This month i'm loving...

...Spring. 

With all the sunny spring weather in England, i been loving outside with all the apple and cherry blossom making the garden look pretty and getting me thinking about new ideas for apple crumble in the autumn. 

I've also been loving roasting rhubarb in the oven, to pop on top of my porridge for a great spring treat for breakfast...

....and my favourite spring dessert with a cheesecake base, then boiled rhubarb mixed with lemon jelly and left to set in the fridge. ( look out for a later post for a full recipe).

 Not to forget the glorious late asparagus season, served lightly grilled or boiled with a dab of butter or a sprinkle of course sea salt, or go Italian and wrap it with parma ham.

Chocolate cake with chocolate style graffti edge

OK, spring might not be the best time to eat chocolate cake. When attempting to get "beach ready", but if its someones birthday or your own, a chocolate cake cake is really the best option.I little cake won't hurt...

The chocolate graffiti style edge is a big showstopper, it takes practise to get right. I used a can of spray duster (used for cleaning in between computer keys)held upside down, produces a very cold air (i recommend using gloves).If you are rich and fancy enough, then dry ice or liquid nitrogen will work in the same way. A normal freezer isn't cold enough because the chocolate needs to solidify on the outside but not the inside making it easy to bend. I then spray the can of duster upside down on the it on a metal baking tray(on the side you won't drizzle chocolate on), then quickly drizzle melted chocolate on it. You will see it harden, then carefully lift and wrap around the cake.

                                   

Ingredients

250ml milk

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

125g softened butter

2 eggs

250g of sugar

1 teaspoon bicarb

225g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

1. preheat oven to gas 4, 180oc

2. line a large cake tin or two smaller tins ( i prefer two as i can't cut straight in the middle) with grease proof

3. stir lemon juice into milk

4. beat the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy.

5. beat in the eggs one at a time

6. sift the cocoa, bicarb and flour together

7. fold in half the milk, then the flour. Then the milk, then the flour.

8. pour mixture into the cake tin, and bake until well risen and a skewer comes out clean.

9. leave to cool

i usually just ice the middle , top and sides. although i sometimes put a layer of raspberry jam in the middle a well as icing, i find this adds something and lifts it.double this icing recipe if you want icing on the sides as well as one top and in the middle.

icing

75g butter

150g icing sugar

15g cocoa powder

1-2 tablespoons of milk

1. beat butter

2. sift cocoa and icing sugar together

3. mix into the butter

4. beat in milk to make it spreadable

5. spread onto cold cake

6. decorate while icing hasn't set

homemade ice cream sundae

With beautiful sunny weather, blessing England at the moment i felt the need to post something summery.

With homemade ice cream, fruit, plenty of marshmallows and chocolate sauce nothing really beats an ice cream sundae when the weather is warm.

This homemade ice cream is certainly delicious and quick to made. be warned though, it must be eaten quickly as it melts fast. i don't think its a problem for me though. :-)

Homemade ice cream

ingredients

4 eggs

100g caster sugar

300ml cream

any flavourings e.g. vanilla extract

1. separate eggs

2. whisk egg whites until stiff peaks

3. slowly whisk in sugar, until glossy

4. in a separate bowl whisk cream until soft peaks are formed

5. fold cream, egg yolks and flavouring into egg white mixture

6. pour into container, and pop into freezer until set

top with anything you like. from strawberries to sprinkles the choice is yours.

This month....

............i'm exicted about the food photographer of the year 2013, exhibition.

A five-day exhibition of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2013 will be held at the Mall Galleries, London SW1 from Wednesday 24th – Sunday 28th April 2013.
This vibrant exhibition (Free Entry) shows people cooking, people farming, celebrational feasts, food for sale, food in the field and much more. For details of how to get to The Mall Galleries, opening times and more please click here to visit the gallery website.

 

                                            These photos are not mine, all rights go to, http://www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com/2013/

Chocolate Brownies

With Easter Sunday being the queen of chocolate eating days. What better way to celebrate than with a chocolate hit of brownies.

Soft, gooey and utterly divine.

Traditionally made with nuts (hazelnuts work really well), but you could always try dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries.or perhaps fresh fruit such as raspberries (the brownies might need a little longer in the oven, as fresh fruit contains a lot more water).

ingredients

75g butter
75g chocolate (chopped)
175g dark brown sugar
150g self raising flour
25g cocoa
50g nuts or fruit
3 eggs

1. preheat oven to gas 4, 180oc
2. grease tin, and line with greaseproof paper
3. melt butter and chocolate over a pan of hot water
4. take of the heat and stir in the sugar, then gradually beat in the eggs
5. sift the flour and cocoa together and fold into the chocolate mixture with the nuts or dried fruits.
6. spoon into the greased baking tin and bake for 30 mins.
7. cool in the tin and then turn out.
8. cut into even sized pieces.

serve on its own dusted with icing sugar, or warm with a little cream for a luxurious dessert.

Classic Victoria Sponge

With Easter symbolising the end of lent, it gives us a great excuse to indulge in a little afternoon tea.

 

Okay, okay , the Victoria sponge is a classic British good, named after one of the longest reining monarchs in British history, from 1837-1901. And although this blog is called kiwiheartsbaking, hinting the New Zealand baking theme, i do live in England and a true scrumptious classic cake won't get turned down anywhere.

The classic Victoria sponge has no cream in the middle and is normally served with raspberry jam. but for your own twist you could pop in your favourite jam, mines blackcurrant.or put a layer of softy whipped cream in the middle.

makes 1 small Victoria sponge.

ingredients

200g self raising flour

200g margarine

200g caster sugar

3 eggs (beaten)

4tbsp of jam

1. preheat oven, gas mark 4, 190oc

2.grease tins and line with greaseproof paper

3.cream marg and sugar together, until light and fluffy.

4.gradually add beaten eggs

5.fold in the flour

6.evenly divide the mixture into two tins, and level the top

7.bake until golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.

8.remove from tins onto a baking tray.

9.when cool sandwich together with jam, and cream if you don't want the traditional, or entering it for a competition.

Duck Cupcakes

These cute duck cupcakes are perfect for any birthday party, as long as the birthday person adores ducks.

I made these for my sisters birthday party, and they went down a treat. Expecically with the cute white chocolate duck on top of the 'bubble bath' icing.

Cupcakes

makes 12

ingredients

175g butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup lemon curd

2 cups self-raising flour

1/4  cup milk

1. preheat oven to 190oc

2. line muffin cups with paper cases

3.beat butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy

4. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition

5.stir in the lemon curd.

6.fold the flour alternately with the milk.

7.divide the mixture evenly into the paper cases.

8.pop in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden.

9. put on a cooling rack until stone cold.

for the icing

100g butter

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

a few drops of any flavouring you like

about 1-2 tablespoons of milk

and drops of food colouring until you reach your desired colour

beat butter until pale and fluffy.sift icing sugar and beat into butter with flavouring and colourings. add milk until a piping consistency is made.

for decoration

blue sugar

silver balls

very small marshmallows

12 chocolate ducks

1 quantity of blue icing

pipe icing onto cupcakes then sprinkle sugar, silver balls and marshmallows the pop the duck on top.

voila. 12 cute duck cupcakes.