Christmas Cake Decoration Idea

Merry Christmas, everyone! In this post, I'm going to provide you not with a recipe, but with a decoration idea for Christmas cake.

I have many different Christmas cake recipes on this blog, which I will list. If rich fruit cake is not something you would like, you could make a chocolate cake, or a gingerbread spiced cake. You don't need to honour tradition every year!

This year, I decorated the cake with a little Christmas tree and presents scene, using meringues and marzipan models. I started the process three days before Christmas, and used:

• One 8 inch (22 centimetre) round rich fruit cake
• Marzipan, as prepared below
• Meringue trees, as prepared below
• One 12 ounce (350 gramme) bag of instant royal icing powder
• Red, purple, blue, green, and yellow gel colouring
• Icing sugar

To make the meringue trees, I separated one medium egg into white and yolk, and kept the yolk for a different project. I whipped the egg white with a few drops of lemon juice until it became foamy, then gradually added 2 ounces (55 grammes) of white caster sugar while whipping until it reached stiff peaks. I mixed in a few drops of green colouring gel to get a delicate slightly minty green. I lined a baking tray with non-stick paper, and put the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. I piped little swirls, about an inch and a half (4 centimetres) tall, sprinkled them with coloured hundreds and thousands, and some star shaped and snowflake shaped decorations. I baked them in an oven preheated to 120°C (250°F, Gas Mk.½) for 45 minutes. When cooked, I allowed them to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made some homemade marzipan, following this recipe but upping the almond to icing sugar ratio to 3:4, as opposed to 1:1, and adding a few extra drops of water to account for the extra sugar. I used 6 ounces (170 grammes) of ground almonds, and 8 ounces (225 grames) of icing sugar.

I rolled the marzipan to a half inch (1 centimetre) thickness, cut a circle to fit the top of the cake, and fixed it to the cake with a simple icing sugar and water glaze. Using the remaining marzipan, I divided into 5 parts, colouring each part red, purple, green, blue, and yellow. Using the marzipan, I made a selection of little presents, varying from an inch (2½ centimetres) to a quarter inch (5 millilmetres) in size, and in a few different shapes, like ovals and rectangles.

I made some royal icing (from a bag; yes, I cheated) to cover the 8 inch (22 centimetre) round fruit cake. I set aside about 3 tablespoons (45 millilitres) of the icing to ice the presents, and used the rest to coat the cake. I hit the icing with the back of a metal spoon to peak it.

I arranged the trees onto the icing while it was still wet. I filled a small greaseproof icing bag with the remaining royal icing, and arranged the marzipan presents in piles, using the icing to fix them together and decorate them with a tied ribbon effect. 

After everything was fixed to the cake, I sprinkled everything lightly with some icing sugar, to simulate some now.

Here are some more photographs of the finished cake:

 

 

THIS TIME IN 2015: Gingerbread Pandas (Wheat Free with a Dairy Free Option)
THIS TIME IN 2014: A Multitude of Different Kinds of Fudge [Back Dated]
THIS TIME IN 2013: No blog

Something Savoury: 叉燒包, or BBQ Pork Dim Sum (Wheat-, Egg-, and Dairy Free)

My experimentations with yeast continue today, with a foray into actual food as opposed to sweets. I present to you, some delicious pork dim sum!

When I was in Birmingham in November, my companion and I went to a restaurant in the city's Chinese district. This wasn't a Westernised Chinese restaurant with gloopy sauces and egg fried rice with everything, this was a restaurant ran by Chinese people. catering for Chinese people, with the menus in their own language. There was an English section at the front of the menu for us 鬼佬 people, but the better food was at the back.

My companion told me that the last time he went to this restaurant he ordered some steamed bread buns with a barbecue pork filling. I went with his recommendation, and was not disappointed. I had no idea what they were, or what their name was, but I was thoroughly impressed.

When I returned home to Ireland and told my brother about them, he responded enthusiastically. He told me he had eaten the same thing when he was in Hong Kong, and had thought they were absolutely delicious, and pretty much the highlight of his visit. He said he'd go back there again in the future just to eat those buns.

I decided, as such, to do some research. Turns out that Cantonese cuisine is full of recipes for small buns, filled or not, made from yeast leavened dough and steamed instead of baked. These morsels are called dim sum, and there are many kinds. The ones that my brother had had in Hong Kong, and my companion and I had had in Birmingham, were filled with pork and barbecue style sauce, and called 叉烧包, or char siu bao in the Latin alphabet.

Armed with this knowledge, I typed the name into YouTube and proceeded to watch hours upon hours of videos about making these buns. It seems there is no one prescribed way to make the dough, or the filling, but in every video they are folded and cooked in the exact same way.

Two things all the dough recipes had in common though, were the inclusion of baking powder in addition to yeast, and using what's called a sponge. This is where the mixture is made very loosely with only some of the dough—and absolutely no kneading—before the first rising. After the sponge has risen, the rest of the flour is added and then the dough is kneaded and risen as usual in a bread dough. This makes for super soft, and super light dough.

So, let's make some actual dinner!

FREE FROM

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

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten
☒ Yeast
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For 16 small buns, or 12 large buns

• 12 ounces (340 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1 quarter-ounce (7 grammes) package of instant yeast
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking powder
• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) hand hot water
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) sugar
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) sunflower oil

For filling

• 12 fluid ounces (330 millilitres) diet cola drink
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) tomato ketchup
• 4 teaspoons (20 millilitres) dark soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons (20 millilitres) white vinegar, to taste
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) Chinese five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) ground mixed spice
• About 10 ounces (about 300 grammes) roasted pork, cut into tiny cubes (pork is sold in different pack sizes so if it's in and around this figure it'll be fine)
• Half a red onion, chopped very finely
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) cornflour, dissolved in 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) cold water

METHOD
First, prepare the yeast dough.

• In a large mixing bowl, mix 8 ounces (225 grammes) of the flour, the yeast, sugar, oil, and warm water together. Mix into a sticky paste, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size and very spongy in appearance.
• Once risen, remove from the oven and sieve in the rest of the flour, the baking powder, and salt and mix together by hand until fully incorporated.
• Knead in the bowl until it forms a dough ball, and until the bowl is completely clean. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead continuously for 4 minutes.
• Return the dough to the bowl, cover again, and leave to rise again for 1 to 1½ hours, or until about doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, make the filling.

• In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the meat, onion, and cornflour mix. Mix until blended and smooth, then heat over a high flame. Bring to a boil, and cook vigorously until the mixture has reduced by about three quarters into a thick syrupy sauce. This could take up to half an hour.
• In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of cooking oil, and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the meat, and heat through in the pan.
• Add the sauce mixture and toss the meat and onions until completely coated. Add the cornflour and cook until the sauce thickens. 
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Next, assemble and cook the buns.

• When the dough is fully risen, take it out and gently deflate it. Gently knead back into a dough ball, then cut into 12 or 16 equal pieces, depending on how big you want your buns. I cut mine into 12, and the final buns were about the size of a small apple. You can make smaller ones for appetisers, if you like.
• Flour the work surface sparingly, and a rolling pin, and roll each dough ball into a circle, keeping the other dough balls covered with a damp tea towel so the don't crust. Make sure the outside edge of the circle—maybe about an inch (2 centimetres) or so—is thinner to allow for shaping and pinching.
• Put a heaped teaspoonful of filling into the circle, then form into a little bun following these instructions. In this case, a video speaks a thousand words.
• Put the buns into paper cake cases, and cover them with the damp cloth while you heat the steamer.
• Set up your steamer according to its instructions, or simply place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, fill it with about an inch of water, cover, and bring to the boil.
• Put three or four buns at a time into the steamer, making sure there is plenty of space for them to grow, cover, and steam on medium for 10 to 12 minutes.
• When cooked, carefully take the buns out, cases and all. It helps to momentarily take the pan off the heat, and use a spatula. Allow to cool or 2 or 3 minutes before serving. 

If you don't eat all of them, allow them to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate in an airtight box for up to 3 days. These will also freeze well for up to a month, I am told. To reheat, simply re-steam for about 5 minutes, or until heated all the way through.

I've Finally Cracked It! Working with Yeast and Spelt: Iced Finger Buns (Wheat Free, with Dairy Free Option)

UPDATE 05/05/2017: I slightly altered the dough preparation method, introducing a sponge technique to help dissolve the yeast, and properly gauge the amount of flour and liquid needed.

I've done it. I've finally done it. I have succeeded after years of trying: I have at long last cracked the code to making dough with yeast and spelt! So many years of failed attempts... I'm so relieved.

So, I decided to celebrate by making a tasty batch of lovely iced finger buns! A little taste of childhood for my siblings and I.

There is nothing quite as English as spreading a load of icing on top of a piece of bread. I don't quite know why, but it fairly accurately sums up the spirit of the British approach to eating. And to make them, you need a nice, soft, pillowy bread recipe.

So what has my difficulty been with spelt and yeast? I've mentioned many times over the years, more than I can count at this stage, that spelt and yeast don't mix well. This was a believe I had formulated as a result of countless failed attempts at making yeast leavened dough with spelt flour instead of wheat flour. I thought the problem was the flour. Turns out the problem has been the yeast and the fermentation process all these years.

Ireland doesn't have a very warm climate: it has a wet, damp, humid, mostly freezing cold climate. None of these is conducive to:

1. Fermentation
Yeast needs a nice warm environment to grow in. It is indeed a living organism, a tiny little mushroom creature, that needs to be warm, well fed, and hydrated to perform like it should. I obviously haven't been getting my dough proving at the right temperature of humidity all these years, because the dough has never risen.

or 2. Yeast Lifespan
Cold damp houses aren't nice places for yeast to live. I'd say more times than not over the last few years, I've used yeast that has probably already perished under such inhospitable conditions.

I bought some new yeast, some new flour, and attempted to make yeast dough again. I summed up the courage to attempt it again, even though it may have failed miserably. This time, I was not disappointed.

I had formulated the recipe by cross referencing a load of recipes together, inspired mostly by the Korean doughnuts and dinner rolls of Maangchi, and by the iced bun recipe of The Great British Bake Off's Paul Hollywood. I also followed some recommendations online about how liquid behaves differently with wheat flour and spelt flour. Armed with this knowledge, I formulated the recipe below.

I made sure the dough had a lovely house to live in while fermenting: the oven, with the heat turned off but the light left on, with a bowl of boiled water on the bottom shelf to make it nice and steamy. This made the dough rise perfectly! I was amazed: the dough looked, and smelled, incredible. Look at all those bubbills!!

Although I had a little hiccup with the oven, where the element was broken and I had to improvise with the fan assisted grill setting, they baked wonderfully! The rolls were exquisitely soft and springy on cooling, and had a deliciously present yeasty flavour. 

The butter, sugar, and eggs keep the bread soft, but not too sickly sweet or rich. In fact, I think they'd make nice hot dog rolls if the mixture were slightly re-purposed.

See the lovely soft sides, and delicious texture within? I know I'm totally fangirling over this bread right now, but I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally have a successful spelt bread attempt.

So, without any further ado, after almost four years of blogging, I present to you a recipe for soft spelt bread.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Yeast
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For 16 small buns, or 12 large buns

• 1 pound (455 grammes) white spelt flour, plus some for dusting
• 2 quarter-ounce (7 gramme) packages of dry active yeast
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) salt
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs, room temperature
• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) hand-hot milk
• 2 or 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 millilitres) warm water, to adjust the texture if needed
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine

For icing,

• 1 tablespoon (15 grammes) butter, or margarine
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) icing sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 millilitres) hot water
• Optional: Food colourings and essences

METHOD

First, prepare the yeast dough.

• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, milk, salt, and eggs. Mix in the yeast, and then add in half of the flour to make a paste. If it is too dry, add more milk or water, and if it is too wet, add some more flour. It should be like a gluey paste, not a cake or pancake mixture.
• Allow this mixture to sit for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to rise and bubble. If you like, you can allow to it rise until doubled, which will save kneading time.
• Add in rest of the flour, a little at a time, to form a dough. You can use your hands, or a wooden spoon. You may not need to add all the flour, or you may need to add some more. Bread making is not an exact science: sometimes room humidity, or even the brand of flour, can change the consistency.
• Once you achieve a dough, turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and tacky, almost sticky.
• Then, knead in the soft butter. It will take another 3 or 5 minutes to knead in the butter, and once you're done it should be a lovely soft, supple, tacky (but not sticky) dough.
• Clean out the bowl and grease it lightly. Roll the dough into a ball and put in the bowl, tossing a few times to coat it in oil.
• Cover with clingfilm, then a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours to at least double in size. I put mine in the oven, turned off, with the oven light on, and a bowl of hot water on the bottom shelf to make a nice warm, humid atmosphere. 

Now, make the fingers.

• Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch (33 by 22 centimetre) flat baking tray.
• Once risen and puffed full of air, gently deflate and turn out onto the work surface. Only use a dusting of flour if it's sticking.
• Divide the dough into 16 pieces, and roll each piece into a rectangle about 4 inches (10 centimetres) wide; the length doesn't matter. Roll them up like little Swiss rolls.
• Place the rolls on the baking tray about an inch (2 centimetres) apart to allow for rising. You want them to rise into each others' sides to get nice soft sides.
• Drape a clean tea towel or the clingfilm from earlier over the rolls and place back in the warm place and leave for 45 minutes to an hour, until once again at least doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to 220ºC (425ºF, Gas Mk.7 or 8), then bake the rolls on the centre shelf for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown on top and well risen.
• Turn the buns out, still attached to one another, onto a wire rack to cool completely before pulling apart.

I used two trays because I didn't have one big enough. 

And yes, there are 14. I miscounted my doughballs.

Once fully cool, ice the fingers.

• Mix together the icing sugar, butter, and half of the water until a smooth icing is formed. You may need to add more water to make it nice and spreadable.
• Spread about a rounded teaspoon of icing onto each roll and spread it across the top with the blunt side of a table knife, or a palette knife.
• If you like, you can decorate the tops with sprinkles, hundreds and thousands, sweets, or grated chocolate.

I decorated mine with some coffee flavoured icing, and some plain icing in white and pink. Look forward to more experiments with spelt bread in the future, but for now make these and enjoy them for up to two days, as long as they're kept airtight.

Death by Coffee: for Those Who Prefer Coffee Cake to Chocolate Cake, like Me (Wheat Free)

Chocolate cake is nice, and I like it as much as the next woman, but in my opinion there is something tastier: coffee cake!

I find the flavour of coffee a little more nuanced and interesting than chocolate. There's something slightly bitter and sharp about it, in comparison to chocolate which is a little smoother and rounder tasting. Coffee makes for more interesting flavour pairings, too.

My Dad concurs: coffee cake is his favourite, too. Which is why I look forward every year to making his birthday cake.

I think my fondness comes from a delight in traditional Irish bakery coffee cakes. There's something about their naff margarine buttercream and crunched up nuts or digestive biscuits on the sides that just speaks to me. The local bakery, before I was taken on by new management, used to make a fabulously naff coffee cake that I would buy every time I had a few extra euros at the end of the week.

I know I've done lots of coffee cake recipes before—on account of it being my favourite—but this one is slightly different: this cake uses the same recipe as my recent American style Devil's Food Cake, but uses coffee instead of hot water and cocoa powder. This makes for a super soft, fluffy, and moist cake.

So, let's get started!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one large 8 inch (22 centimetre) round cake

• 7 ounces (200 grammes) white spelt flour
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) cornflour
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking soda
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) brown sugar
• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) strong coffee, either brewed or instant

For the buttercream,

• 1 pound (455 grammes) icing sugar, sifted
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) vegetable fat, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) boiled water
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence

For assembly,

• 2 ounces (55 grammes) icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) boiled water
• 12 chocolate coffee beans, or other chocolate decoration

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 170ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 3), and grease and flour an 8 inch (22 centimetre) deep round cake tin.
• Prepare the cake according to this recipe, using coffee instead of cocoa powder and hot water, and sifting the cornflour in with the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until fully baked and a skewer comes out clean. Cool as instructed.

For the icing,

• Dissolve the instant coffee into the hot water and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Beat the vegetable fat until creamy with an electric mixer, then add the butter. Continue to beat until fully combined.
• Beat in half the icing sugar on a low speed, then the coffee, then the rest of the icing sugar. Adjust the consistency with some milk or water if needed.

To assemble:

• Cut the dome off the cake, then slice in half horizontally. Attach the top half of the cake to its platter with a tiny smear of the filling to make the bottom layer. Spoon a third of the icing onto the bottom layer, spread out with a palette knife (or butter knife) until it's about half an inch (1 centimetre) from the edge.
• Place the bottom half of the cake on top upside down, so the flat surface is not the top of the cake. Press gently to glue together, and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up.
• Reserve about half of the remaining icing for piping, and use the other half to ice the side of the cake. Ice a one inch (2 centimetre) border around the top of the cake also.
• Make some glacé icing by dissolving the coffee in the water, and mix it into the icing sugar with enough hot water to make a running consistency. Ice the top of the cake up to the border. Allow to crust.
• Using the remaining icing, pipe 12 rosettes around the edge, one in the centre, and a shell border around the foot of the cake. Decorate with some chocolate sweets, or chocolate coffee beans.
• Allow to set for about an hour before serving.

Here, in this picture, you can see the consistency of the cake itself: fluffy and rich and moist and nomnomnom... I could have eaten this whole thing. It is to be enjoyed, however, in small portions, and will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. So, practise some restraint.

I'm in England! Back Next Week

Hi all!

I'm in Birmingham with week, meeting my lovely companion's family and friends in his homeland. Birmingham city is cool: very modern, with great retail facilities, and is very historical. Northampton, where his friends are, is also very nice: it's about the same size of Limerick. We passed through Rugby, too, which looks like a typical English semi-rural town. It's been educational!

Next week when I return, it'll be my Daddy's birthday, and I will have pictures of kek!

Love and hugs,

Sweetie-Pie xxx

American Style: Devil's Food Cake (Wheat Free)

Every year, for his birthday, my brother Paddy asks for the same kind of chocolate cake: chocolate sponge sandwich with chocolatey icing. Every single year for at least 10 years; in fact, the first photograph I ever took of one of my own cakes, back in 2006, was one of Paddy's super duper chocolate heart attack cakes.

Each year, I try to find a way of making a nice moist cake that's still airy and not too dense. Of course, it's quite tricky when the cake is so richly chocolatey. So, how does one maintain moisture and airiness at the same time?

1. Sugar
I'm all for trying to make cakes with the least sugar possible, but sometimes inordinate amounts of the stuff are necessary. Sugar retains moisture, and also adds structure to capture the little air bubbles, meaning you get that delicious moist crumb and a nice airy texture. Turns out you can have your cake and eat it, too (pardon the pun).

2. Creaming
Usually in my cakes I go for the good whisked eggs and sugar base to make them light and airy, but that approach is far too delicate to hold air in a rich cake such as this (or indeed a fruit cake). Butter offers a far superior structure as a solid fat: I cream the butter and sugar together until it's almost white and super light, before whisking in each egg one at a time, making sure to completely whisk in each egg.

3. Baking soda and baking powder
This cake batter is quite thick, so in order to keep it light and airy it needs two kinds of lifting power: a fast acting, and a slow acting. The baking powder begins to work as soon as it hits the oven, and once it's been used up, the soda kicks in and continues to raise the cake slowly but surely until it's fully cooked.

There are many nuances to this cake, but I'm not going to bore the knickers off everyone with science stuff. I'll just explain how to make the cake.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one large 8 inch (22 centimetre) round cake

• 7 ounces (200 grammes) white spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking soda
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) brown sugar
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) cocoa powder
• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) hot water

For the filling and icing,

• 12 ounces (340 grammes) chocolate
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) caster sugar
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) evaporated milk
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 170ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 3), and grease and flour an 8 inch (22 centimetre) deep round cake tin.
• In a large jug, mix together the brown sugar and cocoa until fully blended with no lumps of sugar or cocoa powder. Add the hot water, and mix thoroughly into a syrup. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together into a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until very light, fluffy, and pale. You can use an electric mixer, or a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until completely creamed. Take your time with each egg to prevent curdling. Mix in the vanilla essence, also.
• Add half the flour mixture, fold gently with a rubber spatula or balloon whisk. Fold in the cocoa syrup in the same way, then finally add the rest of the flour and mix until completely combined.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Check the doneness by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean it's done. However, if it's sticky, return the cake to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Once the cake is cooked, set it on a wire rack and loosen the edges with a thin knife or palette knife. Allow it to cool completely in the tin before turning out to decorate.

For the icing and filling:

• For the chocolate icing, pour the evaporated milk and the sugar into a saucepan and heat together gently until the sugar has melted. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute or two.
• After two minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter, or margarine, and stir until melted or almost melted.
• Return to the heat and cook for another minute, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth, shiny mixture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent crusting, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

To assemble:

• Cut the dome off the cake, then slice in half horizontally. Attach the top half of the cake to its platter with a tiny smear of the filling to make the bottom layer. Spoon one third of the filling onto the bottom layer, spread out with a palette knife (or butter knife) until it's about half an inch (1 centimetre) from the edge.
• Place the bottom half of the cake on top upside down, so the flat surface is not the top of the cake. Press gently to glue together, and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up.
• Spread about a third of the icing on top of the cake, making a swirling zig-zag pattern for decorative effect, then ice the sides with the remaining icing. If you're not feeling confident about not getting crumbs in the icing, do a thin crumb coat first, chill for 10 minutes, and then ice completely.
• Once the cake is completely iced, decorate how you like with sprinkles, or chocolate vermicelli. You could also use the leftover cake dome and make it into crumbles for decoration.

Apologies for the poor picture quality, but it was late at night and indoor lighting is cat. The texture of this cake is soft, fluffy, and moist. Perfect for a celebration!

Halloween 2016: American Pumpkin Pie (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

And for another American treat, here's a classic: pumpkin pie! I've never actually eaten one before, let alone made one, so this was a genuine adventure!

This for me was quite a stretch. Not because it was in any way a stretch of my ability, because this was actually incredibly simple, but it was a test of what my palate can tolerate when it comes to weird and wonderful foods. Maybe it's because I wasn't brought up by Americans who eat this treat every year, but the idea of making a custard pie out of a vegetable is a bit out there as a concept to me. Nevertheless, I gave it a try!

To my understanding, dessert pies are enjoyed prolifically across the Southern United States: pecan pie, chess pie, Mississippi mud pie, buttermilk pie, key lime pie, and pumpkin pie are all slight variations on the idea of a custard pie. All of these are baked in the oven using egg as a thickener, and rely heavily on dairy, whether whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, buttermilk, or cream; butter, also.

I always think of pumpkin being fairly bland in flavour, but definitely savoury. So the idea of mixing it with evaporated milk, brown sugar and spices didn't make much sense to me. That didn't stop me, though.

The pie cooked well, and the surface was pristine, until I accidentally knocked it with the top knuckle of my pinky finger! Marred!

Another mistake I made, and this was a biggy, was I forgot to chill the dough. This meant it shrank when I blind baked it. As such, I had a few spoonfuls of filling left in the bowl that didn't fit into the case. If it had not shrunk, the filling would have been the perfect amount. The recipe is written with this in mind.

I wasn't brave enough to eat the final pie myself, to my shame. I did however try some of the uncooked filling: it was definitely sweet, with a nice spicy warmth, and a slight nutty flavour from the pumpkin. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't to my taste. However, I fed it to my friend Josie and she enjoyed it, so that's good enough for me!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie

For the pastry

• 6 ounces (170 grammes) white spelt flour
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) icing sugar
• Cold water, to bind

For the filling

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) pumpkin purée (buy it, or see below for how to make it)
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) light brown sugar
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) evaporated milk, or coconut milk
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt

METHOD

• Make the dough according to the instructions found here. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for an hour.
• When chilled, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk. 4)
• Roll out the dough to a quarter of an inch (5 millilitres) thick, keeping it as circular as possible. Lie over the rolling pin and lay into a 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie tin or dish. Press into the tin.
• Cut a piece of baking paper to fit over the pastry case, then scrunch it up. This helps it fit into the case better. Un-scrunch it and lay it in the case, fill with coins or dry rice, and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the case is cooking, prepare the filling. Mix all the ingredients together at the same time in a mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Don't be tempted to use a whisk: this will make it catch air, which will crack it during baking. See below for how to make pumpkin purée.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 2), and gently slide out the shelf with the case on it just enough that you can pour in the mixture. Pour the filling into the case slowly but surely, then push it back in gently.
• Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry on the surface, set about an inch (2 centimetres) all away around the edge, but still jiggly in the centre.
• Gently remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.

I have it on good authority (that is, the woman who ate this pie) that it was delicious. I wasn't brave enough to try it myself though, so if you want to try this recipe and take that leap of faith, be my guest!

Halloween 2016: Maple Peacle Tarts (Wheat Free)

Continuing in the vein of Halloween treats, here is a tasty American style morsel for you: maple peacle tarts!

Yes, before you correct me, I know it's a pecan, not a peacle. But, this recipe combines the powers of a maple pecan pie, and a treacle tart. It's a bit of a Transatlantic experience.

Here in Ireland, maple syrup is incredibly expensive, as I discussed in my post on a full sized maple pecan pie. Luckily though, maple flavoured golden syrup is a thing! I prefer using it because it has a stronger--albeit synthetic--flavour, whereas natural maple syrup's flavour is much more subtle

As you can see in the picture, I used the wrong kind of cutter for the tarts: I tried to be all artsy and use a flower shaped cutter, but it meant that the filling overflowed. Take it from me: do traditional cases with a round cutter.

This recipe could very easily be adapted for the good American Thanksgiving celebration coming u in November, as I understand maple pecan tart is something eaten at a holiday family meal in the States. Or it could be eaten pretty much anytime!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For 12 tarts

For the pastry

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) white spelt flour
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) icing sugar
• Cold water, to bind

For the filling

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) maple flavoured golden syrup
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) ground almonds
• 1 medium egg
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) chopped pecan nuts
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) lemon juice
• 12 full pecan nut halves

METHOD

• Make the dough according to the instructions found here. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for an hour.
• When chilled, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk. 4)
• Roll out the dough to an eighth of an inch (3 millilitres) thick, and cut into 3 inch (8 centimetre) rounds. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with the rounds, and prick the bases with a fork. Crumple up squares of tin foil to fill each case, and cook for 15 minutes, or until golden.
• While the cases are baking, prepare the filling. Mix all the filling ingredients except for the nuts in a mixing bowl until smooth.
• When the cases are cooked, remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 2). Remove the tin boil balls, and divide the chopped nuts between the cases. Divide the batter between the cases, filling almost to the top, and place a pecan half in each tart.
• Tap gently on the work surface, and return to the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes, or until the centres have set and they are golden and crusty on the top.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These tarts are super sweet, in true Halloween treat fashion! Enjoy with caution. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, if they last that long.

Halloween 2016: Toffee Apple Doughnuts (Wheat Free)

It's October! Or as I like to call it: Halloween advent. And here's a sticky treat: toffee apple doughnuts!

Since I discovered my inner darkness in my teen years, and also as a result of Mum and Dad making it into a fun event in the year, I've always been fond of Halloween. I like the early dark evenings, the turf fire on at night, and the get-togethers involving food and party games.

Moving into adulthood, unfortunately, Halloween parties become drinking fests, and I find myself yearning for the simpler childhood events that involved wearing a black bin liner (which could make you anything you ever wanted) and eating sweets until I was sick.

One of the sweets that rarely--if ever--graced the Halloween spread in our house was toffee apples. Apple made an appearance in the form of bobbing for them in a mixing bowl full of water, but they never appeared covered in toffee. And in a way that's a good thing, because generally speaking when kids eat them you end up with a house full of skinned, mauled apples with all the toffee eaten off.

As I got older, I experimented with toffee apples and I actually like them, but it's important to use very small, tart apples, which are hard to find. I used to use Pink Ladies, because they're slightly sour and very firm fleshed, but spending ages hovering over the loose apples looking for the smallest ones is time not worth spending.

I experimented with toffee dipping slices of apple, but the surface of the slices was too juicy and the toffee would either run off as I was applying, or melt off over the course of the day, leaving a sticky toffee puddle under the apple slice. Apple slices dip very well in chocolate, however.

So, I decided to try and do something to capture the essence of a toffee apple, but be a small treat that isn't overwhelmingly and insurmountably sickly. And who doesn't like doughnuts?

A little cake doughnut filled with stewed apple and wrapped in a creamy toffee layer provides that instant sugar hit and autumnal feel that you'd get with a toffee apple, but without it eating it being a monstrous task.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products

INGREDIMENTS

For about 16 mini filled doughnuts

• 1 pound (455 grammes) doughnut dough (use your favourite recipe, or use this recipe)
• 1 firm eating apple, like a Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Gala
• Two pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon cornflour

For the crunchy toffee coating

• 6 ounces caster sugar
• 3 ounces golden syrup
• 3 ounces evaporated milk, or cream
• 16 wooden lolly sticks

HOW-TO

First, make the apple filling,

• Peel and core the apple, and cut into half inch (1 centimetre) cubes. Put into a small saucepan with all the ingredients except the cornflour. Bring to the boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the apple is tender.
• Put the cornflour in a small cup, and add a tablespoon of water. Mix into a slurry, then pour into the saucepan slowly, stirring all the time. Cook until the sauce goes back to being transparent, and it has thickened.
• Once fully cooked, set aside until completely cool; about an hour.

Then, make the doughnuts,

• Preheat the cooking oil to 180°C (350°F), either in a deep fryer or a heavy saucepan.
• Roll out the doughnut dough to a quarter inch (5 millimetre) thickness. Cut into as many 3 inch circles as you can, and make pairs of circles. Put half a teaspoon of the apple filling on one circle, brush another circle with water, and make a sandwich. Press the edges together very well, then cut into a 2 inch (5 centimetre) circle, keeping the jam in the centre. This will keep them well sealed. 
• Repeat until you have run out of circles, then gently mash together and re-roll the trimmings, Continue until you have used all the dough.
• Cook the doughnuts in the oil, about 3 at a time so as not to overcrowd the fryer. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes on either side, until golden brown and puffed. Drain on kitchen towel then allow to cool on a wire rack.

Finally, make the toffee and assemble,

• Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper, or a silicone liner.
• In a medium saucepan, combine all the toffee ingredients and melt together slowly over low heat, until every sugar grain has dissolved.
• Increase the heat to medium, and cook at a slow boil for about 10 minutes. If you have a sugar thermometre, it should read between 146 and 154°C (295 to 309 °F). If using the cold water test, a small drop in a glass of ice-cold water should snap cleanly.
• Immediately remove from the heat, and place on a folded tea towel to protect the work surface. Take a lolly stick, dip the very tip in the toffee, and stick it into a doughnut. Then dip the doughnut into the toffee, twirling it to cover it completely in toffee. Tap gently on the edge of the saucepan to drip off the excess, then place it on the tray, holding it for a few seconds untilit can stand upright by itself.
• Repeat this process with the remaining toffee and doughnuts. If the toffee starts to set, put it over a low heat until it goes runny again.
• If you have any toffee left over, you can pour it out on another baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper, or a silicone cake tin.

This is a tasty alternative to a full toffee apple, and they have a lovely fluffy doughnut added to boot. This should be a delicious treat for Halloween, or indeed Bonfire Night on November 5th.

Chocolate Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

I hope everyone has been keeping well in my absence! I moved to Galway recently to return to university, and unfortunately where I live I once again have no oven!

Luckily for me, my lovely companion allows me to use his oven and his kitchen for baking projects, and he's also started getting involved himself. He's come to rather enjoy baking, which is great: I always love introducing people to it.

I showed him how to make chocolate chip cookies, ginger cake, and American style pancakes, and the other day he said it'd be nice to try making some chocolate cakes with cream cheese icing. I was happy to oblige.

Using this as an excuse, I decided to have a bit of experiment: I decided to try a different style of chocolate cake, using a melted mixture rather than a whipped mixture. However, the result was a little dense for my liking, so I thought I would alter it a little to make it a beaten mixture with a few flourishes.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Cocoa products
☒ Refined sugar products

INGREDIMENTS

For 12 standard fairy cakes

• 7 ounces (200 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 medium eggs
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, or margarine
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) golden syrup
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) caster sugar
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) water

For the icing:

• 3 ounces (85 grammes) butter, softened or margarine
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) cream cheese, room temperature, or lactose free cream cheese
• 12 ounces (340 grammes) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Chocolate sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or cocoa powder, for decoration

HOW-TO

First off, make the cakes

• Preheat your oven to 170ºC (325ºF/Gas Mk. 3), and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cake cases.
• In a saucepan, heat together the syrup, cocoa powder and water. Once the mixture is fully blended and there are no lumps of cocoa left, bring it to a simmer then immediately remove it from the heat. Allow to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the soft butter and the sugar together until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure that the first egg is fully mixed in before adding the second.
• Mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in another bowl, and sieve half this mixture into the butter mixture. Fold through gently.
• Add in the cooled cocoa syrup, fold in thoroughly, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Fold gently until fully combined.
• Divide among the 12 cake cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until risen and springy to the touch.
• Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

Now, make the icing

• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together well with a wooden spoon. Do not be tempted to use an electric mixer for this because you'll get icing soup.
• Once the butter and cream cheese are smoothly blended together, add in the sifted icing sugar about a third at a time, folding in a mixing with the wooden spoon between additions until nice and smooth.
• Spread the icing on top of the cakes, or you can pipe it on too.
• Sprinkle on the topping of your choice.