Spiced Guinness Cake

   For Father's Day I made my Grandad this loaf cake. As a fan of fruit cake I thought he'd enjoy this as sultanas are soaked in Guinness. The recipe is from The Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook, and asks for light ale, but Guinness works just as well.

Spiced Guinness Cake
(Serves 12)
     350ml light ale/Guinness
     100g sultanas
     2 tbsp honey
     200g dark muscovado sugar
     400g wholemeal flour
     1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
     1 tsp ground cinnamon
     1/2 tsp ground cloves

• Mix the Guinness with the sultanas and leave for a couple of hours for the fruit to plump up a little and absorb some of the flavour.
• Heat the oven to 190 degrees. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g loaf tin leaving a little of the paper above the rim to allow for any rising.
• Gently warm the honey and add to the Guinness and sultanas along with the sugar, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then pour in the Guinness mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined into a thick batter.
• Pour the mixture into the tin, spreading it evenly. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin completely before turning out.

This cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.

Orange Dondi Cake

   An orange dondi cake has been at the top of my 'to bake' list for a while. A list that seems to be out of control at the moment.

   My Welsh Grandmother, or Nain as we call her, always used to make this when we'd go and stay with her in Aberystwyth in the school holidays. This cake was served in those afternoon's where my brother, cousins and I were just too hungry to wait for dinner. I guess its the orange equivalent of a lemon drizzle cake, but to me it just seems 100 times better.

Another favourite of Nain's bakes is lemon meringue pie, no one can make it quite the same!

I made this for my Dad, loaf cakes are very easy to carry on the train, tube and take to lunch!

Orange Dondi Cake
     vegetable oil for greasing
     8 oz margarine, melted
     1/2 pint fresh orange juice
     10 oz granulated sugar
     2 eggs
     14 oz self raising flour, sifted

Cake Glaze
     6 rounded tbsp icing sugar
     3 tbsp fresh orange juice

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper or a loaf tin liner.
• In a large bowl, stir in the orange juice and sugar into the melted butter.
• Beat in the eggs and flour until well combined, I just used a hand whisk for 2 minutes.
• Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour in the centre of the oven.
• Whilst the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring icing sugar into orange juice until a thin paste is formed.
• Once the cake is cooked, a skewer comes out clean, pour the glaze over the hot cake and leave to cool. 

Once cool the glaze should form an orangey thin crust to the loaf. I think next time, I may add orange zest to the cake batter to enhance the flavour.

This made enough to fill a 2 lb loaf tin and make 6 mini muffins.

Custard Creams & Bourbons

   There's nothing better than a good British biscuit. I can't hide my fondness for a good hot brew and a biscuit to dunk. But then again, who isn't fond of a good dunk?

   I got the best gift ever, biscuit moulds! Clearly someone knows me very well! I tried out the custard cream and bourbon ones this evening but still have jammy dodger ones to try.

Custard Creams
(Makes 16-20 biscuits)
     225g plain flour
     50g custard powder
     30g icing sugar
     175g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
     50g unsalted butter, room temperature
     200g icing sugar
     2 tbsp custard powder

• Pulse the flour, custard powder and icing sugar in a mixer until well combined.
• Add in the butter and vanilla extract and continue to pulse until the mixture begins to come together.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge, or until firm.
• Take a small ball and press into the moulds, turn out onto a lined baking tray.
• Chill for a further 15 minutes, heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
• To make the filling, beat the butter until soft and creamy, approximately 5 minutes.
• Slowly incorporate the icing sugar and custard powder and continue to beat until smooth.
• Once the biscuits are completely cool, use a spoon of the filling to sandwich two biscuits together.

Bourbons

(Makes 16-20 biscuits)

Follow the recipe for custard creams and substitute the custard powder with cocoa powder.

   The bourbons came out of the moulds much easier than the custard creams as the dough was a lot shorter. Perhaps a little tweaking to the recipe is required for optimum mould shaping.

Foodie Penpals: May

   This month has been my first month participating in Foodie Penpals and I was very excited to receive a Scottish themed parcel from Amanda in Ayrshire. My parcel was full of goodies that either I already loved or have never tried before.

The parcel:

• Chilli and cheese oatcakes
• Tattie scones, for a breakfast fry up
• Scottish Brie
• Chutney from Arran, an Island off the West Coast of Scotland
• Black pudding
• Homemade Scottish Macaroons

   I've never tried tattie scones, black pudding or Scottish macaroons so was excited to give something new a try. I enjoyed the scones topped with poached eggs for breakfast with a spoon of relish. The black pudding wasn't really my cup of tea but I'm glad I tried it, my family enjoyed it grilled on the BBQ (when the weather was good!).

   And now for my favourite part, Scottish macaroons. I've never even heard of macaroons made with the secret ingredient that these use so naturally I was very intrigued. There's no way that I could have guessed that these had been made with mashed potatoes!

Amanda included the recipe which I can't wait to try!

Scottish Macaroons

     110g potato (peeled weight)

     450g icing sugar

     250g chocolate (plain, milk or a mix)

     110g desiccated coconut

• Boil the potatoes then drain, leaving to 'dry out' a little so that they are not too wet. Mash the potatoes (with no milk or butter) and leave to cool.
• Start adding the icing sugar. The mix will turn to Noel's Fun House Slime! Persevere...keep adding more icing sugar and stirring. Once you have added all the sugar you should have a stiff dough mix.
• Shape into sausage shapes with your hands, or if the mixture is too loose, use a piping bag.
• Put the flattened sausage shapes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
• Leave for a few hours to harden, or pop into the freezer for 30 minutes. They need to be cold and hard before you cover them in chocolate.
• When ready, turn the oven to a low heat (140-150 degrees) and put 1/4 - 1/3 of the coconut on a baking tray and lightly toast it. It should take about 5 minutes but keep an eye on it.
• At the same time, melt the chocolate over a bain marie or in the microwave.
• Line up the chilled potato shapes, the toasted and untoasted coconut (mixed together in a bowl) and a lined baking tray.
• Dip the potato shapes in the chocolate so completely covered, drop into the coconut and roll and then place on the tray.
• Repeat for all of the potato shapes and chill to set the chocolate.

The macaroons should keep for at least one month.

For my parcel, I sent a parcel of sweet treats and baking goodies to Lynette in Sunderland. I was tempted by the edible 'space dust' I got her, so much so I got some for myself!

For more info on Foodie Penpals visit Carol Anne at Rock Salt.

Raspberry and Rose Muffins

   With a few hours to spare this afternoon I felt it was only right to spend them baking. This is the bonus of early shifts...despite the 04:30am alarm!

   Following on from my recent ramble of trying to bake a little healthier, I picked up some pretty massive raspberries whilst waiting for my train after work to pop them into a recipe I tweaked from this month's Women's Health. By tweak, I mean a lot of improvisation. I thought I had enough maple syrup, but had to make up 30g with the vanilla syrup I make for my coffee. The recipe wanted vanilla extract anyway, and it worked!

   The recipe was for a healthier version of a victoria sponge cake, but I made individual muffins as I love my new Wilton muffin tray so much. I also skipped the yoghurt take on a victoria sponge's jam and cream and added a fresh raspberries into the cake batter and drizzled the baked muffins with a rose icing to finish.

   I've really enjoyed the bakes I've made so far from these recipes in Women's Health, definitely opened my eyes to healthier alternatives to refined sugars. Simple alternatives really do make all the difference. The other recipe I've tried is lemony hazelnut and blueberry muffins, recipe here.

Raspberry and Rose Muffins
(Adapted from Women's Health May/June 2013)
Makes 12 medium muffins
     160g unsalted butter, softened
     160g white spelt flour, sifted
     2 eggs
     2 tsp baking powder
     160g maple syrup
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     small squeeze lemon juice
     pack of fresh raspberries
     few drops pink food colouring
     few drops rose essence
     half a cup icing sugar

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and place 12 muffin cases into the tray.
• Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.
• Add 2-3 tbsp of flour and beat in the eggs until the mixture is light and fluffy (if its curdling, add another spoon of flour).
• Add the remaining flour, baking powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract and fold.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, poke in a few raspberries in each and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin try before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the rose icing, I mixed half a cup of icing sugar with a few drops each of rose essence and pink colouring. Top up with a few splashes of water and stir well. Pour into a piping bag and drizzle on the cool muffins.

I also dusted a little gold 'space dust' on top...couldn't help myself!

The Craft Company & Carrot Cake

   When it comes to decorating cakes, I have a very basic tool kit. A few cutters, piping nozzles and lots of glitter. So when The Craft Company sent me some sugar paste tools I was exicted to learn some more and, of course, bake some cake.

  I've often flicked through Peggy Porschen's Boutique Baking since visiting her bakery but never quite had the time or guts to give one of her elegant creations a go. I decided to go for this carrot cake covered in lemon buttercream with sugar paste decorations. 

Carrot cake with lemon buttercream
(Recipe from Peggy Porschen's Boutique Baking)
     140ml vegetable oil
     200g light brown sugar
     80ml beaten eggs (approx. 2 small eggs)
     80g walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
     320g carrots, peeled and grated
     280g tinned pineapple, drained and crushed
     290g plain flour
     3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
     3/4 tsp baking powder
     3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
     pinch salt
     seeds of 1 vanilla pod

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease three (6in) round sandwich tins.
• Mix together the vegetable oil and brown sugar.
• Lightly beat the eggs in another bowl and gradually add to the oil mixture until a smooth emulsion is formed.
• Add the walnuts, carrots, pineapple and vanilla and gently stir until well combined.
• Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and fold into the wet ingredients.
• Divide between the sandwich tins and bake for 40 minutes.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tins before removing and cooling fully.

Lemon buttercream

     250g unsalted butter, softened

     250g icing sugar

     fine zest of 2 lemons

• Cream all ingredients together until pale and fluffy.
• Once the cake is cooled, sandwich the layers with one third of the buttercream.
• Place the cake on a turntable and cover the top and sides with some buttercream using a palette knife to spread the coating thinly over the cake until a dark crumb shows through. Smooth the crumb coat with a side scraper and leave the cake to chill for 30 minutes - 1hour to set.
• Using the final remaining buttercream, coat the top and sides so that no crumb shows through. Work quickly as the chilled crumb coat will set the fresh masking coat. Once all sides are covered, run a side scraper around the cake in one swoop and repeat for the top.

   To decorate, I made flowers with a mix of different sugar paste colours and sizes with plunger cutters and used the buttercream as glue to place them on the cake.

Sugar paste flowers
     Selection of sugar paste colours
     Small rolling pin
     Angled palette knife
     Corn flour/icing sugar
     Selection of flower plunger cutters
     Edible glue

• Taking a small piece of sugar paste, knead until soft and pliable. Roll out the paste to a thickness of approximately 2mm on a surface dusted with either icing sugar or corn flour to prevent sticking.
• When not in use place sugar paste in cling film to prevent from drying out.
• Using the plunger cutters, cut out a flower shape without pressing the plunger. Then using the plunger, press the flower shape onto a flat surface to produce the embossing. Press the plunger again to release.
• Cut as many different colours and sizes as required and layer smaller flowers in the centre of larger ones. Use a small amount of clear alcohol or edible glue with a small paintbrush to adhere flowers together.

   For this cake, The Craft Company sent me a side scraper which is something so simple but I've never used one before. Usually I'll use a large palette knife to smooth icing onto cakes but I found it so much easier using the scraper to give a more uniform smooth finish, and much quicker. Definitely my new favourite tool.

   The other items I received included orange sorbet coloured sugar paste, sugar forget-me-nots and a selection of daisy plunger cutters. 

   The sugar paste was in a 100g tub, practical for storing and perfect for me as I don't get through large quantities of sugar paste but like having a good selection of colours. I also find it to be much more pliable and easier to use than those I've bought previously in resealable foil packets.

   I always find plunger cutters easier to use than regular cutters, with the added bonus of them stamping a pattern into the sugar paste and easy to release. The cutters I used came in a pack of 4 different sizes, my favourite being the smallest which would look good with the forget-me-nots on their own.

Visit The Craft Company at www.craftcompany.co.uk for a large selection of cake decorating and baking tools. My wish list is quietly growing the more I browse!

Peanut Butter Spelt Cookies

    Recently I've been aware that I should start thinking of ways to lessen my dependence on sugar. I've got to a stage where if I open a pack of biscuits, I will eat the whole lot. If I open a bar of Dairy Milk, I will eat the whole lot...and I'm talking about a big bar, daily! 

   I can't pretend to know a whole lot about refined sugars vs. naturally occurring sugars. But, I'd like to think that baking with naturally sweet ingredients can be just as tasty. I'd like to be a little more aware of ingredients and to have the knowledge to chose the healthier option - not always, of course! I love a treat from my favourite Bea's or the odd bar of Dairy Milk.

   I searched online for some cookie recipes that used ingredients I already had in the cupboard. I'm not very good at using up things, especially as the first time I've ever had tahini was in halva flapjacks I made recently. What else am I meant to use it for? So when I came across this recipe on Sweetest Kitchen, I got my apron on straight away and got mixing.

   These cookies use wholegrain spelt flour which is known as being much easier for your body to digest than regular flour due to its high water solubility. Its also rich in fibre, protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. I've only ever baked with spelt twice before, some bread and lemony hazelnut and blueberry muffins, so after baking these cookies I'm excited to try it in more recipes.

Peanut butter spelt cookies

(Adapted from Sweetest Kitchen)

     195g wholegrain spelt flour

     1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

     1 tsp sea salt

     185g natural peanut butter

     60g hulled tahini

     50g pure maple syrup

     60g margarine

     1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

     Few drops of almond milk

     Handful of unsalted peanuts

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Mix the spelt flour, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl combine the peanut butter, tahini, maple syrup, margarine and vanilla extract.
• Pour the peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture and fold to combine.
• I added a few drops of almond milk to help combine the mixture and added some peanuts to add crunch to the cookies.
• Drop small rounded balls of dough onto the baking tray and give a little squish with your palm to flatten.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until slightly soft. They will harden as they cool.

As I love salt and sweet flavour combinations I decided to top these with a drizzle of melted cacao...not as bad as my usual slab of Dairy Milk!

   If anyone has any healthy recipes to recommend then I'd love to try? How shall I use the rest of my spelt flour and tahini?

Lemony Hazelnut & Blueberry Muffins

   Even though I haven't baked or blogged for a while I have still been indulging in many a sugar filled treat. Giant Jaffa cakes, dairy milk, speculoos and custard creams to name a few. So when I saw recipes for nourishing cakes filled with fruits, nuts and natural sugars in this months Women's Health, I thought I'd give one a go.

   I chose to make the lemony hazelnut and blueberry cake as it sounded similar to the Hummigbird blueberry and lemon bundt that I love baking. My brother always asks for the 'one with blue spots'!

   With blueberries and hazelnuts these cakes are packed with vitamin E and anti oxidants, perfect for skin. Something I struggle with being a sweet treat fiend!

Lemony hazelnut & blueberry cakes
(Adapted from Women's Health May/June 2013)
     60g hazelnuts
     130g soft unsalted butter
     110g white spelt flour
     1tsp baking powder
     2 large eggs
     65g honey
     65g maple syrup
     Finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a muffin tray with cases
• Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing any skins and blitzing in the blender into a fine meal. 
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, beat in all of the other ingredients. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cakes light and fluffy. 
• Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes or unil a skewer comes out clean. 

Honey yoghurt topping

     175g fat free fromage frais

     1tbsp honey

     Few tbsps of blueberry jam

     Handful of blueberries

• Lightly whip the fromage frais until thick, drizzle in the honey and whisk again until incorporated
• Swirl in blueberry jam and top the cooled muffins with some of the yoghurt mix and fresh blueberries. 

The recipe in the magazine makes a sandwich cake, but I decided to divide the mix into a dozen muffins to try out my new Wilton muffin tray!

The Liebster Award

   Recently I feel like I've lost my baking mojo and the only thing that has kept me in the loop is Twitter. I've been following my fellow foodies' recipes with great envy and reading more posts than usual in the hope of some inspiration. Steph and Hannah recommended that I try a non-recipe post and when the lovely Emily nominated to take part in the Liebster Award I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to start afresh. So here it goes...

10 things about me:

1. My initials are SJS, if you say it quick enough it sounds like 'sausages'.
2. My favourite cake in the whole entire world is Victoria Sponge.
3. I studied a Bachelor of Science in Digital Imaging, specialising in Forensic and Biomedical Imaging.
4. From January to March I took part in a food writing course with Lulu Grimes.
5. My favourite biscuit is a custard cream.
6. I have a dog who enjoys eating ice creams, particularly 99s.
7. My favourite cake place in London is Bea's of Bloomsbury.
8. Last year a friend and I got stuck in Hurricane Sandy in NYC.
9. I'm a big Harry Potter fan.
10. I can't sing, but I really enjoy car karaoke.

Emily's questions:

How would you sum up your blog in 5 words?
Sugar, simple, fun, learning and lighthearted.

Where did your blog name come from?

Well...I love food!

What is your ultimate favourite cuisine?

I'm not sure if this really counts, but baked goods. I have a terrible sweet tooth. Otherwise I really enjoy Indian food and experimenting with different spices and herbs. I'm on a mission to up my heat tolerance and to master the perfect dhal.

What foodie product or utensil could you not live without?

I recently got a new pair of digital scales, as a baker and a science geek I like to be very precise.

Do you think you could go veggie and why/why not?
I was a sort of veggie for 5-6 years. I wouldn't say that I was a strict vegetarian at all, I picked out meat from meals and enjoyed lots of fish. In the past year or so I've reintroduced chicken and turkey into my diet. Its just the texture of other meats that I don't enjoy, I will give anything a try though. 

What would you cook if you went on 'Come Dine with Me'?

I'd love to take part in something like this but haven't really thought about what I'd cook until now. I would start with a really cheesy soufflé, followed by something with haddock as its my favourite fish. Then, for the finale, a massive show stopper cake or boozy lemon desert.

Who is your favourite celebrity chef and why?

I'm incredibly fickle when it comes to celebrity chefs. I don't watch a lot of food TV because I think there's a real difference between a 'TV chef' and a 'proper chef'. People like Jamie Oliver are fantastic entrepreneurs and their names a brand of their own, but how much does he really cook? For aesthetics, I want Gizzi Erskine's beehive and Rachel Khoo's wardrobe. For proper home baking recipes, Dan Lepard is my go-to guy. I can't really think of any chefy chefs...its not often I think of anything other than baked treats!

If you were to make an ice cream with three scoops, any flavour, what would they be?

Peanut butter, salted caramel, and lemon meringue pie.

What is your earliest memory of cooking/baking?

I remember visiting my Grandmother (Nain) in Aberystwyth every school holiday, my brother and I were always greeted with baked treats. My favourites included orange dondis cake and lemon meringue pie.

Last but not least...sweet or savoury?

SWEET!!

   Thank you to Steph & Hannah for your kind words and for my new addiction...Speculoos. If you have a minute to spare, read Hannah's 'Love Letter to Speculoos' every single line is completely true. If anyone has any recipes for it then let me know as I'd love to try! And thanks to Emily for nominating me.

   I nominate anyone reading this who would like to join in and spread the Lieb-love! My questions are...

1. What is your favourite thing to spread on toast?
2. What is your signature dish?
3. If there was one food item you could not live without, what would it be?
4. What made you decide to take up blogging?
5. Where is your favourite local cake shop and why?
6. Marmite, love it or hate it?
7. What has been your most successful meal/bake?
8. And your least successful?
9. What is your favourite biscuit?
10. Sweet or savoury?

Enjoy! 

Recipease: Knife Skills: Chop, slice & dice

   Mumma Loves Food and I popped to Recipease in Clapham Junction on Friday for a masterclass in chopping lead by Anjali Pathak of the Patak family. Recipease is Jamie Oliver's food and kitchen shop where regular masterclasses on all things foodie are held. I'd always wanted to take part in this kind of class because A, I'm rubbish at chopping and B, I want to chop like chefs do on TV!

In the 2 hour class we made an Asian prawn salad with the most amazingly versatile dressing that now I have mastered, want to put on absolutely everything I eat.

We started by prepping the biggest prawns I've ever seen, and with equally as big poopy pipes (sorry!).

The we chopped red onion, red chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander and added oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and some brown sugar. This dressing is used for the salad and to marinade the prawns so we popped a few spoons on and left them in the fridge whilst making the salad.

Anjali told us that a perfect Jamie dressing must be SSSH...sweet, salty, sharp and hot!

The salad was made with white cabbage, mango, red pepper, cucumber and spring onions.

To serve, we tossed the salad with the dressing, fried the prawns in their marinade for a few minutes each side and ta dahhh!

After, we sat and enjoyed our salad with a glass of wine and chatted to the rest of the class (only 6 of us in total so was really hands on).

Since, I've made some of this dressing and drizzled it over noodles with mange tout and crushed peanuts for a quick and simple work lunch.