A Delightful Gift of A Book & Homemade Chocolate Brownies

I’m not sure if you recall that I was delighted to celebrate with a ‘dear’ Blogging friend Aparna @ My Diverse Kitchen her very first year of blogging? If you would like to refresh yourself with my post and view photos of my baked Hummingbird Cake and where the recipe originated from please click [here].

I am extremely honoured to announce that with 60 outstanding entries that Aparna received from around the Blogosphere my Hummingbird Cake won her judges over!!! No one was more flabbergasted than I that my cake had been chosen to win!! I am also the proud and very fortunate recipient of Asha Khatau’s Vegetarian Cuisines of the World cookbook, which was the winning prize for one sweet/ dessert submission for this event. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to send my many thanks to you Aparna for such a wonderful book. I am totally in awe of it with so many beautiful recipes. Your personal inscription in the front cover of the book, letter and beautiful bookmark are very touching and I feel extremely privileged to have received this gift! I have a few recipes already bookmarked that I would like to try out first. My many thanks once again to you Aparna - Hugs & kisses Rosie.

My love affair of homemade chocolate brownies began only a few years back. This came about after purchasing Nigel Slater’s, The Kitchen Diaries cookbook when it first came out in print. I was drawn like a moth towards light when I discovered Nigel’s 24-carat brownie recipe, which by the way is phenomenal! I enjoyed that gooey centre with an intense chocolate flavour, which a brownie always seems to deliver. Although these brownies are not Nigel’s they are definitely good with a hint of added coffee to enhance the chocolate flavour. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it makes a perfect dessert to revel in!

Chocolate Brownies

Makes 24 pieces
Ingredients
100g (4 oz) unsalted butter + extra for greasing
200g (8 oz) dark chocolate 70% coco solids, broken up
250g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp strong brewed coffee, cooled
60g (2 ½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
60g (2 ½ oz) cocoa powder

Method

Preheat the oven 180°C/fan160°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and base line a 20.5cm x 25.5cm (10 in x 10 in) brownie or baking tin.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over a bowl of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat to slightly cool a little until required. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla extract and cooled coffee beating in. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture and carefully fold in until all incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top over with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes until firm but fudgy – the chocolate will continue to cook a little more removed from the oven. They are meant to be gooey in the middle – it’s what makes them so gorgeous! Put the tin on a wire to cool a little more before cutting into pieces. Delicious eaten with Vanilla ice cream!

I leave you with a few more pics of the snow we have here.

Malteser Cake & Oh What A Snowy Day!

Malteser Cake

The weather forecast predicated snow and this is just what we got! As I type the snow is still falling this evening! It’s was reported on the B.B.C. News as being the worst snow fall in 18 years!

snowy view

On the upside I’ve seen children playing snow balls and making snowmen and thoroughly enjoying themselves! I really loved the snow as a child but now I would rather be in a warm kitchen baking or cooking rather than playing snowballs outdoors these days! The signs of old age creeping on.........

My Rosemary covered in snow

I baked my son’s favourite Malteser cake this weekend, which comes courtesy of Nigella Lawson’s book Feast. It’s not a swanky cake but if you adore Maltesers this is a wonderful take on them with a malty chocolate sponge and malt chocolate icing and adorned on the top with a crown of Maltesers. I did add an extra little bit of bling by sprinkling over some edible gold glitter. I can’t recall how many times I have baked this cake now for different occasions but it always seems to do the trick and everyone loves it *including Mr R* whom is a secret Malteser eater *giggle*. I kid you not, we can be watching a DVD and when I look up at the ending a huge bag has been devoured! I will leave you with that thought lol......

Malteser Cake

Makes 8 - 10 slices

Ingredients
For The Cake:
150g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
3 eggs
175ml milk
150g butter
2 tbsp Horlicks (malted powder drink)
175g plain flour
25g cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For The Icing and decoration
250g icing sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder
45g Horlicks
125g unsalted butter
2 tbsp boiling water
2 x 37g packets Maltesers
*Take whatever you need out of the fridge so that all the ingredients come to room temperature*.

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Butter and line two 20cm (8 in) sandwich cake tins with baking parchment.

Whisk together the sugars and eggs in a mixer. Heat the milk, butter and horlicks powder in a saucepan until the butter melts, hot but not boiling. When the sugars and eggs are light and frothy, beat in the hot horlicks mixture, then fold in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Equally divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 25 minutes, by which time the cakes should be raised and will spring back to the touch. Let them cool in their tins for 5 – 10 minutes before turning out to completely cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing: place the icing sugar, cocoa powder and Horlicks in a food processor and blitz to remove any lumps. Add the butter and blitz again, stopping to scrape down and start again. Pour the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running until you have a smooth buttercream.

Sandwich the cold sponges with half the buttercream, and then ice the top making a swirly pattern. Place Maltesers all the way around the outside edge of the cake.

Banana and Chocolate Loaf ~ Sweet & Simple Bakes.

Time has come again to show case our monthly bake over at Sweet and Simple Bakes. This month Maria presented us with a delicious recipe for Banana and Chocolate Loaf. This is the simplest of bakes to make with an amazing texture and flavour. It’s also a fabulous tried & tested recipe just what Sweet & Simple Bakes is all about! I always seem to have a few ripe bananas lurking in my fruit bowl and I really loathe throwing away food! A slice of this loaf cake served with a steaming cuppa is perfection in my book anytime of the day.



Please do call by Sweet and Simple Bakes and view the round-up of our other bakers; also if you fancy joining in our monthly bake, we would be most delighted to have you bake with us!

Banana and Chocolate Loaf

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

250g (9oz) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
475g (17oz) whole bananas (about 4 small ones), peeled
75g (3oz) dark chocolate chips

13 x 23cm (5x9in) loaf tin *I used a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin*

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C /325°F/ Gas mark 3. Lightly butter and line the loaf tin with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest in another bowl. Add the bananas and mash very well with a potato masher. Add the chocolate chips. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Gently but thoroughly bring all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, and then pour into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cake from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Whipped Cream Pound Cake.

"A wonderful airy light texture with a gorgeous vanilla flavour".

It has been a little busy here since I last Blogged, and I do apologise for my lack of fuelling you with baked goods here even though my oven was working overtime! I baked a birthday cake for my son’s partner but only took a quick photo before safely delivering, “see photo below”. It’s also my son’s birthday coming up and his cake needs to be baked this weekend. Other family members have also been staying with us for a few days before their flight to Thailand on a three week holiday, *oh what bliss*. I have the greatest of pleasure of doggie sitting their elderly retriever, who is such a little darling; it’s good to have a dog around the house again!

Birthday Candle Cake.

I tried a few new recipes whilst they were staying, one being Apple Pie with a Streusel Cheese Topping, Irish Soda Bread made with Buttermilk, Butternut Squash Soup, Lemon Cupcakes, Crockpot Beef in Red Wine, and a few dishes and bakes that are always staples in my household. Oh and the Red Chilli Jam was a complete success, I can envisage the preserving pan making another entrance soon to knock out another batch!

Whipped Cream Pound Cake.

I digress back to my latest bake; on one of my shopping sprees, I purchased a wonderful American baking book called, “Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by Carole Walter. This is a treasure of a book for anyone who enjoys baking, to tempt and tantalise you into the kitchen! After browsing through this book, I spotted a lovely recipe called, “Neil’s Whipped Cream Pound Cake”, I just knew this had to be my next bake! I’ve never made a whipped cream cake before only using double cream in place of butter; but oh boy, just one slice and now I’m certainly a convert! This cake is definitely a sure winner with a wonderful airy light texture with a gorgeous vanilla flavour!

Whipped Cream Pound Cake Sliced.

Whipped Cream Pound Cake – *slightly adapted*

Makes one 9 inch Bundt Cake ~ 10 – 12 servings

Ingredients
For The Cake
1 cup heavy (double) cream, well chilled
1½ cups sifted all-purpose (plain) flour, spooned in and levelled
1½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
11/3 cups superfine (caster) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For The Vanilla Glaze
2/3 cup powdered (icing) sugar, sifted
2-3 tsp very hot water
1½ tsp light corn syrup *I used golden syrup*
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Few drops of lemon juice
Pinch of salt

You will need a 9-inch Bundt pan. Generously buttered, dusted with flour, and then inverted over a sink and firmly tapped to remove the excess flour.

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl until firm peaks form. Set aside. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/fan 160°C/Gas mark 4. In a bowl thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer whip the eggs for five minutes. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time then mix in the vanilla extract. On a low speed add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just blended. Scrap down the bowl as needed. Remove the bowl from the mixer and with a spatula fold in the whipped cream thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Place in the pre-heated oven to bake for 55-60 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before turning out. Invert the pan onto the rack and carefully lift it off. Let the cake cool completely.

For The vanilla Glaze

Place the powdered (icing) sugar in a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the hot water, corn syrup *or golden syrup*, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Stir until smooth with a glaze thin enough to drizzle over the top of the cooled cake. Enjoy!

Lastly, I have been honoured with “The Butterfly Award” from the lovely Ann @ A delighted foodie. Thank you Ann, I am most appreciative of this award and I will definitely treasure it dearly!

I would like to pass on this award to all my fellow Bloggers who without fail visit my blog! You all have gorgeous blogs and I couldn’t pick just a few bloggers to bestow this award onto, this one’s for you all :0)

Rosie x

Marmalade Cake

Well as I stated in my previous post, Rosie is back, oh yes, armed to the teeth for combat with whisks, spoons, bowls etc at the ready to bake and share with you! I am absent the combat jacket I must add *giggle*.....

I adore citrus flavours as much as chocolate *oh the words citrus and chocolate send my taste buds into salivating ecstasy*. Peeking out at me from my kitchen shelf was a jar of wonderful homemade marmalade just waiting to be used! So here I present you a moist sponge cake with orange flavours running through each bite, which take you on a journey of tantalisation for your taste buds. Enjoy!

Marmalade Cake

Ingredients
Cake
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour, sifted
175g (6 oz) softened butter
175g (6 oz) soft brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 1 orange
Juice ½ orange
2 tbsp thin-cut marmalade

Icing
200g (7 oz) icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1 orange
Orange edible food colouring (optional)
A few sprinkles (optional)

Method

Grease and line with baking parchment a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add a little of the egg at a time until all incorporated and beaten well in at each addition. Beat in the orange zest then add the orange juice and marmalade and stir through thoroughly. Fold in the sifted flour gently folding through to combine thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and level the surface off with a spatula. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Lave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes in the tin before removing to completely cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing; add the sifted icing sugar a little edible orange food colour (optional), and enough orange juice to make a spreadable icing for coating the top of the cake. Spread over the top of the cake and add sprinkles if using.

Lastly enjoy!

Banana Cake with Praline Filling& White Chocolate Ganache ~ The Cake Slice Bakers!

January seems to have deluded me and all good plans I had made seemed to have failed me until now. I have been taking a short break, due yet again to my ongoing back problem; but hey ho upward and onward and the baking commences in Rosie’s kitchen once again!! So please do join me in celebrating yet another great bake from ‘The Cake Slice Bakers! This event is hosted by two lovely ladies Giggi and Katie. The nominated book we are baking from this year is, Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. Most importantly the cake this month being baked is; ‘Banana Cake with Praline Filling& White Chocolate Ganache’.

I didn’t find this cake finicky or over imposing to create in effect it was much simpler than I had thought and a dream to make. The sponge has banana and cinnamon flavours running through and everything just seems to work well together; Oooooh the sugared coated pecans are simply gorgeous; but mixed with a little white chocolate ganache for the filling puts a whole new dimension to a blissful experience! Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better it does with the cake being covered with *slurp* white chocolate ganache!! Decorated with sugared pecans and I added a little edible gold glitter and a few gold sugared balls for decoration. A must bake for any cake lover out there!.......

Banana Cake with Praline Filling& White Chocolate Ganache

Sourced from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. I haven’t got x 3 -9 inch (23cm) cake tins so I used x 3 -8 in (20cm) cake tins instead without any problems

The Cake:

Makes a 9-inch triple layer cake

3 cups of cake flour ** see below**

3 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of ripe mashed bananas

8 ounces of softened unsalted butter

2 cups of sugar

7 egg whites

Praline Filling:

1 cup sugared pecans, cooled

1 and 1/2 cups white chocolate ganache

Sugared Pecans:

1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves

3 cups vegetable oil

1 cup confectioners sugar

White Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces of white chocolate chopped

2 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream (double cream)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

**The recipe calls for cake flour and if you only have all-purpose (plain) flour on hand, you can substitute ¾ cup (105 grams) all-purpose (plain) flour plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch (cornflour)**

CAKE:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper or wax paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside dry ingredients. In a food processor or blender, process the milk and banana into a smooth light puree. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. On medium high speed, beat in egg whites 2-3 at a time until smooth. Scraping down the sides of the bowl between egg additions.

With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and banana puree alternately in 2-3 additions, beating until just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 1-minute. Divide the batter among the cake pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of each cake. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a wired rack and remove the paper liners. Then cool completely one hour.

To assemble the cake, put one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top evenly with half of the praline filling, leaving a 1/4"-inch margin around the edges. Place the second layer on top, again flat side up, cover it with remaining filling. Finally add the third layer and frost the sides and top with the white chocolate ganache. Garnish with sugared pecans.

Praline Filling

With a large chef's knife chop the pecans. Or pulse in a food processor being careful not to turn into paste. Add the sugared pecans to the white chocolate ganache and stir to mix well.

Sugared Pecans

Place the pecans in a medium sauce pan, add water to cover, and heat to a boiling. Boil the pecans slowly until they are swollen and soft 5-8 minutes. Drain the nuts well in a sieve for about 5 minutes. (Do not pat dry; the nuts must remain damp.)

While the nuts are draining, heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan or deep fat fryer t0 350F degrees.

Set half of the nuts aside. Dust the remaining nuts in the sieve with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Shake the sieve to coat the nuts evenly, letting any excess sugar fall away. Immediately add the coated nuts to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon scoop the nuts out and drain them on several thicknesses of paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining nuts.

White Chocolate Ganache

Put the white chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl. In a small sauce bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1-minute, then whisk until smooth. Let the white chocolate cream stand until cooled to room temperature.

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream and vanilla until softly whipped. Stir in the white chocolate cream and beat until fairly stiff. Taking care not over beat, which would cause the ganache to separate.

If you would like to view more Banana Cake with Praline Filling & White Chocolate Ganache made by other members of The Cake Slice, then please visit our blogroll site: The Cake Slice Bakers!

Chilli Jam For A chilly Day!

Close up of the Chilli Jam showing those vibrantly red flecks of chilli and red pepper

Now that the chaotic period of festive gatherings has fluttered away into the backdrop for yet another year, and things today have just gone back to normality, I can now knuckle down to things I personally enjoy especially my baking and blogging – wonderful!! Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my festive gatherings but too much of a good thing as they say..........

Chilli Jam

I didn’t want to let slip by some Chilli Jam sourced from Nigella’s Christmas cookbook, I made this Christmas. It tastes just as good as it looks, not too hot and packs a little punch that tingles on the tongue. . It’s rather chilly here today and a spoon or two of this chilli jam served with cheese and cold meats is sure thing to add a warm glow to anyone’s cheeks. This recipe is a winner through and through. It will be making more appearances in my household and not just at Christmas. I also made a batch of Nigella’s Cranberry & Apple Chutney from the same book, which is also excellent in taste and texture.

Chilli Jam & Cranberry & Apple Chutney

Chilli Jam

Makes Approx – 1.5 litres

Ingredients

150g (5oz) long fresh red chillies deseeded and cut into four pieces each.

150g (5oz) sweet red peppers cored deseeded and cut into chunks

1kg (2.2lbs) Jam sugar (with added pectin)

600mls cider vinegar

You will also need - 6x250 ml sterilized sealable jars with vinegar proof lids – Kilner jars or re-usable pickle jars are terrific for this.

Method

Put the cut up chillies into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chunks of sweet pepper and pulse again until you have a vibrantly red-flecked processor bowl.

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a wide, medium-sized pan over a low heat without stirring.

Scrape the pepper mixture out of the bowl and add to the pan. Bring to the boil and leave it at a rollicking boil for 10 minutes

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. The liquid will become more syrupy, then from syrup to viscous and from viscous to jelly like as it cools.

After about 40 minutes, or once the red flecks are more or less evenly distributed in the jelly (as the liquid firms up, the bits of chilli and pepper start being suspended in it rather than floating in it), ladle it into your jars. If you want to stir it gently at this stage, it will do no harm. Then seal tightly.

*Make the jam up to one month before using or giving.*

*Store in a cool dark place for up to a year.*

*Once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.*

This recipe is sourced from Nigella Christmas cookbook.