baking

Baby Focaccia 3 Ways

baking

I fancied good old carbonara tonight and there’s only one thing you should have with that. Focaccia. Now mine aren’t just any old focaccia loaves. Oh no. These baby’s are perfectly sized with sea salt and rosemary, tomato and pesto and goats cheese and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. Try and get a hold of semolina flour(you can find it in most supermarkets) cause this is what will give you the beautiful holey structure, a signature of a good focaccia.

Ingredients

  • 400g strong white bread flour
  • 100g semolina flour
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 sachet dried yeast
  • ½ tbsp caster sugar
  • 350ml lukewarm water
  • olive oil to grease the bowl

For the toppings

  • 50g crumbled goats cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • balsamic vinegar
  • a couple of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1tbsp pesto
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • sprigs of rosemary

Measure out your water, yeast and sugar into a jug and give it a mix. We want this to be frothy before we start with the kneading. Weigh your flours onto a surface (or into a mixer with a dough hook attachment) and make a well in the middle. If making by hand, gradually add your yeast mix to the well, mixing with your hand and making sure you don’t lose any. When you’ve added all the water, knead the mix for about 5-10 minutes until you have a smooth dough. If using a mixer, mix on a slow speed for about 7 minutes. Once you have a dough you’re happy with transfer it into a large greased bowl and cover the whole thing with cling film. Most recipes suggest a wet tea towel but I find the cling film keeps in all of the moisture and doesn’t dry the dough out when it is no longer wet. Put the bowl in a warm place (in the airing cupboard, by the fire or by a radiator) and leave for about 30 minutes until doubled in size. When it’s ready, carefully tip out of the bowl being very careful NOT to knock out any of the air. Portion the dough into enough rounds for your tin (i used a muffin tin) and shape them with your hands ready to pop in the moulds. When they’re in, push down each round with your finger, making little wells for your toppings. Give all of them a sprinkle of salt and pepper then get to work on your toppings. Push sprigs of rosemary into some rolls. Sprinkle crumbled goats cheese over others and place tomato halves on a couple more. Don’t put your vinegar or pesto on these yet, they burn easily. Preheat your oven to 220C for a fan oven and 230C for a gas. When your oven is heating, prove your bread for a second time, so cover with cling film lightly, not as tight as before and leave until slightly larger in size. When the temperature is right, pop your buns in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops and bottoms are golden brown. When they’re ready take them out of the moulds, drizzle balsamic vinegar oven your goats cheese buns and your pesto(mixed with the olive oil) spooned over the tomato buns, and violà!

Banana loaf with M&M’s and chocolate chips.

baking

This is a really easy, really tasty banana loaf. It has a beautiful dense composition, keeps moist for a long time in the tin and the chocolate chips just take it to a whole new level. Try it out, you don’t have to have the chocolate in, I like hazelnuts with it, maybe some dates in there, totally up to you, but if you don’t like the chocolate in, why are you here??

Ingredients

  • 350g seriously ripe bananas (about 6/7)
  • 180g plain flour
  • 2 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 160g muscavado sugar plus more to sprinkle on top
  • 2 eggs
  • 40g melted butter
  • 200g chocolate chips, M&M’s or whatever you want in

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan, 180C for a gas. Next, in a mixing bowl whisk up your butter, sugar and eggs til pale and doubled in size. If you’re doing this by hand it might take a while, so get your muscles ready. In a separate bowl give your bananas a good mash and in another bowl have all of your remaining ingredients together, ready to go in. When the egg mix is ready, fold in your dry ingredients til you can no longer see any flour. Then fold in your bananas. Next transfer the mix into a greased tin mould (or any mould, mine was in a heart tin!) sprinkle over some extra sugar and get it into your oven for about 45 mins, check it at 30 and make sure it’s on the lowest shelf in the oven! Keeping it low will ensure you don’t burn the top before the rest of it is cooked, and the sugar just gives it an extra crunch. Leave to cool a little, don’t share it and enjoy!

Malt Chocolate Bourbon Biscuits

baking

Biscuits. A staple of the British diet. Everyone’s got a half open packet in the cupboard sitting there and getting soggy. Why not try making these? The classic chocolate bourbon biscuit with a beautiful malty twist.

Ingredients

For the biscuits

  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g chilled salted butter (cubed)
  • 125g muscavado sugar
  • 2 tbsp malt extract
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 tbsp milk

For the buttercream

  • 200g icing sugar
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 150g salted butter
  • 1 tbsp malt extract
  • 2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 160C for a fan oven, 170C for a gas. Get all of your biscuit ingredients into a mixer, food processor or big bowl. If you’re using a bowl, be prepared to put in a few minutes work! Keep going til the mixture is clumpy, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead til you have a smooth dough. Next roll out and cut into fingers about 1inch by 3 inches. Put them onto a baking tray and pierce with a down each side. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. In the meantime make your buttercream filling by placing all the ingredients in the mixer/food processor/bowl and mix until you’ve got a smooth creamy spread. If you want to be neat, use a piping bag. If you just want them in your mouth, use a knife and spread like your life depends on it! When your buttercream’s ready, get your biscuits in the oven for about 13-14 minutes. Just keep your eye on them, they can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. When the biscuits are ready, leave them to cool completely before filling with the buttercream and you’re ready to go!

Panettone & Galaxy pudding.

baking, pudding

So this is essentially a bread and butter pudding, just pimped. I had a leftover panettone loaf from Christmas that no-one’s touched so this was the perfect remedy. And Galaxy chocolate is just the best to cook with. It has the silkiest texture when it’s hot, the richest taste, and is just a good all rounder with everyone. Do not settle for anything less!

Ingredients

  • 1 large panettone loaf (but it would be delicious with a fruit loaf or similar too)
  • 1 250g bar of Galaxy chocolate (or use more…yeah, use more…)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 250ml double cream
  • 500ml milk
  • a little butter to spread onto the top layer of bread.
  • 1 tbsp demerera sugar

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan oven and 180C for a gas oven. Next, slice your loaf into 1cm-ish slices. Chop your chocolate into small squares. Eat a few. Now start assembling. Layer bread then chocolate, then bread then chocolate. Don’t butter these slices, the bread is rich enough to not need it. Then cut some smaller slices for the top and butter them (we want to sugar crust to caramelise in the oven, and that butter will help). Arrange them prettily on top but remember, the more angles you have, the more crunchy, sugary lusciousness you’re going to have, so layer the slices so they’re not flat (just like mine). Next make the custard mix. Just crack your eggs into a jug and give them a good whisk. Next add your vanilla extract, cream and milk. Give it another whisk and pour it over your bread, making sure you cover all of the top layer. When all of the custard mix is in, push the whole lot down with your hands, this’ll just make sure the bread is fully saturated and you don’t have any dry parts. When you’re ready to go, sprinkle over the sugar and chuck it in the oven for a good 45 minutes, checking it at 30. It’s ready to go when there’s no more wobble in the middle. I’d love to say the same for myself. Enjoy, anyhow!

Choc-a-block Brownies

baking

You need to make these brownies. Now. I’m not even kidding, these are the things missing in your life. You might not think there IS anything missing from your life, but i guarantee you, once the smell of these gooey chocolate-marshmallow squares fills your kitchen, you’ll understand.

Ingredients.

  • 250g soft butter
  • 115g soft brown sugar
  • 175g dark muscavado sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla flavouring
  • 4 eggs
  • 175g plain flour
  • 115g cocoa powder
  • 200g chopped galaxy chocolate
  • 100g mini marshmallows
  • 100g white chocolate chips
  • white chocolate stars to decorate (if you want to be fancy)

First thing you need to do is preheat your oven to 170C for a fan and 180C for a gas oven. Now, get your butter, sugars and vanilla flavouring into a food mixer, or into a big bowl ready for either a hand mixer or a big ole spoon and elbow grease if you’re feeling old-school. Get the mix really light and fluffy, this’ll make it easier to incorporate the eggs. Add your eggs one by one, then mix your flour, cocoa powder and extras by hand, it’s a really thick mix, so this last bit needs to be done with a spoon, just so you don’t over-mix. When the mixture’s ready, use a spatula to flatten it into a square tin lined with baking paper. Cook these babies for 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into it comes out clean. I know this next bit’s hard, but you’ve gotta let them cool for about 15-20 minutes before portioning, or it’ll just be a gooey mess! Put a picture on Instagram and enjoy!