Adjusting my focus and Chocolate Profiteroles

A recent trip to visit my lovely friend Smita in London made me realise how little I have focused on my surroundings recently. Thoroughout my visit, had Smita not spotted and pointed out the array of celebrities we walked by, or the huge Armani underwear advert on the bus featuring a very buff Rafael Nadal,  I would have been non the wiser to their nearby presence. It made me wonder, what else have I failed to notice?

My field of vision seems to have gone askew lately, too busy thinking about plans for the future. What I've come to realise is that I need to take more time to really see what is right in front of me, otherwise I could risk missing out on the wonderful opportunities that life has to offer.

Photography is something that helps me narrow in on the finer details of certain subjects. But, I've been abit shy about wielding my Canon 40D in public, favouring photography in the comfort of the indoors and with people I know. Again, this very blinkered approach has only recently come into my awareness. I need to overcome the embarrassment, either that or buy a smaller, less conspicuous camera.

For now, here are afew delicious treats I sampled during my London trip:

Earl Grey Cupcake at Primrose Bakery, so posh you even get a doily with it

Portugese Custard Tart from Borough Market, flakey buttery pastry and smooth, sweet, burnished custard, heavenly.

 

Laduree Macarons - Chocolate, Coffee, Salted Caramel and Praline, delicate and devine.  

Now back to the profiteroles, which was on the agenda at this months Cake Club. Chocolate profiteroles are a dessert I can rarely resist ordering at a restaurant. Who knew how little ingredients are needed and how easy these were to make?

The original recipe called for us to also make a caramel sauce, which unfortunately completely defeated us, even after 3 attempts.  Luckily Caroline had some spare chocolate and knocked up a decadent chocolate sauce to drizzle over the cream filled choux buns. All I can say is that these were incredibly good and will need to be made again.

 

Recipe - Chocolate Profiteroles by Gary Rhodes

Ingredients

• 75g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 55g butter, finely diced
• 150ml cold water

For the filling:

• 300ml double or whipping cream
• 2 tsp caster sugar

For the sauce

• 150ml water
• 250g caster sugar
• 250ml double cream

- We melted some chocolate and butter and stirred in some double cream to make the chocolate sauce.

Serves 4

Directions

1) Dampen the baking tray under the cold tap after greasing it - this creates steam and helps the buns to rise. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F.

2) Fold the grease proof paper in half and unfold to leave a crease. Sift flour and salt onto the grease proof paper.

2) Bring the butter and water to boil. Add all the flour in one go and beat to a smooth dough over a low heat. Cool for 10 minutes.

3) Gradually beat in the egss with a wooden spoon until the paste is smooth and stands in peaks. Make sure each amount is fully blended before adding any more egg.

4) Spoon 16 individual teaspoons of the paste onto the tray. Bake for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden. If your oven is very hot, reduce to 190 degrees C / 375 degrees F halfway through baking.

5) Slit the sides of the cooked choux buns with a sharp knife. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack. This lets any steam inside escape and keeps them crisp.

6) For the sauce, dissolve the sugar in the water, then simmer until brown. Remove from the heat. Warm the cream separately, then stir into the hot caramel. Simmer for 5 minutes.

7) For the filling, whip the cream and the sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Spoon into the buns, then arrange on plates and serve with warm sauce poured over the top.

Notes - The choux paste and caramel sauce can be made a day in advance and the cream whipped up to 4 hours ahead of serving. The choux pastry cases should not be filled more than 30 minutes before serving or the pastry will become soggy.

Birthday Brownies

Last year my friend Caroline and i set up Cake Club, a monthly meeting where we both bake and eat cake. And yes it is as fun as it sounds! At Cake Club we've practised making creme patisserie, macroons and scones, all a first for me. 

In honor of her birthday tomorrow, Caroline threw a birthday barbeque last night. Wanting to bake something that could feed alot of people, i made Nigella Lawsons Chocolate Brownies for the occassion. They turned out to be lightly crispy on the outside and fudgy and gooey in the middle, just the way i like them.

Have a great birthay Caroline!

 

 

 

Recipe - Brownies - Nigella Lawson How To Be a Domestic Goddess

Ingredients:

Makes approx 48 brownies

• 375 g soft unsalted butter
• 375 g best quality dark chocolate
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 500 g caster sugar
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300 g chopped walnuts

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Line your approximatley 33 x 23 x 5 1/2cm brownie pan with foil or baking paper.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy based saucepan.
4. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
5. Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.
6. When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour.
7. Beat to combine and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes.
9. When its's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey.
10. Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

Note - the brownies in the middle of the baking pan are particularly gooey, let them rest in the fridge for an hour or so and they will firm up a bit.

Enjoy!

Chocolate chip and ginger cookies

A good friend of mine describes me as dizzy intelligent person. There have been enough embarrassing situations in my life to realise that she has a point.  Like the time when, on a train to Edinburgh, i thought i'd electronically locked the toilet door only to find as i was sat on the toilet, i hadnt. The shocked look on the elderly mans face as the door slid open to find me sat there will be forever imprinted on my mind.

As well as being abit dizzy at times i can be pretty clumsy. Today whilst setting up to shoot photos of these cookies i managed to knock over a large white foam board on its side, causing the two glasses of milk on the table to topple over. The milk went everywhere and i couldnt use the linens i wanted for the background. I had to do a big clean up and start all over again.

 

I wish i could say these cookies were worth the effort but unfortunately they werent. Since tasting the best cookie i've ever had in the Cotswolds purchased from a Bens Cookies stall http://www.benscookies.com/, I've been looking for a cookie recipe which may in some way match. 

The recipe i adapted is one from Joy The Baker for Black and White cookies http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/12/black-and-white-cookies/ which had a nice cookie base. I like my cookies soft, almost undercooked and loaded with chocolate chips. These cookies certainly had a soft, almost cake like texture and the adequate amount of chocolate chips. But i made the mistake of adding nutmeg into the mix, giving the cookies an odd flavour. Next time I'll omit the nutmeg, up the ginger and consider adding in some chunks of stemmed ginger.

Recipe - Chocolate chip and ginger cookies (adapted from Black and White Cookie recipe by Joy The Baker)

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg

1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
200g dark chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add eggs, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Melting Puddings

My cousin Doris (hi Doris) mentioned she is soon to be part-taking in a Come Dine With Me competition with a group of her friends. I've seen afew episodes on TV and find that whilst most competitors make an effort to cook up elaborate starter and main courses, their desserts often seem to be a bit of a let down. One example of exotic fruit kebabs springs to mind.

I'll invariably choose a chocolate dessert when i'm eating out, as i think it makes a good end to a meal. But when it comes to making chocolate desserts myself, i have to admit i lack the experience. Time to get some practice in.

Having tried this Nigella Lawson recipe, i think that these  Chocolate Melting Puddings would make a good option in a competitive situation. They are quick to make, requiring minimal preparation and attention. Additionally, the melting chocolate in the centre means that these are self saucing puddings, bonus.

These are rich, deeply chocolatey and best eaten warm. Serve each pudding alongside some raspberries and creme fraiche, both of which cut into the intensity of the molten chocolatey goo in the middle. Ice cream or whipped double cream might be nice too.

Good luck Doris, i'm sure you'll do great. Do let us know how the competition goes!

Recipe - Melting Chocolate Puddings from Nigella Lawsons 'How to be a domestic goddess'

50g soft unsalted butter and extra for greasing         

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

350g best dark chocolate                                          

50g plain or italian 00 flour

150g caster sugar                                                      4 large eggs, beaten with a punch of salt                  

6 individual pudding moulds, buttered baking parchment

Serve 6 people.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6 and place a baking sheet in the oven. Fold a sheet of baking parchment in half and lay 3 of the moulds onto the parchment. Draw around them, remove moulds and cut out the disks. Butter the disks and place them into the base of the moulds.

Melt the chocolate. I did this in a pan on a very low heat, sometimes taking the pan off the heat when i thought the chocolate was melting too fast. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave. As it is easy to burn the chocolate microwave in 10 second increments, checking each time, until completely melted. Let the chocolate cool slightly.

Cream together the butter and sugar, then gradually beat in the eggs with salt and vanilla extract. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and continue to beat until it is a smooth batter.

Divide the mixture into the 6 moulds, up to about 3/4 of the way up the moulds. Quickly take the baking sheet out of the oven and place the puddings on it and replace in the oven.

Cook for 10-12 minutes (the extra 2 minutes are required only if the puddings have been in the fridge when you start). As soon as the puddings come out of the oven, turn them out on to a plate to serve. The moulds will be very hot so use a tea towel to handle them.

Note - you can prepare the mixture afew hours in advance and put it in the prepared pudding moulds which go in the fridge ready for the oven when you are near ready to serve them.

Enjoy!