tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26856887697616767982024-02-07T14:34:54.219-08:00Baked By KayaKayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-31051139389691395322018-02-10T09:23:00.002-08:002018-02-10T09:23:23.121-08:00World Nutella DayI'm going to start this post by telling you a story, I think my blog contains 1 too many ode's to Nutella!<br />
The first World Nutella Day was actually established by a blogger names Sara Rosso on the February 5th 2007, umm.. number 1, why was there not a World Nutella day before? Number 2, the 10 year old me had blueprints for such a day but no one took me seriously..<br />
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It is now a day where people share and spread the wonder of Nutella whether it is at home, work or school! That brings me on to the point of this post, here are my favourite Nutella recipes!<br />
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As I've mentioned, I already have a post using Nutella, but click <a href="https://bakedbykaya.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/a-nutella-explosion.html" target="_blank">here</a> to see it if you haven't!<br />
I originally got the recipe from Cleobuttera, but made a few adaptations that I think work well!<br />
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<b><u>Decadent Nutella Tart</u></b><br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
Hazelnut Tart Case<br />
<br />
1 Large Egg<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts<br />
1/2 cup icing sugar<br />
1 cup plain flour<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter<br />
<br />
Filling<br />
1/4 cup hazelnuts<br />
2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
1/2 cup dark chocolate (depending on the sweetness you prefer)<br />
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter<br />
1 1/4 cup Nutella<br />
<br />
<b><u>Method</u></b><br />
Tart Shell:<br />
1) Whisk the egg and vanilla together in a small bowl<br />
2) Use a food process to mix the hazelnuts and sugar together to a fine powder<br />
3) To this, add the flour and salt and pulse to combine<br />
4) Add in the chilled butter till you get a breadcrumb like texture<br />
5) Add the egg mixture, until the dough comes together<br />
6) Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and wrap<br />
7) Leave to chill<br />
8) Roll out the dough to an 11 inch thickness, and freeze to keep it's shape<br />
9) Blind at 190 degrees for about 30 minutes<br />
10) Let cool on a wire rack<br />
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Filling<br />
1) Cook the hazelnuts and sugar to a caramel, usually takes about a minute and leave to cool<br />
2) Chop chocolate and place in a bowl with butter.<br />
3) Bring the cream to a simmer on a medium to high heat, pour over the chocolate and butter and leave it to melt<br />
4) Stir in the Nutella and sprinkle over the cooled candied hazelnuts<br />
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Assembly<br />
1) Place toasted hazelnuts at the base of the tart case<br />
2) Pour over the luscious chocolate filling and leave to set, best to leave it overnight<br />
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Slice and Enjoy!<br />
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Lots of Love,</div>
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Kaya xo</div>
<br />Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-81354502293349253392018-01-29T10:39:00.000-08:002018-01-29T10:39:11.309-08:00Queen of Tarts <div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Okay so firstly, let me start with the biggest apology! I haven't blogged in forever but I'm back now and I have so many exciting projects coming up!</i></div>
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When I had initially gotten into baking, I wrote down some bakeries to visit around the world, combing my love for travel and baking. The first one I had written down was the Queen of Tarts, so I thought what better way was there to start blogging again than a "my first impressions" post.<br />
Queen of Tarts was founded by sisters Regina and Yvonne Fallon in 1998. It is a quaint little cafe which offers the tastiest of tarts and scones.<br />
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When walking in, we thought it was such a welcoming and homely space. The display was brimming with cake slices and freshly made cheesecakes were being bought in as they had finished. Next to the till, were neat little piles of scones and macarons. We chose the Pear & Chocolate tart and the Bailey's chocolate chip cheesecake. They tasted absolutely gorgeous, definitely want to recreate the Pear & Chocolate tart when I get home! Personally, the Bailey's Chocolate chip cheesecake was not for me, but that comes from the fact that it's not my most favourite drink. My friend, on the other hand, savoured every bite, so I am assuming that was a good sign.<br />
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Overall, I can't really fault the place. It was affordable and was so tasty. I highly recommend the place!<br />
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Lots of love,</div>
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Kaya xo</div>
<br />Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-38075920669916747472017-09-02T10:16:00.002-07:002018-01-16T10:04:01.877-08:00Bake Off Series<br />
<span style="color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">....And it's back!!! (Is it back if it is now on Channel 4 and everybody else but Mr Blue eyes has left?!) Anyways, I can't lie but I was sceptical of the show as whole, I mean why change something that is already a god send?! However, I am forced to eat my words. If I still watch in on a Wednesday on demand with the option of skipping the ad breaks then it's basically the same just without Sue and Mel (secretly flooding my house as type this)..</span></span></span><span style="color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">So I just want to apologise, if for the next two months I refuse to answer my phone on a Tuesday/ Wednesday night then you know what I am doing! Bake Off started with my favourite week, Cake week.. Having watched them try and control the moisture of their fruit in their fruit cakes, I thought I would share my favourite recipe, a lemon drizzle cake. The one that I use is from the woman magazine.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;">Serves 10</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
<ul>
<li>250g margarine (a block of Stork)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">250g golden cater sugar</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">4 large eggs</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">Zest of 2 lemons</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">Juice of 1 lemon</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">200g self raising flour, sieved</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">50g ground almonds</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; font-size: 16px;">For the syrup:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Juice of 2 lemons</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>1/2 cup water</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1)</span> Heat the oven to 180C or Gas 4. Put the 10 paper loaf tins onto a metal tray.</span></div>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">2)</span> Cream together the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, zest and juice of 1 lemon.</span></div>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">3)</span> Fold in the flour and almonds until evenly combined.</span></div>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">4)</span> Spoon the mixture into the paper loaf cases. Bake for 20 mins until well risen and golden brown.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5)</span> Mix together the juice of 1 lemon and 100g fondant icing sugar.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">6)</span> Put the cakes onto a cooling rack. Pierce the cakes several times with a skewer. Pour over the lemon syrup to drench the cakes.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta"; margin-bottom: 12.5px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">7)</span> Combine the lemon juice and the remaining fondant icing sugar until smooth. Top cakes with lemon sugar decorations and drizzle with the lemon icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.</div>
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "ek mukta";"><br /></span></span><br />
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Kaya xo</div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-42703039591703998342017-08-02T05:06:00.001-07:002017-08-03T09:12:41.819-07:00Fondant: Friend or Foe?At 13, the ever enthusiastic baker that I was, thought I would take it upon myself to make my cousin's birthday cake. I decided that for any boy that the most appropriate cake would be one shaped like a football. So I began by baking my mum's go to butter cake recipe. As it came out of the oven, I doused it in butter, an idea put forward by my mum who clearly thought she was giving Nigella Lawson a run for her money with these little hacks. As I rolled out shop bought white icing, I found it to stick to the counter and tear as I lifted it...There begun my tumultuous relationship with fondant. I can't deny that I am jumping for joy at the fact photos weren't so popular at that time, so there is no photograph to show you all how monstrous it truly was. What I did discover several years later was that fondant will actually become one of my most favourite items to have in my cupboard.<br />
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So here is part 1 of my guide to hopefully make it simpler for you!</div>
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<u>Homemade vs Bought</u></div>
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I can't lie that I am a fan of bought fondant. It is there is a packet, all ready and coloured for you but if you are willing to go through the effort that it takes to make homemade fondant, definitely check out biggerbolderbaking.com! My current favourites are:</div>
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1) Covering large areas:</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/cake-decorating-supplies-c20/sugarpaste-icing-c43/the-sugar-paste-ivory-6kg-p8845" target="_blank">The Sugar Paste</a>- The Cake decorating company</div>
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I used this on my very first wedding cake. It comes with a handy leaflet about how much to use for different size cakes. Surprisingly, it is very accurate! It covers really well, and the product has minimal elephant skin! The best thing about this is that it rolls very thin without tearing and tastes delicious.</div>
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2) Small White detailing or cupcake toppers:</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.cake-stuff.com/edibles-c1/sugarpaste-fondant-icing-c8/white-sugarpaste-c16/couture-5kg-11lb-white-luxury-sugarpaste-ready-to-roll-fondant-icing-p5727" target="_blank">Couture</a>- Cake stuff</div>
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This is a new brand that I have started using. I am yet to try it on larger surfaces, but recently used it on a batch of domed cupcake toppers. It is easy to roll and doesn't tear easily when handled. I left them out in the open overnight and they dried up firm. I didn't experience elephant skin on the batch that I had tried it on, it was smooth to roll and withstood warm temperatures. </div>
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3) Coloured details: </div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.thevanillavalley.co.uk/renshaws-ready-to-roll-icing/REN-250-DEGG.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw8IXMBRB8EiwAg9fgMPkSLjVwHfdu8UAIFeOEmRoSHX_hZbw1iNekhKJ74C-KXvIMX0W0YRoCbJcQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Renshaw Ready to Roll</a>- The vanilla valley</div>
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Primarily this product stands out for the range of colours that is offered. I have made several little details with this fondant and each time they turn out perfectly! This product is very cheap at only £1.20 per 250g! Again, it is easy to roll and leaves a smooth finish. It can be handled exactly like play-doh and you don't need to douse it in cornflour.</div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-29661657569077137852017-06-25T09:15:00.000-07:002017-06-25T09:15:14.438-07:00All things curd<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><i>Tangy, sweet and probably one of the most versatile jars of yumminess you'll find in your pantry.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Are you looking at your fruit bowl and regretting that over enthusiastic trip down the produce aisle? I can't deny, I love fresh fruits and showing the cashier that among the vast quantities of sugar and chocolate, there is somewhat of a healthy diet... Up until it gets stewed with 2 cups of sugar and lemon juice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">A fruit curd works best with an acidic fruit as it cuts through the richness. It is one of the most underrated ingredients, an automatic topping everything from biscuits to cake fillings. I would be lying if I said I was a long time convert. I have only really used raspberry and lemon curd so those are the recipes below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><u><b>Lemon Curd</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">4 unwaxed lemons</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">200g caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">100g unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">3 eggs and 1 egg yolk </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><b>Method</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">1) Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter into a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture until the butter has melted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">2) Whisk the eggs and egg yolk, stirring it gently into the lemon mixture. Whisk until all the ingredients have combined, leave to cook for 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and creamy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">3) The trick is to wait till it coats the back of the spoon. Remove the mixture and let it cool. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">4) Pour into jars and keep in fridge until it is ready to use.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbs8zETwVkpOgBKaVZWQFaIvsgkkYVGXt6F76iDqPI5a_udkDlH2C-V4GxFMAeAQn68AuEwDgPTlbbIMAB-67p_OocWf2rlZRQVG1MHi-s4WNYFvRRSN2nGtexH1npeG3JR-8Uv8Mtq8/s1600/lemon_curd_68499_16x9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="608" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbs8zETwVkpOgBKaVZWQFaIvsgkkYVGXt6F76iDqPI5a_udkDlH2C-V4GxFMAeAQn68AuEwDgPTlbbIMAB-67p_OocWf2rlZRQVG1MHi-s4WNYFvRRSN2nGtexH1npeG3JR-8Uv8Mtq8/s400/lemon_curd_68499_16x9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from: BBC food</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllbT16y944_ia_XoAKTz5C819q1ruOCuzA3IWiwwJO8bnBT6ufwTiqrcJX1VG_4M_IbUBAFJTBTWPk6dM-ttNtvrd5Y3GrcOzK2uD3Wd4tn3h9Yl-rb9yITmiNrPsvfN1ESoMFYcROkY/s1600/RaspberryCurd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllbT16y944_ia_XoAKTz5C819q1ruOCuzA3IWiwwJO8bnBT6ufwTiqrcJX1VG_4M_IbUBAFJTBTWPk6dM-ttNtvrd5Y3GrcOzK2uD3Wd4tn3h9Yl-rb9yITmiNrPsvfN1ESoMFYcROkY/s320/RaspberryCurd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from: Saucepots.net<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><u>Raspberry Curd</u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">300g frozen raspberry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">110g caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">1tbsp unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">2 egg yolks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">2 tbsp lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Cornstarch</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><b>Method</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">1) Add the raspberries, caster sugar, lemon juice, water over a medium heat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">2) Cook the fruit, until it has broken down and blend in a food processor. Make sure to strain the seeds!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">3) Whisk the egg yolks and corn starch into a paste. Mix into the raspberry puree over a low heat until mixture thickens. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">4) Remember the corn starch will make it thicken quicker so watch it carefully.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Kaya xo</span><br />
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-13155851851559506482017-05-23T11:49:00.001-07:002017-05-23T12:01:46.031-07:00Quintessentially BritishRecently I completed a 'How British are you?' quiz.. Being a French born Tamil living in England, I would love to say I did this as a social experiment, but let's be honest I was procrastinating. For those of you who would also like to do the same, click <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/how-british-are-you?utm_term=.qaJdE79Np#.tlVlKQD68" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Quite surprisingly, my response was that I was as British as Stephen Fry walking a corgi outside Buckingham Palace- though I think that came from the fact that most of the questions were tea related and like I said I am brown..</div>
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Anyways, back to the topic at hand- Quintessentially British and afternoon tea.</div>
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My sister and I had gone for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed afternoon tea at The Chesterfield Mayfair. For those of you who haven't been to afternoon tea- definitely go! It is the only place where it is acceptable to drink gallons of tea and eat finger sandwiches with a knife and fork.. Again, for good deals on afternoon tea's visit this <a href="http://afternoontea.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>. </div>
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Themed afternoon teas are definitely the new rage and I highly recommend this little tasty treat. You are given an endless list of teas ranging from the traditional Earl Grey to the more adventurous chocolate tea! Everything was all wonderfully magical and delicious, as you'd expect of anything inspired by Roald Dahl. All the sandwiches were well put together with flavoured breads and equally tasty fillings- but I was in awe of the desserts and scones on offer. </div>
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We were treated to fruit tartlets, blueberry macarons, lemon cheesecake slices, Oompa Loompa cupcakes and blueberry macarons. Each and every dessert on that stand was cleverly put together- a range of textures and flavours, all working together in unison to create something that is syrumdiddlyumptious (shoutout to all the true Roald Dahl fans xo<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmJpKeUG1t1hqG1T68wGu6LrzbgY6oCRrbYqckmMyMjFMsN6YEk45kuZGqG7UpiOLDXYtfGXVeJXtF2umBxOjRDvG03tlwUiccpLwnfeE-1OiVSteZwe9n30o0l9UJLBsfh13-UVaX4E/s1600/IMG_7925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmJpKeUG1t1hqG1T68wGu6LrzbgY6oCRrbYqckmMyMjFMsN6YEk45kuZGqG7UpiOLDXYtfGXVeJXtF2umBxOjRDvG03tlwUiccpLwnfeE-1OiVSteZwe9n30o0l9UJLBsfh13-UVaX4E/s320/IMG_7925.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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P.S meet my sister, my ultimate fangirl and the best intern ever! Definitely makes the whole process of baking more fun. So this is just a little thank you for being my biggest cheerleader.. →<br />
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From L-R: blueberry macaron, golden egg (mango mousse encased with a white chocolate crust), fruit tartlet<br />
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As for the relevance of this post, I have decided to set myself a challenge to create an assortment of pastries and cakes for an afternoon tea of my own and I can't wait for you guys to follow my journey!</div>
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Lots of Love,</div>
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Kaya xo</div>
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<i>Delicate, crispy and sweet morsels filled with luxurious ganache or jams. It's defined as the trump card of any baker's repertoire.</i><br />
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Macarons are small morsels of deliciousness, but it can also come with a load of blood, sweat and tears- hopefully tears more so than the other two.. I am definitely not saying I've mastered them, but after a fair few attempts I'm ready to pass on the few tips and tricks that have worked for me.<br />
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I'm going on the pretence that everyone knows what a macaron is, but just in case, a macaron is a French sandwich cookie that is made up of ground almond, icing sugar and beaten egg whites. The thing that makes it interesting is that the flavour possibilities are endless, ranging from the more traditional pistachio macarons to the more risqué flavours such as bubblegum.<br />
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So here goes my top ten tips for the 'perfect' macaron:<br />
<b>1) Be prepared</b><br />
Make sure that you have all your ingredients weighed and ready for you. This seems like a pretty obvious step, but the process of making them means that everything happens quite fast one after the other and so you don't want to faff around in between.<br />
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<b>2) Aged vs New</b><br />
There is an age old argument about using aged vs new egg whites. Personally, I prefer aged egg whites but I have seen recipes where it works without. The reasoning behind ageing an egg white, is so that you can dehydrate it as much as possible- this allows for a stiffer meringue, i.e. a stiffer macaron mixture! However, I have to confess I only break them the night before or morning of because I felt that two days was a little extensive.<br />
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<b>3) Slow and steady wins the race</b><br />
Like Nigella would say "slowly pour in the sugar syrup", this is not because I want you all to channel your inner domestic goddess but because you ensure that the sugar is well beaten in. It also helps to avoid ending up with a hot and slightly sweet egg mix. Trust me, this is definitely something I could not come back from.<br />
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<b>4) Colouring</b><br />
We all know that macarons, as delicious as they are, are even more exciting because of the way they are presented. When you walk into a patisserie, the first thing your eye is drawn to is the lines of coloured shells. To colour them, avoid using water based colours because that will alter the texture of your batter. Stick to gel colours! The general rule of thumb is choose the colour according to the flavour, but if Heston Blumenthal is your inspiration then I suppose that won't apply to you. Also, remember that when the colour bakes out it gets lighter, so if you want a darker colour, you need to add more of the colouring.<br />
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<b>5) Templates are your best friend</b><br />
When making macarons, you probably think the nozzle will mean that they turn out a beautiful shape. I am really sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this takes many attempts. So, as a way of not serving up an assortment of shapes, I highly suggest you print out some circles and put it below your parchment paper before you start piping.<br />
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<b>6) Go and make yourself a cup of tea</b><br />
After having tired over the stove, it is hard not to just want to push them in the oven and hope for the best. Once piped, tap the baking sheet to get rid of the air bubbles/maybe even to vent out your frustrations and let dry. Seems like an odd concept, but drying is when a skin forms on the top so it isn't tacky when you touch it. This will mean the domes will stay intact in the oven.<br />
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<b>7) Open the oven door</b><br />
I know you are thinking whether you have read that right. I think rule number 1 in the baking book is not to open the oven when you are making something, but in this case it is important that you open the oven door quickly so that the steam will escape.<br />
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<b>8) Wait..</b><br />
Right, I'll put my hand up and say I am very impatient when it comes to taking stuff out the oven and decorating, but please don't pull them off your mat. They will stick and you'll be left with a shell and no actual substance.<br />
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<b>9) ..And some more</b><br />
This is just getting cruel now! After your shells (with some substance in) has cooled, fill them with your choice of filling. The ones I have done, I had used ganache and jam but really the world is your oyster here so have fun with it! Sandwich the shells together and place them in an airtight container in the fridge. That's right.. Don't eat them fresh because they won't taste the best that they could. Leaving them overnight means that you are left with a bite of perfection.<br />
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<b>10) Storing</b><br />
The last thing to address is storing. If you are making them straight away and eating them then, congratulations! But for those who are extra keen and want to prepare well in advance, the macaron shells do freeze really well. Keep them in an airtight container in your freezer and take them out a night before to defrost before filling them.<br />
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I've posted a link to the Scran Line link that I use and hopefully you guys will find it as interesting! Just follow the link for all the other parts!<br />
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Lots of Love,<br />
Kaya xoKayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-64317575920234872712017-03-01T06:54:00.001-08:002017-05-09T13:11:44.572-07:005 Reasons why you should try baking...Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts! I'd like to pretend I was busy putting together recipes...but unfortunately I was just trying to recover from my Christmas food coma and suffering holiday blues.. #sorrynotsorry<br />
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Secondly, happy new year (+2 months) !! I hope 2017 is filled with a many more exciting bakes and hopefully more (<strike>witty)</strike> blog posts..</div>
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Having started this blog, I haven't really sat and thought about the question: why baking? This is fairly odd considering it is probably one of the first things people ask me when they find out that I aspire to be Mary Berry.. So I thought it is probably time to write these down in a clear bullet pointed list- much like any other aspect of my life. So here goes.. Here are the reasons why I love baking and why I think 2017 is definitely the year for you to finally open the oven door for something other than heating up pizza and oven chips.</div>
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1) <b><u>Baking masks the smell of curry at home</u></b><i> </i></div>
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<i>(substitute with a scenario that may be more applicable to you) </i><br />
Have you ever walked past a bakery and thought that's what heaven smells like? Yeah, well I decided I was going to recreate it at home. From the exotic rose scented cupcakes to the more decadent chocolate fudge cake, is there anything better? Of the five senses, smell is the most 'direct': when we smell the aroma of a delicious chocolate fudge cake, t<strike>he odorous molecules reach the nasal cavity and transmit a message to a specific area of our brain </strike> the smell tells us that it's time to eat. Dr Alan Hirsch, found that smells produced by baking have a particularly powerful effect on memory (see below). It is considered the number one odour.<br />
If that doesn't make you want to bake, then fear not, there are 4 more reasons coming..</div>
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2) <u><b>Fresh Taste > Taste of store bought items</b></u><br />
Even when you go to the shops, you'd be kidding yourself if you say you don't stop by the bakery counter. After doing so I often used to walk down the confectionery aisle in search for a cheaper alternative (or so I thought). If you don't have a bakery counter at your local store then I just don't have any other words. I for one love the fact that you can taste the goods as you bake and adapt it to suit you.<br />
Looking back at this, this bullet point seems pretty self explanatory, but again try it yourself and taste the difference.<br />
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3) <b><u>Science vs Magic</u></b><br />
Baking is a science with an element of magic. My very first science experiment at the age of 6 was to make an egg sandwich- no joke.. But if you think about it any form of cooking is a science, but baking is a whole new realm in itself. Let's start of with the ingredients in itself- the reaction that makes eggs and sugar come together to make white fluffy meringues, doesn't seem like it should be the case but add some heat and a sprinkle of fairy dust (glitter) and you end up with perfect <strike>sparkly</strike> white mounds. Never does this cease to amaze me, I still sit by the oven and watch my cakes rise/ occasionally fall flat.<br />
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4) <b><u>It's Cheap (excluding the value option..)</u></b><br />
Okay, you don't need to double check you read this right. I promise, baking cookies at home will work out cheaper than buying them. If you don't believe me then stay tuned for my new challenge post where I will show you how to create store-bought favourites at home for cheaper.<br />
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5) <b><u>Last but not least it's a celebration</u></b><br />
I can make cake or tarts or any other baked good any day of the week and immediately it will start to feel as though its a celebration. Each bake has its own special meaning and that's what makes it a celebration- just invite a few of your favourites and share the magic with them.<br />
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Hopefully, you would have already put your oven mitts on whilst reading this- so I'll give you one piece of advice that my mum gave me when I bake: <strike>Clean up after yourself because I don't want a messy kitchen </strike> Remember, just put some love into it and everyone will appreciate it..<br />
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Lots of love<br />
Kaya x</div>
Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-19383525499962080822016-12-06T14:40:00.005-08:002016-12-07T07:39:05.996-08:00Behind the blue doors...<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Caution: Contains desserts comparable to a slice of heaven. You may experience occasional rapid heartbeat and/or the urge to book a table as soon as possible... </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As you walk away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street into the heart of London's Soho, it would be near impossible to miss the set of blue glass doors that sit on the corner of Broadwick Street. When entering through the doors, my eyes were obviously drawn to the lines of patisserie waiting to be devoured. Ahead was a beautifully designed tea room, with an open tea-brewing area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Alan Yau had the vision to open a modern Chinese teahouse in London. He may be a familiar name as he was also the brains behind places such as Busaba Eathai. It is known to be the sister restaurant of Hakkasan. Yauatcha (pronounced Yaow-ah-cha) stands on three pillars: Chinese cuisine, tea and French patisserie. The teahouse menu features about seventy teas, ranging from simple green teas to Darjeeling teas, to compliment the wide array of desserts available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Led by Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold and headed up by Head Pastry Chef Sarah Frankland, the patisseries offering at Yauatcha is nothing short of magnificent. It caters for everyone's taste, whether it be petits gateaux or macarons. Yauatcha Patisserie is the first standalone patisserie, located below Yauatcha City in Broadgate Circle. For those who want to take note, it's open Monday to Friday from 11 to 7, so definitely put it on your to-do list!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Until you do so, you can enjoy these photos of their mouthwatering desserts... You're welcome!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kaya xo</span></div>
Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-65395788541146842712016-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:002016-12-07T07:39:45.641-08:00Salted Dark Chocolate Tart <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A tart encasing a decadent dark chocolate ganache with an addition of salt to magically bring out the sweetness</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dark Chocolate has never been my go to type of chocolate, mainly because the inner child in me has never enjoyed the bitter aftertaste. However, as a baker, I have found that the fruity astingency of a dark chocolate bar has an inexplicable allure. It is strange to think that the addition of salt adds to this recipe's sweetness, but then again you can try it to believe it! I hope this little morsel of goodness satisfies your sweet tooth!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Pie Crust</b></span></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups of plain flour<br />2 sticks of cold butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4 tablespoon ice water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Chocolate Ganache</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">300 ml double cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 teaspoon sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">50g unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">200g dark chocolate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">50ml whole milk</span><br />
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<b style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Method</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 1) Pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter, until the mixture resembles fine sand. Carefully add ice cold water until the mixture forms a ball. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 2) After chilling the pastry, roll it out to about a pound coins thickness and use it to line a 23cm tart tin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 3) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Cover with baking paper, fill with dried beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and bake again for 15 minutes until golden.<br /> 4) Put the cream, sugar and salt in a pan and slowly bring it to the boil. Keep your eye on this mixture and remove as soon as it boils up. Take it off the heat and add the butter and chocolate. Stir until this is blended.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 5) Once cooled, stir in the milk and pour into the pastry.<br /> 6) Let this rest at room temperature for 2 hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 7) When ready to serve, sprinkle with salt flakes and chocolate buttons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lots of Love,<br />Kaya xo</span></span></div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-58984720160973528082016-11-20T08:13:00.001-08:002016-12-07T07:40:02.409-08:00A Piece of Pie<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Old fashioned sweet shortcrust pastry, filled with juicy peaches and covered with a braided lattice.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a mathematician it is only right that I am favourable towards a good old pie. It is quite amusing to think that the humble pie actually had a tumultuous past. Fruit pies were introduced to menus in the late 16th century. Due to its religious ties (eaten in the build up to Christmas), pies were banned during Cromwell's period of power in the mid 17th century. For those who didn't listen during history lessons at school, Cromwell was a puritan and so festivities such as Christmas were not tolerated. Pie eating and making went underground until the ban was lifted following the restoration of the monarchy.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is definitely one of my favourite recipes, making use of my love for peaches.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Pie Crust</b></span></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 cups of plain flour<br />2 sticks of cold butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 tablespoon ice water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>Peach Filling</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 cup of water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 tablespoon lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 cup of granulated sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/4 cup cornstarch </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">4 cup peaches</span></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Method</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 1) Pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter, until the mixture resembles fine sand. Carefully add ice cold water until the mixture forms a ball. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 2) Divide this mixture evenly in two batches and pop it into the fridge to chill. After chilling the pastry, roll out one half to about a pound coins thickness. Leave the other half in the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 3) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees farenheit.<br /> 4) Peel and cut the peaches into 1/4 inch thick slices and toss it with lemon juice and almond extract in a large bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 5) Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in another bowel and stir both mixture together.<br /> 6) Pour this into the pie crust and we are ready to begin our lattice work.<br /> 7) I chose to create a decorative lattice and found the serious eats website very helpful! (http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/06/how-to-weave-a-lattice-pie.html)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 8) Pop this into the oven for 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350 degrees farenheit and bake until the crust gets brown.<br /><br />Top Tip: If the edges brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminium foil about halfwar through baking</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lots of Love,<br />Kaya xo</span></span></div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-87701664722429447022016-11-09T15:05:00.004-08:002016-12-07T07:40:17.346-08:00Apricot and Marzipan Couronne<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>A soft rich dough that is enriched with apricots and marzipan, twisted together in a crown shape and lathered with a healthy layer of apricot glaze.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I would be lying to say that I am a natural born bread maker, but having seen this recently on Great British Bake Off, I definitely had to give it a go. A couronne translated to a crown in french, thanks to its intricate folds filled with marzipan, fruits and nuts. It is one that I would definitely put on my Christmas menu this year- partly because of its use of seasonal favourites but mainly because it is a beautiful centrepiece. I followed the Paul Hollywood recipe to a tee, and if you are a beginner in the art of bread making I would highly recommend you do so too! </span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Bread Dough</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5g salt</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">8g instant yeast</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">50g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">135ml warm full-fat milk</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 medium egg, lightly beaten</span></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For Filling</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">120g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">150ml orange juice (freshly squeezed or from a carton)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">90g unsalted butter, softened</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">70g light muscovado sugar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">35g plain flour</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">60g raisins</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">65g chopped walnuts</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Finely grated zest of 1 orange</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">200g marzipan</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i>To decorate</i></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">50g apricot jam</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">100g icing sugar</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">50g flaked almonds</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Method</b></span></span></span><br />
<ol itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">1) </span></span> The night before, for the filling, put the apricots into a bowl, pour on the orange juice and set aside to macerate.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">2) </span>The next day, tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter, milk and the egg and mix. If you follow his recipe it does say to do so with your fingers but I have seen that doing it in a mixer will also give you the same result.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">3) Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead. Keep kneading for about 6 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft smooth skin.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">4) When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">5) While the dough is rising, make the filling. Drain the apricots. Cream the butter and muscovado sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the drained apricots, flour, raisins, walnuts and orange zest. Try to add the exact amount of butter because it will leak through otherwise.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">6) Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">7) Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Without knocking it back, roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 33 x 25cm. Turn the dough, so you have a long edge facing you. Spread the apricot mixture evenly over the dough. On a floured surface, roll out the marzipan thinly and lay it over the apricot mixture. Roll up the dough tightly like a Swiss roll. Roll it slightly to seal, then cut it almost in half lengthways, leaving it just joined at one end – like a pair of trousers. Twist the 2 dough lengths together without losing the filling, then join the ends to form a circular ‘crown’. Transfer to the baking tray.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">8) Put the tray inside a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for 1 hour, or until the dough springs back quickly if you prod it lightly with your finger. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200°C</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">9) Bake the couronne for 25 minutes until risen and golden. Place on a wire rack. Gently heat the apricot jam with a splash of water, sieve and brush over the warm loaf to glaze. Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thin icing, drizzle over the loaf when cool and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Leave to cool.</li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: justify;">Lots of Love</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">Kaya xo</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-61554324521500977222016-11-02T15:31:00.002-07:002016-12-07T07:40:28.239-08:00A Nutella Explosion<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Layers of dark chocolate sponge, sandwiched with a healthy dollop of nutella frosting and adorned with edible chocolate jewels.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Urban dictionary defines Nutella as "God's favourite spreadable food, made by pixies in the magical land of yum". To be honest, I can't describe it any better. Am I allowed to say that this is probably the best way to consume it without having to eat spoonfuls out of the jar (my <strike>part time</strike> full time job)? This cake is the perfect marriage of a variety of textures. But truth be told, prepare to put in a fair few hours of work...but would it make it better if I said it is definitely worth it in the end?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I am going to break this up in to different components. You can pick and choose what you put in or on the cake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chocolate Cake</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">250g butter, at room temperature</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">200g dark chocolate </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1 tablespoon espresso</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">100ml whole milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">200g self raising flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">40g cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">250g caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">4 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">150ml sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Method</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 1) Preheat oven to gas mark 3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, butter, espresso powder and milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 2) Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl and add the caster sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 3) Fold the chocolate mixture along with the eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 4) Bake this in a 6 inch tin for an hour to an hour and ten minutes.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">So far so good?</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Nutella Frosting</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">115g butter</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/3 cup nutella</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1/4 cup of regular sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">110g melted dark chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Method</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 1) The frosting is pretty simple, I suppose I opt for the dump it all in a bowl and mix it till it's a <span style="color: white;">aaaaaa</span>spreadable consistency. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> 2) This should be cooled and then spread over the cake. It is your choice how you want the end <span style="color: white;">aaaaaa</span>product to look. I chose to go for a smooth finish, purely because I was adding more decoration on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I chose to decorate my cake with crispy treats, an assortment of chocolates, toasted hazelnuts and dollops of frosting. As mine was a celebration cake, I added a nutella cake topper made out of tempered chocolate and royal icing. I will add a a link to my meringue recipe below!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,<br />Kaya xo</span></div>
Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-59737599831661037782016-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:002016-12-02T13:11:57.820-08:00Flourless Orange, Almond and Mascarpone cake<div class="ERSIngredients" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">T</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">hree layers of orange scented cake, finished with an airy mascarpone frosting and topped with an </span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">assortment</span><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><i><span style="font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"> of summer berries</span><span style="font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><i><span style="font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span></span>
<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;">This cake was made for my parents 30th wedding anniversary, i.e their pearl anniversary. In Indian mythology, pearls are said to be dewdrops from heaven that fell into the sea. These jewels represent peace, nobility and beauty, and would make a wo</span><span style="font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;">nderful gift- but clearly we couldn't stretch to pearls so had to settle for this stunning cake with a perfect pearly sheen...Close enough right?</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">Flourless cakes are new additions to my repertoire, and surprisingly it was a fairly easy cake to make. Once you make the citrus puree, the actual cake is probably one the easiest things I have done. It takes about 10 minutes after making the citrus puree, from cracking the eggs to placing it in the oven.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeivNJj9LFEpedIjtvXcYxaPCv6twJBzlVt1r2L74ljxfI2y_EkzrLb6gbJ6hH9WKfXtArUKSGhGvd5sR459bf8ZTpJdhZOs9R6-r5vtvIkpWu7ezkGWd7F_aD7aZ-0v0wmORvvy2byLg/s1600/IMG_2578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeivNJj9LFEpedIjtvXcYxaPCv6twJBzlVt1r2L74ljxfI2y_EkzrLb6gbJ6hH9WKfXtArUKSGhGvd5sR459bf8ZTpJdhZOs9R6-r5vtvIkpWu7ezkGWd7F_aD7aZ-0v0wmORvvy2byLg/s320/IMG_2578.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Apologies for the bad quality photo </span></td></tr>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><b>Serves 10 (3 x 9 inch tin)<br />Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes</b><br /><b>Ingredients</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Orange flourless cake</i></b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">300g whole oranges (to make puree)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">9 eggs</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">375g caster sugar</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">375g almond meal</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;"><b><i>Mascarpone frosting</i></b></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">250g mascarpone</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">250g heavy cream</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1/4 cup caster sugar</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 teaspoon vanilla paste</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i>To decorate</i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 punnet of mixed summer fruit</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 cup of almonds</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Method</b></span></span></span></div>
<ol itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;">
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">1) Firstly, we begin by making the orange puree. Put the oranges (skin on) in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Place a circle of baking paper on top to keep the oranges submerged. Boil for 1-2 hours, or until the oranges are completely soft.</span></span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">2) Once soft, remove oranges from the heat and place into blender with a few tablespoons of water and blend. Transfer this mixture into the fridge to cool.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">3) To make the cake, preheat oven to gas mark 2 and line the base of three 9 inch tins. The cake is quite fragile so avoid making one large batch and cutting into thinner layers.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">4) In large bowl,whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined. Whisk in baking powder and almond meal.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">5) Divide the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;">6) To make the frosting. whip together mascarpone cream, sugar and vanilla paste until smooth. Assemble the cake as you wish, I chose for the rustic approach and topped it with summer fruit and toasted almonds.</li>
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<span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">Lots of Love<br />Kaya xo</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-36786381520745930432016-08-25T06:20:00.000-07:002017-08-02T05:10:02.543-07:00For the love of Peanut Butter<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">A crispy sweet pastry case, encasing a luscious Dulce de Leche topped with chocolate ganache and caramelised peanuts.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">In honour of National Peanut Day, which was January 24th, I made a deconstructed snickers tart.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We've all known and loved Peanut Butter since childhood, so it was a perfect ingredient to include in my bakes. But have you ever wondered how it reached our shelves, whether it be creamy or chunky? And how did it become the phenomenon that it is today?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Peanut Butter actually dates back to Aztec times. They mashed roasted peanuts into a paste: quite simple really and definitely not the same thing that is stocked up in Sainsburys! As per expected, many people have claimed the title as Peanut Butter Inventor and among them was George Washington Carver. But no, instead he actually promoted more than 300 uses for peanuts. The actual invention can be credited to 3 inventors: Marcellus Gilmore Edson. Harvey Kellog and Dr Ambrose Straub. Now that I've bored you with the history, I think you deserve a recipe!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><b>Serves 10 (3 x 9 inch tin)<br />Cook time: 3 hours</b><br /><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;"><b><i>Sweet Pastry Case</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">225g plain flour<br />110g butter<br />80g sugar<br />1 large egg</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;"><b><i>Dulce De Leche</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 tin of condensed milk</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To decorate</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 cup chocolate ganache<br />1 handful caramelised peanuts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 cup peanut butter</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Method</span></b></span></div>
<ol itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1) Firstly, we begin by making the sweet pastry case. This is probably one of the best things to have in the front pages of your recipe book! Crumb together by hand the butter and the flour. Then add the sugar. Once done, mix in the egg and enough milk to form a soft dough. Place in the fridge whilst you complete the other elements. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at gas mark 4.</span></span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2) Making the dulce de leche is the easiest thing to do, with the best outcome. First thing you need to do is remove the labels on the tin and place into a large pot. Submerge it into room temperature water (at least 2 inches of water should be above the can). Keep topping up the water as you let it simmer. It usually takes about 2-3 hours, the length of time has an effect on the depth of flavour. The longer you leave it to simmer, the richer the taste.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">3) Line the bottom of the pastry case with peanut butter, I chose the crunchy kind, purely for textural purposes. Let rest for 10 minutes, after which spread an even layer of dulce de leche over the top. Place in the fridge until the dulce de leche is set. Top this layer with chocolate ganache and place back in to the fridge. </span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">4) To decorate, I chose to caramelise some peanuts in a hot pan with some sugar. This part is completely optional!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lots of Love,<br />Kaya xo</span></div>
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Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685688769761676798.post-71940102128801932942016-08-18T11:38:00.000-07:002017-05-23T11:52:47.027-07:00Persian Love Cake<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i>Three layers of aromatic cardamom spiced pistachio cake, finished with a dreamy rose flavoured cheesecake frosting.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Once upon a time, there was a Persian woman madly in love with a prince. To make him fall helplessly in love with her, she baked him this cake, which she believed was filled with magical love powers. With bewitching ingredients such as cardamom, cinnamon and rose water, it would be hard for anyone to resist!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Cardamom is native to certain parts of India, the spice has often been referred to as the 'queen of spices' and is known for it's aphrodisiac properties. Cleopatra burnt cardamom incense when Mark Anthony visited, need I say more?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><b>The inspiration for this bake came from Katherine Sabbath, a high school teacher turned cake creative.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvttgU-C5n_1kcpkrrkoHS-NTxOXNDIxNrlOgTAgeXC6sJKK3siLnz4NZQqJWSi5eUcrnHhnIb7sg1IXg0RJl-wdVyJKUl94wXBJ6v0aVYez6pgVqu9DzoALA6yzJfkjiMTUnhn_RcXc/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvttgU-C5n_1kcpkrrkoHS-NTxOXNDIxNrlOgTAgeXC6sJKK3siLnz4NZQqJWSi5eUcrnHhnIb7sg1IXg0RJl-wdVyJKUl94wXBJ6v0aVYez6pgVqu9DzoALA6yzJfkjiMTUnhn_RcXc/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><b>Serves 10 (3 x 6 inch tin)<br />Cook time: 1 hour</b><br /><b>Ingredients<br /><i>Spiced caramel mud cake </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">400g butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">400g white chocolate</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">400g light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">360ml hot water</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2 tablespoons maple syrup</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">4 eggs, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">300g self-raising flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">300g ground almond </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 teaspoon ground cardamom</span><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i>Rose Cheesecake filling</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">750 grams cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">100 grams butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">400 grams freshly whipped cream</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">400 grams icing sugar, sifted</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">1 teaspoon rose water</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2-3 drops pink food colouring</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i>To decorate</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: justify;">Meringues (recipe to be posted soon!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: justify;">150g Pistachios (Crushed)</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Method</span></b><br />
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<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">1) </span></span><span style="color: #201e1b; line-height: 20.8px;">Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 3. Brush a round 6 inch cake pan with melted butter. Line base and side with baking paper</span></span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201e1b; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">2) Place butter, chocolate, sugar, water, maple syrup and vanilla essence in a heavy-based bowl over a saucepan full of boiling water. Stir ingredients over medium-low heat with a wooden spoon until chocolate melts and your mixture is smooth. Set aside for 20 mins to cool.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #201e1b; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3) Add the, eggs, 1 at a time and beating well between. Sift flour and spices over your chocolate mixture and fold with a wooden spoon until well combined. Next, stir in almond meal until well combined.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #201e1b; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4) Pour batter into the buttered pan and bake in pre-heated oven for until a knife comes out almost clean (approximately 50-60 mins). Leave cake for 20 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, carefully slice cake into 3 even layers.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #201e1b; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">5) To make the rose cheesecake filling, use an electric mixer to whip cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, rose water and food colouring until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream until combined.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #201e1b; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0.7em 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 1.5em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">6) To assemble the cake, I chose to spread the my cheesecake filling onto each layer of the cake, sprinkle generous amounts of crushed pistachios and meringue each time. Once the layers are assembled, cover the layers with the remaining cheesecake filling. Place the meringue and crushed pistachio's as desired on top of the cake. I chose to pair this with an assortment of berries and figs. </span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "palatino" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;">Lots of Love<br />Kaya xo</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #201e1b; font-family: "libre baskerville" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span>Kayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953202547142368970noreply@blogger.com0