The Best Ever Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe ~ Thanks to The Pioneer Woman!

One of the blogs that I read is The Pioneer Woman, and there has been a recipe over there that has been niggling away at me to try for a long time now…

But.. today was the day and I finally made it.   It turned out brilliantly, below is a link to the Pioneer Woman’s Site, where you can find the recipe and a detailed photographed  step by step tutorial…. enjoy

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• In a saucepan, melt: 2 sticks / 8oz butter
• Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
• Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

• In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
• Add: 2 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees F or 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

• Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
• Melt 1 3/4 – 7oz sticks butter in a saucepan.
• Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
• Add: 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Stir together. Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Gingerbread Muffins

Ingredients :

• 250g Plain Flour
• Half a Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 and a half Teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• quarter teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 Egg
• 50g dark muscavado sugar
• 50g light muscavado sugar
• 150ml full-fat milk
• quarter teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
• 4 tablespoons golden syrup
• 4 tablespoons black treacle.

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to has mark 6 / 200 degrees C.   Line a 12 bun muffin tin with muffin papers.
2. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a large measuring jug then add the sugars, breaking up any lumps.
4. Add the milk and vinegar then measure in the oil with a tablespoon.
5. Use the same oily spoon to add the syrup and treacle so they don’t stick to it.
6. Whisk the mixture to combine and add to the flour and spices.
7. Stir until mixed but still fairly lumpy – the mixture may be more runny than you expect for muffins – but you need the dense stickieness of gingerbread, rather than a cakey crumb.
8. Spoon or pour the mixture into the muffin papers and bake for about 20 minutes until the tops are dry; the muffins will still feel squidgy when you take them out of the tins to cool on a rack.
9. Note that because the mixture is moist, these muffins will not have the hump topped look of shop-bought ones.   But unlike other muffins, these still taste gloriously good a couple of days after baking.

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson Feast Book ~ isbn 0-701-17521-4

Pecan Shortbread

 

INGREDIENTS

8 ozs (225g) Plain Flour
4 ozs (100g) Cornflour
4 ozs (100g) Icing Sugar
8 ozs (225g) Butter

A handful of pecans plus extra to place on top

 

 

METHOD

Chop butter into small pieces, take a handful of pecans and place into processor with sieved flour, cornflour and icing sugar. Whizz until it gathers into a ball.

either….

Turn the mixture out onto floured surface and roll out to ½ inch thick. Cut into rounds with pastry cutter and place on a greased baking tray.

Or

Roll into a large sausage fill a plastic bag with some demorara sugar put the shortbread sausage into the bag and coat the outside edges in the sugar.. remove and cut into thick slices (my preferred option its quicker!)

   

   

Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350f/ 180c / Gas 4 till firm and light brown. Place on a wire rack and sprinkle with caster sugar while warm.

Tip – to keep shortbread fresh and crisp, place in a plastic bag when cool and then in an airtight tin.

Join in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

I can’t believe a year has passed since we held this event… a very worthwhile cause, and a charity dear to my own  heart,  losing my mum to this dreadful disease 4 years past.

Tomorrow at work, we are holding another Coffee morning in conjunction with the Macmillan Cancer Apppeal for the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning.

This is a great way to raise funds, it gets the troops at work eating good, wholesome, additive free, home baking whilst contributing to a good cause :-)   

I have been happily baking away in the kitchen all evening and hope to get some pictures and recipes up soon.

I just need to keep the vultures (Hubby & Kids) from hovering around the kitchen long enough to get the goodies safely put into containers to take to work tomorrow morning!

UPDATE :

I have to thank Sam @ MacMillan Cancer Support, who contacted me though my blog and left some lovely comments…

Sam also left me an information video on the fundraising work that MacMillan Cancer Support carry out… Please take time out to have a look at this very worthwhile cause.  

MacMillan Cancer Support

Dirt Baths, Spiders & Cakes.

Phew!

Its been one busy day!

I started this morning, woke up at 7am, made myself a cup of tea and some toast.

Up went the ironing board and I did 2 solid hours of ironing, mount everest no longer exists in my kitchen! its a great feeling getting it up to date.

Then, once the troops surfaced and were fed, I had a power of shredding to do, I kept all the shreddings as next thing on my agenda was cleaning out the cheeps… Grace, Gloria and Brenda, whom, I still have to introduce to you all! (i apologise).   I let them roam around the garden until their coop and run was fresh and sparkly. 

 

I let Daisy out for a wander too and she headed up to the far corner of the garden for her daily dirt bath… chicken little didnt join her, she is broody at the moment and chose to keep her butt glued inside the Eglu.

I then had a few things to store away in the greenhouse, when I opened the door, this little lady was sprawled out on her web right across the front door.. I’m not particularly fond of spiders, I dont mind taking pictures of them but dont ask me to shift one (shudders).. so the stuff that needed to go in the greenhouse had to wait until my OH came home .. he’s the big and brave spider shifter of the household

We have friends coming over to visit us tonight, so my next job was to head into the kitchen, where i made a huge big lasagne, I must remember to post my recipe on here for it.  I also made some chilli cheese potato skin thingies 

I also made this nice Pink & White topped Sponge Cake

I’m off for a shower now before our friends arrive tonight ….

Have a lovely weekend everyone

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

I picked up a big carton of organic milk at my local supermarket last night, a bit of a bargin as it was half price.  It didn’t take me long to think what I was going to do with it….. A rice pud

On the rare occassions that my mum baked it was always Apple Pie or Rice pudding, and although i never really liked rice pudding, my favourite part was the skin that covered the top, this was my treat It just goes to show how your tastes change as you get older, I now love rice pudding and I’m not fussed for the skin… wierd eh?

We are all full of the cold here at the moment, the kids were full of it last week, and they are just starting to feel better, now they have kindly passed their germs on to my other half and I, we’re now sniffing and snottering all over the place, all we want is comfort food, and rice pudding hits that spot.

Anyway, here is the recipe, the one I opted for was from Delia Smith Online .

Ingredients:

• 4oz / 110g Pudding Rice
• 14.5oz / 410g evapourated Milk
• 1 Pint / 570ml Whole Milk
• 1.5oz (40g) Golden Granulated or Caster Sugar
• 1 Whole Nutmeg
• 1oz / 25g Butter

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to has mark 2, 300F, 150C
• You will also need a round ovenproof dish with a diameter of 9 inches (23cm), 2 Inches (5cm) deep, lightly buttered.
• Mix the evapourated milk and whole milk together in a jug, then place the rice and sugar in the ovenproof dish.
• Pour in the liquid and give it all a good stir.
• Grate the whole nutmeg all over the surface (it may seem a lot but it needs it), then finally, dot the butter on top in little flecks.
• Next just carefully pop the dish in the oven on the centre shelf and leave it there for 30 minutes, then  30 minutes, then slide the shelf out and give everything a good stir.
• Repeat the stirring after another 30 minutes, then pop the dish back in the oven and cook for another hour, this time without stirring.
• At the end of this time the rice grains will have become swollen, with pools of creamy liquid all around them, and, of course all that lovely skin.

  

Above : Freshly Grated Nutmeg (mind your fingers, nails and knuckles when grating)

 

Above : Pudding Rice

Delia’s serving suggestion : Wonderful served with Plums in Marsala

Onion Focaccia

ONION FOCACCIA

Focaccia, with its characteristic texture and dimpled surface, has become hugely popular in recent years.   This version has a delectable red onion and fresh sage topping.

 INGREDIENTS:

• 210ml / 1 cup of water
• 15ml/1 tbsp olive oil
• 350g/3 cups unbleached white bread flour
• 2.5ml/half a tsp salt
• 5ml/1tsp easy-blend (rapid rise) yeast
• 15ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 15ml/tbsp chopped red onion

For the topping:

• 30ml/2 tbsp Olive Oil
• half a red onion thinly sliced
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 10ml/2 tsp course sea salt
• coarsely ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Pour the water and oil into the bread pan.   Reverse the order in which you add the wet and dry ingredients, if necessary.
2. Sprinkle over the flour, ensuring that it covers the liquid.   Add the salt and sugar in separate corners, make a small indent in the flour and add the yeast.
3. Set the bread machine to the dough setting.   If your machine has a choice of settings use the basic or pizza dough setting and press start.
4. Lightly oil a 25cm-28cm/ 10-11in shallow round cake tin or pizza pan.   When the cycle has finished, remove the dough from the pan and place it on a surface lightly dusted with flour.
5. Knock the dough back (punch it down) and flatten it slightly.   Sprinkle over the sage and chopped red onion and knead gently to incorporate.   Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it, then roll it into a round of about 25-28 cm/ 10-11 in.   Place in the prepared tin.   Cover with oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degree C / 400 Degrees F / Gas 6.   Uncover the risen focaccia, and using your fingertips, poke the dough to make deep dimples over the surface.   Cover and leave to rise for 10-15 mins or until the dough has doubles in bulk.
7. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle wih onion, sage leaves, sea salt and black pepper.   Bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden.   Turn out on to a wire rack to cool slightly.   serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of the book “BREAD” by Christine ingram & Jennie Shapter – ISBN-10: 0-7548-1788-1

Orangic Blackcurrant Jam with Freshly Baked Scones

 

I Picked blackcurrants in my garden yesterday , this evening they became Jam…

Recipe :

• 290g Blackcurrants
• 290g Golden Caster Sugar
• Juice of half an organic lemon
• enough water to cover the blackcurrants in their pan.

Method:

1. Wash the blackcurrants
2. Place in a pan and cover with water
3. gently bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins
4. remove any scum
5. add the sugar and bring to the boil again for 8-10 mins until a set is achieved
6. allow to cool a little before ptting into a sterile jar

Scone Recipe

Ingredients:

• 500g Plain Flour
• 75g Icing Sugar
• 25g Baking Powder
• Half a teaspoon sea salt
• 125g unsalted butter, chilled and diced.
• 2 medium eggs
• Milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C fan/200 Degrees C/Gas 6
2. Sift the flour, icing sugar and baking powder into a large bowl or food processor and add the salt.
3. Rub in the butter, add the eggs and enough milk to bring the dough together.
4. Roll the dough out 2cm thick on a floured surface and cut out 7 or 8 scones using a round 7cm cutter.
5. Leave these to rest on a baking tray for 20 minutes then brush the tops with milk and bake for 17-20 minutes.

Mouthwateringly gorgeous

Scone Recipe courtesy of Gorgeous Cakes by Annie Bell ISBN 1-85626-614-1

All Occassion Cupcakes

I was flicking through some old magazines yesterday and came across this recipe for cupcakes/fairy cakes, the recipe itself is completely different, using Yoghurt and ground almonds, so I thought I would give them a try.

Recipe:

• 150ml Natural Yoghurt
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• 175g/6oz golden caster sugar
• 140g/5oz self raising flour
• 100g/4oz ground almonds
• 175g/6oz unsalted butter, meltedMethod:

Method:

• Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases (muffin sized ones) and heat oven to 190 degrees/gas 5.
•  
• In a jug mix the yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract, put the dry ingredients, plus a pinch of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
  
• Add the yoghurty mix and melted butter, and quickly fold in with a spatula or metal spoon – don’t overwork it.  
  
• Spoon into the muffin cases (they will be quite full) and bake for 18-20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to the touch.   Cool for a few mins, then lift the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To Decorate:

• 1 batch white chocolate frosting (see recipe below)
• 36 simple sugar roses and leaves
• 2.5m thin ribbon (optional)

White Chocolate Frosting:

• Melt 100g white chocolate in the microwave on high for 1 1/2 mins, stirring halfway.   Leave to cool.
• Beat 140g Unsalted butter and 140g Icing Sugar in a large bowl until creamy.
• Beat in the chocolate.   Cover (can be chilled in the fridge for up to one month)
• Up to 48 hours before serving (or the day before if its really hot, bring back to room temperature, then spread over the cakes.   Put the ribbon around the cakes now if you like, tying or glueing in place.  Keep cool and out of direct sunlight.

I made them this evening, and will decorate them tomorrow morning when they are completely cooled with the White Chocolate Frosting… providing there are any left!   I have had to throw one to the dogs already because Hovis our Birman cat decided he fancied one… cheeky bloomin cat!  

My son has polished off a couple too and he gave them a score of 10/10, result! .. they do taste good, would most definately make them again

They have now been put in a safe place

Raisin Bread

Raisin Bread.

“This is really just a large, shiny currant bun.   The syrupy glaze that you brush on the loaf after it comes out of the oven makes it look quite extraordinary – it’s as if someone has suddenly switched a spotlight on it”

To make one loaf :

• Strong White Flour 500g, plus extra for dusting the work surface
• Salt, 2 teaspoons
• Easy-blend (fast action) yeast, a sachet or 2 teaspoons
• Raisins, 150g
• Milk, 125ml
• Warm Water, 125ml
• A large free-range egg
• Orange marmalade, 2 good tablespoons
• Lard or vegetable oil for greasing the tin.

For the glaze:

• Granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon
• Water, 2 tablespoons

Utensils:

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Teaspoon
• Measuring Jug
• Tablespoon
• Wooden Spoon
• Cling Film or tea towel
• Large loaf tin approximately 13 x 23 x 7cm, or a large round cake tin,
• small saucepan
• Wire cooling rack
• Pastry Brush

1. Put the flour in the mixing bowl with the salt, yeast and raisins
2. Measure the milk and water into the jug.   Break in the egg and whisk everything together with the fork.   Pour the eggy liquid into the bowl of flour.   Spoon in the marmalade.
3. Mix the flour and liquids together, either with your hands or with the wooden spoon.   When it becomes difficult to stir the dough, turn it out on to floured work surface,   Knead he dough, adding more flour a handful at a time if it is really sticky.   The dough will become smoother and smoother.
4. When you feel that your arms are ready to drop off, poke a fingertip into the dough – if the dent you made bounces back and leaves just a little mark, then you’ve kneaded enough.   Shape the dough into a neat ball, out it in the bowl and cover the bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel.
5. Leavethe bowl of dough in a warm (but not hot) place, away from open doors and windows, for 1 and a half to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
6. Grease the bread or cake tin with a scrape of lard or a drop of vegetable oil.
7. When your dough has risen to a great big puffy, ballooned mass, twice its original size, flatten it with your fist.   Now pull it out of the bowl and knead it gently for a few seconds on the work surface.
8. Flatten the dough out a little into a round disc, then roll it up roughly like a carpet so that you get a puffy sausage shape.   Place the dough sausage in the tin loaf – it should come about half way up the sides (if your using a round cake tin, then shape the dough into a ball and tuck the sides of the dough underneath  to make the ball pillow up, then put into the tin).   Cover with cling film or the tea towel again and leave to rise for 20-25 mins.   Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 degrees C/Gas Mark 7 and place a shelf in the centre.
9. Oven gloves in.   Place the tin gently in the oven and set the timer for about 12 mins.   Then turn the oven down to 190 degrees C/Gas Mark 5 for another 10 mins.   Oven gloves on.   Take the tin out of the oven.   Turn the bread out of the tin and tap the base to see if it sounds hollow.   If not, put the loaf directly on the hot oven shelf for 10 mins to colour the sides and bottom.
10. Meanwhile, make the glaze.   Put the granulated sugar into a small saucepan with the water.   Place on the hob, switch on the heat to medium and stir with the wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved to make a syrup,   Let it simmer for a minute, then switch off the heat.
11. Switch off the oven, take the bread out and let it cool on a wire rack.   Now brush the top and sides of the bread with the warm syrup.   It will shine beautifully.

How to eat your Raisin Bread

This loaf is probably at its best when slightly warm.   Spread thick slices of it with butter and eat, licking your sugary fingers.   If you’ve got any left the next day, eat it toasted and dripping with butter.

Variations

If you fancy a spicier bun, you can add a teaspoon of ground mixed spice to the flour in the bowl.   And you can shape the mixture into little buns rather than one big loaf if you prefer.   Bake the buns on a large greased baking sheet for about 15 mins at a slightly lower temperature, 200 degrees C/Gas Mark 6

Recipe courtesy of :

The River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & Fizz Carr

ISBN : 0-340-82636-3