Category: #cupcakehour baking tips

Apple charolette

INGREDIENTS

1 lb (450 g) apples – half Bramley and half Cox’s if possible

1 tablespoon caster sugar

4 oz (110 g) butter

6 slices bread from a large loaf, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick with crusts removed

1 egg yolk

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples first of all, rinse them in cold water and put them in a saucepan with the sugar and 1 oz (25 g) of the butter.

Cook them over a low heat until they are soft enough to beat into a purée. Beat them and leave on one side to cool. Meanwhile melt the remaining 3 oz (75 g) of butter gently, and cut each slice of bread into rectangles.

Next brush each piece of bread with melted butter (both sides), being careful not to leave any unbuttered patches, then line the pudding basin with approximately three-quarters of the bread (or as much as you need). Don’t leave any gaps between the pieces – overlap them and press firmly.

When the apple purée has cooled, beat the egg yolk into it and fill the lined basin with the mixture. Finally seal the top with overlapping slices of the remaining bread. Place a suitably sized ovenproof plate on top of the pudding and weight it down with a 2 lb (900 g) scale weight. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

After 30 minutes place the basin (with the weight still on it) in the oven to bake for 35 minutes. Then, with an oven cloth, remove the plate and weight, and bake the pudding for another 10 minutes to brown on top. Leave the pudding to settle in the basin for a minute after removing from the oven, then carefully invert it on to a warmed plate to serve.

Apple Charlotte

INGREDIENTS

1 lb (450 g) apples – half Bramley and half Cox’s if possible

1 tablespoon caster sugar

4 oz (110 g) butter

6 slices bread from a large loaf, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick with crusts removed

1 egg yolk

EQUIPMENT

You will also need a 1 pint (570 ml) pudding basin.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples first of all, rinse them in cold water and put them in a saucepan with the sugar and 1 oz (25 g) of the butter.

Cook them over a low heat until they are soft enough to beat into a purée. Beat them and leave on one side to cool. Meanwhile melt the remaining 3 oz (75 g) of butter gently, and cut each slice of bread into rectangles.

Next brush each piece of bread with melted butter (both sides), being careful not to leave any unbuttered patches, then line the pudding basin with approximately three-quarters of the bread (or as much as you need). Don’t leave any gaps between the pieces – overlap them and press firmly.

When the apple purée has cooled, beat the egg yolk into it and fill the lined basin with the mixture. Finally seal the top with overlapping slices of the remaining bread. Place a suitably sized ovenproof plate on top of the pudding and weight it down with a 2 lb (900 g) scale weight. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

After 30 minutes place the basin (with the weight still on it) in the oven to bake for 35 minutes. Then, with an oven cloth, remove the plate and weight, and bake the pudding for another 10 minutes to brown on top. Leave the pudding to settle in the basin for a minute after removing from the oven, then carefully invert it on to a warmed plate to serve.

pastel de elote,Mexican corn cake

melted butter, to grease
500 g(3 cups) fresh corn kernels
395 gtin sweetened condensed milk
80 gbutter, melted
1 tspnatural vanilla essence or extract
4eggs, at room temperature
110 g(¾ cup) plain flour
2 tspbaking powder
½ tspsalt

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush a 9 cm x 21.5 cm loaf tin with the melted butter to grease and then line the base and two long sides with one piece of non-stick baking paper.

Combine the corn kernels, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla in a food processor until almost smooth. Add the eggs and process briefly until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and process until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the lined tin. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool

TORTUGA RUM CAKE

Basic Cake Mix
2  cups cake flour
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4  teaspoons baking powder
1  teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup butter, cut into bits
3  tablespoons  vegetable oil

For the Cake
1⁄2 cup  finely chopped walnuts
1 (3 1/2ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1⁄2 cup milk
4  eggs
1⁄2 cup  whaler vanille rum (Hawaiian-style rum)
1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum soaking Glaze
1⁄2 cup butter (do not substitute)
1⁄4 cup water
1  cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup  whaler vanille rum (Hawaiian-style rum)

Basic Cake Mix:
In a large mixing bowl, combine basic cake mix ingredients.On low speed combine ingredients until the mix is the consistency of fine gravel, and all particles are about the same size.This mix may be contained and stored for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees.Spray a large Bundt pan (12 cup) with nonstick cooking spray.Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on the bottom.Place Basic Cake Mix, pudding mix, milk, eggs, rum, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and combine on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl halfway through.Batter should be very smooth.Pour into Bundt pan.Bake for about 55 minutes- until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back.Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack while making the soaking glaze.

Rum Soaking Glaze
:Combine butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan.Bring to a boil carefully as mixture boils over very easily.Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup is well combined and a little thicker.Remove from the heat and add the rum, mix to combine.While cake is still cooling, pour some of the hot syrup on top of the cake, allowing it time to soak in (this may take a few minutes as there will be a lot of syrup) continue to add syrup until all of the syrup is added.Allow cake to cool completerly in pan before turning out onto serving platter.This cake is delicate, so once it is turned out, it can not be moved around easily.Can be eaten when fully cool, but even better the next day!

Blueberry buckle

A Canadian dessert well worth a try blackberries work as well

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
TOPPING:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in blueberries. Pour into greased 9-in. square baking pan.For topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture.Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Tips on making gelato

buy organic milk and cream and free-range eggs

making sure that everything is as fresh as can be.

If you’re adding flavorings or ingredients, such as chocolate, vanilla or fruit, spring for high-quality products

real vanilla, or even actual vanilla beans, makes far better vanilla ice cream than imitation vanilla.

Flavorings, especially extracts or alcohol, should be added when cooked custard has cooled

After you’ve made the custard, it’s important to chill it in the refrigerator

aging” the mixture overnight in the fridge is best

Aging will enable the mixture to be aerated as much as possible

Tips on pie making

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processing fresh mint with the sugar before tossing it with the fruit, you can permeate the whole filling with a fresh, herbal flavor

peaches and cherries can be especially juicy when they’re ripe, you’ll want to collect it.boil it .add it back

For a blueberry pie spread creme fraiche across the par baked crust

add a generous amount of lemon zest in the filling and as garnish

Add fresh herbs. Chop them up and mix them with the fruit; pulse them into the sugar

Add tarrogon scented butter to peach pie

try rubbing citrus zest—lemon, orange, lime, even grapefruit—into your sugar before mixing it with the fruit

For a concentrated flavor, add a drop (go slowly) of lemon, peppermint, or almond extract

For another layer of toasty richness,brown a few tablespoons of butterbefore mixing it into the filling

Sprinkle a layer of cookie crumbs over the dough before piling in the fruit.

Baking tips–soda bread

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use unbleached, fresh, locally milled flour of the soft wheat or pastry flour variety

Avoid using self-rising flour, which already contains baking powder and salt,

cutting a cross on top of the bread began to help the bread bake evenly.

use a fresh box of baking soda to prevent unnecessarily dense bread.

Preferably use buttermilk

If you dont have it make your own by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to two cups of low-fat milk.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C and bake for a further 30-40 minutes

Cool on a wire rack, traditionally the loaf was cooled standing on its side

Enjoy you can follow the baking tips on twitter #cupcakehour every tuesday night @croitralee

madeleines

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be sure to freeze the pans and then get the filled pans in the oven right away

You can even go so far as to freeze the already filled pans for about 10 minutes before

mix the flour, sugar, and eggs first and add the melted butter last.

The batter also needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and hydrate the four.

You can leave it for longer than that, even overnight.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan,get it slightly toasty brown

freeze them in a double wrapping of plastic wrap for several months.

Store cooled madeleines in an airtight container for a few days

Chef noel writes a weekly baking tips for twitter hour #cupcakehour @chefnoelk

And follow on instagram @chefnoelkeane