Fat Friday #48 Laura's Vegan Banana Cake

Many thanks to friend and worker Laura who gave me permission to pop this recipe on the blog. She's constantly baking vegan friendly sweet-treats for us girls at work and she made this amazing banana cake! I needed the recipe in my life! It turns out that this is an all in one recipe, so its minimal effort.

Recipe  Vegan Banana Cake-kindly provided by Laura (Many thanks):

• 100g Vegetable spread (such as flora)
• 10ml sunflower oil
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g self raising flour
• 2 bananas 
• A handful raspberries

Equipment:

• Bowl
• Wooden Spoon
• Loaf tin greased and lined with silicone paper
• wirerack 

Method:

1)Pre-heat oven to GM 4/ 180c/350f. Grease and line the loaf tin. 

2)Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until all combined together. Seriously, thats it!

3)Pour the batter into the loaf tin and pop in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the top is golden or until you can put a toothpick into the centre, so it comes out clean. 

4)Let this cool on a wire rack until completely cold.

Thank you again for letting me post this recipe Laura. Happy Friday Folks!

Fat Friday #46 Red Berry Brownie

Happy Friday! Nothing better then a sweet, tart and chocolatey brownie to kickstart the weekend! This recipe is adapted as I actually ran out of sugar, so I used icing sugar instead. The result was amazingly fudgey and very chocolately. Give them a bake this weekend!

Recipe (Adapted from Primrose Bakery Everyday by Martha Swift) 
Ingredients:

• 250g unsalted butter
• 75g golden caster sugar
• 75g icing sugar
• 40g cocoa powder
• 150g plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 150g dark chocolate chunks
• 150g white chocolate chunks
• 200g fresh strawberries and raspberries (chopped)
• 3 eggs

Equipment:

• Microwave/Saucepan filled with water, with a heatproof bowl on top
• Brownie tin lined with greaseproof paper
• Bowl x 2
• Wooden spoon

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to GM 4/180c/350f. Grease and line with greaseproof paper.

2) Melt the butter on the hob over a pan of hot water or microwave in the oven until completely melted. Set aside.

3) In another bowl, put the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, flour and chocolate chunks and mix until combined.

4) Pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients, and stir (like a boss) until thoroughly mixed in. 

5) Add the strawberries and raspberries and very gently fold them into the mixture.

6) Pour the batter into prepared tin and spread evenly.

7) Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool into the tin. 

Happy Friday!

Fat Friday #28 Gluten Free Raspberry Love Hearts

It's a week and a day until dreaded Valentines day. I'm sure you know how I feel about Valentines day here. Erg, but its a good excuse to bake cute heart shaped things, such as this weeks Fat Friday. We're looking at gluten free raspberry love hearts. You can make them with normal plain flour, but I chose to use gluten free flour to use it up. These are great on there own or served with ice cream or whipped cream as a dessert. The recipe is easy to make so you can make them up to the day before as a surprise for your valentine. Or you can scoff them yourself. Either way!

 

Biscuit recipe (Recipe adapted from The Great British Bake off Showstoppers by Linda Collister):

·       100g ground almonds

·       200g Gluten free plain flour (I used Dove brand), sifted

·       80g icing sugar

·       Pinch of salt

·       125g unsalted butter, diced and chilled

·       3 large egg yolks

Raspberry filling:

·       200g fresh raspberries

·       2 teaspoons cornflour

·       3 tablespoons icing sugar, plus a extra for dusting

Equipment:

·       Bowl

·       Sieve

·       Saucepan

·       Heatproof bowl

·       Clingfilm

·       8cm heart cookie cutter

·       Smaller heart cookie cutter

·       Baking sheet lined with baking parchment x 2

·       Rolling pin

Biscuit Method:
1.    Put the almonds, flour, salt and icing sugar into a bowl. Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients until crumbly.
2.    Add the egg yolks until the mixture forms a dough. Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3.    Roll out the dough until 2mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the heart shapes, then use the smaller cutter to cut out the middle.
4.    Gather up the trimmings, re-roll and repeat until no more dough is left. Make 12 hearts and 12 smaller hearts.
5.    Place the hearts on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for another 15 minutes.
6.    Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly coloured.
7.    Leave the biscuits on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to cool. Transfer to wire rack.

Filling Method:
1.    Put the raspberries, icing sugar and cornflour in saucepan on a medium heat.
2.    Stir gently until the juices start to run.
3.    Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thick.
4.    Pour into a heatproof bowl to cool.

To finish:

1.    Spread the cold raspberry filling over the uncut biscuits, top with an uncut biscuit.

2.    Dust with icing sugar and consume with a loved one or stuff by yourself while watching a tacky rom-com or a horror film each to their own.

If you want to see some more loved up recipes try these:
Anti Valentines Gluten Free Zombie Biscuits
Limoncello truffles
Valentines heart shaped biscuits

Have a great weekend and feel the lurve! 

Traditional Doughnuts

Hello and a great big welcome to Friday! Its not just Friday however, its Fat Friday! Where stuffing your face with food is encouraged. This week we're looking at doughnuts.

These are traditional jam filled doughnuts. Which are fluffy on the inside and have a little bite on the outside, thanks to the cinnamon sugar. I've chosen raspberry but feel free to add strawberry jam, custard or pastry cream. Doughnuts are easy-ish to make, the most difficult part is the cooking process. Doughnuts have a tendency to cook quickly and will float around all over the place. Also, hot oil is dangerous so this recipe isn't recommended for children. If you feel uncomfortable with hot oil, have someone who is more confident at cooking with it.
So with the health and safety out of the way, lets bake... I mean fry!

Ingredients: Will make 10 giant sized doughnuts, or 20 medium doughnuts (Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food Website)

• 500g strong white flour, plus a little extra
• 50g caster sugar
• 40g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 free-range eggs
• 2 x 7g sachets instant yeast
• 10g/¼oz salt
• 150ml/5fl oz warm milk
• 130ml/4½fl oz water
• 1 large jar smooth raspberry jam
• 300g sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• Loads of oil for frying (sunflower/vegetable)

Equipment:

• Deep fat fryer/Saucepan filled with oil
• Sieve
• Bowl
• Baking sheet x 2, one lined with flour and the other lined with sugar and cinnamon
• Disposable piping bag
• (Mixer with a dough hook attachment-Optional)
• Damp Tea-towel
• Spoon
• Slotted Spoon
• Small knife

 

1.Place all ingredients into a large bowl, holding back a 1/4 of the water and stir with your hands until a dough is formed. This will get messy, so please make sure your hands are clean.

2.Add the remaining water and knead the dough in the bowl for about 4 minutes. (Or you could mix with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook which is what I did).

3.Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Again, I used a dough hook on a stand mixer and mix for 10 minutes.)

4.Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour. Make yourself a cup of tea, wash up or maybe watch a bit of TV.

5.The dough will have doubled in size. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knead it a few times to knock the air out of it.

6.Divide the dough into 10/20 portions and shape each portion into a ball.

7.Place all balls onto a floured baking tray and allow to rise for an hour.

8.Preheat sunflower oil in a saucepan. Meanwhile get a baking sheet and mix the cinnamon and 300g sugar together on the tray.

9.Pop the doughnuts into the fat, cooking each side for about five minutes or until golden brown. Put around 3/4 in at a time to avoid them sticking

10. Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and immediately roll into the sugared baking sheet.

11.Set aside and leave to cool.

12.When completely cold, cut into the side of the doughnut, reaching to the centre, this will be where the jam will go.

13.Spoon some smooth strawberry jam into a piping bag and pipe until full but not bursting.

What is your favourite jam filling? Want to share your Fat Friday food moment? Use the hashtag #fatfridays on Instagram and twitter.
Have a good weekend and happy baking (or frying..)!

Summer Raspberry Roulade

Hello and Happy Friday! Or should I say Happy Fat Friday! I love Fat Friday's its sort of like TGIF, but about gorging yourself on food purely because its Friday. Or is that just me? Maybe its just be who goes "Yeah! Its Friday! Stuff my face with food!". Anyway, its recipe time.  

Nothing says summer like a roulade, and what works better with sweet sticky meringue and smooth cream? Tart summery raspberries, of course. I had this recipe written up and ready to publish but had a serious lack of pictures. There wasn't even a picture of the end product... So it sat in the drafts for about, oh I don't know, 2 years?

I remember making this for the first time in my pastry class, this was when the blog first started my gosh! Its a good dessert to use up any leftover egg whites and cream. Lots of different fruit can also be used, try a tropical version with pineapple chunks or try mixing a little cocoa powder in the whipped cream for a taste of chocolate.  

Recipe: Meringue (My own recipe)
4 egg whites
275g caster sugar
Lots of Whipped Cream (I whip about 500ml double or whipping cream.)
200g Raspberries

Equipment:
Bowl
Electric mixer with the whisk attachment/Handheld whisk
Baking sheet lined with baking paper
Large palette knife
Clean teat-towel
 

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200f/Gas Mark 7. Line the baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. 
 2. Whisk eggs whites to a soft peak. This should be white, foamy but still holding a peak.
3. Put your mixer on a low/medium speed and add the sugar gradually one tablespoon at a time every 10-15 seconds. This gives the time for the sugar to dissolve.

4 Once all the sugar has been incorporated, whisk for a further 2-3 minutes at a lower speed. The meringue should be stiff.

5. Spread onto a baking sheet using a palette knife and bake for 8 minutes until a pale golden colour. The reduce the heat to 160c/140f/Gas Mark 3 and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

6.Remove from the oven, the meringue should be firm to touch, not wet or soggy. Place on clean teatowl and remove from the baking paper. Set aside to cool

7.Meanwhile, whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks. 

8. Once the meringue is cool, spread the cream over the meringue. Sprinkle some raspberries liberally.

9. The next part is a little tricky. Roll the meringue with the tea-towel to support the roll. This will keep you're fingers clean and will prevent it breaking.

 

What type of fruit would you put in your roulade? Want to share your Fat Friday foodie moment? Use the hashtag #fatfridays on Instagram and twitter or whatever the cool kids are using nowadays.

Have a good weekend and Happy Baking!

 

Home-made Raspberry Pink Lemonade

In the last two days its been really hot and humid here in the UK. I was going to do some baking but I found it so stifling and after a day's work, heat can make you so lazy. Instead of cooking, I made lemonade, for the first ever time! I've never thought to make it before! It was a good opportunity and why not? 

Also, I've been super busy planning my graduation ball (party time! woo!) and my actual graduation. I'm so excited and I can't believe its finally happening!! About damn time! I'll be posting pictures on instagram and will maybe do a vain follow-up post for it :D . In the meantime, put your feet-up, relax and sip this easy to make summer drink. 

Recipe:

Makes 4 glasses  (Recipe Adapted from Peggy Porschen Boutique Baking ) 

·      100ml fresh lemon juice

·      100g caster sugar

·      500ml spring water or filter water

·      60g fresh raspberries  

·      Ice cubes

·      Lemon or lime slices

 Equipment:

·       4 glasses plus pretty straws

·       Juicer

·       Saucepan
·       Sieve

·       Spoon

·       Jug

·       Saucepan

·       Bowl

1. Place the lemon juice, sugar and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. 
2.Simmer until all the sugar has dissolved and set aside to cool.

3. While the lemon liquid is cooling, place the raspberries into a sieve, with a bowl underneath, and pass through using a spoon. You should have a fresh raspberry juice. 

4.Add the raspberry juice to the cooled lemon liquid, mix and serve in glasses with ice and lime. Drink.  

iI'm just so in love with the colour of this. Its bright and vibrant. Perfect summer cooler drink. 
I hope you all have a great weekend in the sun! I'll see you after I graduate WOOO!!!

Raspberry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Its been a little difficult to do some baking at the moment as I'm still getting settled into London again but I really wanted to bake some snacking cookies with a difference. Its a twist on a traditional chocolate chip cookies. With the addition of raspberries into the batter gives the cookies a sweeter Summer taste. 

Recipe: Makes 15 cookies (Recipe inspired by Cookies Galore Book)

        100g white chocolate chips
        100g milk chocolate chips
         150g raspberries 

         200g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       150g golden caster sugar

·       1 egg

·       200g plain flour, sifted

·       1 teaspoon baking power

·       1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Equipment:

·       Electric hand-mixer/Wooden spoon
        Bowl x 3 

        Sieve

·       Teaspoon

·       Tablespoon

·       Masher
        Knife
        Baking Sheet x 2 lined with baking paper/silicone paper

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and grease the baking sheets with the light oil spray/butter and line with silicone paper.

2.  Take 100g of raspberries and mash them in a bowl until a pulp. Set aside. 
3. Roughly chop up the rest of the raspberries (50g) and set aside. 
4.Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

5. Beat in the egg and vanilla to the creamed mixture. Add the raspberry puree at this stage and mix well. 

6. Sift the flour and baking power together and then beat to the cookie batter. 

7.  Add the chocolate chips and roughly chopped raspberries and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets. Make sure sure you space them well apart as they will expand.

8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes and remove to a wire rack. 

Your cookies should have still be a little soft but not raw. If you do find they are a little raw, don't freak out like I did when I first made these cookies. Simply pick them up carefully and place them back on a baking tray and into the oven for 5 mins. Keep an eye on them because cookies are temperamental and them will burn. 

Pastry Class: Fruit Bavarois, Vanilla Pannacotta, Lemon Steamed Sponge Pudding and Easy Apple Crumble.

In this week's pastry class, we were continuing to look at hot and cold desserts. It was a mixed bag of recipes, all of which can easily be done with the intention of impressing your family and dinner guests. 

A bavarois is a type of mousse made with double or whipping cream. It can be made with chocolate, fruit or even vegetables. I wasn't surprised to see that Heston Blumental of the Fat Duck restaurant has already made a wacky version of a bavarois. If your new to a bavarois, stick to fruit such as strawberries or raspberries. I had to do this for a pastry assessment along with creme caramel, which was surprisingly easy, why not give it a go?

Fruit bavarois made by me with raspberry puree

Recipe: Fruit Bavarois

Ingredients:

·       125g fruit puree (I used raspberry)

·       125g stock syrup (recipe here just omit the cinnamon)

·       250g whipping cream

·       3 gelatine leaves

·       10g lemon juice

Equipment:

·       Whisk

·       Bowlx2

·       Saucepan

·       Spatula

·       1 bowl of ice

·       4 round cook rings lined with clear acetate

·       1 tray lined with silicone paper

·       1 disposable piping bag

Step 1. Line the tray 

1.    Line a tray with silicone paper and then line 4 small cook rings with clear plastic acetate. 

Steap 2. Soak the gelatine

2.    Soak the gelatine in a small with cold water. Make sure that it is cold water as if the water is warm the gelatine will dissolve and become useless.

3.    Whip the whipping cream until it just standing up, holding its peak.

4.    Mix together the syrup and fruit puree in a saucepan and heat gently on a low heat.

5.    Once the fruit and syrup has heated through, take off the heat and add the gelatine leaves. To do this, take the gelatine out of the water, (they should be squeezy and a little slimy) and squeezing until all of the water has been rung out.

6.    Stir the mixture until the gelatine has dissolved, this should take about a minute. At this point you can add the lemon juice according to taste. If you’d like a really sweet mousse then omit the lemon juice.

Step 7. Cool it down as quickly as possible

7.    To cool the mixture down as quickly as possible, have a bowl of ice ready. Put the fruit mixture into another bowl and place that into the bucket of ice and whisk lightly to cool down. Scrap the sides down once and a while so that the mix doesn’t set on the side of the bowl.

Step 8. fold in the cream

8. Once the mixture is cold enough then fold in the semi whipped cream in thirds.

Step 9. Pipe into the cook rings

9. Once all the cream has been incorporated, place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe into the cook rings.

10. Place in the fridge for about an 1 hour and 30 mins or until set.

Step 11. Remove from mould

11. To remove, place a palette knife under the bavarois and place on desired plate. Take the cook ring off and carefully peel the acetate off.

A finished bavarois made by my pastry tutor faye

My finished bavarois made by erm me!

12. Keep the decoration simple, pipe a little whipped cream and garnish with raspberry and mint, and maybe a little icing sugar if your feeling fancy!

Vanilla panna cotta to the right of this picture. 

Panna-cotta is an Italian cooked cream dessert that can be flavoured with chocolate, fruit or caramel. As long as you get the jiggly wiggly cream right its a sure-fire winner!

Vanilla Panna-Cotta

Ingredients:

·       125ml milk

·       375ml double cream

·       ½ vanilla pod

·       1 aniseed

·       2 gelatine leaves/ 2 agar agar leaves if you're a vegetarian 

·       50g caster sugar

Equipment:

·       Whisk

·       Bowlx2

·       Saucepan

·       Spatula

·       4 dario molds/ or the small Christmas pudding moulds/ ramakins

·       Measuring jug

·       Sieve

1.    Soak the gelatine in a small with cold water. Make sure that it is cold water as if the water is warm the gelatine will dissolve and become useless.

2.    Add the cream, milk, the vanilla pod and the aniseed into a saucepan and heat gently until boiling slightly.

3.    Once the mixture is hot enough add the sugar and gelatine.

4.    Take the mixture off the heat and stir until the sugar and the gelatine has dissolved.

5.    Sieve the mixture into a measuring jug. This removes the star anise.

6.    Let the panna-cotta mixture cool for a few moments before pouring into the Dario molds and placing into the fridge for about 1 hour or until set.

7.    The best way to get the pannacotta out of the mold onto a plate, is to have a bowl of warm water ready. Place the mold into the water for about 6 seconds, get your desired plate on top of the mold then flip the plate, so that is on a table. Wiggle the mold a little until it is evenly on the plate.

Steamed sponge pudding to the left

There is little to explain about this. It's lemon flavoured sponge slowly steam cooked, perfect with custard or ice cream.
Lemon Steamed Sponge Pudding

Ingredients:

·       270g plain flour, sieved

·       15g baking powder, sieved

·       250g caster sugar

·       250g margarine, room temperature

·       5 eggs

·       The juice and zest of 2 lemons

Equipment:

·       Wooden spoon

·       Grater

·       Bowlx2

·       Electric hand held whisk/Spatula

·       Sieve

·       Small Dario moulds or small metal moulds well greased with margarine and flour

1.    Preheat the oven to Gas ¼/ 225f/ 110c

2.    Sieve the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and put aside.

3.    Cream the sugar and margarine together using a spatula/hand held electric whisk.

4.    Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

5.    Fold in the flour and baking powder gently until fully incorporated.

6.    Add the lemon zest and juice and fold in again.

7.    Spoon into the very well buttered and floured moulds.

8.    Bake for 30-45minutes at Gas ¼/ 225f/ 110c. This is a steamed pudding, so the oven needs to be at a lower temperature. You will know when the puddings are ready when you can put a knife into the cake and it comes out clean.

Apple crumble top of the picture.

An apple crumble is, as far as I'm aware, is a British dessert which is served in Autumn when apples are at there best.  This makes a great family dessert and is insanely easy to make!

Apple crumble

Ingredients:

·       300g plain flour, sieved

·       150g caster sugar, sieved

·       100g unsalted butter, room temperature

·       1 can tinned apples or 450g peeled, cored apples and cut into 1cm cubes

·       1 pinch of cinnamon  

·       Cream or custard to serve

Equipment:

·       Sieve

·       Bowl x 2

·       Oven proof dish

·       Colander

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4

2.    Drain all the syrup from the apples using a colander Or peel, core and dice the apples. Put the fresh apples in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice to stop them from going brown.

3.    Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl with the butter, rub together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4.    Place the apples into the oven proof dish and then a pinch of cinnamon on top of the apples.

5.    Sprinkle the crumble mix on top. Don’t be tempted to pack it down, this will solidify the crumble into a biscuit.

6.    Bake the crumble for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is brown.

7.    Serve with custard or thick cream

I hope you've enjoyed this weeks pastry class!
Bake on!