super awesome cookies

Sometimes only a cookie will do and these chocolate, caramel and cornflake cookies make for a 'super awesome' treat.

Ingredients Makes about 22-24 cookies
225g unsalted butter at room temperature
200g granulated sugar
200g light brown sugar

40g ovaltine or other malted milk powder
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g bread flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp salt
100g dark chocolate chunks (I use a bar of dark chocolate and roughly chop it with a knife but use pre-formed chips if you like)
60g cornflakes
135g chocolate covered caramel (I used a smashed up galaxy caramel bar)

1. Cream the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer for around 2-3 minutes. The mixture will look like creamy coffee. 
2. Next add the egg and vanilla and beat for a further 5 minutes. It will become much lighter in colour and have a fluffy texture. 
3. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and salt and using a wooden spoon or spatula mix the dough until it comes together. 
4. Add the chocolate chunks and cornflakes and stir until just mixed. Try not to break the pieces up too much. 
5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and place tablespoon sized portions of the mixture on to the tray. Cover the tray with cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour. 
6. When ready, preheat the oven to 180C then space the cookies out on baking parchment so that they are at least 16cm apart (they will spread out a lot). Then bake for around 15 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges but still mostly unchanged in the centre. 
7. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray before you remove them to an airtight tray for storing. They will last for about a week at room temperature or can be frozen for up to a month.

caramelised pear and pecan pavlova

Ok, so I admit this pavlova was developed out of a love for alliteration but this is a flavour combination that really works and perfectly fits with the autumn season. I also cant resist the combination of chocolate with pears so I got a little experimental and added a chocolate swirl to the meringue base. You can just as easily make mini-meringues but you may need to adjust the cooking time.



You can make meringues with any quantity of egg whites as long as you keep in mind that you need double the weight of sugar to egg white. I usually weigh my three egg whites then double that weight for the caster sugar, depending on the size of your eggs this is going to be roughly 150g sugar to 3 egg whites.

Ingredients
Pavlova: 
3 egg whites
approx 150g caster sugar (see note above)
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Chocolate Swirl:
100g chocolate, just melted

Caramelised Pears & Pecans:
approx 500g pears (about 4-5 pears), cut into thin 0.5cm slices (it's up to you whether you peel them or not)                      
2 tbsp caster sugar
50g unsalted butter
handful of pecan nuts

approx 300ml double cream lightly whipped

1. Preheat the oven to 120C fan and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Using an electric whisk beat the egg whites and lemon juice until you get stiff peaks.
3. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time making sure you beat thoroughly after each addition. You will know you can add more sugar when you rub a little of the egg white mix between your fingers and you can't feel the grains of sugar. Continue this process until all the sugar has been added.
4. Carefully melt the chocolate then swirl into the egg whites taking care not to over mix. 
5. Dollop the mix onto the prepared baking sheet in a rough circle then place in the oven for around 1.5 - 2 hours. You are aiming for long slow cooking.
6. When the time is up turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven to cool completely.
7. Meanwhile prepare the caramelised pears. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and melt then add the pears, pecans and sugar. Cook together for around 10 minutes until the pears are soft and golden and the sugar and butter is completely amalgamated. Remove from the heat and set aside until you are ready to assemble the pavlova.

vanilla caramel cupcakes with salted caramel frosting

This recipe is another borrowed and adapted from Dan Lepard's excellent book, Short and Sweet. The vanilla cupcake batter smells amazing while cooking.

Ingredients
125g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, very soft
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Chocolate covered caramel pieces

1 quantity of salted caramel frosting.

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas 4 and place 8 muffin/cupcake cases in to your muffin tin.
2. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract for around 3 minutes on the highest speed until light and fluffy.
3. Next sift in the flour and baking powder and beat for another 30 seconds or so. You will end up with quite a thick batter.
4. Put a spoonful of the batter into each of the paper cases then top with the chocolate covered caramel pieces. I used Cadbury Caramel Nibbles and put three in each cupcake.
5. Finally cover the caramel pieces with the remaining batter then place the tray in the over for around 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm.
6. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating with the frosting.

 

(award winning) chocolate salted caramel cupcakes

Ever so indulgent but worth the calories. This recipe won me the judges prize in the recent Instructables cupcake contest. The batter is easy to make and incredibly moist and based on the chocolate fudge cake recipe from the Black Cat Cafe in Cambridge.  For a fruity variation on this recipe try my black cherry chocolate cupcakes.

I got 12 cupcakes from this batter.

Ingredients
100g plain chocolate
125g butter
1/2 cup water
1 cups caster sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 egg
3/4 cups self-raising flour
1 can nestle caramel, dulche de leche or other thick caramel.
Good quality sea salt

1 quantity of vanilla yogurt frosting.

1. Preheat the oven to 170C or 150C fan. Place the paper cases in the tray.
2. Break the chocolate up in to pieces and put in a heavy based saucepan. Add the water, butter, cocoa and sugar then heat over a low heat until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Cool for about 20 minutes.
4. Sift in the flour and add the eggs and mix thoroughly until combined. Pour a little into the each paper case so it come about 1/3 of the way up the case.
5. Put a generous teaspoon of the caramel into each case and sprinkle with a pinch of the salt.
6. Next cover the caramel with the remaining batter then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or so. Be careful not to over cook these cupcakes because you want them to still be moist inside.
7. Decorate with the vanilla yogurt frosting once they have cooled completely.

salted caramel frosting

Ingredients

100g butter, at room temperature

200g icing sugar, sieved

1-2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbsp tinned caramel
1 tsp salt

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft.
2. Gradually add the sugar until thoroughly combined, smooth and creamy.
3. Add the caramel, salt and vanilla and mix thoroughly
4. Finally add the milk bit by bit until you have your desired consistency.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

rum espresso cocktail

After making the poppy seed and caramel cheese cake I had some left over tinned caramel in the fridge that needed to be used up or thrown out. This combined with the fact it is a gloriously sunny Friday evening and I'm a little bit tired because it's the end of the week has led me to create this yummy drink.

I haven't tried it yet but I suspect you can use all sorts of different spirits in this drink. I think I might try some amaretto next. Mmmm....

Ingredients

Shot of espresso - use instant if you must but I refuse to acknolwedge that stuff as 'coffee'.

Ice

A generous teaspoon of caramel

Shot of rum/amaretto/vodka/whisky/bourbon/baileys - what ever takes your fancy.

Throw all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker or large jam jar with a lid. Give it a good shake then pour into your serving glass.

I'm enjoying mine in the garden as I write this. It is ace.