A BIT OF WHAT YOU FANCY!

OK that's enough of all that healthy eating!  Anyway my grandfather always said that "a little of what you fancy does you good"!!

Brownieville Boy #1, had some friends coming over to spend the night and taste the delights of the local night-life, so I reckoned that the food should be good just in case the nightlife wasn't!  What's the first thing you think to bake for four (male) burly college students ...... cupcakes of course!!!!

As you know I have been doing some baking from the gorgeous Eric Lanlard's Home Bake (why do I feel compelled to mention how handsome he is every time I write his name??????), having been lucky enough to have been sent a review copy by the publishers.  I followed his recipe for vanilla cupcakes, with a cream cheese vanilla icing - and they didn't offend any macho sensibilities!!!!!

I also made the chocolate cheesecake - changing some of the cheeses (using up all those  pre-Christmas purchases!), this was truly a revelation - probably one of the best desserts that have come out of my kitchen!  It would have been perfection served with  a raspberry coulis and some Barbados Cream or ice-cream.

Here is a rundown of some of the other delights from the book!

This is the Apple Crumble Sponge - perfect when you don't want something too elaborate.  I served this with three other desserts - perfect for the non-chocoholics amongst us. (not me obviously!!)

The vanilla cupcakes were well received, although I didn't think they were quite as good as the Hummingbird ones.

These Blondies with Peanut Butter were delicious, this is all that was left after I left them out to cool and then popped out to the shops for some milk!

Wholemeal courgette and seed muffins - despite overcooking these dreadfully (it's your fault - I lost track of time reading everyone's blogs!!) these were tasty, and would be perfect for a virtuous lunch time treat.

These are the Double Chocolate Marshmallow Muffins (I can't find any photos of the finished article - sorry) - bit too sweet for my taste, but this didn't bother Brownieville Boy #2!

Eric's Roasted Banana Muffins were out of this world - so intensely Bananay (!)  Roasting the bananas added a real depth of flavour.



The Chocolate and Orange Chocolate Cake was well received, although didn't reach the dizzy heights of praise that Nigella's did!!

I have blogged about these addictive Malteser Squares before - I'm just glad that there are none of these beauties in the house now as they would spell the death knell for any healthy eating aspirations!!!

The cheesecake was delicious rich and chocolaty without being excessively sweet.  I have to 'fess up I only had a small portion - honestly!

Chocolate Cheesecake

adapted from Eirc Lanlard's Home Bake

Base

125g/4.5oz         melted butter

250g/9oz            chocolate bourbon biscuits (chocolate digestives will work too)

Filling

100g                  medium fat cream cheese

250g                  mascarpone cheese

250g                  ricotta cheese

75g                    golden caster sugar

3                        large eggs

40g                    coco powder, sifted

100g                  good quality dark chocolate melted

Preheat oven to 180 C

Prepare a 20cm/8" springform cake tin by greasing with butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper.

Prepare the base by crushing the biscuits and adding the melted butter.

Press evenly into the prepared tin.

Refrigerate for a half an hour.

Prepare the filling by placing the cheeses and sugar into a food processor, blend until smooth.

Add the eggs and give mixture a whizz.

Next add the cocoa and blend again.

Finally add the melted chocolate (which you have allowed to cool a bit) and whizz until fully combined.

Pour the mixture onto the base in the tin.

Smooth the surface and place in the preheated oven - it's really important to place the tin on a baking sheet as there will be leakage!!

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the centre has a slight wobble.

Cool in the turned off oven for 1 hour.

Take out of the oven and cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CAKE

This month's We Should Cocoa Challenge, is to create something delicious with both cocoa and dates.  Chocolate yummmm, dates - not so much!!!!!  Actually when Choclette suggested this months challenge,  I thoughts it was incredibly coincidental as I had just bought some medjool dates the previous day.  Those dates had been intended for Brownieville Man to nibble on,  but they now had to be redirected towards the baking cupboard!

As a non dried fruit eater (except for dried cranberries for some strange reason!) I fretted about this one a little bit.  I have been enjoying Eric Lanlard's Home Bake, and had marked his Chocolate and Orange Christmas Cake as one to try.  I wondered if I could substitute some of the raisins and sultanas in this cake for some of my dates - worth a try!!

The cake turned out to be a beautifully moist, rich confection.  Judging by the length of time it spent in the cake tin, it went down very well with the taste testers here!  Actually the only comment was that it was delicious, but perhaps a little bit too chocolaty (I didn't think that was possible!!)

Chocolate and Orange Christmas Cake
adapted from Home Bake by Eric Lanlard

150g/5oz         raisins
150g/5oz         sultanas
100g /4oz        dates - stoned and chopped
100ml/3.5oz    orange liqueur (plus some for soaking)
200g/7oz         butter, softened
100g/3.5oz      soft dark brown sugar
50g/2oz           molasses sugar
3                      large eggs
150g/5oz          plain flour
175g/6oz          really good dark chocolate, broken into pieces.
1 tsp                 ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp              cinnamon
1/2 tsp              freshly grated nutmeg
1                      lemon (juice only)
100g/3.5oz       chopped candied peel
75g/3oz            roasted hazelnuts. (I didn't bother with these)

The day before baking soak the fruits in half the orange liqueur, leaving them to plump up overnight.

Preheat the oven to 150 C
Prepare a 20cm/8" tin spring form tin, by greasing and lining with a double layer of parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugars together using an electric whisk (I use the kitchen aid) until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking all the time. (if the mixture splits add a small amount of the flour)
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Allow to cool slightly.
Add the cooled melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture.
Sift in the flour and spices, and fold in until everything is combined.
Now add in the lemon juice and the remaining orange liqueur.
Finally add the soaked fruits, nuts and candied peel, mixing well.
Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, level the surface and cover with a piece of baking paper.
Bake for 2-2.5 hours, test that a skewer comes out clean to see when done.
Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack.
Remove from its tin and feed with some more liqueur.
Wrap up in clingfilm (feeding from time to time) until ready to indulge!

Enjoy.

LATE BUT LOVELY!

Oh man, I really am a ninny - I spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking of the ideal caramel and chocolate combination for this months We Should Cocoa Challenge - and then I forgot to actually post my creation!!!!

Anyway, I have to write about these chocolate/malteser/rolo morsels - everyone I have given them to has asked for the recipe.  My walking buddie's daughter wants it as her birthday cake this year and my nephew has requested it for Christmas Dinner!!

I have to say that it should be hidden from anyone with cholesterol or diabetes issues - not recommended!!  But for the rest of us - this has to be tried.  You can of course play around with the different sweets, whatever you fancy will be good.

I got the original idea from the dishy Eric Lanlard's book Home Bake, and altered it to suit my taste - just don't make this when you are going to be alone with nobody round to help you eat it - you have been warned!!!

Malteser and Caramel Squares

Line a 8/9" (20/22cm) square tin with baking/parchment paper.

100g/3 1/2oz                butter
200g/7oz                      milk chocolate (broken into pieces) (or a mixture of dark and milk if you prefer)
3 tbsp                           golden syrup (I'm sure honey would be good too)
225g/8oz                      digestive caramel biscuits (or whatever biscuits you fancy)*
37g                               Maltesers
130g                             Rolos (chocolate covered caramel sweets)
48g                               Galaxy Caramel Bar - chopped.

For Topping (Optional)

74g (2 pkts)                 maltesers
50g/2oz                        melted white chocolate


Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a medium sized saucepan.
Add the crushed biscuits and coat well with the chocolate.
Add the sweets and stir together quickly so the chocolate  on the sweets doesn't melt.
Pour into the prepared tin, press into an even layer.
Leave in the fridge until cold.

If using the topping -
Chop the Maltesers and sprinkle over the cake - while still warm.
Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.

* The original recipe asks for plain digestives - the caramel chocolate ones are even better.

Enjoy.