Motorbike cake

Motorbike , helmet and signs made out of pastillage

Chocolate Fondant

100g butter
200g dark chocolate in small pieces
150g soft brown sugar
50g flour
4 eggs

cook at 180C for about 12-15minutes a ramekin of 100ml makes 4

melt chocolate and butter together in microwave, checking and stirring every 30seconds or so

stir in the eggs and brown sugar
stir in the flour or use a stick blender for this job to ensure a smooth result

butter and flour your moulds (I used alluminium foil containers) and fill 3/4 of the way

place on a tray in the oven
The fondants will take about 12-15 minutes-you'll know its ready when the top looks cooked

Turn out and serve,the centre will be

Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire puddings aren't usually found amoung pastry recipes but I decided to post this recipe because it is simple and makes perfect puds every time.

The basic ingredients of Yorkshire puddings are:
flour (use self raising)
eggs
milk

for this recipe take a cup (or any other container you want-a ramekin or a bowl-for the 4 giant puddings pictured I used a ramekin with a volume of 100ml) of flour (use the cup as a scoop and level the flour off-don't pack the flour down to add more) and empty into a bowl.
use the same cup and fill to the very top with milk (do this over the bowl of flour so any spills will fall into the flour)
now do the exact same with the eggs-the cup should be full right to the brim.

Whisk all the ingredients to combine, now leave for about 30 minutes (don't worry about any lumps)

Meanwhile place about 2tsps of oil into the bases of large muffin tins, and place in a hot oven (about 200C) for 30minutes. (the large muffin tin makes 'monster Yorkshire puddings' use a smaller tin for smaller puddings)

After 30mins remove the tin from the oven and ladle the pudding mixture into the tins to about 3/4 full, return to the oven straight away and leave cook for about 45 minutes -DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR or the puds will deflate, if you must open the door, wait until they have been in the oven at least 30 minutes.

cooking in the oven

cooked

Soda Bread white

Soda bread can be made using just flour, salt, sugar, soda and buttermilk but the addition of oil and eggs keep the soda bread soft for longer

makes two loaves

1kg flour
40g brown sugar or caster
15g bicarbonate of soda
15g salt

2 eggs
100ml oil sunflower
about 500ml buttermilk

sultanas (optional)

Mix together all dry ingredients
Make a well in the middle and add in the eggs, oil and about 3/4 of the buttermilk, add more buttermik as necessary.

You  can divide the mixture between two buttered and floured loaf tins or turn out on to a floured table and form two traditional round loafs, cutting a cross into the centre. Place on a tray lined with grease proof and dust the loaves with flour.

Cook at 180 for 50minutes to 1 hour.

served with butter and jam (I'll post a jam recipe soon)

chocolate flapjacks

You can add nuts and dried fruit of choice to this recipe to make cereal bars

370g porridge oats (I use Flahavan's)
200g brown sugar
220g butte unsalted
60g maple syrup or honey or golden syrup (or maple syrup flavoured golden syrup)
90g chocolate cut into pieces

bake 150C for 30minutes

Combine butter, sugar and syrup in a pan.  Heat until the butter and sugar is dissolved.

Stir in the oats and chocolate

Spread onto a 20x30cm  tray lined with parchment/grease proof
cook in oven at 150C for 30minutes

Remove from oven and allow to cool about 20 minutes, then cut into squares or bars

buttermilk scones

It is important not to over mix the dough-or the texture will be heavy.  You can added dried, fresh or frozen fruit of choice to the dough.

Makes 10 cook at 180 for about 30 minutes

600g Flour (or use 600g self raising flour and leave out the baking powder)
1.5 tsp baking powder
100 g caster sugar
150g butter at room temperature
335ml buttermilk approx
2 large eggs


Add liquid ingredients including the eggs together.

Rub the butter into flour, sugar and baking powder until the mix resembles fine sand.

dry ingredients

rub in the butter

Make a well in the centre and add the liquid ingredients.  Combine in the bowl then turn out on to a floured surface.

add the liquid ingredients

turn out on to a lighlty floured surface

Knead gently until smooth, then roll to a thickness of about 3.5 -4cm thickness, cut out with round cutter (if the cutter sticks, dip it in some flour first) or cut into squares.

Place on tray and refrigerate for about an hour (they can be cooked straight away but keep a better shape if you refrigerate before baking) before brushing with eggwash or milk and sprinkling with brown sugar and cooking at 180C preheated for about 30 minutes

scones ready to bake

baked scone

You can check the scones are done by gently tearing open one scone-if it still looks doughy in the centre return to the oven.

Serve with cream and jam or warm with butter.

Doughnuts

Yeast Doughnuts

450g Strong flour
55g sugar
15g honey
6g salt
45g butter room temperature
20g milk
180g/ml water
14g instant yeast ( or 28g fresh yeast)
1 egg

With a dough hook fitted to a mixer, mix all ingredients to together at low speed, once the dough has started to come together, increase to medium speed and mix for 7 minutes.

Cover with cling (touching the surface of dough) and allow the dough to rest one hour

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and allow rest another 10 minutes before shaping

Shape as follows:

flatten out the dough

Fold in half

turn the dough around....

and fold in half again

now turn the dough so it is facing as pictured

fold in half

turn around

fold in half again

flip over so that seam side is down

cup the dough in you hand and turn clockwise while keeping light pressure on the dough

the dough will form a round

continue until you have formed  all the dough into balls

Allow the  balls to prove (rise) until almost  double in size, you can fill them with your filling of choice by making a hole with your finger in the dough and inserting a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and your filling or choice, or you can wait until they are baked and then fill - this latter method iseasier

when they have proved you can fill with filling of choice or you can fill after they have been cooked

Cooking Methods:

You can now either:

1. Deep Fry
2. Fry on both sides for about 1 minute per side and finish in a preheated oven set at 170C for about 20 minutes - when the doughnuts are out of the oven, pour over some stock syrup over the hot doughnuts for a beautiful sweet crisp skin.
3. Poach for minute or two in stock syrup then finish in the oven as above
4. Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes at 170C and sprinkle with stock syrup when still hot and out of oven

Fill the doughnut with filling of choice then roll the doughnut in caster sugar or sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon (optional)

These doughnuts pictured are fried then finished in the oven

Finished doughnut, filled with pastry cream

Suggested fillings:

• Jam
• Pastry Cream
•  Dulce de leche
• Chocolate Ganache

Ring Doughnuts:
You can make ring doughnuts by:

1. Making into rounds as above, flattening slightly and cutting out a round from the centre-these pieces can cooked or added to a second batch of doughnut dough
2. Shaping into a long piece of dough and forming a circle
3.  Making into rounds and piercing the centre with a finger or wooden spoon handle and widdening the hole with these tools 

Handbag Cake

Here is a handbag cake I completed over the weekend for a birthday party with sugar paste credit card, moblile phone, rose and pearls