Rose Apple and Cinnamon Puffs

An artistic take on the traditional Apple Turnover, these apple puffs, performing as red roses, will wow family members or dinner party guests and will leave your stomachs satisfied on a nippy autumn evening.

I first saw these on those baking/cooking tip videos that were circulating on social media. Usually I create quite technical or super time consuming bakes, but this looked so simple, I had to place it on the top of my to-do list. When made, they were an utter delight to eat and admire.

Ingredients:

2 large red apples (or 3 small)

1 sheet of ready to roll Puff Pastry

A handful of cinnamon

A Lemon

Apricot Jam (Strawberry or raspberry can work well too)

Red Food colouring (optional)

Method:

• Using an apple corer, carefully remove the core of your apples. If you don't have a corer, simply remove the core once sliced (more time consuming).
• Turn the apple to its side and slice vertically about half a 3mm thick either with a knife or slicer.
• Cut these slices in half so you are left with two semi circles without cores.
• Get a bowl of water and fill with warm water, adding the apples to this, then squeeze a lemon on top and mix. This is to stop them browning.
• Microwave for 3 minutes.
• Place the puff pastry sheet in 'portrait mode' and roll out so it is thinner and cut across small strips about 4 cms in width.
• Get your jam and mix it with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Spoon this evenly on your strip.
• Then, places your apple slices on the top of the strip, making sure they overlap each other by at least half and continue until you reach the end. 
• Sprinkle over some cinnamon, roll the strip and repeat with the remaining apples.
• If you want them more red looking, mix a drop of red food colouring with water and brush the tops and sides of the apples.

*Picture courtesy of Tip Hero

• Place the apple roses in a cup cake or muffin tray hole, lined with cases.
• Put them in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. They may brown after the full cooking time but this is expected.
• Once puffed and the apples have cooked, lightly brush with more apricot jam to sweeten.

You have now created some tasty autumnal treats that look beautiful. Serve warm and enjoy!

Heres the link to the original: http://tiphero.com/baked-apple-roses/

Dainty Cook xox

Mince Nacho Fajitas

Insta: @daintycook

Tortilla wraps filled with mild cheddar, smokey mince meat, mature cheddar, salad, mayonnaise, Doritoes (nachos) salsa and red chillies. It's a food party in your mouth.

The best kind of nachos is the one with mince meat and lots of cheese as a delicious snack to share. But do you know what's even better? All of it, in a wrap, for lunch or dinner. Now why hadn't I thought of this before?!

And when I did, it was a mighty fine dinner. No need to have an excuse of calling the friends down and watching a movie. This can be eaten whenever your stomach is hungry. 

Ingredients:

Mince meat for 4 people

3 tsps paprika

1tsp onion powder

2tsps cumin powder

2 tsps garlic paste

2 tsps chilli powder

A big pinch of salt and pepper

2 tbsps pasta/lasagne sauce (tomato)

Tortilla wraps (large)

2 cheeses

Salad leaves

Mayonnaise

Salsa

Red chillies 

Plain nachos or original Doritoes

Gherkins

To serve:

Sour cream 

Avocado

Lemon

Method:

This is Super easy, all you do is fill with whatever you like!

First, add all the spices to the meat and leave for 20 mins. Then fry in little oil in a pan until brown. Add more paprika and seasoning here if you like.

Fill your wraps! Cheese first, then mince, then cheese, then salad and Mayo (mixed together), salsa, red chillies, gherkins and then the Doritoes (gets less soggy if they're put last). 

Fold the whole thing together. First in half then the bottom - working clockwise. To help seal it in place I used toothpicks.

Then place fold side down, on a hot pan and toast. Turn the other side and toast lightly. 

Top with more cheese and place pan containing fajitas, under a hot grill for a minute or two until the cheese begins to melt.

Cut in half and serve with sour cream, guacamole (blend the avocado until slightly chunky with some lemon juice) and extra nachos.

Enjoy!

Make sure to tag: @daintycook if you've tried this out.

It's so, soo good on an empty stomach. 

Satisfyingly delicious!

Dainty Cook xox

Choco-lemon Macarons

Sunshine yellow macaron shells, filled with a decadent lemon curd and semi-dark chocolate ganache.

Sunshine in me belly!

The first time I went to L'adurée was a long while ago with my cousin. Out at a day in London, we stopped by the café for some afternoon tea. A step inside and I felt like a kid in a candy store, such a pretty little sight! They had a vast array of flavours and many other sweet items on display.
I wanted to eat, yet also bake everything I had witnessed there.

As we finally sat down, I ordered about 4-5 macarons with my vanilla tea. I know I know, fatty I hear you cry! But if you've been there, you know how hard it is to simply choose the one or two. And they had - at the time -  limited edition ones, or was it specialities? I can't remember. All I remember was that the one that made my stomach summersault was the lemon and chocolate macaron. To die for. 

If you think about it, the two flavours are so repelling as individuals. Lemon and chocolate? Ergh - that's probably what you're thinking right!? You've just got to try it to understand where I'm coming from. Together they become something else. And since then, it has become one of my best chocolate combos. It's magical.

I was testing out a smaller batch than my usual step-by-step recipe:  which actually takes a tad more egg whites when halved. It's all about playing around and seeing what's best for you that works. 

Here's how I made it!

Ingredients:

118g ground almonds

118g icing sugar

yellow food colouring paste/gel/powder

41g egg whites and 65g egg whites (divided)

58g water

118g granulated sugar

Filling:

Lemon curd

200g 53% dark chocolate (I used Callebaut)

100g double cream

2 tbsp butter

pinch of salt

Method: 

The first bit is probably the most tedious, but it has to be done to ensure a nice smooth macaron!

• Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a bowl and combine.
• Place them in a food processor and process until fine and combined.
• Sift again in a medium bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and add the 41g of egg whites then mix thoroughly until well combined and you've end up with a thick paste or 'gloop' as I like to say. (I like words with double o's okay, I don't even know why.)
• In the mean time, place the sugar and water in a saucepan with a 'candy' thermometer and switch the heat on. When it gets to 200 degrees Farenheit, start whisking your egg whites slowly with a pinch of sugar up until the temp reaches around 245 degree Farenheit.
• Quickly whisk in the sugar mixture and continue whisking the eggs until thick and glossy. If you want to add colour then this is the time. After or just before pouring the sugar mix, add the yellow food colouring gel. It lightens so add a tad more than you'd like it to be.
• Fold in the egg whites into the almond gloop a couple of times. *Do the macaron-a* (I hope one of you laughed at that.)
• Then add the rest of the egg whites slowly and fold a couple of times until combined. I don't count my fold but you want the texture to be thick and ribbon like, if you overmix, the mixture will turn flat and super runny which is what you definitely do not want! Also mix too much and it may end up with a slightly chewy texture. Soft on the inside and hard out the outside (like a man!) Remember?
• Pipe small rounds onto baking paper on a tray or a silpat mat or moulds and let it ret until a thick skin forms. Around 30 mins.
• Preheat the oven (I do this now guys!) to 147 degrees C. I use an electric fan oven so add 20 degrees if you're using a traditional gas one. Place in the middle of the oven one sheet at time and bake for 15 minutes - mine take 25 - never know why. Just keep checking after 15 mins.
• Let them cool and voila!

For the Filling:

To be honest, I made this lemon curd beforehand for a cake and I can't remember precisely how I made it (sorry), I will post the recipe once I find it - it was from a YouTube vid! Meanwhile, I suggest you get a good jar full from your local deli, the fresh good quality stuff is always best.

• To make the ganache, heat the cream and butter in a saucepan until hot and add to chopped chocolate in a bowl, do not stir.
• Once you see the chocolate melting, add the salt and gradually stir quickly until well combined.Let it cool and add 4tbsp of lemon curd and mix. Add as much as you like to get the right lemony flavour, this part is all about preference.

And there you go! Make sure you try this flavour out, it's just so tantalising to the tongue.

Any issues, feel free to ask. :)

Dainty Cook x

Peanutella Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies made with crunchy peanut butter and somewhat subtle dollops of Nutella, which ultimately ballet on your tongue. 
They're THAT good.

I cannot tell you how much I adore peanut butter. I used to not like it once upon a time. In fact, I despised the very thing. Then came a time where anything found in a jar and could be consumed by a spoon was a huge hit as I started university. Spoonfuls of peanut butter whilst studying for my first year exams had become a ritual. That and having a packet of chocolate fingers to dip in a jar full. This is how we students do les examens!

Anyway, it's a known fact that peanut butter goes a bit too well with chocolate. I mean, forget yer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, s'all about pb and Nutella!

And when I realised I could put the two together in my absolute fave biscuit - the cookie - I felt like a kitchen goddess. *Halo appears*

Here's how they were put together:

Ingredients:
225g unsalted butter (softish)
200g caster sugar (you can play around if you want it less sweet)
200g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
240g crunchy peanut butter
40g nutella
340g plain flour
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
85g dark chocolate chips (or chopped)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 170C, Gas 3. Fan assisted ovens lower the temp by 10-20C and prepare baking trays with greaseproof/baking paper.
• Using an electric mixer with the paddle or a handheld electric whisk, mix the butter and sugars together until they transform into a wonderful light and fluffy mixture.
• One at a time, crack in the eggs and mix well. Be sure to scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl!
• Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and beat in the vanilla and peanut butter.
• Gradually add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix well until a smooth dough is formed. Then add the Nutella - this is actually optional and I only add a little to give it a subtle taste.
• Sprinkle in the chocolate chips - I aways find this the best bit, I don't know why!
• Scoop out equal amounts of the cookie dough on each tray using a tablespoon spoon or scooper. Make sure they're spread apart as they expand while baking.

• Bake for roughly 10 minutes, or until they're golden brown around the edges and quite flat. They will be super soft in the middle but that's what you want. They tend to harden later anyway.
• Cool  the cookies slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies should be nicely soft and chewy and a teeny crunchy on the outside. Mmmmm.

Seriously these literally melt in your mouth when you eat them fresh. I was so pleased with these, I genuinely wanted to marry myself. Yup. I mean being able to bake super soft mouth melting cookies!?! You need magical hands. Oh and maybe this recipe….

So have a go and let me know how it turns out! :)

Dainty cook x

White Chocolate 'Slab' Cake.

Want to know how this mouthwatering, pretty gem was made?

Filled and coated with fresh cream and jam, topped with chocolate curls and fresh berries.

Well, you've come to the right place.

Boredom beckoned and my new kitchen called. It was time to start baking again! But what to make? I was in the mood for cake. What kind though? I wanted to create something with an elegant touch, something with chocolate. Now cigarellos are a common elegant addition to cakes, they give them that nice chic finish. They look lovely, but they sure do cost a bomb. Around £25 for 500-750g, I may as well buy a cake for that much! Then I thought, chocolate shards - though they would have been too messy. Thus, the 'slabs' were born. Elegant yet edgy. Yep, that's what I was going to make.

I settled for an 8 inch Victoria Sponge cake and I was going to cover the whole thing with fresh cream. You could use buttercream instead if that's what you prefer, however in my household, fresh cream goes down better.

For the sponge:
250g softened butter.
250g* Caster sugar. 
250g self raising flour.
4 medium eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract.
1/4 cup milk to loosen (optional)
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)

*If you know you're going to add more sweet stuff to your cake, such as buttercream, chocolate, jam etc. I'd put about 20g or so less sugar so it doesn't become overly sweet. Again this is personal preference and how you lot enjoy your cake!

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/Gas mark 4.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
• Add an egg one at a time, whisking in between each addition of the egg so they are fully incorporated.
• Dash a teaspoon of vanilla extract in (I love sniffing this, it smells gorgeous!)
• Sift in the self raising flour using a sieve and then fold into the mixture. Beat until its thick and smooth.
• To loosen it up a lil, pour in around a quarter of a cup of milk. You don't have to add the whole thing at once and you don't have to add as much, I just prefer my mixture to be slightly runny.
• If you want, put some baking powder in the end and mix awayyy.
• Grease your cake tins (non stick) with butter and dollop half the mixture in one and half in the other, then flatten it out by shaking the tin. I like to pretend i'm Mexican and shake along with the tins, but you know, that's optional too.

That's all it takes folks! Pop 'em in the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25 mins or until they turn a nice golden colour.

Now that the main sponge has been effortlessly created. Here comes the messy/artsy bit - well kinda - the filling!
You can put whatever you like, peanut butter and nutella, buttercream and caramel sauce. Your choice. But the classic is always the best. I went for fresh cream and strawberry jam. Nom.

Filling:
500ml Double cream
Strawberry/Raspberry Jam.

Method:

• Once the sponges are done, take them out of the oven and leave them to cool. Then transfer on to a wire rack till they're completely chillin'!
• Whip up all the cream, adding around 15g of caster sugar (I just chucked some in to be honest) in, half way through the whipping process.
• On one sponge spread a good amount of the whipped cream. On the other, spread some generous spoonfuls of jam.
• Now it's time for the jam and cream to kiss. Carefully place the jammed cake on top of the other and press down.
• Coat the rest of the cake in cream and leave to set.

Filling: DONE.

Okay, so the slightly fiddly and tricky bit starts here. The chocolate slabs and the deco!

Usually tempering with chocolate involves thermometers and heating and cooling chocolate to a specific temperature in order to achieve a nice glossy finish. I however, think that's unnecessary with white chocolate and we can all use our own initiative with this technique.

For this you would use the same method as for chocolate shards. The difference is, we're making squares/rectangles by measuring them out.


Chocolate Slabs:
280g Plain White chocolate (chopped).
Baking Paper or Acetate.

I used baking paper as it is easily available and we all have it somewhere in our kitchen..

Method:

• Line a tray with baking paper so that it just fits inside.
• To melt the chocolate, fill a saucepan with water and place a bowl on top. You could use a microwave, but I feel that this has more control and you're less likely to go wrong.
• Throw in your chocolate and leave to melt on a high heat, stirring occasionally. When it has all melted leave to cool for a minute. 
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the paper and then spread thinly and evenly all over with a spatula. Leave to cool.
• After it's cooled, though not entirely set, measure out and score the rectangles using a ruler. Mine were about 9cmX7cm. (I checked the height of my cake.) Once you've done this, put them in the fridge to harden.
• When they've hardened, re-score the chocolate carefully and separate the rectangles. You will now have your slabs in shape!
• Lastly, very very carefully peel off the paper from the chocolate, this can be fiddly, so take your time.
• Once you have your slabs press one side into the edge of the cake and repeat all the way round. I put the rippled effect facing the outside, but you could turn them the other way for a smoother finish. 

The cake looks pretty even when plain, but I decided to go the extra mile and add milk and white chocolate curls on top and then decorated them with fresh berries, which  compliment the cream. And voila! You have a perfectly chic cake fit for any special occasion.

The berries really 'shine' out amongst the white chocolate.

If I do say so myself, it was one of the best cakes I had tasted in a while. So moist, light and delicious, yet beautiful to look at too.

If I can make it, so can you :)

Let me know how you lot get on!


The Dainty Cook x