#Recipe Station Cold Brew Coffee Company Collaboration

Before moving to Canada I’d never really heard of cold brew coffee. I guess it was something that maybe slipped under the radar of my London life in the deluge of Hoxton Hipsters, deconstructed menus and “free-from” frenzies. But here in Toronto it’s huge. In fact “huge” is too small a word to relay how prominent it is. Now that the “Unicorn” and “Fraken-Frappe” craze has passed, “Cold Brew Coffee” is THE thing- each and every coffee shop having their own take on it.

I’ve tried (quite) a few and hand on heart, whilst the other one is holding my coffee, the best one I’ve tried is by the team at Station Cold Brew Coffee. Available in a variety of formats from the travel-friendly stubby to their innovative “Nitro Can” to the customisable concentrate (and so much more) there’s something to suit coffee-lovers galore. You can find out more about them here. You can also catch the team on Dragon’s Den airing September 28th at 8.00pm EST/PST on CBC.

I have already mentioned that I think Station Cold Brew Coffee is the best and since I only work with the best, we teamed up to do a collaboration. You’ll find here a collection recipes showcasing their wonderful caffeine-laced beverage. Ranging from sweet to savory the recipes feature Station Cold Brew Coffee in unexpected, but always delicious, ways. I do hope you enjoy!

Station BREWnies

A few years ago one of my brownie recipes picked up an Observer Food Monthly award for Best Readers Recipe. The recipe combined chocolate, chilli…oh, and crispy bacon! It’s a pretty good example of my recipe development ethos- think outside the box! This recipe for Station BREWnies is kind of a redux, a 2.0 version combining chocolate, crispy bacon, and this time, coffee. I hope you enjoy!

Makes 9 or 12, dependent on selected baking tin

Ingredients

Brewnies

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
• 6 ½ oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1/3 cup Station Cold Brew Concentrate
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups packed, golden yellow sugar
• 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup 100% unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup pecan pieces

Ganache

• 2 oz semi-sweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Bacon shards

• 3 strips of unsmoked bacon (or 4 if making 12 brewnies)
• 2 tablespoons pecan pieces
• 2 tablespoons golden yellow sugar
• 1 tablespoon Station Cold Brew Concentrate

*Equipment note:

This mix will yield 9 Brewnies if made in an 8”x8”x1.5” deep proprietary silicone brownie pan, or 12 brewnies if made in a standard 12”x9”x1”deep baking pan

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C and grease, or line, the baking pan if using. If you are using a proprietary silicone brownie pan there is no need to prep it (see Equipment note above)
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie), stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool
3. Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thickened, fluffy and increased in volume
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt
5. Add the cold brew concentrate to the cooled chocolate/butter mixture, and stir to combine
6. Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
7. Sift in the dry ingredients, and fold together.
8. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecan pieces until well combined.
9. Pour your mixture into your chosen pan and gently spread to level the surface.
10. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 mins if using deeper proprietary brownie pan, or for 20-25 minutes if using shallower baking pan
11. When done remove from oven and leave to cool completely in the pan before removing or cutting into squares

Bacon (Step 1)

1. Chop each bacon strip into 3. You should end up with 9 or 12 pieces (depending on your final number of brewnies) and place in a bowl
2. Add the cold brew concentrate and mix with the bacon pieces. Set aside and leave to soak
3. Chop the pecan pieces until fine. Add to a bowl with the sugar and mix. Set aside until needed

Ganache

1. Gently heat the heavy cream in a in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie), stirring occasionally. Don’t let it boil- you want it just hot enough to bare putting a finger in. When ready, remove it from the heat, add the chocolate pieces and stir to melt
2. Continue stirring until the mixture is well combined and glossy. It will look a little separated and mottled at first but if you keep stirring it will come together in a uniform mixture. Set aside to cool and thicken

Bacon (Step 2)

1. Set your oven to medium high broil
2. Remove the bacon pieces from the cold brew concentrate and dredge in the pecan/ sugar mixture. Press so the mixture sticks
3. Place on a foil lined baking tray, top each piece with any additional pecan/ sugar mixture and place until the broiler grill under they start to crisp and bubble. DO NOT leave unattended as they won’t take long and you don’t want them to catch!
4. Remove when done and leave to cool

To finish

1. Once all components have cooled you are ready to assemble
2. Smear the top of each brewnie with some ganache and top with a bacon piece
3. Serve and enjoy. They go particularly well with an ice-cold Station Cold Brew!

**The “done-ness” of the brewnies can be checked by inserting a skewer, cocktail stick or toothpick into the mixture about 1” from the edge. It should come out with a little mixture/ crumbs attached.

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Kickstarter Overnight Oats

We’ve all been there. You’ve hit the snooze button too many times so now you’re rushing around in a manic frenzy. One sock on whilst you jam a slice of toast in your mouth and running out the door is never a good way to start the day! These overnight oats massively cut corners and give you a filling and satisfying breakfast. Combining a hearty helping of oats and fruit with your (much needed) cup of coffee you’ll be making those meetings in no time at all!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Quick Oats
• ½ cup Jumbo Oats
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup Station Cold Brew concentrate
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
• Berries, to taste
• Nut and seed mix, to taste

Equipment

1 medium Kilner jar or Mason jar

Method

1. Place the quick oats and jumbo oats in a Kilner jar or Mason jar and stir to mix
2. Add in the almond milk, cold brew concentrate, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir well until all ingredients are well mixed
3. Close the jar and place in the refrigerator overnight or for 7 hours minimum
4. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and stir. Add the berries, nuts and seeds to top
5. Serve and enjoy a tasty kickstart to your morning routine!

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Pork n Beans n Joe

Pork and beans is one of my all time favourite recipes. Comforting, filling and so tasty it begs to be on everyone’s “Know How” list. This recipe came from the mental image of a Wild West campfire. The cowboys surrounding it comparing stories and scars whilst filling their hungry bellies. And what  better way to wash it down? A cup of joe!

Dependent on serving portions, usually a good serving of 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup shallots, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped finely
• 4 slices thick cut peameal bacon, or pork loin, chopped into pieces
• 1 tin (540ml) tin white kidney beans or haricot beans
• ½ cup tomato sauce (pasatta)
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard (I use maple mustard)
• ½ cup Station Cold Brew concentrate
• Salt and Pepper, to season

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C
2. Lightly fry the garlic and shallots in a tablespoon oil in a skillet.
3. Add the bacon pieces and continue to fry until browned. Remove from heat and leave to cool until needed
4. Empty the contents of the beans tin (incl water) into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients
5. Stir well to combine
6. Add the bacon/shallots/garlic mixture, season with salt and pepper stir well again
7. Transfer to complete bean mixture to a baking dish (mine is 9 ½” diameter x 1.5” deep) and place in preheated oven
8. Bake for 50-60mins, stirring occasionally
9. The liquid will reduce and the overall mixture thicken. Remove from heat, serve and enjoy! Try topping with cheese shreds, and serving alongside crusty loaf

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Earlybird Cinnamon Rolls

Saturday mornings mean cinnamon rolls in my house. I guess you could say it’s become somewhat of a tradition since my family and I moved here to Canada. Mornings (in general!) also mean something else to me – coffee. In the words of wise Chief Hopper (Stranger Things) “Mornings are for coffee and contemplation”. The recipe for these rolls combines my favourite things of a weekend morning- cinnamon rolls slathered in cream cheese frosting and coffee. Definitely cause for contemplation.

Makes 12

Ingredients

Roll dough

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons quick rise yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup 2% milk
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• ¼ cup Station Cold Brew concentrate
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup fine sugar

Filling

• 2 teaspoons fresh cardamom seeds, crushed finely
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar

Glaze

• 1 cup (8 oz block) cream cheese
• ¼ stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups icing (confectioners) sugar
• 3 tablespoons Station Cold Brew Concentrate
• Zest 1 orange

Equipment

12”x9”x1”deep baking pan

Method

1. Gently heat the milk and butter over a medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Remove and leave to cool.
2. When cooled, add in the cold brew concentrate and olive oil, stir to combine and set aside until needed
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer (with dough hook attachment in place) combine the flour, yeast (to one side) and salt (to opposite side)
4. Add the egg and start the mixer on a low setting
5. Pour the liquid mixture into flour mixture in a steady stream
6. When all the liquid has been added increase the setting to medium and mix for 8 minutes, until all the mixture comes together into a dough ball and the bowl sides are clean
7. While the dough is mixing lightly oil a large bowl
8. After 8 minutes of mixing remove the dough from tip the dough from the mixer bowl into the pre-oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling wrap. Leave to rise until doubled in size
9. While the dough is rising, make the filling
10. In a bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, cardamom seeds and cinnamon
11. Beat (either by hand or electric beater) until fully combined and fluffy. Set aside until needed
12. When dough has doubled in size, tip out onto a lightly oiled surface
13. Punch and knead the dough, for about 5 mins, until all the air has been expelled from it (called “Knocking Back”)
14. Stretch and shape with your hands into a long rectangular shape, approximately 16” x20”
15. Spread the butter mixture over the dough, covering the entire surface
16. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log shape
17. Trim off the uneven ends and then slice the remainder into 12 equal slices
18. Place the roll slices into your prepared tin, cut side up, in a 3 x 4 arrangement
19. Cover with oiled cling wrap and allow to rise until double in size again, about 45- 60 minutes
20. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C
21. Bake the risen roll sin your preheated oven for 25- 30 mins, until golden. (If the rolls start to brown too quickly at the edges, cover with foil and continue to bake until all are baked)
22. Remove from the oven when baked and set aside to cool while you make the glaze
23. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine whip the cream cheese and butter until fluffy
24. Add in the cold brew concentrate, orange zest, 1 cup of icing sugar and whip until well combined
25. Add in the second cup of icing sugar and whip until smooth and well combined
26. Spread the cream cheese topping over the warm rolls to your preferred thickness
27. Serve warm and oozing the topping!

*Breakfast Make Ahead

If you want to start your day in a tasty Station Cold Brew way, these can be made up to step 19. Place the cling wrap covered rolls in the refrigerator and let them have their second rise overnight. In the morning, remove the rolls and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before final baking. You can also make the cream cheese topping the night before, cover with cling wrap and have it ready for spreading on the baked rolls.

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Coffee & Walnut Bundt Cake

Here is a revamp on that classic British baked staple- the Coffee & Walnut cake. I’m sure Mary Berry would spit out her battenburg at the thought of tampering which such a classic (if she were ever to read this?) but irreverence can sometimes taste oh so delicious! Spiking the cake with blackcurrant provides a pleasing tangy contrast to the delicious sponge. The glaze and nuts are just an excuse to add more of that wonderful coffee flavour. If you like Coffee and Walnut cake, I’m sure you’ll love this.

Makes 1 large bundt cake

Ingredients

Bundt Cake

• 3 ¼ cups cake & pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 sticks butter, softened and cubed
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ Station Cold Brew Concentrate
• 1 cup walnuts
• ¾ cup blackcurrant conserve

Syrup

• ¼ cup Station Cold Brew Concentrate
• 1/8 cup maple syrup

Glaze

• 1 cup icing (confectioners) sugar
• 3 tablespoons Station Cold Brew Concentrate

Candied Walnuts

• 14 walnut halves, lightly toasted
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/8 cup Station Cold Brew Concentrate

Equipment

• 10-Cup bundt cake tin

Method

Bundt Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350/180
2. Prepare your bundt tin by coating either liberally with softened butter and flour, or cake release spray. Ensure every crevice receives ample coating
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for approximately 10 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Sift into a different bowl. Set aside until needed
5. In a skillet over a medium height, lightly toast the walnuts. Stir them frequently to make sure they don’t catch and burn. Remove from the heat an skillet, leave to cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop. Set aside until needed
6. In a jug combine the sour cream, coffee concentrate and vanilla extract. Set aside until needed
7. Fill a piping bag with the blackcurrant jam. Tie and set aside until needed
8. After 10 minutes of creaming the butter/sugar, reduce the beater speed to slow and add the eggs one at a time, alternating with 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture
9. Increase the beater speed to medium and continue to add the flour mixture 2-3 tablespoons at a time, mixing well in between. The mixture will get quite thick and stiff
10. Once all the flour mixture has been added, add in the liquid coffee mixture, pouring in a steady stream. Continue to mix until well combined
11. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cooled, chopped walnut pieces
12. Fill the bundt tine with half the cake batter. Using a teaspoon or small spatula knife create a shallow trough in the middle of the batter, all the way around the tin
13. Pipe the jam into the trough all the way around the tin
14. Add the remaining cake batter ensuring that the jam ring is completely covered. Gently level the surface of the batter
15. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 mins. You can test with a skewer but be aware that you may hit the jam ring so some jam may come out on the skewer. You just don’t want any cake batter
16. When baked remove from oven and set aside to cool on a rack

Syrup

1. While the baked cake is cooling prepare the syrup. In a jug add the coffee concentrate and maple syrup, and whisk well to combine
2. After 10 mins of the cake cooling use a skewer or cocktail stick to make random holes over the surface of the cake
3. Drizzle it over the cake 1 tablespoon at a time until it has all been added
4. Allow the cake to cool fully

Candied Walnuts

1. While your cake continues to cool, make the candied walnuts to top the finished cake
2. In a saucepan add the dark brown sugar, coffee concentrate, walnuts and heat over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to high and continue to heat for 5-8 minutes – stirring frequently to ensure the walnut laves are coated in the sugar mixture
4. Remove from the heat and carefully place the mixture on a lined parchment tray. Using the forks separate each of the nuts, allow to cool and set. *Please be extremely careful here as the molten sugar mixture can burn. DO NOT attempt to separate the nuts using your fingers!

To finish the cake

1. When the cake has fully cooled, invert and remove it from the tin
2. In a large jug combine the icing (confectioners) sugar and coffee concentrate. Whisk until you have a smooth, viscous liquid.
3. Drizzle the glaze over the bundt cake in a desired pattern. You can cover the cake surface completely or drizzle in strands. Using a spoon may help you here.
4. When the glaze has been added, place the candied walnuts on the surface in a pattern to your liking
5. Serve and enjoy!

*The cold brew coffee concentrate used in the recipes in this post was supplied free of charge by Station Cold Brew Coffee Company.

For further disclaimer information please see here

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#Recipe #ChocolateChip Day

A food lover’s calendar is choc-full (pardon the pun!) of days on which to celebrate, indulge and extol the virtues of food stuffs galore. In fact I’m pretty certain that if you research hard enough you’ll find that every single day is bequeath to some food or ingredient somewhere in the world. Not that I’m complaining! On that note, May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day here in North American waters. And without further ado I present not one but TWO culinary efforts in homage to that humble morsel of cocoa goodness.

My “Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies” are chocolate, chocolate, chocolate lovers dream! Crumbly mint chocolate cookie studded with chocolate chips, enrobed in a smooth, dark chocolate case. Absolute perfection with a glass of ice-cold milk. Girl scouts eat your hearts out!

The second cookie that we have, “Choc Chip Short Oat Cookies” are a wonderful hybrid between buttery, crumbly shortbread and a classic oatmeal cookie. Easy to bake they’re also a handy one to have ready should you be looking for an afternoon activity with little hands.

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients (makes apx 50)

Chocolate Cookies:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Chocolate Peppermint Coating:

16oz chocolate, semi-sweet, broken into pieces

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Method:

Making the cookies:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar until well combined (apx 10 mins) Add the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, salt, and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is well combined and there are no pockets of cocoa dust
• Add the flour and mix until you have crumbly dough
• Gather the dough into a ball, and knead it together on a counter for about 3-5 mins It should become somewhat smoother. (Don’t worry if it’s still a little crumbly)
• Divide the dough in 2, flatten into disks, and wrap in cling wrap. Chill in a refrigerator for 15-20 minutes
• Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment
• Roll dough out to a thickness of 6mm. I used a rolling-pin with guides to get a consistent thickness. A trick I found that works really well is to roll the dough out between two sheets of baking parchment. Not only are the cookies easier to lift, it also saves on counter top mess and cleaning up!
• Cut out cookies (I use a 2 “ cutter) and place, spaced apart, on the pre-lined baking sheets
• Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the trays for 3-5 mins. Then careful remove to wire racks and allow to cool completely
• When your cookies have cooled completely prepare your chocolate coating

Making the coating:

• In a bowl set over hot water in a pan, slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally
• Add in the peppermint extract and stir to combine. It may look like it’s caused the chocolate to separate and become grainy but fear not! Keep stirring and it’ll come right in the end.

Finishing the cookies:

• With a fork in each hand, gently drop the cookies one at a time into the chocolate coating
• Using the forks, flip to coat all sides. Lift the cookie out of the chocolate with one of the forks and allow any excess chocolate to drip off the cookie back into the bowl
• Place the freshly coated cookie on a parchment lined counter, and repeat
• Allow the cookies to cool at room temperature until ready. They’ll be ready in a couple of hours but I find it best to leave them overnight. They can be stored in an airtight tin for 3-5 days. (Use baking parchment to separate the layers and prevent sticking)

*When dipping the baked cookies you’ll get to a point where it becomes too awkward to flip and properly coat the cookies in the melted chocolate. I transfer the remaining chocolate to a piping bag and drizzle it over the remaining cookies.

Choc Chip Short Oat Cookies

Ingredients (makes apx 48)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups cake flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup quick-cooking oats

12oz chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Method

• Heat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment
• In large bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until light, fluffy and well combined
• Add in the flour, baking soda, vanilla and oats., and mix until well combined
• Stir in chocolate chips
• On pre-lined baking sheets, drop dough by teaspoonfuls. Space them apx 2 inches apart
• Bake in the preheated oven for between 11 to 13 minutes
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the trays for 5 mins
• After 5 minutes carefully transfer the baked cookies to wire racks and allow to cool completely
• Enjoy!

#Recipe Baking with kids…not literally!

We’ve now been resident here in Toronto for 5 months and things have pretty much settled. My husband has found his pace with his job, our kids have made a smooth transition to a new school, heck we even seemed to have navigated the whole “Daylight saving hours” thing without too much trouble. The only fly in the ointment is me trying to start Mr. Mom’s from scratch again. Whilst a brand new audience awaits from my take on baked goods, it also means a whole bunch of people who no NOTHING about you. And that’s an uphill climb! (If you do happen to work in the foodie sector and would like a food writer, or baker to work with  please do check out my Collaborations page here.)

Anyhoo I digress! As I mentioned above, our kids have (surprisingly) takenthe move to a new country in their stride with little or no tears and tantrums. This week had them on their “March Break” from school- seems to be the equivalent to a UK mid-term break. As well as taking them to the obligatory art galleries and museums (I don’t know who enjoyed it more!) I decided to introduce them to the world of baking. Now I’m not talking anything major- they’re not quiet ready for the cook’s torch or bain maire yet! However you’d be amazed how some simple stirring, cutting, and participation can ignite eagerness.

Here are some of the recipes that took place in Mr. Mom’s kitchen this week. Whilst they range from the sweet to the savory, they are all big on fun, flavour and involvement from little flour-caked hands. I’ve  also included some tips on getting kids involved in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not including this because I consider myself some kind of childcare expert and these are rules by which you should abide. They’re simply meant from the point of my being a dad who wanted to get his children involved in baking and these ways worked for me. I’ve left where to get your kids involved to your discretion as you know them best after all.

Some tips/tricks:

• Put on some music. Not loud enough that you have to shout over it but loud enough for background. It helps to have something to pass lengthy tasks like kneading or blending. Also think sing-along or random exclamations of “Knead to the beat!”
• Get the children to find and fetch the ingredients. Framed as a “Baking Treasure Hunt” I’ve seen it help reading skills and memory.
• Weighing is a surprisingly enticing activity which always draws willing volunteers.  If they overshoot the mark when pouring, it’s no biggie (despite their possible panic!)

So now on to the fun stuff- the recipes! These are a selection of what ended up on the cooling rack…

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

Pumpkin Bread

Sugar Cookies

Simple White Loaf ( and how this can be used to make Pizza)

 

Mud Puddles (aka No Bake Chocolate Cookies)

 

Ingredients

200g caster sugar

125ml semi-skimmed milk

115g salted butter

4 tablespoons cocoa, unsweetened

1 tablespoon good quality vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

120g gram crunchy peanut butter

225g Jumbo Oats

225g Quick Oats

Method

• Line baking sheets with baking parchment
• Bring the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then keep on a rolling boil for 1 minute
• Remove from the heat. Add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla and salt, and stir to combine
• Drop spaced tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet
• Leave to cool at room temperature for min 1 hour. After this they’ve set enough tp pick up and eat. I find they usually taste better and are easier to handle the next day
• These can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days

 

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

250g all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

400g caster sugar

170g unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 can (425g)  pumpkin (make sure it’s 100% pumpkin puree)

Method

• Preheat your oven to 160c or 325F.
• Prepare two 1lb loaf tines with cake release or grease with butter
• In a bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices
• In a stand mixer combine the sugar, butter and eggs and mix for at least 10 mins
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the flour mixture by heaped tablespoon at a time. Keep  the mixer going until just combined – make sure there are no white flour pockets
• Remove the bowl, pour the mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the top
• Bake in the oven for 60-70mins until a skewer comes out clean
• Remove from the oven, remove from tins and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool wrap in clingfilm until needed.
• These loaves get better over time. After a couple of days wrapped they develop a fudgy, sticky texture which goes really with the warming spicy flavor (similar to McVities Jamaican Ginger Cake for those of you who know it?)

 

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

350g unsalted butter, softened

400g caster sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

620g all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Icing sugar for dusting and rolling

 

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C or 400F
• Line cookie sheets with baking parchment
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl
• In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth (mix for at least 10 mins)
• Beat in eggs, one at a time,and vanilla
• With the mixer on a slow speed, stir in the flour mixture one heaped tablespoon at a time until well combined and a dough formed
  
• Tip the dough onto clingfilm and wrap tightly
• Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight)
• Dust a surface with icing sugar, sprinkle the dough with icing sugar and roll out the dough to a thickness of apx 5mm (*use icing sugar to prevent sticking to surface and rolling-pin)
• Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets
• Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 mins
• Remove and use a wide spatula or palette knife to transfer the soft cookies to wire rack to cool. They’ll firm up upon further cooling.

* I made 50/50 blend of vanilla and chocolate sugar cookie by removing half the dough when refrigerating it and leaving half in the bowl. To this I added 50g unsweetened cocoa powder and 100g unsweetened chocolate chips. Mix until well combined then refrigerate and make as per the rest of the recipe.

 

Simple White Loaf

Ingredients

500g Bread flour

12g fast action yeast

10g salt

40ml light olive oil

320ml warm water

Method

• In a bowl combine the flour, yeast (to one side) and salt (to opposite side)
• In bowl combine olive oil and water
• Pour the water/oil mixture into the flour bowl in a steady stream
• With your hand in a “Claw” shape mix from outside of the bowl towards to centre. Continue until all the mixture comes together into a dough ball and the bowl sides are clean
• Lightly oil a surface with olive oil and tip out the dough onto it
• Knead the dough for 10 mins until it becomes smooth and elastic
• Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with some lightly oiled cling film. Leave to rise until doubled in size
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and dust with bread flour
• Again lightly oil a surface and tip out the risen dough
• Punch and knead the dough, for about 5 mins, until all the air has been expelled from it (called “Knocking Back”)
• Shape with your hands into a long oval shape and transfer to the prepared baking sheet
• Cover loosely with some damp kitchen paper or oiled cling film and leave for 40-60 mins until risen
• Preheat your oven to 225c or 435F
• Once the dough has risen, lightly spray with water, slash the top of the loaf, dust with all-purpose flour and place it in the preheated oven. After doing this place a dish filled with 1 pint of water in the bottom of the oven (this creates a crust)
• Bake for 25mins, at which point reduce the temperature to 200c or 390F and continue to bake for a further 15-20mins
• Remove the loaf from the oven (careful of the steam!) and leave to cool

Pizza adaptation

I’ve also used this recipe to make pizzas which the kids absolutely go crazy for. I’m not sure that it’s as much for the taste of it as it is for the whole “I’ve made this!” boost to their confidence. To use this for pizza making follow the steps until the “Knocking Back” stage.

• After knocking back the dough divide into equal pieces (I usually get 4-5 good size pizzas from this quantity of dough).
• Preheat your oven to 250C or 475F (with baking sheets or pizza stones in)
• Sprinkle a surface with a 50/50 combination of all-purpose flour and semolina
• Dust the dough with some of the flour/semolina mixture. Flatten and stretch the dough until thin into which ever shape works best for you- circle, oval or rectangular. It just depends on what fits with your oven
• Dress to your (and your kids!) taste with toppings. All of the following are good- tomato passata (as sauce); cheese shreds; bacon; tuna; pepperoni; chicken; fresh herbs; fresh mozzarella; thinly sliced figs…thre list can go on!
• Carefully remove and dust your baking sheets or pizza stone with flour/ semolina mixture
• Transfer your pizza(s) to baking sheets or pizza stone and bake for 10-12 mins until ready
• Remove from oven, brush the exposed sides with extra virgin olive oil and serve

So there’s a brief selection of some o the tasty goods from my kitchen. I hope you enjoy baking them, getting your kids to pitch in and tasting them as much as we have.

 

 

 

 

 

#Recipe Sweet ‘n’ Salty Upside Down #Cheesecake

I recently ran a poll on my Twit-stream in connection with #NationalPopcornDay asking for votes for which recipe people would like to see from a selection of three. Each of the recipes used popcorn in an alternative way. Not that there’s anything wrong with just munching on a bag in front of a good movie! But you know me and how I like to mix it up a bit!

Think of this, if you will, as a “deconstructed” cheesecake. Literally flipping everything your familiar with about cheesecake on it’s head. “Salty taste in a cheesecake?”, you say, “That’s a bit unusual”. “The crumb layer is ON TOP!?!…well that’s just crazy!” Welcome to my world.

 

Sweet ‘n’ Salty Upside Down Cheesecake

Cheesecake

200g Feta Cheesecake

300g Cream Cheese

130ml whipped cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Caramel sauce

210g of sugar

85g butter

120ml double cream

 

Crumb topping

14g Sweet and Salty popcorn, crushed

90g digestive biscuit crumb

50g unsalted butter

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

To make the cheesecake:

• In a stand mixer bowl, beat the feta cheese until smooth.
• Add in the cream cheese, half of the whipped cream and the salt, and mix until combined.
• Add in the remainder of the whipped cream and mix again until fully combined.

 

To make the caramel sauce:

• In a large saucepan, heat the sugar over a moderate heat. Continue to heat until the sugar turns a deep amber color. DO NOT STIR! If needed you can swirl the pan.
• When the deep amber color has been reached add in the butter and stir until melted.
• Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Take extra care here as adding the cream will cause the mixture to foam up and steam. Continue to whisk until the foaming subsides and the sauce is smooth.
• Leave to cool fully before proceeding.

 

To make the crumb topping:

• Over a medium heat melt the unsalted butter in a frying pan.
• Add in the biscuit crumb and crushed popcorn. Toss to coat in the melted butter.
• Mix in the brown sugar and stir to evenly coat.
• Continue to stir until the crumb mixture gently browns and caramelises.
• Remove the crumb mixture from the pan and allow to cool on a plate or bowl until needed.

 

To assemble:

• In an oblong pie dish, spoon the cheesecake mixture and smooth.
• Pour over the caramel sauce and spread to smooth.
• Liberally sprinkle over the crumb mixture and lightly press down.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Serve and enjoy!

#Recipe Candycane Brownies

 

 

And now January has set in. Tinsel and lights have been packed away. Christmas tree carcasses litter the sidewalks- emaciated reminders of festivities past. On the whole January would appear to be a pretty “grey”- The Month of M’eh. Each mouthful of chocolate or candy is now succeeded by a guilty pang of remorse. “December was pretty indulgent, I really shouldn’t be eating this”…said no one in my kitchen. Ever!

“Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”

Erma Bombeck

There’s usually a surplus of sweet treats of some variety in my house after the festive season. This year is was candy canes. Having fulfilled their duty of adorning the christmas trees for the best past of a month (and surviving the voracious eyes of my children!) it’s now time to put them to an alternative, and somewhat tastier, use.

For something so small and simple candy cane have an assortment of end uses in the kitchen. Aside from having a good ol’ fashioned chomp on them, there are recipes available for flavoured vodkas, cupcakes, and hot chocolate. I opted for using them in one of my favourite flavour combinations- mint and chocolate. My Candy cane Brownies are rich, indulgent treats laced with peppermint and studded with chewy, mini nuggets of stripped cane and chocolate chumks. Just for good measure there’s an extra sprinkling of smashed candy canes topping each brownies with extra festive whimsy.

Having arrived in our new home of Canada just ahead of the festive blitz I had little time for baking and experimenting with the new array of ingredients that have since become available to me. New brands, varieties and flavours lined shelfs, all there for the taking in my greedy mitts. The cocoa powder I used here, Fry’s (which is a Dutch processed cocoa), resulted in a much darker and richer chocolate flavour compared to those I’ve used in the UK. I’d highly recommend trying to get your hands on some if you can! So this recipe provided the perfect excuse for not only using up the excess candy canes but also as a trial for using unfamiliar ingredients. I hope you like them. And yes I know it’s strictly speaking a christmas recipe and the festive season is done and dusted, but just them of them as a legitimate excuse for resurrecting it for a brief few minutes. Enjoy!

Candy cane Brownies

makes 12

Unsalted butter 185g, cubed

185g Bakers unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces

1 tablespoon Nielsen Massey peppermint extract

3 eggs

275g caster (superfine) sugar

85g plain flour

½ teaspoon salt

50g Fry’s cocoa powder

50g Bakers semi-sweet chocolate, cut into small chunks

50g peppermint candy cane, broken into smalls pieces

To decorate

75g peppermint candy canes, smashed into irregular pieces

• Set your oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and line a deep 12″x9″ baking tray with baking parchment.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie), stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thickened and fluffy, then, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
• Stir the peppermint extract into the cooled chocolate mixture, and the fold into the egg mixture.
• Sieve in the dry ingredients, and fold together.
• Mix in the chocolate chunks and candy cane pieces. Fold again until well combined.
• Pour your mixture into the lined tray and gently spread to level the surface. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. To test- insert a skewer into the mixture about 1 inch from the edge of the tin and it should come out clean.
• To decorate-sprinkle the top of the brownies with the smashed candy cane pieces and gently push into the surface so the stick.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into squares, and serving.