Wedding Cake No. 3

This was my final run through before the real thing in July. As with other trials, this post will mostly be pictures of the finished cake, and an encouragement to try making an occasion cake if you're halfway serious about baking and have enough time on your hands. Saying that, this took me less than two days from start to finish. I baked the cakes in the evening, then filled, iced, and stacked them the next day, and was done by early afternoon. Recipes can be found here.

My Gran made the bottom tier or fruitcake (wouldn't have been my choice but it's what they wanted), and very kindly iced it for me. The second tier was sponge with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam, and the smallest tier was red velvet with cream cheese.

I invested 6 quid in some decent cutters from my local market and dried the fondant flowers in the hollows of egg boxes to give them a little shape.

Only thing I'd say would be to make the flowers in advance so they have plenty of time to dry and harden, meaning they'll be less likely to break when you're putting them on the cake. Also, for the real real thing I'll probably use royal icing to stick the decorations on as it's a much better colour match than buttercream. It also sets rock solid so hopefully flower casualties will be minimal.

As with the other trial runs, this was a lot of fun, and well worth a go, if you're into that kind of thing. Hopefully you'll get some inspiration from this post. It might sound insane but wedding cakes aren't nearly as hard to make as they look!

Carluccio's, Cardiff

from www.carluccios.com

Every holiday, my very good friend Dylan and I go on a little ‘dinner date’ to a restaurant in Cardiff, about 20 minutes away from our home town. We go to catch up, not-so-subtly judge restaurant grade food, and get ideas for our own culinary creations at home. It’s lovely to get dressed up for a real ‘occasion’ dinner, but let me save you some time, Carluccio’s is hardly worth the effort.

from www.carluccios.com

Last time we tried Jamie’s Italian, another chain restaurant, and bypassed Carluccio’s because of some unfortunate reviews on trip advisor. Having already experienced Jamie’s finest, I boldly said ‘I’ll be the judge of that’ when Dylan protested the food at Carluccio’s might not be up to scratch.

In theory, Carluccio’s has all the constituent parts of a successful eatery (1.) it’s attractive; the displays of filled oil bottles, cakes, house pastas and raspberry swirled meringues definitely draw the eye in, as do the cosy booths and innovative decor. (2.) the staff are friendly – our waitress was really helpful and kind, especially when we had to complain (but more on that later), and (3.) the menu is extensive and impressive. Definitely a better selection than the aforementioned Jamie’s.

While I went for the ‘penne giardiniera’, an unpronounceable concoction of ‘our own Pugliese penne with courgette, chilli and fried spinach balls with Italian cheese and garlic’, Dylan played it safe with a simple lasagne. They say the best way to judge a restaurant on its authenticity is to order a classic dish and see how well they do. Safe to say that Dylan was not impressed. It was ‘fine’ he said, but nothing special. That said, we weren’t paying top dollar prices for these meals, so you can only expect so much. We probably got what we paid for. My main was delicious, slightly more adventurous and a pleasure to eat. I’ll definitely be trying that at home soon. We also shared a side of vegetable ‘frittas’ – tempura fried aubergines, courgettes and peppers. These were kind of like chips, in thick strips, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. While they were very interesting and tasty, they were very heavily salted, too much so for me. Still, I wasn’t going to waste them.

Dessert was a difficult choice, with so many appetising puddings on offer. In the end we both went for tarts, me a strawberry and mascarpone, and Dylan a chocolate and raspberry, the special for that day, and were served with a nice vanilla bean ice cream. We’d both like to consider ourselves as slight ‘foodies’ (the majority of dinner conversation was spent on how to get authentic Italian just right), but I’d say that desserts are a strong point for both of us. This is why we felt a little let down by our second courses. When you deconstruct them, tarts like this are relatively simple to make, hard to do well, and easy to get wrong. The pastry was bland and seemed to have been bought in, or not fresh at least. The mascarpone filling was good on mine, but Dylan wasn’t so lucky. He pushed his plate over to me midway through his pudding and pointed to a raspberry cut in half. ‘I think it’s mouldy’. One look was conclusive. It was. Like, properly blue and spore-y. Not what you’d hope to be served in a reputable restaurant. Dylan finished three quarters of it and left a few spoonfuls and the offending raspberry before googling the possible repercussions of eating such less-than-fresh fruit. I said he’d be fine, that I’d seen people in my Uni flat eat worse...

When the waitress came to collect our plates we quietly and apologetically pointed out what had happened and the dish was swiftly taken off the bill. The manager assured us this was extremely rare and that produce is quality controlled on a daily basis. The great service we received almost made up for the whole incident.

Overall, I’d say that Carluccio’s is a fine place to visit, nice for a lunch time meal or casual dinner with friends, and I’m sure that the Deli section is brilliant (I only got a very quick look on my way out). Open from 8am it’d be an ideal place to pop in and pick up a couple of special ingredients for an important dinner, or just a nice treat to have at home, but dinner-wise, you could probably do better in a few restaurants just across the street. Yes, you’d be paying slightly more, but in my opinion it would be totally worth your while. Decor and staff are great, but the food leaves something to be desired. Offering a wide variety but of varying standard, I won’t be in a huge hurry to return to Carluccio’s, but I wouldn’t flatly refuse. 3/5 stars at best.

Honey and Almond Greek Yoghurt Ice Cream

My brother bought me an ice cream maker for my birthday. All my kitchen dreams have come true.

This was just a little experiment to test it out before I get around to using it properly, making ice cream with a egg and cream base and such, and, all things considered, it worked brilliantly. From start to finish this ice cream took under half an hour, if you exclude the freezing of the inner bowl, which took place overnight.

Ridiculously simple to use, this nifty machine will give you soft serve ice cream in under 20 minutes, but a brief spell in the freezer will yield a wonderfully scoopable dessert if you're patient enough. Combinations are literally endless, and I'll definitely be experimenting with real ice creams, sorbets and other yoghurts very soon.

pinterest worthy picture or what?

Honey and Almond Greek Yoghurt Ice Cream

500ml greek yoghurt
3tbsp honey
75g flaked almonds

1. Stir the honey into the yoghurt and pour into the assembled ice cream maker. Turn on and mix for 20 minutes until soft serve consistency. Add in almonds in the last minute and mix until combined.
2. Pour into a container and chill in the freezer until set, about 15 minutes.
3. Serve with fruit, drizzled with extra honey and sprinkled with more almonds.

Hot Cross Buns

Every year my Mum buys hot cross buns for Good Friday from ASDA. They're the squashiest, squishiest, most delicious hot cross buns I've ever had. Having a lot of spare time ('that's a firm 'no' to revision today') and a KitchenAid on my hands this holiday (brought down from the dusty confines of my room in lieu of my Dad's bread maker. Sacrilege), I decided I'd see if I could match and recreate these amazing rolls.

These turned out even better than I'd expected. Despite not having cinnamon (sneakily replaced with nutmeg and ginger - weird, but it totally worked) the flavour was delicious, and thanks to the apricot glaze these rolls were as sticky and sweet as my favourites from the shop.

I've said before, I've never really been that successful with doughs and breads, they just never seemed to rise quite right. UNTIL I found active dried yeast, a true miracle. Somehow, wonderfully, even if the dough doesn't quite proof properly (guess it wasn't warm enough in my kitchen) it works in the oven to create beautifully soft and fluffy rolls. So, make sure you're working with the right type of yeast. Active dried. Can't sing its praises enough.  

Best eaten warm and on the day they're made, these are delicious with butter, jam, or, as I found out after a night out, cheese. If you can, warm cold rolls slightly in an oven or microwave?! to make them super soft and squidgy again.

Hot Cross Buns

550g plain flour
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cardamom
120ml warm water
120ml milk
1 1/2tsp active dried yeast
1 egg
4tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2tsp salt
50g caster sugar
200g (or to your taste) mixed peel and sultanas

For the 'cross'

50g flour
1tbsp icing sugar
1tsp lemon juice
1tbsp vegetable oil

Glaze
1tbsp apricot jam

1. Mix cinnamon and cardamom with the flour in a large bowl. Mix yeast with warm water and whisk well, then set aside for 10 minutes until frothy.
2. Add the yeast mixture, milk, salt and sugar to the flour and mix well. Mix in the butter and egg, then add the mixed peel and sultanas. Kneed dough until smooth, adding extra flour if it's too sticky, about 10 minutes.
3. Cover the bowl of dough with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour.
4. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on a lined baking sheet, leaving 3-4'' between each bun as they will spread in the oven. Cover with a towel again and leave to rise once more until doubled in size.
5. Mix the apricot jam with 4tbsp hot water until you have a think glaze. For the 'cross' part whisk flour, icing sugar, lemon juice and vegetable oil together until you have a pipable paste, adding a little water if the consistency is too thick. Spoon into a piping bag and either cut a small corner off or use a small, round piping tip. You can use a plastic bag if you don't have a piping bag.
6. Pipe a cross on the risen rolls, and brush with apricot glaze.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top, basting with more apricot wash every 10 minutes or so.

Rocky Road

Rocky road is the holy grail of chocolate treats, a taste of heaven, and the king of sweets. A delicious mix of chocolate, syrup, biscuits and marshmallows, it's simply sublime, and needs no further introduction.
If you haven't heard of or tasted it then where the hell have you been? Go. You're wasting precious time.
Stop reading, start baking.

This recipe is perfect for kids (or big kids) to make, as there's no baking involved. It's quick, really easy and pretty much fool proof. In fact, I didn't even make this one, my Mum did, which shows you just how simple it is (but let's not even go there, shall we?). This was a trial run for a mass baking session she'll be supervising in school. If 6 year olds can do it, you can, too.

If you're looking to spice up this lovely, but pretty plain recipe, you could try using different kinds of biscuits, like cookies, or ginger biscuits maybe. You can also add in lots of extras, like raisins, glace cherries, fudge, nuts, anything like that would be great. If you're not a milk chocolate fan, I know this works well with white chocolate as well. If you're going down that route, try pistachios, dried strawberries, cranberries and shortbread. The options are endless, really.

Rocky Road
125g butter
3tbsp golden syrup
300g milk chocolate
200g rich tea biscuits
100g mini marshmallows

1. Line a 9'' square baking tin with baking paper. Combine the butter, syrup and chocolate in a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring often until well combined. Remove from the heat.
2. Crush the biscuits either by hand or in a bag with rolling pin until you have some fine crumbs and some larger chunks. Stir into the chocolate mixture and add the marshmallows, then stir well again until completely combined.
3. Press the mixture into the prepared tin and leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnights. Cut into squares or fingers (small ones - rocky road is very sweet and rich!) and serve.

Rocky road should be stored in containers in the fridge between layers of baking paper to keep it from sticking, and will last about a week.

The Meat Counter, Falmouth

For a relatively small town, Falmouth has some top class eateries, and The Meat Kitchen might just be the best I've experienced so far (though I don't think anything will ever beat Rick Stein's).

On first impression, you might be a little intimidated by the small restaurant, The Meat Kitchen, on Falmouth's high street. The place is so hipster* I found myself almost feeling guilty for stepping through the door (being so un-hipster myself), but I was totally wrong to judge.

My flatmate had raved for days about the pulled pork burger she'd tried at The Meat Counter, so when spending the day in town, there was no question where we'd be eating. The set up there is great - you sit down where you like, choose from the chalkboard menu that makes up the entire wall (so hipster), go to the counter, order, and pay. No hassle, no rush, no being accosted by eager waiters. Perfect.

If burgers aren't your thing (who are you? get out.) then The Meat Counter may not be for you, but the choice is so great you're bound to find something everyone in your party will like, so it's well worth a visit. The menu offers several different kinds of amusingly named beef, chicken and pork burgers, with a good range of veggi options too. Don't be mislead by thoughts of meat-cheese-lettuce affairs, these chefs mean serious business, buttering buns with the likes of mustard butter and garlic mayo, and stacking patties high with provolone cheese and house made pickles. These are like the best burgers you've ever had, but kicked up about ten notches.

The chip choices are also far from boring - choose to have yours with cheese sauce & bacon, chilli & cheddar, or pulled pork, coleslaw & BBQ sauce, to name just a few options. We just ordered plain chips, but never actually got to taste them (see below)... A creative range of shakes and desserts are offered as well, but we just stuck to the burgers.

from their Facebook page

After hearing so much about it I was dead set on the pulled pork burger, but when I went to order one at the counter they'd run out of pulled pork, so we had to make another choice. For me this wasn't hard, I'd been eyeing up the mac-n-cheese burger anyway. Libby and I also ordered chips to share, but for some reason we never got these, either. I don't think we were charged for them, so the waitress must just have not heard, but still, that was a bit of a let down.

Service was quick and within 10 minutes our food had arrived on enamel plates (hipster), and was gone within half that time. My mac-n-cheese burger consisted of a fried round of macaroni and cheese (could you get more unhealthy? Fat and carbs deep fried) in a soft, delicious bun, adorned with cheese, flavoured mayo and pickles. A million calories of totally worth it. The thing was huge and very filling so we were actually glad in the end that we didn't get the chips. Libby's 'simply chicken' - buttermilk battered chicken with lettuce, tomato and cheese, I believe - was also apparently very nice. Prices are good for what you get, with burgers going for around £6 each. With a side and a drink you'd probably be looking at paying around £9-£10 for a meal, very competitive for such artisan food and a great atmosphere.

Great food aside, it's also worth paying The Meat Counter a visit for the feel of the place. It's small and intimate, but relaxing, and dining there feels like a real treat, even if you're not paying that much. I loved how the open kitchen let you see the chefs prepping all the fresh ingredients, so you know you're getting top quality grub. You have to be tactical with your timing, though, as seating is first come, first served. We went there quite late (for a lunchtime) about three, and had to wait on bar stools for a proper table. There are only three or four tables with benches, and the rest of the seating is on stools at the window, and if you don't mind this it's obviously no problem, but I can easily see how the place would fill up very quickly in the evenings. Decor is modern with low hanging bare light bulbs and the statement chalkboard walls. The modern vibe is topped off with those enamel plates and mason jar glasses. It's the kind of place you'd expect to see in a hip corner of New York or London, and makes a welcome change to the standard (but still lovely!) places in Falmouth.

Pulled pork and chip sadness aside, I'll definitely be returning to The Meat Counter soon. It has a great vibe, and the relaxed atmosphere makes it perfect for a friendly gathering, but it's also intimate enough to be the perfect setting for something a little more special. It's worth checking out the weekly deals they offer, like 'mates rates mondays' and 'limited editions' of the already fantastic food. Overall, two enthusiastic thumbs up, and a recommendation to anyone passing through Falmouth's high street.

from The Meat Counter Facebook page

Check out The Meat Counter's Facebook page here.


*hipster is hard to explain, but a hipster is the kind of person who drinks from mason jars, is interested in bands before they become popular, and dresses in clothes non-hipsters won't understand. Falmouth is crawling with them.

 

Maple Pecan Pies

Before I made these, I really didn't think they'd be my kind of thing. I'm not a huge fan of nuts, or pastry desserts, but I was bowled over by just how nice these little pies were. They came about in a flash of inspiration when a block of shortcrust was leftover from the date and banana slices my mum and I made over the Christmas holidays. Naturally, I took to Pinterest for inspiration, and it wasn't long at all before I struck pastry gold.

These are a twist on the American Holiday classic. As I say, I'd never tried it before, mainly brushing it off as something I assumed I wouldn't like because of the main ingredient, but I gave them a go knowing the rest of my family would like them. I ended up loving them, so even if you don't like nuts I'd recommend giving these pies a go.

Using only a handful of ingredients, you'll most likely be able to make these little tarts with things that are already in your kitchen. They take next to no time to make and are super easy, great for family baking. Their perfectly portioned size means you're no overwhelmed with sweet sickliness, either. Of course, you could make a full sized pecan pie if you wanted, but it being Christmas I wanted something that wasn't going to take up a lot of space or was tricky to serve. Making a big bath of small pies also makes them ideal as presents or 'thank you' gifts.

Maple Pecan Pies

500g shortcrust pastry
110g brown sugar
110g maple syrup
2 tbsp butter
60ml milk
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until approximately 5mm thick. Cut pastry into circles with a large round biscuit cutter (you can also do one big pie by cutting the pastry to fit a large pie tin), and place into the holes of a muffin tin. Prick the pastry lightly with a fork, being careful not to go all the way through to the tin. Bake blind (the empty pastry shells) for 7-10 minutes to stop the pastry becoming soggy later.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and milk in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring to the boil then remove and leave to cool slightly.
3. Gradually beat in the egg to the syrup mixture, whisking well. Stir in the chopped nuts.
4. Spoon 1-2tbsp of the mixture into each partly baked pastry shells. Return to the oven and bake until set, about 25-30 minutes.

Keep pies in an airtight container for freshness.

Mum's Date and Banana Slices

I thought the season of illnesses and ailments was over. Evidently I was wrong. I also thought that my immune system had taken all the battering it could from Freshers' flu, and had emerged tougher and stronger. Clearly I was wrong about that, too. A combination of many rainy and cold nights out, and the ever evolving melting pot of germs at Uni has meant I've had a cold almost constantly since coming back to Cornwall. And it's at times like these that you just want to be curled up by the fire and a plate of something comforting. These mincemeat squares are just that. Spicy and sweet, they bring back Christmas memories like nothing else.

I made,or rather, watched my Mum make, these just before Christmas. Mum's not much of a baker, so making cakes in the kitchen with her is something of a special occasion (I can't stand anyone else in the kitchen when I'M cooking normally, my family knows this), and I'm more than happy to sit, watch and take 'arty' (badly lit) photos.

Essentially, these squares are just two layers with shortcrust pastry sandwiched with mincemeat, orange, apple and some other goodies. They're really really good, and I don't even like mince pies normally. But I should stop comparing them to Christmas pies, they'll be amazing all year round! They don't even look particularly Christmassy.

Next time you're missing the winter season and it's snuggly goodness, try these heart warming mincemeat slices. They're easy (no risk of unrisen cake!) and delicious, and an opportunity to get everyone into the kitchen! If you use ready made pastry (a total cheat I know, but necessary sometimes!) they're an absolute breeze.

Date and Banana Mincemeat Squares

1 block ready made shortcrust (approx. 500g but there will be leftovers)
400g mincemeat
1 eating apple, grated
60g walnuts, broken into pieces
zest of one large orange

1 banana, mashed
8 dates, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1tbsp brandy (optional)

icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, or gas mark 6. Grease a shallow baking tray.
2. Mix all filling ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving a tablespoon or two of the beaten egg for glazing the pastry.
3. Cut the block of pastry in half and roll both halves out so they're large enough to cover the baking tray with excess. Cover the tray with one of the halves, making sure it fits in the corners well, and leaving a lip around the edge to join the second piece to. Spread a little milk or water on the lip so the second layer will stick well.
4. Spread the filling on top and even out. Lay the second piece of pastry on top and press down the edges gently. Trim off excess.
5. Crimp the two pieces of pastry together with a fork or your thumb so they are sealed well. Prick the surface if the pastry with a fork a few times to stop steam build up, and brush the top with the remaining beaten egg.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool in the tin and cut into squares, then dust with icing sugar.

Squares will keep in an airtight container for about a week.

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.