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!

Japan Candy Box Video *Giveaway Closed*

Who doesn't love sweets and candies? The blog was created with a love of sweet treats in mind! So when I was approached by Japan Candy Box to do a review of the latest box, I was delighted too!

They sent me the August 2015 box which arrived beautifully wrapped in some very kawaii purple paper! I have a list of the candies that was sent to me:

1.Kracie Tsunagete DIY Chain Candy-

Orange and bubblegum flavoured chain sweets, which were delightfully chewy. Also, they are fun to put together but I prefer to just to eat them. 

2.Kracie Neru Neru Nerune DIY Candy-

Yikes, I hated this! The texture of the drink of terrible, the flavour wasn't too bad however. It was fun to make but I wouldn't get this one again!

3.Rilakkuma Cookie Sticks-

These are so sweetly packaged. The cookies taste more like rich tea biscuits rather than cookies but they are so more-ish! Definitely one of my favourites in the box.

4.Puccho Watermelon Chewy Candy- 

Chewy, yet gummy and fruity. They truly taste like watermelon.  

5.Shigekix Super Sour Grape Gummies-

Wow! Talk about sour! These were so tasty but very strong. If you love sour sweets, you'll fall in love with these!

6.Yaokin Sour Grape Paper Candy- 

This 'paper candy' was leathery and way too chewy for my palette. However, the sour and grape flavour are spot on. 

7. Meiji Yan Yan Biscuit Sticks- 

I've had a similar product before and I do like this sweet too. The strawberry, for me, need to be stronger in flavour. Its still very enjoyable to moonch on!

8.Bourbon Petit Choco Filled Cookies-

These are so addictive! The vanilla and chocolate really complement each other.

9.Tohato Anpanman Caramel Corn- 

These have the texture of crisps but have a toffee flavoured sweetness. 

10. Moominvalley Biscuits-

I really like these chocolate biscuits and the design is quite detailed on each biscuit. 

Overall the candy box was really enjoyable. I loved most of the sweets, with a few exceptions. I would like to say a big thank you to Japan Candy Box for sponsoring the post. Do you like the look of the Candy Box? Well you can win one yourself by entering the competition link below. 

A Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! and Happy Baking!

*This post was sponsored by Japan Candy Box. They sent a candy box to me for free and are giving away a candy box to my readers!* 

Fat Friday #11 Sweetcorn Cream Dessert with a Caramel Ice-Cream and Popcorn Brittle

Week 11, who have thought it? This weeks Fat Friday is quite an unusual dessert. Its a sweetcorn cream which is almost like a pannacotta like dessert. Its based on gastronomy type of thinking and its got an interesting taste. Want to try it yourself? The recipe is below!

 Recipe: Makes 4 (plus extra ice cream and popcorn brittle) (Recipe kindly provided by my pastry tutor)

For the Caramel Popcorn Ice-cream

• 50ml sunflower oil
• 30g pop corn kernels
• 300ml milk
• 200ml double cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 75g sugar
• 2 teaspoons of liquid glucose
• 30g unsalted butter
• Salt

For the sweetcorn cream

• 400g sweetcorn, cooked and cut from the cob
• 400ml milk
• 250ml double cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 50g sugar
• 2 ½ leaves of gelatine

Popcorn Brittle

• 200g sugar
• 25ml water
• 100g double cream
• 100g butter
• 300g freshly popped pop corn

Equipment:

• Saucepan with a lid
• Sieve
• Whisk
• Bowl x 3
• Sugar thermometer
• Ice cream machine
• Knife
• Baking sheet lined with 4 Chef circle moulds lined with cling film at the bottom
• Blender
• Silicone matt

For the ice cream

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the popcorn. When it starts popping shake the saucepan constantly until the kernels are cooked. 

2. Place the milk, cream and popcorn in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Gently bring to the boil again. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 2 hours.
3. Strain through a sieve, pushing hard to get most of the liquid goes through. Bring to a boil again.
4. Whisk the eggs, sugar and glucose until pale and creamy. Pour half the popcorn liquid onto the eggs whisking to combine. Pour this back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the liquid until it reaches 84c on the sugar thermometer, whisk in the butter, salt and strain through a sieve. Leave to cool and place in an ice cream machine.

For the sweetcorn cream

1. Place the sweetcorn, milk and cream in a large pan and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for 3 minutes then transfer to a blender and liquidize. 3. Soak the gelatine in cold water.
4.Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale. 5. Add half of the liquidized sweetcorn to the creamed yolks and whisk until combined.
6. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat for about 1 minute. Meanwhile squeeze the water out of the gelatine.
7. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and mix.
8. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Allow to rest to allow the bubbles to rise.
9.  Put in the moulds and refrigerate until set.

Popcorn Brittle

1. Put the water and sugar in a pan, allow to boil until the colour changes from clear to a golden brown. Don’t be tempted to stir.
2. Mix in the popcorn to evenly coat.
3. Tip onto a silicone matt and allow the brittle to set.
4. When set break up into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

To serve:

1. Carefully unmold the sweetcorn cream onto a plate. 2. Arrange the popcorn around the sweetcorn cream.
3. Drizzle the caramel artfully and scoop a little of the caramel ice cream on the top.

Have a great weekend! Happy Baking!
 

Fat Friday #5 Mini American Style Pancakes

I'm working from a 10 year old laptop so forgive me if the font on the pictures are a little odd and I can't fix it, but I didn't want you readers to miss out on this weeks Fat Friday! I'm soon moving to Portsmouth, but had to leave tons of my stuff in London, including my laptop so editing is taking ages. But I'm not going to hold out on you guys so lets get straight to it. 

This weeks Fat Friday involves American style pancakes but there super mini pancakes!!! I was going to name these super kawaii mini pancakes because there so cute and teeny. If I did call them that I think the title picture would have looked like this:

Woah... I think this is how unicorns see the world. This picture is a little too sugar coated, even for me. I'll stick to the original image... 

These are so yummy and can be customised to suit your taste. You like whipped cream? Whip it on them. Chocolate sauce? Just slap it on. For me, its caramel brought back from France (Thanks Rob sugar ;) ). Wow that makes me sound so middle class...

These pancakes are pretty easy and quick to make. Since there mini ones they can be served as a breakfast or a dessert. As an extra added bonus they can be frozen for about a week in an air tight container with baking paper in between them. Defrost them in the fridge overnight for at least 6 hours. They won't be as good as fresh but can be heated gently in the microwave for a minute, depending on your microwave. 

Recipe: Serves 4 greedy people so watch your fingers (Recipe Adapted from the Student Cookbook by Sam Stern)

• 110g plain flour
• 50g melted butter, plus a little extra
• 2 large eggs, separated 
• 150ml milk
• 10g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Your choice of topping: cream, raspberry sauce, whatever you like. 

Equipment:

• Bowl
• Jug
• Hand whisk/(Electric hand-whisk-if your too lazy to whisk egg whites by hand)
• Frying pan
• Sift
• Fork

1. Separate the eggs into two different bowls. 

2.Beat the yolks, milk and butter with a fork.  

3. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl.

4. Add the wet mix slowly into the dry mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth.
5.Whisk the egg whites until fluffy and stiff. Fold into the pancake batter.

6.Brush a heated frying pan with melted butter and drop tablespoons of batter into the pan.

7. Leave room in between each one and cook until the bottoms are brown and it begins to bubble. Turn and cook until puffy and golden.

Have an epic weekend, enjoy the weather (even if its rainy) and Happy Baking!

Dangerously Addictive Salted Caramel Brownies

Now watch your waistline. These brownies are addictive. I mean these are totally worth the extra effort and make a great snack when you're studying. 

I just about got a piece, before my boyfriend ate about 3/4's of the whole brownie on his own! I nearly lost a finger. Yes these brownies are dangerously addictive. Eat at own risk. 

Seriously though, these brownies are easy to make and earn you, dare I say it?, extra brownie points! The brownies I did wrestle out of Robs greedy salted caramel fingers were brought into work and people had an "Ahh this is good" moment. 

Also with a little cream these brownies make an excellent dessert. So take a break from revision, just like I did and bake these worth it squares of salted caramel heaven.

Recipe: Salted Caramel Brownie (Adapted from The Little Book of Lunch) 

For the Brownie Mix:

·       350g dark chocolate (I used leftover Easter Eggs so any chocolate will do!) 

·       200g unsalted butter, softened (plus a little extra for greasing)

·       450g golden caster sugar

·       4 eggs

·       100g plain flour, sifted

For the Salted Caramel:

·       75g unsalted butter

·       50g soft light brown sugar

·       50g caster sugar

·       50g golden syrup

·       125ml double cream

·       1 tsp Maldon sea salt

Equipment:

·       23cm square cake tin, greased and line with greaseproof paper

·       Electric mixer/hand-held electric whisk

·       Sieve

·       Heatproof Bowl

·       Saucepan x 2

·       Bowl

·       Knife

·       Tablespoon

·       Teaspoon

1.    Pre heat the oven to 170c/325c/ Gas mark 3. Grease and line the tin.

2.    In a heatproof bowl placed over a very small amount of boiling water in a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter.

3.    While the chocolate is melting, make the salted caramel. To do this you need to put the butter, sugars and golden syrup in another saucepan and place on a low heat until it melts. Leave to bubble gently for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and stir in the cream, then return to the heat and cook for another 3 minutes. Take off the heat again and add the sea salt. Taste, but make sure it’s cool first, and add more salt if needed. Leave to one side. Caramel done.

4.    For the brownie, in a bowl beat the eggs and sugar until creamy and shiny. Gently mix in the melted chocolate and butter mixture and fold in the sifted flour.

5.    Drizzle 1/3 of the caramel mix into the brownie batter, mixing roughly so its not completely combined.  

6.    Spoon ½ of your remaining caramel into the cake tin then pour over the brownie mix. Top with the last of the caramel and smooth with a knife.

7.     Bake for 50 minutes until shiny and crispy on top. To make sure the brownies are cooked, stick a sharp knife in. If it comes out clean-ish then it’s ready. Leave to cool.

Rob ate more than 3/4 of the whole thing!

8.    Cut into small (but indulgent) squares. If your transporting in a cake tin line with greaseproof to prevent the squares from sticking. 

Put your feet up and relax with a cup of tea and a warm salted caramel brownie. Ahhh....

(P.S Don't forget to fill out the bigger, better blog survey before the end of the month here)

Merry Christmas and Banoffee Cupcakes Recipe

2 days before Christmas and I'm watching the London news as I type and the weather is not looking good. 
90 mph winds and heavy rain, not the best start to Christmas. You want to snuggle up inside with a blanket with a good Christmas film- I'm watching this, which I got for my secret santa gift at work:

Because I'm very very lucky in saying that I'm ahead with my university work! Which means I can take a little break at the festive season. Thank goodness I need a break from the work. 

I'm back in the big smoke aka London, so I've got some time to have coffee with friends, dinner with my family and to do some baking! I wanted to make something a little different. I made banana cupcakes with a caramel buttercream-so banoffee cupcakes! Very yum. 
If you've never heard of banoffee, its an English dessert which has a crumbly biscuit base or pastry base with toffee made from condensed milk, sliced banana and whipped cream. It's a little old school but very tasty!

Banoffee Cupcakes Makes 24 cupcakes (Recipe inspired by The Primrose Bakery Book)

• 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 500g golden caster sugar
• 4 large lightly beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 baking powder
• 8 ripe bananas, mashed with fork or broken into small pieces (riper the better)

Caramel buttercream:

• 90g unsalted butter
• 135ml/9 tbsp semi skimmed milk
• 360g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Christmas sprinkles and glitter

Equipment:

• Sieve
• Muffin tins lined with 12 cupcake wrappersx 2
• Heavy based saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Piping bag fitted with a star nozzle
• Electric hand mixer/ worktop mixer (which I used this time)
• bowl x 2
• Masher
• tablespoon
• teaspoon

For the cupcakes:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c/Gas mark. Line muffin tin with muffin cases

   

   Step 2. Creamed butter and sugar

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with electric whisk until pale and smooth.

   

   Step 3 The batter with all the eggs added

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition.
4. Add vanilla extract and beat again.

   

   Step 5. The Cake batter with the flour added

5. Gradually add the flour and baking powder and beat until well combined.

   

   Step 6. Mashed banana

   

   Step 6. The finished batter

6. Mash the bananas up and add them to the mixture and beat until all combined.
7. Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases, filling about 3/4 of the way full. 
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes.
9. Turn out onto a wire rack and wait for them to be completely cold before icing.

To make the buttercream:

Step 1. Butter, milk and sugar

1. Combine the butter, milk and brown sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and put on the hob over a high heat. 
2. Stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a boil.

   

   Step 3. Allow to boil

3. Allow it to boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in half of the icing sugar

   

   Step 4. Add the rest of the icing sugar

4. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the rest of the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

   

   Step 5. Thick and runny icing
5. Stir until thick and slightly runny. (if it starts to set, put in a microwavable bowl and put on for a few seconds until runny and beat a little. If you need to add a little milk)

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2014!