Buttercream (with Italian Meringue)

Sorry no Pictures (lost them with my phone!)



Stage 1: Buttercream
60g water (approx or enough just to cover the sugar)
140g caster sugar
2 egg yolks
190g unsalted butter, at room temperature
extract of choice

Stage 2: Italian Meringue
2 whites (60g)
120g caster sugar
50g water (approx or enough just to cover the sugar)



Stage 1: Buttercream
put the caster sugar in a small pot with the water.  Stir and brush down the sides with a clean finger or clean pastry brush to remove any sugar from the sides of the pan (any sugar on the side will crystallise during the cooking and can cause the rest of the sugar to crystallise)

Put over a medium high heat. Monitor with a thermometer (when taking the temperature, take in the centre of the mixture and ensure the tip is not touching the pot's base (the metal of the base will be hotter than the sugar mix so you'll get a higher and inaccurate reading)

Meanwhile, whisk the yolks until thick.

When the sugar mixture reaches 121C remove from heat and allow the bubbles to subside off the heat

Once the bubbles have subsided (almost immediately for this small recipe but may take a few minutes for larger quantities of sugar), pour the sugar down the side of the bowl containing the egg yolks while whisking the yolks on medium speed.  It is vital that you do not let the sugar to hit the whisk on its way down- this will just spin the sugar around the bowl and not into the yolks-and you'll end up with a runny mixture with hard sugar pieces in it).

Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled completely.  There will be a sugar trail on the side of the bowl-don't scrape this into the mixture or you'll have hard pieces in the mix, just leave it.

On medium speed start to incorporate the butter, continue to add the butter slowly until all has been incorporated.  Add any extract or colour of choice.

You can use the buttercream as is or you can incorporate Italian meringue (stage 2 of the recipe) for a lighter buttercream.

Stage 2:
Italian meringue

the basic rule of thumb is double the sugar to your whites for meringue.  So weigh the whites you had left over from the buttercream and multiply by two to get the amount of sugar you should use, if using large eggs, you will probably have 60g or so of whites.


put the caster sugar in a small pot with the water. Stir and brush down the sides with a clean finger or clean pastry brush to remove any sugar from the sides of the pan (any sugar on the side will crystallise during the cooking and can cause the rest of the sugar to crystallise).  Continue to do this during the cooking process as necessary.

Put over a medium high heat. Monitor with a thermometer (again when taking the temperature, take in the centre of the mixture and ensure the tip is not touching the pot's base (the metal of the base will be hotter than the sugar mix so you'll get a higher and inaccurate reading)

When the temperature measures about 105C start whisking the whites to firm.

When the sugar mixture reaches 121C remove from heat and allow the bubbles to subside off the heat

Once the bubbles have subsided (almost immediately for this small recipe but may take a few minutes for larger quantities of sugar), pour the sugar down the side of the bowl containing the whites while whisking on medium speed. Again, it is vital that you do not let the sugar to hit the whisk on its way down- this will just spin the sugar around the bowl and not into the whites-and you'll end up with a runny mixture with hard sugar pieces in it).

Continue whisking on medium speed until the mixture has cooled completely. You must let it cool completely before you finish whisking or the meringue will break down.  There will be a sugar trail on the side of the bowl-don't scrape this into the mixture or you'll have hard pieces in the mix, just leave it.
Fold all or some of the Italian meringue into the buttercream.  Colour if desired.

Quiche

Mixture A:
200ml milk
2 eggs
200ml cream
salt and pepper

or

Mixture B:
400ml cream
2 eggs
salt and pepper


Combine eggs and cream and or milk, season and refrigerate until needed
Pastry mix A
250g flour
125g cornflour (gives nice crumb to the pastry)
225g salted butter at room temperature
1eggs
60g/ml water
2teaspoons white vinegar (this stops the pastry from turning black if kept longer than day or two in fridge)
herbs to taste

Pastry mix B
375g flour
225g salted butter at room temperature
1eggs
60g/ml water
2teaspoons white vinegar (this stops the pastry from turning black if kept longer than day or two in fridge)
herbs to taste

rub the butter into the flour, herbs and salt to fine sand texture,

Use the egg and liquid ingredients to bind the mixture.

Refrigerate 1 1/2 - 2 hours before use.
Quiche fillings suggestions:
Quiche lorraine

Cheese and Onion Quiche

Butter and flour your tins (spring form is best)

After chilling for at least 30 minutes, roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness (I like a thick crust for savoury pastry cases)

 Lay the rolling pin on top of the pastry and roll the pastry on to the pin

 Place over your prepared tin and then gently ease the pastry into tin.

Next roll the pin over the tin to cut the excess pastry away

 with your thumb, gently press the pastry into the tin along the bottom and sides

 Gently dock (prick) the base, but not too deep.  Freeze for at least an hour  (this helps the pastry keep its shape during cooking)

Next fill with your filling of choice and the quiche mix.

Cook for approx 1 hour 20 minutes at 170C.

 Cheese and onion quiche

Mini quiche

Baguettes and how to shape them

500g Strong flour
8g salt
14g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast
300g/ml water

see yeast goods post for further information on yeast goods

Add together all ingredients.

Mix on  low speed for 5 minutes

Increase to medium speed for 7 minutes

Allow to rest 45minutes-1hour covered with plastic

cut in half

Allow to rest 15 minutes before shaping

Flatten dough

Fold in half, secure with heel of  hand

Turn around

Fold in half again, secure with heel of hand

Fold in half again and
With one hand hold the seam of bread open while the other hand closes and secures the seam, work along the bread until the whole length has been secured

Turn over so seam side is down

Roll to length desired using two hands

Allow the prove covered in a plastic sheet (ripped plastic bag)  or layer of cling

When ready, slash with a sharp blade and dust with flour.

Place in a hot oven (200C) in which you have placed a heat proof container of water to create a little steam (steam gives a crusty finish but this is difficult to replicate in a domestic oven)

Remove from oven after 30minutes for baguettes and 45minutes for the larger round loaves and leave cool on a rack.

Carrot and hazelnut cake

This makes a nice, moist tea cake




180g grated carrot (peeled first) (about 2 medium carrots)
250g ground hazelnuts or almonds
185g brown sugar
1tsp orange extract or zest of 1 orange
6 eggs separated
50g self raising flour

preheat oven to 160C fan

butter a 23cm tin and dust with flour or ground hazelnut/almond

Whisk the yolks and sugar together until thick and when whisk is lifted leaves a trail (ribbon)

Fold in the orange zest/extract, flour, carrot and hazelnut

Whisk the whites until stiff and then fold in half to the carrot mixture and then fold in the remaining half.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 40-45 minutes

Allow cool 5 mins or so in the tin before turning out onto a rack.

How to shape bread dough into a round

500g for large round bread

Allow to rest 15 minutes before shaping

Flatten dough

Fold in half, secure with heel of hand

Turn around

Fold in half again

Flip around so seam is as pictured below

Fold in half again

Turn around and fold in half again as before.

Flip over so seam side is down

 Using two hand, firmly twist and turn the dough until it forms a ball (this is difficult to explain)

Allow to prove covered with a plastic sheet (ripped plastic bag) or layer of cling

When ready, slash with a sharp blade and dust with flour.

Place in a hot oven (200C) in which you have placed a heat proof container of water to create a little steam (steam gives a crusty finish but this is difficult to replicate in a domestic oven)

Remove from oven after about 45minutes  and leave cool on a rack.

Chocolate Cream buns

Add 20g approx. to the bun mix to make chocolate buns.  The bun pictured is drizzled with maple syrup, but you can finish with ganache or jam.

Cream Buns/Cream Doughnuts/donuts

makes 800g 8 buns of 100g each
The bun recipe for these is very similar to the Waterford Blaa recipe.  Shape the buns long or round.

450g strong flour
14g dried yeast
45g butter, room temp
180ml water
20ml milk
55g sugar
1tsp honey
6g salt.

Add all ingredients to mixer fitted with dough hook.

Mix on low speed, when all come together increase to medium speed for 7 minutes.

Leave covered with plastic touching surface for 45ins-1 hour

after, divide into 8 pieces of 100g

Leave 15 minutes then shape

 take a piece of dough

 flatten with your palm

 fold in half

 turn around

fold in half again

flip over so seam is down

roll to 17cm

place on  tray

Allow to prove

Poached round bun

There are several ways to cook the buns:

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

I favour method number 4.

For round buns see doughnuts for step by step instructions

Syrup

Chantilly cream

Jam

Raspberry or Strawberry jam
Water

Heat the water and jam in a small pot.

When jam has melted (add more water as necessary to get right consistancy) pass through a sieve to remove bits.

Reserver for later.


Split cold bun.

Brush inside with syrup or jam if you like
Roll in sugar or icing  if you like them coated

Pipe in the cream and finish with jam,you may have to reheat it slightly.  Pipe the jam for a smoother effect (in the picture I spooned on jam)

The jam in the picture was not piped on, for a better finish, pipe the jam on to the cream

Dust with icing sugar