Chocolate Swiss Roll

Nut-free macaroons.

 

Nut Free Macaroons!
This recipe makes 4 dozen sandwiches!

For the Macaroons:
2¼ Cups Icing Sugar 

1 Cup '00' Flour

1 Cup Black Sesame Seeds
5 Egg Whites, at room temperature

2tbsp Caster

For the Ganache Filling:

4 oz Dark or Plain Chocolate, chopped

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

20g Unsalted Butter 

Method:

* Preheat the oven to 200F / 93C.
* Mix the Icing Sugar, '00' Flour and Sesame seeds in a medium bowl.
* Beat the egg white in a clean, dry bowl until they form soft peaks.
* Slowly add the caster sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks.

* Add a the Icing Sugar, '00' Flour and Sesame seeds to the mix gradually, folding gently as you go.

* Do not over mix.

* Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe small circles (2.5cm) onto a lined baking tray.
* Bake for 5 minutes then memove from the oven.
* Turn the oven up to 375F / 190C. Once the oven is up to temperature put the macaroons back in for 7 to 8 minutes until lighty coloured.
* Cool on a rack before filling.

* Whilst the Macaroons are cooling make the filling, heat the cream in a saucepan until scolding.

* Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and butter, mix with a wooden spoon until all the chocolate has melted.

* Using an electric whisk beat the ganache until lighter and fluffy.

* Spoon into a piping bag and pipe 2  macaroons together.

Enjoy!

Baking day!

I've done some baking today and made a healthier spin on Raspberry and White chocolate buns and some coconut cake. Recipes and pictures to come soon!

Bubble Tea!

I experienced my first bubble tea last Friday, it was amazing! I had a Lycee fruit flavoured one, those of you who have not yet tried it you must! I was aprehensive at first but it's really really good :) I had it with the mixed flavour bubbles / balls / tapioca :)

You can get loads of different fruit flavours, or a milk and black tea variety. You have the fruit ones cold shaken with ice and the milk ones hot or cold. Personally the milk tea doesn't appeal to me, but the fruit when was delicious! Going back for more on thursday :D

S'more cupcakes :)

As a break from revision me and my friend made these cupcakes :) They are Chocolate sponge, Italian Meringue, Chocolate and Crushed digestives... Very Tasty :D

The recipe is from Hummingbird Bakery:
My Mix made 24, but it's supposed to make 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:
30g Milk chocolate,finely grated

5 Digestive biscuits, crushed

80g Margarine

280g Caster Sugar

200g Self raising Flour

40g Cocoa Powder

2 Large Free Range Eggs

250ml Milk

For the Meringue:
200g Caster Sugar

4 Egg whites
100g Chocolate, cut into pieces or 

small chocolate sweets eg. Chocolate buttons

To Make the Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line two muffin tins with cases.

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour and cocoa on a low speed until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Mix in the Eggs and milk gradually until they are both incorporated and the mix is smooth, fill the muffin cases 3/4 full with the mix.
4. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with the 2/3 of the crushed digestives and all the grated chocolate.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until they spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Once baked remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

To Make The Meringue Topping:

1. Put the sugar into a heavy based saucepan with 150ml of cold water and bring to the boil, do NOT stir the sugar. Meanwhile, using a hand held electric whisk or freestanding mixer, whisk the eggs whites until foamy (Not stiff).

2. Once the sugar has boiled for about 10 minutes and has reached the soft ball stage (see below), pour into the egg whites and then whisk with the electric whisk for a further 5 minutes (Do not whisk whilst adding the sugar syrup).

3.The bottom of the bowl should feel slightly warm, and the meringue should be quite thick and glossy.

4. With a pallet knife or piping bag spread/pipe the mix onto the cupcakes.

5. Using a blowtorch lightly caramelize the meringue (alternately place under the grill for a few minutes), decorate each cupcake with the remaining crushed digestive and pieces of chocolate.

Enjoy!

The soft ball stage is when you take a drop a little of the sugar syrup into cold water it should form a soft ball, or you can use a sugar thermometer to 240F or where it is marked 'Soft Ball'.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, been so busy! Macaroons!

These macaroons are nut-free!

It's almost Christmas!