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
 

White Bread Rolls

I had the weekend off which usually means that at least one of the days i end up having some sort of sandwich or roll for breakfast,containing either bacon or sausage.To this end i decided to make some White Bread rolls.I just used a White Bread recipe then after the first rising of the dough i cut the dough into small pieces and made the rolls.

Ingredients

500g white bread flour.
2 tsp easy dried yeast.
330 ml water.
1 tsp salt.

Recipe

1.Add the flour to a mixing bowl.
2.Add the salt to one side of the mixing bowl.
3.Add the yeast to the other side of the mixing bowl.
4.Add the water and mix until the ingredients are all combined and the sides are dry.
5.Lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough onto it.
6.Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7.Place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm.
8.Leave in a warm place to rise for at least one hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
9.Lightly grease a baking tray or 2.
10.Lightly flour your work surface again and turn out your risen dough onto it .
11.Knock back your dough for a few minutes.
12.Cut your dough into equal sized pieces.
13.Roll each piece of dough into a small ball with your hands.
14.Place onto your prepared baking tray/s.
15.Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for at least one hour or until doubled in size.
16.Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees c/400 degrees f/gas mark 6.
17.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.
18.Take out of your oven and place your rolls on a wire rack to cool.

My rolls didn't rise as well as i would have liked.Part of the problem this time seemed to be that they spread outwards more than rising.
I need to find a way to stop them spreading outwards.Maybe i will put each rolled out dough ball in a section of a large muffin tin.

 

 

The Monday Baker

 

Cheese And Bacon Loaf

 

To make my Cheese and Bacon Loaf  i just used a recipe for an ordinary white loaf and added cheese and bacon to the dough.

Ingredients

500g white bread flour.
2 tsp easy dried yeast.
330ml water.
1 tsp salt.
175g cheese.
175g bacon.

Recipe

1.Fry the bacon until lightly cooked.
2.Grate the cheese.
3.Add the flour to a mixing bowl.
4.Add the salt to the mixing bowl.
5.Add the yeast too the mixing bowl.
6.Add the bacon to the mixing bowl.
7.Add the cheese to the mixing bowl.
9.Stir the above ingredients in.
10.Make a well in the mixing bowl and add the water.
11.Mix the ingredients with the water till they are combined.
12.Lightly flour your work surface and turn your dough out onto it.
13.Knead for about 10 minutes or so.
14.Put your dough into a bowl and cover with cling film.Leave in a warm place to rise for at least an hour or until doubled in size.
15.Lightly grease a large loaf tin.
16.Lightly flour your work surface again and turn out your dough.Knock back for a few minutes then place in your prepared loaf tin.
17.Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for at least 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
18.Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees c/400 degrees f/gas mark 6.
19.Bake your loaf in the oven for 35-40 minutes.When it is done it should sound hollow when tapped on the base.
20.Remove from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.

 

The loaf turned out really well although it rose quite a lot in the loaf tin causing it to overhang the tin.Having said that this did give the slices the old traditional look of bread when it was cut,with a larger,curved top end.

 

The Monday Baker

  

Banana Loaf

I was given some walnuts by a colleague of mine who had picked them whilst out on a constitutional.I looked for something i could use them in and found a recipe for a Banana Loaf.This recipe used pecans so i just substituted my walnuts instead.

 

Ingredients

100g demerara sugar.
150g soft light brown sugar.
2 eggs.
2 ripe bananas.
280g plain flour.
2tsp baking powder.
140g unsalted butter.
50g walnuts.
2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Recipe

1.Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees c/325 degrees f/gas mark 3.
2.Butter a large loaf tin and line the base and ends with a strip of buttered parchment paper.
3.Put the demerara sugar into a bowl.
4.Add the soft light brown sugar to the bowl.
5.Add the eggs to the bowl.
6.Whisk the above ingredients together until combined.
7.Mash the bananas and mix into the above mixture.
8.Sift the flour into the mixture.
9.Sift the baking powder into the bowl.
10.Fold the above ingredients in using a metal spoon.
11.Melt the butter and add to the mixture making sure it is mixed In thoroughly.
12.Spoon the batter into your prepared tin.
13.Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over your batter mixture.
14.Chop your walnuts and scatter over the top of your mixture.
15.Bake on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven for about 1 hour.A skewer inserted into the middle of your cake should come out clean when your cake is done.
16.Remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing.


My cake was browning before the cake was cooked in the middle so i covered it with some foil for the last part of the bake.

The cake turned out really well and tasted fine despite my being worried that the cinnamion sprinkled over the top might overpower the taste.

The walnuts provided a nice crunchy topping although if i was to make it again i may experiment by mixing the walnuts in with the batter mixture.

 

 The Monday Baker

The Monday Baker vs Mrs Monday Baker

I had made a Farmhouse loaf and had shown it to Mrs Monday Baker.During the conversation following we had engaged in a bit of banter between each other.The upshot of it all was that Mrs Monday Baker said she would make a Farmhouse loaf by hand rather than in her Bread machine just to prove to me she could.
There is nothing like a bit of friendly competition,the results of which are presented below.

The Monday Bakers Version
 

Mrs Monday Bakers Version
 

The Monday Bakers Version
 

Mrs Monday Bakers Version
 

The Monday Bakers Version
 

Mrs Monday Bakers Version
 

 

 

I will leave it up to you to decide whose version of the Farmhouse loaf looks the best.

 

The Monday Baker

Chocolate Smartie Cookies

Chocolate cookies with smarties added,whats not to like.I am partial to chocolate and i like smarties so this recipe by Jo Wheatley was right up my street.

Ingredients

200g butter.
300g soft brown sugar.
2 eggs.
1 tsp Vanilla extract.
360g plain flour.
40g cocoa.
1tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Pinch of salt.
1tsp baking powder.
200g smarties.

Recipe.

1.Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees c/325 degrees f/gas mark 3.
2.Line a baking tray(Or two) with parchment paper.
3.Soften the butter.
4.Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy.
5.Beat the eggs together in another bowl then add to the mixture of butter and sugar a little at a time.
6.Once the mixture is combined well add the vanilla extract.
7.Sift the flour into the mixture.
8.Sift the cocoa into the mixture.
9.Sift the bicarbonate of soda into the mixture.
10.Sift the salt into the mixture.
11.Sift the baking powder into the mixture.
12.Mix it together using the mixer until it reaches a clay like dough.
13.Fold in half of the smarties.
14.Using a spoon put your cookie dough mounds onto your prepared baking trays.
15.Stud your cookie dough mounds with the remaining smarties.
16.Bake for about 10 minutes on the middle shelf of your oven,taking them out at about halfway through and banging your tray on your work surface to knock out the air bubbles and flatten them.
17.When they are cooked leave them to cool slightly before placing them on a wire rack and leaving to cool completely.

Whilst these were fairly easy to make i did encounter a few issues.

1.The recipe said that these made 10 cookies.When i began spooning the mixture out i had done 10 and still had more left.I eventually made at least 12.

2.When they were cooking they began to enlarge and ended up stuck together.This was despite the fact that i had placed them well apart.

3.As ever my oven caused me some problems and i had to bake them for a lot longer.This caused the bottoms of some of them to be little bit burnt.

 

All in all though they were fine if a bit to big for my liking.Next time i make them i would either halve the amount of ingredients or just put a smaller amount in a mound and therefore make even more,albeit smaller ones.
                                                                                        
                                                                   The Monday Baker

Seeds And Grain Granary Loaf

I found a recipe for a basic granary bread which i adapted as i had some flour to use up.Instead of granary flour i used seeds and grain flour.This was topped up with white bread flour to the required amount.

Ingredients

200g white bread flour.
300g granary bread flour.
8g salt.
1tbsp caster sugar.
7g easy dried yeast.
100ml milk.
200ml water.
1tbsp sunflower oil.
1 egg yolk.
20g pumpkin seeds.

Recipe

1.Add the flours to a mixing bowl.
2.Add the salt to the mixing bowl.
3.Add the caster sugar to the mixing bowl.
4.Add the yeast to the mixing bowl.
5.Heat the milk and water together until it is lukewarm
6.Add the sunflower oil and stir to combine.
7.Make a well in the centre of the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
8.Once the mixture has come together lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough.
9.Knead for about 10 minutes or so until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
10.Shape your dough into a ball and place in a bowl.
11.Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for at least 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
12.Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin.
13.Tip your dough out onto your lightly floured work surface and knock back the dough for about a minute.
14.Shape your dough and place into the prepared loaf tin.
15.Cover your loaf tin and leave in a warm place to rise foe at least an hour or until doubled in size.
16.Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees c/400 degrees f/gas mark 6.
17.Brush the top of your loaf with the egg yolk and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.
18.Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.The loaf should sound hollow when tapped.
19.Cool the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes once you have baked it before turning it out into a wire rack.

I did not use pumpkin seeds on the top of my loaf as i had already used a seeds and grain flour.My loaf seemed to take ages to rise and certainly didn't rise as well as some of my loafs do.It tasted okay though.

                                                                                                                         The Monday Baker

Blueberry Muffin Loaf

We needed a cake in the house as the chocolate cake that Mrs Monday Baker had made 2 days ago had already been eaten(It was that good).I had some blueberries in the freezer so i decided to have a go at Jo Wheatleys 'Blueberry Muffin Loaf '.

 

Ingredients

Topping

25g plain flour.
20g unsalted butter.
20g caster sugar.

Muffin

200g self-raising flour.
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda.
75g soft brown sugar.
50g caster sugar.
70g unsalted butter.
160ml milk.
1 egg.
1tsp vanilla extract.
130g blueberries.


Recipe

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees c/350 degrees f/gas mark 4.
2.Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line the base and ends with baking paper or a loaf case.
3.To make the topping-Tip 25 g of plain flour into a bowl.
4.Melt 20g of butter.
5.Add 20g of caster sugar to the bowl.
6.Using your fingers rub the butter into the flour until it resembles a crumble mixture.When you have done this put to one side.
7.To make the loaf-Sift 200g of self-raising flour into another bowl.
8.Sift the bicarbonate of soda into the bowl of flour.
9.Add the brown sugar.
10.Add the caster sugar.
11.Mix the above ingredients together well.
12.Melt the butter and put aside to cool.
13.Add the milk to another bowl.
14.Add the egg to the bowl.
15.Add the vanilla extract to the bowl.
16.Add the cooled butter to the bowl and whisk the above ingredients until smooth.
17.Make a well in the centre of the bowl containing the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and milk mixture.
18.Fold the ingredients together using a large metal spoon until they are just combined.
19.Add the blueberries and fold into the mixture.Make sure not to overwork the batter as it will cause the sponge to become heavy.
20.Spoon the mixture into your prepared loaf tin.
21.Take your crumble mixture that you prepared earlier and scatter over the mixture.
22.Bake in the pre-heated oven for about one hour.It should be golden and well risen.Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake,and if it is ready it should come out clean.
   
I have previously made Jo's 'Blackberry and Apple Loaf Cake' and i had the same problem with that cake as i did with this.When i was trying to remove it from the tin it started to break in two.This time instead of carrying on i left it to cool for a while.This seemed to do the trick as when i attempted to remove it from the tin the second time it came out okay.

                                                                                                                      The Monday Baker

Traditional Farmhouse Loaf(Slight Variation).

I needed a loaf at the weekend so i decided to make my Traditional Farmhouse Loaf(See 'Making A Traditional Farmhouse Loaf ' post for the recipe).In the morning i had eaten a bowl of cereal which finished up the box.I don't know how others feel but i hate it when you get to the bottom of a box of cereal and there are a load of bits and not much actual cereal left.I usually counteract this by sifting the bits out with a small colander before tipping what is left into my bowl.The cereal i was finishing off this time was a cluster type cereal and i was left with tiny little grain like bits.When i saw them in the bowl i thought that i would save them as i could maybe use them for something.

This i duly did when i made my Farmhouse Loaf.After i had made the loaf and put it into my loaf tin to prove i sprinkled some of the grains onto the top of the loaf.The dough was still quite left so i hoped they would stick to the top.When i took the loaf out they had indeed stuck really well which made a nice change.Normally when i turn a loaf with seeds or grains on the top out they mostly tend to fall off.

When the loaf came out it had a lovely crust and had a satisfying crunch sound when it was sliced into.The crust in fact stayed lovely even the day after whereas normally it has softened by then.

 

                                                                                                  The Monday Baker

 

Helpfull Hints And Tips 3-Getting A Crust On Your Loaf

When i watch baking programmes on the television and someone is making a loaf they always seem to get  a nice crust on their loaf.This is something i have never seemed to be able to achieve,until i picked up this helpfull tip which i would like to share.
When you pre-heat your oven put your kettle on to boil some water.When this is boiled pour it into a tray of some sort(A roasting tray will do).Place this in the bottom of your oven and close the oven door again.Leave for about 5 minutes so that the oven becomes a bit like a steam room before putting your loaf in to bake.This should result in your loaf having a nice crust when it has finished baking.
                                                                                         
                                                                                                The Monday Baker

Marmite And Cheese Bread(Version 2).

I was on holiday recently and whilst away i visited a local market.This market featured two bakery stalls one of which sold a Marmite And Cheese Loaf.I decided to buy a loaf as i wanted to see how it compared to the one i make. I took it back to try it and was very disappointed as i couldn't taste the Marmite and the cheese element seemed to consist of a little sprinkling on the top.

It did inspire me to have a go at making it in a slightly different way to how i normally make it.I added my cheese into the dough mixture and i also added much more Marmite as i wanted to be able to taste it.It came out okay but i think i need to add even more Marmite next time.It did give off a wonderful smell whilst cooking and tasted lovely when toasted.

Ingredients

300ml lukewarm water
500g white bread flour.
1 1/2tsp salt.
1tsp granulated sugar.
15g soft butter.
7g yeast.
4oz cheddar cheese.
2 heaped teaspoonfuls of Marmite.

Recipe

1.Add the flour to the mixing bowl.
2.Add the salt to the mixing bowl.
3.Add the sugar to the mixing bowl.
4.Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl.
5.Add the yeast to the mixing bowl.
6.Grate the cheese and add to the mixing bowl.
7.Add the marmite to the mixing bowl.
8.Stir in the ingredients.
9.Add the lukewarm water and combine with the dry ingredients.
10.Lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough onto it.
11.Knead for ten minutes until smooth.
12.Place in a bowl,cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to rise for at least an hour until your dough has doubled in size.
13.Grease your loaf tin.
14.Knock back your dough and shape into a loaf to fit into your loaf tin.
15.Cover your loaf tin and leave in a warm place for at least an hour until doubled in size.
16.Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees c.
17.Uncover your loaf and sprinkle some cheese on top.
18.Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 40-50 minutes.
19.Take it out of your tin and if it sounds hollow when you tap it it is done.If it doesn't sound hollow place it on the middle shelf and bake out of the tin for about 5 minutes or so.
20.When it is cooked place on a wire rack and leave to cool.

                                                                                                 The Monday Baker

Pistachio And Orange Shortbread Hearts

It was Mrs Monday Bakers birthday recently so i decided to make her some biscuits as a present.I chose to make Jo Wheatleys 'Pistachio And Orange Shortbread Hearts'.I chose these for two reasons.One,they looked like they would be fairly easy to make,which they were.And,two,we were going to be away when it was her birthday so they needed to be something that was easily transportable.After i had made them i bought a fancy box from The Card Factory,put a tissue paper lining in turquoise in the box,and layed the biscuits inside.

 

Ingredients

60g unsalted shelled pistachios.
225g unsalted butter.
100g caster sugar.
225g plain flour.
60g semolina.
1 orange.

Recipe

1.Finely chop the pistachios.
2.Put the finely chopped pistachios into a mixing bowl.
3.Soften the butter and add to the mixing bowl.
4.Add the caster sugar to the mixing bowl.
5.Add the flour to the mixing bowl.
6.Add the semolina to the mixing bowl.
7.Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers.
8.Grate the zest of one orange and add to the mixture.
9.Work the ingredients until the mixture comes together.
10.Lightly flour your work surface and turn out your dough onto it.
11.Knead the dough very gently until it is smooth.
12.Shape the dough into a ball.
13.Flatten the ball into a disc.
14.Cover the disc in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
15.Lightly flour your work surface and roll your dough out to a thickness of about 4mm.
16.Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.
17.Using heart shaped cutters,stamp out your biscuits and arrange them on your baking trays.
18.Gather any dough offcuts and roll out again to make more biscuits.
19.Chill the biscuits for a further 30 minutes.
20.Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees c/325 degrees f/gas mark 3.
21.Bake the biscuits for about 15 - 20 minutes until very pale golden.
22.Remove the biscuits from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar.
23.Transfer the biscuits to wire racks and leave to cool.

 

The Monday Baker

Marmite Chocolates

Someone told me that they had released Marmite with chocolate and as someone who likes Marmite and chocolate i was intrigued.I naturally assumed that it was one of there limited edition jars that they occasionally release,like the Marmite XO.What it turned out to be was a chocolate bar with 2% of Marmite added.As i wasn't sure whether it would taste okay or not,plus it was quite expensive for a small bar,i decided not to purchase a bar.
Later at home i got to thinking,maybe i could attempt to make my own version.So i bought some cheap dark chocolate and set to.I melted the chocolate over a pan of boiling water in the usual way.When the chocolate was part melted i began to add the Marmite.I added a little at a time as i didn't want the Marmite to overpower the chocolate(I knew it would be a fine line between to much and too little).2 small teaspoonfuls seemed to be the right amount and i continued to melt the chocolate.The adding of the Marmite seemed to solidify the chocolate so when i began to add it to the moulds i had to push it in by the spoon rather than pour it in.
Unfortunately i ran out and had to make some more.When i tasted the chocolates after they had hardened you could tell which was the second batch as the consistency was not quite right.The first batch were perfect,in fact some people who tasted them,when told that the chocolate contained
Marmite,said that they didn't like Marmite,but these were lovely.

 

The Monday Baker

The Great British Bake Off Challenge 11-Chocolate Banana Bread

As it is National Chocolate Week i decided for my latest challenge i would make Chocolate Banana Bread.I had this in mind for a while but i needed bananas that were really ripe.Unfortunately bananas in our home very rarely reach that stage as they are eaten regularly.At last though some bananas had reached the over ripe stage.

 

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour.
A pinch of salt.
150g Caster sugar.
100g unsalted butter.
2 eggs.
250g(About 2 large or 3 medium)bananas.
75g dark chocolate.
100g walnut pieces.

Recipe

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees c/350 degrees f/gas mark 4.
2.Melt the butter and cool.
3.Add the flour to a mixing bowl.
4.Add the salt to the bowl.
5.Add the sugar to the bowl.
6.Mix the above ingredients together.
7.Add the melted and cooled butter to the bowl.
8.Beat the eggs and add to the bowl.
9.Roughly mash the bananas with a fork(There should still be some lumpy bits).
10.Add the mashed banana to the bowl.
11.Finely chop the chocolate and add to the bowl.
12.Add the walnut pieces to the bowl.
13.Mix together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
14.Grease a large loaf tin with butter.
15.Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and spread evenly.
16.Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 55 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.A skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean when it is done.
17.Leave to cool for 5 minutes when it is done before turning out onto wire rack and leaving to cool completely.

 

                                                                                         The Monday Baker