Counselling the Cake

Album 'The Raw And The Cooked' by The Fine Young Cannibals.

It's not easy baking fold this whisk that, you might not be sure why you are doing it but the end result is what counts! Mistakes come and go and whether you fight or fly is something only you know!

When I started baking, most of the cakes I made turned out disastrous.

They had issues, and to avoid the damage being done again I'm going to try and address some of them.

Sit down cake and talk it out with me....

Dip Cake

DC "So I didn't rise and now I look weird"
Mita "First of all you don't look that weird, what happened was your baker opened the door too early and let cold air in.
DC "Can I rise after that?"
Mita "Unfortunately you can't, but how about covering up with some butter cream?
DC " I don't mind covering up but what should I do to stop it happening again?
Mita "What do you think your baker should do?"
DC "Be patient? Maybe not over whisk me or open the oven door before 30minutes!"
Mita "Cool, good plan I would still eat you!"
DC "Thanks....that's weird see you later"

Crunch Cake

CC "I got burnt at the side and was still nice and soft at the top"
Mita "Sorry to hear that, it sounds like you were baked under stress... what do you think?"
CC "Maybe...I normally take about 1 hour to a hour and a half on a medium heat. But I only took 50 minutes on a high heat!"
Mita "Wow only 50 minutes"
CC "50 minutes for a big cake is not long enough, my baker should be patient and bake when he/she has the time to do it"
Mita "You sound angry"
CC "I'm under a lot of pressure, especially if the tin has been greased."
Mita "This sounds rushed"
CC "Your right, not a way a cake should be baked. Anyway have to go and cover myself in chocolate, Bye!"

Hard Biscuit

HB " I'm too hard"
Mita " Well um...why do you think that is?"
HB "I was overcooked"
Mita "Right, you were overcooked"
HB "Yes, we get crunchier when left to cool"
Mita "I see"
HB "I wish others could see and not get scared that we will be raw! It's better to bake us for 20 minutes then take us out"
Mita "I understand, how are you feeling now?"
HB "Still hard"

Muffin Top

MT "I'm so big, I get stuck on the paper case, why is this happening to me?"
Mita "This sounds like it's making you feel sad, what do you think?"
MT "I get messy and cannot be enjoyed"
Mita "what do you think is happening?"
MT "I have to cool down completely. Or I don't need paper cases the tray can be greased. I better go and save my friends".

Shrink Cake

SC "Not sure why I have to see you, I know what the problem is"
Mita " What do you think it is?"
SC "I keep on shrinking because I am baked for too long"
Mita "so you keep on shrinking because you are baked for too long, what else?"
SC "is there more?"
Mita "yes, other possibilities are the oven is too hot or the baker used an improper mixing procedure"
SC "right...maybe I do need help, see you next week"

Brownie Problem

B "Sometimes I just don't turn out right. How can I be perfect?"
Mita " Well there is no such thing as the perfect brownie because everyone has a preference"
B "Oh I get it, so I'm never going to be perfect?"
Mita "You are already perfect for people who like you just as you are"
B "My best mate orange brownie says I am boring because I have no nuts"
Mita "Well most people I know love a brownie with no nuts, so Orange Brownie sounds like she is being unkind"
B "Maybe... she has a rep for being nutty"

xx

Mango and Orange Cake

Squidgy

Moist

And I think you strangely get one of your five a day...after two slices!

Album for today:

Mark Ronson Here Comes The Fuzz 2003

yum looking at the above pictures makes me want to run down stairs and cut another slice.


160°C
250g butter
300g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs

Whisk the above

250g wholemeal plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate soda
1tsp cream of tartar

whisk this in

1 ripe mango peeled and chopped finely
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange
zest of half an orange

whisk these in for 10 seconds, the mango can still be in chunky.

Mark Ronson if you ever read this you very talented.

Anyway pour in greased baking tin.

Bake for one hour, don't change the temperature.

Once it's done melt 100g G&B maya gold chocolate and stir into 100ml sour cream and 1 tbsp icing sugar.

Pour over the cake and put some dried mango and oranges on top.

I'm very proud of this cake, baking is a science and once you know what works you don't need to look in a recipe book or use google.

Have a great evening, I definately will.

xx

That made up Plaice

Album this evening:

Contra by Vampire Weekend

Park Life Easter

The start of my Bank Holiday Monday:

Woke up with sore head from lucky tequila shot

Went to bikram yoga without drinking enough water


Prepared 6 salads, one curry, baked two loaves, and made some prawns look pretty tasty.


All completed before 2:15pm.


Pretty impressive I think.


Salad one:

salad potatoes
pine kernels
rocket
olive oil
lemon juice



Salad two:

On beetroot grate orange zest
top with mozzarella


Salad three:
pasta
tapenade
cherry tomatoes


Salad four:

salad potatoes
sliced egg
cherry tomatoes
spinach


Salad five:

blackberries with sugar
raspberries on top with drizzle of honey
sliced strawberries on top with lemon juice


Salad six:

cucumber
pineapple chunks
nigella seeds
white wine vinegar


Chicken curry:
chicken breast in slices fry with olive oil and cumin seeds
add spinach
2tsp turmeric
1tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
whole cherry tomatoes



Hot Prawns

chilli sauce
lemon juice
hazelnut oil



Indian Prawns:

1 tsp turmeric
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp chilli powder
whole chilli pricked but not chopped

When the bbq is ready the prawns will take about 4 minutes on each side.

A great Monday which felt like a Sunday.x

Lamb Shanks with Chocolate and Wine

At Easter chocolate doesn't have to be in an egg mould...

I wanted to combine chocolate to these lamb shanks, and found out Green and Blacks have already covered something similar. They are too good!

Here is my version:

Get the oven on 200°C

2 lamb shanks

100g butter

50g wholemeal self raising flour

1 large red onion

olive oil

200ml red wine

1 tablespoon pomegranate sauce

300ml lamb stock

half teaspoon of mustard powder

100g dark chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids

4 cardamom pods

half tsp nutmeg

1 star anise

3 bay leaves

In a bowl add the flour, mustard powder, salt and pepper.

Cover the lamb shanks with this and put to one side.

With the rest of the flour mixture rub in 50g of butter.

Fry the cardamom and star anise in some olive oil, add the chopped red onion.

Using a slotted spoon take out the chopped onion and put in casserole dish.

Keep the heat on the frying pan and brown the lamb.

Put lamb in casserole dish

pour stock into same frying pan, add rest of butter, wine and flour mixture. whisk for a few minutes until it's thick.

pour over lamb and cook for one hour and a half.

once lamb falls off bone, stir in the chocolate.

serve with mash and salad.

I totally forgot to take a picture when I was serving, so did it when the plate got messy.

sorry, it was just so tasty we had to tuck in!

Hope you had a great weekend.x