Individual Simnel Cakes

Individual Simnel Cakes

Rich Christmas Cake long gone, a distant memory, around the corner yellow daffodils, forsythia, bird song and spring. Time for baking Simnel Cakes.

Traditionally Simnel Cake is one big cake with 11 little marzipan eggs on top signifying 11 of the disciples, minus Judas. It’s believed that Simnel Cake is eaten post-Lent, an indulgent reward with plenty of rich sweet ingredients that you’re denied during the fasting period. However, originally Simnel Cake was made by daughters to give to their mothers on Mothering Sunday.

Thinking Easter, everyone looks forward to receiving their irresistible chocolate Easter Egg. I decided to add an element of rich dark chocolate to these little Easter delights.

Makes 10
Fan Gas 3 / 160ºC
45 – 50 mins
Lined individual tins
Or lined muffin tray

Ingredients
225 g light muscovado sugar
225 g softened butter
4 large eggs, beaten
225 g self-raising flour
50g ground almond
2 level tsp ground mixed spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
100 g glacé cherries
225 g sultanas
100 g currants
grated rind of 2 lemons
Filling and topping
450 g golden marzipan
2 tbsp apricot jam
100g dark chocolate

Method
Cream butter & sugar
Beat in eggs adding a little flour
Mix spices into the flour
Fold in the rest of the flour
Fold fruit into the mixture

Roll marzipan to 3mm depth
Cut 20 disks, to fit into & on top of your tins
Put 2 heaped tsp of mixture into lined tin
Place 1 disk of marzipan onto mixture
Put another 2 heaped tsp’s on top of marzipan
Level top, bake in centre of oven till rich brown – not burnt
Leave to cool in tin for 20 mins before removing from tin

Slice the top off the cake to give a flat surface for marzipan disc
Melt chocolate
Cover half marzipan disk, I used a bread dough cutter/ scraper, spread melted chocolate on the other half
Allow chocolate to set
Melt apricot jam & brush on flat surface of cake
Place marzipan disk on top
Tie ribbon, lace, string, your choice around the middle

Make 10 small marzipan eggs
Blister the marzipan surface till golden
Place on top of marzipan disc

Tips
Individual tins: a while ago I recycled some sweetcorn tins to make individual dauphinois potatoes so I used these as my muffin tins weren’t as deep as I wanted.
If recycling sweetcorn tins as I did, make sure you cut out both ends of the tin to make a cylinder that you can push your cake out through when cooked.
To prevent the mixture curdling causing an uneven bake, add a small amount of flour with the eggs.
Don’t skewer your cake to check if it’s cooked, the moist marzipan will stick to your skewer making you think it isn’t cooked.
Marzipan disks, I used the sweetcorn tin to cut disc
To smooth the chocolate, dip a flat bladed knife into hot water then lightly glide over the chocolate.
To blister the marzipan pan till golden use a kitchen blow torch, try to get a yellow flame not to use a blue as blue will burn. If you don’t have a kitchen blow torch you can blister under a grill.

Recipe adapted from Mary Berry, BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour September 2012

Photo credit: copywrite ©2015 Sara J Orme

Maltby Street Market

Maltby Street Market

Ropewalk

London’s full of surprises, hidden little gems, this is one of them.

The once dark arches of Maltby Street are now enjoying a new lease of life, a revival. A ten minute walk from Tower Bridge, south side of the river, towards Bermondsey you’ll find Ropewalk, buzzing with life. A vibrant mix of pop up street food vendors sit along side a micro gin distillery & brewery.

Ropewalks’ narrow street bursting with an abundance of counter tops laden with plates of tantalising tasters, savoury & sweet; salads, dips & relishes. Seared steaks, toasties & wraps. Mexican, Chinese & of course the obligatory frankfurter! My daughter & I, so indecisive on what to eat, half & half the usual the answer. Goats cheese, walnut & honey sandwich, toasted with a press onto a hot plate and seared fresh tuna, rocket & red onion bun. Delicious, hit the spot very well.

At the mouth of an arch, an old sideboard sat covered with bottles of gin, cocktail shakers & a marked up chalkboard, Little Bird Gin. Inside, low light created a mysterious ambience of the arches former days. Table legs hung from the ceiling, wall shelves filled with rows of old terracotta tiles. An eclectic mix of random furniture packed tightly together as people sipped gin cocktails from their jarred glasses and the waiters handed out hot water bottles, a welcoming touch on a cold damp day,

Top tip, carry cash!

When in London, Maltby Street is a must.

http://www.maltby.st

Saturday & Sunday 10am till 4pm

Photography credits: Copywrite 2015sarajorme

Email: sarajorme@cooksandcaptures.co.uk

Chocolate Brownie

This, the most deliciously rich chocolate brownie, thin crispness on the outside & fudgy through to the middle, our week 1 photo shoot task at Leiths. Baked by the lovely Jess and eaten by us all for lunch before photographing in the afternoon.

I’m so pleased Jess had baked brownies for our dessert, I’m sure we’d have all struggled to concentrate on lighting, f stops and shutter speeds with the aroma of the chocolate brownie had we not of sampled it first. Can you just imagine our pain, torturous; look, shoot and no, you can’t eat!!

Ingredients
200g good quality dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids
140g butter
225g caster sugar
85g plain flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, plus 1 extra yolk

Gas mark 4/ 180°C
Line a 20cm square shallow baking tin with baking parchment

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl.
Cut butter into small cubes and add to the chocolate.
Stand the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not come in contact with the water, to melt the chocolate, stir occasionally.
Set aside to cool for 2-3 mins, then whisk in the sugar using an electric whisk.
Beat the eggs and extra yolk in another bowl with the vanilla extract, just to combine.
Gradually whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture and beat until smoothly combined.
Sift the flour and stir in until evenly combined, using a spatula.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 25/35 minuets, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not a wet batter) clinging to it. It’s better to slightly undercook than overcook brownies, as they should still be fudgy in the middle and will become less moist as they cool.
Leave to cool in the tin for 2 minuets before lifting carefully from the tin and transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Remove the paper before the brownie is completely cold.
Cut into 20 squares using a sharp knife.

Sprinkle with raspberries, blackberries, nuts, your choice. They are devine cold or warmed through and served with ice cream as a dessert.

Recipe taken from Leiths How to Cook

Photo Credit: copywrite 2015 sarajorme

Chocolate Peppermint Slice

When a celebration is in order, as it was here this weekend, a cake I just have to bake – well, it’d be rude not to & it goes without saying that the fizz was already on ice!!

image: 55.0 mm /60 sec; f/5.6; ISO 200

Cake
86g self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
65g caster sugar
30g butter
1 beaten egg
80ml water
Peppermint Cream
280g icing sugar
2 tbsp veg oil
2 tbsp milk, approx
peppermint essence, to taste
Chocolate Topping
125g dark chocolate, chopped
90g butter
Prep
Heat oven for 10mins Gas 4 or 180
Swiss roll tin, 25cm x 30cm – line with greaseproof paper
Cake
Sift flour, cocoa & bicarb
Add sugar & butter
Beat elecric mixer for 2 mins – 5 mins (ish) by hand
Beat egg into mixture
Spread mixture evenly into prepped tin
Bake in center of oven 18 to 20 mins
Cool in the pan
Peppermint
Sift icing sugar into a heatproof bowl
Add oil
Gradually add milk to make a stiff paste
Add essence a drop at a time till required taste
Stir over a pan of hot water till spreadable
Chocolate Topping
Melt butter & chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water
Assemble
Spread peppermint over cake, fridge till set
Spread chocolate over mint, fridge till set
Cut into slices
Decorate
Get creative, chocolate buttercream swirl, siftted icing sugar stencil, fruit……….

• Recipe adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly, Cakes & Slices Cookbook
• Photo Credit: copywrite ©Sara J Orme

Hepworth’s Deli – Leeds

If you find yourself in Leeds City Centre feeling very hungry with a passion to eat good quality produce, go to Hepworth’s, a small deli in the equally small & quirky Thornton’s Arcade off Briggate. The arcade, with its glass roof and a clock, struck on the hour by life sized figures of Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, Richard Coeur de Lion and Friar Tuck whilst Robin Hood and Gurth the Swineherd strike the quarters. …. back to the food! Hepworth’s, owned & run by local lad Joe Hepworth, has worked in many of the cities top restaurants as well as Michelin starred restaurants around the country. He works, wherever possible, with local suppliers including Leeds own Kirkgate Market to provide quality produce, artisan breads, cheeses, hams & pastries. His staff are welcoming, friendly & are as relaxed as the ambience its self. Menus include brunch, sandwiches, salads, deli platters, soup of the day & hot specials. To follow there’s a colourful display of cakes & desserts. Ignoring a desire to order the very tempting open fish finger sandwich that the waitress was serving, my daughter & I ordered healthier options:

Super Food Salad: dressed leaves, cherry tomatoes, peas, beans, broccoli, roasted sweet potato, beetroot, goats cheese, pumpkin seeds, roasted red pepper, sun blushed tomatoes, quinoa £5.55

Mezze Platter: feta, olives, artichoke, cherry tomatoes, peas, tzatziki, hummus, couscous, chutney, spring onion, cucumber, falafel, pitta bread, crisp bread £7.50

Our theory was to go on the lighter side so that we could  try some of the delightful looking blueberry & pistachio tart or chocolate eclairs oozing with fresh cream or maybe the mini macaroons sitting neatly on the cabinet with their intense bright colours & flavours. It wasn’t to be, we were too full, beaten with the deliciousness of our healthiness.

When in Leeds, this deli is a must http://hepworthsdeli.co.uk/index.html

image: iphone