Baking and Desserts

Name: Creme Egg Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 12 cakes

April 10, 2020

Creme Egg Cupcakes

Have fun this Easter with these Creme Egg Cupcakes!

Creme Egg Cupcakes

Prep 15 mins

Cook 2 mins

Total 17 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 12 cakes

Made with Cadbury's Creme Eggs, for a egg-stra special treat this Easter.

Ingredients

125g caster sugar

125g unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature

2 eggs, beaten

100g self-raising flour (or plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder)

25g cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

12 large Crème eggs, unwrapped

For the vanilla frosting

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

250g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

To decorate

12 mini Crème eggs, unwrapped

Instructions

Place the large Crème eggs into the freezer. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Beat the sugar and butter or margarine together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the eggs and a tablespoon of flour at a time. Sift in the rest of the flour and the cocoa powder and mix well. Stir in the milk and mix again.
Put one spoonful of the cupcake mixture into each paper case. Take the Crème eggs out of the freezer and place one whole egg into the case, pressing it down gently into the mixture. Put another spoonful of the cupcake mixture on top of each egg. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently even out the cupcake mixture in the case, so that the top of the Crème egg is just showing.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the cupcakes out of the oven, let them cool in the tin slightly and then place them onto a wire rack.
To make the vanilla frosting, beat the butter for a few minutes until it is pale and creamy. Slowly add in the icing sugar until it is all incorporated and beat for a few minutes. Add the vanilla, followed by the milk to loosen the mixture slightly. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round-holed nozzle.
Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake and decorate each cake with one mini egg, cut into two halves.

Courses Dessert

Hot Cross Buns with a Maple Glaze

Hot Cross Buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday are an Easter staple. They are fairly straight-forward to make and are well worth having a go at as they’ll be much tastier than a supermarket version. These have the added bonus of another Easter staple – chocolate!

I have also topped my buns with a delicious maple glaze and of course the obligatory cross over the top which is made with a mixture of flour and water.

A couple of tips:

Yeast does not like hot liquid, so make sure that the milk and butter mixture has cooled back to room temperature before adding to the dry ingredients
Adding the chocolate chunks in after the first prove will help to keep them from melting.

1 vote

Hot Cross Buns with Chocolate Chunks and Toffee Glaze

Prep 30 mins

Cook 15 mins

Inactive 49 mins

Total 1 hour, 34 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 12 buns

Hot cross buns just got better. Try my modern, tasty version, with cinnamon and dried fruit, as well as chocolate chunks and a delicious toffee glaze to finish them off perfectly.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter

200ml whole milk, at room temperature

500g strong white flour, plus a little extra for the board

7g fast-action dried yeast + 1 tsp sugar

50g caster sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

75g mixed peel

75g sultanas

Zest of one orange

2 eggs (one to glaze the buns)

1 tsp vanilla bean extract or powder

A pinch of sea salt

A little vegetable oil to grease the proving bowl and tray

100g chocolate chunks

For the crosses

100g plain flour

2-3 tablespoons water

For the toffee glaze

55g unsalted butter

125g light Muscovado sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and leave to cool, then pour the butter into the milk and set to one side to cool.

2. Tip the yeast into a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of cold water and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix and leave to froth.

3. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the frothy yeast, caster sugar, cinnamon, mixed peel, sultanas, orange zest, one beaten egg, the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.

4. Using a fork, stir the ingredients to combine them, then slowly add the cooled melted butter and milk mixture. The butter and milk mixture should not be hot, otherwise it will kill the yeast. Bring together using your hands until a ball of dough forms. Add a little extra milk if the dough seems dry.

5. On a floured board, knead the dough for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a large bowl with a little oil and place the ball of dough into the bowl, covering with cling film. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place for 60 minutes.

6. After 60 minutes, the dough should have doubled in size. Tip it out onto a floured board and punch the dough back to knock out any excess air. Tip the chocolate chunks onto the dough and work them in, kneading slightly again for about a minute.

7. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each ball into a bun shape, flattening it slightly. Lightly grease a large baking tray with oil and then lay the buns in the tray. They should be almost touching. Cover with a cloth and leave them to prove again for 30 minutes.

8. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8.

9. To make the crosses, mix the plain flour with water and bring it together to form a dough. Knead until smooth then roll out onto a floured board. Using a knife, cut 12 long strips, around 0.5cm in thickness and then cut each strip in half to make 24 pieces. Carefully place the dough strips onto the buns and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

10. To make the toffee glaze, melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan and stir well. Take the sauce off the heat. Once the buns are baked, brush the tops with the toffee sauce and serve whilst warm.

Notes

Yeast does not like warm liquid, so make sure that the milk and butter mixture has cooled back to room temperature before adding to the dry ingredients. Adding the chocolate chunks in after the first prove will help to keep them from melting.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine British

No-Bake Crème Egg Cheesecake

This is a simple no-bake, get-ahead dessert, perfect for your Easter table.

1 vote

No-Bake Crème Egg Cheesecake

Prep 20 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 8 portions

This is a simple no-bake, get-ahead dessert, perfect for your Easter table.

Ingredients

For the base

200g digestive biscuits, crushed into very fine crumbs

100g melted butter, unsalted

For the cheesecake topping

300g full fat cream cheese

200g Mascarpone Italian cheese

4 tbsp icing sugar

100ml double cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large Crème eggs, unwrapped

3 mini Crème eggs, unwrapped, to decorate

Instructions

1. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with a circle of baking parchment. In a mixing bowl, mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter until you have a sandy consistency. Tip the crumbs into the tin and press down firmly with the back of a metal spoon until your base is flat. Refrigerate while you make the topping.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk, beat together the cream cheese, Mascarpone cheese and icing sugar until well combined. Add the double cream, along with the vanilla extract and whisk again.

4. Spoon the topping onto the biscuit base and smooth down with a spoon or palette knife. Carefully slice the Crème eggs in half and arrange the eggs, pushing them into the cheesecake topping, so the tops are visible. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. To remove the cheesecake from the tin, sit the cheesecake in some hot water (make sure it down not reach the top of the tin) and then gently unlock the sides or ease it out. Before serving, decorate the centre of the cheesecake with mini Crème eggs

Notes

Use a sharp knife dipped in boiling water when you slice the cheesecake to give you clean slices.

Courses Dessert

Polish Easter Babka

A traditional, yeasted, Polish Easter Babka cake – Babka Wielkanocna

Jump straight to the recipe

I have always found Easter to be full of mystery, tradition and ritual. In some ways, the signs and symbols all around us at this time of year are simple and universal; eggs, representing new life, buds bringing with them the promise of spring. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find theories on how the Christian celebration of Easter is said to have been influenced by the early pagan celebrations and spring fertility rituals. The name itself, Easter, is a derivative of the German Ostern. However, the Greek and Latin name for Easter is Pascha, a celebration specifically celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, though there are also symbolic and historical links to the Jewish holiday of Passover. It’s fascinating how our cultures have adapted, acquired and assimilated various rituals and traditions.

Rebirth

There are many folk customs associated with Easter, especially evident in Slavic cultures and linked to the Slavic festivals of spring. The painting and gifting of eggs, the preparation of an Easter basket, as well as the slightly more peculiar traditions of hanging a herring on a dry branch (herrings are also traditionally eaten on Good Friday and by Poles, at the Easter Sunday table) or soaking one another with water on Easter Monday.

In Poland, Easter provides the opportunity for a big feast following six weeks of Lenten fasting; churches, homes and streets are decorated with displays of colourful flowers, palms and intricately painted eggs. On Easter Saturday, Poles prepare their baskets (read more about how to make an Easter Święcone basket over on Ania’s blog here) filling them with food such as boiled and coloured or painted eggs (pisanki), ham or cured meat (kiełbasa), salt (sól) butter (masło), bread (chleb) and a sweet cake, such as a Baba or Babka. The basket is blessed by the priest on Easter Saturday and then eaten together for breakfast on Easter Sunday. Each item within the basket has a symbolic meaning – Eggs: new life or Christ’s Resurrection, Butter (often shaped into a lamb): goodwill, Kiełbasa or ham: God’s generosity, joy and abundance, Salt: necessary for life, Bread and Babka: symbolic of Jesus who is the bread of life.

The Easter traditions we look forward to the most as a family are our Polish Easter customs, particularly the preparation of the Polish Easter basket, which happens to also involve baking a traditional Babka, or a Mazurek cake, or perhaps a poppy seed roll or even a baked Easter cheesecake. Of course, in our home, the odd hot-cross bun is also consumed, the Easter bunny visits the children and even as adult, I look forward to collecting my very own stash of milk chocolate eggs – a ritual I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of.

A quote that I read today, shared by a friend, really struck a chord this morning:

“Rituals are how civilizations preserve their memory, keeping faith with those who came before us and handing on their legacy to the future.” R. Sacks

I’d love to hear how you are celebrating and if you are in the mood for a spot of Easter baking, perhaps you’ll give my Polish Easter Babka a go.

In my cookbook Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes, you can also find a recipe for Mini Lemon Babkas.

This Polish Easter Babka (Babka Wielkanocna) enriched with eggs and studded with dried fruit and raisins, has a sort of brioche-like texture. This recipe is made with yeast (the rising agent) and therefore requires two periods of proving (though no kneading) and is a lovely project to have a go at over the Easter holidays.

1 vote

Polish Easter Babka

Prep 15 mins

Cook 30 mins

Inactive 1 hour, 40 mins

Total 2 hours, 25 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 8

Almost every household in Poland will be enjoying a traditional Easter Babka this weekend. Usually, a small piece of the Babka (or even a whole Babka) is placed into the Easter basket, along with boiled and painted eggs, butter, ham or cured meat, salt and bread which is blessed on Easter Saturday and enjoyed for breakfast on Easter Sunday. I hope you’ll enjoy this tradition of making a Babka, and maybe even a basket over the Easter weekend.

Ingredients

125ml/ 1/2 cup milk
115g/½ cup butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
2 tsp fast action/instant yeast + 4 tsp lukewarm water + 1 tsp granulated sugar
4 large eggs
180g/½ cup caster/fine sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean extract
120g/ 1 cup all-purpose flour, ideally ‘00’ pasta flour or fine cake flour
120g/ 1 cup potato flour (available at the Polish shop) or cornflour
150g/ 1 cup raisins
1 orange, peeled
1 lemon, peeled

Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

In a small pan, bring the milk to the boil then take off the heat and leave to one side. Add the butter to the milk and allow it to melt.
In a jug, mix the yeast with lukewarm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir or whisk until dissolved and set to one side. It should begin to bubble.
In a stand mixer or a large bowl, beat the eggs for five minutes until creamy to incorporate lots of air. Add the caster sugar, a pinch of salt and vanilla and mix well. Add the milk and butter mixture, along with the dissolved yeast and mix well. Stir in the flour, raisins and orange and lemon peel and mix to combine.
Cover the bowl with cling-film and leave in a warm place for an hour - first rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease your cake tin well with plenty of butter.
Carefully pour the dough into the tin, cover again and leave for 30-40 minutes - second rise.
Remove the cling-film and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. The Babka should be golden and a cake tester should come out clean.
Leave the Babka to cool in the tin. Once cool enough to handle, transfer it out onto a plate and dust with icing sugar. The Babka will keep well in a tin for up to 2 days.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Polish

Happy Spring!

Carrot Gingerbread Cake

This recipe is taken from Veggie Desserts + Cakes – Carrot Cake and Beyond by Kate Kackworthy, with permission from Pavilion Books. Kate writes at Veggie Desserts.

7 votes

Carrot Gingerbread

Author Kate Hackworthy Veggie Desserts + Cakes

Yield 20

"These chunky slabs of gingerbread are rich, dark and elegantly spiced. I’ve added lots of grated carrot to make them extra moist, and it blends beautifully with the treacle and ginger. Although this old-fashioned classic takes a while in the oven, it is very easy to make. For extra decadence, serve the gingerbread with hot custard, although a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would also team up very well." Kate Hackworthy

Ingredients

200g/7oz/scant 1 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
200g/7oz/scant 1 cup light soft brown sugar
200g/7oz/2⁄3 cup black treacle (molasses)
375g/13oz/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
250ml/8½fl oz/1 cup whole milk
150g/5¼oz carrot (1½ medium carrots, peeled, grated)
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/320°F/gas 3. Grease and line a 23 x 30mm/9 x 12in baking pan with baking parchment.
Heat the butter, sugar and treacle in a pan, stirring, until smooth and melted. Leave to cool slightly.
Sift the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the milk, carrot, beaten egg, stem ginger and treacle mixture and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour until well risen and springy in the middle.
Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

I increased the heat to Gas Mark 3.

Courses Dessert

Veggie Deserts and Cakes, Carrot Cake and Beyond is published by Pavilion Books, RRP £14.99.

July 11, 2017

Easy Chocolate Trifle

The chocolate trifle is an absolute joy of a recipe. You can use almost any chocolate cake as a base – the recipe suggests chocolate muffins, but we used chocolate swiss roll. You add chopped bananas and white chocolate buttons, and then pour over some marmalade (let down with water) in place of jelly.

The really fun part is making your own chocolate custard. I was a bit daunted by this, but it was actually really straight forward. I’ve made it three times now, and have had no curdling at all. If you can master the custard recipe, you’ll always have this on hand to make for pouring over sponge puddings, or crumbles. You can leave the chocolate out and add a little vanilla for a plainer option, too. Or, simply use any custard you have at home.

Here’s the recipe by Simon Rimmer.

*I’ve made a couple of changes – I think you can get away with half a jar of marmalade and also, I leave the custard as it is and don’t stir in the whipped cream as there’s plenty of cream on top.

1 vote

Chocolate Trifle

Prep 30 mins

Inactive 13 mins

Total 43 mins

Author Simon Rimmer for Eat the Week

Yield 8 portions

An indulgent home-made trifle using chocolate roll or muffins, fresh bananas, marmalade and buttons topped with a fresh chocolate custard and a mascarpone-vanilla cream. Perfect for playdates or to feed a crowd or a big family.

Ingredients

3-4 large chocolate muffins or one large chocolate swiss roll

Good glug of brandy (optional, leave out if making for kids)

2-3 bananas – sliced

75g white chocolate buttons

1/2* jar of orange marmalade – let down with 100ml hot water

Fresh Custard

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

40g flour

300ml double cream

100ml milk

150g dark chocolate – chopped

200ml double cream – whipped (optional)

Topping

250ml double cream – softly whipped

250g mascarpone cheese

1 vanilla pod – seeds scrapped

To decorate – 100s and 1000s

Instructions

Break up the muffins or slice the chocolate swiss roll and put into a trifle bowl. Add a good glug of brandy, if using.
Add the banana slices, chocolate buttons and then pour over the let-down marmalade.
Custard – whisk the egg yolks and sugar and flour together.
Bring the cream and milk to simmering point and then pour over the egg mix, a little at a time, whisking together well until smooth.
Put the custard mixture back into the pan with the dark chocolate and stir until chocolate melts and the mixture thickens. Do this over a very low medium, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes. Transfer into a cool bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to cool completely.
Once cool, fold in the whipped cream, if using. Pour the custard over the sponge/bananas/buttons.
Topping – mix the cream, mascarpone and vanilla together until well combined. Pipe or spoon over the top and sprinkle with 100s and 1000s.

Notes

1 jar of marmalade reduced to 1/2 jar

Courses Dessert

Cuisine British

I hope you get to try this recipe, or any of the others from Eat the Week – I have loved them!

With thanks to Iceland Foods for commissioning this post #ad

May 25, 2017

Coconut, Pistachio and Goji Berry Granola Bars

You can read my full review of Packed, by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake, published by Nourish Books here. Today, I’m happy to be sharing one of my favourite recipes from the book, Coconut, Pistachio and Goji Berry Granola Bars, from the Get Up and Go chapter. These bars perfect for mid-morning munchies or an afternoon snack. I’ve also made these with dried cranberries and raisins, in place of goji berries, but goji berries pack the most punch!

Recipe and image shared with the permission of the publisher. Image by Haarala Hamilton.

Goji Granola Bars Haarala Hamilton — Photo: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton

1 vote

Author Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake

Yield 8 bars

Easy to rustle up, these bars are a good option when you need to eat breakfast on the go or for an afternoon snack. Almond, cashew or macadamia nut butters all work well to add protein and flavour.

Ingredients

100g/3 1/2 oz/ 1 cup jumbo/rolled oats
50g/1 3/4 oz/ 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp honey (I use raw honey)
2 tbsp nut butter (of choice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp raw, shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
50g/1 3/4 oz/ 2/3 cup desiccated coconut/dried shredded coconut
2 tbsp dried goji berries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 23 x 15cm/9 x 6 inch shallow baking pan with baking/parchment paper. Spread the oats thinly over the parchment and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Put the oil, honey, nut butter and vanilla extract in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and heat gently until well combined and the oil is melted.
Stir in the baked oats until well coated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Tip the mixture back into the baking pan and press down firmly using damp hands.
Put in the fridge for 1 hour, or until firm, and then cut into 8 bars. Wrap each bar in parchment to take to work. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Notes

"Packed with...Vibrant red and intensely flavoured, the goji berry is rich in carotenoids and antioxidents that help to protect our eyes from damage. They are a little pricey, but they keep well and you only need to add a small amount to bars, porridge/oatmeal, granola or salads to reap their health benefits."

Courses Breakfast, or lunchtime snack

Cuisine British

Recipe and image shared with the permission of the publisher. With thanks to Nourish Books, Becky and Michelle.

December 15, 2016

Lemon & Poppy Seed Baked Cheesecake

A light and airy baked cheesecake, perfect with a cup of lemon tea .

1 vote

Lemon, Rose and Poppy Seed Baked Cheesecake

Prep 25 mins

Cook 60 mins

Total 85 mins

Yield 8

A baked cheesecake, flavoured with lemon zest, rose, cardamom and vanilla, dotted with poppy seeds.

Ingredients

For the flavoured sugar:

200g caster sugar
1 tsp dried rose petals
2 whole cardamom pods
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 whole vanilla pod, optional

For the cheesecake:

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g flavoured sugar (as above) or use caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean extract or the seeds from one pod
6 eggs, separated
500g curd cheese (or Polish white cheese, Twaróg)
500g ricotta cheese
3 tsp cornflour or potato flour
25g poppy seeds

Instructions

To make the flavoured sugar, mix the caster sugar with the rose petals, cardamom pods and lemon zest. Tip it out onto a tray lined with baking to allow the lemon zest to dry out. Leave for a couple of hours at room temperature and then transfer to a sealed container. You can also add a whole vanilla pod. This can be made up to a week in advance. Remove the two whole cardamom pods and vanilla pod before using.
Pre-heat the oven to bake the cheesecake to 180C.
Using an electric beater or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for five minutes until it is pale and creamy. Remove the cardamom and vanilla pods from the flavoured sugar and slowly add the sugar to the butter, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla bean seeds from the pod, or one teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again.
Add in the egg yolks, one by one and mix until incorporated.
Add the curd cheese and ricotta cheese. Beat well until smooth.
In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peak stage. Once stiff, using a metal spoon, gently fold the egg whites into the creamy cheese mixture. Stir in the cornflour or potato flour and the poppy seeds.
Take a 20cm round spring-form cake tin, grease the bottom and sides and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the tin. Wrap tin foil around the outside and bottom of the tin to protect any water from seeping in when baking in a bain-marie.
Take a large roasting tin and half fill it with water to create a bain-marie. Gently lower the foil wrapped tin into the water and bake for one hour. The top should be golden and the centre a little wobbly but not too much. Leave the cheesecake to cool completely before releasing it from the tin and chill in the refrigerator, preferably overnight before cutting and serving.

Notes

Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Polish Inspired

With thanks to Waitrose for this commission.

November 28, 2016

Easy Christmas Cake with Crunchy Apple Frosting

A light and easy Christmas cake, infused with crunchy apple, sultanas, dates, cinnamon and brandy. Recipe commissioned by Emily Crisps.

Easy Christmas Cake with Crunchy Apple Frosting

Author Ren Behan

Ingredients

150ml warm water mixed with 2 tsp honey
60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple
80g pitted dates, chopped into sultana-sized pieced
200g raisins or sultanas
1 tbsp brandy
200g butter
4 eggs
100g light brown muscovado sugar
100g dark brown muscovado sugar
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds of one vanilla pod
3 tsp cinnamon

Apple Crisp Frosting

500g icing sugar
250g unsalted butter
60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple (finely blitzed to a powder)

To decorate

60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2. Line 2 x 9inch cake tins with baking parchment.
Boil a kettle, add 2 tsp runny honey to 150ml water. Pour over the fruit (apple crisps, sultanas and dates) with 1 tbsp brandy and leave to soak.
Beat the butter with the eggs and sugars. Stir in flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla and cinnamon.
Stir in the pre-soaked fruit.
Pour into the cake tins, bake for 1 hour at 150C.
Remove the cakes and leave to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat the butter until creamy and light in colour. Add the icing sugar and the powdered apple.
Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with apple pieces and other Christmas decorations.

For more festive treats with Emily Crisps try:

Katie’s Dark Chocolate, Banana and Date Fridge Cake
Helen’s Mincemeat and Banana Loaf Cake
Sarah’s Posh Cheese and Pineapple Sticks
Or Jacqueline’s Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pineapple Frosting

With thanks to Emily Crisps for this festive-inspired commission. #ad

October 16, 2015

Quick-Fix Dark Chocolate Pudding (Individual)

Chocolate week or not, sometimes, you need an immediate chocolate fix. This one works! I used lime and chilli chocolate thins, but you can use any flavoured chocolate buttons, or use 4 small squares (or 2 large squares) of good quality dark chocolate.

A chocolate cake in under a minute you say?!

1 vote

Quick-Fix Dark Chocolate Pudding (Individual)

Prep 5 mins

Cook 1 min, 40 secs

Total 6 mins, 40 secs

Author Ren Behan

Yield 1

A super-quick (40-second) microwave pudding - note this makes one ramekin-sized cake.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon mild, light olive oil
3 dark chocolate thins, giant buttons or 4 squares of dark chocolate
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
4 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Take a ramekin dish (or a coffee mug) and lightly grease the bottom and sides with a little olive oil. Place two chocolate thins, or 3 squares of dark chocolate into the bottom of the ramekin.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and milk.
Pour the mixture into the ramekin.
Place a chocolate thin or one square of dark chocolate onto the top.
Microwave for 20 seconds. Wait ten seconds. Microwave for a further 20 seconds.
Eat right away!

Courses Dessert

Recipe: Easter Chocolate Cake

There’s no other time of year when you can indulge in quite as much chocolate as Easter! If you’ve managed to give it up for lent, well done, you’ve got a great deal more will power than me. This is an Easter Chocolate Cake that I love making for my family and it makes the perfect Easter Sunday centrepiece. You can decorate your cake any way you like – mini eggs make the perfect topping and I’ve used some of Heston’s edible hay from the inside of one of his golden eggs, but you could get a similar effect with some shredded wheat or with edible rice paper. The main thing is to bake it, cover it in chocolate frosting and enjoy it this Easter!

…

March 25, 2015

Homemade Banoffee Eclairs

Spring is here! This is a recipe from John Lewis COOK Edition…

A short while ago in the food world, a prediction was made that éclairs would be the new cupcake and there are now all sorts of weird and wonderful flavours to try in the trendiest bakeries. I’m sure we’ve all had one from our local bakery – traditionally, an éclair is made from choux dough or pastry, filled with cream and topped with chocolate or fondant icing.

In this post, Love & Olive Oil set their readers a challenge to bake éclairs and they came up with some stunning entries. And I’ll never forget reading this wonderful post by David Lebovitz on Éclairs in Paris – or l’éclair – not to be missed.

The éclair originated in France in the 19th century and, as I’ve discovered this week, they can be made at home, with relative ease. I say that, because there are a couple of steps to follow when making the choux and you do have to pipe, but since the choux is later split and filled and topped with chocolate, they don’t actually have to be perfect.

If you can make éclairs then you can make profiteroles (or cream puffs) and vice versa, so they are a good thing to add to your repertoire. Plus, anyone you serve them to will be incredibly impressed!

…

October 13, 2014

10 Amazing Chocolate Cakes – Chocolate Week 2014

It’s Chocolate Week 2014, which is a good thing, as I’m in the mood for chocolate. So to mark the occasion, here are five of my favourite show-stopping chocolate cakes. Click on the arrows to scroll through the slider.

Easy-Rolo-Cake

A triple layer chocolate and caramel cake - pure indulgence in every slice!

Easy-Rolo-Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

A four-layered chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream - the essential show-stopping cake!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

A tempting vegan chocolate cake from the Rococo Chocolate Cook Book

Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

Chocolate Brownie Cake

A delicious chocolate brownie-inspired cake topped with almonds

Chocolate Brownie Cake

White Chocolate Malteser Cake

White chocolate fan? Try this luscious white choclate Malteser cake - why not bookmark it or practice it before Christmas?

White Chocolate Malteser Cake

Hungry for more?

I’ve selected some more of my favourites from around the web –

A classic Chocolate Guinness Cake (firefighter approved!) by Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
A sumptuous Rich Chocolate Loaf Cake by Helen at The Crazy Kitchen
This simply stunning Chocolate Courgette Cake by Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Sarah’s decadent Strawberry Chocolate Cake with Rose Tea Ganache over on Maison Cupcake
And for a Gluten Free and less cakey treat try Nazima’s Gluten Free Chocolate and Chestnut Torte from Franglais Kitchen

Any of these inspiring you to bake with chocolate this week for Chocolate Week 2014? Let me know if they do!

September 4, 2014

Utterly Scrummy’s Fruit Bowl Cake

The summer holidays with a newborn and two primary-aged children were always going to be busy. In fact, I completely underestimated just how busy we would all be and suddenly, somehow, we are now in September. We enjoyed some time away; a short trip to Cheshire, a couple of weeks in North Wales and a visit to Somerset. I discovered that if you put me in a farmhouse with a farm shop within walking distance I am a very happy girl. I managed to write one blog post – June’s Simple and in Season round up, which captured the very best of what the summertime had to offer us in terms of seasonal produce and just about kept up with a few summer features and recipes for JamieOliver.com.

I’m so grateful to my blogging friends for helping me out and for keeping me awake during night feeds – the perfect time to play catch up with some of my favourite blogs. Simple and in Season went for a little holiday, too. Sally at My Custard Pie collected some tasty recipes throughout July and then Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary put together a stunning collection of even more brilliant recipes to round off August. Nazima is currently hosting a new round for September – I hope you’ll be able to pop over.

One of the recipes I stumbled across earlier on in the summer and immediately set about making was a simple and tasty Fruit Bowl Cake by fellow blogger Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food For Families. Early days with a newborn hasn’t afforded me much time for baking, but this is a recipe I’ve rustled up with ease a couple of times now and it really is a lovely way to use up any fruit in your fruit bowl that is perhaps softening or passed its best. I’ve also made it with Victoria plums more recently and damsons from a neighbour’s garden, along with anything left in the fruit bowl to use up. Michelle is also very close to welcoming her little baby boy to the world – if I lived a little closer to her I’d be baking her this cake and taking it round. Good luck, Michelle!

Some other fruity/plummy recipes you might like to try in September –

Kavey’s Sunshine in a Jar Plum Jelly
Jo’s Plenty of Plums Plum Cake
Jen’s Plum and Nectarine Frangipane Tart
Nazima’s Sweetly Spiced Plum Crumble Tart
Sally’s Spiced Apple Cake
Jeanne’s Mirabelle Plum and Cognac Clafoutis

There are also some lovely food blog challenges going on at the moment.

1. As mentioned above, Nazima is hosting Simple and in Season September so I’ll be linking this up to her as I used British pears, nectarines and plums in this particular cake.

2. Michelle originally made the Fruit Bowl Cake for Elizabeth’s No Waste Food Challenge , so I’m entering mine to this month’s event hosted by Chef Mireille.

3. Sarah is hosting Credit Crunch Munch this month for Helen and Camilla – I love the fact that you could make this cake at pretty much any time with whatever you have to hand to use up in the fruit bowl.

Utterly Scrummy’s Fruit Bowl Cake (Adapted)

Prep 15 mins

Cook 45 mins

Total 60 mins

Author Ren Behan

A simple Fruit Bowl Cake (adapted from a recipe by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food for Families) made with leftover fruit from the fruit bowl.

Ingredients

500g of fruit, chopped (I used nectarines, pears and plums)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g soft, light brown sugar
3 free range eggs, beaten
100ml vegetable oil, or mild, light olive oil

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.
Grease and line (with baking paper) a 23cm round cake tin.
Remove any stones from the fruit, roughly chop into small chunks.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cinnamon and add the sugar. Pour in the beaten eggs and the oil and mix together well.
Stir the fruit into the cake batter and pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean.
Serve with a little dusting of icing sugar, or store in a tin and serve with warm custard the next day.

Now that the children have gone back to school, I hope I’ll be able to get back to blogging a little more regularly – in as much as my napping newborn allows!

May 14, 2014

Food Revolution Day 2014 – Join In With Your Kids!

Cooking with kids is something I feel really passionately about and raising awareness of good food is something I’m always happy to do and get behind. This year, Food Revolution Day – a global day of action – falls on Friday 16th May 2014. It’s a day entirely dedicated to raising food awareness and education on cooking supported by the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation. Beyond the day itself, the charity aims to deliver food education programmes though teaching kitchen skills, as well as educating kids on where their food comes from and inspiring kids and adults alike to enjoy cooking from scratch. It’s the ethos that pretty much fuels Jamie Oliver in most of what he does. The money raised by the foundation (and on Food Revolution Day itself) is also used toward helping disengaged teenagers to train to work in the food industry through the Fifteen Apprentice Programme, which I mentioned last week after a charity supper at Fifteen. You can support the cause here, whilst entering to win a cooking lesson with Jamie Oliver and a stay in London with dinner and spending money thrown in, too. Or, you can visit the official Food Revolution Day website for lots more ideas on how to join in and get involved on the day and beyond.

There’s generally a theme to Food Revolution Day and this year, the big emphasis is on getting kids excited about food by encouraging them to help out with food preparation and by helping them to learn how to make good food choices as early on as possible. We’re all very quick to blame the food industry and schools (although our school meals are amazing and are cooked from scratch every day even at state level) but we also have to acknowledge that teaching kids the very basics can begin at home. We live in a world now where even a baby’s first spoonful of food may come from a jar or a packet. There are so many food choices to navigate and so much of our food is now processed and stripped of it’s true nutritional value. Some of our food is so far removed from it’s natural state that at times, we can barely even recognise the basic ingredients. This makes me sad and it’s something I’d love to see changed and improved upon. I’m excited to see that food is coming back to the revised National Curriculum in 2014 at primary level and secondary level and I really hope it stays there and makes a big come back throughout school life through Home Economics/Design & Technology lessons. But I also really believe that despite the fact that our lives are so incredibly busy, there are lots of things that we can do ourselves and at home to help us all become more aware of cooking with real ingredients and making sensible choices.

To mark Food Revolution Day this year, I was asked to share some of my childhood cooking memories over on the JamieOliver.com site, which I did, along with an exclusive recipe for a tasty fresh plum cake, served with plenty of yogurt and fruit. A plum cake was the first recipe that I learned how to bake with my mum and it’s a recipe that my kids love to help me with in the kitchen now, too. There are plenty of ways for little hands to help and get involved along the way. My seven and four year old children were practically able to do much of the preparation for this cake between them, needing my help only with the electric whisk and with putting the cake into the oven and with taking it out once cooked.

There are some more child-friendly recipes and activity sheets to explore over on the Food Revolution Day website and it’s not too late to sign up and get involved. Simply fill in the form to say how many of you are going to be marking Food Revolution Day – whether by joining in with a live cooking lesson with Jamie, trying a new recipe or ingredient out for yourselves or perhaps even planting some potatoes or other vegetables in the garden with the kids. You can also share your ideas, activities or results via social media using the hashtag #FRD2014.

{Find my recipe for the plum cake here!}

Every year, awareness of how making better food choices and of cooking real food from scratch grows and grows with the help of Jamie’s Food Revolution Day campaign with over 74 countries taking part globally. I hope you can set aside a little time to join in this year in creating some little waves which may spark more action in the months and years to come.

Keep an eye out for my tweets @RenBehan to see what we’re getting up to on Food Revolution Day – we’ll be taking part in the live cookery lesson at 2pm at home (making a nutritious rainbow salad wrap) and planting some veggies shortly after that, too. I’m looking forward to sharing our mini kitchen garden progress with you as things start to grow over the summer. There are also many other food bloggers helping to spread the work about the day and campaign itself – take a look at some more posts here –

Mabintu at Recipes from a Pantry on Yogurt Dip

Louisa’s post over on Eat Your Veg, including a recipe for Easy Cheesy Muffins

The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1094536. All links editorially given and I have chosen to make a donation to the campaign as well as to raise awareness of Food Revolution Day through this post.

Other recipes to try with kids –

Pear and Plum Banana Bread

Turkey and Leek Meatballs with Tomato Tagliatelle

Swiss Scrambled Eggs with Croissants and Shakes

Are you joining in with Food Revolution Day this year? If so, let me know what you are doing and have fun!

May 2, 2014

Guest Recipe: Orange and Pomegranate Cake by Diana Henry

This is Diana Henry’s recipe for her Orange and Pomegranate Cake, shared with permission, from her latest book A Change of Appetite. The cake itself is wonderfully simple to make and extremely moist.

Orange Pomegranate Cake — Photo Credit: Laura Edwards – A Change of Appetitie

Incredibly easy. Not sugar-free I know but, as cakes go, not bad. And it is for dessert. Serve thin slices with Greek yogurt. It’s very, very moist (almost pudding-like) so be careful when you’re moving it off the base of the cake tin and on to a plate – Diana Henry

1 vote

Orange and Pomegranate Cake

Prep 10 mins

Cook 50 mins

Total 60 mins

Author Diana Henry

Yield 8

Ingredients

For the cake
50g (13⁄4oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs
100g (31⁄2oz) ground almonds
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
finely grated zest of 1½ oranges
215ml (71⁄2fl oz) olive oil, plus more for the tin
4 eggs, lightly beaten
seeds from 1⁄2 pomegranate
For the syrup
juice of 1 orange
100ml (31⁄2fl oz) pomegranate juice (pure juice, not ‘pomegranate juice drink’)
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp runny honey

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, almonds, sugar and baking powder. Add the orange zest, olive oil and eggs and stir well until everything is amalgamated.
Pour the batter into an oiled 20cm (8in) springform cake tin. Put it into a cold oven and set the heat to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the cake is browned and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating all the ingredients together. Stir a little until the honey has dissolved, then increase the heat and simmer for five minutes. You should end up with about 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) of syrup.
When the cake is cooked, pierce holes all over the surface and slowly pour the syrup all over it, allowing it to sink in. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. It will sink a little in the middle but don’t worry, this makes a lovely dip for the pomegranate seeds to lie in. Scatter the pomegranate seeds on top just before serving.

You can read more about my adventures cooking from the book on Monday and there are some equally stunning recipes by Diana Henry to be found on her column for Stella Magazine in The telegraph or on her own website.

With thanks to Mitchel Beazley/Octopus Publishing Group for my review copy and permission to share this recipe. A Change of Appetite was published on 3rd March 2014, RRP £25.

April 17, 2014

Easy Easter Recipes – Good Food Channel

Just before I sign out for Easter and wish you all a very happy weekend, I have a few additional easy Easter recipes to share that I was invited to create for the Good Food Channel. I hope they inspire you to have a go at making or baking something yourself at home. Yes, the shops are full to the brim with commercially produced Easter eggs, cakes and hot cross buns, but there’s something truly special about having a go at something yourself at home – especially if it means challenging yourself to try something new or getting the children involved in the kitchen. Just make sure you have some aprons at the ready and your ingredients to hand, then roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. I really hope that some of these recipes feature on your Easter table – don’t forget let me know if they do!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns {Recipe Here} for the Good Food Channel

Hot Cross Buns are easier to make at home than you may think – the buns above were only my second ever attempt – the first batch were fine, but the liquid I used was slightly too hot and I managed to kill the yeast – so you might want to avoid doing that! My version includes chocolate chips (add them towards the end of kneading) with a toffee glaze.

Creme Egg Cupcakes {Recipe Here} for the Good Food Channel

When baking with Creme Eggs, a good tip is to pop them in the freezer for a little but first, so that once they go into the cake batter and into the oven, they don’t melt immediately! Don’t forget to buy some of the mini Creme Eggs to decorate your cupcakes with.

Caramel and White Chocolate Easter Egg [Recipe Here} for the Good Food Channel

I purchased an inexpensive DIY Easter Egg kit at Lakeland and we had a go at making some of our own Caramel and White Chocolate Easter Eggs – the kids were really thrilled and we found making them a relaxing way to spend a not-so-sunny spring afternoon.

Mini Egg Cake {Recipe Here} for the Good Food Channel

Finally, probably my favourite recipe, a chocolate cake covered in chocolate butter cream and completely encrusted in Mini Eggs – you’ll need about eight large packets but it makes for a great Easter centre-piece!

More Easter Recipes!

Chocolate Rolo Cake for the Good Food Channel

Creme Egg Cheesecake for the Good Food Channel

Re-cap on last year’s Chocolate Orange Easter Tiramisu Party

Finally…I’m off to colour my eggs for our Easter basket and then…put my feet up!

I look forward to seeing your Easter tweets @RenBehan or you can post a photo on my new Facebook page Ren Behan Food.

Have a great Easter weekend.

Click here for all of the Easy Easter recipes!

Ren Behan is a freelance contributor to the Good Food Channel. All recipes, styling and photographs in this post author’s own.

April 12, 2014

Chocolate Rolo Cake

If you’re looking for an indulgent chocolate cake – rich, extravagant, impressive yet easy – you’ve found it. I was asked to create a chocolate Rolo Cake for the Good Food Channel and this is it. I’ve made it a few times since it’s original incarnation and it has definitely become something of a request cake! The cake feeds a large crowd, so it’s perfect for a fundraiser, or a coffee morning or perhaps a birthday celebration or a family gathering. Two layers of chocolate cake filled with caramel sauce, covered in a chocolate fudge frosting and topped with a cascade of Rolo caramels and even more caramel sauce. It’s certainly not for anyone observing a Lenten fast or diet! But I can promise you, it is good!

Here’s the recipe

This recipe first appeared here on the Good Food Channel.

1 vote

Chocolate Rolo Cake

Prep 25 mins

Cook 30 mins

Total 55 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 12

An indulgent chocolate cake - perfect for a special occasion! This recipe first appeared on the Good Food Channel's website.

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge:
A little butter, for greasing
225g/ one cup soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
250ml/ one cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g/ 1 & 3/4 cups self-raising flour
75g/ 3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp buttermilk
A can of dulce de leche or Carnation caramel
For the fudge icing:
100g/ 2/3 cup good quality dark chocolate
150g/ 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
450g/ 2 & 1/4 cup icing sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
2 x 126g packet of rolos, to decorate

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease two 18cm sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.
Using an electric whisk or a stand mixer, beat the soft brown sugar and eggs and together for about four minutes until pale and creamy. Slowly add the vegetable oil and the vanilla bean paste and mix again.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and stir together well with a metal spoon. Add a pinch of salt and stir in the buttermilk, mix well.
Divide the mixture equally into the prepared baking tins and bake for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, take the sponges out of the oven. Leave to cool in the tins and then turn the sponges out onto a wire rack.
For the fudge icing: Over a pan of gently simmering water in a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and set to one side.
Whisk the butter until light and fluffy and gradually add the icing sugar. Add the melted chocolate and keep mixing until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk to loosen the icing slightly, if needed.
Once the cakes have cooled, spread ¾ of the can of caramel sauce over the bottom layer of the cake, reserving the rest for the topping. Place the second cake on top and spread half of the fudge icing all over the cake. Smooth with a palette knife and then continue icing the cake until covered all over.
Gently heat the remaining caramel sauce to make it easier to pour. Leave to cool slightly. Pile the Rolo’s onto the middle of the cake and drizzle over the caramel sauce with a spoon.

Ren Behan is a freelance contributor to the Good Food Channel – Styling, photos and recipe author’s own.

Let me know in the comments box below if you are brave enough to give this wonderful chocolate Rolo cake a go!

April 10, 2014

Recipe: Creme Egg Cheesecake

Easter is a great opportunity for spending time with family and that shouldn’t include you spending hours in front of the stove, slaving away. I always find it a much more relaxing occasion than Christmas and the food should also reflect that.

This simple, no-bake Cheesecake can be made ahead of time and makes a great dessert centre-piece. It is also a great recipe to pull out of the bag if you find that you are really short of time.

The mascarpone (Italian) cheese in the dish provides a balance of flavours to the sweetness of the chocolate and creme egg fondant. This is just a suggested decoration – you could use Mini Eggs, crushed Easter eggs or whatever you can salvage from the children’s Easter Egg stash!

Tip: For clean slices when you slice the Cheesecake, use a sharp knife dipped in boiling water.

[recipe id=”12349″]

Elsewhere…

Sarah’s Easter round-up for Baby Centre – 15 Fabulous Treats to make at Easter.

Re-visit my Chocolate Orange Tiramisu Party – one of my most popular posts

Time to bake? Have a go at my Lemony Spring Cupcakes, too

What treats are you most looking forward to making this Easter in the kitchen?

Recipe, styling, photos and recipes author’s own. This recipe was previously featured by the Good Food Channel

March 6, 2014

Join me at the Lurpak Bake Club this month!

The sun is shining and I’m happy to announce that this month I am hosting the Lurpak Bake Club with a very simple challenge theme of Square Bakes. The idea behind the Lurpak Bake Club is to inspire you to bake and to join in, by having a go at any ‘square bake’ of your choice. Or, you could have a go at my own specially created recipe as your mentor, for a Salted Toffee and Pecan Brownie Square Bake. Look out for my five tops tips, too.

To enter, all you have to do is bake (any square bake recipe) and then either Tweet or Instagram your photo with the hashtag #BakeClub, or register and upload a photo directly to the website. If you are one of the three chosen winners, you’ll receive a lovely Patissier’s Hamper, full of chocolate and baking goodies.

patissier-hamper — Image Credit: Sous Chef.co.uk

Tempted? I do hope so – it would be lovely to connect with you and to see your entry over on the Lurpak Bake Club site.

With many thanks to the Lurpak Bake Club for inviting me to mentor and host the March challenge.

Find my recipe for Salted Toffee and Pecan Brownies here.

I have been compensated for producing a recipe and for hosting the Lurpak Bake Club this month. The winner’s will be chosen by the Lurpak Bake Club judges.

If you do enter, don’t forget to tweet with the hashtag #BakeClub and also include my handle so I can pop over and see your entry @RenBehan

February 7, 2014

Vegan Chocolate Cake – Affinities Cake from Rococo

It’s chocolate cake time, although this one counts as semi-healthy owing to the fact that it is a vegan chocolate cake and it contains prunes – so a slice of this definitely counts as one of your five a day in my view. Given my addiction and adoration of chocolate in any form I was amazed to learn (prompted by Dom’s Random Recipes challenge) that there are only two books dedicated entirely to chocolate on my bookshelf. I was so surprised by this, that I felt the need to pop into my local book store to peruse the chocolate section to see exactly how many chocolate books I’m missing out on. There were, as you can imagine, many wonderful chocolate books that I could very easily have immediately added to my collection. Melt: A book of Chocolate by Louise Nason and and Chika Watanabe stood out, as did Eric Lanlard’s Chocolat. Of the two I found at home, the first – ‘Zlota Ksiega Czekolady’ was written entirely in Polish and the second was a fairly recent addition; Rococo Mastering the Art of Chocolate by Chantal Coady of Rococo Chocolates.

Out of the two books, my son picked Rococo as the book to cook from. He also happened to bring home a chocolate book from the school library this week, so we explored the process of making chocolate through both books. In another coincidence, we also caught Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on television on Sunday. So all in all, it’s been quite a chocolate-filled week.

Having selected the Rococo book, the page we opened (174) depicted a chocolate cake adorned with rose petals (perfect for Valentine’s Day, too) and referred to as being so here on The Telegraph’s website. The cake is called Affinities Cake – possibly due to the affinity between the ingredients – balsamic, vanilla, salt, soda, olive oil and prune juice?

I had to flip back a page to find the recipe and found that I had most of the ingredients to hand, apart from the prune juice. I did have a large bag of dried prunes in the cupboard though, so I whizzed them up with some water to make 400ml of prune liquid. I also used Ndali vanilla powder and a gluten free flour blend, so in fact, my version of this cake ended up being gluten free and vegan. Double brownie points…

Chocolate is a deeply emotional subject. I am obsessed, and I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by several tons of the best chocolate in the world – Chantal Coady

On a more serious note, the introduction to the recipe saddened me a little. The first time Chantal Coady came across this cake was in Grenada, when it had been made for Mott Green, co-founder of the Grenada Chocolate Company. I remember vividly the day that my friend Vanessa Kimbell wrote of Mott’s untimely death – in a tragic accident. Vanessa had spent the week with Mott in Grenada and he profoundly influenced her; so much so, that Vanessa’s personal blog is now dedicated to Mott Green’s memory. By all accounts, he was a truly great man and is missed by all who knew him and worked for him in the business of producing chocolate.

So this post is, like dark chocolate, bitter sweet. It is a deeply seductive cake, though the headnote in the book is now tinged with loss. I hope that Mott’s legacy lives on in Grenada and around the world.

…his greatest legacy will be the super-ethical model of organic chocolate production where the growers and producers are equally paid and where the normal terms of trade are reversed ensuring that it is possible to add all the value at source and bring maximum benefit to the local economy, in this case to the people of Grenada who Mott loved – Chantal Coady

Recipe

Click here for the ‘Affinities Cake’ recipe

Changes I made –

I made my own prune juice by whizzing up 100g of prunes with 400ml water
I used soft light brown sugar
I used a gluten free flour blend instead of plain flour
I topped my cake with melted organic dark chocolate and some caramel – the caramel I used is non-vegan but you could leave it out or use a vegan version!!

You can find more chocolate recipes by searching under the category of chocolate on my recipe index.

This post is being linked to Dom’s Random Recipes event, which this month challenged us to select any chocolate-themed recipe book and to make a randomly selected recipe from that book. This month, Dom at Belleau Kitchen has also joined forces with Chocolette, who runs the equally glorious We Should Cocoa event over on her Chocolate Log Blog.

Have you come across any ‘virtuous’ chocolate cake recipes on your travels?

January 9, 2014

Polish Apple Pancakes

Happy New Year! I’m back. I’ve indulged in a long break. In fact, the longer I took, the harder it became to throw myself back into blogging and recipe creating. This year I’ve buried my head in the sand a bit too when it comes to ‘diet’ food or New Year’s resolutions. I make resolutions throughout the year. I constantly try and stick to things, and I fail, so I set new goals and targets and start again. It’s never just a January thing. Besides which, it’s far too grey and cold outside to think about salads or healthy things or fresh starts. I still want to hibernate and eat pancakes and wrap myself up in a big blanket. The funny thing is that the two most popular recipes on my blog so far this year have been my Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies and my Nutella Bread Pudding with Leftover Christmas Panettone. So I’m thinking, that whilst half of you are searching for the good stuff to help you along with diets and food resolutions, half of you (like me) want to prolong the festive sweet-fest, invoking the excuse of finding ways of using up all the tempting treats lurking in our cupboards….

December 11, 2013

Make a Christmas Rice Krispie House!

Here’s a little project for the weekend, as an alternative to a baked Gingerbread house why not have a go at my white chocolate Rice Krispie House? This was part of a group of Christmas recipes that I was asked to make and style for the Good Food Channel’s website. I think of all the recipes I made, this was the most fun!

White Chocolate Rice Krispie House for the Good Food Channel – find the full recipe and instructions, here.

The very basic ideas is to melt white chocolate and mix in some Rice Krispies – a bit like making chocolate crispie cakes, but with bigger quantities. You then have to work quite quickly to transfer the Rice Krispies onto two flat baking sheets, pressing down quite firmly to get two large flat slabs. Once this has set in the fridge, you use your white chocolate Rice Krispie ‘slabs’ to make up the structure of your house and with a bit of icing, just stick it all together and decorate.

This is a really exciting project for little people (and big people) and it is a great alternative when you feel like making something, but don’t quite fancy baking.

I did try using buttercream the first time to stick the panels together, but buttercream doesn’t really harden, so I found that royal icing created a firmer structure.You can decorate your house with any sweets you like and then sprinkle around some desiccated coconut for snow.

Other Christmas recipes for the Good Food Channel

Christmas Baking – Profiterole Cupcakes, Mince Pie Cupcakes, White Chocolate Malteser Cake

Stir Up Sunday – Nut Free Mince Pies and a Nut Free Christmas Pudding

Make Your Own Pomegranate Vodka – great for gifts

With thanks to the Good Food Channel for asking me to create these recipe. Styling, photos and recipes my own and reflect commissioned content.

November 27, 2013

‘Fruitdrop’ Pear & Plum Banana Bread

This week I’ve had a much-needed health kick whilst getting through a huge box of fruit delivered to me by a company called Fruitdrop. The children got very excited about seeing all the fruit and have been eating much more of it too, usually in the way of fruit salads and a quick morning smoothie. We do eat a lot of fruit in general, but I think seeing a big box bursting with a huge variety of fruit sparked additional interest. The box contained red and white grapes, clementines, apples, pears, melon, kiwi fruit, mango, bananas, plums and a lemon – around fifty pieces of fruit in total. My Fruidrop box arrived in pristine condition and even though we are getting through it (with the help of a couple of batches of this fruity Pear and Plum Banana Bread) it has lasted us well over a week.

The kids really love banana bread as an after school snack and so I very often whip up a batch for them. With all the extra fruit to hand, I decided to layer up some of the pears and plums within the loaf itself, also serving it with some extra fruit.

Fruitdrop is mainly aimed at office initiatives, with a suggestion of ordering enough fruit for 2-4 pieces per person per week, with a fruit box starting at £20. You can also order milk to go along with your fruit delivery and deliveries take place all over the UK on an ad hoc or more regular basis. The fruit is handpicked by Fruitdrop and sourced from wholesale markets from within the UK (although not all of the fruit was British grown). Fruitdrop also guarantee to replace any fruit if you find any damaged or over-ripe.

Pear & Plum Banana Bread

Prep 15 mins

Cook 60 mins

Total 1 hour, 15 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 6 -8

A quick and easy extra fruit banana bread recipe for the family (or your co-workers!) to enjoy. You can also use apples, or blueberries as one of the layers.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter (plus a bit extra for greasing)
100g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g self raising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
120g sour cream
1 pear, ripe, sliced
2 plums, ripe, stone removed, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 5. Grease the inside of a loaf tin with a little butter and line with a sheet of baking paper.
Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Sift in the dry ingredients and stir with a metal spoon. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
Add one third of the mixture to the loaf tin and spread out using the back of a spoon. Next, add a layer of pear. Then a further third of the mixture followed by a layer of plum. Add the rest of the mixture and flatten the top. Dust with a little extra cinnamon.
Bake the loaf for 1 hour. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for ten minutes before carefully taking it out to cool on a wire rack. Serve when warm or cold with extra fruit on the side. .

Other fruity recipe you might like to try with a fruit box –

You could adapt this Late Summer Fruit Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachio

Or, perhaps try these Toffee Apple Tarts, adding in some pears, too.

You could also use the pears to make these delicious Pear and Chocolate Brownies

With thanks to Fruitdrop for the delivery of fruit for me to review.

Pear & Plum Banana Bread Recipe commission in collaboration with Fruitdrop.

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Instructions

Notes

Lemon, Rose and Poppy Seed Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Easy Christmas Cake with Crunchy Apple Frosting

Ingredients

Instructions

For more festive treats with Emily Crisps try:

A chocolate cake in under a minute you say?!

Quick-Fix Dark Chocolate Pudding (Individual)

Ingredients

Instructions

You may also like:

Easy-Rolo-Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Affinities Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

Chocolate Brownie Cake

White Chocolate Malteser Cake

Hungry for more?

Utterly Scrummy’s Fruit Bowl Cake (Adapted)

Ingredients

Instructions

Orange and Pomegranate Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

More Easter Recipes!

Here’s the recipe

Chocolate Rolo Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Elsewhere…

What treats are you most looking forward to making this Easter in the kitchen?

Recipe

Pear & Plum Banana Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

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