Bake Off Bake Along: Week 4 - Churros

I wasn't overly enamoured with batter week. So much so I didn't really want to bake/fry any of the challenges. I spent hours flicking through Pinterest and Instagram looking for some inspiration. I know you can always freeze batter, but its better fresh. With a home of two, there's only so many yorkshire puddings of lace pancakes you can make and that's just wasting food. I'm not sure taking cold leftovers into the office would have worked so well.

And so, begrudgingly I decided to make churros. I didn't expect that I'd be able to get regular churros to be uniform in size and to hold their piped ridges so I went for fewer and bigger doughnut sized churros. 

You know what? I'm so glad I did. These are super easy to make and can be great for desserts. Imagine them sandwiched between a big scoop of salted caramel ice cream or topped with fresh berries. A DIY churros dessert bar if you will. 

As I was home alone on a weekday day off, I decided to keep it simple. Ready made fancy salted caramel and super quick cheats chocolate dip were my choice of toppings. One for me, one for Matthew and the rest were packaged up in foil takeaway containers to keep warm and were sent off to my brother, his wife and brand new baby in hospital as a care package. 

G I A N T   C H U R R O S   W I T H   C H E A T S   C H O C O L A T E   D I P
(Recipe adapted from SBS, makes 6 large churros)

For the churros:

100g unsalted butter, room temperature

150g plain flour

1tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

3 eggs

Plenty of oil for frying

For the sugar coating:

100g caster sugar

1tbsp ground cinnamon

For the chocolate dip:

4tbsp nutella spread

1-2tsp whole milk

Salted caramel, ice cream, chocolate chips and anything else you fancy to serve.

• Bring 250ml of water and the butter to boil in a medium pan over a medium heat. This will melt the butter, so doesn't matter so much whether you've cubed it or not, or even forgotten to take it out the fridge in advance.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and salt to remove any lumps.
• Once the liquids have come to the boil, pour in the flour mix and continue to cook over a medium heat whilst stirring continuously until the batter forms a smooth ball in the centre of the pan. Remove from the heat.
• Put the batter into the stand mixer's bowl (saving on washing up!) and mix with a paddle attachment on a low speed. Add in each egg one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Once smooth and all the eggs are combined, leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, once the batter is ready everything will happen very quickly so prepare the next steps in advance. Cut 6 squares of baking paper. Prepare a disposable icing bag with a large star shaped nozzle. Line a tray with baking paper to blot the churros once cooked.
• After the batter has rested, spoon into the prepared piping bag. Pipe 6 equal discs of churros, starting from the centre and working out. Place the discs into the freezer to chill, this will help them keep their shape when frying.
• Bring a medium frying pan filled with 4cm of oil to the boil, or enough to cover a churros. Once the oil has reached around 180 degrees, a square of bread will turn brown within 45 seconds.
• Place the churros in one at a time, and cook for 2 minutes each side. I like to regularly check the oils temperature in order to maintain the same heat. Otherwise its likely to increase and you'll find your churros burning.
• Once golden, use a slotted spoon to upturn each onto kitchen paper to blot away any residue oil.
• Then dunk in the prepared cinnamon sugar ensuring to coat all sides, nooks and crannies.
• For the chocolate dip, add the nutella into a small bowl and add a dash of milk. Warm gently and slowly  in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time. You may want to add a few more drops of milk a little at a time to ensure the right thickness. Mix well before serving.

F O L L O W   M Y   B A K E   O F F   B A K E   A L O N G...

     

Week 1 - Jaffa Cakes
Week 2 - Iced Doughnut Biscuits
Week 3 - Chocolate Twist Babka
Week 4 - Giant Churros
Week 5 - Cherry Bakewell Tart
Week 6 - Brownie Bottomed Coffee Mousse Cake
Week 8 - Cherry, Marzipan and Cherry Cake

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Recipe: Nutella Stuffed Cookies

I probably should put myself on a cookbook ban. I wouldn't say I have too many, that's just not possible, I just don't use them all as much as I should. In a bid to bake more from my favourite books I've indexed a few pages to try over the coming weeks. 

Primrose Bakery's newest addition, 'Everyday', is fast becoming one of my favourite books of all time. I love how recipes are divided into seasons and Stuart's photos are incredible.

The book fell open on these Nutella cookies from the Autumn section when I first received it, so on went the oven and out came the giant jar of Nutella I'd been trying to hide in the back of my cupboard.

Perhaps I over-baked these a little, with less ooze than I'd like, but I still can't wait to make plenty more batches of dough to store in the freezer, for emergencies...*ahem*.

This recipe is super simple and easy to remember. I have a few jars of various biscuit spreads like the Malteser one that I recon would be great in this too.

Nutella stuffed cookies

(Recipe adapted from Primrose Bakery's 'Everyday', makes 10 cookies)

140g unsalted butter

140g soft brown sugar

140g Nutella, plus extra for filling

185g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1 large egg

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed. Add the 140g of Nutella and beat until smooth.
• Add the flour and cocoa powder, then the egg and mix until a dough forms.
• For the cookies, divide the mix into 20 evenly sized balls. Roll around to shape, flatten into discs with the palm of your hand. Add a tablespoon of each to the centre of each cookie, top with another disc and press down the edges to seal in the Nutella.
• Leave plenty of space round each cookie as they will grow in the oven. You can always use a second baking tray or make them in batches, just to be safe.
• Bake for 12 minutes until both the edges and centre look firm.

These cookies will only last a few days in an airtight container, so you'd better eat them up quickly.

I think this may be my go-to cookie recipe now!

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Homemade Burger & Sweet Potato Chips

Time for a change this week - a savoury recipe. This is my ultimate burger recipe, a combination of all my favourite burger things but also a good foundation to start with and add your own favourite fillings.

You don't need any fancy tools, but the recipes include a few tricks I've learnt to help.

In case you were wondering, my ultimate burger starts with a toasted brioche bun, topped with one quarter pounder, burger sauce, grilled halloumi, cos lettuce, plum tomatoes and caramelised onion relish. Served with herby baked sweet potato chips and washed down with a Nutella milkshake.

Without further ado,

Brioche burger buns
(Recipe adapted from Rachel Khoo, makes 6 for burgers or 12 for sliders)

My personal favourite burger bun is brioche, below is the recipe I use. Regular shop bought buns of your choice are perfectly good also. Spread a little butter over the cut sides and grill before serving.

260g strong plain white flour
25g caster sugar
5g salt
2tsp dried instant milk
70ml warm milk
3 medium eggs
100g softened butter (cubed)

Egg wash:
1 egg, beaten
2tbsp milk
2tsp sesame seeds

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt with a dough hook in a mixer on a low speed. Continue to mix whilst slowly adding the yeast, milk and eggs until incorporated, approximately 2 minutes. Turn up to a medium speed and continue to mix for a further 5 minutes.

Once soft and elastic, tip into a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour.

Dust your work surface and hands with flour, roll the proved dough into a long rectangle. Slice into 6 (or 12 for sliders), shape each individual bun and place on a large lined tray. Brush with the egg wash.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Brush once more and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack before using for your burgers.

Hamburger patties
(Recipe adapted from hamburger gourmet)

 In order to make the most tender, juicy patties, handle them as little as possible. Keep a bowl of warm water to hand when shaping the patties, dip your fingers in after each one to stop them sticking. A burger press can help to make uniformly sized patties, but using your hands is just as good. After shaping, press a thumbprint into the centre to allow for even cooking when they expand with the heat. Season with salt which will form a nice crust whilst cooking and stack them up between waxed discs or greaseproof paper. Don't be tempted to make your patties too thick, they'll only take longer to cook through and loose their tenderness. To make a quarter pounder, you will need 150-170g of minced beef (you should be able to get around 3 patties out of a regular 500g supermarket pack).

Always cook on a high heat in order to get a patty that's crusty on the outside and tender in the middle. Cook the thumbprint side down first to allow an expansion in the heat. Flip over with a spatula and press down, once only, in a short, sharp motion. For blue, cook for 2 minutes on each side; rare, 3 minutes; medium, 4 minutes and well done, 5 minutes.

Fillings

Feel free to use a combination of your favourite cheeses, sauces and relishes. Bear in mind, some cheeses melt better than others and most have completely different flavours when pairing with relishes.

Sweet potato chips

1 medium - large sweet potato per person
To season, dried herbs of your choice, salt and 1tbsp of oil per serving

Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into long 1cm chips. Place into a resealable sandwich bag. Add the seasoning, seal and shake the bag to give the chips a good even coat.

Spread the chips evenly onto a baking tray and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until golden and slightly crispy on the edges.

Nutella milkshake
(Makes 2, double up as required)

500ml milk
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2-3tbsps Nutella

Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until well combined and smooth.

Pour into glasses to serve.

Serving

In order to have everything ready at the same time, assembled burgers can be kept warm in the oven for a short while on a low heat, around 160 degrees.

Wheat-free Hazelnut Cupcakes

When one of your favourite London bakeries publishes a book, you get it. 

The secret recipe of my favourite brownies in Town and of course the Curly Wurly cake that stole the show on Eurovision this weekend are now mine!

In a conscious bid to add more wheat-free recipes to my blog I chose to try out this hazelnut cupcake recipe. Completely and utterly worth it. This is by far the most moist cupcake you'll ever find and I'm enjoying the left over buttercream for breakfast, its that good.

So here's the recipe...

Coffee & Nutella Doughnut Cake

Chocolate Macarons & Cake International

Check out my pretty new mini stand from Baker & Maker at Cake International

   The idea of baking macarons has always been a little daunting. So when I went Cake International last weekend and spotted a Silikomart macaron mat I decided to pick them up and give them a go. Along with some handy tips from Lucy at supergolden bakes, I was set.

   They didn't turn out as the disaster I had envisioned for my first attempt. Maybe a little too chewy but Lucy came to the rescue again via Twitter and assured me they'd mellow 24hrs after being filled.

Chocolate macarons
(makes about 30 mini)
     115g ground almonds
     230g icing sugar
     15g cocoa powder
     144g egg whites
     75g caster sugar
     Nutella to fill

• Combine the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a food processer ensuring all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Sift the dry ingredients twice and leave to one side.
• In a stand mixer, beat together the egg whites and caster sugar. Firstly on a low speed for 2 minutes, then on medium for another 2 minutes and a high speed for a further 2 minutes or until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
• Fold in the dry ingredients, pressing the mix onto the side of the bowl with each fold to knock any air out. You should aim to fold anywhere between 25 - 40 times. Its important not to overfold. (I did about 30 folds and was too scared to continue!)
• Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and pipe macarons onto the mat (or baking paper with pre drawn macaron cicrcles).
• Once piped, tap the tray 3-4 times on the work surface. Air bubbles will form on the top of each macaron shell.
• Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes before baking, the surface should become touch dry. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 150 degrees.
• Bake for 12-16 minutes. (I baked for the full 16 minutes but could have definitely got away with 12-14 minutes...next time!)
• Ensure that the macaron shells are completely cool before removing from the macaron mat.
• Fill with nutella or chocolate ganache.

The macarons will last in an air tight container for a few days.

For the ultimate macaron commandments, visit Lucy's page here.

And here's some pictures from Cake International...

Some of my favourite pieces from the competition. A Mulberry bag made of cake, I'll have 2 please!

Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes, in cake form. Cookie Girl in action. The Brownie Bar...I recommend their white chocolate and pistachio! 

More of my favourites...including the Leaky Cauldron, for Harry Potter fans like myself.

La Petite Bretagne

Nicola and I popped to La Petite Bretagne for brunch this week.

LPB serve traditional French crêpes and galettes made from a variety of fresh quality ingredients. I felt like I'd just hopped off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord. Wishful thinking.

We both opted for a classic, Nutella and banana. I've already eyed up the menu online for my next visit...Speculoos, Brittany salted caramel and carnacoise (feta, spinach, tomato, pesto).

Added bonus; all galettes and crêpes are made with Breton buckwheat flour making them gluten free.

You can find La Petite Bretagne at 5-7 Beadon Road, Hammersmith, W6 0EA.