Brioche Bread

If you do decide to bake this bread, you will need to do it over two days as it rises overnight. This was my first attempt at brioche and I would definitely consider it successful - thanks Mr Hollywood! 

Preheat the oven to 190^°C and grease two loaf tins. For this recipe I used a stand mixer and a dough hook :)

Ingredients

500g strong flour

7g salt
50g caster sugar

10g instant yeast

140ml full-fat milk

5 eggs

250g butter, cubed

• add the flour, salt and sugar to the mixer and whizz for a minute, then add the yeast and repeat.
• next, add the milk and eggs - mix on a low speed for 2 minutes.
• increase to a medium speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough is soft and glossy.
• finally, add the butter and mix on a medium speed for 4-5 minutes.
• tip the mixture into a plastic bowl, cover with cling film and chill overnight.
• the dough will be very wet and it will take ages to double in size but it will!
• when ready, tip onto a lightly floured surface and knock out the air.
• divide the mixture between the two tins and cover them with a plastic bag - let the dough rise for a further 2-3 hours.
• once the dough has doubled in size again, bake in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.

PS - Ignore the butter content and enjoy! 

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Marbled Chocolate Ring Cake

Even if this cake tasted disgusting (which it didn't might I add), it looks spectacular and is perfect for any special occasion. I got the funky cake tin in TK Maxx for under €10 - WIN! 

Preheat the oven to 180^°C - Be sure to grease and line the tin with strips of baking paper to prevent the cake sticking.

Sponge

225g butter
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
1.5 tbsp hot water

• blend the cocoa and water to create a paste.
• to a large bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. 
• spoon half the mixture, using a teaspoon into the bottom of the tin.
• mix the cocoa paste with the remaining cake mixture and repeat the previous stage until its all used up.
• swirl the mixtures together with a small knife and level out the top.
• bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until well risen and springs back when touched. 
• leave the cake to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing

150g plain chocolate

2 tbsp water

100g butter

50g milk chocolate

• to make the icing, melt the chocolate, water and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water.
• pour over the cake and leave to cool for 1 hour (leave the icing to cool a little so it 'sticks' to the cake better)
• to decorate, melt the milk chocolate over a pan of hot water and spoon into a plastic sandwich bag/piping back, cut of a corner and drizzle over the cake. 
• yum yum yum!

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Foodie Festival - Battersea Park

With thanks to Easy Food Magazine, we were lucky enough to win two tickets to the Foodie Festival in Battersea Park, London. We attended the event on Saturday the 17th of August. All going well we will return next year! There were so many things we would have loved to sample but there is only so much you can do in one day. However, everything that we did taste was delicious and I look forward to trying more next year. :)

5am Breakfast 

Hawaiian Jump Juice 

On the Birmingham to London Train - you can't beat M & S!

Battersea Park 

The Pigs Head was behind that Bamboo Wall

We didn't try this but it looked amazing!

Live Music 

Rum Punch - so Fruity & Delicious!

Masterchef

Kevin tried out a few of the local beers - all got a thumbs up!

I can't walk by coffee ice-cream!! 

Excellent Burritos & Guacamole

This is the one I had - too good for words.. 

Kevin's Hog Roll (From the Pig above - crackling & all!)

Cycling around London - we visited Buckingham Palace

Back at Birmingham Airport for the 9.30pm Flight back to Dublin - & it turns out 'Pret' make lovely Soy Lattes!

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Happy Birthday Chocolate Cake

You don’t always need an excuse for baking but I love to have one all the same. On the 19^th of August it was Kevin’s Birthday so we made a delicious chocolate fudge cake.  It was ridiculously simple, yet very very tasty! Preheat the oven to 170^°C and line two 8 inch tins – I actually used one baking tin this time but I much prefer to use two, it takes an age to bake in one!

White Chocolate Pre-Microwave

Chocolate icing

White Chocolate Something....

Cake Ready for Cutting

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sponge

50g cocoa powder

6 tbsp boiling water

3 eggs

50ml milk

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter

275g caster sugar 

• In a large bowl mix the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth.
•  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk with a hand held mixer until all the ingredients are combined.
•  Divide the mixture between your two tins and bake in the oven for 20 minutes (it took nearly 40 minutes with one tin)

Icing

150g plain chocolate

150g double cream

• While your cake is baking prepare your icing so it has plenty of time to cool and thicken.
• All you do is put the cream in a pot, drop in the chocolate and melt over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
•  Once the cake is baked and cooled decorate with the cooled ganache icing.

PS – I melted white chocolate and spread it on a baking sheet to be broken up and thrown on the cake at the end ha-ha. 

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Flatbread Pizza

So far this has been the easiest 'bread' recipe that I have attempted. It would be a great recipe to try if you have never tried baking bread before! I usually use a stand mixer to make bread :) Preheat the oven to 200^°C and it will take 20 minutes to bake on an oiled baking tray.

Sweet Chili Dip on the side...

Bread

450g strong white bread flour

½ tsp easy-blend yeast

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

300ml lukewarm water

• sift the flour and salt into the mixer, then stir in the yeast.
• add the oil and mix with a paddle until it comes together.
• scrap the mixture away from the bottom of the mixer and sift in some flour (the same as you flour a surface before kneading!) and mix on low for 10 minutes. 
• once smooth and elastic, brush a clean bowl with oil, shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl.
• cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in warm place for an hour, or until it doubles in size. 
• turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface , knock back and knead for 1 minute or so.
• roll out the dough, put it on the baking tray, cover as before and leave to rise for 20-30 minutes. 
• before baking, make indentations all over the surface of the dough and drizzle over some sea salt and olive oil.
• after 12 minutes, remove the bread, add your pizza toppings and bake for further 7 minutes. 
• Enjoy!

Wendy 

XO

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June - Light and Fluffy Scones

I frickin love scones, I should really be more adventurous and try cherry/raspberry/blueberry scones! Preheat the oven to 220^°C and they take 10-12 minutes to bake depending on your oven.

I added sultanas...

Scones

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g caster sugar

50g butter, cubed

150ml milk

1 egg

• blitz the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter in a food processor or rub the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. 
• add milk and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
• press the dough out on a floured surface until 2cm or so thick.
• cut the dough and place on a baking tray - brush the top of each scone with beaten egg and bake!

Wendy

xo

January - Coffee Victoria Sponge

This was a really quick and fun way to make a coffee cake! Preheat the oven to 160^°C and line 2 tins with greaseproof paper. 

Melting icing...again

Sponge

4 Eggs 

Soft Margarine

Self-raising flour

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

• Weigh eggs in shells, weigh out the same amount of margarine, sugar and flour.
• Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, whisk in the eggs, sieve flour into the mixture.
• Mix the coffee with 1 tbsp of hot water and fold into the mixture.
• Spoon into prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes.

Icing

300g icing sugar

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

15g butter, melted

Walnut halves (or coffee chocolate beans - nom!)

• Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, mix the coffee with 3 tbsp of boiling water add to the icing sugar with the butter.
• Once the cake is cooled ice (ice baby...) and decorate your cake.

PS - I wish I was better at icing cakes 

Lemon and Lime Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes to bake - the lime gives it a little extra 'zestyness' :) Preheat the oven to 180◦C and grease your tins and line the bottoms. (It’s easier to use two – less cooking time, and if you have a divider http://www.kitchencookware.ie/baking/cake-decoration/cake-leveler/ you can divide it in four, you can get them cheap in ikea too)

Sponge

250g unsalted butter, soft

250g caster sugar

4 eggs

250g self-raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1-2 tbsp. Milk

1 tbsp. Lemon juice (heat them in the microwave before juicing)

1 tbsp. Lime juice

The zest of a lemon

The zest of a lime

• Put the butter, caster sugar and zest into an electric mixer and cream together for 7 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one by one and mix for 2 minutes at a time.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add it to the mix until it’s all incorporated.
• Add the milk and juices and mix for a further minute.
• Divide between your baking pans and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (may take longer depending on oven/how wet the mixture is).
• Remove when ready and leave to cool a while before taking them out of the tins to cool fully.

Lemon and Lime Syrup

50g golden caster sugar

50ml water 

¼ tsp. Lemon juice 

¼ tsp. Lime juice

• For the syrup, heat the sugar and water in a pan. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring well until the sugars dissolved. Remove from heat, cool and then add the juice.
• Pierce the cake with a skewer and pour over the syrup (use a little teaspoon).

Icing

125g unsalted butter, the softer it is the easier it is to make

350g icing sugar

50ml between remainder lemon and lime juice 

•  For the icing, cream the butter and juices together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
•  Add the icing sugar and blend for a further 2 minutes.
• When icing the cake put a really thin layer on first to stop the crumbs ruining your icing, then decorate.

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