Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie (that's not really a pie)

This week I've really had the urge to just bake something, something proper, that I could eat! As much as I love my cake orders...I never get to eat them - so I really wanted to make something I could have some of. I seem to have so many cookbooks at the moment I've not really been able to try much from so I thought this was a great opportunity to dig out Cake Days (The Hummingbird Baker), I absolutely love this book so it wasn't hard to find something.....peanut butter and chocolate pie! I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter, but as it's combined with chocolate I was thinking...Snickers!

Though it's called a pie, mine definitely wasn't, I wasn't too sure about making the cookie base into a pie crust as such, so kept it more like a cheesecake base so you can see the layers, I also didn't trust it to keep it's shape enough to dish up.

I will also say that I did change the recipe (not on purpose!), I got carried away and made the middle peanut chocolate filling in one big mix, which means I didn't add cream to the left over peanut filling (as there wasn't any), so just made the cream for the topping. It's also worth saying that adding icing sugar to the cream for whipping is a revolution. I'm actually not a huge fan of cream on its own but like this...I could eat it by the spoonful! But actually I think this all worked better - I always seem to do this and it always turns out better in the end so I'm going to mark this as a win.


Ingredients:

Base:
250g double chocolate cookies
175g butter, melted

Filling:
3 tbsp cornflour
160g caster sugar
550ml whole milk
3 large eggs
180g crunchy peanut butter
80g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids, chopped
250ml double cream

Topping:
250ml double cream
50g icing sugar
50 unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

One 9inch springform tin

Method:
1. First line the cake tin with baking paper, then blitz the cookies to a rough crumb in a food processor (or bash them in a bag with a rolling pin like me). Pour in the melted butter and blitz again. When both ingredients have come together in a rough paste, remove from the machine and tip into the lined tin.

2. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumb mixture evenly over the base and sides (or just the base like me), to a thickness of about 5mm, the place in the fridge to cool and set for about 40 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the cornflour with the sugar in a saucepan, then mix together the milk and egg yolks and pour this into the pan. Place over a low heat and cook until thickened, whisking continuously, then remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.
4. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over about the third of the hot peanut butter filling (or all of it like me!). Mix well until the chocolate has melted and the filling is smooth and even. Pour the chocolate filling into the chilled cookie base, then cover the pie with cling film to stop a skin from forming, and place back into the fridge for about 30-40 minutes to allow the filling to set. Cover the remaining peanut filling with cling film and set aside to cool.

 

5. In another bowl, whip the cream, either by hand or using a hand-held electric whisk, until it is thick and forms soft peaks. Once the remaining peanut-butter filling has completely cooled, fold in the whipped cream, ensuring it is mixed in well. Remove the pie from the fridge and top with the second part of the filling then place back into the fridge for 40-50 minutes.
6. Next make the topping. Whip the cream and the icing sugar until the cream forms soft peaks, then spoon on top of the set pie filling and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts to finish, I also added some extra bits of finely grated dark chocolate.

So in the end I'm quite happy I messed up, I think there would have been a lot of layers otherwise, has anyone made it? I am however a bit gutted, I got a bit carried away when mixing the filling and splattered the peanut filling over one of my new tops - must remember to not wear new light coloured tops when baking!! So looking for some good stain removal tips. Considering I have a ridiculous amount of aprons I should have been wearing one!

But having a big slab of this dessert cheered me up, calorie bomb it may be...but who ever made a dessert worrying about calories, odd indulgences are good for the soul. I feel so tired this week so a big sugar kick is just what I needed I think :)

Nom! x



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Vanilla Cupcakes With Nutella Buttercream

This weekend I was in the mood for some proper baking, the snow is still hanging around and the thought of baking made me feel a bit warmer! I love baking for others but sometimes it's nice to have something to gorge on yourself, and it's what sundays are made for isn't it. 

We've been talking about baking with Nutella at work the last week or so, and we all looooove Nutella so I literally couldn't shift it from my mind and just knew I had to do something about it. I think it was the thought of eating a cupcake that tasted like a Ferrero Rocher was too much of a good idea to ignore.

I also thought it would be a great excuse to try out a new cupcake recipe, I was getting a bit bored of my standard one as it wasn't coming out as moist as I wanted and whenever I've seen Cake Boss I've noticed that the batter is a lot runnier than mine so thought I should experiment with a batter that was more wet. Whenever I think of amazing cupcakes I think Hummingbird Bakery, I bought the Cake Days book last year and hadn't got round to trying any of the cupcake recipes yet so I decided to try of their bog standard Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. As you can see I decorate them in two ways...mainly because I realised I was running out of the buttercream when I did the big style above, but I think the ones underneath do actually look like a Ferrero Rocher...

I thought it would be better to keep the cupcake vanilla and have the buttercream as the Nutella part, but I couldn't resist adding some Norwegian chocolate with pieces of hazlenuts to it, which I stumbled upon this morning so thought it was fate! I was fully in the baking zone today I even made a point of using some of my super girly baking accessories, pink cupcake spoon measures and heart cup measures too.  I got some really funky cupcakes cases as part of my secret santa present at work, animal print ones! Love them, so thought leopard was the natural choice for this session, of course.

 

I've kept most of the cakes for work but we did have to test one or two at home...to make sure they were baked properly naturally...my brother even said it was the best cupcake he's ever had so that wasn't a bad compliment after my first go with the new recipe. Mondays are never brilliant either are they...so a completely indulgent cupcake should help start the day off.

Ingredients

240g plain flour
280g caster sugar
1tbsp baking powder (yep a whole tablespoon...I was scared too)
pinch of salt
80g unsalted butter, softened
240ml milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large family bar of chocolate with hazelnuts



Method

1. Using a hand-held or free-standing mixer with paddle attachments, slowly beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until the ingredients are well mixed in and resemble fine breadcrumbs.
2. Mix together the milk, vanilla essence and eggs by hand in a measuring jug.  With the mixer still on a low speed, pour three-quarters of the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated.  Add the rest of the milk mixture and beat again, now on a medium speeds, until the batter is smooth.
3. Spoon the batter into the cases, up to about two-thirds full.  If there is any batter left over, it can be used to fill up more cases, mine made 24 in the end.
4. Drop in a cube of the chocolate on top of the cake, or a dollop of Nutella if you prefer.
5. Pop into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sponges feel springy when you touch them.  Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutella Buttercream Ingredients

¾ cup Nutella

¼ cup butter, softened

2-3 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 bag chopped roasted hazelnuts

Method

1. Beat Nutella and butter.  Add icing sugar, vanilla and whipping cream.
You can adjust the thickness with the cream or icing sugar.  
2. Fill into a piping bag and pipe high onto the cupcakes and top with the chopped hazelnuts
3. Eat! Nom!

I also got to use my new cupcake carrier that I got for Christmas finally! Of course I made so many I had to put some in a normal tin as well but they're so convenient I'm tempted to get another one :)

On a side note, as much as I love the snow I can't wait for spring to come, it always makes me want to make scones and cakes with cream! I know you can make them all year...but it just tastes nicer in the spring doesn't it :)

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Sweet And Salty Chocolate Cake

As you know it was my birthday earlier last week and I had a full on baking session the day before. People at work are pretty serious about birthday baking so I had to up my game. I've spent the best part of the last six weeks baking for others, I never go to have any of it so I though I'd go all out with treats I could get to try myself rather than giving them away :)

I recently got the latest Hummingbird Bakery book, 'Cake Days', I've wanted one of their books for ages so was so excited when I first got my hands on it. I've gone through this book a million times now, and this recipe always stuck out and I knew it was something I just had to bake, it was going to be amazing too, you just know don't you?

So this, their sweet and salty chocolate cake is probably the most beautiful chocolate cake I have ever made. It's a bit of a giant too, made up for three layers, though I only managed to fit two inside my cake carrier so kept and iced the last one for home, which my family loved so that worked out well.
Mine's a bit on the wonk here as I had so many to take in got a bit shuffled around, I also should have put it on a nice plate first really for the picture shouldn't I? whoops :)

It does take quite a bit of time to make so you do need to dedicate an afternoon to it, but trust me people it is so worth it. I would also like to say you do need cutlery to eat this one, it's definitely not just a 'grab a piece' cake. I have to warn you though, the caramel is so good you might have to hide it until you use it as it is easily the yummiest caramel I have ever tasted and you will be tempted to just drink it! Sorry about the ugly picture below but I had to show you how thick the frosting was, you can see knife marks!

This recipe says you need three 8inch loose bottomed sandwich tins, I don't know about you but I certainly don't have three actual tins the same size? So I used three of the cake tins that you get in a set of two from the shop, and used three of the smaller sized one. As you probably know if you're a regular reader...I have a tin obsession so this was the only way I can ever make three the same size! This is also probably why mine came out so tall, the tins should have been a big bigger.

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 300g unsalted butter, softened.
• 300g caster sugar
• 140g soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100g cocoa powder (I used Green & Blacks)
• 160ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 330g plain flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2tsp salt

For the salty caramel:

• 200g caster sugar
• 2tbsp golden syrup
• 120ml double cream
• 60m soured cream
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

For the frosting:

• 200g caster sugar
• 2tbsp golden syrup
• 360ml double cream
• 450g dark chocolate, chopped, 70% minimum cocoa solids plus extra to decorate
• 450g unsalted butter, softened
• Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

 Method:

1. First make the salty caramel. In a small saucepan bring the sugar and golden syrup to the boil with 60ml water, allowing the mixture to boil for about 10 minutes, during which time it should become quite syrupy and a rich caramel colour.

2. Put the double cream, soured cream and salt into a separate pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. The salt should completely dissolve into the cream.

3. When the sugar syrup is ready, remove it from the heat and carefully add the hot cream. It will bubble up as you pour in the cream, but smooth out again quickly after that, becoming a creamier golden colour. Pour the caramel into a small bowl and set it aside to cool while you make the frosting.

4. In a small, clean saucepan, bring the caster sugar and golden syrup to the boil with 60ml water, again letting this boil for about 10 minutes or until it is syrupy and caramel coloured.

5. In a separate pan, bring the double cream to the boil.  Carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel; as before, it will bubble up but settle down again shortly afterwards. Set this caramel aside to cool slightly (Don't eat it! :) )

6. Once it has cooled, add the chopped chocolate, stirring constantly while the chocolate melts (don't worry it definitely will). Using a hand-held mixer, mix the frosting for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the bowl feels cold.

7. Add the butter to the chocolate caramel frosting and whisk together until the mixture is light and looks slightly whipped. Place the frosting in the fridge to cook and set for 40-50 minutes while you make the sponge.

8. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius, gas mark 3, and line the tins.

9. Using a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand-held one, cream together the butter and both types of sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.

10. In a jug stir together the cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla with 60ml of water to form a thick paste. Sift together the remaining sponge indredients, then add these in stages to the creamed butter and sugar, alternating with the cocoa powder paste and mixing thoroughly on a low-to-medium speed until all the ingredients are incorporated.

11. Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the top of each sponge feels springy to the touch. allow the sponges to cool slightly in their tins before turning out on to a wire rack and cooling completely before assembling.

13. Once the sponges feel cold to the touch, place one on a plate or cake board and top with approximately 2 tablespoons of the salty caramel, smoothing it over the sponge with a palette knife. Top the caramel layer with 3-4 tablespoons of the frosting and smooth it out as before.

14. Continue this process, sandwiching together the other two sponges with the remaining salty caramel and a layer of frosting and leaving enough frosting to cover the sides and the top of the cake. To finish decorate with some shaved/chopped chocolate and a light sprinkle of the sea salt flakes...although this isn't easy to get on the sides, so you kind of have to throw the chocolate/salt at the sides!

15. Eat! Nom! Pin It Now!