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10Dec

Gin Cookie Cupcakes

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Our recipes
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Gin Cookie Cupcakes?

My simple, easy and totally delicious Gin Cookie Cupcakes are such a treat you might not want to share them with anyone.

Gin Cookie Cupcakes are light, crumbly yet moist cookie cases filled with delicious sweet & sour cherries and white chocolate. You can eat them cold or hot, almost naked with just a sprinkle of icing sugar. Or you can go full on and top it off with a swirl of white chocolate and violet ganache decorated in edible flowers.

A little secret…

I’m going to tell you a little secret about me. In my previous life I’m a trained mixologist. At Christmas I put this talent to good use and one of my favourite cocktails is an Aviation.

For those of you who have never head of Aviation cocktail let me explain and you can see how this beauty of a drink inspired me.

The Aviation cocktail is a classic made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. All sounded like an a perfect match made in heaven. To make it more decadent I am adding white chocolate.

 

Gin Cookie Cupcakes are very easy and reasonably quick. Best way is to watch my Deadpool Christmas Special and you will see for yourself how simple Gin Cookie Cupcakes are.I am sure as soon you try it once you will love it for life!

What Gin Cookie Cupcakes taste like?

Delicate bitterness of gin, sweetness of the cherries and white chocolate and subtle freshness of lemon zest. Already a winner! Now to put it into the practice!

Today in my recipe I will be adding my favourite Aviation Gin (pun not intended it really is my favourite). However if you are feeling generous and decide to share these definitely adult only treat with the kids you can leave the gin out and add a splash of vanilla!

 

Method.

Turn on the oven to …. and set aside clean and dry cupcake tin

Put in your mixer bowl

  • 200g sugar
  • 225g butter, soft, room temperature

Cream the above together in the mixer until light and fluffy.

Add

  • 2 eggs

and continue until mixed well.

In the meantime prepare

  • 120g grounded almonds
  • 320g plain flour
  • Couple of shots of your favorite gin
  • 3/4 tsp lemon zest

Add it all to the mixing bowl and incorporate well. Tip it onto a baking paper and roll a long about 2″ thick sausage. Put the Gin Cookie Cupcakes dough in the fridge. Rest it for a while (you can leave it for an hour or two or even overnight) until nice and firm and easier to cut.

The white chocolate and cherry filling.

When dough is resting prepare:

  • white chocolate buttons and
  • a can of sour cherries in compote

To make perfect caramelised cherries for the filling is easy. Put the cherries in to a pan and bring them to boil. Cook it slowly on low heat until the compote is reduced and the cherries are sticky and shiny.

You can watch my recipe movie ‘Baking with Aggy’ – ‘Deadpool Christmas Special’ for the step by step instructions.

Preheat your oven to 175C fan.

When you dough is set slice it to 12 discs of 3/4″ (just under 2cm) thick and 12 1/2” (around 1cm) discs and fill all the 12 cupcake wells in your cupcake pan with the thicker pieces. You don’t need to grease it or use any cases as the dough is already full of butter and will pop out easily.

Press is gently making sure the dough is well distributed and make small indentations for the filling.

Put some cherries in each one and top it with some chocolate buttons. Then take the thinner slices and press firmly around to seal the Gin cookie Cupcakes so the filling doesn’t run out.

If the dough is still cool to touch you can bake it straight away otherwise put in the fridge for 10-15 min.

When ready put it in the oven and bake Gin Cookie Cupcakes for 15-17 minutes or until golden.

If you can’t wait to try (I can imagine how your kitchen smells like now) just sprinkle with icing sugar but if you want to save them for later top it off with some white chocolate ganache!

Voila!

Bon Appetite!

 

I know you will enjoy Gin Cookie Cupcakes as much as I do!

Happy baking and until next time!!

Love,

Aggy xxx

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25Feb

Apple pancakes

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Kids corner Our recipes
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Pancake Day is almost upon us. Today I have for you super delicious Apple pancakes!!

Don’t worry if you a vegan or dairy free as you can easily make Apple pancakes suitable for yourself.

Crazy about (Apple) pancakes?

In our house pancakes come as a regular thing… weekends, during the week, doesn’t matter. As soon we think about pancakes there is more likely one or a dozen going to magically appear on our table… Even Zara can whip up her own batch and guess what – her signature are chocolate ones obviously!

We eat them sweet or savory adding various fillings depending on mood, weather, season of the year you get the idea.

I don’t think anyone ever can get bored of traditional lemon pancakes though and because we like variety I am saving it for Pancake Day next Tuesday.

 

Thick, chunky (apple) pancakes? Sounds intriguing?

Yesterday I have made some super tasty, super delicious Apple pancakes. 

Apple pancakes can be eaten topped or plain because the apples I have used are already sweet.

Well, I have to admit, yesterday I have made it extra naughty. I have topped it with agave syrup and cream brûlée ice cream. Because Apple pancakes contain fruit I counted it towards my 5 a day.

The apple slices inside were still warm and slightly crisp. I have used my all time favorite Gala apples as those are the ones that we always have in the house. However if you prefer it less sweet or have your own preference you can use pretty much any apple brand.

What do Apple pancake taste like?

Crunchy apples dipped in cinnamon sugar covered in delicious, melting in mouth batter.

The pancake mix keeps the apple rings from fully cooking and it gives Apple pancakes a tasty, warm bite. The apples are sweet and juicy and the soft warm pancakes literally melting in your mouth!!

An absolute must try if you ask me plus super simple.

Method.

Peel

  • 5 to 6 apples

Slice it into 3 to 4 rings each and core each ring. Drop the apple rings in cinnamon sugar. Set aside.

Prepare batter. Mix together gently:

  • 250ml milk (or coconut milk if making Apple pancakes VEGAN)
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
  • dash vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Semi warm up a frying pan. I have use non stick pan with a tiny bit of coconut oil.  Depending on your pan and preferences you can as well use 1 calorie spray oil for super light Apple pancakes or fry it in a dash of sunflower or rapeseed oil.

Dip earlier prepared apple rings in batter and fry it for couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Enjoy hot or cold.

Bon appétit!

 

Ps. What will you top your pancakes with this year?

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19Nov

Pumpkin sponge

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Daily life Our recipes
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Thanksgiving this week…

And today I have Pumpkin Sponge for you.

I haven’t got a lot of knowledge about this holiday but one thing I know is that I love pumpkins.  Round ones, skinny ones, ghost and grey ones, huge and small.  You name it I have probably seen it all.

As long as they are organic I will always have an idea to make something amazing.  Sweet or savory, main or a treat they are very versatile.

Pumpkins are not only delicious but also they are very good for you.  Pumpkins contain loads of vitamin C & A, potassium, zinc, are high in antioxidants and fiber.  Sadly we don’t appreciate this amazing fruit enough in the UK.  To start you slowly if you are not familiar with it give a try and make this super tasty Pumpkin Sponge.

Not just ordinary sponge. It’s Pumpkin Sponge.

My Pumpkin Sponge is not too sweet, velvety and moist. Can be eaten on its own as we found out pretty much straight away .

But if you have more patience than us you can top Pumpkin Sponge with many different creams.  Sadly I haven’t had a chance to make any toppings because the minute I took Pumpkin Sponge out the oven it was almost gone.

The next time I make Pumpkin Sponge I will top it with vanilla whipped cream or simple cream cheese frosting.  I think this would be the perfect combination for it’s delicious and delicate taste to compliment the pumpkin and aromatic aftertaste of the spices.

Ideally you can just cover the top, sandwich it or even stack a few layers deep together.  That is only if you can wait that long.

 

Method.

Turn on your oven to 155C fan, 165-170C without fan.

Prepare 8″ or 9″ round tin depending  how would you prefer to present it. I wanted this to be a little bit flatter as I was planning on one layer of cream and baked it in 9″ pan.

Grease the tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.

Prepare all the ingredients.

Melt in a cooking pan on a low heat stirring regularly:

  • 250g mascarpone
  • 250g white chocolate
  • 450g pumpkin puree (you can use canned or make your own – recipe to follow soon)
  • 400g sugar

Wet ingredients for Pumpkin Sponge

Sieve all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir evenly.

  • 150g self raising flour
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp powder ginger depending on your taste

Check the cooking pan and if all the ingredients are combined and melted add a

  • dash of vanilla and

half of the dry ingredients.

Gently mix together Pumpkin Sponge.  Be careful don’t stir to vigorously or for too long as you don’t want to knock any air bubbles out.

Add the other half of dry ingredients, stir gently again and pour in the tin.

Bake for approximately 90 minutes.

Voila!

Happy baking.

Aggy xxx

 

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18Apr

Coffee meringues

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Our recipes
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Easy Coffee meringues recipe Edible By Aggy

This week is National Coffee Week so whats better to celebrate it with than a Coffee meringues.

Fresh, moist, crunchy and chewy and full of whipped cream.

Coffee meringues recipe

Coffee Meringues, a trip down memory lane…

My childhood memories give me a lot of inspiration for my cooking and baking today. Watching Celebrity Bake Off a few weeks ago reminded me about one of my favourite Coffee Meringues. A special simple desert from the best bakery in town where I was born.

Every time I went there the choice was pretty difficult. No only the well known classics to choose from but now and again a special new treat was popping in. In almost all cases my first choice were Coffee Meringues. 

Pretty. Flawless. Always fresh and full of whipped cream.

Easy Coffee meringues recipe Edible By Aggy

We were allowed to eat Coffee Meringues because it was made with Inka. We have this special wheat coffee in Poland. It is extremely tasty and contains absolutely no caffeine.  When I was younger Inka was served with breakfast or with supper. It was very popular and probably even more consumed than hot chocolate at that time. Usually made with only milk or half and half with water.

Therefore it was totally safe for us or any kids to have Coffee Meringues. 

Today I am recreating my childhood taste with some Inka that I have left over from my latest trip to Poland. When making Coffee Meringues you can use ordinary instant coffee or any other alternative as it only contains tiny amount.

Tasty clouds of happiness.

Coffee Meringues are very easy to make. They don’t require any special skills or equipment. You can eat them straight away or leave to soften for a few days.

Giant, delicate, light, crunchy and gooey Coffee Meringues  are sandwiched with delicious whipped cream. When fresh the crunchy shell brakes as you bite it and it’s soft centre amazingly complimented by the cream.

Easy Coffee meringues recipe Edible By Aggy

Method.

Turn the oven to 145C.

To make 8 giant halves you will need:

Start by whisking on fast speed for a few minutes until the mixture become stiff.

While the mixer is still on add slowly to the mixture, spoon after spoon:

  • 300g sugar

Prepare coffee.

  • 3 tbsp instant coffee
  • 2 tsp spoons of boiling water

Gently stir in the coffee into the mix.

Easy Coffee meringues recipe Edible By Aggy Dadan

Spoon it on to a baking sheet. The recipe makes 8 large Coffee meringues. That’s about 2 spoons of mixture each.

Bake at 145C preheated oven for approximately 1 hour.

In  the meantime you can whip

  • small pot of double cream
  • 1 – 2 tbs icing sugar

Keep it in the refrigerator until the Coffee meringues are ready.

Sandwich Coffee meringues with the cream as soon they are fully cooled. Eat straight away or keep it for later.

 

I am sure you will love these!!

Happy baking.

Aggy x

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17Mar

Cheese onion chutney soda bread

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Daily life Kids corner Our recipes Savoury
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Yesterday we had our friend Nick over for lunch. As it was a last minute kind of thing, I quickly made some Cheese onion chutney soda bread to have with our lunch!

Cheese onion chutney soda bread

Cheese onion chutney soda bread

I haven’t made my Cheese onion chutney soda bread recipe for a little while. Mainly because I ran out of my organic home made onion chutney (its been so long, we nearly forgot how to make it!) , and secondly, I had almost forgotten how delicious it is. This time, I had to resort to a shop bought jar which comes in at a close second to my home made version – organic red onion chutney. We actually liked it so much, I have made another one today!

When I was little, I used to go through colds and flu more frequently than other kids. I always preferred home remedies, and often I was served onion syrup. One day, having bad cough as an adult and not able to shift it, I decided to try onion treatment from my childhood.

How Cheese onion chutney soda bread was made.

I had a lot of sugary onion left after a recipe I was using one day. As I don’t like wasting food, I thought I’d try making onion chutney. If it went wrong, it wouldn’t be a massive waste, as I had already extracted and used the syrup.

Playing around with the remaining onion, adding various seasoning and vinegar, I came up with a pretty tasty onion chutney (recipe to follow). I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t ever tried onion chutney in my baking – it was so tasty! At the time, we were making a lot of courgette soda bread. It is my favourite savoury bake, especially when these amazing vegetables are in season.

Soda bread, what is that?

I remember the day I tasted soda bread for the first time…

Years ago, when I first arrived in England, I was working in a pub, owned by an Irish chef, as a barmaid. New to the pub (and the country), the chef fed me all sorts of new stuff every day. One reason was to become familiar with the menu, and in case any of the customers asked. Another reason was to prove to me how good his cooking was! I was allowed to pick anything from the menu, and that day I had spotted a new dish, accompanied by soda bread! Being very curious what this type of bread was, I decided to try it immediately.

To my pleasant surprise, I fell in love with this new thing straight away and have never looked back. Now I make all sorts of flavours pretty often, besides it is a great side dish for any meal.

Cheese onion chutney soda bread is so simple to make that quite often Zara can make it herself. She still requires a bit of supervision when she is preparing the ingredients. However, even the least experienced baker will be able to make this, if you follow the instructions carefully. It literally takes five minutes to weigh, mix and put it in the oven.

Absolutely divine.

Cheese onion chutney soda bread tastes divine. If you never had this type of bread the texture will be hard to describe. So, I would wholeheartedly recommend you to make it and try it for yourself. Cheese onion chutney soda bread is a little sweet and savoury at the same time. Is moist inside and crunchy outside, and my favourite way to eat it is just plain covered in salty butter. Oh my I love my butter! Still solid, straight from the fridge so you can slice it like a cheese whilst the Cheese onion chutney soda bread is still hot!

Method.

Turn on the oven to 200C, 180C fan.

You can prepare the whole Cheese onion chutney soda bread recipe in one bowl –  minimising the cleaning afterwards!

Prepare in a bowl:

  • 400g sieved self rising flour
  • 50 – 80g of chunky oats
  • 2 tsp. of bicarbonate soda
  • 3 – 4 tbsp of red onion chutney
  • 150g of grated cheddar or gruyere (or any other strong, hard cheese)
  • 4 rounded tsp of dry dill

Mix well with a wooden spoon (or with your hands). Personally, I prefer to use a spoon when I am making it myself, it’s quicker and less messy. However, when Zara is helping, she likes to use her hands.

Cheese onion chutney soda bread

Add:

  • 200g kefir or buttermilk
  • 100g natural Greek yoghurt

Stir well but not too long. Only a few minutes maximum, or will become stodgy!

To bake Cheese onion chutney soda bread, I use my pizza stone. Firstly covered in baking parchment to avoid the dough from sticking.

Make a ball out of the dough, place on the stone (if you haven’t got stone, an ordinary baking tin will work too) and cut a deep cross on the top. Open it gently and allow to spread so it can rise evenly.

Cheese onion chutney soda bread

Bake for around 40 minutes on the parchment, and for further 20 minutes without to crisp up the bottom of your Cheese onion chutney soda bread.

Remove from the oven and leave on a cooling rack.

Voilà!

Bon appétit. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Aggy x

 

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6Aug

Pearfect turnover

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Daily life Kids corner
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Pearfect turnover, lazy pear and cream cheese puff pastry wrap.

We have all been in the situation where you need to bake something quick and have no idea what to make. We were sat on the sofa having a rare lazy day when we had that freshly baked craving, but didn’t want anything to time consuming. Having this feeling I have thought of a solution the Pearfect turnover.

Looking through the kitchen I found ready made puff pastry and bag of pears so quickly created this tasty bake.

Pearfect turnover

Pearfect turnover is ideal, whether it is…

… for a last minute dinner party and you need a quick desert.

… friends or family are coming over and you need something for afternoon tea.

… or it’s one of those lazy Sundays when it’s raining and nothing you can find tempts you. Only something freshly baked and hot from the oven will do.

So that’s how the Pearfect turnover was born.

 

Pearfect turnover that I came up with is the simplest, tastiest sweet treat ideal for any occasion. When you bite into the Pearfect turnover immediately can taste the juicy pear with flaky puff pastry covered in cream cheese. It isn’t overly sweeet but natural and fresh pear flavour makes it perfectly balanced. The pear will become soft and juicy which will complement the crunch of the puff pastry.

Minimum effort, maximum taste.

This Pearfect turnover really is the minimum amount of effort with maximum taste. I think baking can be cheating sometimes. It doesn’t have to be hours of preparation or following complicated recipes. If that isn’t you try this simple recipe and you can see how much fun baking could be.

This is exactly what we made a beautiful juicy pear wrapped in puff pastry straight from the oven. Enjoyed with some fresh double cream, this really is as simple as baking can get.

Pearfect turnover. A pear and cheese puff pastry wrap, easy and quick to bake.

 

Method

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

3 Pears

200g of soft cheese like Mascarpone or similar

3 tbsp. of dark soft brown sugar

some spare large grain sugar for the top, I have used Demerara

 

Pre heat the oven to temperature marked on your pack of pastry.*

Put the soft cheese in a bowl, beat until smooth. Add in the soft brown sugar to taste and mix until combined.

Peel the pears and cut into half’s, remove the seeds. Unwrap and unroll the readymade pastry and cut into 6 equal squares.

Divide the cream cheese and put into the middle of each square of the pastry. Gently press the pear half diagonally on the pastry, sprinkle with brown sugar.

Fold up the corners and pinch at each end to make a boat shape. Fold the corners across the pear, gently press to stick together like so:

Place in the oven and bake as directed on the pack or until golden brown.*

When baked remove and place on a cooling rack You can eat it hot straight from the oven with some fresh cream or leave to cool and enjoy later. They keep very well and you can even freeze them for another day (if there is any leftover).

The sweetness from the cream cheese and baked pear go perfectly and the flakey puff pastry really makes this a tasty treat for any occasion.

If you have no pears you can swap them for apples, peaches, plums or any other ‘firm’ fruit.

 

Keep an eye out for more quick and tasty treats to enjoy.

 

*I haven’t been specific with temperature and baking time as the pastry will vary slightly from brand to brand.

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23Jul

Goat cheese cake

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Kids corner Our recipes Savoury
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Appreciation of cake, savoury Goat cheese cake in this case

In our house we love cake. We eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and we are snacking on cake in between meals… We also love cheese, ideally cheese and olives…

Goat cheese cakeOne day I had a brain wave and wanted to make a savoury cake. Can you see where I am going here?  {That’s how savoury Goat cheese cake was made.}

Goat cheese cake

 

You might ask how did I come out with such a mix of ingredients for Goat cheese cake?

Our fridge is always full of cheese. In the fridge I have spotted a jar of my home-made onion chutney. Immediately decided to pair it with the goat cheese!

Goat cheese and onion chutney were my all-time preferred choices and hot or cold always full of flavour. I have also picked from my pantry some almond stuffed olives for crunch and texture and some red pesto for colour. Goat cheese cake already was a winner.

Goat cheese cake

 

Why should you bake it?

Goat cheese cake is another one of my easy and quick, almost one bowl recipes where you can’t go wrong. Myself, an experienced cook can make this in one hour but if you never baked you shouldn’t be much behind.

Goat cheese cake is very tasty savoury alternative to a sandwich or a side dish complementing your lunch or dinner. Goat cheese cake is light and moist and perfect to eat it straight from the oven or as a packed snack. It taste almost like a cross of soda bread with a ciabatta except is flavoursome and doesn’t need any fillings.

Method

Prepare 10 or 12″ round baking tin. Personally I like Goat cheese cake to be flatter hence bake it in the larger tin.

Line it with tin foil first then with baking paper. This will allow you to get it out easily out the non-spring form without falling apart. Brush the paper with a small amount of olive oil, set aside. Turn the oven to 175C/165C fan.

For the top of Goat cheese cake you will need:

  • 180 – 200g log of good quality goat cheese

Slice it carefully and set it aside.

To make mouth-watering Goat cheese cake you will need:

  • 600g of natural or Greek yoghurt at room temperature
  • 130 – 140ml of olive or avocado oil
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 2 or 3 tbsp. of Maggi (it’s a liquid seasoning, but you can skip if you haven’t got it or replace by 1 – 2 tbsp. of dark soya sauce)
  • 120g of sliced almond stuffed green olives (or 100g olives of your choice with a handful of blanched almonds soaked for couple of hours in boiling water)
  • 2 large dollops of red pesto
  • 2 large dollops of home-made onion chutney
  • 1/2 tsp of rock salt
  • 1/4 tsp of freshly grounded black pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped or squeezed

Optional:

  • 100g of grated hard cheese of your choice

All the above ingredients place in a large bowl and mix well.

Goat cheese cake

 

Important last mixing

Grab your mix and sieve:

  • 500g of plain flour
  • 2 tbsp. of baking soda

Mix well but gently for approximately 1 minute. Do not overmix as it will loose all the air and will become stodgy. The dough will be quite thick.

Place it in the tin and arrange the goat cheese on top.

Goat cheese cake

 

Put in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown.

 

You can enjoy it straight from the oven or cold. If last long enough keep it in airtight container or freeze in portions after fully cooled.

 

Until next time.

Keep baking,

Aggy x

 

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22Jun

Babcias strawberry crumble cake

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Our recipes
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Today we have a special bake Babcias strawberry crumble cake*.

What an amazing hot summer we are having in the UK right now!! First time in years I am actually able to slow down for a little while and admire the surroundings. I have finally managed to expand my beautiful organic allotment and we have picked our first large crop from the strawberry patch. As soon I have picked the first strawberry I knew what I am going to make. My thoughts took me to my late grandma and her amazing Babcias strawberry crumble cake!

Babcias strawberry crumble cake 

My grandma, in polish babcia* who of course had a massive influence on my food journey was an amazing cook. She was always cooking or baking and was always offering food to anyone who walked through the door. Her and granddad (dziadek*) had a massive fruit and vegetable garden where they were growing many organic fruits. She was the master queen of yeast dough and in the summer her signature bake was this simple berry cake. Preferably topped with strawberries or raspberries and it had to be sprinkled with some delicious crumble.

 

 

This tasty and delicious Babcias strawberry crumble cake is a must in the current weather. You can have it as light breakfast with a glass of milk or a quick bite with afternoon ice tea.  It’s great for a picnic or lunch out as it keeps really well and could be a healthier alternative to a doughnut.

Don’t worry there is no kneading or hard work involved as you normally would expect when working with yeast. The hardest part is watching and waiting for the dough to grow but believe me it’s so worth it!

Babcias strawberry crumble cake can be eaten hot, almost straight from the oven or even cold the next day… but it never lasts that long.

Babcias strawberry crumble cake is flavoursome, light and fluffy almost like the Italian Panettone cake. With fresh, juicy sweet and sour burst of strawberries nicely ‘melting’ in the dough. Coated in sweet, golden, buttery crumble!

 

Method:

The dough part for Babcias strawberry crumble cake.

In a medium bowl prepare the starter.

  • 50g fresh yeast
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Using back of a spoon crush and blend together. Add

  • 1 tsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp. warm milk

Mix well together and leave it aside in a warm place covered with a cloth until double in size.

In the meantime prepare:

  • 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled but still liquidised (if the butter is too hot it will kill the yeast)
  • 1 tbsp. organic olive oil (I have used avocado oil)
  • 250ml warm milk + 50g glucose
  • 1 whole organic egg + 2 egg yolks beaten with 150g sugar

Add all of the above including the starter into

  • 500g sieved plain flour

You can mix with a large wooden spoon until well combined, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Alternatively  to save time and energy I am using my free standing mixer with beater end. Leave in warm place covered with a cloth till at last double in size. Approximately 45 minutes to an hour. I don’t usually rush this step so sometimes let it stand even slightly longer when I go out or carry with other jobs.

When the Babcias strawberry crumble cake mixture is growing I prepare the strawberries. You will need

  • 800 – 1000 g of strawberries (or if you prefer other red berries)

Wash them, clean and dry thoroughly. If they are a little bit on the sharp side, mix it with a few table spoon of sugar and leave on a sieve to let the juice out.

Crumble part for Babcias strawberry crumble cake.

  • 160g sieved plain flour
  • 110g cold (from the fridge) and chopped unsalted butter
  • 100g sugar

Chop all the ingredients together to crumble like mix and place it in the fridge.

Assembling Babcias strawberry crumble cake.

You will need 10 or 12″ square tin or a equivalent lined with baking paper. After an hour or so of resting the yeast dough mix it briefly again and spread it in a tin. Evenly cover with fruit and levse for another 15 – 30 minutes to rest.

Warm up over to 190C. Sprinkle crumble all over the Babcias strawberry crumble cake and place it in the over for around 45 minutes. Bake to golden on top or check it with a skewer.

Remove from the oven and slice it straight away or leave it to cool.

 

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do and will bake it over and over again.

 

*Ps. A quick Polish lesson,

Pronunciation: babcia = babcha, dziadek = jadek

 

 

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16Apr

Magic Banana Cake

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Interesting finds Kids corner Our recipes
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Magic banana cake

Magic banana cake

As you might be aware we are one of those “weird” families who home school. Having this amazing advantage and being able to bake we always make something new. Our usual baking story begins as always we wanted something sweet and tasty but we didn’t want just an ordinary bake. When baking there is always space for learning and Magic banana cake was a pretty awesome and delicious lesson. Now it has become one of our favourites and we had to share it with you.

Using my chemistry background and the ‘little bit’ of knowledge I gained when studying chemistry we decided to create this Magic banana cake.

Magic banana cake

So, how does it work?

Magic banana cake is based on a simple chemical reaction between sunflower seeds that are acidic and baking soda that is alkaline. Sunflower seeds in Magic banana cake contain chlorogenic acid which reacts with the baking agents when is heated. When cooled down the seeds turn various shades of green and turquoise. Banana on the other hand will oxidize and react to the baking temperatures and turn purple when mashed properly.

The Magic Banana cake is moist and stays fresh for quite a long time if you manage to save any. We eat is on it’s own as its absolutely delicious therefore perfect for packed lunch or a picnic. But also amazing with yoghurt, drizzled chocolate ganache, pistachio ice cream or even elaborately decorated in any cream.

Sorry about the rubbish pictures, as Magic banana cake doesn’t stay around for long. As soon I bake another one it probably will be gone as soon I open the oven.

Magic banana cake

To make it you will need:

  • 200g butter
  • 300g sugar
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 125 ml milk mixed with 2-3 spoons of lime juice
  • 500g of ripe bananas, well mashed (the best bananas are the ones started to show brown marks)
  • 210g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp of rock salt
  • 2tsp of baking soda
  • 150g sunflower seeds

Magic banana cake

Turn the oven to 155C fan. Prepare two 8″ tins, grease the sides and put baking paper at the bottom.

Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at the time until incorporated well. Then add milk & lime mix and bananas and combine.

In a separate bowl sieve the dry ingredients and mix with sunflower seeds.

Mix it all together and split equally between both tins.

Put it in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown or check with a skewer if cooked. Keep Magic banana cake in the tins for another 5 minutes and then fully cool on a rack.

 

I really hope you will try this recipe and experience the magic and taste yourself.

 

Until next time.

Happy baking,

Aggy xxx

 

 

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20Feb

Nutty Sunshine Torte

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Kids corner Our recipes
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Nutty Sunshine Torte

Nutty Sunshine Torte

I am quite fussy when it comes to food and I don’t like walnuts in brownies but fancied creating the texture they give. One day I really wanted a sweet, nutty treat and I have decided to replace the walnuts with sunflower seeds.

When sitting and testing for the first time I had another genius moment and just spotted peanut and almond brownie laying around. Put the two together with a little bit of cream and that is how Nutty sunshine torte was made.

Nutty Sunshine Torte

Nutty sunshine torte is very easy bake and you can make it in only one bowl with a couple of utensils.

It taste a little bit like cake version of Snickers bar. Chocolatey yet crunchy, full of chewy peanuts, slightly salty, topped with delicious fluffy cream.

Nutty sunshine torte a perfect afternoon tea treat or birthday cake all depending on your creativity and imagination when decorating.

Nutty sunshine torte is an easy, simple perfect brownie Snickers cake.

Nutty Sunshine Torte

The recipe

For the first layer you will need:

  • 210g white sugar
  • 160g soft brown sugar
  • 85g cocoa powder
  • 150g plain flower
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp rock salt
  • 180g sunflower seeds
  • 4 organic eggs*
  • 225g melted unsalted butter
  • dash vanilla

*TOP TIP. If you are baking with your kids let them crack the eggs. The easiest way is to open them over a sieve in case any shells breaking in. Then simply whisk it through.

Heat the oven to 175C or 155C fan.

Sieve all the dry ingredients in to a large bowl. Add the rest and mix it with a whisk or a wooden spoon until well combined.

Line 9″ spring form with baking paper and put the mixture in the tin.

Place it in the oven and bake the first layer for 30 minutes. In the meantime prepare the peanut layer.

For peanut layer

use the same bowl and utensils and mix through after adding each ingredient:

  • 120g crunchy peanut butter
  • 40g of peeled and roughly chopped monkey nuts
  • 70g melted unsalted butter
  • 130g white sugar
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 2 organic eggs
  • dash of vanilla
  • 110g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp of rock salt

After baking the first layer for 30 min take it out the oven carefully. Try to complete the next step quickly.

Very gently top the the peanut butter mix on to brownie layer. Bake for additional 30-40 minutes at the same temperature until golden brown. Leave to cool.

The cream

  • 90g unsalted butter
  • 45g cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • dash vanilla
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 2 to 4 tbsp milk

Put all in a mixer and slowly work to a paste then beat on high speed for a few minutes to light and fluffy.

Spread on the cake and decorate as you wish.

Nutty Sunshine Torte

I decorated mine with some toasted in sugar sunflower seeds, mascarpone and some dark chocolate sauce.

Nutty Sunshine Torte

Nutty Sunshine Torte

Enjoy!

Aggy x

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12Feb

Very berry cookie dough cake

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Kids corner Our recipes
No comments

Very berry cookie dough cake

Very berry cookie dough cake

Last summer we spend an amazing few weeks in Poland. The weather was outstanding, almost every day over 30C and the gorgeous weather meant there was plenty of juicy and delicious fruits to be picked.

Originally Very berry cookie dough cake was my mums recipe that she made over and over again for us when we visited. She made it with apples and cherries but we adapted it slightly and came up with this Very berry cookie dough cake version.

Very berry cookie dough cake

The Very berry cookie dough cake is a fresh, quick and easy reminder of those long hot summery days. It taste perfect when eaten warm with ice cream or cold even on its own!

The base.

For the Very berry cookie dough cake base you will need:

  • 400g plain flour
  • 4 organic egg yolks
  • 200g sugar
  • 250g cold, unsalted butter
  • dash of vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Sieve the flour. Chop the butter in to small cubes and place all the of the ingredients in a food processor. If you haven’t got a food processor you can ‘rub’ it with your fingers. It suppose to make a loose crumble like texture. Put a side.

Meringue.

In the meantime prepare:

  • 4 egg whites
  • pinch of salt
  • 100g brown sugar

Whisk the egg whites with salt until stiff. Slowly add sugar and set aside.

Fruit mix.

Very berry cookie dough cake

You will need :

  • 1200g – 1500g fresh or frozen mix berries*
  • 4-5 tbls of corn flour depending on type of fruit you use
  • couple of spoons of sugar to your taste*

*I have used frozen mix of summer berries (red currants, black currants, strawberries and raspberries) with some extra frozen strawberries which allowed me to skip the sugar. We prefer our fruit to be slightly sour in taste especially when the cake and meringue are quite sweet. I have also added two crunchy apples, chopped to small pieces for the texture but again you can leave it out.

Mix the fruit with corn flour (and sugar) so it is coated evenly.

Very berry cookie dough cake

Warm the oven to 180C or 160C fan.

TOP TIP. First line a 10″ baking tin with tin foil making sure it overhangs the tin (this is to help to remove the cake later). Then using one, large piece of baking paper place it on top and press it into the corners again making sure it overhangs slightly.

Assembling the layers for Very berry cookie dough cake.

Depending if you are using fresh or frozen fruit please follow step 1 or step 2!

  1. Fresh fruit baking.

Sprinkle evenly 3/4 of the crumble mix in the baking tin. Gently cover with the fruit and then spread the meringue. Crumble the remaining mix on the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes till golden brown.

  1. Frozen fruit baking.

Sprinkle evenly 3/4 of the crumble mix in the baking tin. Gently cover with the fruit and place it in the oven. Bake it for 25 minutes. Take it out and quickly top it up with the meringue and crumble the remaining mix on the top.

Bake it for 50-60 minutes till golden brown.

Very berry cookie dough cake

 

You can enjoy a slice or two straight from the oven but cool completely before removing from the tin.

I hope you like it as much as we do!!

Aggy, Andy & Zara

xxx

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21Sep

Lemon, almond and poppy seeds roulade

Posted by: Aggy Categories: Our recipes
2 Comments

Lemon, almond and poppy seeds roulade

Lemon almond and poppy seed roulade recipe

So who watched the ‘Great British Bake Off’ last week? I think we will be trying our hands at the show stopper as it looked amazing!

Lemon almond and poppy seed roulade Here at Cotswolds Finest Cakes HQ not only do we have a passion for outstanding sculpted, gravity defying and wedding cakes; we also love baking breads, preparing desserts making the ultimate sweet treats. In our new blog we would like to share our favorite recipes with you all so you too can make and bake the most delicious desserts for you and you friends and family.Lemon almond and poppy seed roulade and our litte modelAll the recipes will be varying in skill level but with good planning and attention to detail there should be no recipe that is too difficult for the home baker!

Lemon almond and poppy seed roulade recipe

All the ingredients we use are things that are either found at home already or are easily available from your local store.

So, get your aprons on, the oven fired up, zero the scales and let’s get baking.

First recipe we would like you to try is our amazing Lemon, almond and poppy seed roulade with delicious cream cheese filling. This really is a very moreish dessert which all the family can get involved in making and certainly enjoy eating! The only down side to this dessert is that it’s so easy to make and so delicious – you may find yourself making it over and over again!

(more…)

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