Banana Bread

I've made some pretty dire attempts at banana bread in my time. Seriously, how is it that you can follow a recipe down to a tee, and it'll still manage to bake into a dense and rubbery mess? Like, every time. There are certain things in the baking world I remain cautious of, namely breads. This mostly means yeast doughs (but I am getting better!) but extends to anything with a sketchy 'bread' in the title. So, after a few years of no luck, I resigned myself to the fact that it was going to one of those things I just couldn't crack. Every baker has their weakness...

That was until my flatmate Ieva made this banana 'bread' for a flat birthday. I use the term 'bread' here loosely, because this is more of a cake than a stodgy loaf. It's definitely sweet, and has a lovely moist crumb and strong banana taste.

This cake really doesn't need an icing, but appreciates a little prettying-up with some icing sugar. I just cut out a star shape from paper, layed it on top of the cooled cake, and dusted icing sugar over it with a sieve. Remove the paper star and you're left with a cute cake that's casual enough for afternoon tea, tasty enough for birthdays, and could even stretch to a post-party mid afternoon breakfast (well, it has got fruit in it...). That said you can also choose to this bread with some chocolate icing, but I'm more than sure vanilla would work well too.

After asking for the recipe almost as soon as I'd tasted the bread, I was *slightly* nervous at trying out the cake at home. WHAT IF IT GOES WRONG?! I suspected I just was not born to make banana bread. But lo and behold! It emerged glorious from the oven, risen, spongy, and delicious. I suspect it was the bicarb that saved me. Half of it was gone before it was completely cooled. I'm sorry to have ever doubted you, banana bread.

This cake keeps exceptionally well, the bananas not only make the cake crumb moist and delish, they keep it fresh for days afterwards. As in, it was still delightful about 4 or 5 days after (the only reason it hung around that long is because it was Christmas and our kitchen was laden with treats).

Banana Bread

285g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp salt
110g butter, softened
225g caster sugar (or brown sugar also works well, to give a caramely taste. Try a combo of half and half)
2 eggs
4 bananas
85ml milk
1tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, or gas mark 4. Grease and line a deep 8-10'' tin. Mash the bananas well in a bowl with a fork.
2. Sift the flour and bicarb together. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
3. Add the eggs one by one to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring between each addition. Mix in the bananas, milk and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Carefully fold in the flour. Pour mix into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours (this will vary depending on your oven, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes our clean.
5. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin, then leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate as desired.

White Chocolate Baileys Ganche Cupcakes

It looks like I've just thrown all the most wonderful food words together, in one title, but this recipe is for real.Want something that looks wonderful and tastes even better? Keep reading...

These were a cheeky little experiment for (you guessed it!) a family meal. After Christmas, and accidentally (I swear) stocking up on waayy too much white chocolate for my Christmas specialty White Chocolate Fudge I thought I'd make a cake with some sort of white chocolate frosting. Then I thought 'but cupcakes are so much cuter!' and they lessen the chances of extra delicious cake lying around that is just waiting to be eaten (it is New Year(ish) after all)...Plus, I wanted an excuse to use those darling cupcake liners. *So artisinal*. I then got to thinking what icing I could make for these little cakes. A normal ganache buttercream? No, White chocolate frosting? Nah. BAILEYS ganache buttercream. Hells yes.

The recipie for the cakes is my standard chocolate cake one that is tried and tested, and ALWAYS come out perfect. It's great for use with cakes, or in smaller quantities with muffins or cupcakes as here. It stays moist and fresh for days and is honestly one of, if not the best recipe I've ever used. What's more, it's so so simple to remember, just mix equal quantities of everything. Refer to my recipe on the Wedding Cake post section, and I think I used a 3 or 4 egg quantity of that mixture (it'll make sense if you read the description there) for around 10 or 12 very large cupcakes.

The star of the show, the icing, is relatively simple. Make the ganache as you would normally, except with Baileys instead of cream, then whip, whip, whip, adding icing sugar and a little butter or margarine as you go to help it set up into a lovely creamy, light pipeable icing. It tastes seriously great. I imagine this would work well with a lot of cakes, so go wild with experimenting! I finished my cupcakes with a sprinkling of grated milk chocolate, but that was just for show, really. Swirl this icing between layer cakes, or pile it high on muffins, cupcakes, and even brownies (now that would be seriously epic), whatever you use it for, it's only gong to make your dessert taste better.

White Chocolate Baileys Ganache Cupcakes

1 batch chocolate or plain cupcakes

200ml Baileys
400g White Chocolate
Butter, slightly softened
Icing sugar, sifted

1. Heat the Baileys gently in a saucepan over a low heat until hot, but not boiling. Chop chocolate into small pieces.
2. Remove liquid from heat, stir in chocolate and mix until melted and smooth.
3. Begin whipping mixture with an electric or stand mixture until slightly cooled. Add icing sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time until the icing begins to thicken. Continue to beat as you add in more icing sugar, alternating with spoonfuls of butter. Measurements are very hard to give here, but I'd say you'd want to add anything from about 100-150g of butter, and 300-500g icing sugar, but you'll have to feel it out. Basically, you're looking for something that isn't too too stiff, and that will be either pipeable or spreadable, but that will hold its shape well. If you're in a bit of a rush and having problems with the icing being too runny, like I did initially, stick the bowl of icing in the fridge for about 20 minutes to help the butter and chocolate cool. Be careful though, too long in the fridge and your icing may set solid. The finished icing should be very light and fluffy.
4. Spread or pipe icing on cupcakes or use to sandwich
a sponge.

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks, but should be re-whipped and possibly thinned down with the tiniest bit of milk before using again.

Salted Peanut Brittle

Don't be scared (like I was, at first) by the thought of sticky sugar disasters. This recipe is a lot easier than you think, I promise. 

I've tried my hand at many different sweets in the past, to varying degrees of success, but this, I think, I've nailed. It's taken a while though *flashbacks to horror stories of burnt, bitter sugar lumps and caramel welded onto saucepans* but, if you're patient and sensible, you can crack this too (no pun intended). Best part is, you don't even need a sugar thermometer! 

This brittle makes a wonderful gift, and is extremely easy to make in large quantities. It's my Nan's favourite, and the gift I give to her for Christmas and Birthdays, and she raves about it for weeks! This sugary-salty treat is great for people (like her) who aren't that into chocolate, and even for those without much of a sweet tooth, as the salted nuts balance out the toffee taste well. It takes less than 10 minutes to make from start to finish, and uses only two ingredients, which you most likely have lying around your kitchen anyway. All you need apart from sugar and nuts is a good eye!

You can, of course, use any kind of nut you want, salted or unsalted, but as I say, the salt provides a wonderful contrast to the crisp caramel. Alternatively, you could use a different kind of nut and sprinkle the surface with sea salt when still warm, which I imagine would look very fancy.

wipe down the sides of the pan with a damp brush to avoid crystalising 

Salted Peanut Brittle

200g caster sugar

200g salted peanuts (or any kind of nut)

1. In a stainless steel pan (a pan that's silver in colour will make it MUCH easier to see what stage and colour the caramel is at, which is key), gently heat the sugar, swirling the pan often to avoid sticking. 

2. At first, the very edges of the sugar will start to melt and bubble a little, keep swirling the pan, moving uncooked sugar out to the edges. DO NOT STIR!! Stirring will cause the sugar to crystalise and you'll have to start over. Once again. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES STIR THE SUGAR. Just swirl it, baby. Wipe down the sides of the pan with a dampened pastry or silicon brush to avoid crystalising or burning.

3. After a while the melted sugar will start to darken. At first to a light honey colour, then slightly darker, until you get a lovely caramel tone. This will happen slowly at first, but will speed up as the sugar continues to heat up. You still may well have some bits of unmelted sugar in the middle, and possibly some lumps. Still don't be tempted to stir, just tilt the pan until they fall to the outer edge and put the pan back on the heat, they'll melt soon enough. Work over a low-medium heat to ensure your sugar cooks evenly, and bits don't burn before others have a chance to melt.

4. Once all your sugar is melted you'll be left with a lovely pan of caramel. Here's where it gets serious. Keep the pan over the heat until the mixture reaches a very dark golden colour (see pics). Leave your sugar a moment too long and you'll end up with a burnt bitter mess, take it off too soon and it won't set. Use your judgement, my advice would be, let it go a tad darker than you think it needs to go, but you definitely don't want it to be brown, and much less black! Swirl occasionally to avoid burning.

5. Once your caramel has reached the right colour, remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the nuts. Work quickly, as the sugar will continue to cook and darken, you don't want it to burn! Once all the nuts are stirred in, pour the mix onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof, non stick paper, or a silicon mat. Please don't use foil, you'll never be able to get your brittle off if you do.

6. Let the brittle cool completely and break into shards once fully set. Store wrapped in more greaseproof paper in an airtight tin or box (if you don't the sugar will begin to melt again after a few days in the air).

Jamie's Italian, Cardiff

pic from google

Followers of my humble little blog will know that I love Italian. Like, properly love it. There's something just so satisfying about a massive bowl of saucy pasta dredged with Parmesan or a creamy spoonful of rich tiramisu. You can't beat it food-wise, in my opinion.

A while back I posted a 'review' (I call it a review, but still maintain I'm far too young to be passing judgement on food cooked by professionals) of a tiny little Italian, Cafe Citta, in Cardiff. I mentioned in that how much I'd always wanted to visit Jamie's Italian, and my initial disappointment that we went somewhere else for a family meal. Cafe Citta turned out to be absoloutely lovely, a true hidden jem, and I'd advise anyone that can get there to get a table asap. But. Although my craving for Italian love and food was satisfied, I was still intrigued by Jamie's. Which is why, when I caught up with a great friend over Christmas, and we arranged to go out for a meal, I slyly suggested we go there. Dylan, having been there before, and a fellow Italian-enthusiast, was game for this, and a table was booked the next day.

Situated on the outside of a busy shopping centre, Jamie's Cardiff is surrounded by posh shops (Vivian Westwood, no less) so going there really feels like a proper occasion, even though I was just catching up with a friend. Incidently, Cardiff is amazing for shopping, you should visit. Heaters blaze in the outside seating area, giving a very rustic, but still formal atmosphere. The first thing you see when you walk through the doors is a massive bar in the very centre of the restaurant, where custom cocktails are prepared. Loaves of sliced artisan bread spill lazily across the counter tops, and strings of garlic and chillis decorate the rustic wooden structure, which once again creates a relaxed formal atmosphere. Also the huge chandelier hangs grandly over the restaurant, oozing class. Jamie's is posh, but effortlessly so. You can tell that I loved it already, can't you?

We were shown to our table right next to the kitchen by a very polite and helpful waitress. Some people wouldn't think this was the best seating, but both being into cooking, Dylan and I didn't mind this at all. We were also right next to the bar area, and so could see cocktails and other fancy things being prepared and served, which was interesting.

photo from jamieoliver.com

Choosing from the extensive menu was hard (menus vary from restaurant to restaurant, I gather). I was tempted to try the rabbit ragu pasta, but bottled out for fear of not liking it. I'm sure it would have been delicious, though. I went for a safe fennel sausage ragu with papardelle (£10.95) instead, with 'posh chips' (£3.25). Both were amazing. But I wouldn't have expected anything less. The chips were a particular triumph - rustic (I'm going to use that word a lot this post!) and thick, drizzled in truffle oil and sprinkled with Parmesan, and a good portion of them too. Dylan went for a burger (I forget which one, I think it might have been called the 'Italian Burger'), which, as I was informed many times, was delicious also (£10.95). He chose polenta chips to go with this (£2.50) - exactly what they sound like - fried cubes of polenta with sea salt and Parmesan. Ingenious. Soft and fluffy on the inside, but super crunchy on the outside. Neither dish of chips was greasy, and they were great value I thought. Main meals range from about £9-£15, but steaks can cost up to around £20. For the quality of the food and the dining experience in general, I would say that these were very competitive.

Of course, we had to go for a dessert as well. We both chose the 'Epic Brownie', a warm, fudgy (and fairly large!) chocolate square topped with ameretti ice cream, chocolate sauce, and caremelised popcorn. Yeah. You can imagine how good that was. Don't need to say anything else. Again, the desserts were reasonably priced at around £5 each.

We decided to splash out and get cocktails to end our meal, which tipped our bill into what some might have considered 'too much' to pay for a meal for two people. They were the most expensive part (for what they were, that is), but were a treat, and made us feel extra fancy. I ordered a peach Bellini - peach puree topped up with Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, and Dylan went for a 'Frangelico Sour', whatever that is. Anyway, it was nice. At £6 something for one tiny glass, it wasn't the best value for money, but, as I say, we were splurging.

Two courses each and a cocktail brought our bill to the £50 ish mark, which we were okay with, since it was a 'special occasion'. As I said, it was the cocktails that tipped it into such high figures, the mains and desserts were hardly wildly overpriced.

I loved the whole experience at Jamie's. The decor is to die for, modern yet (you guessed it) rustic, and there's plenty to look at. The staff were friendly and attentive, and I loved the not so subtle displays of all of Jamie's cookbooks available to buy. Obviously, being a chain, you didn't quite get the same personal cooked-just-for-you feel as some other places, but it was one of the nicest chains I've been to, for sure. Ranked maybe slightly lower than Rick Steins, but that would be properly hard to beat. The meal was thoroughly enjoyed by us both, and I'd love to go back, maybe even brave that rabbit ragu, but there are other places I'll be suggesting we try out next time as well. Jamie's Italian met my high expectations and hopes, but didn't exceed them. I loved it, but wasn't bowled over.

Fondant Wedding Cake

I mentioned before that I wanted to attempt another wedding cake trial run before I came back to uni. This time I was working with fondant *recoils in horror*. But you know what? It wasn't all that bad.

My cousin and his fiance decided on a fruitcake base (which will be made by my Gran) and two layers of sponge on top. This really only left fondant as the option for covering the cake, and not being its biggest fan, I want to get in as many practice runs as possible before their wedding in July.

As I'll only be baking the top two tiers for the real thing, and three cake tiers is a lot for any family to eat by itself, I decided to make a 10'' and 6'' tier, one chocolate, and one lemon. I'm not going to post the recipes here, but you can find them on the 'baking' page of 'the wedding cake project'. It's my standard sponge mix that comes out perfect literally every time I make it. It's easy to make, ridiculously easy to remember (just equal amounts of everything and a splash of milk!) and the cake stays moist for days without drying out, making it ideal for a cake that you need to make a little in advance, like this.

So, after baking the tiers on Saturday night, I got to work on the decorations. I didn't have any fresh flowers to hand (it being a spur of the moment decision to make the cake), and so I took to pinterest for some alternative decorating ideas. I saw one design where different sizes of fondant flowers had been cut out and arranged in a sweep over the plain white cake. Liking the concept, but wanting something with a little more depth, and dare I say it, elegance, I decided to improvise. I rolled out a ball of fondant very thin (so it would dry and become solid overnight) and used cookie cutters of two different sizes to cut out flower shapes. I then placed them in the hollows of some egg boxes to give them a curved shape. They dried out overnight and by the next morning were quite sturdy. NOTE, if you try these, make them a day ahead at most, keep them out in the open too long and moisture in the air will get to them, literally causing them to wilt.

The flowers were meant to be a substitute for fresh ones, but my cousin's fiance ended up liking the cake quite a bit, so these may be what I do for the real thing. If you decide to make these, make a lot more than you think you need, as some will crack and break apart when you put them on the cake. I'd also advise putting them on as late as possible before you want to serve the cake (ideally the morning of the wedding if you're making this for a real celebration) and before travelling, as this will lessen the chances of anything falling off/breaking in transit.

Now, onto the covering of the cakes. I'll admit, I thought this was going to be much harder than it actually was. I guess it was because I was just scared of how 'out there' fondant is, in that it is quite unforgiving. But, give it a little time and a gentle hand, and you'll end up with something pretty good. Obviously, mine is far from perfect - if you went right up close to the cake you could see some lumps and bumps, but these are nothing a few fondant flowers won't fix (another pro for using them instead of fresh flowers, as they are light enough to be stuck anywhere).

After filling your tiers with a thick buttercream (this helps avoid sagging) thin down some more plain (so the colours don't show through the fondant) buttercream with a little milk. Thinning down the buttercream will make it so much easier to spread on the cakes. I ended up using American-style buttercream as the 'glue' between the fondant and cake, but for the real thing I imagine I'll use swiss meringue buttercream, which is even easier to work with.

Roll out a large ball of fondant (guidelines on how much to use for each tier are readily available online, but I used about 1kg for both tiers and all the flowers, with excess) to about 1/2-3/4 of a cm thick, using icing sugar to prevent it sticking to the surface or rolling pin. Once it's rolled out. Gentley lift it up and hold it above the cake to see if it will fit all the way around, you should be generous with excess around the edges, just in case. If you can see it will fit, place it down, centering it on the cake. Smooth down the top first with either your hand or an icing smoother. Slowly smooth down the sides a little at a time, lifting the fondant into place. Smooth out any creases by lifting the fondant out, then laying it back flat and pressing it onto the cake. Use your hands or and icing smoother to even out the sides of the cake. Trim off any excess, then neaten up the bottom with a sharp knife. Joins will be covered by decorations so don't worry too much about being perfect. Repeat these steps for all your tiers.

One thing I would advise is to not use the off cuts from the icing you used for the first tier you did for any tiers you cover later. Shop bought fondant doesn't take well to being re-rolled and my second tier was cracked quite a bit and even had a few holes in it. Fondant has to be done well to look good, so play it safe and use a new quantity of fresh fondant each time you start a tier.

Help your lower tiers support the weight of the cakes above by inserting wooden dowels (see other wedding cake post for more), stack cakes and transfer to serving stand. Use buttercream to glue on the dried fondant flowers, and cover up the joins between tiers with edible decorations, I used tiny rolled balls of fondant.

I was actually really, really pleased with how this cake turned out. So much so that I may have been won around. I definitely think that the look of the finished product make up for the lack of taste. Fondant cakes also look quite traditional, although I love how this cake combines old styles with new ideas. Fondant also makes the cakes easier to transport long distances, ad you don't have to worry about icing being squashed about so much!

This was a fun little project that I enjoyed very much, and I expect I'll squeeze in another practice run before the big day, just to be extra sure. If you're thinking about making any kind of wedding or multi tierd cake, I'd definitely suggest you go for it, they're a lot of fun, and people are amazed when you tell them you made it yourself. As I talked about in my other cake post, you can also save a lot of money by making your own cake, but it's also a great gift to give someone, and a really nice thing to be able to say you did.

Baileys Fudge

The last in my trilogy of fudge posts for this Christmas, this recipe is a little more complex than the previous two, but still very manageable, even without a sugar thermometer.

Normally, I only make one type of fudge at Christmas time for gifts, but this year my mum mentioned a recipe for Baileys fudge she'd seen floating around on Pinterest. Not being one to embark on something so 'bold' (it's really not that difficult) herself (let's not even go there), I decided I would experiment myself. I'm so glad I did, it was a huge success! Because the 'setting agent' in this recipe is the icing sugar, this fudge has a softer, more 'traditional' fudge-like consistency that you might associate with the sweet treat.

This fudge is great, with a lovely Baileys taste that comes through very nicely. It's smooth and creamy, achieved through the vigorous beating in of icing sugar at the end. Great for a more grown-up taste than that of the previous plain chocolate versions.

I have to admit, I was dubious that my attempts without a sugar thermometer would be successful, but there's a very easy way to get around this, and if in doubt just add double the original recipe's amount of icing sugar, like I did...it all worked out fine.

Ditch the faff of a sugar thermometer by using the clever technique of a cup of cold water and your good judgement. The original recipe asked for the sticky sugar mix to be cooked until it reached 238 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise known as the 'soft ball stage'. To achieve this with much less stress than with a thermometer, cook your mixture for about 7-10 minutes, until it has reduced a little and thickened. Take a teaspoon or so of the mix and drop it into a cup of cold water. Tip the water down the drain and scoop up the caramel mix with your fingers. Caramel at the 'soft ball stage' should be able to be shaped and rolled into a ball with your fingers, and should not just be a gooey sticky mess. For more, see pictures.

Add a few drops of fudge mix to cold water, then tip it out...

If ready the fudge should be able to be easily rolled into a 'soft ball'

Baileys Fudge
Make one 9''/10'' pan

120ml evapourated milk (or a combination of half Baileys and half evap milk, for a stronger Baileys taste)
220g light brown sugar
200g granulated sugar
170g butter
1tsp vanilla extract (optional)
60ml Baileys
500g (1 box) icing sugar, sifted (NB: the original recipe called for 270g, but to be extra sure the fudge would set firm I increased this to 500g)

1. Line a 9''/10'' square baking tin with grease proof paper. Stir the evapourated milk (or milk and Baileys mix), sugars and butter together in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the 'soft ball stage' is reached (see above) or 238 degrees Farenheight, about 7-11 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. The mixture should be thicker and slightly reduced by this point. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the 60ml of Baileys and vanilla extract if using. Pour the mix into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and either beat in icing sugar with a paddle attachment, or whisk with an electric mixer. Add the icing sugar in 3 additions, beating well in between. The mixing at this stage is what gives the fudge its creamy smooth texture, so take the time to beat it well. Pour into prepared tin and leave to cool and set completely.

Fudge will keep well in an airtight container for several weeks.

Chocolate Fudge

The eagle eyed among you will notice that this recipe is exactly the same as the recipe for white chocolate fudge. I would have combined the posts but I didn't want to overwhelm the one post with pretty pictures.

that blur.

Needless to say this fudge is just as delicious as the white chocolate version. It sets just as well, and is just as easy to make and prepare. Another perfect treat for Christmas.

This fudge is so well know and loved within my family, it's pretty much the only thing I'm asked for, year after year. And given how simple and cheap it is, I can hardly say no. Once again, you can quite easily make a batch of this for well under a fiver, just choose a good quality milk or dark chocolate to set your fudge, something you'd be quite happy eating plain.

Chocolate Fudge
Makes 1 8'' pan

350g granulated sugar
25g butter
175ml evaporated milk
400g milk or dark chocolate
beans of 1 vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

100g dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate (optional)

1. Line a square baking tin with grease proof paper. The size you use will determine the thickness of your fudge, but a 8 or 9'' is what I usually use. Chop chocolate into small pieces.
2. Place the butter, sugar, vanilla and sugar into a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat on low until everything has dissolved, stirring regularly.
3. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce and let bubble (slightly more than a simmer) for 5 minutes, setting a timer.
4. Remove from the heat and add copped chocolate, stirring well and fast. The mix will begin to thickened immediately. Once all the chocolate is melted (ADD OPTIONAL EXTRAS HERE), pour the fudge into the prepared tin.
5. Tap the tin a few times on the work surface to level off the fudge. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then press any optional extras on top. Leave to cool completely, a few hours. Cut into squares once completely set and firm.

Fudge will keep well in an airtight container for several weeks.

Christmas Gifts

Gifting food or sweets is one of the easiest, and cheapest ways of tackling that age-old dilemma - 'what on earth do I get for *insert relative/friend/neighbour*?' Christmas is a renowned time of indulgence, and everyone appreciates the effort of some delicious goodies wrapped up all pretty. All you need is some grease proof paper and some ribbon, maybe a cardboard label or two and a decent pen, and you're well on your way to creating a gift that looks like you spent hours crafting lovingly.

These are just some pictures of what I did this year. (Really this post is just an excuse to use the DSLR while I can...) You can fill your parcels with whatever you like, make them big or small, and hand them out to friends, family, or anyone, really!