The Three Flour Challenge

I went on a slight flour-based spree during my weekly shop recently, stocking up on Rice, Bread, Spelt, Soya, Potato and Semolina, but what to do with it all?

I must say, I adore Doves Farm Flours, they have the most delicious range, and although for some bakes I use trusty cheaper flours when I'm trying out new recipes, you can't beat a good quality flour.

I'm usually a follow-the-recipe exactly baker, the type Berry and Hollywood would love on the technical challenge on the British Bake Off, no messing with their recipes here, usually.

But I wanted to challenge my baking skills, create my own biscuits, each using a different flour and flavour.

 Plain | Semolina | Rice 

  

       

I wasn't entirely sure where to start and I'd even banned myself from my trusty BeRo book to 'just check' the usual quantities, ratios and methods. Here goes...

For each of the biscuit doughs, I used 50g butter, 50g Sugar and 100g of the flour. After emptying my trust baking cupbard and seeing what I could concoct, I came up with three different biccies!

Nutmeg and Date Spiced Stars (the NEW taste of Christmas!)

Semolina Sugar Biscuits (with drizzled chocolate topping)

Gluten-free Vanilla Biscuits (chocolate dipped)

With all of the biscuits, I mixed them all by hand, sugar and butter first, then added the flour and kept mixing, using milk to bring them together at the end. I then chilled each of the doughs for 15 minutes and rolled out on a lightly floured surface and cut to shape. I baked them all for 10-12 minutes at 180degrees.

THE RECIPES: 

Nutmeg and Date Stars

Anyone who knows me knows I love Christmas. I adore the Yuletide flavours more than any. Ginger, Mixed Spice and Nutmeg evoke the warmest of memories for me. So, even though it’s September and we’re clinging on to the last threads of Summer, I’m getting ready for the most wonderful time of year. And after the success of these in my taste test on some willing colleagues, I am going to have to perfect these by Advent, with lots of ideas for festive taste combinations already suggested!

50g Butter

50g Light Brown Sugar

30g Chopped Dates

100g Plain Flour

1 ½ teaspoon Nutmeg

Splash of milk (to bring together the dough)

Golden Semolina Biscuits

I’m a huge semolina pudding fan; it’s up there with rice pudding and custard on my top supper list. But I’ve never baked with it, so today’s experiment was the perfect chance to use it in a recipe. I’ve cheated a little here using plain flour and semolina, to make these golden little treats, drizzled with creamy milk chocolate, of course.

50g Butter

50g Semolina

50g Plain Flour

50g Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar

Splash of milk (to bring together the dough)

Gluten-free Vanilla Sugar Biscuits

I have a friend who’s celiac and requires a gluten-free diet. I always feel guilty taking in batches of baking and seeing her face when they all contain gluten. So, these vanilla rice flour biscuits are my venture in to gluten-free baking for her and dipped in melted chocolate for an extra little treat.

50g Butter

100g Rice Flour

50g Icing Sugar

Pinch Salt

A few drops of Vanilla Extract (or pods)

For one of my first EVER experimental bakes, with no recipes and my own flavour combinations, I am pleased with the results. The best thing about my mini bake off? Finding my new signature Christmas cookie….I am totally inspired to get more creative with flavours and try new ideas out. Watch this space.

The Magic of (Veggie) Pizza

Did you know that the modern pizza was 'invented' 1889 in Naples, Italy? Before that it was merely a street dish, eaten by the poorest, with *gasp* no cheese!

Admittedly,  It's something I learnt from Eat, Pray, Love, when heartbroken Liz Gilbert experiences authentic Napoleon pizza on her quest for self-discovery, right before she discovers spiritual enlightenment in Bali. See, I told you, pizza is magic. 

Therefore, I suppose, I see my self as a 'pizza purist', supporter of the ancient pizza. But the reputation of the traditional pizza has been damaged by fast food chains, greasy deep-dish take away stodge and catastrophic calorie creations over the last few decades. (Thanks, Uncle Sam!)

But alas, I have re-discovered the perfect antidote to the shop bought, take away pizza, perfect for girlie nights in, manly football game afternoons or to help mend a broken heart. My saviour isn't a Napoleon chef, but instead Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal and his River Cottage 'Veg Everyday' cookbook.

The idea of baking 'Magic Bread Dough' and creating my own vegetarian pizza seemed the perfect way to re-establish my love for this Italian deliciousness. The possibilities are endless with the dough, it's my new favourite. (Sorry Fabulous Baker Brothers, but I still love your soda bread!) Hugh's magic dough can produce everything from the base of your pizza to bread sticks to accompany your meal to crusty rolls and pitta breads - all with the same batch! 

For the magic dough:
250g plain white flour
250g strong white flour
1 1⁄2 level teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon easy-blend (instant) dried yeast
1 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil, plus a little extra for oiling 

Visit the River Cottage for the sample recipe of Beetroot with Cheddar pizza

The pizza recipes in the book are for; Beetroot pizza with cheddar, pizza with new potatoes, rosemary and blue cheese, asparagus and finally, kale and onion. Personally, I couldn't decide between the kale or asparagus varieties, so mixed it up a little and created my own hybrid veg everyday pizza, creative kitchen licence and all!  

Here's how it went...

The final pizza.....

of course, there was magic dough left for breadsticks, garlic flatbread and pittas, perfect! 

Crusty and fluffy white rolls

Pitta pockets

Bread sticks and dough balls 

And if pizza is good enough for Queen Margherita of Italy*, quite frankly pizza is good enough for me.

* The Margherita pizza got it's name from a special pizza made in the Italian flag colours for her visit to Naples in 1889 - Red (tomato), White (Mozzarella) and Green (Basil) and named the 'Marghertia'

Knit, Stitch, Bake

For the love of craft, baking and all things handmade...

(and for an excuse for me and my good friend Natalie to shop on Amazon and visit Hobbycraft)  we have set up a new blog to share out adventures in the kitchen and our experiments with our knitting needles. 

Knit, Stitch, Bake is a mix of Nat's super-cool knits, spooky bakes and patchworks and my love of Cath Kidston, French seams and cakepops. Over time the blog will become jam-packed with ideas, inspirations and projects from jumpers, birthday cakes to sewing machine disasters. 

Join us on the adventure in to the handmade...just don't expect it all to be cute. 

For the love of Jam...

I am a huge jam fan and nothing tingles my taste buds more than a deliciously sweet home-made jam.

Whether it's drizzled on ice cream in the Summer or to melt into steaming porridge as the mornings get colder, there is nothing that takes me back to childhood more than a home-made jam.

Mayflower's Apple and Damson Jam

When I visited my friends at Mayflower Events in the Summer their kitchen was a hive of activity with gorgeous vintage jars being filled up with red syrupy goodness and a pan on the cooker, releasing the sweet smell of apples and damsons boiling in sugar. It could only mean one thing. Jam time.

Mayflower's Apple and Damson jam wasn't quite ready back then, so I waited patiently until my very own jar arrived on my doorstep this month...

Vintage style jar with handwritten label completes the package

It was worth the wait. It tasted just like I thought it would, the right amount of sweetness with the delicate taste of the damsons. It was like a complete Summer country harvest in a jar.

A swirl was just the thing to finish off my first bowl of porridge this Autumn, served with seeds, dried mixed fruit and goji berries. A perfect start to any October morning if you ask me.

Delicious swirled into porridge 

It's not going to last long in our house though, it's perfect on a doorstep slice of toast and I am sure there's been talk of scones being baked especially for it....now where is the clotted cream?

You NEED to try in on a slice of crusty white bread too.

Follow Mayflower Events on Twitter HERE or on Facebook HERE or visit their brand new website HERE 

The Herman Journey

So after ten long days and nights, my love affair with Herman the German came to an end on Saturday night. You'll be pleased to know I managed to keep him alive and he was pretty tasty too. (Even my 97 year-old Nan would agree!)

I spent most of the last week worrying that I'd forget about little Herman, but every morning I came down and stirred him like I was told. I even conversed with my bubbling bowl of yeast, as it's said to make him even tastier! His bubbling continued and after feeding him on four he even spilled out of his bowl. That's when I knew he was going to survive!

I decided that when I sent him on his holidays - he likes it hot you know! - I added spiced apple, chopped figs and mixed dried fruit to him, with a sprinkling of ginger and mixed spice. A perfect Autumn cake if you ask me.

Now I need to choose my friends carefully and decide who's going to take good care of my little Herman babies. I best decide quickly though, because they're growing in their pots by the hour.

My Herman 'Spiced Apple and Fig' the German journey in pictures

Day 1 - Herman arrives at my house.

 

Day 2 & 3 - I kept him alive by giving him a stir! 

Day 4 - Time for food little Herman! 

Day 5, 6, 7 and 8 - To be honest I nearly gave up on Herman here, it was a bit boring just stirring. This is when I decided to start talking to the mixture to liven up my time with him! 

Day 9 - Right, now this is where he really grows, the little bloater. I added the same as Day Four and watched him expand - and give birth to three little Hermans.

Day 10 - Time to send Herman on his holidays. Along with the ingredients needed to keep Herman alive I added my own to create a 'Spiced Apple and Fig Herman' 

- 5 Chopped 'Juicy Dried Figs' 

- 2 teaspoons Mixed Spice

- 2 teaspoons Ginger 

- 2 cooking apples (pre softened in a pan)

- 200g dried mixed fruit 

Herman came back from his 35 minute holiday, nicely tanned with a sweet spicy smell. I sprinkled him in a special mix of cinnemon and caster sugar and served to family and friends...

He came out perfect (bar the fruit falling to the bottom, but this was actually really nice base to the cake!) He is event moist and soft two days later. Although, having spent nearly two weeks carefully seeing to my mixture I DID feel a little guilty eating him (I mean, it)

A successful Herman journey if I do say so myself. 

(You can find the instructions for your own Herman on my earlier post)

Meet Herman the German..

...the friendship cake.

So a couple of days ago my Mum passed me a portion of Herman. I remember getting Herman when I was younger and being fascinated by looking after him, so I was excited when I spotted the tea-towel-covered bowl on my Mum's kitchen side.

Herman is a sour dough 'chain cake' which 'lives' in your kitchen for 10 days, before you pass him on to three friends to keep the chain going and bake you're own cake.

Today I am entering into Day 4 as Herman's carer and need to remember to feed him. I couldn't deal with killing off a cake, plus, how could I let my friends miss out on raising their very own Herman?

Herman and his blanket!

Herman bubbling away in my kitchen - he's still alive!

Here are the instructions I received with my little pot of Herman...

Hello, my name is Herman.

I am a sourdough cake. I'm supposed to sit on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on.
You CANNOT put me in the fridge or I will die. If I stop bubbling, I am dead.

Day 1 -You get Herman and put him in a large mixing bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel.

Day 2 -Stir well
Day 3 - Stir well

Day 4 - Herman is hungry. Add 1 cup each of plain flour, sugar and milk. Stir well.
Day 5 - Stir well
Day 6 - Stir well
Day 7 - Stir well
Day 8- Stir well

Day 9 - He's Hungry again. Add the same as day 4 and stir well. Divide into 4 equal portions and give away to friends with a copy of these instructions. Keep the 4th one.

Day 10 -Herman is very hungry. Stir well and add the following:

1 cup sugar
half tsp (teaspoon) salt
2 cups plain flour
2/3 (two thirds) cup of cooking oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cooking apples cut into chunks
1 cup raisins
2 heaped tsp cinnamon
2 heaped tsp baking powder.

Mix everything together and put into a large greased baking tin. 

Sprinkle with a quarter of a cup of brown sugar and a quarter of a cup of melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes at 170-180C. When cold cut into finger pieces. Cake freezes well and is also delicious warm with cream or ice-cream.

Just like Mrs Beeton would....

....coming soon..

My own insight into the fabulous Mrs Beeton and my dreams of becoming a domestic goddess just like Isabella did. Making, mending and tending to the servants...all in a days work for a household mistress.

(Just don't expect me to make pigeon pie!)

Baking Bookshelf

I suppose I have always been a coffee-table bookworm.

There isn't much which beats opening the crisp pages of a new hardback coffee-table book. From the beautiful photography to the scrumptious recipes hidden within, everything about a new cookbook is delicious.

Sexy, stylish and super-scrumptious - in Cox Cookies and Cakes

The shelf in my bookcase dedicated to cookbooks has grown and grown in recent years with books of cupcakes, vegan delights, easy-peasy student books to my own scrapbook created from recipe cards and newspaper cuttings, displayed for all to see. 

It's not just about the ingredients and measurements, oh no. These kitchen manuals are much more than 'how to's' these days. Some people will never open their trusty copy of 'Domestic Goddess' and read it cover to cover, and nor did I. Until last Christmas....

I was kindly brought Nigella Lawson's 'Kitchen'  and on a snowy, cold and boring boxing day, I began to read it. The book captured the same flirty, witty and dearly delightful tone of her television series. It's only then I started to actually 'read' my cookbooks. 

Another worth reading is Sophie Dahl's book 'Voluptious Delights' The diaries from her kitchen adventures are just as spellbinding as her grandfather's magical tales of marvellous medicines and giant peaches.  

There are so many hidden pieces of gorgeous writing inside Dahl's books

There are so many little gems of wonderful writing hidden inside the pages of cookbooks and it's time you put down your latest chick-lit paperback and took time to read your recipe books.  I'm off to read my two newest editions - The Hummingbird Bakery's 'Cake Days' and the Official Great British Bake Off's 'How to Bake' cookbook. Yum.

Here are some of my favourites I can't help but pick of my shelf and read (even if I haven't got the time or ingredients to actually make anything!)

1. Nigella Lawson's - Nigella Express ...

...the first of Nigella's books I was brought, and still my favourite

2. The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook....

...is my all-time favourite and 'go to' cupcake cookbook.

3. Harry Eastwood's 'Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache' ....

....Because sometimes creating cakes can be guilt-free! 

4. Cox Cookies and Cake .....

....for days when I want my sweet treats served with added sex appeal!

5. Appetite for Reduction - By Isa Chandra Moskowitz....

......for simmering up some tasty vegan dishes 

Be warned though, reading them may cause cravings for cupcakes, candy, cous cous or curry! 

Feeling Festive?

Yes, I did it, I used the 'F' word, I could have happily used the 'C' word too.

I know it's only just September, and yes,  I realise I am the wrong side of 12 years old to be excited, but...."My name is Sarah, and I'm a Christmas-holic."

I'm not alone, oh no. (ho,ho,ho!) I justify those pangs of excitement I feel as the Yuletide approaches in a number of ways...

1) ....if it's good enough for Selfridges it's good enough for me.

Selfridges on Oxford Street brought Christmas to London back in July, a mere 151 days before Christmas Day. It's not that the big wigs at the world-famous department store are as excited about candy canes, mince pies and wrapping paper in the same way as I am, they're more bothered about cashing in on the tourist trade and profit Christmas can bring (in the Summer!).

Christmas arrives in July at Selfridges, London

Really, 151 days isn't that long is it? I mean, there is SO much to do before then. I mean, if I am actually going to make a Christmas pudding or super-rich cake this year, I'm going to have to start soon aren't I? Plus, to avoid the annual melt down of present buying and manic wrapping, it's totally sensible to think about it now too.  

Selfridges isn't alone in hanging the mistletoe and ivy and banging out the carols this side of Halloween either. Other 'shopaholic Meccas,  Liberty of London and Harrods, already have their wonderful Christmas worlds open too.  

The Selfridges online Christmas store is open too..

What's more, I can indulge in my guilty, childhood excitement by choosing my baubles and bells on the Selfridges website, right now! 

2) The 'official' Twitter countdown to Christmas has started - @OfficialSanta is counting down (It's currently 103 sleeps 'till Christmas) with lots more festive themed tweets happening all over the twittersphere! I'm also following the @Hyde Park Elves (from the amazing Winter Wonderland) and the @North Pole Post ....to name a few!

3) I secretly never take my Christmas playlist off my iPod, so it's not that wrong to let the Pogues 'Fairytale of New York' play every now and again is it? (Press play, you know you want to!) 

4) M&S are stocking Mince Pies. Enough said. 

The list is endless, but the point is. It's totally okay to be excited, it's totally okay to be planning Christmas parties and I'm going to do it, I'm going to admit, I can't WAIT for the Coca-Cola 'Holidays are coming' advert to hit my television.

So, when can I book my panto tickets and arrange a trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park? 

National Cupcake Week 2011

Cupcake-a-holics rejoice, it's National Cupcake Week!

It's time to get out those cupcake tins, whip up a batch of sugary-sweet frosting and get creative to celebrate our miniature bakery favourite.

Now in it's third year, National Cupcake Week is organised by British Baker magazine and you can follow the cupcake adventures of fellow frosting addicts from your kitchen...(if you can tear yourself away from your mixing bowl and sprinkles that is...)

The Official National Cupcake Week Twitter  or Website

The website is full of FREE downloadable resources to help you celebrate, including bunting, logos and posters. It's crammed full of recipes, news, pictures and all the cupcake information you could ever need.

Celebrate all things cupcake on Cupcake Cavern and kit yourself out with the tools you need from the Cupcake Cavern Store  

Read Time Out's guide to the most scrumptious cupcake bakeries in London HERE and make time to treat yourself to one (or two) this week - it'd be rude not to really!  My personal favourites are the Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road or Soho's super-cool Cox's Cookies and Cakes 

Or treat yourself to a new recipe book - it won't be here in time to bake this week, but I am excited about Lola's Kitchen's first book that's released next month landing on my doormat, so why not order yours too? 

The bakery claims to 'hand-craft the best cupcakes that you have ever tasted' and after sampling a few of their cakes from the Selfridge's bakery over the years, it's a close call...so get baking your own versions!

Whatever you do to celebrate the sweetness this week, have fun cupcake fans!

Photograph by Lindsay Garvey Photography

Let's Get Knitting (or Baking?)

I've been lusting after 'Yarn and Sewing' themed cupcakes and cookies for a while now.

I don't know why and what's brought it on, but Sugar and Meringue's Yarn Ball Cupcakes are so twee that I really am going to have to indulge in some knit-based baking that my Granny would be proud of. You can't leave the blog before 'ahhhing' over their super-cute Button Cookies either. I'm in love.

Having a 'coffee and biscuit' moment recently also meant I stumbled across cookie company, Biscuiteers recipe for knitted cookies in their gorgeous book, the 'Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits' (Buy It) It's full of iced goodness for all occasions and so the fascination continues...

Somehow they just all seem so homely and quintessentially English, and as a non-knitter, it's the closest I'd come to making my own woolly jumper any time soon.

Here's my Top 5 'Knitted' Cookies and Cupcakes...(in no particular order!)

1. Yarn Ball Cupcakes (See the recipe on Sugar and Meringue)

Sugar and Meringue's 'Yarn' Cupcakes

2. Biscuiteers 'Sewing Kit' Biscuits (Visit the gift store or buy the book online to make your own)

Biscuiteer's 'Sewing Kit' Iced Biscuits

3. An ACTUAL knitting patten for a cupcake from Spud & Chloe 

So, you can't actually bake them and yes, I've admitted I can't knit, but I'd love to try and how cute would these delightful knitted cupcakes look on a sweet table at an event? (Get a FREE pattern on the website)

4. Vegan Yum Yum's 'Knit Night' Cupcakes (Visit the Blog or Buy the Book)

These vegan (which gets bonus points from me!) are stunning - and you can see how they are made on You Tube from a demonstration on Martha Stewart HERE. The detail is fabulous and perfect Autumnal and Winter cupcakes...and I do love Marzipan! 

Vegan Knit cupcakes with marzipan 

5. Sewing Machine Cake and Cupcakes from Small Things Iced (Visit the Blog)

To say I'm impressed with the detail and skill on this cake and coordinating cupcakes is an understatement. How amazing is the Singer sewing machine cake and the fabulous pin cushion idea for the cupcakes? There are a few avid seamstresses amongst my family and friends and this cake would be perfect. It'd be a shame to eat it...

Vintage Sewing machine and Pin Cushion Cupcakes

I'm not sure whether I want to bake some knitwear or knit some baking now?

Cupcake-Lit Review

It's still totally ALL about cupcakes, and don't let anyone persuade you otherwise! 


They're fun to make, fantastic to decorate and yummy to devour but my latest cupcake obsession would have to be finding the most girlie, fun-filled and sugar-coated cupcake and baking fiction. They're the perfect books to make you feel as warm as freshly baked red velvets straight out of the oven. 


Check out my latest review of 'Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe' by Jenny Colgan on Cupcake Cavern 


Find out more about chick-lit queen Jenny Colgan or to buy the book to have a read yourself visit Amazon

We Heart Cupcakes

So, if you're anything like me and hundreds of other wannabe domestic goddesses out there you'll have totally become whipped up in the frosting frenzy that is the cupcake revolution. 


Checking the book store shelves for the latest, gorgeously designed and photographed and utterly divine recipies has quickly become a favourite pastime of mine and a sneaky taste of 'reject' cupcakes is now a given. 

Not only that, my family and friends have joined the revolution too, talk of cakes, cupcakes, frosting and icing has taken over from gossip of men, shoes and lipsticks (well, maybe!) The mutual love of our sweetly frosted friend has given a whole new slant on the Stepford Wives bake-offs of days gone by and has shot baking bang into the 21st Century. So have the baking bloggers...


My favourite, newest and sweetest blogs is edited by a fantastic friend of mine, Rebecca. Her tasty blog, Cupcake Caven is the place to be for all things cupcake. Her love of baking, and more specifically the decorating and eating of, our little treats is inspiring and Cupcake Caven is a one-stop for all my cupcake needs...you may even see a culinary creation or two of mine in there soon too.

Click the picture to visit Cupcake Cavern

However, her ever-bettering talent also means I need to up my baking game sharpish, so off to the kitchen I go....


http://www.cupcakecavern.com/