Baked Sweet & Salty Caramel Chocolate Cake

Oh this cake is good, really, really, really good, chocolate caramel soaked cake, with caramel chocolate ganache and more of that glorious caramel drizzled on top, this cake is epic.

You will notice the recipe says nothing about drizzling caramel on top of the cake but I wasn't letting a drop go to waste and since I had already eaten a good 3 tablespoonfuls and added extra in between the layers, I decided a drizzle would be just perfect.  This caramel is the best I have ever tasted, I was utterly floored by it's deliciousness.

I'm yet to find a recipe from the Baked boys that I'm not crazy for, this cake may sound over sweet but it is far from it, the dark chocolate, sweet and salty ratio is perfect and combines to create a delightfully adult sweet treat.  It is not the simplest cake but nor the most difficult and looks mightily impressive once sliced.  My ganache came out significantly darker than pictured, I'm assuming this is probably to do with the chocolate I used, which was of very high quality.

Sweet & Salty Caramel Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Makes one 8-inch 3-layer cake

For the Cake:

 3/4 cup cocoa powder

 2/3 cup sour cream

 2 2/3 cups cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

 1 cup dark brown sugar

 3 large eggs

 1 tablespoon pure vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, 1 1/4 cups hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

3. In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

5. Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the Caramel:

 1 cup sugar

 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

 1/2 cup heavy cream

  1 teaspoon fleur de sel

 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

For the Caramel Ganache

 1 pound dark chocolate, chopped

 1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool

Directions

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. In another small saucepan add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest for 1 minute. Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Let cool 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute before stirring from the center until chocolate is melted.

4. Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium-high until mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes.

To Assemble the Cake:

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about 1/4 cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

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Baked Sweet & Salty Caramel Chocolate Cake

Dita's Spiced Mice Butter Cookies

I've been meaning to make these adorable little cookies ever since Dita Von Teese post a twit pic of some she has just baked. Yes that's right, Dita bakes!

Dita's kitchen is as adorable as her cookies and yes, I looked just like her whilst baking these this afternoon, in fact my heels were even higher.

These cookies are actually lovely! I really didn't expect them to be as yummy as they are, I love the combination of spices and would happily have one of these cute little spiced mice with my afternoon cup of tea. 

These would be fantastic to make with children, who would have a great time adding the little almond ears, currant eyes and noodle tails.

Dita’s Spiced Mice Butter Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

12 Tbsp Butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

For Making the Mice:

1 egg

Dried Currants

Sliced Almonds

Chinese Noodles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and mix. Add one egg and vanilla and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour and spices until combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and combine.

Measure 1 tbsp of dough and roll into an oval. Make one side a bit pointed to form the nose. Put the cookies on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Mix egg with 2 tbsp water to form an egg wash. Brush it on each of the cookies. Add almonds for ears, a Chinese noodle for a tail and cut a currant in half to form two eyes.

Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned.

I'm so glad I can cross these off my to-bake list and I hope the lovely Dita shares some more of her lovely recipes soon.

x x x

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Dita's Spiced Mice Butter Cookies

Buttercream Bakery Chocolate Cupcake Friday

I have had the most amazing day! I can't spill all yet but some big changes are afoot and I'm so excited, things are just going fabulously at the moment and I feel very lucky.

I thought I'd post a few recent chocolate cupcakes quickly before I finish of the gorgeous Lamb Hotpot we're having for dinner, it's smelling seriously yummy but I digress, lets get back to cupcakes.

First up are these sweet Mini Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles and mini silver dragees.

I love mini cupcakes and these looked particularly stylish, I love those mini silver dragees.

This next batch were subtle but sublime, I loved the colour scheme of these beautiful butterfly cupcakes.

The Navy Blue against the creamy buttercream is just lovely.

I also had another Alice In Wonderland batch to make this week, the designs are much the same as the last batch I made with a few alterations.

 The bunny ears are atop milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate buttercream and the 'Eat Me' labels are much small.  I also decided to add little yellow bows to the mini cupcakes instead of pink.  I think I prefer the labels a little smaller, what do you think?

How cute is the Love Turtle?

Such a sweetie.

Have a lovely weekend everyone. x

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Buttercream Bakery Chocolate Cupcake Friday

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars Recipe

I have, I'm sure mentioned Mr. P's obsession with Rice Krispie Treats on numerous occasions. I have also mentioned how incredibly irritating I find this, all Mr. P ever wants me to make is Rice Krispie Treats and as I so often tell him they are frustratingly simple to make. They take 5 minutes to put together and require no baking, which is the worst bit in my opinion. Needless to say your standard Rice Krispie Treats, as yummy as they are, do not fulfill my need for a serious baking fix.

These however are not your standard Rice Krispie Treats, oh no no no my friends, these are extreme, possibly gourmet Rice Krispie Treats.  With a layer of candied Rice Krispies on the base, a creamy peanut butter and milk chocolate middle and a luscious, glossy dark chocolate icing on top, these are grown up Rice Krispie Treats.

These bars are pretty rich so best cut into smallish squares, both Mr. P and I really liked them, although Mr. P said he would prefer a milk chocolate topping and I suspect he would really have prefered a normal Rice Krispie Treat.  I would have prefered a slightly thicker Rice Krispie layer myself as I felt the soft & rich to crispy ratio was slightly off.  I loved how beautifully these cut though and they wouldn't look out of place on an afternoon tea table, they are beautifully layered and ever so dainty.

As corn syrup isn't available in the UK I used equal amounts of golden syrup as a substitute.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars - Baked: New Frontiers In Baking

For the crispy crust:

1 ¾ cups crisped rice cereal

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the milk chocolate peanut butter layer:

5 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup creamy peanut butter

For the chocolate icing:

3 ounces dark chocolate (60% to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon light corn syrup

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

To make the crispy crust:

Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan.

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

Pour ¼ cup water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees F.

Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides. Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

 To make the milk chocolate peanut butter layer:

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan n the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

 To make the chocolate icing:

 In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.

Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. and pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread into and even layer. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the topping hardens.

Cut into 9 squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.

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Peanut Butter Crispy Bars Recipe

Hummingbird Bakery S'more Cupcakes Recipe

I am so pleased with my copy of Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days, it is a big book and far more extensive than the first Hummingbird Bakery book.  The book is full of recipes I'm dying to try, which is always a good sign and includes cupcakes, layer cakes, whoopie pies, tarts, muffins, loaf cakes and cheesecakes, all of which look delicious.

These gorgeous S'more Cupcakes of S'moreanne Cupcakes as Hummingbird Bakery calls them, caught my eye straight away and I'm so pleased I decided to make them because they are nothing short of glorious.  The chocolate cupcake base is lovely with a fantastic texture and the frosting and biscuit crumbs push these over the edge, I will certainly make these again.

I used the grill to brown the top of my cuppies and they came out perfectly, although the browning doesn't show up particularly well in these pictures.  I definitely Buttercream Bakery -ized these a bit and my look very different to the cupcakes in the book.  Mine are much bigger (I made 12 large cupcakes as apposed to 16 smaller ones) with lots more frosting and cake peeking out from the edges.

S'more Cupcakes 

 Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:

30g (1oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chilled

5 digestive biscuits

80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

280g (10oz) caster sugar

200g (7oz) plain flour

40g (1 1/2 oz) cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

240ml whole milk

For the topping:

200g (7oz) caster sugar

4 egg whites

100g (3 1/2oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids),

broken into squares, to decorate

Blowtorch (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas mark 3, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.  Use the finest blade of a cheese grater to shave the chilled chocolate, then set aside.  Crush the biscuits in a food processor with the blade attachment or in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt on a low speed until resembling fine breadcrumbs.

3. Mix the eggs and milk by hand in a jug, then pour three-quarters of this into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine.  Increase the speed to a medium and mix until smooth and thick.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture and keep mixing until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth.

4.  Fill each paper case two-thirds full with batter.  Sprinkle the chocolate shavings and three-quarters or the crushed biscuits on top of the cupcakes, reserving the remaining biscuit crumbs for later.

5. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch.  Leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

6. Put the sugar into a saucepan with 150ml of water and bring to the boil.  Meanwhile, using an electric hand whisk or freestanding mixer with paddle attachment, whisk the egg whites until foamy.

7. When the sugar has boiled for 5-10 minutes and reach the soft-ball stage, pour onto the beaten egg whites while mixing on a medium speed.  Once added, adjust the speed to high and whisk until the underside of the bowl feels lukewarm.  At this stage, the meringue should have increased in size and become, white, smooth and shiny.

8. Smooth the meringue on to the cooled cupcakes, then swirl into decorative spikes using a palate knife.  With a cooks' blowtorch, lightly brown the meringue to give it a baked appearance.  Alternatively, pop the cakes under a hot grill - but only for a few seconds, as the meringue will brown quickly and you don't want it to burn.  Decorate the cupcakes with biscuit crumbs and squares of chocolate.

I can't wait to try the Tiramisu Cupcakes, the Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake, the Coffee and Chocolate Loaf and the Butterscotch Marshmallow Bars.

x x x

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Hummingbird Bakery S'more Cupcakes Recipe

Random Recipe Challenge 2 - American Sticky Buns

Dom announced on his blog Belleau Kitchen that for this months random recipe challenge, the lovely Beatrice, daughter of fab foodie blogger Cooking Manu, would be choosing all our cookbooks for us.  Dom asked Beatrice to choose a number between 1 and 20, she choose 18.

The idea was to go directly to your book shelf and count from left to right (or from top to bottom) to the eighteenth book and from this book randomly choose a recipe.

I did so immediately and the 18th book on my shelf was....drum roll please...

A Piece of Cake by Leila Lindholm

It was a couple of weeks before I randomly opened the book to this recipe but I knew as soon as I picked this book it was going to be something using dreaded yeast!  I have attempted many goodies that include yeast, pizza dough is the only thing I can seem to get right! Hot cross buns, breads and buns like these have always come out the oven looking perfect but tasting like yeast and nothing but yeast! I hate that yeasty taste so much that I fear I have developed a slight phobia.

I prayed these sticky buns wouldn't taste yeasty and thankfully and rather amazingly they didn't! Yes success! Well actually not quite success, no these buns didn't taste yeasty but they weren't perfect either.  They tasted lovely, sugary, cinnamony and just how you would expect, it was the texture that disapointed me a little.  My buns didn't have that almost doughnut like quality, they were too cakey and just not quite right.

The whole point of the Random Recipe Challenge is to bake/cook recipes you wouldn't usually choose to make and in that respect I'm really pleased, perhaps now that I have successfully made something that uses yeast, not taste like yeast I will be more inclined to try other similar recipes in the future.

American Sticky Buns -

Recipe adapted from A Piece of Cake by Leila Lindholm

Makes 20 Buns

For the Buns:

300ml (1/2 pint) milk

50g (2oz) fresh yeast

135g (4 3/4 oz) caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

150g (5 oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 organic egg

660- 720g bread flour

Filling:

50g (2 oz) pecan nuts

50g (2 oz) walnuts

250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened

110g (4 1/4 oz) brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

100g (4 oz) raisins

Cream Cheese Glaze:

200g (7 oz) cream cheese

3 tbsp golden syrup

90g (3 1/2) oz icing sugar

zest of 2 limes

juice of 1 lime

For the Dough:

1.  Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat until 38 C (100F).

2. Sprinkle the yeast into a bowl and dissolve it in the milk, add sugar, salt, butter and egg.

3. Add some flour, a little at a time, and mix to a silky and elastic dough.

4. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Filling:

6.  Crush the nuts coarsely in a pestle and mortar and mix with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins to a smooth paste.

7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle.  Spread the filling evenly over the dough.  Roll up the dough like a Swiss roll and cut into slices about 1.5cm thick.

8. Place buns, seam side down, on a buttered baking tray.  Use your thumb to press down the centre of the buns.

9. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

10. Leave the buns to prove under a tea towel for 45 - 60 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

11. Brush the buns with beaten egg and sprinkle with pecan nuts and demerara sugar.  Bake in the centre of the oven for about 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

12. Mix together the cream cheese, syrup and icing sugar and add the lime zest and juice.

13. Beat the mixture until fluffy. Drizzle the glaze over the buns once they have cooled a little.

14.  Leave to cool completely and then pull the buns apart.

I'm loving the Random Recipe Challenge and can't wait for next months.

x x x

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Random Recipe Challenge 2 - American Sticky Buns

Buttercream Bakery Miniature Afternoon Tea Table Cake

Miniature Afternoon Tea Table Vanilla Layer Cake

This cake is tiny, with a diameter of just 11cm once iced and the little plates are just 3cm in diameter.

How cute is this cake?!

This little cake comes complete with plates of cucumber sandwiches, crust-less of course, gingerbread men, two plates of macarons, madeleines, Belgian waffles and pink wafer biscuits.

The cake is covered in light blue fondant, ruffled at the base to create the tablecloth, I think the little pink bows look gorgeous and really add to the overall look of the cake.

I honestly can't decide what plate is my favourite, the macarons and cucumber sandwiches are too sweet and I love the madeleines too, which even have that signature little hump.

Everyone who saw this cake was a little awe struck, including my client who utterly adored it and I'm really pleased with it, especially as it is my very first miniature afternoon tea table cake.  Something tells me I will be making many more, I'd like to do a larger cake that I could fit more plates on!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

x x x

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Buttercream Bakery Miniature Afternoon Tea Table Cake

Strawberry and Cream Ladyfinger Gateau

I wasn't entirely sure what to call this dessert, it is inspired by a Charlotte  but I didn't make it in a ring and it uses a lighter whipped cream crème patisserie rather than the traditional fruit puree and custard as a filling.

This is the first time I have made Ladyfingers or Biscuits à la Cuiller and they were utterly divine, I used the recipe from the stunning Laduree recipe book but adapted it slightly.  The original recipe calls for Potato Starch instead of Cornflour, unfortunately I can't find Potato Starch anywhere but I found many a recipe that uses Cornflour instead and I was really happy with the results.

I piped my ladyfinger batter into two 5 inch rounds as well as normal ladyfingers, I could have easily piped three rounds as I had plenty of ladyfingers left over after putting the cake together, (not that I'm complaining).

The two rounds were sandwiched together with whipped cream crème patisserie, ladyfingers fixed around the outside and I added another layer of whipped cream crème patisserie to the top before decorating with strawberries and a chocolate macaron, for good measure.  I decorated some of the strawberries with chocolate ganache and although I cut most of the strawberries in half I left a couple whole, as they look lovely on top. 

Obviously you don't need to be making a big fancy dessert to try this ladyfinger recipe, they are an utter joy to eat, they are dreamily light and fluffy and very simple to make.

I had no idea I liked ladyfingers so much, I've probably had one to many bad ones and didn't give them a second though.  I will definitely be making these again.

Biscuits à la Cuiller / Ladyfinger Recipe

Recipe adapted from: Laduree - Sucre

1/2 cup / 60g all purpose flour

1/3 cup / 60g cornflour

5 large eggs

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp / 125g caster sugar

1/2 cup / 60g icing sugar, for dusting

1 x Piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch / 10mm plain tip

1. Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F. Sift together the flour and cornflour.  Separate the egg whites from the yolks.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale.  In another large dry bowl, with a clean whisk, bring the egg whites to a foam.  Once they are white and frothy, add the remaining half of the sugar and continue to whip until firm.

3.  Immediately fold the sugar and egg yolk mixture into the whipped egg whites with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle the sifted flours over the mixture.  Gently combine: start with the spatula in the centre of the bowl, work up the sides of the bowl and bring the mixture back down towards the centre, all the while turning the bowl regularly.  Continue until you have a smooth and homogenous mixture.

4. Transfer the batter into the piping bag fitted with a plain tip.  On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pie strips 2 1/3 x 3/4 inch / 6 x 2 cm.

If you are making ladyfinger rounds: Draw two circles, your desired size onto parchment paper, turn over the paper and pipe in a spiral, working inwards and starting about 1cm from the circles edge, the mixture will spread.

5. Using a fine mesh sieve or sifter, sprinkle half the confectioners sugar over the piped batter.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes and dust the tops again with the remaining icing sugar.  Immediately place the sheet in the oven and bake for approx. 15 minutes, until the ladyfingers are lightly coloured.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

I baked my ladyfinger rounds for around 20 minutes but this will obviously depend on their size.

I halved the recipe below and folded the cooled Crème Pâtissière into equal amounts of whipped cream, before piping it onto my ladyfinger rounds.

Crème Pâtissière

6 medium egg yolks

125g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar

40g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

500ml (2 cups) milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

A little confectioners' sugar or butter

Step 1: Whisk the egg yolks and 1/3 of the sugar together in a bowl to a light ribbon consistency. Whisk in the flour thoroughly.

Step 2: In a pan, heat the milk with the rest of the sugar and the vanilla bean. As soon as it comes to a boil, pour it onto the egg yolk mixture, stirring as you go. Mix well, then return the mixture to the pan.

Step 3: Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously with the whisk. Let bubble for 2 minutes, then pour into a bowl.

Step 4: Dust the crème pâtissière with a veil of confectioners' sugar to prevent a skin forming as it cools, or dot small flakes of butter all over the surface. Once cold, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the vanilla bean before using.

Makes about 1 lb. 10 oz. (750 g)

Here is a fantastic chocolate macaron recipe for the decoration: Chocolate Macarons

Not only does this dessert look lovely but it also tastes divine, it is actually really light, which is dangerous because I'm sure I could eat the entire thing.

Happy Baking

...and eating...

x x x



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Strawberry and Cream Ladyfinger Gateau

Perfect Mini Caramel & Chocolate Eclairs Recipe

I was absolutely over the moon with these little Eclairs, the caramel ones, in particular were utterly perfect.

This Crème Pâtissière is the best I have ever made, I always mix my Crème Pâtissière with equal amounts of whipped cream and use this to fill my Eclairs.  It is in my opinion, much less heavy and much more delicious.

This is only the second time I've made Eclairs but I doubt I'll divert from this recipe any time soon.  Mr. Perfect just gave me 'the look' after his first bite of one of these babies, he the proceeded to sit down on the sofa, taking the entire plate of Eclairs with him.  Needless to say they lasted all of five minutes.

 I had plenty of caramel left over after making my Sweet & Salty Brownies so decided to use this to top half of my Eclairs. The chocolate Eclairs were gorgeous but the caramel really stole the show, they were absolutely breathtaking. I've included the caramel recipe below so you don't need to go hunting for it.

Chocolate & Caramel Eclairs 

 Recipe from Michel Roux's Pastry: Savory & Sweet

Choux Paste

Ingredients:

125ml (1/2 cup) milk

125ml (1/2 cup water)

100g (8 tbsp butter) diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

150g  (1 cup) all-purpose flour

4 medium eggs

Eggwash (1 medium egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk)

Crème Pâtissière

6 medium egg yolks

125g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar

40g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

500ml (2 cups) milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

A little confectioners' sugar or butter

Instructions:

Choux Paste

Step 1: Combine the milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar in a pan and set over low heat. Bring to a boil and immediately take the pan off the heat. Shower in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until completely smooth.

Step 2: Return the pan to medium heat and stir continuously for about 1 minute to dry out the paste, then tip it into a bowl.

Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon.

Step 4: Once the eggs are all incorporated, the paste should be smooth and shiny with a thick ribbon consistency. It is now ready to use. (If you're not using it immediately, brush the surface lightly with a little beaten egg to prevent a crust forming.)

Makes 40-50 little choux buns

Crème Pâtissière

Step 1: Whisk the egg yolks and 1/3 of the sugar together in a bowl to a light ribbon consistency. Whisk in the flour thoroughly.

Step 2: In a pan, heat the milk with the rest of the sugar and the vanilla bean. As soon as it comes to a boil, pour it onto the egg yolk mixture, stirring as you go. Mix well, then return the mixture to the pan.

Step 3: Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously with the whisk. Let bubble for 2 minutes, then pour into a bowl.

Step 4: Dust the crème pâtissière with a veil of confectioners' sugar to prevent a skin forming as it cools, or dot small flakes of butter all over the surface. Once cold, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the vanilla bean before using.

Makes about 1 lb. 10 oz. (750 g)

To Bake:

Preheat your oven to 200C.  Cut 2 large sheets of baking parchment and on each one draw 2 sets of 'track' lines with a 10cm gap - these will be your guidelines so your eclairs will all be roughly the same size.  Use the paper to line 2 large baking sheets - pen-side down.

Spoon your choux mixture into a piping bag with a 1cm wide nozzle, or into a disposable piping bag with a similar-size hole snipped off for piping. Pipe 2 rows of well-spaced, squashed 'S' shapes on each sheet between the guidelines 

 Bake, one tray at a time, on a high-ish shelf for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, poke a hole in the end of each bun, or using a small serrated knife or cake tester and return to the oven, upside-down, to dry out for 5 minutes until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

To Fill:

I like to mix my Crème Pâtissière with equal amounts of whipped cream, for a lighter filling.

To fill your Eclairs use a small nozzle if you're filling the buns through the holes you've pierced, or a large nozzle if you wish to split the buns in half. Carefully pipe the Crème Pâtissière or lightened Crème Pâtissière into each cooled bun - they should feel heavy once full. Arrange the buns on a wire rack and spread each with a little of your chosen icing (see below).

For the Caramel

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon fleur de sel

1/4 cup sour cream

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water, stirring them together carefully so you don’t splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350F (175 C), or until the mixture is dark amber in colour, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the cream (careful, it will bubble up) and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside to cool, before dipping the tops of your Eclairs into the caramel.

If you are making this caramel purely for eclairs please note that you will have plenty left over but it does keep well.

Chocolate Ganache

Melt 100g plain chocolate and 25g butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in 75ml double cream and 1 tbsp sifted icing sugar. Once cooled a little, dip the tops of your buns in the chocolate and leave to cool.

I have decided to master the art of patisserie but can't decide what to try next...any ideas?



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Perfect Mini Caramel & Chocolate Eclairs Recipe

Sweet and Salty Caramel Brownies Recipe

Oh heaven help me that's a good brownie!

I'm a massive sweet and salty fan and I adore the amazing book Baked Explorations so I was bound to be crazy for these glorious caramel filled brownies.

This recipe is described in the book as follows:

'It is brownie as fetish.  The Sweet & Salty Brownie is the Baked brownie in extreme, a decadence on par with other, more well known (and perhaps more respected) desserts...The caramel taste is more of a hint and less of an explosion, befitting this elegant dessert; the result is a fudgey-chocolatey-caramely brownie.'

The Baked boys go on to say that this is their most requested recipe and that doesn't surprise me, this is brownie deliciousness on steroids.  The caramel is glorious and the actual brownie extremely chocolatey, I adore the salty topping but left some plain as I rightly assumed hubby wouldn't.  It was great to compare the two and the added salt definitely brings out the fantastic taste of the salted caramel filling. 

If you love brownies you have to try this recipe, this is brownies at their most epic!

Sweet and Salty Brownies

Recipe from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

For the caramel filling :

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream

For the brownie :

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
11 ounces (311g) good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the filling :

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water, stirring them together carefully so you don’t splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350F (175 C), or until the mixture is dark amber in colour, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the cream (careful, it will bubble up) and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.

For the brownie :

 Preheat the oven to 350F (175′C).

Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light coloured metal 9 x 13 inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of the double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler, and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.

Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage, or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is a just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.

To assemble the brownie :

 Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern, taking care to make sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan or it will burn. Use your offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel and 1 teaspoon coarse sugar.

Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

This post has been added to Foodista's Best Brownies.

Best Brownies

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Sweet and Salty Caramel Brownies Recipe