Summer Fruit Frangipane Tart

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Now that the temperatures are rising and the sun is coming out-albeit slowly- it is time we re-introduced summer fruits into our diet!

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My Summer Fruit Frangipane Tart is essentially a puff pastry case, filled with frangipane (more about that in a minute!), and blueberries and raspberries!

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Frangipane is essentially a filling made from eggs, sugar, butter, and almonds.

Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, gradually add the butter and lastly pour in the almonds.

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Line some individual cases with puff pastry and fill with roughly 75g of frangipane. Top with your choice of fruit and sprinkle with almonds.

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Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes on a low-medium heat

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Eat with cream, icecream, or on their own- enjoy!

Hunter Wellington Boot Cake

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I made this cake for my mum's birthday as she has recently discovered her love for Hunter boots and she is an outdoors fanatic!

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The cake is just a single layer lemon sponge with home-made fondant icing

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There was not a single slice left within 24 hours of blowing out the candles!

BEST OF 2011

Hi All!

It's time for a 'Best Of' from 2011!

That's the only problem with blogging-your old posts get hidden away!

 So here is a reminder for you all of the exciting play I get up to :)

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Wishing You All A Healthy and Happy New Year!

Spring Has Come Early

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With such a mild start to January 2012, what better way to welcome in my friends 21st birthday than with Floral Cupcakes!

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These are just plain vanilla cupcakes with fondant decorations!

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Bring on Summer 2012!

Christmas Time.. Mistletoe and Wine... and CAKE!

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'Swiss Roll' was always a popular choice to make in food-tech at school years ago, but before now I hadn't attempted it since!

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I have briefly posted a couple step-by-step photos to show you how each stage should look!

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The sponge should be very thin- about 7mm thick.

Make sure you remember to roll it up now- starting from the longest side, use the greaseproof paper to guide you.

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Leave for a few minutes then unroll, and spread your filling-I used fresh double cream.

The cake was to be kept at my mum's house and her fridge tends to freeze so it made it taste like icecream!

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Roll the cake up again once filled!

Don't worry if the sides crack- this can easily be covered with icing.

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Decorate as you please!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Choc'mas!

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Nothing says Christmas 2011 like home-made gifts.

And when they are made out of chocolate that's even better!

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 I've made a selection of dark, milk, white,and, dark chocolate and orange flavoured chocolate shapes.  Put them in a festive gift bag, like below, and they make great gifts!

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Or if you need something for the grown ups why not create a selection jar! 

I have filled my jar with all the home-made chocolates mentioned above, mini bite-size candy canes, and chocolate coins! This gives a real festive twist! 

Before I give the jars out I will wrap them in tissue paper with a festive red ribbon around and put into a nice gift bag.

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

Mince Pie Mayhem!

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Mince Pie Mayhem!

 

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I had recently had requests for Mince Pies but as I had not made my own pastry in a while I thought I would try a test batch one night whilst babysitting my little brothers at my parents house.

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This called for some inspiration:

- With no cookie cutters/ pastry cutters I used a soup can! 

Turned out to be the perfect size for my bun tin!

- As the lids had to be smaller, a baby's beaker turned out perfect!

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Ingredients for Pastry:

- 200g sifted plain flour

-40g golden caster sugar

- 125g cold butter

- 1 large egg

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Method:

Butter your bun tin or use foil cases

In a large bowl, sift the flour then add the sugar.

Cut the butter into small chunks.

Rub the butter and flour/sugar mix between your fingers lightly until it resembles bread crumbs.

Add in the egg and knead until dough-like.

Tightly wrap the dough into clingfilm and put in the fridge to chill for an hour

Once chilled, lightly flour a surface and roll out your dough

Using a cookie cutter, pastry cutter (or soup tin!) cut out your base circles.

Press each pastry circle into the bun tin.

Stir the mincemeat and then spoon into each pastry base in the bun tin.

Using a smaller pastry cutter (or child's beaker!) cut out smaller pastry circles to use as lids.

Put on top of the mincemeat and press lightly on the edges to seal.

Brush with an egg or milk to get a nice golden colour!

Bake for 20 minutes until golden at 200 C/ 400F.

Enjoy!

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Tip: Use a fluted pastry cutter to make pretty edges on your pies.

Make mini mince pies and put them on a tray to be nibbled on Christmas Eve with family and friends!

 

Sticky Fruit Flapjack

Definitely a winter favourite!

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This flapjack is really easy to make- and takes hardly any time at all! 

You probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboards too!

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Ingredients:

175g Butter

175g Golden Syrup

175g Soft Brown Sugar

300g Oats

1 tablespoon of Cinnamon

A small sprinkling of Lemon Juice

I added chopped sticky cherries and raisins. Try adding banana and chocolate chips for something different!

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Method:

Set your oven to 150 (130 Fan assisted)

In a glass bowl, measure out the butter, syrup and sugar.

Put this mixture in the microwave for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, weigh the oats out into a large bowl.

Add the cinnamon and lemon juice to the oats.

When the sugar mix is done, take out of the microwave and stir.

Pour the wet mix into the large bowl of dry mix.

Mix together well!

Add your desired filling!

Pour your mixture into a lined rectangular cake tin or slightly deep baking tray.

Flatten the mixture slightly.

Put in the oven!

Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes turn the oven up to its full heat and bake for another 5

(This gives a wonderfully crunchy top layer, whilst your flapjack remains soft and sticky inside)

Enjoy whilst warm!  (The smell wafting from your oven in the last 10 minutes will make it hard not to)

(The gannets living in my household meant there wasn't any left to cool!)

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Top Tip:

For Christmas, why not try filling some small jars with homemade goods such as chocolate truffles (blog post to come soon), shortbread, gingerbread or flapjack!

*Wrap in tissue paper and add a festive bow*

'Crunchie Rocks' !

Ever fancied making your own Crunchie at home?

Here's how!

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Honeycomb is surprisingly simple and cheap to make! It uses regular household ingredients and tastes fabulous!

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Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Golden Syrup

200g Caster Sugar

3 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda

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Method:

Line a baking tray or cake tin

In a large saucepan: heat the golden syrup and sugar together. 

Bring to the boil, and then simmer on a low heat for 5-10 mins.

To test when if your mix is ready, drop a small amount of the heated mix into a glass of water. If the mixture turns solid then it is ready! 

Remove the pan from the heat and add your bicarb.

Mix together quickly as your mixture will foam up instantly!

Pour your mixture immediately over a lined baking tray or into a lined cake tin.

Leave to set!

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This is my honeycomb ready to go into the fridge!

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Once the honeycomb is set, take it out of the fridge and break it into chunks!

I put my honeycomb into a freezer bag then hit it with a rolling pin to create lots of broken pieces in a range of sizes.

Ideally, if you use a baking tray, you can use a knife dipped in boiling water to slice through the honeycomb, creating bars.

Then drizzle over melted chocolate, or dip the bar fully into melted chocolate, and wa-la!

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Note: This honeycomb is rather chewy: some of you may like that, some may not. Add a tablespoon of Vinegar to your sugar and syrup mix whilst its on the hob! This should make it 'crunchier'!

'Crunchie Rocks!'

Golden Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

Raisins= Fruit, and Fruit= Healthy- Result!

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These cookies actually melt in your mouth straight out of the oven. And what better excuse to eat them straight away than to kid yourself anything with fruit in is healthy! Furthermore, seeing as it is practically just porridge oats and raisins you could certainly call it breakfast! 

Go on then.. have two!

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Ingredients:

110 g Butter

150 Light Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

100g Self Raising Flour

Pinch of Salt

200g Porridge Oats

100g Raisins

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Bicarb

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Method:

Melt butter, sugar, and syrup (over the hob or in the microwave!)

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl

Mix both bowls together and add the egg

Put some baking paper over your scales and weigh 75 of mixture out at a time and shape into a ball

Place the 75g balls on a lined baking sheet

Keep them as balls- they do not need to be flattened! They do the hard work themselves!

Bake for 10 minutes at 170 or 150 for Fan oven

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Eat one as soon as it is cool enough! The rest? Hide from friends and family if you want to see them again!