Gingerbread house

Tried yet another gingerbread recipe today and made it into a little house! My first ever :) I liked that this recipe required you to grind and mix your own spices (which included more than the usual cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg). I'd suggest doubling or even tripling the recipe if you want to make a larger house. This was only JUST enough for a small house.

Gingerbread by wholesome cook (how cute is the ice-cream idea too)

My version

Ingredients

Spice mix

5 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder
1 1/2 tsp cloves (I used whole ones but they were quite difficult to crush in the mortar&pestle so will use ground cloves in the future)
1 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp cilantro (coriander)
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp star anise seeds

1. Place all powdered spices in a small bowl.
2. Place all other whole spices and seeds into a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle and work until they become powdery.
3. Combine with the remaining spice powders and mix.

 Gingerbread cookie dough
250g plain flour
50g brown sugar
150g molasses
60g unsalted butter
1/2 egg (beat whole egg lightly then measure out half)
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tbsp Gingerbread spice mix (above)


1.Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced. Line baking trays with baking paper.

2. Place butter, molasses, sugar and spice mix into a small saucepan and heat on low, stirring until the butter melts. Set aside to cool.

3. Sift flour and bicarb soda into a large bowl.

4. Add the cooled butter, sugar and spice mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs.

5. Start working the dough with your hands until it has come together, take out onto a flat surface and knead until the dough is pliable and uniform in consistency.

6. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and easier to handle - 15-30mins.

7. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes or elements of the house. I made templates with baking paper. Place on baking trays about 1cm apart.

8. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Cool on tray for 5 mins then transfer to cooling rack.

Royal Icing
1 egg white
1 C icing sugar

1. Combine in small bowl and beat until firm and glossy. Add colouring as desired.

Construction/decoration 
1. Pipe icing around the edges of the walls and put together. Use cans/cups/anything as support while it dries. Put in the fridge if possible to accelerate the drying process. Do the same for the roof once the sides are sturdy.

2. Decorate! I used nutri-grain shingles, freckles, candy canes, m&ms, mini marshmallows and dried cranberries. 

Verdict
I only tried a little but this is a very spicy and tasty gingerbread. Can't comment on texture really as I tried them while still piping hot.

Gingerbread houses are a lot of fun!! Hard work but perfect for when you're feeling a little bored during the holidays :)

Next up - choc-chip + cranberry cookies.

Macaron ponderings

I've been doing some research since making those macarons yesterday and I've come to realise that most recipes call for a 2:1 icing sugar to almond meal ratio - the recipe I used was a 1:1 ratio. I should have realised this sooner but I was desperate to make a somewhat successful recipe after my terrible failure.

Now I am very keen to try again using this more correct ratio! Is making 3 batches in 3 days a bit ridiculous?? So tempting but I suppose I'll be forced to wait as I don't have any aged egg whites. Dang!

Thanks google images

Chocolate macarons

Attempt number 3! There are so many different recipes and techniques out there.. it's quite overwhelming. I'm sure all can work fine and it just depends on technique and practice. Practice is indeed something I need more of. Yesterday I used this recipe and they didn't develop nice feet, they spread out too much, appeared splotchy and were impossible to remove from the baking paper. I think they probably should have stayed in the oven a bit longer. In general though I think I go wrong in the egg white whipping stage. Or the folding in. Ok ok - the whole process!!

Today I used the first recipe I used to make macarons. They turned out much the same as the first time. Nice feet, nice texture, easy to lift from the baking paper BUT I think the mixture was much too thick. I don't know whether it's due to overwhipping the whites or due to the actual recipe asking for too high a ratio of dry components. I think I need to seek guidance from someone who has perfected the technique.

Ingredients

90 g egg whites (equal to whites of 3 large eggs), at room temperature
125 g ground almonds or almond flour
125 g icing sugar
25 g unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
125 g caster sugar (superfine sugar) divided into two equal portions

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 140C fan-forced. Pulse the almond powder, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor just until a fine powder is obtained. Then sift the mixture into a large bowl. (If using almond flour, you may simply sift the almond flour and icing sugar together).

2. Place the egg whites in a bowl and add half of the caster sugar. Begin beating the whites and sugar at low-medium speed. 

3. After 2 minutes, when the mixture starts to rise and holds its shape, increase the mixer speed.

4. Continue beating at medium speed until firm peaks are obtained. Add the rest of the caster sugar and beat until all the sugar is dissolved.

5. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a larger bowl (if necesssary) and add all of the almond powder mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the mixture until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated, taking care not to overmix. The batter should be smooth and glossy and have a lava-like consistency. It should form a ribbon when dripped from the spatula.

6. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Fill a large pastry bag half full with batter and, using a 2-cm (1/2 inch) tip, vertically pipe the mixture into small mounds about the size of walnuts. The batter should be fluid enough that the macarons slowly flatten themselves out (mine didn't). Tap the trays against a hard surface a couple of times to remove any air bubbles.

7. Allow to the macarons to sit for 20 to 30 minutes until a “skin” forms and they are no longer wet when lightly touched.

8. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate tray halfway if necessary. Shells should be smooth and shiny, with the characteristic “foot” or ridge underneath. You can tell when they’re done by very lightly tapping the side with a knife or fork. The macaron top should not slide but remain firmly on its foot.

9. Remove macarons from the oven. Cool for a few moments and remove with a lifter. They should come off easily.

 Buttercream filling - I halved the recipe and this produced the perfect amount for my 12 macarons (24 shells)

Vanilla Slice

Goes without saying that I would like a good vanilla slice! Thought this would be a perfect recipe to precede making macarons as it uses egg yolks, leaving the egg whites ready for aging then usage.

Vanilla Slice from spicy icecream

My version:

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 1/2 (1.5) C milk
1 1/2 (1.5) C cream (35% fat)
60g unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C caster sugar
1/3 C cornflour
1/2 C water
6 egg yolks

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced.

2. Trim each piece of puff pastry to slightly bigger than the slice tin you are using.

3. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.

4. Top each piece with another baking tray as a weight and bake for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool on racks.

5. To make the custard, place milk, cream and vanilla seeds and vanilla extract in a medium sized saucepan and heat until just before boiling point.

6. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 10-20 minutes.

7. After it is infused, add butter and sugar and cook until hot but not boiling.

8. Mix the cornflour and water to a smooth paste in a small bowl and then whisk it into the hot milk mixture.

9. Add the egg yolks and stir, allowing to simmer for 6 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

10. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

11. Line your slice pan with non-stick baking paper. Place one of the pastry sheets on the bottom, pour in the custard and top with remaining pastry.

12. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares using a serrated knife. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

 Verdict
This all went smoothly until I added the egg yolks and some of it ended up 'cooking' so there was a small amount of egg pieces that I had to spend time picking out. Next time I might try to add the eggs and sugar to the cornflour mix first. That or at least make sure I'm whisking as I add the yolks. I thought this was a sure sign that I'd stuffed up but the slice was actually really good! The custard set nicely and had a nice texture (although possibly a little softer than store bought ones). The pastry was nice. I didn't rotate the baking trays while cooking them so one was less browned. It softened and became almost rubbery so it was hard to slice after a day or two in the fridge, hence why spicy icecream recommended eating this on the day you make it. I still thought the taste was fine though. Will make this again for sure.


So today was the second time I attempted macarons. I used syrup and tangs recipe. I failed - the mix was a bit too runny, I piped them too big and they didn't develop nice 'feet'. I'll try again tomorrow or Friday with my remaining 3 egg whites.

Gingerbread #2

I've been thinking about making a (my first) gingerbread house this Christmas so have been wanting to try another recipe to see whether it is any better than this one. I was after something more spicy.

When I was younger there was a lovely little shop (that sadly closed) down the road that sold the most perfect, spicy, firm gingerbread cookies and I've been wanting to recreate them ever since. This recipe includes ground black pepper and a greater percentage of all the other spices so it is definitely promising!

Gingerbread Man Cookies from 101 Cookbooks

My version - halved

2 C plain flour

1.5/4 (3/8) tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

75g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 C brown sugar, firmly packed

1 1/2 large eggs (2 small eggs would be fine)

1/3 C molasses

 Method

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl by hand (or with an electric mixer) cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. 

3. Add the sugar and mix again until light and creamy. 

4. Blend in the eggs one at a time and then the molasses. 

5. Add the flour mixture in two additions either by hand or on low speed. 

6. Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap each in plastic and chill for an hour or so (as this is half the original recipe I didn't bother dividing it into two).

7. Heat oven to 160C fan-forced, place the racks in the middle, and line a couple baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.

8. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop to roughly 1cm thick (I prefer mine closer to 0.5cm as they rise a bit and was after a firmer cookie this time, although soft gingerbread is lovely too) and cut into gingerbread men (or other desired shapes). 

What a mess!

 9. Transfer to baking sheets. Sprinkle with granulated sugar (optional) and bake for 7 -10 minutes (for 3-4-inch cookies), less for smaller cookies, more for larger.

10. Cool on tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

- It's important not to over-bake these as they will dry out.

- The original recipe used whole wheat flour, unsulphured blackstrap molasses and dark natural cane sugar.
- This halved recipe made30-40 biscuits!

Verdict
Spicy! Finally. The first tray I made were a bit too soft (for my liking) so left the second and third trays in for 8-9mins rather than 7.

Will be making caramel slices again later this week to give to a friend as part of her birthday pressie. Might try a few things differently so will post about it if I get the chance.

Shortbread

Let the celebaking begin! Exams are all done and I've been busy celebrating with friends and finally doing some shopping etc etc and of course baking.

I've never made shortbread before so wanted to give it a shot seeing as Christmas is fast approaching. It's a pretty festive biscuit so might make a nice gift if I can find a perfect recipe.

Classic Shortbread from Bake It

My version


Ingredients
225g butter, softened to room temperature
115g (1/2 C) caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
225g (1 3/4 C) plain flour
115g (2/3 C) rice flour
pinch of salt
dash of vanilla essence (not in original recipe)

Method


1. Preheat oven to 170C fan-forced.

2. Grease or line (baking paper) one large or two small slice tins or baking trays.

3. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium with an electric beater until pale and fluffy. Add a dash of vanilla if desired and beat in.

4. Sift the two flours into the butter/sugar bowl and add a pinch of salt.

5. Mix together gently with a wooden spoon or using fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

6. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead gently to form a soft dough.

7. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. There are two options at this point:

          a) Divide the dough in half and roll out one half on a lightly floured work surface to form a 20cm round. Carefully transfer to a prepared tray. Repeat for second round.

          b) Press the dough evenly into slice tin(s)

9. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the dough into wedges or rectangles and prick the surface lightly with a fork and if making rounds, press the edges to form a fluted effect.

10. Lightly dust the shortbreads with the extra sugar.

11. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the shortbreads are light golden. Remove from the oven while still hot, follow the score marks and cut into wedges or triangles.

12. Cool in tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

It will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.
It can be made with plain flour alone; however, the addition of rice flour produces a lighter result.

Verdict
Turned out quite nice. Thick; next time I will use another pan or make the rounds. Nice crumbly texture - I'm not sure if it's too crumbly. Dad gave it the thumbs up though. Good flavour although I might add a touch more vanilla next time or even some maple syrup like in this recipe.

Will hopefully bake again early next week!

Caramel mud cake

Still procrastinating instead of studying for all my exams.

Made a caramel mud cake for my dad's birthday today! Had a tin of caramel top n fill in the pantry too so used some of that in the icing to make it extra caramelly.

I haven't made this cake before so was a little apprehensive about putting so much effort into the icing without knowing whether the actual cake turned out any good or not!

Used the taste.com.au recipe for the cake and the icing is from Joy the Baker

Caramel Mud Cake

Ingredients
200g butter, cubed
200g white chocolate, chopped (I used Dream)
200g (1 cup, firmly packed) dark brown sugar (I just used ordinary brown)
180ml (3/4 cup) hot water
1 tbsp golden syrup (I added about 1/2 a tbsp extra)
2 tsp vanilla essence
150g (1 cup) plain flour
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140C fan-forced).


2. Line a round 22cm (base measurement) cake pan with baking paper.


3. Place butter, chocolate, sugar, water, golden syrup and vanilla essence in a heavy-based saucepan. 

4. Stir over medium-low heat with a wooden spoon for 5 mins or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. 


5. Set aside for 20 mins to cool.

Took nearly exactly 5 mins to melt

6. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking/beating well after each addition. 


7. Sift combined flours over chocolate mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

I was worried about the lumpiness but didn't want to overmix (don't know if that's an issue with mud cakes or not though)

8. Pour mixture into pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 mins (mine took 60) or until a skewer comes out almost clean. 


9. Stand cake for 20 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

It sank in the middle - lucky the icing can cover it!

Caramel Icing 


Ingredients
85g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup caramel (TopNFill or dulce de leche made from condensed milk)


Method
1. Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on low until creamy.


2. Add vanilla and beat it in.


3. Add caramel and beat in until smooth, still on a low speed.

Was thicker than I expected!

4. Frost cake once it has cooled and drizzle with extra caramel and melted chocolate. Top with crushed nuts or toasted coconut, as desired. Fun!

Verdict


Oh my! The best cake I've ever made I must say, both looks and taste wise. Really quite mud-like and dense especially in the centre and the icing is divine. Family raved. This cake will be gone in no time.

Haha at the icing in the centre. It really did sink o.O How could I prevent that and make sure it cooks more evenly? Lower oven temp?

Next - post exam celebratory bake-up!

Choc chunk hummingbird muffins

I should be studying for exams. In my study break I wanted to exercise. So I walked to the shops. I bought some dark chocolate. Got home to find some over-ripe banana's screaming at me. So, naturally, I decided to make some hummingbird muffins with chunks of dark chocolate. This recipe includes nearly all of my favourite foods/flavours.

I based my muffins on the following recipe:

Healthy Hummingbird Muffins

My version:

2 cups plain flour

1 cup self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp mixed spice (I just used a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)

2 tbsp wheat germ

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

100g dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped squares)

1 cup ripe, mashed banana

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup olive oil (supposed to be 1 cup but I ran out)

1/2 cup pineapple juice (not supposed to be included)

250g crushed pineapple, drained

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).

2. Line muffin tin with muffin papers or grease well.

3. Sift flours, bicarb soda and spices into a large bowl.

4. Stir in wheat germ, sugar, coconut and chocolate.

5. Combine mashed banana, whisked eggs, olive oil, pineapple (juice and fruit) and vanilla in a smaller bowl.

6. Add banana mix to flour mix and stir until combined.

7. Spoon into muffin papers up to the top.

8. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

9. Let stand for 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack to cool completely.

Verdict

Really yummy! Very moist and heavenly when a mouthful contains a chunk of chocolate. Perfect study snack. Now back to studying I guess....


NEXT UP: Dad's birthday cake

Chocolate Crunchie Cake

Any excuse to bake, right!? It's my brother's birthday today so made a cake consisting of his favourites = milk chocolate and crunchies.

Used a recipe from an old Family Circle cake cookbook = 'Melt and Mix Chocolate Cake' and this ganache recipe


Chocolate Cake 

1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup plain flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp instant coffee powder (I omitted this as my brother doesn't like coffee)

3/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes to speed up melting
1 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 cup hot water
100g dark or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to moderately slow 160C (140C fan forced).

2. Brush a deep, 20cm round cake tin with butter or oil and line base and sides with baking paper (I used baking paper only in a springform tin and it popped out perfectly).

3. Sift the flours, cocoa and coffee into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.

4. Combine sugars, butter, syrup, water and chocolate in a large pan.

5. Stir over a low heat until the butter and chocolate are melted and the sugars are dissolved. Remove from heat.

6. Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Using a whisk, stir until just combined.

7. Add the beaten eggs, mix well but do not overbeat.

8. Pour mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of cake (mine took just under an hour but could be because I had my fan-forced oven at 160C).

9. Leave cake in tin for 1 hour to cool then turn onto a wire rack to continue cooling.

Ganache


250g chocolate broken into smallish pieces
1/3 cup double cream

1. Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl or small pan over a large pan of simmering water (double boiler).

2. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

3. Remove from heat. Set aside at room temperature to cool, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable (5-10 minutes).

Putting it together


 Spoon blobs of icing onto the cake and spread evenly. Top with bits of crumbled Flake and Crunchie or whatever else you like.

Verdict

Mmm! The cake part could have been moister but the taste is still delicious. Perfect icing.