cake with a fun party feel.
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
For the plain batter
110g butter
100g caster sugar
110g self raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
12 flat bottom wafer ice cream cones

For lemon cakes (1/2 plain batter mix)
40g lemon curd
Zest of ½ lemon
For lemon topping
150ml double cream
60g white chocolate
1 tbsp lemon curd
6 tsp extra lemon curd
Sprinkles to decorate

For the chocolate cakes (1/2 plain batter mix)
2 tsp (10g) cocoa powder
For the chocolate topping
150ml double cream
60g dark chocolate
6 tsp dulce de leche (caramel/toffee sauce)


Method – plain batter
Preheat the oven to 175C.
Place 12 ice cream cones in the wells of a muffin tin and set to one side.
Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and beat until well incorporated.
Divide the cake batter equally into two bowls.
Flavour the batter as you wish and bake for 18-22 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool before topping.

For the chocolate cakes
Sift over the cocoa powder and beat well, adding a drop of milk if needed.
Spoon into 6 of the ice cream cones, but leaving a 1 inch gap at the top to allow rising.
Once cooked, spread a teaspoon of the dulce de leche over the top of each of the cakes and top with the chocolate cream.

For the chocolate cream
Heat the cream gently until it begins to simmer but not boil.
Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
Leave to cool before whipping into a thick cream.
Pipe onto the tops of the chocolate cakes.


For the lemon cakes
Add the lemon zest and lemon curd and beat well.
Divide between the 6 ice cream cones leaving a 1 inch gap.
Once cooked, spread a teaspoon of lemon curd over the tops of the cakes and top with the lemon and white chocolate cream.

For the lemon cream
Heat the cream gently until it begins to simmer but not boil.
Remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate and lemon curd.
Stir until smooth.
Leave to cool before whipping into a thick cream.
Pipe onto the tops of the lemon cakes and decorate with sugar sprinkles.

Makes 12 cone cupcakes

Chilli Chocolate Muffins

I really like muffins. I love there soft and tender texture and their tall puffed up appearance, almost as if they are trying to burst out of their cases with self importance. However, you may have noticed that there are very few muffin recipes on this blog, for even though I love muffins, they do not love me, or rather they do not like being baked by me. More often than not I end up with a hard dense rock, a flat muffin with a crispy top or just cake. After trying quite a few recipes over the years I admitted defeat and accepted that I was one of those people that just couldn’t bake muffins.

All that changed when I happened upon a recipe for dark chocolate muffins on Baking Bites. They just looked so perfect, that I was longing to eat one and decided it was time to give muffins another shot.

I had been asked to make something using chilli and chocolate for the Monday Munchers this week and so decided that not only was I going to try making muffins, but that the muffins would come back with a kick.

I kept the muffin batter plain chocolate but added a little chilli powder and also stirred through some chunks of chilli chocolate to provide little pockets of spice. I tried to follow all the rules I have learnt about muffin making e.g. not over mixing the batter and allowing a few clumps to remain etc. Yet I was apprehensive when it came to filling the muffin cases as the batter looking a little thinner than I was expecting but I went ahead and baked them.

I didn’t dare look in the oven until the time was up and when I opened the oven door I couldn’t believe the tall muffins that greeted me. They had high domes and soft tops and smelt amazing. I kept expecting them to collapse while they were cooling, but they stayed standing proud.

They were very chocolaty and had a closely knit and tender crumb attributed to a muffin. The thing that pleased me most was how they didn’t develop a hard dry surface, but stayed soft and moist. The chilli flavour was quite subtle, but left a nice warm sensation in the back of your throat. Next time I may try using melted chilli chocolate in the muffin batter for more of a kick.

If you are in need of a good muffin recipe then use the one below and hopefully your muffin hunt will be over. You can of course leave out the chilli and use plain chocolate for a normal muffin. Thanks Nic for the recipe.

Chilli Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from Baking Bites blog
Ingredients
125g dark chocolate
110g butter
230g plain flour
100g soft light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp chilli powder
2 large eggs
165ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g chilli chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 175C.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt together the butter and dark chocolate either in the microwave or a small saucepan.In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, chilli powder and baking powder.
Make a well in the center and the add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Give a quick stir and then pour in the melted chocolate. Fold everything together using a large spatula until all the ingredients are incorporated. It’s ok for a few lumps to remain.
Chop the chilli chocolate into chunks and fold into the batter.
Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling three-quarters full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.
Store in an airtight container until required.

Makes 12-14