Chocolate Victoria Sandwich

Chocolate Victoria Sandwich


This light chocolate cake is sandwiched together with a white butter cream and looks as good as it tastes, says Mary.

It looks lovely on the picture but the bottom one has a little hole in the middle. Shh, don't tell anyone. I think it happened because i didn't properly divide the mixture evenly between the two tins....



What do we need:

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
3 tablespoons of boiling water, fresh from the kettle
225 gr. softened butter
225 gr. caster sugar
4 large eggs
225 gr. self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons of baking powder (backing Dr. Oetker)

For the filling and Topping:

50 gr. softened butter
175 gr. sifted icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
coarsely grated  plain chocolate,
to decorate.







                                                              "Enjoy"

Glazed Cup and Fairy Cakes

A selection of glazed Cupcakes and Fairycakes with different fillings and toppings.

White Cottage Loaf ( Edited)

 

 

 

 

White Cottage Loaf

 

 

 

This is a good, everyday loaf. You can make it in other shapes if you prefer. Individual rolls will take less time to prove and bake says Mary.

 

                                 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           "Enjoy"

 

 

 



Glazed Fruit Tartlets (edited)

Glazed Fruit Tartlets


These little tarts look best if each one is filled with a single type of fruit.  Use redcurrant glaze for red fruits, and apricot glaze for orange or green fruits such as green grapes or kiwi fruit. Fill the pastry cases at the last moment as they soften quickly. This recipe makes 12 tartlets, says Mary.




                                                               "Enjoy"


                                                                          

South African Melktert

South African Melktert   (Zuid Afrikaanse Melk Taart)


Not a Mary Berry recipe none the less worth writing down.


What do we need:

For the pastry:

2 tbs butter - please not margerine
2 tbs sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup self-raising flour
pinch of salt

For the filling:

2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cake flour (proper cake flour)
1/4 corn flour
pinch of salt
2 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
Ground Cinnamon


1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. Blitz all the ingredients together until it all clumps together to form a dough.

2. Press into a lightly greased 24 cm tart dish. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.

3. Heat the milk in a medium pan. (do not boil)

4. Beat the yolks and sugar until creamy and light then add the flours and salt- the mixture will be quite thick and velvety.

5. Add some warm milk to the egg mixture and then return all of it to the pan. Bring to the boil and whisk constantly untill thickened.

6. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Whisk the egg whites in a clean! bowl until soft peaks form and gently fold into the custard.

7. Pour it into the chilled pastry case and sprinkle it with the cinnamon.

8. Bake for about 30 minutes.

You can try it with frozen puff pastry.


                                                      "Eet Smakelijk"

Apricot Swiss Cakes

Apricot Swiss Cakes

Traditionally a red jam is used for the centre of these cakes, which are buttery and very delicious says Mary.   I say: Very crumbly ! Made it twice to make sure i hadn't made a mistake.
As i took them out of the baking tin they crumbled to pieces in front of my eyes, so i turned it into bird food. Not such an easy recipe as it seems to me. The second batch was left to cool much longer then i think was necessary, just to make sure.


What do we need:
225 gr. butter (hence the buttery)
75 gr.  sifted icing sugar
200 gr. self-raising flour
50 gr. cornflour

To finish: Apricot jam and icing sugar




                                                                 "Enjoy"

Caraway Seed Cake ( Edited)

Old-Fashioned Seed Cake


You either love or loathe seed cake- this one has a lovely buttery flavour
This cake takes up 1 hour of oven time.





                                                               "Enjoy"

Coffee Victoria Sandwich

Coffee Victoria Sandwich

This a a simple but delicious alternative to the classic Victoria Sandwich that is perfect for coffee time, says Mary.

After having made a traybake and a sponge in the same coffee way, i thought i might give this one a go. Not too difficult i have to say.

What do we need:

4 Large eggs
2 heaped teaspoons instant coffee granules
225 gr. softened butter
225 gr. caster sugar
225 gr. self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder


For the filling and the topping:

50 gr. softened butter
175 gr. sifted icing sugar
1 tablespoon ( yes it looks a lot) coffee essence, but if you don't have that strong coffee
(instant) will do.
and 1 tablespoon milk if necessary, i found it was.




                                                               "Enjoy"

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men





I found these old cutters in the kitchen drawers. Thought it was about time to start practising for the holiday season!



What do we need:

350 gr. plain flour
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 level teaspoons ground ginger, i'd put a half more in to make it slightly spicier

100 gr. butter
175 gr. light brown muscovado sugar
4 tablespoons golden syrup (or agave syrup)
1 large egg, beaten
and some currants, to decorate. I had to cut them in half to make them fit better.




Idea: Buy a glass pot or vase and fill it with gingerbread men, as a gift or just because.

                                                           



                                                           "Enjoy"

Cornish Fairings ( Edited)

Cornish Fairings   Crunchy and chewy

Take care not to bake these spicy biscuits too long as they become hard and too crisp.
Banging the baking tray part-way through cooking makes the mixture crack and flatten, says Mary.




                                                      "Enjoy"

Classic Apple Pie

Classic Apple Pie

Here i decorated my pie with cut out figurines, but you can decorate with leaves, hearts anything. This apple pie can be kept in the freezer.

What do we need:

675 gr. Cooking apples
50-75 gr. caster sugar
4 whole cloves
3 tablespoons cold water


For the pastry:

175 gr. plain flour
50 gr. diced butter
50 gr. diced white baking vedgetable fat
if you can find it. I used butter again.
about 2 tablespoons cold water
milk to glaze
granulated sugar, for sprinkling


1. Use a 900ml shallow pie dish. Peel, core and cut the apples into thick slices. Arrange half the slices in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with the caster sugar and arrange the cloves evenly among the apples. Cover with the remaining apple slices and add the cold water.

2. To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl. Add the diced butter and fat and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to a firm dough.

3. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface to a size that will cover the top of the pie dish. Lift the dough on to the dish and trim the edges. If you like, cut the trimmings into decorative shapes and lightly press on to the dough. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Brush the pie with a little milk, then sprinkle the top with sugar. Make a small slit in the centre of the pie for the steam to escape. Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, until the apples are tender and the pastry is crisp and pale golden. Cover the pie loosely with foil towards the end of the cooking time if the pastry starts to brown before the apples are cooked.



Tip: Uncooked homemade pastry is an excellent standby for the freezer.
        Pack it in seperate quantities of 225 gr. and 450 gr., labelling it clearly. Defrost in the fridge
        or kitchen until pliable enough to roll and use.



                                                           "Enjoy"

Bath Buns ( Edited)

Bath Buns



The spa town of Bath is famous for it's buns, distinguished by the coarse sugar topping.
They are said to have been created in the eighteenth century, Mary says.



                                                             "Enjoy"

Millionaires' Shortbread

Shortbread is always popular, but this one has caramel in the middle and 3 kinds of chunky chocolate on top. This traybake makes 24 squares.


For the shortbread we need:
250 gr. plain flour
75 gr. caster sugar
175 gr. softened butter


For the caramel we need:
100 gr. butter
100 gr. light muscovado sugar
two 397 g. cans of condensed milk. Carnation or Friesche Vlag


For the topping we need:
200 g. plain or milk chocolate.

A Marbled chococlate top looks stunning. Simply melt just over 50 gr. each of plain, milk and white chocolate in seperate bowls. Place the chocolate in spoonfuls over the set Caramel, alternating the 3 types. Use a skewer to marble the edges of the chocolates together and then leave to set.




                                                        "Enjoy"

Oreo Cupcakes and Mini Honey-Vanilla

Oreo Cupcakes and Mini  Honey-Vanilla Fairy Cakes.


Bake basic cupcakes and cream or buttercream and top with Oreo's.




                                                      "Enjoy"

Coffee and Walnut Sponge Cake

Instead of a TrayBake  a Spongecake!

Mary says: The Walnuts in this cake really complement the coffee flavour and provide extra bite to contrast the moist cake and the smooth butter cream.



What do we need:

100 gr. softened butter
100 gr. caster sugar

2 Large Eggs
100 gr. self-raising flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder
50 gr. chopped Walnuts
1 Tablespoon of Coffee essence.



If you don't have any coffee essence in the cupboard use 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water. Use a little more in the cake mix than in the icing.


For the filling and the topping we need:

75 gr. softened butter
225 gr. sifted icing sugar
2 Teaspoons milk
2 Teaspoons Coffee essence

8 Walnut halves, to decorate and I also used some chocolate coffee beans.

                                                                         "Enjoy"

Iced lemon Traybake (Edited)

Iced Lemon Traybake




You can vary a basic traybake - in this case by adding a subtle lemon flavour and a lemon glacé icing



                                                                 "Enjoy"

Sachertorte

 

Sachertorte

It is said that this chocolate cake was invented in Vienna by the chef Franz Sacher in 1832.
It improves if left a day or two. It is quite dense and rich, so serve in small wedges.




What do we need:

150 gr. plain chocolate
(39 percent cocoa solids)
150 gr. softened unsalted butter
100 gr. caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs separated, but we use all.
75 gr. ground almonds
40 gr. plain flour

For the topping and icing:

6 tablespoons apricot jam
150 gr. plain chocolate
200 ml double cream
25 gr. milk chocolate



                                                               "Enjoy"

Eccles Cakes

                                                      

                                                                Eccles Cakes


Spicy little currant cakes from the North of England.

If you want you can use ready-made pastry and follow the recipe from step 4. onwards, but as i have made mine from scratch i dare you to do the same!
This recipe makes about 8 cakes.


What do we need:


For the flaky pastry:

225 gr. plain flour
175 gr. butter
a squeeze of lemon juice
8 tablespoons cold water


For the filling:
50 gr. softened butter
50 gr. light muscovado sugar (light brown sugar)
1/2  level teaspoon ground mixed spice
50 gr. chopped candied peel  (Home Made)
100 gr currants

To Finish:
1 Large Egg white, beaten
a little white caster sugar

1.  First make the flaky pastry. Measure the flour into a bowl. Divide the butter into 4 equal portions and rub one portion of it into the flour, using the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the lemon juice and water to the flour and mix with a round-bladed knife to form a soft dough.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough until smooth. Roll out into an oblong three times as long as it is wide. Dot a second portion of the butter in small pieces over the top two- thirds of the pastry. Fold the bottom third of the pastry up over the middle third and the top third down, then seal the edges well with the edge of your hand. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and put into the fridge to relax for about 15 minutes.

3. Re-roll the pastry as before, always starting with the folds of the dough to the left, until the remaining portions of butter have been used up. Wrap the pastry again in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 220C. To make the filling, mix together the butter, sugar, spice, candied peel and currants.
Roll out the pastry thinly and cut into eight rounds about 15 cm in diameter (you can use a saucer as a rough guide). If using ready-made puff pastry, remember to roll it out very thinly otherwise it will be too thick when cooked.

5. Place a good tablespoon of the filling ( i had  8 little rolled balls of filling ready) into the centre of each round, dampen the pastry edges with water and then draw together to enclose the filling. (Like a little pouch handbag) Turn the pastry over and flatten gently with the rolling pin so that the currants just show through. Re-shape to a round with the hands if necessary. Make 3 small cuts in the top of each cake, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Transfer to baking tray.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10-15 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before lifting on to a wire rack to cool completely.



                                                             'Enjoy"  

Rich Fruit Cake                                                         For Christmas 2012

As we did the fruits yesterday and they are now soaked and steeped in the brandy
we are now going to continue with the rest.
Cooking time for the cake is 4 to 4 and a half hours.

What we need:

275 gr.  plain flour
1/2   level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2   level teaspoon ground mixed spice

400 gr. softened butter
400 gr. dark muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar

5 Large Eggs
65 gr. chopped almonds
1 tablespoon black treacle
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange

To decorate:
Blanched almonds
Red or natural glacé cherries,
rinsed, dried and halved.

2. (1. we did yesterda)
Pre-heat your oven to 140 c.
Grease a 23 cm deep round cake tin then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking paper.

3. Measure the flour, grated nutmeg, mixed spice, butter, sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle, and grated lemon and orange rind in a large bowl and beat thoroughly.
Fold in the soaked fruits, then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Decorate the top with the blanched almonds (which i forgot but added later) and halved glacé cherries, pushing them lightly into the top of the mixture.

4. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of baking paper and bake in the pre-heated oven for 4  to 4 and a half hours, until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin then, when the cake is almost cold, turn out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on the wire rack.

5. Pierce the base at intervals with a fine skewer (or a saté stick) and feed with a little brandy.
Once the cake is completely cold, wrap it in a double layer of paper and then in foil. Store it in a cool place for up to 3 months, feeding at intervals with more brandy.

TIP: You can vary the fruit if you like but make the total weight the same as in the recipe.

And now i am going to wrap it up and store it in a cold spot in the shed.


                                                                 Until Christmas then.


                                                                          "Enjoy"

Rich Fruit Cake:

This takes 2 days to make, so i will give you the ingredients  (the dried fruits) 
now for you to give them a swim overnight.
 


Mary uses this for Christmas, birthdays and all special occasions.
As It's nearly Guy Fawkes Day ( Penny for the Guy) We will start procedures on this cake.

What do we need:

175  gr. red or natural glacé cherries
350  gr. currants
225  gr. sultanas
225  gr. raisens
175  gr. chpped ready-to-eat dried apricots
  75  gr. finely chopped candied peel (which i could not find, so left it)
4 tablespoons  brandy, plus extra to feed the cake, because it's an alcoholic.


1. Cut the cherries into quarters, put in a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper(towel). Put the cherries, currants, sultanas, raisins, apricots and chopped candied peel into a large bowl. Stir in the Brandy, cover the bowl and leave in a cool place overnight to soak.

Devil's Food Cake ( Edited)

DEVIL'S  FOOD CAKE                                               A Classic American


It's moist and dark and slightly bitter in flavour. The frosting is very sweet, says Mary, crisp on top and like marshmallow underneath. American frosting usually requires the use of a sugar thermometer, but in this version, i use frosting that doesn't require one, Mary says.

Well, let's see now.... I made American frosting with a sugar thermometer.
A hell of a job but hey it's Devil's Food Cake.






                                                          Enjoy  Y'all  !!!

Simple Chocolate Vanilla Fruit Cupcakes.


Just cut out the centre and place a lovely piece of fruit in it.

No frills. No cream. Simple.