Category: baked goods

Chocolate Espresso Cake with Honey Icing

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A strong cup of coffee and some good chocolate chips make this cake a winner for anybody looking for that perfect combination of bitter and sweet. Like that first cup of coffee in the morning before anybody else is awake.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of butter (room temperature)
  • 1/2 c. white sugar
  • 1/3 c. brown sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 c. cocoa powder
  • 1 c. hot coffee
  • 3/4 c. chocolate chips

Icing

  1. 1/4 c. powdered sugar
  2. 2 tbsp. milk
  3. 1 tbsp. honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a ten inch round cake pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer put your butter and sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the vanilla while you mix this.
  3. Add your eggs one at a time waiting until one is combined before you put in the next.
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together all your dry ingredients.
  5. Alternating between your dry ingredients and the coffee (ending with the coffee) combine your ingredients. Don’t over mix.
  6. Fold in your chocolate chips and put in your prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes until knife comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.
  8. Once cooled mix together your icing ingredients and swirl them on top of your cake.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Icing

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This is the prettiest cake I have ever made hands down. It was the crowning achievement of a day of cooking on Easter this year. I wanted to do a big southern dinner for my family because we couldn’t have any outside celebrations. I knew after a heavy dinner of chicken and greens I needed a lighter then air dessert and this is it.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. flour
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1/4 c. butter (room temperature)
  • 1 c. buttermilk ( room temperature)
  • 3 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/4 c. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Icing

  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 1/2 c. mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tbsp. sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 10 in cake pan with cooking spray or lightly oil the pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer put your butter and sugar and whip till fluffy.
  3. Add eggs in one at a time waiting till one is completely combined before you add the next one.
  4. Add in olive oil and lemon juice and mix to combine.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk together all your dry ingredients and zest.
  6. Alternating between buttermilk and dry ingredients ending with the butter milk mix to combine. Don’t over mix.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes till a knife comes out clean. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
  8. After your cake is cooled and your mixing bowl is cleaned put all your icing ingredients into the bowl and whisk together until you get what resembles a stiff peak.
  9. Put icing on only the top of the cake. Then decorate with glazed berries and mint if you like.

Raspberry Cobbler Bars

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You know what I love but have never been able to perfect? A good cobbler. My filling never comes together enough and it always a soup. A soupy fruit soup. Unpleasant. I also can’t ever seem to get the topping right. There is something glorious and magical about that crispety crunchety oat and brown sugar topping. It warms your heart and reminds you of childhood and family. I have issues getting it to the crispety state though. Its always lackluster and the flavor is never quite there. It doesn’t fill me with that nostalgia. It fills me with the sad.

So I decided to take back the cobbler for myself with these. A traybake that brings together all the best pieces of a cobbler without the risk of soup. I made the jam component in these myself because I was feeling artisanal, but you can absolutely use a high quality raspberry preserve and get the same effect.

Ingredients

shortbread

  • 1 c. flour
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

oat topping

  • 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4. tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. rolled oats
  • 1/4. cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. butter (melted)
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

raspberry jam

  • 1 package frozen raspberries
  • 1 c. sugar
  • lemon zest and juice

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small saucepan put all your jam components and cook on medium low heat. You want the berries to cook down and the sugar to melt. This will cook while you make the other components. (If using store bought jam you can skip this step.)
  3. Put all your shortbread ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and stir to combine. It will look a little crumbly but you don’t want to over work it.
  4. Press the shortbread mixture into a parchment lined 9×13 pan. Par bake your crust for ten minutes.
  5. While the shortbread is baking take the jam mixture off the heat.(skip if using store bought)
  6. While the shortbread is baking put all your topping mixture into a medium sized bowl and mix to combine.
  7. Take the shortbread out and spread your jam across it and then top it with your crumble topping.
  8. Put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the topping gets crunchy and the jam thickens up.

Tiffin (Kitchen Sink Fridge Cake)

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Tiffin is a confectionary delight that comes to us from Scotland. It’s not baked in fact the only heat that comes to this little beauty is when you melt the chocolate and truthfully if you aren’t looking to turn on the oven you can melt the chocolate and golden syrup together in the microwave. This makes it the perfect treat for when the weather is warm and you need something to please a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup golden syrup
  • 1 stick butter ( cut into chunks)
  • 4 oz milk chocolate(cut into rough chunks)
  • 4 oz. dark chocolate (cut into rough chunks)
  • About 10 biscuits crushed (I used Mcvities digestive biscuits. )
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/3 cup whoppers (or other honeycomb centered candy)
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions

  1. In a medium size heat proof bowl put your chocolate, golden syrup, and butter. You can melt this together one of two ways ( either over a pan of lightly simmering water OR in short bursts in the microwave.)
  2. In another bowl mix together all the rest of your ingredients. Then pour your chocolate mixture over your ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. In an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper pour your mixture and smooth it out on top.
  4. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to chill and set up.
  5. When its completely set cut into equal pieces.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

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I did two things on this day I hadn’t done before. I made a successful shortbread base and a peanut butter fudge. I put those two amazing things together to make my favorite type of dessert…a tray bake!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks of butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups peanut butter and chocolate chips
  • Peanuts for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
  2. Put all your ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix to combine. The mixture will be crumbly.
  3. using lightly oiled hands push down your ingredients in an even layer into your pan. Use a fork to dock the pastry so it doesn’t rise up to high.
  4. Bake the pastry for 30 minutes until it is a nice golden brown. Set it aside to cool.
  5. While the pastry base is cooling put a medium size sauce pan on medium heat.
  6. Put the condensed milk and chocolate into the pan and cook until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.
  7. Put your fudge mixture on top of your cooked pastry base and garnish with peanuts.
  8. Put in fridge to set for at least one hour.

This delicious tray bake almost tasted better the longer it set so if you can wait I would make it the day before you need it and let it sit.

Mincemeat Cake

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What is it?

Mincemeat pie is a British dessert filled with raisins, currants, candied peel, apples and brown sugar. It is normally cooked together with suet. If you are unfamiliar suet is a hard animal fat either beef or lamb. I’m not certain where to get Suet in the states so I used vegetable shortening. The pie has an origin that dates back to the 1400’s when the pie actually had mincemeat in it. It was a way to preserve meat without having to go through the usually methods of drying and curing.

Today Mincemeat Pie doesn’t have meat in it anymore. It is a spiced fruit pie served during Christmas time. I didn’t want to make pastry so I didn’t end up making pie. I made a simple square cake that made my whole house smell like Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. pumpkin spice
  • 3 tbsp. melted butter
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs beaten

Mincemeat Mixture

  • 1 apple diced
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup candied mixed peel
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions

  1. In a saucepan on medium heat place all your mincemeat mixture and cook until the apples have softened and the shortening and brown sugar melt together. Lower the heat and simmer while putting the rest of your batter together.
  2. Preheat your own to 370 degrees.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl whisk your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin spice.
  4. Melt your butter in the microwave for a minute.
  5. Put oil and butter into the dry ingredients.
  6. In a small bowl beat the two eggs together and add to rest of your batter.
  7. Add your warm mincemeat mixture and whisk until the batter is well combined.
  8. Put batter in a 8×8 square cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

Holiday Bake: Challah Bread

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Being that we have made the slow crawl into December this year when I was still firmly convinced it was march I decided to start baking some bread. It makes the house smell amazing and having fresh bread in the house gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment.

What is it?

Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine. It is normally braided and served on ceremonial occasions and Jewish holidays except Passover. You can add sesame seed, poppy seed or sometimes even raisins in your bread.

I used everything bagel seasoning on mine because I didn’t have anything else in my spice cupboard.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 packet instant yeast
  • 1/2 tbsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 oz of water (tepid)
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • everything bagel seasoning (poppy, sesame seeds are more traditional)

Directions (stand mixer)

  • Place the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the sugar in the middle. The salt on one side and the yeast on the other. Mix the ingredients together using your fingers.
  • In another bowl mix together the oil and one egg and the egg yolk. Make a well in your flour and put in your egg mix and water.
  • Mix it with a fork until it becomes a shaggy dough. Transfer to your mixer with a dough hook knead for 5-10 minutes. (I normally take the dough out halfway through kneading and knead it with my hands. You can feel the texture of the dough change better when you knead it by hand.)
  • If you do take the dough out to knead by hand then put it back in the mixing bowl and cover. Let it rest for at least two hours so it can double in size.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and knock out all the air bubbles. Cut the dough into three equal pieces and roll them out into ropes of about 12in long. Pinch the ends of one side together and braid the dough together. Then pinch the ends together at the end of the braid. Tuck both ends under so you can’t see them. Place it on the baking tray.
  • Let it rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 390 degrees.
  • Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the top of your loaf. The more egg wash you put on the darker it will become. Then top it with your seeds.
  • Once your oven is heated bake it for 30-35 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown and a hallow sound when you tap the bottom.

Enjoy everyone!

Strawberry Olive Oil Cake

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So I know this recipe is not like traditional olive oil cake recipes I looked at, but I’m still gonna call it olive oil cake because that was the inspiration for the recipe. Instead of milk I used olive oil and the result is a rich delicious cake with the bright flavor of strawberry. You will not be able to stop eating. It will call to you like the ocean calls to moana.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a square 8×8 cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment cream together your sugar and butter until it’s fluffy.
  3. Add your egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
  4. Add all your dry ingredients and whisk to combine. It will be slightly dry.
  5. Slowly whisk in your oil until you get a well combined hydrated batter. You may need more oil or you may need less. It will be a slightly thick consistency.
  6. Fold in your strawberries until well distributed.
  7. Place in your prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes. It will still look soft but will firm up as it sits.
  8. Top with powdered sugar and serve to happy people.

Vegetable Cobbler

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The vegetable dish you definitely didn’t know you were waiting for, but definitely can’t live without now. This delicious savory tray bake is a use what you have in the fridge and pantry type of recipe. I’ll tell you what I used and the changes I might’ve made, but use what you’ve got. It’ll be delicious and filling either way.

Ingredients

For the scones

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp. rosemary, chopped
  • egg wash: 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water

For the vegetable mixture

  • 1 can Navy beans
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 zucchini squash, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. Onion powder
  • Salt/pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a medium size pot on medium high heat put olive oil and diced onion. Cook till onion is slightly colored. It’ll take about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Add Roma tomatoes and cook about 3 minutes. You just want to release some of the moisture in the tomatoes but not really cook them very hard.
  4. Add beans, stock, can of tomatoes, zucchini and dry spices and cook about 5 minutes.
  5. Place your vegetable mixture in a 13×9 glass casserole dish.
  6. Combine all your scone ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and mix until it becomes a slightly dry dough.
  7. Lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough. Knead gently until it comes together.
  8. Cut into about 10 small scones and place on top of your vegetable mixture.
  9. Egg wash all your scones so the tops will brown nicely.
  10. Bake for 15 minutes.

Yorkshire Puddings

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I figured out what’s been missing from every roast dinner I’ve ever had. It’s Yorkshire puddings! Yet again I found a reason to love British food culture. These delicious morsels are a baked pudding with a batter consisting of eggs, flour, salt and either milk or water. They are baked in a muffin tins with either oil or the drippings from your roast heated in the tin to help with the rising of a batter that has no raising agent in it. You can also bake them in a square baking dish and create one large pudding instead of individual ones.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a muffin tin divide half a cup of oil in between all sections. If using a baking dish just pour all the oil in. Heat the oil in the baking dish or muffin tin for about 10 minutes or until it starts smoking.
  2. While the oil is heating you want to make your batter. You can just chuck all the ingredients into one bowl and whisk until well combined. You don’t want any lumps in your batter.
  3. When the oil is ready pull your pan out of the oven and quickly put the batter in the tin. It will quickly react to the heat from your oil. That’s helping the eggs in the batter raise your little puddings.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Serve with whatever delicious roast you’ve put together.

If you’re using the drippings from your roast then after the roast is cooked you want to put it on a cutting board to rest. I tend to tent mine with aluminium foil. You then want to dish up your veggies into whatever serving bowl you’ve got. You want to make sure after you pull your roast out you put the temperature of your oven up to 450.

You can make the batter up to an hour ahead of time so that you’re ready when he roast is out to put the puddings in.