Chai and Blueberry Muffins

♬'At Last' By Etta James

On a baking frenzy again, I think it's time I started to look into opening up a quirky bakery!

Ah yes the muffin, an easy mixture and so diverse in flavour, because any sort of ingredient can be added, to create a mammoth snack next to a cup of tea.

This afternoon I wanted to put the tea essence in the muffin! So I added a teaspoon of my mums home made chai masala, and they taste so good. One more thing - I forgot to add eggs, but to my surprise these turned out fine! The 200g of flour and milk helped to bind the mixture instead.

Give it a go...

▶ Recipe for 6 large muffins.

Grease tin well.

No need for cases.

Ingredients:

200g (7oz) gluten free and wheat free plain flour

100g (3.50z) caster sugar

110g (3.8oz) butter

1 tsp baking powder

100ml milk (you can use soya milk too)

1 tsp chai masala (or rip open a chai teabag, throw away the bag and use the chai part)

• 125g (4½oz) blueberries, or equivalent in frozen blueberries
• 
  
  Method:
  
  

: Preheat oven 160°c.

: Rub in the butter, sugar, and flour until breadcrumbs.

: Pour in the milk and fold mixture with a knife.

: Stir in the blueberries, chai powder and baking powder.

: Scoop generous amounts in the baking tin.

: Bake for 30 minutes and then test a muffin in the middle row with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, they are done.

Perfect for breakfast or when you wake up from a nap.

Eggy Brioche with Beans

♬ 'At Last' By Etta James

You know what?

I'm glad January is nearly over, bring on February when questions about life, and standing on the bathroom scales have been cut down to a minimum. Seriously some of last years actions have been slapping me in the face this month! No more dwelling just have to get on with 2012, boxercise more and eat less chocolate. I suppose what doesn't help was drinking gin for a stupid amount of time and eating lamb yesterday, and yes I'm paying for it today - head is sore and brain feels slower than usual. Never again.

Try dipping a brioche slice into an egg mixture for an indulgent start to the weekend, I know, I know as if a brioche doesn't have enough butter and eggs! This will cure the sore head: that's if a gin and tonic was your best mate last night.

▶ Recipe

Ingredients:

2 eggs

Butter

4 slices of brioche

Dash of milk

Method:

: Beat the eggs, pour in a splash of milk.

: In a small frying pan, add a tiny bit of butter.

: Once butter has melted, dip one piece of brioche into the egg mixture and place slowly in the frying pan.

: After 30 seconds flip over, and fry the other side for the same amount of time.

DONE!

Serve with beans, or with a sweet partner - berries.

Favourite Song:

ê'At Last' and ' I Just Want To Make Love To You' By Etta James

Flourless Snickers Style Cakes

♬ 'Jazzie's Groove' By Soul II Soul

Ever fancied a cake with no flour, just chocolate and eggs? Well, today's your lucky day, turn your back on flour, and look for the following ingredients.

Personally, the texture of this cake beats a brownie, that's how moreish the texture is. 

▶ Recipe for 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

200g Green and Blacks 70% chocolate (7oz)

160g butter chopped (5.5oz)

 5 eggs separated

100g ground almonds (3.6oz)

165g golden caster sugar (5.8oz)

Caramel:

160g caster sugar

2 tbsp water

100g peanuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°c

: Grease the cupcake tray with baking spray or butter.

: In a large bowl over a pot of simmering hot water, add the chocolate and butter.

: When this has completely melted (takes a while), take off the heat and stir in the ground almonds, egg yolks and HALF the sugar.

: Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until glossy, they should form peaks. Fold in the other of the sugar.

: Pour the egg white mixture into the chocolate and fold until combined.

 : Fill each hole, nearly up to the top, if using a large muffin tin, this recipe makes 6.

: Bake for 30 minutes, do not bake for any longer, test with a knife in a cake from the middle row. If the knife comes out clear with a few crumbs, they are done.

: Let them cool.

: For the caramel, heat the sugar on a medium heat in a heavy base pot.

: Once the sides start to brown, start stirring (for about 10 minutes) until it has thoroughly melted. Then make sure your hands are covered with a tea towel and pour in water. 

: Keep on stirring and be careful of spluttering sugar, keep on stirring until there are no lumps.

: Put a few peanuts on top and spoon over caramel.

DONE!

A soft and crunchy cupcake with a Snickers twist.

Flourless is the way forward.

Favourite Song:

ê 'Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)' By Soul II Soul

Ferrero Rocher Cake

♬ 'El Camino' By The Black Keys

This album is so much fun! It's a great mix of glam rock and soul. I gave this album to my  brother along with the golden beauty you are gawping at.

What a magical and luxurious cake!

Here we have two chocolate hazelnut sponges sandwiched with chocolate buttercream, topped with melted chocolate, crushed Ferraro Rochers and masqueraded with gold lustre spray.

If you want to impress this is the cake to go for, and actually all the left over Ferraro Rochers from Christmas can finally be used up (saves me eating a few every other night).

One big tip:

Invest in a can of gold lustre spray or even gold glitter to decorate this cake.

After all, the unwrapping of a Ferrero Rocher is like opening up a special treat, so why not 'wrap' this?!

I'm very proud of my frantic effort, and rapid cycling to try and track the spray! This looks like it should be in the middle of a table, enclosed in glass for everyone to admire. Got a feeling the cake would be perfect in a Harry Potter movie, shame they are over!

Made for my brother's birthday, he is a golden star and also a big fan of cakes and puddings. 

An easy cake to put together and bake, trust me this is not as difficult as it appears!

▶

Recipe for 10 slices:

Ingredients:

For the two sponges:

200g soft butter (7.05oz)

150g caster sugar(5.29oz)

4 medium eggs

200g plain flour (7.05oz)

1tsp baking powder

100g finely chopped hazelnuts (put in the blender for quick blitz) (3.52 oz)

100g cocoa powder (3.52oz)

Filling:

200g soft butter (7.05oz)

150g icing sugar (5.29oz)

50g cocoa powder (1.76oz)

Covering:

100g milk chocolate (3.52oz)

6 Ferrero Rochers

Gold lustre spray

Method:

: Preheat oven 180°c

: Grease two 20cm sandwich baking tins.

: Beat butter and sugar until pale.

: Add two eggs then beat again.

: Add the other two until mixture is smooth.

: Sieve in the flour and baking powder.

: Sieve in the cocoa powder.

: Whisk until combined.

: Add the chopped hazelnuts and stir.

: Divide mixture between two cases and smooth down.

: Bake for 25 minutes, until well risen.

: Turn out on rack and leave to completely cool.

: Make the buttercream by combining all the ingredients in a mixer.

: Spread on the base of one of the sponges.

: Put the other on top and press down slightly.

: Melt the chocolate for the covering in a bowl over boiling water.

: Spread over the top of the cake and if you want, let it drizzle down, as you are aware I love this look but can be aware it looks too messy for some. So if you prefer keep the chocolate at the top.

: Then top with chopped Ferraro Rochers, and in no particular order place on the cake. Let the chocolate set: then from a small distance spray the gold.

Done! 

 The average chocolate cake has been transformed into something spectacular.

Favourite Song:

ê 'Little Black Submarines' By The Black Keys

Blackberry and Blueberry Crumble Pie

♬ 'Trailer Trash Tracy's' By Ester

Totally misinterpreted this album, I was ready for head banging trance, however do not judge this album by its cover, get ready for deep harmonics and a heavy bass!

As global warming feeds us a spring day, I have been sharpening up my pastry techniques. What you are looking at should excite your senses plus make you slightly salivate...or maybe that's just me.

▶ Recipe for a 20cm tart tin with removable sides, serves 8.

 Ingredients:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

250g organic plain flour

50g icing sugar

125g cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg, beaten.

Splash of milk

Filling:

150g blueberries

100g blackberries
50g butter

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tsp plain flour or corn flour, also known as cornstarch.


Topping:
50g plain flour
50g jumbo rolled oats
50g soft butter
50g caster sugar

Method:

: Start on the pastry - on a clean surface sieve the flour and icing sugar.

: Rub the butter with the flour and sugar until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.

: Make a hole in this mixture and add the beaten egg.

: Gently start working this together until a dough is formed, try adding a bit of milk to help the binding. This is a short crust so try not to over work the dough, when it is a smooth dough it is done.

: Cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.


Preheat the oven 180°c

: In a pot add all the ingredients for the filling, and let this simmer until it's nice and thick.
: Now time for the blind baking -  take out chilled pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface, until the thickness is the same is about half a cm. 
: Spread on top of the tin and press down firmly and gently.
: Cut the rest of the pastry away, cover with baking paper and fill with pastry weights (I used baking bean, but lentils work too)
: Bake for 15 minutes only, then take out and prick with fork.
: Put in the oven again for 5 minutes, then take out again.

: Pour berry filling in and try not to fill to the top.
: Make the topping by rubbing in the butter with the sugar, flour and oats.
: Sprinkle on top of berry filling and then add a bit more sugar.
: Bake for 20 minutes until the berries are bubbling and the crumble is light brown.


Serve hot or cold, with custard or cream.


DONE!


Making pastry doesn't have to be time consuming, your arms get a work out and it takes practice - try making double the batch so you can refrigerate the other half to use for something else?

Favourite Song:

ê 'Candy Girl' By Trailer Trash Tracys