Lavander and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (with Rose water icing and Crystallised Petals)

Lavander and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (with Rose water icing and Crystallised Petals)

Christmas cakes 2012

Here are some Christmas Cakes for 2012 (see http://pastry-illustrated-guide.blogspot.ie/2011/12/christmas-cake.html for recipe)

Present cake -copper bow and wrapping

present cake

santa cake, detail

Rectangle cake - santa cake

Mini cinnamon and orange tart tatins

Recipe to come, here are the pictures in the meantime:

make a dry caramel and pour onto silicone paper

when the caramel is set, break into pieces

grind in a spice or coffee grinder, add ground cinnamon

add powdered caramel to cold apples

toss to cover

fit into silicone moulds-nice and high because the volume will decrease as the apples cook

finished tart tatins

finished tart tatins

A few more photos from my Pastry Shop and bakery

Caramel Orange Cheesecake

eclairs, crumble, blueberry tart, White and dark chocolate mousse

Profiteroles, fondant, Wexford strawberry tart, blackforest, mille feuille, death by chocolate, lemon tart, opera, Paris Brest, Mousse, Blueberry tarts, bread and butter pudding

Chocolate birthday cake with hand made chocolate and sugar decor

Chocolate fan decor and mini easter eggs Mousse Cake

Matcha opera creme brulee, crumble, eclair, mousse, lemon tart, mille feuille, pear and almond tart

Cinnamon Danish

Chocolate chip cookies (and double chocolate chip cookies)

With this recipe you can make chocolate chip cookies and double chocolate chip cookies- to make the plain cookies follow the recipe below but 
 add 300g self raising flour instead of 280g and omit the cocoa.  The custard powder can be subsituted with cornflour if needs be, the custard powder gives added flavour but both cornflour and custard powder will give a little chewiness to the cookie.


150g Salted Butter – room temperature
150g light brown soft sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
280g Self raising  Flour
20g Cocoa (for plain cookies add 300g flour and omit the cocoa)
1 tsp custard powder or cornflour
200g plain choc chips




Heat the oven to 170C
Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
Mix the butter and sugar together and then mix in the egg and extract.
Mix in the flour and the cocoa, then add the choc chips. 


You can then roll some dough into a ball and place onto the baking tray and flatten slightly then cook for about 12 mins you can roll the mixture in to a log shape and then refrigerate for about an hour.  Then cut slices and bake as directed above.

plain chocolate chip cookie dough rolled into a log

Remove from oven and eat hot or allow to cool.

slice the dough

allow to cool or eat warm

sourdough mother, chef, starter and sourdough bread

Firm Sourdough Starter,

NOTE: this recipe makes alot of starter, you can adjust the  quantities given here for a more manageable amount, or you can remove a portion each day and bin it or incorporate a little into a yeast bred ( or you can freeze or even dehydrate excess starter by mixing with flour-you can later rehydrate it by adding water to the right consistency.)

This sourdough is made using apple peels, you can use other fruit such as sultanas.  The method is the same.

1 week in advance:
Place the apple peels in a clean jar or mason jar and fill to the top with tepid  water and replace lid.  Leave for about 1 week, it is ready when you can see bubbles forming in the jar.

Step 1:
Mix 50g of your apple peel water (strained of the peel of course) with 75g of strong flour and shape into a ball. (this is called the mother)

Place on a flour covered towel and allow it to double in volume (depending on room temperature this can take 6-12 hours

top ball shows the dough after a few hours, the bottom is the same quantity of dough freshly made 

Step 2

When your dough has doubled in volume, add again 50g of tepid water (see note at bottom of page) and 75g strong flour to the dough and mix for 5  minutes on low speed with a dough hook.

Shape into a ball again.  Let rise on flour covered cloth until double in size-again this may take 6 to 12 hours depending on room temperature. (this dough is called the chef)

Step 3.
 When the dough (the chef) is double the size, 'refresh' with 250g water and 500g flour as for step 2.  Allow double in size again (around 8-12 hours) (or place the dough in the fridge for1- 2 days for a slower proving if needs be).

Step 4.
You can now make  the starter although you will get a better flavour and result if you continue to feed each day for the next 2 or  three days (chef : water : flour ratio of 1: 1: 2 )

100g chef
200g  flour
100ml water tepid

Pour the water into a mixing bowl, gently add the chef and the flour,
Mix with a dough hook for 15 minutes on low speed
Scrape the side of the bowl occasionally
Leave the dough to rest 20 minutes covered with a plastic sheet (bag)
Shape in a ball or balls (of 135g if you are making  the sourdough bread below) and place on a very well floured cloth overnight.(one of these balls of dough can be used to continue on the starter if you want to make more sour dough during the week - just continue feeding as for step 3  you need 50g chef to get 200g starter for bread, see notes on bottom of page for further info)

the starter

Sour Dough Bread.

520g strong flour
135g starter
20g salt
335g water, tepid

Pour the water into the mixer and gently add the starter, and all the other ingredients.
Mix on low speed for 15 minutes

Leave dough for 45 minutes on a flour dusted surface covered with a dusting of flour and a plastic sheet or bag....

Then fold the dough in half as pictured below

Fold over one side as pictured below

And fold in other side as picture below, leave the dough rest another 1 hour 15 minutes.  Repeat this procedure if you think the dough needs it.

 Cut the dough in half and leave rest again for 15 minutes, then shape into balls

Leave to prove seam side up (this keeps the top nice and moist) on a floured cloth, leave prove for overnight (10-12 hours) (the dough pictured is not seam side up)

Place the bread on a tray and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor cook at 200C for about 30 mins

NOTES

The cloth that the dough is rested on throughout the recipe should be very well covered with flour, if you put the dough on paper or plastic, even floured it will probably stick.

I say tepid water in the recipes but really the formula is water temperature+room temperature+ flour temperature= 64C (see basic temperature)

Always add the water first into the mixer, followed by the delicate chef or starter.

If you keep some of your chef for longer you'll have to feed it i.e. add flour and water to it to keep it  fresh, you just follow step 3. to do this.  OR......

make it into a starter- i.e follow step 4 and freeze it or dehydrate it by mixing with flour-you can later rehydrate it by adding water to the right consistency.

If you need to delay using a starter that is ready, it can be left for one day in the fridge before using

A starter should not be allowed to over ferment (old) or indeed under ferment (young), it takes practice to know when it is right (but if you  poke the starter it and it does not spring back (nor collapse totally) chances are it is ready, see photo above) 

A sourdough bread contains more salt than a usual bread recipe, this is to counteract the acidity.

Sourdough breads are chewy, with open crumb and keep longer than simple yeast breads.

This sourdough chef and starter is dry, not wet, so it is not as reactive but can be easier  to work with.

creme brulee

50g milk
80g egg yolk (4 egg yolks)
80g sugar
350g cream
1vanilla pod or 1 tsp extract

makes 4 approx

Stir the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar together in a saucepan and place over medium heat

Meanwhile whisk the yolks breifly -less than a minute just to make them smooth.  when the liquid has come to the boil, pour this over the yolks, whisking all the time

Pour into ramekins and cook either by:
1.  Using a bain maire at 150C fan for 35-40 minutes
2.  On a wire rack tray (without a bain maire) at 90C fan oven for approx 1 hour

Remove from oven and refrigerate, Top with sugar and torch just before serving (or if you don't like the sugar top you can of course eat it as is)

Pictured is a picture taken at my shop of the creme brulee topped with almond biscuits (gluten free)

Creme Brulee is a great dessert to serve when a guest is coeliac