What are you baking?

[madamv]

No. Although my mother in law used to make such things and did used to teach her. Shes probably forgotten how to make them now.

 

[Looby]

Come tomorrow sparklefish and bring tupperware

Scarlets Neapolitan cake! Hahahhaha she's been desperate to have a go at a tiered cake.

The strawberry one is wet, chocolate one not chocolatey enough and vanilla one too eggy. All three recipes are ones she chose off Google Although, I told her the above, I said it nicely with lots of yums in between. She agreed she might let me check the recipes in future before baking them

I will. You're definitely selling it to me.

What time do you get home?

 

[cesare]

No. Although my mother in law used to make such things and did used to teach her. Shes probably forgotten how to make them now.

She's got a headstart if she decides she'd like it as a hobby

 

[Lo Siento.]

I managed to make a total pig's ear of making brioche last night/this morning by (a) seemingly overworking the dough because I used an electric beater with a dough hook for the first time so wasn't able to feel when it was right (b) forgetting to egg wash it (c) not noticing my flatmate had left a tray covered in sausage fat in the oven which burned when I pre-heated making the whole thing smell of sausage (d) accidentally turning the oven up to 250c, when I meant to put it at 200c (e) thinking that fire alarm was just being arsey when it warned me of this fact and (f) upon discovering that the top of brioche had incinerated cutting the burnt bits off before checking it was cooked in the middle.

Disastrous

 

[madamv]

Hahahhaha. Maybe you shouldn't have bothered today!

 

[Mogden]

My neighbour has given me some cob/hazel nuts from her garden that have fallen off my twisted hazel tree. She is in her 80s and was hinting quite heavily that I could bake something with them. I thought praline but my sweet tooth isn't that strong. Coffee and hazelnut something? I wonder if anyone had any suggestions.

 

[madamv]

Biscotti? Hazelnut and chocolate would be nice

 

[wtfftw]

I made this chocolate and hazelnut cake once. It were nice.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/09/hazelnut-cobnut-filbert-recipes-whittingstall

 

[Lo Siento.]

I've not totally lost it at least... maple pecan plaits:

 

[Part 2]

Chocolate cake for the lad for his birthday.

 

[toggle]

Finally got the chest freezer that I bought for next to nothing a couple of months ago plugged in so i'm filling it with homemade ready meals and baked stuff and tramps buffet stuff. cue a mahoosive batch of carrot cake has been made that I have been reliably informed will freeze relatively well. one batch just carrot, the other with a load of minipacks of dates and pecans added. when i say mahoosive, that is 3x 2lb loaf tins, plus a dozen cupcake sized ones to use up half the mix, the rest made a traybake.

any other suggestions of stuff wot freezes well so we can have some variety?

 

[TopCat]

I still can't get my breads to be light and airy. They are rather dense but taste great. Tips and tricks please.

 

[Lo Siento.]

I still can't get my breads to be light and airy. They are rather dense but taste great. Tips and tricks please.

Dense usually means either too dry, underworked or underproved. For (a) err on the side of 'the wetter the better' (within reason) (b) use a strong flour, work until you can stretch it such that light passes through it when you hold it up to the window (c) help your yeast along along by mixing it with lukewarm water and maybe a pinch of sugar or a dash of honey. (Not too much cause sugar will try and monopolise your moisture too) Alternately I get good results from a slow rise in the fridge overnight. You can check it's sufficiently proofed by doing a "punch in" test. Make a 1/4" indentation in your risen dough with your finger. If it springs straight back, it's not done. If it comes back v.slowly (or barely at all) it's done. Err... what else. Salt retards yeast, so careful with that. Seeds and other ingredients add weight and make it rise slower. Oil/fat does too (I think). Covering your dough with a wetted tea towel helps throw a bit more moisture in there too. Give it a second rise in the tin?

That's all my suggestions. Homemade is always a bit denser that commercial loafs anyway...

 

[Greebo]

Gorgonzola piccante & field mushroom tart - the shortcrust for the base was bought.

 

[Lo Siento.]

From my new book of American pies: Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie.

 

[astral]

That is a recipe I would be very interested in having.

 

[Lo Siento.]

That is a recipe I would be very interested in having.

Will put it up when I get home

 

[astral]

Will put it up when I get home

Thank you.

 

[Looby]

I'm trying to make this ish

With a Mary Berry coffee cake recipe.

Hmmm

 

[Lo Siento.]

Thank you.

Ok, lay out in the book is a bit inconvenient so I'll just type it out:

Pastry is wholewheat crust:
That's 1.5 American cups plain flour, 1 cup wholewhear flour, 2tsp salt, 2tabs granulated sugar, 1.5 American sticks butter (165g), 4 tabs vegetable shortening (ie. Trex or such like) (rub the fat into the flour until it's mostly breadcrumbs which some pea-sized bits of fat still in there). Mixed with 4 tabs Vodka, 8 tabs cold water (usual caveats, add more water if necessary, knead v.briefly until uniform but as little as possible.

Roll out to about 5-7mm thickness, then use to line the bottom of a 9" pie dish. Crimp the edges.

You could probably swap the above out for shortcrust or sweet pastry depending on taste.

Pre-heat oven to 175C
Filling is:
1. Fry 4 rashers of streaky bacon to a crisp, chop up fine. Set aside.
2. If you can get dark corn syrup use that. Otherwise make a substitute: in a saucepan heat 1/4 cup of water with 1/2 cup dark muscovado and 1/2 cup light muscovado until sugar dissolves. You'll need 3/4 cup of this for your filling. Set aside.
3. Chop up 1.5 cups (approx 300g) of pecan nuts (fairly small, but not like ground). Set aside
3. In a large bowl. Mix 3/4 American stick of butter (77.5g), 1 cup ligh brown muscovado sugar. Cream together.
4. Add 3 large eggs, incorporating them one by one. Then 1/2tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup dark corn syrup, 2 tabs bourbon (the ones they stock at Lidl or Waitrose are good). Mix together.
5. Throw in the bacon and 3/4 of the pecan nuts.
6. Sprinkle the remaining quarter of the pecan nuts on the bottom of the tart case.
7. Stir the mixture one last time so the nuts and bacon aren't all at the bottom, then 3/4 fill the tart case (or use all the mixture really!).
8. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour.
9. Serve at room temp.

(I've assumed a fair bit of baking knowledge in the instructions, so feel free to ask questions!)

 

[Looby]

I'm trying to make this ish

With a Mary Berry coffee cake recipe.

Hmmm

I made the big owl on a branch. It's a bit rustic anyway and I didn't manage to get a photo before my dog happened.

He didn't get any of the owl but did get half a branch, some leaves and some green icing. Little sod!

 

[sheothebudworths]

The owl looks a bit sad about it all *owl trauma*

 

[Looby]

The owl looks a bit sad about it all *owl trauma*

He does look sad.

 

[kittyP]

Chocolate cake for the lad for his birthday.

From the photo it looks like you have been cooking in a puddle on a flat roof


Cake looks lush though

 

[sheothebudworths]

He does look sad.

He looks fantastic!

 

[kittyP]

From my new book of American pies: Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie.

You what now!!!?? Get in!!

Badgers look!

 

[kittyP]

Ok, lay out in the book is a bit inconvenient so I'll just type it out:

Pastry is wholewheat crust:
That's 1.5 American cups plain flour, 1 cup wholewhear flour, 2tsp salt, 2tabs granulated sugar, 1.5 American sticks butter (165g), 4 tabs vegetable shortening (ie. Trex or such like) (rub the fat into the flour until it's mostly breadcrumbs which some pea-sized bits of fat still in there). Mixed with 4 tabs Vodka, 8 tabs cold water (usual caveats, add more water if necessary, knead v.briefly until uniform but as little as possible.

Roll out to about 5-7mm thickness, then use to line the bottom of a 9" pie dish. Crimp the edges.

You could probably swap the above out for shortcrust or sweet pastry depending on taste.

Pre-heat oven to 175C
Filling is:
1. Fry 4 rashers of streaky bacon to a crisp, chop up fine. Set aside.
2. If you can get dark corn syrup use that. Otherwise make a substitute: in a saucepan heat 1/4 cup of water with 1/2 cup dark muscovado and 1/2 cup light muscovado until sugar dissolves. You'll need 3/4 cup of this for your filling. Set aside.
3. Chop up 1.5 cups (approx 300g) of pecan nuts (fairly small, but not like ground). Set aside
3. In a large bowl. Mix 3/4 American stick of butter (77.5g), 1 cup ligh brown muscovado sugar. Cream together.
4. Add 3 large eggs, incorporating them one by one. Then 1/2tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup dark corn syrup, 2 tabs bourbon (the ones they stock at Lidl or Waitrose are good). Mix together.
5. Throw in the bacon and 3/4 of the pecan nuts.
6. Sprinkle the remaining quarter of the pecan nuts on the bottom of the tart case.
7. Stir the mixture one last time so the nuts and bacon aren't all at the bottom, then 3/4 fill the tart case (or use all the mixture really!).
8. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour.
9. Serve at room temp.

(I've assumed a fair bit of baking knowledge in the instructions, so feel free to ask questions!)

Thank you. Have saved for future reference

 

[Espresso]

Cor, Lo Siento.!
Thanks for putting that recipe up. I'll be giving that a whirl before too much longer.

 

[madamv]

Omg that owl is brilliant! Naughty Albert! Did N like his cake sparklefish ?

 

[Looby]

Omg that owl is brilliant! Naughty Albert! Did N like his cake sparklefish ?

He did, thanks. Even with Albert's input.