There's something about a simple, lightly adorned coffee cake. Its grown-up dark bitterness seems to command attention more maturely than any chocolate cake, and the essential addition of walnuts adds some great crunch. These make the cake a highly, highly sophisticated proposition, suitable even for coffee-phobes (like myself). That isn't it's only advantage: baking this in a loaf cake (although this mixture would be great for baking in two round tins and sandwiching in coffee buttercream, but don't drench to cakes so heavily in syrup or you could forgo the syrup althogether with rich buttercream around) makes it far more suitable for travel, and it is a great excuse for buying the wonderful camp coffee extract. If you can't find it, use some very strong coffee made with instant granules, or indeed real coffee.
1)Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Take 200g unsalted butter and 125g cream cheese out of the fridge to soften (and 3 eggs if you keep them in the fridge) , and line a loaf tin with greased foil or baking parchment spritzed lightly with spray oil or melted butter.
2)Beat the butter and cream cheese with 200g plain flour, 225g golden caster or light muscovado sugar, 3 tbsp camp coffee essence, 2 tsp ground coffee beans, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract. When entirely smooth and light, fold in 150g chopped walnuts, then slowly beat in 100ml hot water, to loosen the batter.
3)Pour into the tin and bake for about 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. In the meantime, prepare a coffee syrup to drench the cake in. Dissolve 200g brown sugar into 100ml water, then add 2 tsp instant coffee granules. Bring to the boil and bravely let it burn, until thick and treacly.
4)Remove the cake and immediately pierce it with a piece of raw spaghetti (or a fine skewer if you're basic) and then soak ALL, yes all, of the syrup through the sponge. Sprinkle with crunchy demarara sugar. Leave to cool before slicing, or packaging and taxiing.
Thursday 23 June 2016
Friday 17 June 2016
Chocolate Pasta
Such a waste, such a terrible, terrible waste. I made a huge vat of this gleaming, leathery pasta and it happened to go even more successfully than when I've ever made regular fresh pasta before, but the issue is it is undeniably heavy and difficult to dress with an appropriate sauce.
The point of this is not sweetness, it is far more intriguing as an eater for this pasta to be savoury and bitter, but with enough chocolate flavour to carry it into sweeter territory. However, don't let that put you off- this pasta would work wonderfully with a sharp salty cheese or tomato sauce. I used custard (looking back on my awful mistake) and it turned into a nasty, sloppy, separated mess. Almost the entire pan went to waste, and that was undeniably painful.
If you choose to make this, bare that and a few more things in mind- the cocoa hinders the gluten in the flour (which just must be '00') so it is more difficult to knead and work with, but after resting you will find that the dough goes very smoothly through the pasta rollers. I have a post about fresh pasta already, so I won't bore you with the details, but in my opinion, resting and a good, patient roller are the keys to successful fresh pasta.
1)On a worktop or a food processor, blitz 400g '00' flour, a pinch of salt, 4 eggs, a few tablespoons of water (obviously you will have to be flexible with the amounts of water) and 30g really good cocoa powder. When you reach a crumbly dough, transfer to a floured work surface and knead until very smooth and elastic. Divide into two pieces and wrap in clingfilm. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
2)Cut each piece into two, then flatten with your hand then roll in your pasta roller, 1 setting at a time until it is 9 thin. Hang over your work surface, dry until leathery then cut in the tagliatelle cutters.
3)Leave to dry in little nests wrapped around your wrists (or a coat hanger) in semolina then cook in boiling salted water for just about 3 minutes, until al dente.
4)Dress at your own peril...
The point of this is not sweetness, it is far more intriguing as an eater for this pasta to be savoury and bitter, but with enough chocolate flavour to carry it into sweeter territory. However, don't let that put you off- this pasta would work wonderfully with a sharp salty cheese or tomato sauce. I used custard (looking back on my awful mistake) and it turned into a nasty, sloppy, separated mess. Almost the entire pan went to waste, and that was undeniably painful.
If you choose to make this, bare that and a few more things in mind- the cocoa hinders the gluten in the flour (which just must be '00') so it is more difficult to knead and work with, but after resting you will find that the dough goes very smoothly through the pasta rollers. I have a post about fresh pasta already, so I won't bore you with the details, but in my opinion, resting and a good, patient roller are the keys to successful fresh pasta.
1)On a worktop or a food processor, blitz 400g '00' flour, a pinch of salt, 4 eggs, a few tablespoons of water (obviously you will have to be flexible with the amounts of water) and 30g really good cocoa powder. When you reach a crumbly dough, transfer to a floured work surface and knead until very smooth and elastic. Divide into two pieces and wrap in clingfilm. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
2)Cut each piece into two, then flatten with your hand then roll in your pasta roller, 1 setting at a time until it is 9 thin. Hang over your work surface, dry until leathery then cut in the tagliatelle cutters.
3)Leave to dry in little nests wrapped around your wrists (or a coat hanger) in semolina then cook in boiling salted water for just about 3 minutes, until al dente.
4)Dress at your own peril...
Friday 10 June 2016
Soda Water Scones
It doesn't seem too feasible for baking to be a type of cooking that can be considered super speedy- but scones are one of the few, and that's just regular ones. These however take the piss ever so slightly by being just three ingredients, and can probably be done with just a bit of extra spring in 15 minutes.
These scones don't need extra sugar, but if you wanted a bit of extra flavour and sweetness use lemonade as opposed to soda water. Bare in mind scones typically aren't sweet of themselves, it's what you spread them with that counts.
1)Combine 300g self raising flour with a pinch of salt and then pour in 150ml each double cream and soda water (make sure it's not flat) mix gently to a soft dough (you can add some sultanas at this stage if you like).
2)Pat it down to a thickness of a few inches and cut out rounds with a cutter- or just cut rectangles or triangles with a butter knife. Place on a baking sheet and glaze with milk then optionally sprinkle with demerara sugar.
3)Transfer to a preheated 180 degree oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes until quite golden but do them slightly less than you'd think they need, just to keep their belly nice and tender and not dry.
These scones don't need extra sugar, but if you wanted a bit of extra flavour and sweetness use lemonade as opposed to soda water. Bare in mind scones typically aren't sweet of themselves, it's what you spread them with that counts.
1)Combine 300g self raising flour with a pinch of salt and then pour in 150ml each double cream and soda water (make sure it's not flat) mix gently to a soft dough (you can add some sultanas at this stage if you like).
2)Pat it down to a thickness of a few inches and cut out rounds with a cutter- or just cut rectangles or triangles with a butter knife. Place on a baking sheet and glaze with milk then optionally sprinkle with demerara sugar.
3)Transfer to a preheated 180 degree oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes until quite golden but do them slightly less than you'd think they need, just to keep their belly nice and tender and not dry.
Friday 3 June 2016
Mussels with Chorizo
Unfortunately, this dish is plagued with being totally in fashion. Retro food like moules mariniere is coming right back in, and it seems the incrediblye flavour and versatility of chorizo has long stopped being a secret. But whatever, this is a meal you so want to eat.
1)Mussels have a few rules before cooking: they have to be scrubbed very well (although those little baby shell parasites on them will not come off) and the seaweed feather beard that drifts after each mussel also needs to be ripped off (this is known as debearding). If they remain open at this stage, and don't close after rapping the shell with the side of the sink, they should be chucked. Soak them in the sink for a good while to clear out any grit.
2)Finely slice 3 cloves garlic and 2 small onions or one large one. Slice 200g chorizo into nice slices and cook in a large pan with a little butter until their fat renders out. Cook the onions and garlic in this fat until they're soft and sweet.
3)Make a broth by adding 2 tsp harissa paste, 1 tin of tomatoes and water filled to the brim of the empty can, and 1 1/2 glasses white wine or dry sherry. Bring to the boil, then clamp on a lid and simmer until the bitterness of the wine cooks out.
4)This broth can be kept warm until whenever you need to cook the mussels. It's best to do that between the starter and main course as you don't want cooked seafood sitting around. Bring back up to the boil and throw in your cleaned mussels. Clamp on the lid and steam until they open up, but don't overcook them. It may take 3-5 minutes. Also, any fish that remain closed now should be chucked. Top with freshly chopped parsley, and serve.
1)Mussels have a few rules before cooking: they have to be scrubbed very well (although those little baby shell parasites on them will not come off) and the seaweed feather beard that drifts after each mussel also needs to be ripped off (this is known as debearding). If they remain open at this stage, and don't close after rapping the shell with the side of the sink, they should be chucked. Soak them in the sink for a good while to clear out any grit.
2)Finely slice 3 cloves garlic and 2 small onions or one large one. Slice 200g chorizo into nice slices and cook in a large pan with a little butter until their fat renders out. Cook the onions and garlic in this fat until they're soft and sweet.
3)Make a broth by adding 2 tsp harissa paste, 1 tin of tomatoes and water filled to the brim of the empty can, and 1 1/2 glasses white wine or dry sherry. Bring to the boil, then clamp on a lid and simmer until the bitterness of the wine cooks out.
4)This broth can be kept warm until whenever you need to cook the mussels. It's best to do that between the starter and main course as you don't want cooked seafood sitting around. Bring back up to the boil and throw in your cleaned mussels. Clamp on the lid and steam until they open up, but don't overcook them. It may take 3-5 minutes. Also, any fish that remain closed now should be chucked. Top with freshly chopped parsley, and serve.
Thursday 2 June 2016
Vietnamese Spring Rolls 2.0 with Soy-Peanut Dipping Sauce
I've attempted these rolls perhaps 3 or 4 times before, never to much success. After my blog's revamping last year, I made these to accompany a Thai noodle soup (which I do still make), a slight clash of cultures but whatever, they were pretty damn awful. Somehow, I failed to dream up the concept of actually seasoning the rolls, and then after watching a fabulous video of Gordon Ramsay preparing them, I was given a new view. You prepare a noodle salad, a meal of itself, then simply use just that as your filling. Correct, you sacrifice the neat little layers of colour peaking through the translucent rice paper for one big colourful mass, but the taste is oh so superior.
1)Cook 200g bean thread noodles in boiling water and leave to soak until tender.
2)Prepare a dipping sauce by mixing 3 tbsp soy sauce and 3 of rice vinegar with a thinly sliced garlic clove, one chilli with the seeds in, a little sugar, a tiny drizzle toasted sesame oil, 2 fat tbsp peanut butter and whisk it all up with enough water to make a pourable sauce. Leave to chill whilst you prepare the filling.
3)Drain the noodles and season with 2 tbsp fish sauce and the juice of half a lime, then grate 2 peeled carrots, shred a head of romaine lettuce and finely chop the bizarre combination of a bunch of coriander, a bunch of basil and really just half a bunch of mint as it has the most potent flavour of the three. Add 2 finely chopped spring onions to this salad and toss it all together with the oodles of noodles.
4)Soak rice paper wrappers in hot water until soft and pliable, then dabble a little water on the surface you plan to roll them on. Place a small bit of filling on the side towards you, then fold the rice paper over the filling tightly, and roll, tucking the sides at a right angle to you in as you finish the roll. Keep going until you have enough rolls to serve and enough leftover salad to pick at in the fridge.
5)Having a pyramid of rolls is nice to serve, but they can stick together so use circles of greaseproof paper between each layer. Serve to a crowd unafraid of the messy quality that is making and eating these.
1)Cook 200g bean thread noodles in boiling water and leave to soak until tender.
2)Prepare a dipping sauce by mixing 3 tbsp soy sauce and 3 of rice vinegar with a thinly sliced garlic clove, one chilli with the seeds in, a little sugar, a tiny drizzle toasted sesame oil, 2 fat tbsp peanut butter and whisk it all up with enough water to make a pourable sauce. Leave to chill whilst you prepare the filling.
3)Drain the noodles and season with 2 tbsp fish sauce and the juice of half a lime, then grate 2 peeled carrots, shred a head of romaine lettuce and finely chop the bizarre combination of a bunch of coriander, a bunch of basil and really just half a bunch of mint as it has the most potent flavour of the three. Add 2 finely chopped spring onions to this salad and toss it all together with the oodles of noodles.
4)Soak rice paper wrappers in hot water until soft and pliable, then dabble a little water on the surface you plan to roll them on. Place a small bit of filling on the side towards you, then fold the rice paper over the filling tightly, and roll, tucking the sides at a right angle to you in as you finish the roll. Keep going until you have enough rolls to serve and enough leftover salad to pick at in the fridge.
5)Having a pyramid of rolls is nice to serve, but they can stick together so use circles of greaseproof paper between each layer. Serve to a crowd unafraid of the messy quality that is making and eating these.
Wednesday 1 June 2016
Arancini
This is it, one of the world's best leftover recipes. Unlike regular rice, leftover risotto is a bit exclusive- not nice reheated, but far too claggy and congealed to eat cold. Therefore, the clever Sicilians utilised this robust quality of leftover risotto to make these little golden balls (or rather orange hence their name translating as 'little oranges' in Italian), which are risotto encasing a cube of mozzarella coated in seasoned breadcrumbs (panko for preference).
All you need for this is 1 bag of small mozzarella cherries or bocconcini per 1 serving leftover risotto, a bowl of flour, an egg beaten with some salt and a bowl of panko. Encase an egg of mozzarella in risotto, by flattening about a tbsp of risotto, pressing it around the cheese and then placing more over the exposed cheese. Don't roll them, compress them in your palm until relatively firm and stable (it's pretty difficult to get these really neat). Toss in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs and then deep fry in very hot vegetable oil until golden and crispy and the mozzarella is gooey, or like 'telephone cords' as the Romans describe it.
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