Recipe: Mackays Strawberry & Champagne Mousse Tart

For the past few weeks I've taken some time away from blogging. It all started with my annoyance at Google by changing some account settings and all the effort it took to get things back exactly the way they were. Then, the Winter sniffles came and, amongst other things, I found it increasingly more difficult to get back into my routine. 

It has been a novelty to me to be able to watch a whole episode of Game of Thrones without the need to rewind and rewatch as I'd previously been too engrossed in Bloglovin' or keeping up to date with my Twitter feed. 

It also got to the point where I didn't enjoy it much. Not even baking. And really what's the point of churning out posts that I'm not happy with?

So instead, I've been out for lots of nice meals, discovered new places and even met some blogger friends and chatted about life apart from blogging. 

My favourites include,

Meeting Flick and Frankie for dessert - and establishing that staying in is the new going out! Frankie's review of the evening had me giggling for ages. 

Drinking Butterbeer in the snow with Boy at Harry Potter film studios. We won't count how many times I've been over the years, all I care is that it snowed in Hogsmeade and I got a Gryffindor scarf.

Going to Waitrose Cookery School with my Mum and Grandmother for a Festive masterclass. Not only were the food and drinks incredible, everyone was so lovely, we all enjoyed ourselves so much. Even the brussel sprout haters were swayed!

Any blog posts that may have appeared have been scheduled from earlier bakes in the year. 

Including this little number. Perfect to make ahead if you've guests coming over of if you're popping over to a friends. I made this the day before serving and saved the pyrotechnics for the dinner table. Its a relatively straight forward tart, even more so if you buy a pre-made tart case from the supermarket (no one will know any different).

This recipe was made for Mackays as a way of showcasing my favourite of their preserves, strawberry and champagne. But I love it just as much on toast in the mornings, any day of the week.

Mackays Strawberry & Champagne Preserve Mousse Tart
(Makes a 22cm tart)

Sweet pastry tart:

375g plain flour, sifted + extra to dust
60g caster sugar
250g unsalted butter, chopped

Strawberry mousse filling:

220g Mackays Strawberry and Champagne Preserve
150ml whipping cream
1 packet of powdered gelatine (or 4 sheets)

Strawberry glaze:

120g Mackays Strawberry and Champagne Preserve
1 tbsp water

Garnish:

200g fresh strawberries

To make the pastry tart, add the flour and sugar into a food processor. Add the butter and process until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Add 40 ml chilled water and process once more until the dough just comes together. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out the chilled pastry and line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill the tart for a further 20 minutes whilst you heat the oven to 1800c.

Using a fork, prick the base of the pastry case so any air is released whilst baking. Line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes and leave to cool in the tin.

For the mousse filling, bloom the gelatin following the packet instructions and set aside.

Heat the jam in a small pan on a low heat until it starts to loosen, add the gelatin and quickly stir through before removing from the heat and leaving to cool on ice. Whip the cream and gently fold into the cool jam mix.

Fill the cooled pastry case with the mousse, using a palette knife or the back of a large spoon to smooth over the top.

Place in the fridge to set whilst you make the strawberry glaze. Heat the jam in a small pan on a low heat and stir in the water until the jam has loosened and is slightly warm.

To finish the mousse tart, decorate the top with sliced fresh strawberries. Pour over the still-warm glaze and leave to firm up at room temperature before returning to the fridge to set 30 minutes before serving. Or, if making the day before, leave it in the fridge until needed.

Happy New Year to you all, for the end of the week! May your 2015 be filled with peace, love and happiness.

Recipe: Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Mackays Christmas Preserve

These gingerbread cookies are the most festive cookies, ever.

I make the dough a day in advance and leave it to chill in the fridge. You can either take a few chunks out a time to make fresh cookies as and when you need, freeze it for a later date...or just eat them all in one go.

I've tried this recipe with a few different jams and preserves, my favourites being Mackays Christmas preserve or cherry jam. Regular strawberry and raspberry would work equally well!

Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Mackays Christmas Preserve

(Makes 3 dozen)

150g butter, softened

170g soft brown sugar

80g molasses

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 egg

450g plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg

1⁄4 salt

60g Mackay’s Christmas Preserve

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the molasses, ginger and egg and mix well.

Sift in the flour, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and salt and stir until well incorporated.

Press the dough into a ball, cover and chill in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.

Heat the oven to 1800c and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the tray with a 2-inch space between each cookie.

Press a thumbprint into the centre of each ball, about 1⁄2 inch deep.

Fill each with about 1⁄2 tsp Mackay’s Christmas Preserve.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

I was sent some gorgeous festive samples from Mackays in order to come up with some recipes. Feel free to use any jams...although this festive preserve is a sure winner!

Great British Food Magazine: Chocolate & Mackays Marmalade Devil's Food Cake

   I really enjoy Mackay's baking challenges and more so seeing what all the other food bloggers come up with. Although I've taken a strictly sweet approach to my recipes, other bloggers have come up with some fantastic ways of using jams and preserves in savoury dishes. Including a lemon and lime curd marinade for turkey from Lullabella's Kitchen.

Whiskey Marmalade & Pecan Brownies

   Here's my recipe for Mackays #christmaswithmackays challenge. Super fudgey brownies with a whiskey marmalade kick and topped with pecans to give a little crunch.

   I used Smitten Kitchen's cocoa brownie recipe for two reasons; it's cold outside and I wasn't feeling brave enough to walk in the rain to the shops to get lots of chocolate bars and because Huffington Post deems it as 'the only brownie recipe you'll ever need'. With my addition of marmalade and some stray chocolate chunks I found in the cupboard, I can confirm that this is the ONLY brownie recipe you'll ever need.

Whiskey marmalade & pecan brownies
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Makes 16)
     140g unsalted butter
     250g caster sugar
     65g unsweetened cocoa powder
     1/4 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
     2 large eggs
     65g plain flour
     4tbsp Mackays Orange Marmalade with Whiskey
     100g milk chocolate chunks
     75g walnut pieces, lightly chopped

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees and line an 8x8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
• Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Melt either in the microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot. Set the bowl aside to cool.
• Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter is thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and mix well. Smitten Kitchen then advises to beat vigorously again for 40 strokes.
• Stir in the marmalade and chocolate chunks before filling the prepared tray with the batter. Smooth out the top with a knife and scatter over the chopped pecan pieces.
• Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is shiny. Leave to cool completely in the tin before removing and cutting into 16 squares.

Great British Food Magazine: Mulled Wine, Cranberry & Marmalade Tea Bread

Following on from my last post, you'll now know why I've been in such a festive mood recently. In September I started working on a Christmas recipe for Mackays to be published in this month's Christmas edition of Great British Food Magazine. The magazine is now out so I thought I'd share to recipe here too.

 My festive take on a classic tea bread uses Mackays Dundee orange marmalade paired with cranberries, spices and mulled wine. All my favourite festive flavours!

Mulled wine, cranberry & marmalade tea bread

     500ml mulled wine

     75g dried cranberries

     75g chopped mixed peel

     75g currants

     175g butter, softened,

     3 eggs

     160g Mackays Dundee Orange Marmalade

     250g self raising flour

     1tsp baking powder

     2tsp ground ginger

For the topping (optional)

     75g dried cranberries

     2tbsp icing sugar

     1 large orange, juiced, plus zest

• Leave the fruit to soak in the mulled wine for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with baking paper.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Stir through the marmalade before folding in the flour, baking powder and ginger. Drain the fruit and gently fold into the batter.
• Transfer into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
• Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Then removed and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the topping, mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to make a smooth, runny icing. Drizzle over the cake and top with the dried cranberries and a sprinkle of orange zest.

Boy Loves Food and I bought 4 copies of the magazine this morning for family. I think the lady who served us was a bit confused!

Find Great British Food Magazine here.

And, Mackay's marvellous marmalade here.

Mini Lemon Meringue Cake for One

      I was so excited to find a recipe to make just one cupcake. Some days there's nothing better than a home made treat. I wouldn't quite trust myself with a whole batch to myself so making just the one is ideal. Filled with lemon curd and topped with a small cloud of meringue, this mini cake is zingy and sweet.

Mini Lemon Meringue Cake
(Makes 1, recipe adapted from Sweet Road)
     1 tablespoon margarine, or softened butter
     2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
     4 tablespoons & 1 1/2 teaspoons almond milk (I used soya milk), room temperature
     1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
     3 tablespoon & 1 1/2 teaspoons plain flour
     1/4 teaspoon baking powder
     a pinch of salt
     Mackay's lemon curd
     egg white from 1 egg
     couple of spoons of caster sugar

• Heat the oven to 190 degrees celsius and grease a mini cake tray.
• Combine the margarine and sugar together until well incorporated.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the soya milk and mix.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter mixture.
• Add the remaining milk and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
• Once cool, hollow out the cake and fill with a spoon of lemon curd.
• For the meringue, beat 1 egg white until stiff on a high speed. Melt a spoon or two of caster sugar in equal amounts of water. Once melted, add to the stiff egg white by pouring down the side of the bowl so as not to touch the whisk. Continue to beat into silky and the mixture has cooled, felt by the bowl. Pipe onto the cake and give it a quick blast with a chef's torch.

Dark Chocolate & Ginger Birthday Cake

   As most birthday's should go, mine this week has been full of cake. I turned 23 on Thursday so Boy Loves Food treated me to a gorgeous Victoria sponge from Bea's of Bloomsbury. Obviously every last crumb of said cake had already been devoured so I decided to get baking for a family BBQ this morning.

   Flicking through my books this morning I settled on a chocolate and marmalade cake from the Clandestine Cake Club cookbook, except I substituted the marmalade for some of my favourite Mackay's ginger preserve.

Dark Chocolate and Ginger Birthday Cake

(Recipe adapted from Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook, serves 8-10)

     250g butter

     200g dark chocolate (I used Green and Blacks 70%), broken up into small chunks

     6tbsp Mackay's Ginger Preserve

     250g caster sugar

     4 large eggs

     250g self raising flour

     2tbsp cocoa powder

Chocolate buttercream:

     100g dark chocolate (60-70%), broken into small chunks

     200g butter, softened

     400g icing sugar

     2tbsp cocoa powder

• Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Grease and line two 20cm round, springform cake tins.
• Place the butter in a saucepan, and just before it has completely melted add 100g of the dark chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are fully melted and combined.
• Stir in the ginger preserve and mix well to break down any big lumps. Ass the sugar and eggs and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and gently fold in until just combined, then fold in the remaining chocolate. Pour the mixture, spreading evenly.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate buttercream. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Beat the butter for a few minutes to soften and loosen it, then sift in the icing sugar and cocoa. Keep beating until you have a light, fluffy buttercream. Beat in the cooled but still molten chocolate until combined. Once the cakes are cool, sandwich together with a layer of buttercream, then cover the top with a thin layer of the remainder. Decorate with glitter and a generous sprinkling of hundreds and thousands.

     

Chocolate & Ginger Cookies

Long time no bake!

   I've been a little quiet since my last post about three weeks ago. A little whiplash has meant that I decided to take some time out to rest and recover. And the fact that my arms just haven't been working! Pins and needles and other weird tingly sensations in both arms make it very difficult to bake.

   During this time I've missed baking. So on Thursday the work girls and I went to a macaron making class with Loretta Liu from On Cafe. Despite being super tired from work we enjoyed the class, and I was thrilled to come home with a box of 30 macarons filled with chocolate ganache and salted caramel. Of course I needed a little help from the girls with lifting trays and folding egg whites!

   I've decided to post a recipe from my drafts today. I made this cookie dough before my time out and put half of it in the freezer for a rainy day. Today may not be rainy but I'm definitely in the mood for a batch of home made cookies!

   Ginger and chocolate is one of my favourite flavour combinations. I'm not the most patient of home bakers, so love that Joy the Baker's recipe uses ginger preserve...saving me the need to fiddle with fresh ginger - something my tingly limbs would not be up to right now!

Chocolate and Ginger Cookies

(Makes a dozen, recipe adapted from Joy the Baker)

     2 cups plain flour

     1 teaspoon baking powder

     1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

     1/4 teaspoon salt

     8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

     2/3 cups golden caster sugar

     1 egg

     2 tablespoons milk

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

     1/4 cup Mackay's ginger preserve

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt.
• With a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter on a medium speed until light and creamy.
• Add the egg and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Mix in the milk and vanilla in until just combined. 
• On a low speed, beat in the ginger preserve before finally adding all of the dry ingredients and mixing only until they are incorporated.
• Fold in some chocolate chips and left the dough to chill on a lined baking tray in the fridge for a few hours.
• I took a few scoops out of the dough and shaped into 5 medium sized cookies, and baked at 190 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. I put the rest of the dough in a sandwich bag in the freezer to save for a rainy day cookie emergency.

Lavender & Lime Chiffon Cake

   The theme for this month's Epsom Clandestine Cake Club was 'Flower Power' and there's no way I could have guessed where the venue was, it was pretty special!

   But first things first, the cake! I chose to bake a lavender and lime chiffon cake as I had plenty of eggs left from my recent trip to Yorkshire (post here). As far as flower essences go, the only ones I've really come across are rose and lavender. As my last CCC bake used rose water (rose and pistachio bundt), I decided to give lavender a try.

   I've never had anything with lavender in before and worried it'd be too scented. But the lime curd filling and lime buttercream cuts through the floral flavour perfectly. I've been enjoying using the curds that Mackay's sent me, so zesty balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.

   A few other cake clubber's used lavender in their bakes too; lemon and lavender, chocolate and lavender, vodka and lavender.

   Other cakes used lemon and poppyseed or rose. But all were covered in varying flowering decorations.

   A strange coincidence that lavender was such a popular choice because this was our beautiful outdoor venue...

   Mayfield Lavender is a 25 acre lavender field on the North Surrey Downs and is very impressive! We were joined by many a busy bee and also other visitors to the fields offering to buy slices from us. People were impressed that there's such thing as a secret cake club where you get to eat an abundance of home baked treats. 

Lavender and Lime Chiffon Cake
(Recipe adapted from Technicolor Kitchen)
     6 eggs, separated
     60ml sunflower oil
     6 tablespoons water
     300g caster sugar
     2 teaspoons lavender extract
     187g plain flour, sifted
     1 teaspoon baking powder
     1/2 teaspoon salt
     1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
     1/2 jar Mackay's lime curd
     140g unsalted butter, softened
     450g icing sugar
     1 tablespoon lime juice
     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and line the bottoms of three 8 inch round cake tins with baking paper, do not grease.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil and water and set aside.
• Place 200g of the sugar, the lavender, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and gently combine. Add the yolk mixture and whisk to form a smooth batter.
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl in a stand mixer and beat on a medium-high speed until frothy. slowly add the remaining 100g of sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft, droopy peaks form. 
• Fold 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the batter, taking care not to deflate the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining eggs whites.
• Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden and a cake tester comes out cleanly from the centre/
• Allow the layers to cool completely in the pans. To remove, run a blunt knife around the edges, invert each pan and tap out the cake onto a wire rack. Carefully peel off the paper.
• Leave the cakes wrapped in cling film overnight to firm before sandwiching with a generous helping of lime curd.
• For the butter cream, beat the butter until smooth before adding the icing sugar, lime and vanilla. Continue beating until smooth and creamy.
• Start with 1/3 of the buttercream and cover the cake with a palette knife to form a crumb coat. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes before covering the cake with the remains. Decorate with fresh flowers and glitter.

   If you fancied reading our Clandestine Cake Club write up by Andrew then you can find it here.
Or Becky's blog has a cheeky picture of Harriet and myself having a good old cakey chat, here.

Strawberry & Champagne Duffins

   I find Twitter to be one of the most useful blogging enablers. I get the sense of being in a little baking community where I can quite easily while away an hour or so chatting, exchanging tips and inspiration. But mainly, drooling over everyone's latest bakes that help to add to a never ending 'to-bake' list and an ever expanding bookmarks folder on my phone.

   So when I saw a tweet from the lovely people at Mackays asking for some bakers to join them and get baking with jam, I couldn't wait to join in. After an email suggesting a few ideas, a lovely stash of jams and curds arrived on my doorstep the very next day. At the very top of my 'to-bake' list was Duffins. One of those hybrid style bakes that people rave about. And because they sell them at my favourite cake place, I just had to give them a go.

   And now I know exactly why people rave about them. These are quite possibly the best things I have ever baked. Ever. I baked them last night and filled them this morning to take into the office but I'm already plotting alternative filling combinations. Custard and lemon curd. Apple and ginger. Lime and chocolate.

   I'm a little bit of a jam doughnut fiend. A popular choice for office birthday celebrations and also a reminder of eating them as a little person at my grandparent's. These Duffins, in case you didn't know, are a hybrid of a jam doughnut and a muffin. And because Mackays make an awesome strawberry and champagne preserve, they're just that little bit fancier!

Strawberry & Champagne Duffins
(Makes 22, recipe from Afternoon Tea with Bea)
     420g plain flour
     4tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
     330g caster sugar
     2 eggs, lightly beaten
     375ml sour cream/buttermilk
     2tsp vanilla extract
     130ml sunflower oil
Coating & dipping
     250g unsalted butter, melted
     300g caster sugar
     1/2 jar of Mackays Strawberry preserve with champagne

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease two 12 hole muffin trays.
• Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Add all the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don't overmix.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray, filling them three quarters of the way up.
• Bake for 22-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
• Whilst the Duffins are baking, put the melted butter and sugar in their own shallow bowls and set aside.
• Once ready, remove the Duffins from the oven and tip out.
• Immediately dip the muffins in the melted butter, then roll in the sugar to liberally and evenly coat.
• Fill a piping bag with jam. Push the nozzle/tip through the top (or bottom if you want it to look neater) of the doughnut, up to midway. Pipe about 1 tbsp of jam inside each doughnut.

   I'm now left with one question...is it acceptable to have only champagne preserves from now on? To follow other jammy bakes, keep an eye on #bakingwithmackays