Millionaire's Salted Caramel Shortbread

Hello Everyone,

I hit over 2,000 viewers arghhhhh! So in response to that here is my recipe of Millionaire's Salted Caramel Shortbread, that always goes down a treat when I make it!

Ingredients:-

Shortbread

250g Butter

50g  Caster Sugar

250g Plain Flour

125g Cornflour

Caramel

175g Butter

175g Caster Sugar

4tbsp Golden Syrup

400g Condensed Milk

Topping

350g Dark Chocolate

Decoration

Line a tray and pre-heat your oven to 170c

Cream together the butter and sugar.

 Stir in the Plain flour and Cornflour, until it forms a pasty dough.

The best way to form the dough is to get your hands stuck in, the heat helps to make the butter soft so it forms, but remove rings and wash your hands before!

Once it is formed press it into the tin, using your hands to smush it to the edges, prick the pasty with a fork all over and bake for 20 minutes until it is golden above and smells good. Remove it and allow it too cool.

In a heavy base pan, put in, the Butter, Sugar, Salt, Syrup and Condensed Milk. 

Heat it gently but keep stirring! Don't worry eventually it will change colour!

Once it is all melted, bring it to the boil but watch out it is a molten mass that will spit at you and hurt! As you can see it attempted to fire at me too!

Leave it for 30 minutes to cool!

Melt the Dark Chocolate over a pan of hot water, keep stirring, so the chocolate doesn't burn and makes it nice and shinny!

Then decorate and refrigerate.

And most important ENJOY!

This version is really easy to do and is fail safe!

Oatmeal and Raisins Cookies

Hello Everyone,

So the other day for the Husbands Grandma's 99th Birthday Party, I made a small variety of goodies to enjoy and I thought I would share my favorite 2 recipes that are quick, simple and always go down a treat.

Theses cookies are amazing, as they only take around 5-10 minutes to make than less then 10 minutes to bake! Plus they make your home smell amazing!

Disney Film Watched:- Pocahontas. 

Ingredients

150 g Caster Sugar

55 g Brown Sugar

113 g Butter

1 tsp Almond Essence

96 g Flour

126 g Rolled Oats

64 g Raisins

1 Egg

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to around 190c, and line the trays (For the ones above I made 4 loads worth, but depends on the size. depths and quantity you want)

Method

• Mix both the Sugars and Butter until it has combined nice and fluffy.

• You then want to add the Almond Essence, Egg, Flour, Bicarbonate of Soda and Cinnamon.
• Once this has combined you want to add the Oats first, giving that a good mix then adding the Raisins. 
• Once all done simply spoon onto the tray (again all depends on how many you want to what size, for the about picture I used a tea spoon.)
• Bake for 7-12 minutes, until lovely and golden.
• Remove from the tray still on the lining to clear up that tray for the next load
• While they are still gooey you want to transfer them onto a wire rack (if you own one, my wooden chopping board does fine)
• And then enjoy hot or cold.

Christmas Cup Cake Recipe

Hello Everyone,

As I mentioned in my last blog I would be adding this little gem! And an added bonus for http://theicingonourcake.blogspot.co.uk/

Did you miss Stir Up Sunday on the 24th November? Want to buy a Christmas Cake but don't want the whole thing? Running out of Christmas present ideas? Well here is your answer. I came across this recipe 2 years ago and have tweaked it to what I prefer. So here we go tell me what you think! And if you make enjoy!

This recipe makes 24 Cup Cakes.

My Goodies for baking.

Ingredients

• 200g    Dark Muscovado Sugar,
• 175g    Butter (Chopped),
• 3          Large Eggs (Beaten in a cup),
• 200g    Plain Flour (Seived),
• 1/2tsp  Baking Powder,
• 1tsp     All Spice,
• 1tsp     Ground Cinnamon,
• 2tsp     Ginger (Freshly Grated),
• 2tsp     Almond Extract, or Brandy (what ever alcohol you like)
• 1          Large Orange Zest and Juice,
• 750g   Mixed Dried Fruit and Cherries, (I use 150g of Cherries)

You will need

• Scales,
• Spoons, a tablespoon and teaspoon,
• Measuring Spoons,
• Grater,
• Sieve,
• Fork (if you don't have a lemon/orange juicer),
• Sharp Knife (to chop the cherries/cut orange in half),
• Heavy Base Pan,
• Wooden Spoon,
• Mixing Bowls,
• 2x Cup Cake Pans,
• Mug
• and an Oven, which is the most important.

Preheat the oven at 150C or Gas Mark 3

As I know have a fan assisted oven, I will make these on the convection option (it's all new to me electric ovens) so I have put the oven on a lower temperature unlike what I cook on Gas!

First thing, is if your anything like me (or just moved into a new house) wash all your equipment, I would love the idea that I bake all the time and don't allow dust to settle on my mixing bowls but the reality is, it does. So before I bake anything I give objects that aren't used every day a good wash.

I found these wonderful cup cake cases from poundland, you heard me £1 a pack, no need for the expense of Lakeland, which I have paid out £4 for 50 before (I wish now I brought more).

Method

1:- Put your Sugar, Butter, Fruit, Ginger, Orange Zest and Juice into a large pan.

2:-Turn the heat on and slowly bring to a boil (picture on the left), stirring frequently to melt the butter.

3:-Reduce the heat and bubble gently for 10 minutes. Set to one side to cool before adding the Almond Extract, (as I'm making mine for all ages I usually don't add alcohol, but if you want to this is the stage to do it, so replace the Almond Extract, usually Brandy with Christmas Cakes).

4:- Stir in the Eggs into the Fruit, if the mixture is to hot you will scramble, I usually after 5 minutes move the mixture into a heat proof bowl to help cool it.

6:- Sift in the Flour, Baking Powder and Spices into the Fruit. Stir everything together (picture on the right).

7:- Scoop into cases and flatten tops with a hot spoon, I boil the kettle and pour boiling hot water in a mug. I then place the teaspoon in the mug to heat it.

8:- Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden and firm. Cool on a wire rack and if you have invested in one like myself then a chopping block I guess works.

Decoration

Ingredients

• Ready to Roll Marzipan,
• Ready to Roll White Icing,
• Icing Sugar,
• and Orange Marmalade 

You will need

• Rolling Pin,
• Brush,
• Sieve,
• Knife,
• Cutter,
• and a Pan.

Method

9:-To make life easier for myself, I got out my cookie cutters and found one that sat perfect on the cakes. And yet again wash it before properly using (pre-washed before the photo!)

10:- Follow what the packet says, which basically states, knead  before use, sprinkle counter with Icing Sugar and roll and cut.

11:- To make them stick I have used Orange Marmalade, this is where you can add more alcohol if you want but as stated I'm making it non-alcoholic. Place the Marmalade into the pan and warm slightly, using the brush, brush a small amount on the cake, enough the cover the surface but only a thin layer. The Marmalade is there as a glue not a part of it. Place the Marzipan on the cake and use your fingers to cover, don't worry if it looks perfect, this will be hidden.

12:- Follow the same idea for the White Icing. But with this try to make it perfect, but if it doesn't don't worry as you can see I have lumps where the cakes aren't flat, but there unique and homemade! This is what makes it different.

I was originally going to use chocolate stars, but after a small miss calculation I have only 24 of them and 48 cakes! So I think I will be pulling out my Cocoa Powder and attempt to dust on the cakes......Not sure yet to be honest.

To pack these I have brought 10x boxes from Ebay designed for 12 cupcakes, I choice a basic brown as they can use them again if they want as mine are presents, but for what it is don't spend a fortune, I just brought some ribbon from Poundland to and I have some labels, all you need.

So there it is, I hope you

Merry Christmas

xxxx

Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

As requested by theicingonourcake.blogspot.co.uk/, i'm going to share a cake recipe that I experimented with and turns out to be everyone's favorite cake.

I am a lover of baking and find it very relaxing. I make many different things but this cake is nice and simple but is a show stopper.

I forgot the Cocoa Powder in the pic WOOPS!

INGREDIENTS 

4oz Self Raising Flour

4oz Butter

4oz Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

1tsp Baking Powder

2tbsp Cocoa Powder

1/2tsp Peppermint (for both Cake and Ganche)

300g Dark Chocolate

300g Double Cream

One Bag of White Chocolate Chips

Mint Chocolate Thins

Chocolate Flakes

EQUIPMENT

Most importantly an oven

Cake tin

Grease-proof paper

Cake board

A flat knife

Measuring Spoons

Sieve

Mixing Bowl and whisk

METHOD

I am a Delia Smith and completely believe in her sponge cake mixture! So if all fails pull out Delia and follow her basic Victoria Sponge Recipe lol.

How I make my sponges are in 2 separate halves instead of making one big cake and cutting in half.

Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.

 CAKE

To start you want to pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3, Grease and Line your tin.

In a bowl mix the Butter and Caster Sugar together.

Mix the Eggs into the Butter and Sugar ONE at a time.

Sieve the Self Raising Flour a bit at the time, until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Add into the mixture the Cocoa Powder and Baking Powder.

Then finally add the Peppermint Essence, it might not seem much but you want the flavor to be there but not WOW that is MINTY!

In the bottom cake add the bag of White Chocolate Chips, so that it sits nicely and when you put the top cake on the Ganche will not sit lumpy.

I am a blind baker, I bake by smell and not timings, but usually around 20mins, you should be able smell the beautiful cake and touch it with springing back.

My baked cakes!

I usually let the cakes cool in the cakes tin, they then retain the moisture, I think....it just makes it better lol.

TOPPING

In a non stick pan put the Double Cream, Dark Chocolate and 1/2tsp Peppermint Essence  in a warm up on a LOW heat

Wait until the Dark Chocolate Melts then take off the heat and pour into a bowl.

Cover with Cling Film, to stop any insects trying to enter the chocolaty goodness. Put to one side for ONE to TWO hours, until it has set a little.

Give the chance a stir before applying, with a Big Spoon, put TWO big blobs of Ganche on the bottom sponge and spread out. Then put the top piece on.

Using your Flat Knife added the Ganche to the side of your cake, do not worry about making a mess you can clean that up with a piece of kitchen towel. Then add the rest of the top and make it all nice a smooth.

To add my Mint Chocolate Thins I did keep them in the fridge so they are hard to make it easier cut into two. Put them on the cake like it was a clock face, adding the Chocolate Sprinkles on last.

Finished Cake

I hope you like the cake as much as my friends and family do.

And remember to check out theicingonourcake.blogspot.co.uk/

Bye!