FAVOURITE BAKES NIGHT - 12/3/18
Our March meeting was a chance for our members to whip up their favourite bakes or to use their favourite ingredient - and they sure didn't disappoint!
CHOCOLATE COLA CAKE
For the cake:
250g self raising flour
300g golden caster sugar
3 heaped tbsp cocoa
generous pinch of bicarbonate of soda
250g butter
250ml coca cola
125ml milk
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
100g butter
2 tbsp coca cola
2 tbsp cocoa
200g icing sugar
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Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Melt the butter and cola together in a pan.
Combine eggs, milk and vanilla in a jug, mix with a fork.
Combine egg/milk mixture, cola/butter mixture and dry ingredients - mix well with a whisk.
Line a loose based 24 cm cake tin well and tip in - mixture will be very runny.
Bake on top shelf of the preheated oven for 40 minutes, then check - a skewer will come out clean when it is ready.
Cake will sink until flat when cooling.
At this point, combine all topping ingredients, and once cool, add to the top of the cake.
KIWI CAKE
For the cake:
75g margarine
75g sugar
2 eggs
1 bag vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
150g flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
For the topping:
1/2ltr milk
4 tbsp flour
200g sugar
4 egg yolks (and 1 egg white)
Kiwi pieces
Mix all cake ingredients together, pour into cake tin.
Put into oven at 170 degrees for 20 mins, do not preheat!
For the topping, mix eggs, sugar and a little of the milk using a whisk.
Next, add the rest of the milk and mix until no lumps are remaining.
Pour this into a pot and place on the hob on a medium heat. Keep stirring until the cream becomes thicker. Please note, the cream will solidify more when it cools down, don't let it get too thick!
Pour this 'creme', whilst its still hot, over the cake and add some kiwi pieces on top
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
In the end this cake was not a fail!! It actually worked!
For the cake:
125g butter, softened
125g golden caster sugar
a few drops of vanilla essence
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp pineapple syrup (from can)
For the topping:
60g butter, softened
60g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp clear honey
4-5 canned pineapple rings
8 glace cherries
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Grease and line a 20 cm round cake tin (not loose bottomed).
For the topping, beat the butter sugar and honey until creamy and well combined, then spread evenly over the base of the tin.
Place a pineapple ring in the centre of the mixture , then cut the remaining rings in half and arrange around the centre of the ring - ensure they do not touch the sides of the tin!
For the sponge, beat the butter and sugar using a wooden spoon/electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and adding a tablespoon of flour with the final egg to prevent curdling.
Fold in the remaining flour and the baking powder until thoroughly combined, then stir in the pineapple syrup. Spoon the mixture over the pineapple topping, spreading it evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn onto a serving place. Serve with custard or creme or on its own.
MINI EGG COOKIES - makes 16 cookies
300 g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Cornflour
115 g Unsalted Butter/Stork
100 g Light Brown Sugar
100 g Granulated Sugar
1 Medium Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
180 g Mini Eggs (2x 90g bags)
200 g Micro Chocolate Eggs
Preheat the over to 180 degrees and line 2/3 large baking trays with parchment paper.
Whisk the plain flour, bicarb, salt and cornflour together in a bowl.
Melt the butter in a bowl and add sugar - whisk for 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and egg, whisk until combined.
Add the flour mixture to this bowl and beat everything until a cookie dough comes together
Add the mini and micro eggs and mix.
Finally, roll the cookie dough into evenly sized balls and bake in the oven for 10-13 minute.
Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Please note:
10 Minutes of baking = Soft Cookies
12 Minutes of Baking = Crunchy and Gooey
14 Minutes of Baking = Crunch
CUSTARD CREAMS
For the biscuits:
6oz self raising flour
2oz custard powder
6oz margarine
2oz icing sugar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the buttercream:
100g butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
2tbsp milk
Cream the margarine and sugar together using an electric hand whisk.
Add all of the dry ingredients.
Roll this dough into balls and press flat with the back of a fork.
Bake for 15-18 minutes at 170 degrees (fan).
Combine ingredients for buttercream and whisk.
Once biscuits are cool, sandwich them together with the buttercream.
GRANDMA ANNIE'S DUTCH APPLE PIE
For the dough:
150g light brown muscovado sugar
350g self raising flour
190g unsalted butter (cold)
pinch of salt
1/2 of a beaten egg
For the filling:
1kg of sour apples e.g. granny smith
50g raisins
100g light brown muscovado sugar
2 Beschuiten (dutch bread - crackers section of tesco) or substitute with a big handful of fine breadcrumbs
2 tsps of cinnamon
1 tsp of lemon juice
1/2 mixed egg (leftover from dough)
Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
For the dough, cut the cold butter into tiny pieces and mix all of the dough ingredients together.
Mould this mixture into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for a minimum of one hour.
For the filling, peel the apples and cut into thin slices (remove the middle) and place in a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
At this stage, if you have the Beschuiten, bash in a sandwich bag until they resemble crumbs - add 4/5 of this to the mixture! If you don't, add the breadcrumbs (4/5) and mix .
To assemble the pie, thoroughly butter a 24cm pie tin.
Next, remove 1/5 of the dough and leave aside for the top.
Cover the tin with the rest of the dough - all the way up the sides. Place a 1/5 of the Beschuiten or breadcrumbs and spread over the bottom of the dish, on top of the dough.
Pour in the apple mixture.
Now, cover the top of the pie. This can be done by just simply covering the top or you can attempt a braiding style (see the photo). Finally, spread the 1/2 mixed egg over the top of the pie.
Bake in the middle of an preheated oven (160 degrees) for approximately 60 minutes.
Once the pie is out the oven, leave to cool in the tin and run a knife around the edge of the tin very carefully to ensure the pie doesn't stick to the tin.
THE STAR BAKER THIS MONTH WAS JOANNA WITH...
ROSEMARY SODA BREAD
500g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp salt
1tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
Enough buttermilk to form a soft dough (about 300ml)
Preheat the oven to approximately 200 degrees.
For the dough, tip all the ingredients except the buttermilk into a large bowl and stir.
Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk, mix quickly to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
Form this dough into a circular shape and flatten slightly before placing on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Cut a cross on the top and bake for around 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
Feel free to head over to the committee section of the website to see the newly elected committed for 2018/19. Thanks to our members for another great meeting!