When is it ready to leave the oven???
When pulling your goodies out of the oven, dont forget that it will continue to bake for a few more minutes in the tray on the bench! A few minutes can really be the difference between a dense gooey cake and a dry cake!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Aint she gorgeous!!!
For our 3rd year wedding anniversary, I asked for something...some would say was a little over the top....
Originally I said to my husband, can he get me a cheap version of a kitchenaid, like a breville or something. He said to me, wouldn't you just want to wait and get the proper thing? That was his mistake saying that! For 6 weeks straight I left brochures of kitchenaids on the bench, said "kitchen aid" at random parts of our conversation, and even had the emotional talk of how much I though I deserved a kichenaid! Lewis kept hinting that it was too expensive and left a few hints of getting me a breville. I would have seriously been happy with any mixer, but I did fall in love with the ICE colour kitchenaid!
Morning of our anniversary, my husband kissed me goodbye and went to work. He texted me 5 mins later, which I read in bed while I was half asleep and said the big lovely "happy anniverary...etc I love you....etc" part and then at the end he wrote "ps. You deserve the best"
I jumped out of bed quicker than you could imagine! and there on my kitchen bench was the beautiful sight...my new kitchenaid!!!
My husbands argument when I was begging for one was that why would you buy something that all it does is mix...?? Well thats where he was wrong! Sure its a giant electric mixer, but it mixes everything constantly, and at one speed all at once. Its great for when you want to beat the eggs and sugar and leave it, while you get the flour ready. Its great for whisking the egg whites for a pavlova! The best part-you can have the ingredients beating while you slowing, easily add the next ingredient, without stopping and making mess! its great! My kitchenaid has me baking alot more than I already was! (I think the first week I got it I made 6 baked goods in 5 days!)
Originally I said to my husband, can he get me a cheap version of a kitchenaid, like a breville or something. He said to me, wouldn't you just want to wait and get the proper thing? That was his mistake saying that! For 6 weeks straight I left brochures of kitchenaids on the bench, said "kitchen aid" at random parts of our conversation, and even had the emotional talk of how much I though I deserved a kichenaid! Lewis kept hinting that it was too expensive and left a few hints of getting me a breville. I would have seriously been happy with any mixer, but I did fall in love with the ICE colour kitchenaid!
Morning of our anniversary, my husband kissed me goodbye and went to work. He texted me 5 mins later, which I read in bed while I was half asleep and said the big lovely "happy anniverary...etc I love you....etc" part and then at the end he wrote "ps. You deserve the best"
I jumped out of bed quicker than you could imagine! and there on my kitchen bench was the beautiful sight...my new kitchenaid!!!
My husbands argument when I was begging for one was that why would you buy something that all it does is mix...?? Well thats where he was wrong! Sure its a giant electric mixer, but it mixes everything constantly, and at one speed all at once. Its great for when you want to beat the eggs and sugar and leave it, while you get the flour ready. Its great for whisking the egg whites for a pavlova! The best part-you can have the ingredients beating while you slowing, easily add the next ingredient, without stopping and making mess! its great! My kitchenaid has me baking alot more than I already was! (I think the first week I got it I made 6 baked goods in 5 days!)
I LOVE my kitchenaid!
Nellies tips! #1
SALT!!
Salt is a delicious adding to most baking goodies! just a pinch into your cookies or cake will really make a difference! Add the salt when adding the flour! Remember just a pinch/half a teaspoon!
Do you LOVE brownies? Heres the best recipe yet!
My husband is constantly asking for me to make chocolate brownies... Ive tried a few recipes but apparently they werent 'perfect' they were good....but not perfect! While I was away one weekend, my girlfriend and her husband went to my house and had dinner with Lewis, and she brought over chocolate brownies...dare I say it...from the PACKET!!! Donna Hay ones! I know they probably taste AMAZING but.. to me, thats cheating!!! Lewis said they were the best he has had...So I went searching for the best recipe I could find.....NOT from a packet!!
Here it is!!!!
375g unsalted butter
375g best quality dark chocolate **dont be cheap! Buy the best 70% cocoa!
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
500g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
300g chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven at 180'C. Line your brownie tray with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large pan.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla. Measure the flour into another bowl and add salt.
4. When chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar and then ad the nuts and flour. Beat to combine smoothly and then scrape out of the saucepain into the baking tray.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes. When its ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dakr and dense and gooey.
**dont forget they will continue to cook slightly when out of the oven cooling.
There you have it! The yummiest brownies ever!!!
** add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert!
Here it is!!!!
375g unsalted butter
375g best quality dark chocolate **dont be cheap! Buy the best 70% cocoa!
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
500g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
300g chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven at 180'C. Line your brownie tray with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large pan.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla. Measure the flour into another bowl and add salt.
4. When chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar and then ad the nuts and flour. Beat to combine smoothly and then scrape out of the saucepain into the baking tray.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes. When its ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dakr and dense and gooey.
**dont forget they will continue to cook slightly when out of the oven cooling.
There you have it! The yummiest brownies ever!!!
** add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert!
Chocolate Crackle-top Biscuits
So my husband LOVES all things CHOCOLATE! and I however....do not! (except a block of chocolate...yeh id eat the whole thing!) So to keep myself from not having to enter the biggest loser later in my life, I like to make alot of chocolate goodies, so I wont eat them!!
Heres a yummy and very easy recipe for the weekly baked goods bowl:
Chocolate Crackle-top Biscuits
Makes 24
50g butter, chopped
100g dark chocolate
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 brown sugar
2/3 cup plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2/3 cup pure icing sugar
1. Placer butter and 50g (HALF) chocolate in a heatproof, mircrowave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered for 1-2minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth
2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg and brown sugar in a small bowl on high speed until thick.
3. Stir in chocolate mixture.
4. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa over chocolate mixture and mix well.
5. Chop remaining chocolate into pieces and stir into mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until dough is firm enough to roll. *** dont leave for too long, or it is too HARD to roll!
6. Preheat oven at 180'C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roll heaps teaspoons of dough into balls and roll into icing sugar to coat. Place biscuits on tray, allowing room to spread.
7. Bake biscuits for 12 minutes of until firm. Stand on trays for 10 minutes to cool.
PRESTO! YUM YUM
Heres a yummy and very easy recipe for the weekly baked goods bowl:
Chocolate Crackle-top Biscuits
Makes 24
50g butter, chopped
100g dark chocolate
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 brown sugar
2/3 cup plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2/3 cup pure icing sugar
1. Placer butter and 50g (HALF) chocolate in a heatproof, mircrowave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered for 1-2minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth
2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg and brown sugar in a small bowl on high speed until thick.
3. Stir in chocolate mixture.
4. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa over chocolate mixture and mix well.
5. Chop remaining chocolate into pieces and stir into mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until dough is firm enough to roll. *** dont leave for too long, or it is too HARD to roll!
6. Preheat oven at 180'C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roll heaps teaspoons of dough into balls and roll into icing sugar to coat. Place biscuits on tray, allowing room to spread.
7. Bake biscuits for 12 minutes of until firm. Stand on trays for 10 minutes to cool.
PRESTO! YUM YUM
Chocolate Peppermint Delice
I was obsessed with watching MKR this year. Its just such an inspiring tv show when it comes to cooking and baking! This year was great because the 2 teams I went for from the beginning were not only both from QLD they both got into the finals! My Favourites though were without a doubt Dan & Steph! They were so loving towards one another when they were in the kitchen, and I just loved how they really wanted to start their family! Most nights I watched it, I wanted to make everything the next day! But the finale- wow! Their chocolate peppermint delice looked to die for and I had to make it!
Some ingredients were hard to find, and I had to tweak a few things (I live in a small town with NO food speciality stores so it makes the harder ingredients difficult to get my hands on)
I made this through the day, so it took most of the afternoon! Definitely a more challanging dessert but well worth it!!!
Here is the recipe for
Chocolate Peppermint Delice
By Dan & Steph from MKR, 2013.
INGREDIENTS
Melted chocolate, to serve
Chocolate Mousse
225ml milk
525ml cream
600g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
180g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
180g unsalted butter
3 eggs
250g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g plain flour
450g icing sugar mixture
2 small egg whites
2 tbs liquid glucose
2 cups isomalt
800ml thickened cream
2 tbs icing sugar
60ml (¼ cup) crème de menthe
1 drop peppermint oil
225ml milk
525ml cream
600g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Chocolate Cake180g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
180g unsalted butter
3 eggs
250g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g plain flour
½ tsp salt
Mint Fondant 450g icing sugar mixture
2 small egg whites
2 tbs liquid glucose
1-2 drops peppermint essence
Peppermint Crumble2 cups isomalt
2 drops peppermint oil
Creme De Menthe Cream800ml thickened cream
2 tbs icing sugar
60ml (¼ cup) crème de menthe
1 drop peppermint oil
(I couldnt get my hands on Isomalt, so I ended up just crumbling up a peppermint crisp chocolate bar)
(I also couldnt find peppermint OIL so I just used peppermint essence and added a little extra!)
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 110C. Line a 20cm x 20cm baking pan with baking paper.
2. To make chocolate mousse, place milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Place chocolate in a large bowl and pour over hot milk mixture. Allow to stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool slightly, then beat in eggs. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes (it should still have a slight wobble in the centre). Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Remove from pan and cut into six rectangles.
3. To make chocolate cake, increase oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm x 20xm baking pan and line with baking paper.
4. Stir chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth and combined.
5. In a separate medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together until light and doubled in size. Add to chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine. Stir in combined sifted flour and salt. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Remove from pan and cut into six rectangles.
6. To make mint fondant, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl to form a smooth dough. Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with icing sugar. Knead for 5 minutes. Using a rolling pin dusted with icing sugar, roll out dough into a 20cm square. Cut into 6 rectangles.
7. To make peppermint crumble, place isomalt in a small saucepan over low heat and stir for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil or until mixture reaches 175C when tested with a sugar thermometer. Add peppermint oil and stir to combine. Pour mixture onto a silicone mat and allow to cool. Once firm, knead and stretch until mixture becomes opaque and hard. Break into small pieces, then process in a food processor until crumbs form.
8. To make crème de menthe cream, beat all ingredients until firm peaks form.
9. To assemble, brush chocolate onto serving plates. Place fondant on serving plates, then layer with cake and mousse. Sprinkle with mint crumble. Add a quenelle of cream. Decorate with micro mint.
Tips!
* I found it easiest to assemble by rolling the fondant onto some baking paper, and then flipping the paper onto the cake.
* use a flat knife to slide the chocolate mousse onto the cake
ENJOY
I love baking, and now you can too!
I discovered my passion for baking when I first got married three years ago. I had never really cooked or baked much by myself growing up. Sure I knew how to make pancakes and simple scones-I even won Lilydale show scone competition when I was 5 years old, but I never ever baked anything further than just stirring a packet mix together or mixing eggs, flour and milk. I took to cooking dinners ok, had a few hit & miss moments....ok probably more than a few, but when it came to baking yummy goodies, I seemed to be fluking it every time and ending up making a second batch the next day because I husband would eat it all. So that is where my passion for baking began. I have alot of friends who ask me to make them a second lot, or just come by and grab themselves a few cookies to take home! So I have decided to start a blog and put up all the recipes I use, add photos of the yummy goods and give you the tips that help make it perfect!
Enjoy!!!
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