Vanilla Decor and Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla pods are expensive so it is a good idea to make the most of them.

Vanilla Decor
Used vanilla pods should be washed and then, if using for decor, cut the pod into strips length-ways, place strips on a greaseproof lined tray and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar, leave to dry out or place in an oven at low heat at between 90-120Cfor 20minutes or so .  The dried strips can be used to decorate cakes, desserts and ice creams.

Vanilla Sugar
For vanilla sugar, wash used pods and dry totally. Mix with icing sugar and put in a blender or grinder.
Store the sugar in a jar or container with a tight lid, keep the lid tight and the flavour will increase in time. 

One used pod is about enough to give a good flavour to 20g or so of icing sugar, so continue to add vanilla and icing over time to the jar for a good supply.

Add vanilla sugar to caster sugar in recipes such as apple tarts and custards.

Chocolate Brownie cookies

This recipe makes alot of cookies, once rolled they can be stored in the fridge-cut and cooked a la minute,-ready for whenever you feel like eating some cookies. The recipe is less like a cookie and more like a brownie-hence the name. Press nuts and or chocolate chips into the cookies before cooking (if they are added to the mixture before rolling, the biscuit tends to break when slicing)

Make double chocolate brownie cookies by topping with ganche- see ganache recipe post.

The recipe makes two rolls (about 40 cookies)-store one in the freezer and the other in the fridge.  Cook at 170 for about 15-minutes.

• 150g self raising flour
• 40g cocoa
• 340g dark chocolate
• 210g firmly packed brown sugar
• 180g butter
• 3 large eggs

Make in a mixer or by hand.
Mix the flour and cocoa together
cream the butter and sugar together

Add the eggs gradually, if the mixture starts to crack add some of the flour-cocoa mix
Add the  remaining cocoa and flour.
Melt the chocolate and stir into the mixture.

Cut some tin foil and greaseproof of equal size, place the paper on top of the foil.  (make sure the length of paper and foil is not too long-this roll has to fit in your fridge-about a 35-40cm lenght).

Spoon the mix along the length of the paper up from the edge of the length of  paper.  Do not fill up to the edges of the side either-or the mix will spill out as you roll.

Bring the foil and paper over the mixture, and form a round mound with your hands working their way along the length of foil.

pull back the foil on the first roll to make sure the greaseproof covers the mixture

Contiue to roll.  When you come the the end, fold and tuck in the ends

Refrigerate.

When roll is hard unroll from the paper, the cookies can be cut from the roll, about 1cm slices

Place on baking tray, you can press nuts and chocolate chips into the top if desired and cook in a preheated oven for about 15-20minutes at 170C.
(8 will fit on a 32x22cm tray)

leave cool completely on tray, top with ganache for double chocolate brownie cookies

Stock Syrup

Stock syrup can be flavoured with alcohol and or fruit puree.  The stock syrup for the Swiss roll recipe below was flavoured with cherry puree.

Stock Syrup

• 360g sugar
• 420g water

Bring sugar and water to the boil. Remove from heat when sugar is totally dissolved.

If you have a recipe that calls for a sugar refractometer but don't have one, the following recipe will give you syrup at 30 Degrees Baume

Syrup at 30 degree Baume
250g sugar
200g water

Tips on Cutting a cake

When cutting a cake fill a tall container or jug with  hot water. 
Dip the knife in the water to allow it to warm.
Remove the knife from the water and wipe with kitchen paper,
Make a cut in the cake and wipe the knife with kitchen paper
Repeat

The Many Uses of Ganache

Chocolate Ganache is a handy thing to have in a kitchen.  It can enrobe cakes or fill them, it can double as a sauce, after refrigeration it can be rolled into balls and rolled in cocoa to make chocolate truffles.  It also makes delicous a chocolate spread on bread.

Chocolate Ganache

• 115g honey
• 115g caster sugar
• 275g cream (buy 'double' if not using Irish cream)
• 275g dark chocolate chopped
• 115g butter,  chopped and left at room temperature

Boil the honey, sugar and cream.
Pour onto the chocolate and stir with a whisk to melt the chocolate

Leave cool to 40C (after about 45-1 hour it should be at this temperature for this quantity of ganache-larger quantities take longer to cool down).  At this temperature add the butter-use a stick blender to blend if necessary.

Adding the butter at this temperature keeps the ganache glossy-even when reheated.

When reheating ganache do so gently-it melts quickly and can overheat easily, spoiling the texture.

Thermometers can be hard to source in Ireland- a range of thermometers are availabe at http://thermometer.co.uk/2-catering-thermometers

Wedding Cake

The wedding cake stacked

simple swiss roll

Swiss Roll is quick and easy to make-and the flavour combinations are endless.

Below is the recipe for a simple chocolate swiss roll

• 4 large eggs
• 115g caster sugar
• 90g self raising flour
• 25g cocoa
• (for plain swiss roll add 115g self raising flour and omit the cocoa)

Preheat oven to  180C

With an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, whisk the eggs and sugar on maximum speed for about 5 minutes or until the eggs reach the 'ribbon stage' - that is when the mixture forms a ribbon-like trail when dropped from the whisk.

Fold in the flour and cocoa with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture out on to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and smooth out the mixture so it is even.

Cook in the oven for 20-25minutes.

Remove from oven and roll the cake onto its self while still attached to the greaseproof paper

Allow the cake to cool completely.  Then unroll-the sponge will be creased and cracked-this is normal

Spread the cake with jam or brush with syrup of choice or spread with chocolate.

Next spread with chantilly cream (see recipe for chantilly cream on this blog) or buttercream.  Dot with fruit if desired.

When spreading with filling of choice, do not fill up to the edge on one side as the filling will spread as you roll.

Roll up the cake-remove edge of cake from greaseproof paper and continue to remove it as you roll

With a serrated knife, cut the ends of the cake to achieve a clean finish.

Finish with buttercream, cream or leave as is, depending on the desired result.

If covering with ganche, place the cake on a wire rack, over a tray lined with a new piece of grease proof.

If using the ganache recipe listed here, heat some ganache for 15-20 seconds or so in the microwave and pour over the cake.  

Smooth some firmer ganache on the sides of the swiss roll.

Remove from rack with aid of large knife and move to a plate.

Decorate as desired, cut with serrated knife.

Current Cakes- wedding cake and whiteforest (white chocolate blackforest)

I've just finished a 4 tier wedding cake.  These are the individual layers.

 I forgot to take a picture of the 4 layers on top of each other-better do it soon before the cakes are delivered!

My next job is a handbag cake-will keep you posted

White Forest

Basically a black forest but with white chocolate.  I have another on order-a dark chocolate one-in June, so I'll be sure to take photos of the steps involved so that anyone interested can recreate it at home.

Brownies

These brownies are incredibly easy and quick to make.  They are best made the day before and are wonderful eaten cold or reheated.

• 250g butter
• 380g dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 eggs, whisked lightly just to break up the eggs
• 250g flour
• 400g brown sugar
• - optional- 120g nuts  or  chocolate chips or sultanas and hazelnuts (for fruit and nut brownies)

• preheat oven to 160c fan 180 conventional
• prepare a roasting dish by lining with greaseproof paper
• melt butter and chocolate together in microwave-about 120seconds on high-check half way through and again after about 40 seconds , stirring each time.

• stir in the eggs and sugar
• stir in the flour

• stir in or sprinkle the nuts and or chocolate chips on the surface of the brownies.

• cook40-45 minutes in a 20x30 tray, reduce time for larger tray.brownies are cooked when crust has formed on surface and mixture seems set when tray is moved.
• allow to cool in tin when cooked.
• slice when cold.

.

French Toast (Pain Perdu)

The bread and butter pudding recipe posted here makes perfect french toast-so if you find you have too much mixture left over, why not make some french toast for a perfect, easy breakfast treat!

Soak bread or brioche in the mixture.  Allow to soak at least 5 minutes each side. Wipe excess mixture off the bread on to the side of the dish.  Heat a frying pan, add some butter with a little oil (this will stop the butter burning).  On a medium heat fry the bread on both sides.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve with maple syrup, creme chantilly, blueberries and a dusting of icing sugar
• Serve with maple syrup, fried egg and smoked rashers.

Buttermilk Ice cream

• 500g buttermilk
• 250ml cream (standard Irish cream or 'double cream' if not Irish cream
• 75g yolks (4 egg yolks)
• 150g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or few drops vanilla essence
• 55g honey

 

The honey will help keep the ice cream soft enough to scoop after churning.

 

• Boil buttermilk, honey, sugar and vanilla pod (seeds and pod)
• Whisk yolks just enough to break and blend the yolks-you  don't whisk to a froth
• Pour half of the boiled cream onto the yolks, whisk briefly and return the mixture to the pot of hot milk.
• Reduce heat to low, and stir all the time.
• Check if the mixture is done by stirring with a wooden spoon, run your finger through the mixture that coats the back of the spoon-if the line you've drawn holds then the mixture is ready.
• Pass the mix through a sieve and pour in the cream.  If you were using a vanilla pod, return the split pod to the mixture.
• Place the mix in the fridge overnight-this will help the flavour to develop.
• The following day, remove the split vanilla pod, wash and dry this and put aside-it can cut into smaller lengths, dried and used as decoration.
• Churn the ice cream using an ice cream machine and freeze.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and butter pudding is quick and easy to make.  It can be made in any size tin or ramekins-individual or large.  Slice pan, brioche, croissant or hotcross bun-all can be used.  Flavours don't need to be limited to the traditional dried fruit either-try layering with fruit and chocolate instead.  Sprinkling each layer and the top with brown sugar adds a nice caramel dimension.  If you aren't using Irish cream then make sure to buy 'double' cream (Irish standard cream hasa high enough fat content-it is why you rarely find Irish double cream)

Bread and Butter Pudding Mixture

• 250ml full fat milk
• 250ml cream
• 100g sugar
• 3 eggs
• few drops vanilla extract
• Brown sugar for sprinkling between layers

Bring cream, essence, sugar and milk to boil.

Whisk eggs briefly-not to a froth, but just enough to break up the yolks.

Pour the boiled milk mixture onto the eggs, whisk to combine.

Layer the bread with filling of choice (see suggestions below)

Pour on to the layered bread, let soak to allow the bread to absorb  the mixture.

Sprinkle the top with brown sugar.  Cook at 160C-these individual ramekins cooked for 25 minutes.

Whiskey Bread and Butter Pudding:
Add 2 cupfuls of whiskey to the mixture
Layer with Sultanas,nutmeg, chopped apricots, brown sugar for sprinkling

Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
Add few drops of vanilla essence to the mixture
Sliced banana and chocolate chips

Cook at 160C cooking time depends on dish size.

Chocolate Hazelnut Guinness Cake (Flourless)

I didn't get my Saint Patrick's Day recipes up in time for Paddy's day, apologies.  Pictures and Buttermilk Ice cream and bread and butter pudding recipes to follow

This cake is flour free and is easy to make and easy to make your own by substituting certain ingredients:

• Guinness can be substituted for liquor of choice.
• Hazelnuts can be substituted for ground almonds
• Caster Sugar can replace the brown sugar
• Drained cherries can be folded into the mixture
• Double the recipe to make two layers, sandwich with cream or chocolate buttercream

Guinness reduction;
Bring Guinness to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer, allow to reduce to syrupy consistency.

Chocolate Hazelnut Guinness Cake

• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100g butter
• 4 tablespoons Guinness reduction
• 100g brown sugar
• 50g ground hazelnuts
• 3 eggs separated.

• Preheat oven at 180C
• grease 20cm round cake tin, dust with ground hazelnuts as you would with flour.
• Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave-check regularly so chocolate does not burn.
• Stir the Guinness reduction, sugar and egg yolks into the melted chocolate and butter.
• Stir in the hazelnuts.
• Whisk egg whites until stiff.
• Fold into the chocolate mixture and pour into the prepared pan.
• Cook at 180C for 45 minutes.
• Cool in the pan, cake is best served next day. Invert the cake when serving - the base is more attractive.

Serving suggestion: serve with Chantilly Creme and Cherry and Guinness Sauce

Chantilly Creme:
Chantilly Creme is easy to make, for  every 500g cream, add 40g sieved icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Whisk together.

If you need to whisk large quantities of cream fast, cover the mixer with a clean tea towel and turn on maximum - any cream splashes will be contained



cover mixer with clean tea towel 



Guinness and Cherry Sauce:

To the Guinness reduction, add black cherries, heat and serve.  Honey can be added to sweeten.

Easter

I'll be posting an easy hot cross bun and simnel cake recipe, and maybe making some easter eggs (that is if I can find my moulds)!

Saint Patricks Day

With Saint Patrick’s Day around the corner, I’m currently working on some suitable dessert recipes. I hope to have some up on the blog within the week.