Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Let's Get Technical Great British Bake Off 2016 - Cake week


It's that magical time of the year between Eurovision and Christmas when the world stops to watch some people bake a cake in a tent. I wonder if that is how they first pitched the show to the network?

Yes the Great British Bake Off is back which means one thing.....my Sundays are filled with #Lets_get_technical. 

Like the previous 2 years of Bake Off I will again attempt all the technical challenges in real time on social media in the allotted time limit.

This could be described as a display of madness but I like the discipline of a prescribed bake and mostly being able to achieve a fairly decent result. 

The first technical challenge for this series was to make 12 individual jaffa cakes in 2 hours.....simples?

I think Mel and Sue have nothing to fear..... 





I remember the first time I saw UK jelly it was Reading 2008, it comes in a solid block a bit like a gummy bear. 
















 The judges were right about this bake being deceptively simple and to be honest you could complete this challenge in about 60 minutes. The devil is in the detail and the real skill is to complete the 3 simple elements perfectly. I'm going to practice more with the chocolate. 

 I enjoyed this first challenge and have made it again since sunday. Chocolate and orange are not my favourite flavour combo but I can see myself using the base recipe again and mixing up the flavours.
New series new photo! 



 Looking forward to biscuit week now!
The hashtag to follow is #lets_get_technical on instagram, facebook and twitter Sunday afternoons from 3pm AEST

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Monday, December 28, 2015

Boxing Day, Birthdays and Leftovers...

Now if you believe social media and really who wouldn't believe such a credible source? Boxing Day is all about left overs!

Leftover cold meat on toast, leftover pavlova for breakfast, leftover wine when clearing the glasses from the table....too far?

Boxing Day isn't only about leftovers it's also about birthdays, well a birthday, mine!

People often comment that it must be awful to have a birthday so close to Christmas well in reality if it was the choice of that or not being born, I'm happy Jesus and I are neighbours.

I've never had a problem with the timing, I managed to avoid all bar 2 birthday parties as a kid (I've always been very social)

The biggest being a surprise party for my 18th and I'll try not to sound ungrateful but surprise parties are what you do to people you hate!

No good can come from a surprise party, the guest of honour has no input into venue, timing, guest list, food, or theme. 

Let's us travel back a few years....OK a few more...

I liked the idea of getting paid to walk so at 17 I'd deliver the junk mail around the neighborhood, crap money but at least I got some air. 

My 18th began as I arrived home from a delivery, sweaty, smelling and in a hideous yet appropriate walking outfit to be greeted by about 30 of my year 12 school "friends".

Sometimes wishing for death is not enough....

I learnt two important lessons that night 
  1. Alcohol can be a saviour to get you through such situations 
  2. Having West Coast Cooler as the only alcohol available is like throwing an ice cube on a fire
I thought this was going to be a lighthearted YAY birthdays post but I may have some issues I still need to work through......OK onto the food!

I've written about my ultimate birthday cake but this year I wanted to be totally on trend and challenged myself to do a leftovers cake!

While it is more a tart than a cake, it did have a candle, someone sang and I blow it out so it counts!

My Boxing Day Favourites Leftover Tart was a fly by the seat of your pants experimental tart so there isn't a recipe, but I'll talk you through what I did. 

Christmas is my Favourites time of the year and wouldn't be complete without chocolate money.
I'm sure you have one or 2 boxes in your house right now?
Leftover pastry from making mince tarts
Blind baked at 200°C for about 15 minutes 
The filled chocolates I chopped up and left the solid ones whole. 
I left the cherry ripe in even though I can't said it, I should have left it out...ewwww.
I added about 200ml of cream to the chocolate which would have been about 600g in total
I bake at 180°C for about 15-20 mins and then stirred to combine cream.


I had some leftover almonds and cashews from making the incredibly moreish spicy nuts from Annabel Crabb's Special Delivery that I was given for Christmas. 

They of course become praline.....salted naturally

Leftover cream, slices of a chocolate coin, wrapping paper, old streamers, candle and plaque and we are ready to get this party started.  
This is the an absolute die hard sweet tooth's dream, I get the feeling the diabetes won't be leftover but brand spanking new!

It's too sweet for me so next year i'm already planing to make my cake out of left over chicken nuggets....
Apart from the cherry ripe all the flavours and textures come together to create a tart that will have you bouncing till next Boxing day, you might even be on enough of a sugar high to enjoy a surprise party!*

 *you won't because no good can ever come from a surprise party
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Saturday, April 25, 2015

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Belarus












Hello this is Minsk calling....all together now I Love Belarus! 

You all know how much I love Belarus in Eurovision ever since the amazing Angelica Agurbash! 

 Dmitry Koldun was the first to work magic on the voters and see Belarus in a Eurovision Song Contest Final. 

 Work Your Magic not only made it to the 2007 final but also did incredibly well placing 6th. 




I also Love Belarus for having a dish that is a vegetable made out of chocolate and cake. 

Pirozhnoe Kartoshka (potato pastries) make 40-50
Ingredients
  • 500g vanilla cake*
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 50g butter
  • 300g sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tbsp. liqueur (white creme de cocoa)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Cocoa
  • Slivered almonds to decorate
Method
  • Put the cake in food processor and pulse to "cakecrumbs"
  • In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter
  • Add the cake crumbs, melted chocolate, butter, condensed milk, liqueur and salt to a mixing bowl
  • Bring all the ingredients together to form a moist dough
  • Shape the dough into little potato shapes (mine are inspired by the kipfler)
  • Place on a lined baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  • Coat pastries in cocoa
  • Decorate with slivered almond for the eye of the potatoes
These are ridiculously easy to make and will be the hit of any Eurovision party. I can see myself making a few batches in Vienna to keep the energy levels up or feed any passing artists that may want to have a chat. 

A variation I want to try is using the condensed milk after it had been boiled in the tin to make a caramel then add some more salted for that crowd favourite, salted caramel. 


Not the most appetising look...but give theme Time (I know what I did there)


That is one mighty tasty bag of potatoes! 

I made the cake as follows but shop-bought cake would do if you are happy for your friends and family to know you don't care about them enough to make from scratch..... (I'm kidding, don't send letters!)

Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
  • 150g butter
  • 150g sugar
  • 150g self raising flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Method
  • Beat all ingredient together into a smooth batter
  • Pour into a greased 20 cm cake tin
  • Bake at 180 for 35-40 mins 



It's been 11 years but Belarus will again send a duet again to Eurovision. Time will be performed by Uzari on vocals and Maimuna on violin.
The duo complement each other brilliantly, Uzari's vocal expansions are accentuated brilliantly by Maimuna's violin gymnastics.  

In this busy world of technology where an hour now seems like a minute the song rings true that Time is ticking away as loudly as thunder.

 In 2015 I again have a reason to sing I Love Belarus, I just hope there is Time to sing it twice!
Past Belarus Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Belarus Cheesecake of course!

2013 Love Me Tonight Draniki 
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Thursday, October 9, 2014

Let's Get Technical Great British Bake Off Series 5 Advanced Dough Week

As I sit and wait to watch the Great British Bake Off Final and see what my last technical challenge will be,  I managed to do a quick recap of advanced dough week.

Yep, I said quick, so that's it for me.....enjoy!

But make sure to tune into twitter @dbtsauce this Sunday at 3pm Melbourne time to witness the last technical challenge....and see if I am crowned the winner of my own competition??



















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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Jam vs No Jam, the great lamington debate!


 

I must declare right from the get go, I am 100% #TeamNoJAM!

Putting jam in a lamington just seems a very unnatural thing to do to me. It may be because of how I was brought up, you would never have seen jam in any of my Nan's lamingtons.

Jam belonged in those "hot bread shop" type bakery lamingtons, you know the type of bakeries where if you were blindfolded you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the cakes as they all tasted the same.

Or worse supermarket long-life packaged lamingtons *Shudder*

Sometimes you have to do things for families you never thought possible.

AB's Dad is 100% #TeamJam so there have been times I have put other's needs above my own and added jam, even if I felt ill doing so.

Now this is where things take a scary turn.

There are 3 foods AB can't stand, chicken with bones, mushrooms and coconut, so making the greatest sacrifice of all for lamington kind I substitute the coconut for grated white chocolate.

The most satisfying part of this adventure is that he is never quite sure if the switch has been made until the tasting.

I believe the best part of Australia Day is embracing all the different viewpoints that come together to make up this great country, even those radical extremists who put jam and cream in their lamingtons! Seriously what is that??


I Can't Believe It's Not Coconut Lamington
Ingredients- makes 12 lamos
  • 100g unsalted butter softened
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 150g self raising flour
  • 3 tbsp. milk
Icing
  • 250g sifted icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp. cocoa
  • 5-10g knob softened butter
  • hot water 
  • 150g white chocolate (cold)

Cake Method
  • Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters
  • Add eggs 1 at a time and beat
  • Add flour, milk and mix
  • Pipe batter evenly into lined cup cake tin
  • Bake at 170°C for about 10 minutes (about 20 minutes if baking as a whole cake)
  • Let cool slightly in the tin, then onto a wire rack to completely cool
To make icing
  • Add icing sugar, cocoa and butter to a mixing bowl
  • Add 2 tbsp. of the hot water and beat with electric beaters
  • Add more water bit by bit till icing is glossy and very runny (about 5 tbsp. in total)
  • Finely grate the white chocolate into a bowl (having the chocolate cold will help it grate and not melt in your hands)
  • Coat 1 cake in icing making sure to remove any excess
  • Roll the cake in the white chocolate to coat.
  • This is a 2 hand job, 1 hand in the icing and the other in the chocolate. Your fingers will still get messy but it keeps the ingredients separate.
  • Repeat with the remaining cakes and then chill them in the fridge for about 30 mins till set.
I bought this tray at Ikea because I liked the shape and had the idea of little toadstool cupcakes. I have never been able to get the patty pans that fit it but lining with baking paper helps them to not stick.
 
\
Celebrate diversity if they aren't all even!!
 
 


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Saturday, January 11, 2014

My Bake Off Birthday

I was going to title this "My Last Birthday Cake Ever" but I thought that may cause a flood of distressed messages.

What I mean to say is that upon my 39th birthday I discovered the cake that will feature at every one of my remaining birthdays.

It is no surprise to anyone that has stopped by before that I am "slightly" obsessed with the Bake Off in all it's guises.
  • The Great British Off,
  • The Great Irish Bake Off,
  • The Great Australian Bake Off,
  • The Pretty Good American Bake Off 
  • The Disappointing Italian Bake Off

So this birthday I wanted the chocolate cake with the raspberries from the opening titles. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_British_Bake_Off
 Source: Wikipedia
 
Surprisingly I couldn't find the recipe online but thought in reality to film the titles it was probably just polystyrene anyway.

I had lots of recipes for light airy chocolate cakes but I wanted this to be dense and rich so it would stick to your boots!!

This cake was developed after studying various recipes and the contents of my pantry.

The original version was great but this has been polished by making 5 in the past 2 weeks......yeah January diets! (and with Sunday bake club tomorrow make that 6)

You have to include the missing raspberry!


The Only Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients
  • 180ml strong espresso (or brewed NOT instant ever)
  • 400g caster sugar
  • 300g cooking chocolate (see note)
  • 250g salted butter
  • 60g hazelnut spread
  • 140g crème fraîche
  • 4 eggs (our girls produce eggs in the mid 50g range)
  • 250g self raising flour
  • 150g almond meal
For Ganache
  • 200ml cream
  • 250g dark chocolate
  • Tiny knob of butter
3-4 punnets of fresh raspberries to decorate (depending how many are eaten before they hit the cake)

Method
  • Add coffee, caster sugar, chocolate and butter to a medium saucepan
  • Stir over low heat till the sugar dissolves and the rest is melted and combined (it will be deliciously glossy)
  • Remove from heat and let cool to just above room temperature
  • In a mixing bowl combine the hazelnut spread, crème fraîche and eggs
  • Sift flour and almond meal into the mixing bowl and combine
  • Add chocolate mixture and stir through till well combined
  • Pour into 22cm round spring form cake tin lined with a high collar and base
  • Bake at 150°C for 80-90 minutes till a skewer comes out clean and you can't hear anything from the cake
  • Allow to cool completely




 
I could always get a job making those videos that don't always have the highest production values, e.g. haven't turned the phone the right way!!
Ganache
  • Add cream, chocolate and butter to a saucepan
  • Stir over very low heat till all melted and glossy
  • Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes prior to pouring over cake
  • Place cake on wire rack over a lipped tray and pour ganache to cover cake
  • This recipe makes enough ganache to cover the cake by pouring rather than spreading, this will also have a self levelling affect with the assistance of gravity
  • The extra ganache will pool in the tray and is a bonus treat, just in case there wasn't enough chocolate.
  • Let the ganache cool and set
  • Decorate the top with raspberries

Add some gold leaf just to ensure the lily is sufficiently gilded
This isn't a cheap cake but hey it's a birthday!

Note about Chocolate:

Chocolate, like who you love is very much a matter for the heart.
You just like what you like, it's just that simple.
No amount of "but this brand or type is better" will have an affect on what you like.

So use the chocolate, the brand and strength of dark or milk you like best or combination of.

But not white, that's not chocolate! (can, worms, opened)

I mix the 300g with 200g Lindt 70% and 100g of Cadbury 45% dark chocolate. (not sponsored comment but happy to be sent to Switzerland again hint hint)

I'm also planning to make one using 85% dark just to see how far towards the dark side it can go.
 
Now with coffee it's a different story altogether, this has to be good espresso. If you don't have a machine at home grab some take away from a café.

I pride my home on never containing these 2 items, tracksuit pants and instant coffee, you just gotta have your standards.

Unfortunately I get too preoccupied with eating to take a good sliced shots
 

This was a new years day version, it hadn't quite cooled before I needed to serve it but still just as good.
 
Oh if only!
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