Fat Friday #16 White Treacle Tart

*In cockney accent* "Alright treacle? Its Fat Friday. Fancy a bit of treacle for my treacle?" ... Ok lets just get on with it. Happy Fat Friday and happy baking! (Again sorry about the lack of pictures, its pastry class moment again...)

 

Ingredients:

For the pate sucre

·260g plain flour, plus a little extra
·100g icing sugar, plus a little extra
·30g ground almonds
·125g unsalted butter
·3 eggs, 1 egg yolk to wash the bottom of the tart
·1 tsp milk

For the white treacle filling:

·60g unsalted butter
·1 egg
·1 egg yolk
·3 tbsp double cream
·6g salt
·450g golden syrup
·120g white bread crumbs

Equipment:
·Saucepan
·Whisk
·Mixing bowl
·Fork
·Wooden spoon
·Sieve
·Rolling pin
·Knife
·9 inch baking ring
·Baking sheet
·Baking beans
·Cling film

For the pate sucre:

1.Place the flour, icing sugar, almonds and butter in a mixing bowl, rub the mixture together.
2.Add the 2 eggs and mix well. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3.Preheat oven to 180c/350f/ Gas Mark 4.
4.Dust the work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the pastry to about 2mm thick.
5.Line the tart ring with the pastry, letting it hand over the sides. Cover with cling film and fill the tart base with baking beans.
6.Bake blind for 20 minutes or until the case is cooked through and lightly golden. Remove the baking beans and cling film.
7.Brush the bottom of the tart with a little egg yolk to crisp up the bottom.
8.Place the tart back in the oven for 5 minutes to crispy up the base.

For the filling:

1.Melt the butter, cream and golden syrup in a saucepan until liquid.
2.Once melted put in a separate bowl to cool. Whisk in the eggs a little at a time.
3.Mix in the breadcrumbs into the liquid ingredients.

To Finish:

1.Pour the treacle mixture into the tart case and bake for 20 minutes on Gas Mark 4/180c/350f.

 

Baking Basics 101 Infusing Milk or Cream

Welcome to another Baking Basics, this week we're looking at infusing milk or cream.

Why do this? Well its a simple natural way of infusing a flavour of a herbs, tea or spices without subjecting your biscuits and cakes to small grainy bits, which some people find unpleasant.

I will say that my Nana taught me the recipe how to do this and it went something like this:
1. Shove the milk/cream in the pan with the herbs or whatever and bring it almost to the boil. Done
2. Make a cup of tea.

However, I am one of those people who likes to have a recipe. I'm using the recipe provided in The Cake Book as its a simple recipe and its the closest recipe to what my nan uses. So here it is:

Ingredients:

• 200ml whole milk/ double cream
• 2-3 tablespoons of your chosen flavouring. Ideas can include mint, lavender, loose leaf tea, rosemary, thyme.

Equipment:

• Small pan
• Wooden pan
• Strainer
• Airtight container

1. Boil the milk on medium heat and bring almost to the boil.
2. Place the flavouring into the milk, stir and turn the heat down to low to simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Drain into an airtight container and leave to cool, then place in the fridge. Or use straight away in a recipe.

You don't have to limit this just cakes and bakes. I use this to make infused milk for smoothies. Instead of whole milk I use soy milk for my smoothies.

If there's a method you'd like to learn and want me to write about, please comment below or let me know on facebook or twitter with the hashtag #bakingbasics101

Fat Friday #6 Mint Ice Lollies Dipped with Dark Chocolate

Totally made it to week 6! Who have thought?! Ha! I'm typing this just under 24 hours until me and my other half fly off on holiday to Tenerife. Aww don't get jealous, I'll be instagramming all the way, that's the time to get green-eyed. I'll see you when I get back from holiday! Woo! I'll do my best to keep posing while I'm away!
Right back to this week,  I thought I'd go with some ice lollies to cool you down in the fading summer sun. This are mint infused creamy ice lollies don't have to be made with whole milk. They can be made with different types of milk and cream. Soy products and other dairy free options can be substituted but it will affect the end lolly result in terms of creaminess. (Please note i couldnt get my 10 year old laptop to work so no introduction photo. Will have to wait for now. Sorry :/) 

Recipe: (Recipe adapted from the Telegraph Website)

• 40 fresh mint leaves 
• 560ml whole milk 
• 150ml double cream 
• 130g granulated sugar

Equipment: 

• Saucepan
• Fine Sieve
• Spoon
• Ice Lolly Mold (Best I've lolly mold ever used. Also comes with 24 lolly sticks)
• 10 wooden Lolly Sticks
• Freezer
• Bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Large Airtight Container lined with baking paper (make sure it can fit in the freezer! I made that mistake and this resulted in half melted lollies) 
• Baking paper
• Scissors

1.Crush the mint leaves a little with the back of a spoon. This will squish the juices out of mint to create a super mint lolly. 

2.Put the milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. 

3.Remove the pan from the heat and add the mint leaves. Cover and allow to cool. This allows the mint leaves to infuse. The longer you do this the better the mint leaves will infuse and the minter (is that a word?) the lollies will be. 
4.Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing down on the leaves with the back of a spoon again to get all the minty-ness out. 

5.Fill the ice-lolly moulds enough so you leave about 1/4 cm gap. This is to allow the mixture to expand but not split the lolly mold. 

6. Place the the ice-lollies in the freezer for about 1 hour and then insert the sticks. Place back into the freezer for about 8 hours. 

7. Check the ice-lollies are completely frozen. If they are, then melt the chocolate in a bowl, over a pan of hot water or in the microwave. 
8. Line a few air tight containers with baking paper, and cut out extra squares if you are putting lollies on top of other lollies. This is so that they don't stick together. 

9. Get a sheet of baking paper and remove the lollies from the molds by dipping them in warm water. Drizzle the chocolate with a spoon to make really cool zig-zag patterns. 
10. Quick as you can put the lollies in the prepared air tight containers and place back into the freezer. 

What is your favourite cold treat on a hot day? See you when I'm tanned! 

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..)!