Nappy Cakes

Where do I post the making of a nappy cake?
I mean... it's a cake, but it's not a cake - it's nappies.
Maybe I'll post it on both, just to cover my bases.

I have new kitchen toys!

Don't you just love Home Bargains?

Look at the bargains I've picked up for my home...

Oooh,  a cake pop holder! Just right for... well... holding cake pops.

Ooooh, another cake pop holder. I wonder what I can hold in this...

 And yes, I do need two cake pop holders. That perspex one will be perfect for holding them while they dry. And the wire one will look pretty on the table... I've used a card stand before, but it just got messy, and was a wee bit floppy.

An embossing rolling pins! How exciting!

 For decorating icing on cakes. But don't tell my mum I've bought them, as they're for her...

And the last one is not from Home Bargains (Though I'm sure they sell a version of their own) This was a Christmas present.

Shiny shiny shiny!

That makes it practically vintage!

It looks absolutely brand new. No flour, no finger prints. Like it's never been out of the box.
And then I ruined it by using it. I don't know how I made tagliatelle without one!
Anybody want to see how this works out for me...?

Profiteroles!

I always thought profiteroles were hard to make... They're sooooo easy! (Thanks, James Martin!)

You don't need me to write the recipe out again, do you?
No...

Butter (I used marg, bad Katy...)

Melt the butter and sugar together in the water.

Add the flour and salt and beat together like billio.

Keep beating!

Transfer to clean bowl, and leave to cool for 15 minutes or so.

Add the beaten eggs one at a time.

Until it starts to resemble a smooth paste.

Beat it!

Smooth!

Prepare a piping bag with a large gauge nozzle.

Yes, I do this in a pint glass. That's not odd.

Pipe into "ball" shapes on lined tray. Ball-ish shapes.

Use a dampened finger to flatten the pointy bits. And don't use a greased tray like I did. That doesn't work.

Bake until golden brown, then poke a hole in the bottoms and allow to crisp back in the oven.

When they've cooled, fill with cream

Drizzle with the chocolate sauce.

Eat the while they're still fresh and crisp!

Argh!

I suck at this regular blogging. Look how long I've left it this time.
Now I'm having hideous photo problems. Sigh....
Maybe I'll try again in June!

Focaccia!

FOCACCIA!

Well this was jolly good fun!
I had some problems with photos - most of the time my hands were too sticky or oily to take photos, and when they weren't my SD card decided to randomly delete things. Most annoying.

Ingredients:

500g Strong Flour
10g Salt
14g Instant Yeast
400ml Cool Water
45ml Olive Oil (plus extra for rolling)
2 tablespoons well chopped rosemary (optional)
Rosemary sprigs to top
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to drizzle)

1. Measure out the flour into a bowl - add the salt and yeast at opposite sides of the bowl, and add the chopped rosemary - whisk together.

2. Add about 300ml of the water and the oil, and stir together with your hand in a claw shape.



3. As the mixture begins to come together add the remainder of the water and continue to mix until you have a big gloopy mess.

I didn't really appreciate quite how gloopy this would be...

 4. Tip the dough onto an oiled surface and knead, pushing the mixture away with the heel of your hand, stretching it, and folding it back on itself, rotating 90 degrees and repeating.

5. Repeat.

Urgh.

6. Repeat.
7. Repeat some more... (Hollywood says 5-10 minutes, longer for a beginner. I managed at least half an hour before becoming extremely bored, and covered in dough... There was much scraping, and much re-oiling. Maybe that's where I went wrong...)

 I'd recommend just watching  GBBO for this bit
8. When the dough it smooth and stretchy and forms a ball, place it into an oiled dish or tray, and cover with cling film. Leave to prove until doubled in size.

Not really the "smooth dough" he was talking about

  

 

Keep an eye on it... this is far more than doubled.

And while your finding your camera it will try to escape.

It's ALIIIIIIVEE!!!

 9. When doubled, tip it back onto a freshly oiled surface and knock the air out.

10. Grease a large baking tray (or two smaller ones) with plenty of olive oil, and place the dough into the trays, stretching it out to fill the whole space.

 

11. Leave to prove again, for about an hour. Heat oven to 220oC.

The dimpled photo has vanished... you'll have to use your imagination.

12. When doubled in height poke holes in the bread with your fingers. Really poke it hard. Right the way to the bottom. Sprinkle with sea salt and poke sprigs of rosemary into the dimples. Drizzle with yet more oil.
13. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and crisp.
14. Remove from oven, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and place on a wire rack to cool. (Don't leave it in the tray... it will go soggy)

DIMPLES!

 

This was my first attempt. I cut it in two, but used a big tray, so put both parts on. Which made it bulgy looking. And I forgot to dimple. And the salt. And the rosemary. Still tasted very nice though!

 

And it has some irregular structure!!

Oat Cookies

Oat cookies. Oh yes. They deceive you into thinking they're healthy... don't believe a word of it!

My notes on these are a bit random, I'll try and make sense of them - 170g butter, 210g light brown butter... what?
Try again... this is what I actually used

170g softened butter
110g light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla extract
105g selfraising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
260g oats
"1 cup" mixed exciting stuff (chocolate chips, dried fruit... etc I haven't put a weight, I just put a handful of each in)

Beat together the sugars and butter.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix together.
Sift in together the flour, salt and cinnamon. Stir until partially combined
Mix in the oats, stir again.
Add the mixed dry ingredients and stir to incorporate.

Using a teaspoon take scoops of the mix, and roll in to a small ball in your hands.
Place on a lined baking sheet, and press the centre of each to flatten slightly.

Bake for 10-15mins in a 190oC oven until golden brown.
Remove from tray and place on wire rack to cool.
Eat.

Minion Birthday Cake

Just a photo of the finished article today: