Today I feel all weird...so i thought this little poster makes sense...
Friday, 13 January 2012
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Recipe time...Toffee Tumbles
Almond Buttercake
150g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
/regular flour
1/2 cup almonds chopped
Choux
Pastry
60g butter
3/4 cup (180ml) water
3/4 cup (105g) plain flour
3 eggs, beaten lightly
Vanilla
Custard
1 1/4 cups (310mls) milk
1 vanilla bean, split
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (40g) cornflour
Toffee
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) water
Make choux
pastry; make vanilla custard. Preheat oven to
moderate (180oC/160oC fan forced). Line 12-hole standard pan with paper cases. Beat butter,
essence, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and
fluffy. Stir in sifted
flours and almond meal, in two batches. Divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. Bake cakes
about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool. Cut a 2cm deep
hole in the centre of each cake, fill with custard; replace lid. Spread tops of
cakes with a little more custard. Top with a layer of puffs. Stack remaining
puffs on cakes dipping each in a little custard. Make toffee;
drizzle over puffs.
Choux
Pastry
Preheat oven to hot (220oC/200oC fan
forced). Grease oven trays, line with baking paper. Combine butter with the
water in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour, beat until mixture forms
a smooth ball. Transfer mixture to small bowl, beat in egg with electric mixer
in about six batches until mixture becomes glossy. Spoon mixture into piping
bag fitted with 1 cm plain tube. Pipe about 300 tiny dollops of pastry (about
1/4 level teaspoon), onto trays; bake 7 minutes. Reduce oven to moderate
(180oC/160oC fan forced), bake for a further 5 minutes or until puffs are
crisp. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Vanilla
Custard
Bring milk and vanilla bean to a boil in
small saucepan; discard vanilla bean. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar and cornflour
in small bowl with electric mixer until thick. With motor operating gradually
beat in warm milk. Return custard to small pan; stir over heat until, mixture
boils and thickens. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap; cool.
Mmmm most delicous custard I have made!
Toffee
Combine sugar with the water in small
heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves;
bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture
is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand until bubbles subside before using. Mine took a while to get going and to turn that caramel brown colour.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Toffee tumbles…tumbled…
I thought to myself
this weekend, push yourself. Make a cupcake that really challenges you. And
what happened…Not only was it the hottest day I have experienced, but I now
know why there are people like the naked chef…hehehe! I thought fine Choux
pastry, homemade vanilla custard, toffee, almond cupcakes, how hard could it
be?
Let me tell you
something I nearly died, but at least I learned some new skills, and I must say to myself but that vanilla custard…mmm is to die for. I even got some request that
there should have been more custard. So after some blood, sweat and fears, I
made these toffee tumbles and I was impressed. 300 little choux
pastry balls, is not for sissies. I even made beautiful sugar shards to place on
top. The cupcakes looked beautiful. So I put them in a container, popped them
in the fridge and awoke the next morning to disaster.
I took them out of
the fridge, left them on the counter, quickly got ready for work and low and
behold when I opened the container, the toffee and the sugar shards had melted,
even the custard melted, making them tumble. I was like "DISASTER". But all in
all they tasted really good. I injected each cupcake with extra custard, and
put some almonds in the batter and some almond essence as well. The flavors were really
strong…mmm just the way I like it!
So give it a crack.
It’s really beautiful cupcakes, hard to eat and a lot of effort, but if you
have the cupcakeness in you, why not…
Recipe to follow tomorrow!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Could this be love...
OMW I am in love...these Cupcake nail art is just to die for. I couldn't believe it. This beautiful artform, I have not seen anything like this in South Africa.
WOW! ( p.s. if anyone in SA can do this for me, Cape Town area, I would jump at the chance)
This to me is cupcakeness, yes cupcakeness. This is dedication to the cupcake, the love of cupcakes, the joy that cupcakes can bring to your life. The colours are just right, the feeling they creat, but i'm afraid i would be tempted to lick my fingers the whole time...hehehe!
Please Cupcakes: Cherry delights recipe!: As promised… have some fun, create, make, bake.. Cupcakes (16 medium sized) Ingredients: 225g butter (softened) 200g ca...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)