October 31, 2014

Halloween Biscuits

To celebrate and to embrace the Halloween season I decided to test out another of Biscuteers recipes. This time I took the recipe from their lovely ‘Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuites’ which is full of the most amazing recipes and pictures. It includes decoration ideas for nearly every celebration and special occasion. Take a look below at some of their designs.

Ingredients

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice

50g muscovado dark brown sugar

100g salted butter, diced 50g black treacle or molasses

 

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.

Add butter, Using the tips of your fingers, rub the ingredients together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or beat using an electric mixer.

When all the butter is evenly mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the treacle and bring it all together.

You will know when it is all mixed in as it will have an even colour all over with not too many streaks of treacle.

Place the dough onto a clean worktop. Divide into two and squash the dough into two even-sized flat discs. Cover and chill until ready to use or roll out immediately.

Place the dough on a sheet of parchment and begin by gently squashing the dough down with a rolling pin or your hands. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and then use the rolling pin to roll out properly. The top sheet of paper may crinkle from time to time, just peel it off and smooth it down gently before starting to roll again.

Preheat the oven to 170c.

Gently roll the dough until it is 5mm thick all over, then transfer the whole sheet of rolled dough still sandwiched between its sheets of parchment to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 – 30 minutes before cutting.

To use the dough efficiently cut the biscuits out using your halloween cutters as close together as possible. Lift each biscuit onto the parchment covered baking tray and make sure they are not too close together as the dough will spread a little on baking. Any trimmings can be re-rolled a couple of times.

Evenly space the trays in the oven and cook for 14-18 minutes, depending on your oven

When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn a golden colour remove the trays from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack. Do this carefully as the biscuits will be quite fragile and hot! Cool totally before starting to ice.

Now the fun begins…Icing!! If your not familiar with the terms of line and flood icing take a look at this link. www.biscuiteers.com/blog/blog/recipes/royal-icing-recipe-flood-and-line-techniques

Black Bat

Ice around the outline of the bat with black line icing and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood the body with black runny icing. Allow to dry completely. Add 2 eyes with yellow line icing.

Ghoulish Ghost

Outline the body of the ghost in white line icing, then outline the eyes and mouth in orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood with white runny icing and allow to completely dry.

Perfect Pumpkins

Outline the pumpkin, eyes and mouth with orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Outline the stalk with green line icing and fill with green flood icing, Allow to dry again for 5 minutes. Fill the pumpkin with orange flood icing and allow to dry completely.

 

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October 29, 2014

Biscuiteers Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

With Halloween approaching, tempt everyone with these festive pumpkin spice cupcakes. They are undoubtedly a crowd pleaser with their fun designs. They not only look good though they taste delicious, full of spice and warmth.

My exciting news of the week was Biscuiteers loved my blog so much they provided me with the recipe. I tested immediately as I wanted to share it with you all. If my family are anything to go by, these cupcakes are a winner, they disappeared overnight. Why not try them now to share at your Halloween party?

If you’re too busy to make your own, get Biscuiteers Halloween Cupcakes delivered to your door, ahead of the big day! http://www.biscuiteers.com/shop/find-the-perfect-pressie/halloween/halloween-cupcakes

Ingredients:

175g light muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

175ml sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g sultanas

200g coarse grated pumpkin flesh

2 tsp ground cinnamon

200g self-raising flour

zest of 1 orange, grated

50g jelly snakes (optional)

1 tsp baking soda

Heat your oven to 180C/160C(fan)/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Pour into a large boil the oil along with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Beat this mixture together and then add the grated pumpkin, sultanas and orange zest.

Add in the cinnamon, flour and baking soda and stir.

Spoon half of your mixture into 6 of the cases and then add the jelly worms into the remaining cases with the rest of the mixture (these will be the “tricks”, to go with the “treats”!)

Put the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the cupcakes are springy to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing:

250g icing sugar

125g butter

1kg white regal ice fondant

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Paste colours: Red, Green, Black, Orange and Purple.

Mix the butter and the icing sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy then add in the vanilla bean paste and mix until the beans are evenly distributed.

Mix up some line icing (see here for help with this: http://www.biscuiteers.com/blog/blog/recipes/royal-icing-recipe-flood-and-line-techniques) and colour with black, white and red.

Use the colour paste to colour fist sized balls of the regal ice fondant, making sure there is no marbling once the fondant is rolled out.

Spoon your vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcakes and then cover with the different colours of ice fondant.

To decorate the eye ball cupcakes:

Roll the white fondant out to a thickness of 5mm (you can use cornflour on your work top to prevent the fondant sticking). Cut out circles that measure 7cm in diameter.

Roll out the lime green fondant to a thickness of 5mm, then cut out circles that measure 3cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Add the lime green disk in the middle of the cupcake, then either using black line icing or black fondant, add a black pupil.

Using the red line icing, pipe thin veins coming from the central circle, to create the bloodshot eyeball effect.

To decorate the spiderweb cupcakes:

Roll the orange fondant to a thickness of 5mm and cut out circles that measure 7cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Using the black line icing within an piping bag, pipe the black icing onto the orange fondant into a spider’s web design.

To decorate the purple BOO! cupcakes:

Roll out the purple fondant to a thickness of 5mm, then cut out circles that measure 3cm in diameter.

Put a tablespoon sized heap of the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcake. Then cover with the white fondant smooth down any lumps. The aim is to form a smooth dome.

Using white line icing pipe the words ‘BOO!’ or ‘Happy Halloween’. Allow to dry.

You can get really creative with eyeballs, spider webs, witches, ghosts, black cats and much more besides. For some inspiration take a look at our designs below. Or if you’ve not got the time to get baking yourself, why not get a delivery of Halloween Cupcakes from the Biscuiteers!

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October 28, 2014

Ultimate Spiderweb Halloween cake

This chocolatey red velvet cake is a real showstopper. The buttermilk makes a velvety smooth sponge and along with the silky chocolate ganache, creates a sublime cake.

Ingredients

200g salted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

350g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 ½ tbsp cocoa powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

375g caster sugar

3 eggs

1½ tsp vanilla extract

284ml carton buttermilk

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 x 10g packs Dr Oetker red gel food colour

 

Cream Cheese Filling

120g salted butter at room temperature

120g soft cream cheese

120g icing sugar

 

Chocolate Ganache

300ml carton double cream

250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1½ tbsp golden syrup

50g white chocolate, roughly chopped

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Grease the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. Sift together all the dry ingredients except the sugar, set aside.

Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar for 1 minute.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.

Beat in ¼ the dry ingredients, then 1/3 the buttermilk and repeat, until fully combined.

Mix the vinegar and food colouring together; beat into the mixture.

Scrape into the tin and spread until level; tap the tin on the work surface to knock out any air bubbles.

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool completely in the tin.

For the filling, use electric beaters to beat together the butter, soft cheese and icing sugar.

Remove the cake from the tin and cut horizontally into 3 even layers (use a serrated knife). Take the bottom layer and place on a baking sheet, spread with ½ the filling, then repeat with the middle layer of cake and remainder of the filling; top with the final layer of cake. Leave to set in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

For the icing, melt the cream, chocolate and golden syrup together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Melt the white chocolate in another bowl using the same method and pour into a small piping bag.

Invert the cake onto a wire rack so there is a flat surface for the icing; set over a tray to catch the drips. Working quickly, pour the dark chocolate icing over the middle of the cake and allow the ganache to drip down the sides.

If the cake is not covered in chocolate ganache use a palette knife to push the icing over the sides to create an even coating over the whole cake.

Starting slightly off centre, pipe a white chocolate spiral from the centre of the cake out to the edges.

 

Take a cocktail stick and, starting from the centre, pull it through the white chocolate to the outside. Repeat, working around the cake, to create a spider’s web effect.

Let the icing set for about 20-30 minutes. To store, keep refrigerated, and bring to room temperature before eating.

With thanks to http://www.waitrose.com

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October 23, 2014

Bakewell Tarts

Perfect little homemade Cherry Bakewells that taste even better than the shop bought ones! Cherry bakewell tarts have to be one of my favourite teatime cakes. Buttery shortcrust pastry, lined with a cherry jam, filled of frangipane and topped with sweet icing and half of a cherry. Ideal for that afternoon snack enjoyed with a cup of tea or even for a children’s party.

Ingredients

For the pastry

100g butter chilled and cubed

200g plain flour sifted

40g icing sugar sifted

1 free-range egg, beaten

For the frangipane

55g butter or baking spread

55g caster sugar

1 free-range egg beaten

40g ground almonds

1 tbsp plain flour

For the topping and filling

85g icing sugar

water

glace cherries

Jam of your choice

Preparation method

Put the flour and cubed cold butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add the caster sugar and beaten egg and mix, until it starts to form a ball. you want it to be soft but not too sticky.

Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 170C.

Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Unwrap the pastry, sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3mm/⅛ in.

Use a round cutter to cut 12 circles that are slightly larger than the muffin tin so when you push the pastry in the greased muffin tray the round circles will form a cup shape.

Use a little left over dough to push the dough to the bottom on the muffin tray and to the edges. This will stop finger nails from taring the dough while pushing it into shape.

 

Next cut some circles of baking parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice.

This will help the dough keep its shape while cooking it in the oven. Bake for 10minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully take the rice and baking paper off the tarts. Put the tarts back into the oven for another 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the pastry and make sure the edges don’t burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.

For the frangipane, place the butter, caster sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and looks pale.

Next add the ground almonds, flour and the beaten egg. Mix together until combined.

Take your pastry cases and place half a teaspoon of the jam into the bottom of each tart.

Top with the frangipane mixture and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the frangipane is risen and golden. Cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

For the topping, mix the icing sugar with a little water to form a thick paste. Spread over the cooled tarts and top each with one half of a glace cherry. Yummy!

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