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It’s Daring Cooks time again. This month, the challenge was meatballs… or in our case, all-sorts-of-stuff-balls. I made three meals over the course of the month – cannellini balls, aubergine balls and ricotta balls. Baked cannellini balls 3G actually likes … Continue reading →
These obviously aren’t “real” red velvet, given that there’s none of the buttermilk, vinegar or baking soda that give red velvet cake its distinctive texture… they’re just mildly chocolate macs tinted with red food colouring… but I was desperate to … Continue reading →
I wanted something a bit different this week so I poked around in the pantry and found some oats left over from winter breakfasts hidden behind the honey loops and choco pops and a jar of molasses tucked away in … Continue reading →
These macs are evil. Oh, don’t get me wrong – they are spectacularly good to eat! The shells mature beautifully, the caramel firms in the fridge to be just chewy enough to compliment the texture perfectly and they taste like … Continue reading →
The Daring Bakers’ challenge for May was to make a Swedish Prinsesstårta – a layered cake filled with cream and custard and covered in marzipan. As 2/5 of our household don’t like marzipan, I had the further challenge of finding … Continue reading →
This month’s Sourdough Surprises challenge was to make brownies! We were given a recipe to follow – the two modifications I made were to sub milk chocolate for the dark because M prefers it and raw (golden) sugar for the … Continue reading →
A light, moist and tangy snack cake to take advantage of the spring berries in the market. Of course, you can use frozen berries if they aren’t in season in your part of the world. Ingredients 125g unsalted butter, room … Continue reading →
The Daring Cooks challenge for May was to prepare something en croûte – that is, baked in a pastry crust. I had (and still have) plans for some other variations, but so far have only had time to make two … Continue reading →
Holes! It’s got holes! Crispy crust, soft and chewy interior, super-cheesy flavour and beautiful holes! *sigh* It’s the little things in life that make me smile! Of course, there was no way three of us could finish this loaf in … Continue reading →
You may have noticed that I occasionally describe myself as somebody who can’t leave well enough alone. It’s certainly not that I think I know better than the author of the original recipe – on the contrary, I have so … Continue reading →
I have no idea why it took me so long to do this! The dough is incredibly soft and smooth (a baby’s bottom would be an appropriate metaphor), it doesn’t tear when stretching it to size and it bakes to … Continue reading →
The April Daring Baker’s challenge was to make a Savarin (a.k.a. Baba) – a yeasted cake baked in a ring mold, soaked in a sweet syrup and with the centre hole filled with creams and fruit. With the permission of … Continue reading →
Yep, I went there! It was M’s birthday and he’s a Monster fiend, so D and I made him a cake that he would never forget! No need for energy drink after consuming all this sugar, though! This one would … Continue reading →
This month’s Sourdough Surprises challenge was to make pasta. I have to admit that I did wonder about the point of adding a leavening agent to something that is usually unleavened, but the result was quite an eye-opener! I basically … Continue reading →
Long, low baking makes these bread sticks super crunchy. The delicious tang of the sourdough and sharpness of the parmesan mean they pair perfectly with a cold beer! Makes 24 thicker or 32 thinner sticks Ingredients 200g warm water 440g … Continue reading →
After a couple of recent baking disasters, I needed to find my kitchen mojo. Something to celebrate the arrival of spring (finally!), something that wasn’t entirely new and untested, and something that my youngest, who will from now on be … Continue reading →
a.k.a. TARDIS self-destruct buttons The Doctor is back! This calls for a celebratory snack. I found myself in a quandary, because as far as I can tell from my web-searching, Jammie Dodgers have a heart-shaped hole, but in “Victory of … Continue reading →
I’m still trying new combinations of ingredients and proofing, shaping and baking methods for my beloved Betty, in my quest for the perfect sandwich vehicle. It’s gettin’ there! This recipe was adapted from mammapapera – I changed the ingredients a … Continue reading →
I had a lot of fun with the Daring Bakers’ challenge this month! We were instructed to bake a sweet treat with veggies hidden in it! I had never made anything like this before that I could recall, so I … Continue reading →
I know I said I was going to make a chocolate version next, but I was struck by inspiration! Dark brown sugar, browned butter… oh, yeah! Ingredients 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature 150g dark brown sugar 1 tbsp water … Continue reading →
I’ve jumped on the magic cake bandwagon! After having seen this cake quite a few times recently, I decided to try it out myself to see what the fuss was all about. It’s actually pretty fuss-free to make, and kind … Continue reading →
I’ve joined another baking group! I’m thrilled to be a part of Sourdough Surprises, a group dedicated to making so much more than basic breads with sourdough. Each month we are given a challenge and we post our creations on … Continue reading →
Traditionally, ricotta is made by re-boiling the whey from making mozzarella (ricotta means recooked in Italian, just like biscotti means twice cooked – I love a sensible language!) but for a far simpler version, you can make one which is … Continue reading →
I wanted to make a “thank you” gift for a friend and offered to make her a batch of macarons. Yes, they have become a currency of sorts! (I’m also not above using macarons to bribe my son to do … Continue reading →
Cheese! The March Daring Cooks challenge was one I had a lot of fun with. We made cheese! We were given a few recipes varying in difficulty, so I started off with a couple of easy ones. The first challenge … Continue reading →
This is a super simple but rich and flavourful spread for fresh crusty bread or crispy crackers. Ingredients 1 x 400g can cannellini (or white) beans, drained 1 roasted head garlic olive oil as needed salt to taste chilli flakes … Continue reading →
Yeah, so I really can’t just leave well enough alone! After a few successful batches of macarons (strawberry & cream, cherry & chocolate, double chocolate) I decided to try switching nuts – in this case, peanuts. These taste exactly like … Continue reading →
The February Daring Bakers’ challenge was for crispbread and crackers so it was the perfect opportunity for me to try something I had been meaning to try – sourdough crackers. I adapted this recipe a little from one on The … Continue reading →
Macarons have been on my bucket list since I first established a bucket list. In fact, for a long time macarons were my bucket list. Recently, I bought a silicon macaron mat on impulse and decided to have a go … Continue reading →
I’ve got a week off work for the winter break and wanted to try something new. I’d seen a couple of recipes for this orange scented Florentine carnival cake recently and wanted to make it, but being someone who can’t … Continue reading →
I broke my ancient pyrex pie dish a few months ago and finally replaced it last week with a gorgeous red and white Emile Henry one (be still my beating heart… yes, I get giddy over bakeware), so naturally I … Continue reading →
It’s Daring Bakers time again! This month, we made a traditional Dutch treat, Gevulde Speculaas (filled spice cake). It was absolutely divine! There is a lot of leeway with the spice mix – I made mine to suit my tastes, … Continue reading →
I frequently make a Focaccia di Recco to accompany soup, but this time I decided to change it a bit with a yeasted dough. The result was a deliciously chewy bread, filled with gooey melted cheese.The original recipe calls for … Continue reading →
With this recipe, I’ve moved away from the 1:2:3 formula that I usually play with and adapted my go-to burger bun recipe. I searched online for a formula for replacing commercial yeast with sourdough starter, most frequently reading that for … Continue reading →
Birthday breakfast for my son! Sweet, rich and utterly indulgent. Serves 6 Ingredients 400g brioche loaf 4 eggs 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup milk 2 cups cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 generous tablespoons extra brown sugar Directions … Continue reading →
I had grand plans for making a sourdough panettone as my contribution to the feast at the New Year’s party we went to, but ran out of time to build my Italian-style sweet starter, so I opted to make a … Continue reading →
Wrapping up the December baking marathon with panettone! This was the Daring Baker’s December challenge – an excellent choice. I made two batches, but the first didn’t rise at all – I used fresh yeast instead of dry, but I … Continue reading →
These classic American cookies are a must around here at this time of year. Not only does the cinnamon “taste like Christmas” according to my youngest, but they are quick and easy and make a wonderful homemade gift. Makes about … Continue reading →
This Christmas treat may have originated in Italy, but it seems every country in Europe has their own variation. While the version I made is slightly adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe, I went with a different preparation method for … Continue reading →
Our Daring Cooks challenge for December was to recreate that classic dish, Shepherd’s Pie. My vegetarian version varies a little from the recipe we were provided because Miss D is allergic to mushrooms and I had run out of a … Continue reading →
Part three of my seasonal baking adventures comes from Germany. Stollen is a sugar dusted sweet bread filled with dried fruits and almonds or marzipan that originated in the city of Dresden in Saxony. I decided to give a sourdough … Continue reading →
The seasonal bake-fest continues with another Italian classic, pandoro. This fluffy, golden sweet bread comes from the northern city of Verona, home of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, the Taming of the Shrew and the Two Gentlemen thereof. It is traditionally … Continue reading →
This cake is a specialty of the city of Siena in Italy. It is wonderfully dense, packed with fruit and nuts bound together with a sticky honey caramel. I slightly adapted a recipe from melangery but you can substitute the … Continue reading →
Our Daring Bakers November challenge was to make Christmas cookies! We were given 12 recipes to choose from and despite my best intentions to make more, I only ended up having time for three. I’m sure I’ll manage a few … Continue reading →
The pumpkin glut is drying up and the air has a very wintry feel to it, so I thought I should squeeze in one more sweet Autumn treat before the Xmas baking season gets underway. Fluffy, soft and moist – … Continue reading →
This Autumn has seen the markets overflowing with all kinds of pumpkin and squash, so I have jumped on the pumpkin pie bandwagon. The varieties here are virtually all new to me, so I randomly chose two little “potimarron”. The … Continue reading →
Life has got in the way of much cooking or blogging of late, but I have plans to remedy that situation once the current exam period is over at school. I have lots of ideas for things which I never … Continue reading →
For the October Daring Bakers’ challenge, we made millefeuille with homemade puff pastry (pâte feuilletée)! I’ve wanted to try my hand at puff pastry for ages, but have never been particularly confident with any kind of pastry and each time … Continue reading →
Here’s my second batch of madeleines. Browned butter and brown sugar give them a delightful caramel flavour. I tried a variation in the method too, slightly heating the egg and sugar mixture, which I’d read about in several recipes. I … Continue reading →
My project for this month is to perfect madeleines, those soft little French tea cakes baked in the shell-shaped pans. I started with plain ones because I wanted to get the method right before I tackled more complicated variations of … Continue reading →
