Bircher Muesli Recipe

Well for regular visitors, you will notice that I haven't posted much lately. I have been busy with a new site - The Spa Man. I get to go to lots of spas, try new treatments and products and it's all rather grand. Check it out at www.thespaman.co.uk

I have been baking now and then but no new recipes - yet. I did pull together the recipe for my own version of Bircher Muesli. It's based on a Swiss doctor's breakfast cereal and is popular across the continent. I took a little picture - I eat it everyday for breakfast during summer. It's so easy. You make up a batch the night before, leave it in the fridge and hey presto - ready in the morning. Just add yoghurt and fruit.

The full recipe is on this link: click here

Caramel Frosted Banana Cake

I love banana cake. I love caramel. Put them both together (and a few fabulous ingredients) and you have a delicious, very more-ish cake to share with friends.






INGREDIENTS:

125g Butter
175g Light Brown Sugar
2 eggs
250g Ripe Mashed Banana
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 TBSP warm milk
150g Plain Flour
100g Self Raising Flour

FROSTING:

175g Dark Brown Sugar
100g Butter
1/4 tsp of sea salt
60ml Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
160g Icing Sugar

METHOD
Heat oven to 180C or 160C (fan oven). Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the mashed banana (use really ripe bananas). Combine the milk and bicarb soda in a cup, then add to the mixture. Sift the flour and then stir until everything is combined.

Spread the mix evenly over the base of the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 mins, checking with a cake skewer. When done, remove, allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out and cool on a cake rack.

To make the Caramel Frosting, combine the sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan, melting over a low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla and increase the heat, bringing the sauce to the boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, sift the icing sugar into the pan and whisk to make the frosting icing. Spoon or use an icing palette knife to ice the cake (top and sides).

Be My Valentine Brownies (Raspberry and Almond)

I wanted to create a special recipe to celebrate Valentine's Day. It simply had to involve chocolate and something red (to signify the heart). Strawberries wouldn't have worked in this bake, but raspberries, they are a perfect match with dark chocolate. Then it needed something else to give it that extra edge - a nut perhaps. I was going to side with walnuts - they are after all - good for the heart. But it didn't seem quite right. Then I settled on flaked almonds. Raspberry and almond are perfect bed fellows in a bake and so too are chocolate and almond, you find them in tarts and cakes the world over. So here they all happily join together in a Raspberry and Almond Brownie recipe for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

125g Butter
200g Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
175g Caster Sugar
125g Raspberries
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or Vanilla Extract)
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
150 g Plain Flour
50 g Flaked Almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (170 fan). Grease a 20cm x 30cm brownie tin. Line the base and sides with baking paper. Roughly chop the chocolate and butter and combined in a large saucepan and melt over a very low heat on the stove (stirring occasionally). Once melted - remove from the heat. Stir in the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla bean extract. Then stir in the the sifted flour and add the raspberries and almonds mixing carefully until combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the baking tin.

Bake for 17-20 minutes. Check it at about 17 minutes - you don't want to overcook it. It should be just firm to touch in the middle. Remove and allow to cool in the tin.

Cut into squares and share with your loved one on Valentine's Day.

Rhubarb love

Hurrah - forced rhubarb is back on our shelves! It's delicately pink, full of flavour and delicious for cooking and eating. I picked up a bunch at a farm shop in Buckinghamshire today and will prepare it in my usual way - braised slowly in the oven its own juices (and a sprinkling of sugar).

I used to always boil rhubarb with water and sugar and often ended up with a slimy mess that looked like phlegm. It tasted ok, but nothing like when its baked in the oven. I discovered this little secret from Dan Lepard who shared the method in his column in The Guardian. It's not rocket science but when measured and cooked correctly - you will never go back. So, hat's off to Mr Lepard here for the measurements.

800 g chopped rhubarb
100 g of caster sugar

Set oven to 170 degrees C or 150 degrees C (fan forced oven). Chop the rhubarb stalks into lengths about 3-4 cms long. Place the chopped rhubarb in a shallow baking dish so that it is about one layer deep and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Cover the dish with foil. Bake in a warmed over for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool with the foil on (to retain the colour and moisture).

I have shared this method with family and friends and it is what helped me on my winning way preparing the Rhubarb Pie on Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard. When I was in New Zealand I shared it with my friend Gwyneth and her Mum who have been baking the stalks in the same way. They took some of their homecooked stalks into Sugar Juice Cafe recently and the final result ended up on sale - The Rhubarb and Apple Shortcake and Rhubarb Dream Slice look to die for! Take a look at the pictures below.

Try this method and you will never boil rhubarb ever again.

Chocolate Coconut Slice

Chocolate Coconut Slice is a little bit like a brownie and and sort of like a tray bake. I was inspired by my trip to New Zealand to create this, I think you'll love it.







INGREDIENTS:

185g Butter
275g Brown Sugar
1 Egg
125g Plain Flour
1tsp Vanilla Extract
75g Self Raising Flour
75g Cocoa
75g Dessicated Coconut

For the Icing:

175g Icing Sugar
25g Cocoa
20g Butter (melted)

METHOD:

Grease and line a baking tin - 20cm x 30cm. Heat the oven to 180C/160C (fan). Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly. Mix together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla and beat it (by hand will do) until it becomes a little lighter in colour. Stir in the sifted flours and cocoa. Then stir in the coconut. When well combined, spread the mixture evenly across the base of the tin. 

Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes. Do not overcook, its should still be a bit squidgy in the middle. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin on a baking tray.

For the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Add a tablespoon of hot water if necessary. Spread over the slice and you can top with extra coconut (of desired). Cut and serve. Mmmm.

In praise of the slice

The baked slice is an unsung hero. They are fairly simple to assemble, don't usually require too much fuss, bake quickly and deliver fabulous results. Slices are not as popular in cafes and bakeries in the UK as they are Down Under. They are even more prolific in New Zealand. And what struck me was not only their popularity - it was their size. The slices in New Zealand are Mahoosive.

On a recent trip I rediscovered my love for the humble slice. Lots of them utilise a biscuit base or one that's a cross between a biscuit and brownie. I personally prefer biscuit/brownie cross myself and anything with chocolate and caramel - I'm sold. Consequently, most of the slices I indulged in were of this variety. The best - well my personal favourite was at a cafe in New Plymouth called Elixir. Served with a strong Flat Whie (what else?) I opted for the Caramel Brulee Slice (pictured above). It featured the said brownie/biscuit base with a thick layer of caramel and was dusted with a layer of sugar that was caramelised. It was pure heaven.

Down the road at Sugar Juice Cafe where my dear friend Gwenyth works there were nine slices on display (and they tell me that was less than normal). Sugar Juice is in Opunake and is worth the trip alone (head towards Taranaki from Wellington and follow the signs). I am reliably informed that Sharon creates lots of the slices. On this particular day she has turned her hand to a Dream Bar, Gooey Nutty Caramel Slice and the Chocolate Caramel Slice (pictured) amongst others.I was of course in heaven and grabbed a Chocolate Caramel Slice to go. It fed two people sufficiently. Divine.

So I have rekindled my love for the slice. The perfect slice is something that is an indulgent sweet treat, usually something you wouldn't have every day - but a spur of the moment decision, accompanied by the response "Oh go on then, one can't hurt."

Henceforth, my plan is to work on a few slice recipes of my own and share them. They will, I can assure you involve choclate and caramel. If you can't wait until then, check out Amazon for a selection of the Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks on the topic. Here's a link to one, but there's heaps in the series. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Slices-Australian-Womens-Weekly/dp/186396665X

The land of the long flat white

Flat White at Midnight Espresso

In the pursuit of great coffee I have searched far and wide and naturally that search should include New Zealand. The capital, Wellington, often referred to as the Capital of Cool was the first stop. It's widely reported that Wellington has more cafes per capita than New York and from what I found they are all excellent. Producing fine and fabulous Flat Whites, I was left buzzing for the whole stay. A truly Antipodean drink there is some dispute about which country actually invented the Flat White - was it Australia or New Zealand? My reading up on the subject could find no definitive answer, however, due to their virtual addiction of to the brew, lets settle on New Zealand for this post.

It is prepared by pouring microfoam  (steamed milk from the bottom of a pitcher) over a single or double shot of espresso. A quality cup is topped with a touch of barista art and comes in a small cup - so its not drowned by milk.

Midnight Espresso

If you want to sample the local Flat White in Wellington, head on down to Cuba Street a mix of pedestrianised shopping precinct and trendy cafes and a few bohemian shops. We were confidently recommended Midnight Espresso that's been around since 1989 and it didn't disappoint. It was strong, full bodied and bloody beautiful.

But it wasn't only Midnight Espresso that delivered the goods, every cafe we tried came up trumps. Fidel's Cafe (again on Cuba Street) was fab, Caffiend in Petone (up the road from Wellington) perked us up on a Sunday morning and the lovely Sugar Juice in Opunake (more to follow) was fab, we also loved Elixir in New Plymouth and indeed we never had a bad coffee in the week we were in the land of the long white cloud.

Breakfast at Kaffiend

If you google Flat White or New Zealand coffee there are lots of statistics to keep you occupied for an hour or so, the site I loved most was Kiwianarama - a sort of Kiwi Wikipedia - here's a link to check out: http://www.kiwianarama.co.nz/the-flat-white/

Ode to the ripped out recipe

Ripped out recipe - I love you so. But sadly can't remember where you came from. I adore this recipe for a Coffee Cake that is someone's Grandma's Coffee Cake. I can't attribute it as I have no idea where I ripped it out of. Even the magazine doesn't have a foot note or name on the bottom. It could be Woman and Home or Waitrose Magazine - but then again, I rip recipes out of all sorts of magazines, even when I'm not supposed to. So if anyone can recognise it. Here is is. It is truly spectacular and I highly recommend trying it. But I didn't want to retype or copy out as I have no idea where it came from.

Here is a picture of my version - authentically created and of course - DEVOURED. 

Converted

The advent of the internet is a wonderous thing. You can source recipes from around the world and are then faced with one conundrum - what does that ingredient, oven temperature or weight measurement convert to.

The most baffling I find are the older Australian Women's Weekly Recipe Books. For example - cook in a moderatley hot oven. Moderately hot according to who? Well it is actually translated in the back of the books - but why not simply say in the recipe? They have obviously responded and in the newer books they do state the actual oven temperature. For your information a moderately hot oven is 190-200 C - but then what does that covert to in a fan oven.?

It's a minefield!

So I found a fabulous link to save headaches and troubles. The BBC Good Food Covnersion chart and here's the link. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/conversion/

It will hopefully save a few minutes in the kitchen and a lot of confusion when baking.

Storm in a cupcake

Situated in the sweetest little shop that looks like it's out of a fairy tale or kids storybook is Storm in a Cupcake. Specialising in cupcakes (it's all in the name) it features themed and seasonal cupcakes to eat (what else would you do with them). I particularly like the Christmas cupcakes and the Candyman collection that sees vanilla cupcakes topped with fabulous retro sweets. X Factor, Paris Fashion Week and Universal Music are all said to be fans and I am sure you will be too. They offer a bespoke service or the ready to eat ranges. I like ready to eat - as they can be scoffed as soon as you see them - preferably in large quantities.


Storm in a Cupcake Bakery,
The Toll House, 42 Cremorne Rd,
Chelsea, London SW10 0PE

www.storminacupcake.com

Cake Boy strikes again

Master patissier Eric Lanlard, the star of Channel 4's Baking Mad, is bringing his Cake Boy boutique to GILT Cocktail Lounge at Jumeirah Carlton Tower from 14-15 December. GILT is a fabulous space on the ground floor of the hotel and suits this style of pop-up perfectly. The pop-up shop, open from 11am-4pm, will sell a range of treats including Christmas cupcakes, boxes of mini mince pies and Eric’s twist on the traditional Christmas cake. The celebrated pastry chef will be personally manning the Cake Boy pop-up on both days (so you get to meet him and he is lovely) and signing copies of his best-selling Home Bake and Tart It Up books. The “I Love Paris” afternoon tea (pictured here) costs £40 per person or £45 per person with a glass of champagne, excluding service charge. Bookings can be made via the Jumeirah Carlton Tower website.

www.cake-boy.com / @eric_lanlard
www.jumeirahcarltontower.com / @JumeirahCT

National Baking Week

Every week seems to be a national week for this and that. Most go by with a side ways glance - maybe a laugh or two. But National Baking Week - now that speaks volumes to me. And it is no accident that it's taking place in the week of all weeks - the final of the Great British Bake Off. I had Brendan down to be the winner. He was more technically consistent throughout the show, but the judges decision is final and who can argue with Mary and Paul.

So, National Baking Week - it runs 15th - 21st October and was established to encourage Britain to get baking. Now I don't think there is much trouble with that. Every where you look there's a new baking book, baking class or recipe in a magazine. But is it simply a case of food porn - you look but don't touch? What you really need to do is don the apron and get your hands in. I was working in an office the other day and most people claimed they were no good at baking. I was taken aback. Isn't everyone good at it? Perhaps they haven't tried lately. Or perhaps they haven't followed the recipe. That's all there is to it. It ain't hard - it just requires a little discipline. So in the spirit of National Baking Week. Get to it.