Wednesday, 5 October 2011

Coming Tomorrow

A sad attempt at macaroons!!!

 

Monday, 3 October 2011

Macaroons / Macaron

For a long time I have been fascinated by macaroons, although I've never actually had one. From their rainbow colours and perfect uniform shapes I am completely in awe.

Not a regular delicacy in Gosport... I had forgotten all about my love of macaroons until someone mentioned them at work, how their Parisian friend bought over a box with flavours such a liquorice (not my fave at all!) salted caramel, lemon, pistachio, raspberry etc. So, after a good nights sleep I spent the whole day googling macaroons. Here they are...



 Due to my past failures at baking (see any previous posts for evidence!) I was extremely put off by making them as many see them as a 10/10 on the difficulty scale and are things treasured by foodies and fashionistas alike

However, always one for a challenge, I have decided to make Exploding lemon Macaroons, with an added ingredient of popping candy :)   So hurry up M..... bring back home my ingredients!!!

Images taken from Lette Macarons

Saturday, 17 September 2011

Snickers Cookies

oh, you are beautiful!!!
I love snickers - I love anything peanut buttery. I eat minimum 4 slices of peanut butter toast a day and I'm crazy about cookies with nuts inM thinks it's nuts how much peanut butter I go through when I have to put a new industrial sized pot in our shop, so I decided to take my cookies from black and white cookies recipie, and chuck in some peanut butter deliciousness. (That, and I couldn't be bothered to go buy some icing powder to make anything else!!)

Foolishly however, I took no photos of the cookies, as they were eaten so quickly...... 12 in less that amount of hours, and if you're not quick here with a camera, they gone!!


Ingredients:

Cookies - makes 12
225g flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
110g unsalted butter - softened
175g sugar
1 egg - room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
125ml milk
3-4 (depends how much you like!) chopped snickers.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 and cover a large baking tray in baking parchment. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt, and leave to one side.
2. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy (again I did it by hand!) and gradually add the sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the egg, lemon and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate adding in the flour and milk just until combined.
4. Add the chopped snickers and mix in gently. 
Oh looking at this photo makes me want NEED more snickers.


 5. Place in the oven and bake for up to 20 minutes, until golden and all the chocolatey, gooey gorgeousness has melted and you could cry because they smell so good.





Friday, 9 September 2011

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Chewy Cookie Marshmallow Bars

So I have no money, well I do, but not to buy lots of ingredients for cakes - plus my icing bag still hasn't arrived! So I went on my favorite blog bakergirl and saw these delicious easy to make treats, and thought why not!

Ingredients
500g Chocolate chip cookies
1 Bag Marshmallows
2 tbsp butter


Method made easy
1. Let out all your anger (it's an amazing method) and hand crush the biscuits. Not into a fine dust, but until all crumbly.
2. Put the butter and marshmallows into a microwave until the marshmallows swell in size for roughly 1min 30 - 2 mins.
3. Remove the mixture from the microwave and quickly add in the crushed biscuits stirring rapidly, until the mixture goes all gooey and beautiful. (I'm dribbling)
4. Place into a foil line dish (so the mixture doesn't stick) and place in the fridge until set.
5. Cut into chunks and eat sensibly :D Not like us, all in one go.
Cookie Chunks laced together with marshmallow


Recipe Taken from Bakergirl

Monday, 5 September 2011

Cupcakes that make me cry...

I really enjoy doing this blog - however I have no ££ at the moment, well none to waste on buying baking things. So thanks to Michael's sister, I have now ventured into spending hours looking at amazing recipes and pictures online - because lets face it, my photography needs improving.









ps when michael comes home i'm totally gonna stop and get some marshmallows and oreos so I can bake something :)

Pictures not my own - taken from cutestfood.com

Saturday, 3 September 2011

Half-moon Cookies

After only 2 rounds of cakes, well 4 including the lemon drizzle cakes I needed a cake rest, because I don't exercise and have no intention to! Plus, I mislaid my piping bag and decided to order a better one from Amazon, so I decided to make something I could feel confident icing. 

When I first saw these cookies on this blog I thought they looked incredibly striking and instantly wanted to try them. I thought they looked simple and wouldn't take any time... but the vanilla icing with treacle syrup in, was definitely worth it.

note to self:buy bigger dish.
Ingredients:

Cookies - makes 12
225g flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
110g unsalted butter - softened
175g sugar
1 egg - room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
125ml milk


Glaze
25g cooking chocolate
30mls golden syrup
45mls water
280g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
milk as needed


 
yes, i will did eat some with a spoon.
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 and cover a large baking tray in baking parchment. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt, and leave to one side.
2. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy (again I did it by hand!) and gradually add the sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the egg, lemon and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate adding in the flour and milk just until combined.
4. Use a quarter cup measuring cup (available from all good supermarkets for very cheap!) and place 6 generous dough mounds 2 inches apart. With moistened fingers pat the dough into circles 2 1/2 inches wide and 3/4 of an inch thick. Bake until the centers are firm and edged browning - about 20minutes.

5. To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water and set to one side. In another pan, combine the water and golden syrup and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and whisk in the icing sugar and vanilla extract until thick. It is now optional as to whether you lick icing off your finger. Transfer some vanilla icing into the melted chocolate until you find your preferred thickness.

6. To ice the cookies, use an offset spatula choosing either side first, apply the icing and tilt downwards, using the spatula to scrape off any excess from the sides. Leave to dry for about 15mins and repeat with the other side. Allow the glaze to set 1hr before serving.

my treat for finishing.
Recipe taken from Annie's eats