The Cake Slice

I have some exciting news today. My good friend Gigi of Gigi Cakes had the brilliant idea to set up a new baking group, which involves choosing a book and then baking a new recipe from it each month for a year. The idea came from us always buying new cookery books and then never getting round to baking more than one or two of the recipes. This way we are guaranteed to get through at least 12. I am also thrilled that she asked me to be her c0-host.

We have called the group 'The Cake Slice' rather fitting don't you think? For more info and a sneak preview at one of the cakes on offer visit Gigi's blog.

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.

Borough Market

Last weekend I visited Borough Market in London, which is something I have been wanting to do for years. During the week I realised last Saturday was my last free weekend before returning to uni and so decided it was time for a visit. I don’t think I have ever seen such a selection of fresh good quality produce in one place before. It was fantastic! Some things were naturally more expensive than regular markets but the standard of produce made it worth while.

The market is only ‘open’ to members of the public on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays and its best to get there early to avoid the large crowds which start to form around midday.

There were bread stalls offering delicious rustic loaves ranging from rye and pumpernickel to sourdoughs, granary cobs, nutty date loafs and crusty baguettes.

Stands offering paving stone sized slabs of chocolate and indulgent handmade truffles in flavours ranging from praline to gin & lime all beautifully displayed.

Stalls selling every kind of fruit and nut imaginable with some dipped in chocolate or coated in yoghurt.

Herbs and specialist sea salts infused with spices or rubbed with dried olives for all salads or meat rubs.

Bakeries offering towers of cookies and dainty little cakes. How adorable are those owl shortbreads!! Almonds for beaks and chocolate drops for eyes – I just had to buy some. They were wonderfully tender and crumbly with a slight gritty shortbread texture.

Check out the size of those Emmentaler cheeses – they’re huge! They had been matured for 17months and had a great mellow nutty flavour.

Another stalls offering a wide assortment of baklava.

Anyone for a fudgey chocolate brownie? Surly a chocoholics dream.

Freshly picked wild mushrooms. I was particularly taken with the shape of the Eryngi mushrooms at the back.

Ever heard of Parrot Fish? I hadn’t but I love their blue tinged scales.

A stall specializing in tomatoes, they looked so pretty all arranged in their rows.

I had lunch from this middle eastern stall which was offering a wide assortment of dips, salads and marinades. I had a falafel wrap with salad, houmous and tahini sauce – delicious. I also bought a pot of aubergine which had been marinated in a spicy sauce with chunks of walnuts.

I ended the day with a slice of the silkiest creamy cheesecake I have ever tasted and a slice of zingy lemon tart from this stall. It was a wonderful day and I plan to go back at Christmas as it would be the perfect place to pick up a few foodie gifts.

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

Almond Cupcakes with Cherry Jam & Toasted Flaked Almonds

These cupcakes are my own take on the much loved traditional English cherry and almond cake, enjoyed by many as part of afternoon tea in years gone by. Sadly although the flavour pairing of cherry and almond is still much enjoyed, the cherry studded, slightly dense almond cake has gone out of fashion with the younger generation, although, I must confess it still remains one of my favourites. These cupcakes are a more modern take on that great classic cake. They consist of a light almond sponge which is spread with a layer of cherry jam and then topped with toasted flaked almonds.

The use of ground almonds in the cake helps keep them lovely and moist and the addition of almond extract provides a great almond frangipane flavour. The cherry part comes in the form of a fruit studded black cherry jam which results in an instant cherry hit when a bite is taken and helps keep the cake light as no heavy fruit is mixed into the cake batter. The cupcake is decorated with a scattering of flaked almonds which are first lightly toasted to enhance their flavour. A hit with cherry and almond fans of any age.

Almond Cupcakes with Cherry Jam & Toasted Flaked AlmondsCupcakes
100g self raising flour
20g ground almonds
115g butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp almond extract

Topping
100g black cherry jam
30g toasted flaked almonds

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and ground almonds before sifting over the flour and beating until well combined.
Add the almond extract and baking powder and beat again.
Using a tablespoon, divide the batter into the muffin cases, filling half way.
Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes until golden and springy.
Remove from the oven, leave for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.
When cool, spread a teaspoon of cherry jam over the top of the cupcakes, leaving a rim of sponge showing around the edge.
Top with the toasted flaked almonds.
Makes 11-12 cupcakes

Cupcakes As Far As The Eye Can See

These last few weeks I have been baking masses of cupcakes, up to 200 a week for a summer job. I have done a range of seven flavours which are then packed snugly into plastic boxes, labelled and then sent on their way. I thought it would be fun to make a series out of posting the recipes, so for the next two weeks I shall be introducing you to each of the seven cupcakes varieties I have been baking. They are all quite simple, but when baking in bulk I find it’s easier to keep things straightforward.

So to start off I give you vanilla cupcakes, filled with strawberry jam and topped with glace icing and sugar sprinkles. These are a favourite with young children who get attracted by the colourful sugar strands but they are also a good choice for people who don’t like anything too ‘fancy’ done with their cake.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Jam & Sprinkles
Cupcakes
115g self raising flour
115g butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
70g strawberry jam

Topping
100g icing sugar
Water
20g sugar sprinkles

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and then sift over the flour and mix until well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and baking powder and beat again.
Using a tablespoon, divide the batter into the muffin cases, filling half way.
Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes until golden and springy.
Remove from the oven, leave for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.
When cool, cut out a cone from the top of the cake using a small sharp knife.
Fill the space with ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam and replace the cone of cake.
For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and dissolve with a little water, starting with ½ tablespoon of water and then teaspoons of water until you get a thick spreadable paste.
Spread the icing onto the top of the cakes and immediately decorate with the sugar sprinkles. (I find it easiest to place the cake on a plate to catch the excess sprinkles)
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

Raspberry & Almond Cupcakes

I am lucky enough to have a small mountain of home grown raspberries, thanks to my aunt who has quite a jungle of raspberry canes growing in her back garden. I think raspberries are a beautiful fruit, so unusually constructed with their plump little pockets of sweet juice surrounding tiny seeds and so pretty in colour. Another bonus is that they grow surrounded by flat greens leaves rather than the prickly thorns of blackberries meaning they are far more enjoyable to pick. I have frozen a few for future use and enjoyed some raw but I also wanted to use them in baking and these cupcakes were the result.

At first I planned to make raspberry muffins but I find raspberries can sometimes have quite large seeds which are not nice to chew on, so instead I decided to use one baked into the centre of a cupcake and then make a raspberry cream topping with the rest.

I used ground almonds in the cake mix which I find always gives a lovely moist texture and is a perfect flavour pairing with raspberries. The raspberry baked into the cakes centre is a nice surprise when bitten into and it seemed to have intensified in flavour. For the raspberry cream I used a base of an Italian style meringue but whisked it with the juice of lots of raspberries which I pureed first. I was worried that this would be too wet and I would end up with liquid goo but it actually whisked up to be wonderfully light and fluffy. I added some whipped cream to give it extra stability and this transformed it into a light and airy raspberry mousse which tasted divine. The sweetness of the meringue base really enhanced the raspberry flavour and it turned a lovely pretty pink colour and was so creamy and smooth In fact it was so good that I spooned the leftovers into little glasses and served it as a raspberry fool.

Topped with an extra raspberry they encompass the joys of fresh summer berries, now I just wish the weather would take the hint and stop being so cold and wet.

Raspberry & Almond Cupcakes
For the cake
100g self raising flour
115g butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
25g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp almond extract
12 raspberries

For the raspberry cream
2 egg whites
150g caster sugar
200g raspberries
200ml double cream

Method – for the cake
Preheat the oven to 175C and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one.
Add the ground almonds and almond extract. Sift over the flour and baking powder and mix well to combine.
Spoon a teaspoon of the almond batter into the base of each of the muffin cases. Place a whole raspberry in the centre of each spoonful of batter. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the muffin cases, covering each raspberry.
Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Transfer to a wire wrack to cool.

For the raspberry cream
Take 12 of the best raspberries and set to one side for decoration later. Then place the remaining raspberries in a pan along with the water and 50g of the caster sugar.
Heat until the raspberries are mushy and thick, then remove from the heat. Push the raspberry mush through a sieve, collecting the juice in a glass bowl. Discard the seeds.
Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and add the egg whites and rest of the sugar.
Whisk the mixture over the heat until it turns very fluffy and has tripled in volume, around 4 – 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to beat for a few minutes more until nearly cold.
Whisk the double cream until it forms soft peaks and then whisk it into the raspberry mixture. It will turn creamy and deflate slightly, but this is ok. Whisk until thick and mousse like.
Chill in the fridge to firm up for at least two hours before spreading or piping onto the tops of the cooled cakes.
Top with the raspberries saved from earlier.
Makes 12 cupcakes

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!