February 2014 – Page 2 – Baking with Gab

Raspberry scrolls and hearts

I’m not really that big a fan of Valentine’s day. I love the idea of celebrating your loved one, and I love ANY excuse to bake, but I get a little jaded by the comparisons and expectations that couples have put on them as the day dawns. I would much rather a hand-picked bunch of flowers than a shop bought one, I’d rather a batch of home-made cupcakes than a box of chocolates – I love jewellery and pretty things, but I much prefer presents that are better thought out.

So when I saw heart shaped pastries on Pinterest, I started to think about what else I could make into heart shapes. Y’know, because baked goods + festive shaping = ultimate gift.

Ask anybody, it’s a well-known fact. Continue reading “Raspberry scrolls and hearts”

Boyfriend biscuits and quadruple chocolate

The Boy often gets irritated at my baking. Actually, it’s more my ingredients – he loves baked goods, he just isn’t very adventurous. I had to trick him into eating my chocolate basil crinkle biscuits (I simply omitted the fact that they had basil in them); he flat out refused to try my lemon thyme cupcakes; he didn’t like the earl grey poached pears that I made!

“I like what I like,” he says, like a true Yorkshireman.

So, in preparation for Valentine’s day, I’m sharing a recipe that even the pickiest of partners will like – a quadruple chocolate biscuit. They’re cake-like and they have four types of chocolate in them – who could say no to that?? Continue reading “Boyfriend biscuits and quadruple chocolate”

World Nutella day and adoration

Did you know that today is World Nutella day? No? How could you miss such an important world event? I’ve had it pencilled into my diary for weeks! I feel that I should declare that this is not a sponsored post (although I would totally be open to sponsorship by Nutella, because that would be DELICIOUS), I just really love the stuff.

The problem in my house is that Nutella tends to only last a number of hours, which means it’s rare that I get the chance to cook with it. Even if one of my family members manages to sneak a jar into the house, it is detected and devoured very quickly. We’re like truffle pigs for Nutella… Nutella humans?

I’m getting off track. Continue reading “World Nutella day and adoration”

Honey pots de creme and Valentines

On the weekend I posted some sweet little chocolate meringue morsels and promised an even sweeter dessert to accompany them. This is what you’ve been waiting for with baited breath (ha!) – honey pots de crème.

I’m slightly in love with pots de crème. They tend to combine a whole lot of cream with other, ~~equally bad for you~~ delicious ingredients; kind of like a custard that you can alter to be any flavour your little heart desires.

The first pots that I posted were Nutella, and they will always hold a special place in my heart, but these honey pots are a close second. They’re a super sweet idea for your Valentine’s day dessert (if you celebrate V-Day) OR they would be great to serve if you were having Winnie the Pooh over to dinner. Continue reading “Honey pots de creme and Valentines”

Chocolate swirl meringues and sweetness

I cannot get enough of meringues. Before I was given my gorgeous mixer, Penelope, I found meringues really challenging. Now that I have her, however, they’re a cinch. They’re so simple to whip together (although it does take some patience) and everybody loves them.

Top them with sprinkles for a touch of nostalgia – this addition will make them irresistible for adults and children alike.

I made these meringues as an accompaniment to a super sweet treat for you all to make this Valentine’s day. I’ll post the recipe that goes with these meringues tomorrow, but here’s a sneak peak of the romantic dessert…

Chocolate meringues:

2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
100g milk chocolate

Before you start making your meringues, wipe your whisk attachment and bowl down with half of a lemon. Just swirl the lemon around and then wipe off the excess. This will remove any residual fats that may be lurking, and could flatten your meringues!

Whip your sugar and egg whites together – I’d recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer because it’s far more efficient! Start on a lower speed (I went for 3 on my stand mixer) and speed it up a notch at a time (up to about 8) over the course of a minute; I find that this method gets the most air into the meringues.

While the egg whites whip up, preheat your oven to 120°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Keep whipping until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture turns white, thick and glossy. This should take about ten minutes. Your mixture should hold soft peaks and should stay in place if you turn the bowl upside down.

Melt your chocolate and spoon it into the meringue. Give it a quick swirl (literally, like one swirl, if you want veins of chocolate through the meringues) and spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle.

Pipe onto your lined baking trays bake for 50-60 minutes – you’ll know they’re done when they’re dry to touch. Transfer to a cooling rack and devour once they’re cooled!