Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I got a new job!

Hoorah, I got the job!!!! Only one day left (on Monday), with my induction for my new bakers job on Saturday-Sunday. So now I have two lovely days off, thank you royalty for existing and getting married. Just need to make a Mickey Mouse cake now. Big cakes are always a bit hectic, so many eggs! Such large mixing bowls required - I swear my arm muscles are going to get bigger. It has now cooked beautifully and gone into the freezer for easy icing tomorrow. I bought a new variable size tin which is handy!


I was reading the Pioneer Woman's blog today, very fun. Well worth reading. And it got me thinking if anyone actually reads this? I'm have no idea whether or not it is worth reading, does it provide any entertainment value? But I like blogs that tell you about people and cake, because I like people and cake. So that's what I shall aim to do. 

Tomorrow I'm going to ice my mickey mouse cake. Tonight, the plan is to make Mickey Mouse to put on top of said cake. Here's where my (rather sketchy) artistic ability comes to the fore. I do have a picture so I can at least trace the outline…. I'm going to be rolling some very thin bits of black icing. I do think that black icing tastes and smells rather unpleasant so I shall only use it in very small quantities. 

Mayhap I shall go to bed soon. But I did promise myself to make at least some headway with Mickey - if I can make his head that would be good ;) faces are always the hardest. 

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks to anyone who reads this!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Salted caramel and apple rolls

Happy Easter!

In some good news I find out if I have a new job on Tuesday/Wednesday. I'm praying so much that I'll get it as I'm not sure I can take any more at my current job. I don't know how everyone there deals with it, I just hate getting ranted at and shouted at, and that has been on the increase over the last couple of months. 

So, today I decided that it was time to chill out and do some baking. I made a lovely cake on Friday too and it didn't curdle! Happy happy days. It tastes yummy, and Hannah and I decorated it to look pretty. I also have two birthday cakes to do this week (1 of which I get paid for - always helpful!). 



I've been intending to make these for a while, and I even bought the Granny Smiths, and they were starting to go so I decided it was now or never. I had to go buy some cream and was slightly shocked at how many people were at the little Sainsbury's around the corner - the only shop that seemed to be open today.

This recipe is from BBC's Great British Bake Off. (I'm so excited they're doing a new series!)

FILLING:
7 oz caster sugar
1 tbsp water
7 fl oz whipping cream (I used double as I couldn't find any whipping)
3 Granny Smiths - peeled, cored and chopped into small cubes

DOUGH:
8 1/2 fl oz full fat milk
1 oz butter
1 lb strong white flour
1 tsp salt
1x7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

1. Filling - heat sugar and water in large saucepan on medium heat until sugar melts and forms a caramel (do not stir the caramel)
2 Meanwhile, gently warm cream in a saucepan. Carefully add one third to the caramel (stir it or you'll end up with lumps!) and once the bubbling has subsided, whisk in the remaining cream. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside until completely cooled
3. For dough, warm milk and butter in a saucepan until butter has melted and milk is luke warm
4. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add yeast
5. Stir in milk mixture until contents come together as a dough
6. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 mins or until elastic and smooth
7. Lightly oil a bowl with veg oil. Place dough into the bowl and turn until covered in oil. Cover bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size
8. Lightly grease 2 baking trays and line with greaseproof paper
9. Knock dough back to its original size and turn out onto a flour surface. Roll out dough to a large rectangle (Mine was about 50cmx 20-25cm)
10. Drizzle half the caramel over the dough and then scatter with chopped apples. Roll into a tight cylinder (I had problems cutting the end ones as my dough wasn't entirely square) and cut 12, 4cm slices (I only managed 11!)






11. Place the rolls, cut side facing upwards onto the baking trays. Cover with tea towl and set aside to rise for 30 mins. (You can see the end ones didn't roll well, and after rising for 30 mins the only difference seemed to be that more of them were falling apart.... but I decided to shove them in the oven anyway!)
Before:

After:


12. Preheat oven to 200C
13. Bake in oven for 25-35 mins or until risen and golden brown. Set aside to cool and drizzle with remaining caramel. (I set the timer for 25 mins - should have put them on 180C and checked earlier - rooky error)

But the bottoms still look yummy! The dough is quite nice (I wasn't sure what to expect), I'm curious as to what they taste like when cooked correctly and so might have to give them another go!)


The caramel was interesting, it smelled slightly burnt, but it had only just gone the colour that I thought it was supposed to go. It tastes fine, so I'm assuming it's ok. I also forgot to warm the cream, with the result that I had to strain it as I ended up with a few caramelised lumps in the sauce. I tried to make another batch, but took it off the heat earlier so it never got thick enough, so I think I was right the first time around (I now have 1/2 a pint of nice, but runny caramel sauce…. no idea what I'm going to do with it!). It also took a surprisingly long time for the sugar to melt and form a caramel. I did end up stirring it towards the end as I wasn't sure what else to do.

I also had a bit of an issue with rolling it up, and some of them came slightly unrolled (as you can see). Maybe next time I'd dampen the edges, as the caramel doesn't seem to help them stick together. I might also try to get it wider, although the dough was very thin already.  

This is also the first time that I've made any dough for a while, and it was nice to have a good kneading session. I'm thinking that I may make some bread soon, just for kicks. That and it's a part of baking that I've not really experimented with yet. 

I also successfully reorganised my kitchen - something that happens on a regular basis as I have more kitchen stuff than can ever be fitted into my kitchen! I could do with a side board in my bedroom to take some of the pans etc! 

This time I remembered to take some photos, next time I'll remember to start taking photos earlier! However, as you can see from the final photos I overcooked them - always listen to your nose…

So, there is a semi-successful creation of salted caramel and apple buns. Here's to a better week, and the prospect of a new and altogether less traumatic job...

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Chocolate orange cake

It's my birthday. A fact that isn't thrilling me right now. Aside from anything else I was utterly determined that I would no longer be in my job by my birthday. It has been 6 months of doing a job that is tedious, frustrating, pointless, and that I'm not very good at. This is not good for general morale. Having said that, I must also say that I have a beautiful flat that I love beyond anything, the job pays the bills, and I have made many, many friends who live close by. So mild melancholy on my birthday will surely be dismissed shortly.

I watched Julie and Julia this evening. I saw it in the cinema, but hadn't seen it since. It's a fun film - in case you didn't know what it's about, it's about Julia Child writing her famous cookbook (that I'd never heard of prior to watching the film) about teaching Americans French cookery, and Julie, who decides (years later) to cook her way through it. She blogs about it and it helps her to survive her job in a call centre.

I can relate. Though I must admit that my taste runs far more to baking than cooking. I'd like to learn to cook well at some point, but for now, cake is far more important to me. I decided to make a chocolate orange cake for my birthday cake, and so did my usual googling and came up with nothing that I felt would give a really good cake. I was going for quite a squidgy chocolate orange cake, and so decided to improvise slightly and see what happens. Tragically I overcooked it very slightly and so a bit of one edge is slightly burnt. I'm not sure how it'll taste, but I'll add to this tomorrow once I've eaten it!

I used the normal sponge cake as a base, which seems to be the cake I'm having the most issue with right now! I decided to try the all-in-one method due to my repeated failure at beating the eggs in without curdling (however, my cake-business friend Hannah says she can do it, so hopefully we can bake a cake together soon and I can get the knack back that I have for the previous decade!).

8 oz self raising flour
8 oz soft brown sugar (for added squishiness)
8 oz marg (might try butter next time)
4 medium eggs
1 tsp orange essence
1 orange - grated zest only
50g dark chocolate, melted

Sieve the flour in the bowl and then add everything else. Whisk with a mixer for about a minute (according to the all-knowing Delia Smith). Then pour into a tin, or into cupcakes (or whatever shape you fancy) and cook for about an hour at 180C (depending on your oven).

For the icing I melted the other 50g of dark chocolate left from the bar, mixed in some marg and icing sugar and a bit of orange juice. I just kept adding bits until it tasted about right. Was very yummy in fact. And in happy birthday style the hot water had run out so I didn't have to do the washing up. What happy days are these. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight and then be a cheery, happy person in the morning.

The question I have is how much longer before I just quit my job. How much longer can I take it?! Definitely longer with all the baking than without.

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Possibly the Best Fudge Ever

I really dislike Thursdays. Their only saving grace is my small group. They are a fabulous group of people with whom I can chill, eat chocolate and cake, and chocolate cake, read the bible, chat and pray. After a day like today at work, it is what rescues my sanity and restores me to some kind of balance, which, no matter how precarious, will get me through Friday!
While on that note: I watched that Friday song today on youtube. I'd heard it was rubbish, and I thought it must be her singing ability etc., but no, the lyrics were just bad. Indescribably bad.

So, onto the important bit, the fudge. This stuff is amazing. I've now made it twice, the first timeI followed the recipe exactly, the second time I tried adding dark chocolate and both were the closest I have ever come to fudge perfection. Also, you can only really eat two pieces before you have to stop, so it's kinda healthy….?! 

I decided to make it because the description contained the key words, I am a pastry chef!'. His instructions are really good and detailed, but mine still came out a bit different. So here are his instructions: www.squidoo.com/bestfudgerecipe 
and then I've added little notes of where mine turned out different and also shortened his because when I copied it out I was being lazy. 

675g caster sugar
500ml double cream
50g butter (I think I put a bit too much in as some kinda separated from the fudge at the end, so I used a bit less the second time, 45g ish, my scales aren't very exact!)
1 handful white choc
1 tsp glucose
1 vanilla pod - optional 

1. Put all the ingredients except for the white chocolate into a heavy-based saucepan. If you use the vanilla pod, split it in two, scrape out the seeds and add to the mix.
2. Place the saucepan on a very, very low heat to dissolve all the sugar before you bring it to the boil. Stir it fairly regularly at this point
3. Once you've dissolved the sugar, and you have a beautiful, buttery syrup, increase the heat until it comes to a rapid boil. KEEP STIRRING CONSTANTLY! (I would have taken photos but at this point there is no chance to stop otherwise it'll burn!)
4. Continue to boil and stir for 15-18 minutes until it reaches the soft ball stage 112-115C. 
(At this point his instructions say it should be a deep golden colour, thick yet smooth like set honey. Both times I made it, at 112C after 10-15 mins, the mixture was a pale, honey colour, though it did have the right consistency. Colours terms are so variable anyway, but I'd say mine was more a pale golden colour! As it had reached the right temperature I figured it was fine, and in his instructions he said to go with your instinct, so I did, and it worked :))
5. Remove from heat and set aside while you get your mixer or bowl out.
6. Pour the fudge into a bowl, or into your mixer and begin to beat. (The first time I did it I poured it into my Kenwood bowl, but that's metal and so it cooled really, really fast so I couldn't beat it much. The second time I used a porcelain mixing bowl and used an electric whisk which worked better.) 
7. After 5 mins of beating add your handful of white chocolate. Then keep beating for another 5-10 mins. (Both times I stopped after 5 mins as it had started to set)
8.  Now it should be getting quite cool. But before it begins completely setting spoon it into a greaseproof tin and smooth is so it lies flat. 
9. Leave to cool our of sunlight for at least 4-6 hours. It is best after 36 hours and lasts for 5-7 days (Although it's unlikely to last that long.)
The recipe makes enough to fill the tin you see below, which I think it 6" square, but I could be wrong on that!




I then tried making chocolate fudge by the same recipe (as shown in photos above). I did everything exactly the same but put in 150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, instead of the white chocolate after 5 mins of beating. It worked really well and tastes great. Seriously next time you need a present for a friend, this is what to give them! Though, if possible make it 36 or 48 hours before as it definitely improves in that time. If anyone knows why that is I'd love to know!

Anyway, I now need to package some up and send it off to my friend in Oxford to extend its fame!