Kitchen Experiment: Wagon Wheels (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

And so, the first week of September begins: children and young people return to school and college, Limerick begins to get busier again as everyone returns from their holidays in Kilkee, and at last the shroud of boredom lifts from my work in the community centre. However, it will be some time before routine filters into my brain and wakes it out of the summertime haze of boredom and lethargy.

Having said that, this weekend I decided to do something a little experimental. On Friday I did make some toffee, but I forgot to photograph it and thus there was no recipe write up; I hope to rectify that this coming Friday. But yesterday, I tried my hand at making a household favourite: wagon wheels!

For my readers across the Atlantic, a 'Wagon Wheel' is exactly the same thing as a 'Moon Pie': two plain biscuits, sandwiched with fluffy marshmallow, enrobed in that mysteriously titled 'chocolate flavoured coating' stuff. Mine were a little different, using chocolate biscuits for sandwiching, and real dark chocolate for coating.

About two years ago, I tried my hand at sandwiching biscuits with marshmallow for the first time: I made some dinosaur shaped Kimberley biscuits (again, for those who don't live in Ireland, a Kimberley is two small gingerbread rounds, sandwiched with marshmallow, the sides of which have been dipped in coarse white sugar), and they were great. In hindsight, thinner biscuit would have been preferable, to have the appropriate biscuit to marshmallow ratio for optimum enjoyment.

This time, I again made the same mistake: I made my chocolate biscuits too thick, meaning the wagon wheels are far too big, which isn't an issue for people like me who have a significantly large sweet tooth (which makes finding gum shields that fit well an issue), but to normal folk would make them more of a dessert than a snack.

Another issue, which I will keep in mind for my next marshmallow adventure, is that I didn't use enough gelatine in the marshmallows and they were too soft, more like a melted marshmallow texture. In my mind, the biscuit should be soft, and the marshmallow firm.

If I make these again, I will do a full write up and recipe, but seeing as this was just an experiment, I will give you a log of how I made them.

To make these, I used a fairly standard biscuit recipe: I mixed 6 ounces (170 grammes) white spelt flour, 1 ounce (30 grammes) each of cornflour and cocoa powder, and a teaspoon (5 millilitres) of baking powder with 4 ounces (115 grammes) melted butter (or margarine for a dairy free option), 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar, and enough milk to bind into a sticky dough. I then wrapped it in clingfilm, flattened it into a disc, and chilled for about 30 to 45 minutes. I rolled it out to just under half inch (about 1 centimetre) thickness and cut out rounds. If I were to do it again, the biscuit would be thicker, and contain more sugar and an egg for softness. I baked them for 15 minutes at 180*C, and let them cool before pairing them up with each other for sandwiching.

For the filling, I bloomed 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of gelatine (by 'bloomed' I mean I soaked it in cold water to make it spongy) in a cup; I also put 1 egg white at room temperature into a large mixing bowl. I cooked 8 ounces (225 grammes) of caster sugar, 2 fluid ounces (60 millilitres) of water, and a few drops of lime juice (for acidity) to the firm ball stage, removed from the heat and stirred in the bloomed gelatine to melt. I whipped the egg white to soft peaks, then gradually added the syrup; in retrospect I could have done it a little more gradually, as the finished marshmallow didn't whip up as much as I'd have liked.

Once I'd made the marshmallow, I put it into a greased disposable piping bag, fitted with a greased large round piping nozzle. For each biscuit, I piped a big dollop of marshmallow into the middle of one biscuit, then sandwiched the other on top, squeezing gently to push the filling out to just short of the edges.

I let them sit for two hours before enrobing in chocolate, just to make sure the filling was mostly set. I melted 5 ounces (140 grammes) of dark chocolate with a rounded teaspoonful (about 5 or 10 millilitres) of coconut oil (to improve the flow for dipping) in a cereal bowl. I dipped each biscuit, flipping to cover both sides, shook off the excess coating then placed them on some lightly greased foil; I would have used baking paper, but I'd run out. I let them set overnight because I was doing this in the evening, but an additional 2 hours would suffice if you were doing them during the day.

I made the mistake of scraping the leftover chocolate onto the tops of the biscuits, and this cause the chocolate to cloud; this was a rookie mistake. So, my wonderful companion - who had already solved two previous culinary problems during the day - suggested that I dust them with icing sugar to hide the clouding. I did, and I also dusted some with cocoa powder for visual interest.

All in all, for a first attempt they turned out very well! Again, as aforementioned, I would make the filling firmer and the biscuits softer, and also make them thinner. I will try another batch and let you all know the results...

THIS TIME IN 2014: Hazelnut Chocolate Gateau (Wheat Free)

THIS TIME IN 2013: Gingerbread Men (Gluten-, Dairy-, Yeast-, Egg Free)

Mini Apple Pies (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

Apologies for the lack of updates last week. My life is a mess at the moment: I never know where I'm going to be or when I'm going to be there, and have a terrible time remembering what the Hell I'm supposed to be doing when I get there... if this is the life of a young professional then I firmly believe I have made a terrible decision.

However! Here is my most recent creation: little apple pies!

I had a few apples in my fruit bowl, languishing, not really fresh enough for eating out of hand anymore. So, I turned them into a nice compote, and put them into tasty, crispy, flaky pastry. I thought of making some puff pastry, but life got in the way.

The recipe was very simple: I cut up 2 firm fleshed apples and 1 soft fleshed apple into little pieces, about a quarter inch (5 millilitres) across. Firm fleshed apples in this case could be Bramley, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady; soft fleshed apples could be Braeburn, McIntosh, or Discovery. Keep the pieces in a bowl of water with a dash of lemon juice while cutting to stop them from browning.

Melt about 1 ounce (30 grammes) of butter or margarine in a saucepan, and then cook the apples on medium until the firm apple pieces have softened and the soft apple pieces have started to break down. Add in brown or white (or both) sugar to taste; I added about 3 tablespoons (45 millilitres). Add about half a teaspoon (3 millilitres) of mixed spice, and top up with enough cold water to nearly over the apples. Cook on low, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples are fully tender and the mixture is like jam. Leave to cool.

To make the pastry, mix 8 ounces (225 grammes) of white spelt flour with 4 ounces (115 grammes) of melted butter or margarine until blended and a little sandy. Add enough water to make a soft dough, without handling too much. Roll out thinly, and cut into rectangles that are about 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 centimetres). Wet the edges of one side of each rectangle, put in about a heaped teaspoon of filling, then fold over. Crimp with the tines of a fork, then use scissors to snip in the 'V' shaped vents. You should get about 12 pies.

Line on a lightly greased baking sheet, and brush with milk or eggwash, and sprinkle with caster sugar. Cook in the oven, preheated to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mk.6) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. These can be eaten after about 5 minutes of cooling, and are also lovely if eaten cold. They will keep in an airtight container for about a week.

THIS TIME IN 2014: No blog this time last year

THIS TIME IN 2013: Variations on a Theme: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Something Different: Koeksisters (Wheat- and Dairy Free)

This time, I thought I'd try something completely different and unusual. My culinary explorations lead me to South Africa, where they make these delicious doughnut like confections soaked in syrup: Koeksisters.

For some reason, my family has had a lot of interaction with South African people: both my brothers have dated South African women, and I have had a few South African friends over the course of my school and college life. I think Ireland had some sort of connexion to the country, through hiring people to work for Intel in Leixlip, but I don't exactly know the details. Either way, it's a big migrant group here in Ireland.

Recently, I invited a friend around for dinner (who helped me out with the videos) and she told me she hadn't had a doughnut in years since going off dairy and wheat, so I promised her that I'd make some for her. I made the dough and thought, while I have it, I'll do a little experiment: another friend reminded me of the existence of koeksisters, which are braided doughnuts (sometimes flavoured with nutmeg and cardamom) that are deep fried and soaked in a simple syrup flavoured with cinnamon, ginger, and more cardamom.

The process was very simple: I used my new doughnuts recipe, adding ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg and the crushed seeds of 2 cardamom pods to the dry ingredients, and replacing the butter with block margarine. I then split the dough into eight equal pieces and then began the rolling and braiding process.

1. Take each eighth of the dough and roll it into a ball.
2. Use a rolling pin to flatten each ball out into a long oval.
3. Make a mark a little bit down from the top end of the oval, and cut the oval into three legs up to the mark.
4. Pinch each of the three legs into ropes.
5. Braid the legs together.
6. Pinch the loose ends together and fold them behind.

 My technique improved while I has braiding: my first two were a little loose and mental, but the third and all thereafter were much better and neater. My advice is don't be afraid to pull on the legs a bit to keep them tight.

I then fried them like normal doughnuts for about 6 minutes per batch, flipping each side twice to make sure even cooking. If you leave them too long on one side, it actually causes the braids to unravel a little, so turn a few times during the cooking process to make sure each side rises slowly.

Once each batch cooks, take each cake out of the oil and wrap in a piece of kitchen roll and leave on a wire rack to drain and cool slightly. Once all eight are cooked, allow them to cool enough to handle, then make the syrup.

In a saucepan, heat together 6 ounces (170 grammes) of caster sugar with 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) of water, along with some spices: 1 cinnamon stick (or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon), 2 whole cloves, the crushed seeds of 4 green cardamom pods, and a teaspoon of vanilla essence. Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture thickens and becomes syrupy like warm honey.

Lay the koeksisters in a dish and pour the syrup out of them, liberally dousing each one. Allow to soak for a while, then flip them over to allow the other side to soak.

These are very heavy going, and very similar to gulab jamun, which I made for one of our Indian themed tea parties. These are best kept in an airtight container and eaten within 3 days.

THIS TIME IN 2014: Honey and Cinnamon Popcorn (Gluten Free)
THIS TIME IN 2013: Minty Millionaire's Shortbread (Wheat Free)

Project Update (NO RECIPE TODAY)

This weekend I was visiting friends in Roscommon, so I didn't have a chance to bake over the weekend. Well, anything new: I did make some nice fluffy American style pancakes to feed my companion for breakfast.

Recently, I've been feeling a bit stale in life; this happens every so often, usually around August or September. I've been working in the same job for nearly 3 years, going to the same church every Sunday, seeing the same people and doing the same things... no matter how much you like something, you can get bored of it. This also extends into my blogging: I've recently been feeling a little bored with it. It's not that I want to stop doing it anymore, but I want to shake it up.

Last year, I tried making some videos, but I wasn't happy with how I made them: their style, quality, or content. I reflected on the experience, and found that they lacked planning, and needed to be refined and better designed. I have been working on a new design and concept, which I infinitely prefer.

I've been designing the content and the visuals, and getting excited about what it will look like and be about! I plan to make a series of eight 15 minute episodes to air next spring, but this year I will make two short series (3 or so videos) for Halloween and Christmas.

I'll be sharing the development of the video concept on this blog, as well as sharing recipes and techniques.

Something Savoury: Tomato Soup with Cheese Buns (Wheat-, Dairy-, and Egg Free)

I know that my blog is about baking nice sweet things to eat and be happy about, but when I'm not baking up sugary delights I'm using my other culinary skills to make meals for myself (and occasionally my companion). This time, I made some nice tomato soup with little cheese buns to dip in.

Every so often, I do a grocery shop, but then my life gets busy and I end up with vegetables in my fridge that are still in date, but a little bit too sad to serve in their own right with a meal. So, I turn them into soup, generally speaking, and usually tomato soup (or sometimes carrot and coriander).

This soup, however, is a little different to most recipes you'll see as is contains no added dairy, sugar, or flour (for thickening), but is still rich and creamy. I achieve this by using passata instead of fresh or tinned tomatoes, as it is already rich and thick, adding an apple for sweetness and texture, and a touch of rice for thickening. Sounds mad, but it works a treat!

The buns are also incredibly simple and are ready in less than half an hour, and are very easily customised. You can add some chopped spring onions, herbs, or spices if you wish.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts
☑ Eggs
☑ Dairy

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten (unless you use gluten-free flour)
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS

For the soup

• 1 pound (450 grammes) carrots
• ½ a white onion, or a small red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium sized dessert apple, such as a Gala or a Pink Lady
• 1 carton (500 grammes) passata
• 1½ to 2 pints (850 millilitres to 1 litre) water
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) uncooked Basmati rice
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) dried basil
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) paprika
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) olive oil, for cooking
• Salt and black pepper

For 8 mini buns, or 4 medium buns,

• 3 ounces (85 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) cornflour
• 1½ teaspoons (7 millilitres) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) caster sugar
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or block margarine for those who can't eat dairy
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 to 3 fluid ounces (60 to 90 millilitres) water, at room temperature
• Salt and black pepper
• Optional: a beaten egg to wash the scones before baking, if you can eat egg

METHOD

To make the soup,

• First, prepare and cut all the vegetables for the soup. Peel and cut the carrots roughly into small pieces, no bigger than half an inch (1 centimetre) big; peel and quarter the apple (cutting top to bottom), cut out the core in each quarter, cut in half again, then chop into pieces no bigger than an inch (2½ centimetres); peel and finely cut the onion into small pieces; and press the garlic, or if you don't have a garlic press, cut into teeny tiny pieces.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and add in the onion with a generous pinch of salt and stir. The salt will make the onion release all the juices, and when it has gone moist reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes; this is called "sweating".
• After sweating the onions, increase the heat to medium again, remove the lid and add in the garlic and uncooked rice, cooking for a minute or two while stirring until each grain of rice is shiny and a little translucent. Adding the garlic at the start would be risky, as the garlic can easily burn and make the soup bitter.
• Then, add the carrots, apples, herbs, and paprika, cooking for another minute or two while stirring. Pour enough water over the top to cover the vegetables: you may not need the whole 2 pints (1 litre) now, but keep onto whatever water is left as you'll need it later.
• Bring the mixture to an active simmer, lots of little bubbles as opposed to lots of big bubbles, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the vegetables are very tender and the rice has fallen to pieces.
• Once the vegetables and rice are cooked, add in the passata and stir to mix fully.
•  Remove from the heat, and then blend the soup. If you have an immersion blender, this is super easy as you just pop it into the saucepan and whizz until to soup is smooth. I, however, only have a regular blender: I filled the blender jug about a third full at a time (because the soup is hot), covered the blender leaving the middle of the lid out to let steam escape, and then blended until smooth, covering the hole with a tea towel to prevent splashing. I then poured the blended soup into a  3½ pint (2 litre) measuring jug to return to the saucepan after the whole soup was blended.
• Return the blended soup to the hob to heat and season. It's wise to season the soup at the temperature it will be eaten, to make sure the seasoning is accurate. Add salt and pepper to taste: it should be rich and creamy, but still a little tart.

To make the buns,

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mk.6), and lightly grease a flat baking tray.
• Sieve the flour, cornflour, baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt and black pepper into a mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles something like fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the grated cheese and stir until each strand of cheese is tossed in the flour. Add the water, a little at a time, mixing until it comes together in a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Flour your hands and break the dough into 4 or 8 pieces, to your preference, rolling into balls.
• Place on the baking tray, about an inch or two (2½ to 5 centimetres) apart. Brush with milk or beaten egg, if you can eat those.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on size), until they are puffed up and pale brown on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This soup keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge, but also freezes exceptionally well. The buns can keep for up to a week in an airtight container, but are best enjoyed on the day they're made.

THIS TIME IN 2014: Quick Pizza Base (Wheat-, Dairy-, Egg-, and Yeast Free)

THIS TIME IN 2013: Chewy Caramel

Neapolitan Cheesecake (Wheat Free)

It was this August bank holiday weekend, 2015, that my little sister turned 18 years old, and was no longer little. For her birthday she requested cheesecake, and cheesecake I provided!

Despite not being able to decide between a chocolate or a strawberry cheesecake, she had very specific instruction that the cheesecake be of the chilled variety, and definitely not baked. She spent so much time umming and aahing about which flavour she wanted, that I decided to make both.

Now, as I have mentioned in my previous Neapolitan adventures, here in Ireland it's vanilla, strawberry, and lemon, not chocolate. However, to fit in with my sister's request, I did the typical white pink brown combination.

I didn't really know how to decorate it once I had made it, but at the moment sprinkling biscuit or cake crumbs onto the finished cake is in vogue, so jumping on the bandwagon kinda worked this time. You can decorate your cake however you want, though.

Taking the recipe I used to make her cheesecake last year, I decided to play with it a little to see if I could make it more of a formula instead of a static recipe, dividing the ingredients into parts and ratios. It worked very well: in fact, there was an opinion among the consumers that it was one of my finest cheesecake creations.

This recipe has been slightly edited so that the chocolate and strawberry layers are equal. In my cake, the chocolate layer was a little deeper than the strawberry one.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts
☑ Eggs

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Dairy

INGREDIMENTS

For biscuit base,

• 3 ounces (85 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) porridge oats
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) cocoa powder
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) butter, at room temperature
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• Pinch of salt

For chocolate layer,

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) whipping cream, cold
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) good quality milk chocolate
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 millilitres) caster sugar, to taste

For strawberry layer,

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) whipping cream, cold
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) strawberry jam, at least 50% fruit content
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) lime juice, or 3 tablespoons (45 millilitres) of lemon juice
• 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 millilitres) caster sugar, to taste

For white chocolate icing,

• 7 ounces (200 grammes) whipping cream
• 3½ ounces (100 grammes) white chocolate, in small pieces
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence

METHOD

First, make the base.

• Line the sides of an 8 inch (20 centimetre) round loose bottomed tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk.4).
• In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, oats, cocoa, salt, and caster sugar together until blended. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients to make a coarse crumbly mixture.
• Tip the mixture into the tin and even out with the back of a spoon, pressing very gently. 
• If you want, you can take a tablespoon or two of the crumbs and bake separately to make the topping: just sprinkle them on a small ovenproof dish and bake alongside the main crust
• Bake for 10 minutes, only enough to set the crust. Take out of the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Once the base is cold, make the chocolate layer.

• In a bowl or jug, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 1 minute intervals on the Defrost setting, mixing between each spin in the microwave. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate traditionally in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate until fully mixed. Add the sugar to taste: you may not need all the sugar.
• In a separate bowl or jug, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold gently but quickly into the chocolate cream cheese mixture. Taste for sweetness again, adding more sugar if you want, but working quickly to not deflate the mixture.
• Pour into the tin on top of the crust and smooth out evenly. Chill for an hour before adding the strawberry layer.

To make the strawberry layer,

• In a small bowl, beat the jam to make it smooth and to even out the texture.
• As before, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl, then fold in the jam until fully mixed. Add the lime juice, and then add the sugar to taste.
• Whip the cream in a separate jug or bowl until it forms stiff peaks, then fold into the strawberry cream cheese mixture. Taste for sweetness again, adding more sugar if needed.
• Pour on top of the chocolate layer, smoothing out with a spoon. Put in the fridge to chill overnight.

Also make the whipped white chocolate icing,

• Put the broken white chocolate in a small mixing bowl or large jug.
• Heat the whipping cream either in a saucepan over medium heat, or in the microwave, until it reaches simmering point: little bubbles should appear around the edges and it should be steaming hot.
• Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it stand for about 2 minutes. Then, mix thoroughly with a spoon or balloon whisk; the heat of the mix will have started to melt the chocolate.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before putting in the fridge to chill overnight with the cheesecake.

The next day, assemble the master piece.

• An hour before you intend to serve your cake, you will need to ice it. Take the white chocolate cream and whip it until it makes soft peaks.
• Use half of the cream to ice the sides very carefully. Make sure that your icing utensil, whether it's a palette knife, table knife, or the back of a spoon, only touches the icing layer, and not the cheesecake layer: this will prevent smearing.
• Put the remaining half in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a rosette design around the edge of the top.
• Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs on the top, if you like, or leave it plain.

This cake is very rich and indulgent, and this cake can serve up to 16 people, so eat with caution. It will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 3 to 5 days.

THIS TIME IN 2014: How NOT to Make Hazelnut Ice-Cream
THIS TIME IN 2013: Traditional Coconut Ice