Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

As it was our third wedding anniversary i was looking for something to represent cotton.I couldn't find anything then i had a brainwave.I decided to make some edible decorations that could be hung up on our christmas tree.The cotton bit would be represented by the cotton that i would thread through the biscuits and tie together so that i could hang them onto the tree.

 

Ingredients

60g cranberries.
225g butter.
100g caster sugar.
225g plain flour.
60g semolina.

Recipe

1.Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2.Add your cranberries to a mixing bowl.
3.Add the butter to the mixing bowl.
4.Add the caster sugar to the mixing bowl.
5.Add the plain flour to the mixing bowl.
6.Add the semolina to the mixing bowl.
7.Using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture comes together.
8.Lightly flour your work surface and knead your dough very gently until it becomes smooth.
9.Shape your dough into a ball then flatten it into a disc.Wrap in cling-film and place in your fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
10.Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
11.Roll out your dough to roughly 4mm thickness.
12.Using a heart shaped cutter stamp out your cookies and place on your lined baking trays.
13.Place your trays of cookies into your fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
14.Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees c/325 degrees f/gas mark 3.
15.Bake the cookies in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until pale golden brown.
16.Remove your cookies from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar.
17.Transfer to wire racks to cool.

As ever they took longer to cook in my oven but they turned out lovely with a perfect shortbread crunch.When i tried to pierce a hole in one corner of the hearts they kept breaking so i just did a few to hang on the Christmas tree then put the rest in a fancy box.

 

The Monday Baker

Banana And Cranberry Loaf

I had some bananas that needed using up so decided to make a banana loaf.As it was also christmas time i decided to add some cranberries to it.

 

Ingredients

100g demerara sugar.
150g light brown sugar.
2 eggs.
Ripe bananas.
280g plain flour.
2tsp baking powder.
140g butter.
2tsp cinnamon.
50g cranberries(dried or fresh).
 
Recipe

1.Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees c/325 degrees f/gas mark 3.
2.Butter the inside of a 2lb loaf tin and line the base and ends with buttered baking parchment.
3.Whisk the demerara sugar and light brown sugar with the eggs until thoroughly combined.
4.Mash the bananas and add to the whisked sugar.
5.Add the cranberries to the mixture.
6.Stir all the above ingredients together.
7.Sift the flour into the mixture.
8.Sift the baking powder into the mixture.
9.Fold the sifted flour and baking powder in using a metal spoon.
10.Melt the butter and add to the bowl,mixing thoroughly until combined.
11.Spoon the batter into your prepared tin.
12.Sprinkle with your cinnamon.
13.Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
14.Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

 

The cranberries combined well with the banana and created a nice seasonal variation of an old favourite.

                                                                                                      The Monday Baker

 

Homemade Chocolate Brazils

Mrs Monday Baker really likes chocolate brazils.She even says that one year she bought some that were covered in Cadburys chocolate(Her favourite chocolate).She said she had never been able to buy them since so i decided to make some for her.

I bought a packet of shelled brazil nuts and two bars of Cadburys Dairy Milk. I then covered two trays in baking paper ready to lay my brazil nuts on once i had dipped them in chocolate.I skewered the brazil nuts with cocktail sticks before melting the two bars of Dairy Milk in jug.I then dipped the brazil nuts into the melted chocolate.After letting the excess chocolate drip off of the brazil nuts i then placed them on the prepared trays.When i had covered all the brazil nuts in chocolates i then placed the trays into the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.Once it had hardened i then took pulled the cocktail sticks out of the brazil nuts.

 

They turned out really well the only downside being the tiny little holes that the cocktail sicks left in the sides

                                                                                                                   The Monday Baker

Handmade Chocolates(2013)

 

With the help of Mrs Monday Baker we made some chocolates again this year for my family.We used white chocolate,dark chocolate and milk chocolate either separately or a mixture of two flavours.These were made in various shapes,as you will see from the pictures,to provide some variety.Mrs Monday Baker also made her brandy soaked cherry chocolates.

This year we placed the chocolates in a converted Ferrero Rocher box that we had saved.We took the cardboard inlay out and removed the plastic insert. and replaced it with some blue tissue paper.We then cut out a seasonal picture and covered over the Ferrero Rocher label on the front of the box,This gave them an even more professional touch than last year.
 
 

                                                                                                                    The Monday Baker

White Cob Loaf

 

I decided to make a white loaf using my usual white loaf recipe but instead of making it in a tin i just shaped it into a round cob shape before proving it.I usually have trouble trying to make loaves that are round but this time i place it in a round bowl to stop it from spreading out.I also sliced the cob before baking.

                                                                                                                 The Monday Baker

 

 

Cheese And Bacon Cob Loaf

 

I made a Cheese and Bacon Loaf using my usual recipe only this time i made it into a cob shaped loaf.

 

 

The Monday Baker

Rhubarb And Apple Pie

I had a tin of  Rhubarb that had been in the cupboard for a while and i had some apples that needed using up so i decided to make a pie with these ingredients.

 

Ingredients

250g plain flour.
50g icing sugar.
Salt.
125g butter.
A selection of apples.
1 tin of rhubarb.


Recipe

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees c/350 degrees f/gas mark 4.
2.Add the flour to a mixing bowl.
3.Add the icing sugar.
4.Add a pinch of salt.
5.Cut the butter into pieces and add to the bowl.
6.Use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients,until it resembles breadcrumbs.
7.Crack the egg into the bowl and gently mix with your hands until the dough comes together.
8.Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge to rest whilst you prepare the filling.
9.Peel and core your apples.
10.Open your tin of rhubarb and pour into a bowl.Add your peeled and cored apples and mix together.
11.Lightly dust your worksurfce with flour.
12.Take your  dough from the fridge and divide into two.
13.Roll out one half of your pastry to about 1/2cm thick.
14.Lay your pastry onto your dish,easing the pastry into the edges.
15.Pour the apple and rhubarb mix into the dish,making sure to fill the dish all over.
16.Roll out your other piece of dough to the same thickness and place it over the top of your pie.
17.Crimp the edges of your pie together.
18.Brush the top of your pie with a little bit of egg.
19.Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes,until golden.

The bonus of using a tin of rhubarb was that it was already cooked so i didn't have to cook it.I didn't even cook the apples as some recipes suggest i just threw them straight in.The pie came out lovely,with a nice crisp crust and firm base.No soggy bottom for me.

                                                                                                              The Monday Baker