Fat Friday #53 Cheats Millionaires' Shortbread

Getting back to basics on this Fat Friday with a classic teatime snack. Made from a base of shortbread, a middle of caramel and a top layer of chocolate, Millionaire Shortbread is made quickly when you know a couple of shortcuts. 

Recipe (found in my old notes from a past pastry lesson written on an envelope) Makes around 15 squares

Ingredients:

• 218g cold butter
• 312g flour
• 93g sugar
• Carnation caramel x 1 tin 
• 438g milk chocolate

Equipment:

• Brownie tin lined with baking parchment 
• Bowl 
• Palette knife 
• Saucepan full of water with a heatproof bowl above it
• Wire Rack

Method:

1) Preheat oven to GM 4/ 350F/180C.

2) In a bowl, with your hands rub the cold butter into the flour and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3) Combine the mixture with your hands and then press as tightly as you can into the brownie tin and bake for 20 minute or until the base is golden. Leave the base to cool completely.

4) Once that base is cooled, spread the carnation caramel over the base evenly with the palette knife. Place the almost completed shortbread in the fridge.

5) Melt the chocolate in the heatproof bowl set above simmering water and stir occasionally. 

6)Once the chocolate is completely melted than spread on top of the caramel layer and leave to set. 

(Optional step 7) Sprinkle with edible glitter/sprinkles/confetti/whatevers)

Later peeps and happy Friday!

Fat Friday #52 Hot Cookie Dough Dessert

Note: This recipe is to share, however you will be temped to eat the whole thing. You have been warned.

Happy Friday! I love cookies. There have been multiple recipes on this blog dedicated to cookies.
This is some next level cookie-ness! Quite honestly I was just sick of paying for cookie dough desserts, and not really knowing what ingredients go into them. So this recipe now gets made when "cookie munchies" hit. 

Enjoy. You are welcome. 

Recipe (Adapted from Nadia's Kitchen by Nadia Hussain) Makes 1 large cookie Serves 2 generously or 1 Penny Serving. 

Ingredients:

• 125g plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 85g salted butter, softened
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 100g milk chocolate chips
• Optional: Vanilla ice cream to serve

Equipment:

• Bowl x 2
• Sieve
• 8 inch/20cm tart dish 
• Wooden Spoon

Method:

1) Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into one bowl and set aside.

2) In another bowl, mix the sugar, butter, vanilla and the egg until its completely combined. 

3) Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix to create a dough. Mix in those yummy chocolate chips

4)Press the dough into the tart dish to cover the bottom. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes. (Note or do what I did and bake it the next day)

5) Preheat oven to 190c/170c/Gas Mark 

6) Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. 

7) Remove the dish from the oven carefully. The dough will be very soft but its a cookie DOUGH dessert... so thats what you would expect.

8) Serve with ice cream or eat as is! 

Have a great weekend!

Cupcakes, Cake & Passion Vlog and Blog Update

Happy 2017! It's been a while hasn't it? It sure has been! I've been trying to type out exactly whats been going on and then Christmas happened so I made a video instead. Not to worry this is not the end of the blog but rather a new beginning. 

Check it out here:
https://youtu.be/Pgtor2rg0Zc 

Fat Friday #51 Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Friday everyone! I can't get enough of cookies! There have been so many cookie recipes lately. I can't really get enough of them, however I never thought to do a traditional cookie but make it vegan friendly. If you aren't vegan then that's ok, you can use unsalted butter and regular chocolate chips instead of margarine and dairy-free chocolate. 

Also, I have to say these cookies are very...cake-like. So they will be a nightmare to get off the baking sheet. Be patient and just make sure that you wait until the tray goes cold, then remove them.

Recipe: Makes 24 cookies (Adapted from Mom on Time Out)

Ingredients:

• 240g flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp of cornflour
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 180g dairy free chocolate chips* (or regular chocolate chips)
• 50g margarine (or unsalted butter)

*I couldn't find dairy free chocolate chips so I chopped up a slab of chocolate into chunky bits.

Equipment:

• Bowl x 2
• Wire rack
• Handwhisk/Wooden spoon
• Baking sheets lined with silicone paper x 4 (Or just use two and wait for each sheet to cool down)
• Fridge

1)Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2)Cream the margarine, bananas, and sugars together and super light and fluffy.

3)Stir in the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until just combined.

4) Add the chocolate and pop in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until firm. 

5)Preheat your oven to 375f/GM 5/190C

6) Roll the dough into 1 inch little balls and place on a baking trays.

7) Bake for 10 minutes or until they turn a light brown.

8) Let the cookies cool on they tray for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

9)Eat like a boss. 

Happy Friday Peeps!

Fat Friday #50 Peanut Butter Oreo Brownie

Happy 50th Fat Friday! This is now one of favourite recipes and its such a unique way of making a brownie. The bottom layer is a peanut crumble layer, the middle is a layer of oreos and top layer is a chocolate brownie layer. Its worth the extra effort and can be served, with some clotted cream, as a dessert too.

Recipe (adapted from Primrose Bakery Everyday by Martha Swift)
Peanut Butter layer ingredients:
225g plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
170g golden caster sugar
115g dark brown sugar 
75g milk chocolate chips
125g unsalted butter
250g chunky peanut butter
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 x packets of Oreos

Equipment:
Brownie tin (33x23cm) greased and lined with silicone paper
Sieve
Bowl
Wooden spoon/Handheld whisk

Method:
1)Preheat oven to GM 4/180C/350F.
2)In a bowl, mix throughly the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking soda, salt, sugars and chocolate chips.
3)Add the butter and peanut butter into the dry ingredients and mix until it becomes crumbly.
4)Mix the egg and milk into the crumbly mixture, until a dough forms.
5)Tip the dough into the lined brownie tin and spread with your (clean) hands until the base is completely covered.
6)Arrange a nice layer of oreos on top of the peanut butter. Put to once side.

Brownie Layer ingredients:
160g golden caster sugar
60g dark chocolate chunks
125g milk chocolate chunks
25g cocoa powder
100g plain flour
200g unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs

Equipment:
Bowl
Hand whisk/wooden spoon

Method:
1)Tip the sugar, chocolate chunks, cocoa powder and plain flour into a bowl. Mix well.
2)Add the melted butter, followed by the eggs and mix until combined.
3)Spread the brownie mixture on top of the oreos in the brownie tin.

To finish:
1)Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm, but still a little soft in the middle. Don't over bake or this brownie will dry out.
2)Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares and consume. Life is good. 

Happy Friday everyone!

Fat Friday #49 Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've always loved the look of red velvet cakes and cupcakes. I've made them before but was always a little off put by the amount of red food colouring. I stumbled across this recipe in one of my favourite books and wanted to try it for a group of friends who were coming over for afternoon tea. Its made with beetroot and raspberries (there is a little food colouring to add a rich colour but you can omit this if you like) so its as natural as it can get. 

Recipe Adapted from Primrose Celebrations by Lisa Thomas and Martha Swift
Beetroot Puree :

• 1 raw beatroot
• 35g frozen raspberries
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 1/2 tablespoon cold water

Equipment:

• Blender
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Peeler
• Bowl

Method:
1) Peel and chop the beetroot into cubes. Place in the blender with the other ingredients.
2)Whizz for 5 minutes, scraping the sides from time to time to make sure that the puree is really smooth.
3)Once smooth place in a bowl to one side. 

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 80g unsalted butter
• 160g cream cheese
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 560g icing sugar

Equipment:

• Handwhisk
• Bowl

Method:
1)Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a hand whisk until light and fluffy.

Cupcakes Ingredients:

• 185g self-raising flour
• a pinch of salt
• 30g dark chocolate
• 60g unsalted butter
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 55ml milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon natural red food colouring
• 115g of the beetroot puree

Equipment:

• Cupcake tray lined with cupcake liners
• Wire rack 
• Bowl x 2
• Hand held electric whisk
• Saucepan filled with hot water with a heatproof bowl on top/Microwave
• Sieve

Method:
1)Pre heat oven to GM 4/350f/180c.
2)Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. 
3) Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or on the heatproof bowl with hot water in a saucepan. Make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.
4)Place the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in another bowl and mix until light and fluffy. 
5)Add the melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture, and whisk again.
6)Pour in the milk and lemon liquid and food colour and mix on a low speed. Then add the beetroot puree and mix again!
7)Add the dry ingredients to the batter, mix and divide into the cupcake cases, filling them about 2/3 full.
8)Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Once cool you can decorate as you like! I like to use a palette knife or a piping bag fitted with a circle nozzle. Of course sprinkled with some cute little sprinkle thingies too. 
Happy Friday! 

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!