This week we’re making Oat cookies for our bakealong. A healthier bake, as the oats release energy slowly throughout the day.
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This Thursday 23 April marks the fourth birthday of local mobile afternoon tea emporium and baking school Room Forty. As you’ll be aware, I have been doing weekly LIVE bake alongs for Warrington Guardian every Friday at 12.00 via the Guardian’s Coronavirus news Facebook page.
To celebrate the milestone this week the theme will be cupcakes, decorated in any style, as cheerful and tasty as you can make them. Options will be given during the class! ‘We’re really proud to have made it to our fourth year in business, and although we’re not out there doing our vintage teas at the moment we still want to bring joy to people. I thought it would be a great idea to get people to join our celebration and send in pictures of themselves with their cake creations, with pictures in the next edition of Warrington Guardian!’ Room Forty will also bake 100 cakes and distribute them to key workers for a Friday afternoon treat to say thank you! If you wish to receive some please get in touch via email hello@roomforty.co.uk In this recipe I will show you how to make cupcakes and decorate them. If you have an electric whisk that’s great, but if you don’t have one you just need a strong arm! NOTE: the recipe says 2 large eggs, but if you can’t get them just weigh the eggs you do have and then use this measurement to weigh the flour, sugar and butter! Equipment Paper cases and a muffin tray Bowl Wooden spoon (or electric whisk) Teaspoon Weighing scales Jug Fork or whisk Ingredients 110g softened butter or margarine 110g caster sugar 2 large eggs ½ tsp vanilla extract 110g self-raising flour Buttercream 150g softened butter 300g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp milk food colouring paste of your choice (optional) Sprinkles (optional) Method
The eggy bit…
Buttercream recipe 100g butter – soft 200g icing sugar – sifted 1 tablespoon milk ½ teaspoon vanilla Few drops vanilla or other flavour
Last week in lockdown I experimented with a few recipes. Things that I know I won't be looking for in the shops when my head is down and I'm buying essentials...but I know the kids will love as a treat! And, best of all I got them to help make them :)
This was a great recipe, and doesn't use strong bread flour, so I thought it might be one that you like too. It does however use yeast. (I think it would work with strong flour too!) I do plan to try another baked doughnut recipe - for jam doughnuts. The other recipe uses strong flour but doesn't need yeast - it's one or the other! I cut holes out using a cutter, but in reality I think you could probably make a decent hole using a spoon in the middle and give it a good wiggle. NOTES: because the dough is enriched it does take some time to do the first prove and double in size. I would suggest 2 hours. Also, I made mine in the afternoon, knocked it back and shaped them and then put them in the fridge overnight for the second prove. It meant we could have them for breakfast. They DO need to be served warm - so just reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. BAKED DOUGHNUTS INGREDIENTS DOUGHNUTS: • 1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees • 2 teaspoons instant yeast • 2 tablespoons butter • 2/3 cup granulated sugar • 2 large eggs • 5 cups all-purpose flour • A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated • 1 teaspoon salt TOPPING: • 1/2 cup butter, melted • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar • 1 tablespoon cinnamon Instructions 1. Place the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Add the butter. Mix the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon and eventually your hands) for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablespoons at a time or more milk. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky - don't overflour! Knead the dough for a few minutes (again, by mixer or by hand) and then transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen). 2. Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter. Using a doughnut cutter or a 2-3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Carefully transfer the circles to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. Be sure to make the holes large enough that as the doughnuts rise again and bake, they don't fill in the doughnut hole with the puffiness of the dough. Cover the tray with lightly greased plastic wrap. (At this point, you can refrigerate the doughnuts overnight or proceed with the recipe.) Let the doughnuts rise for about another 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled. 3. Bake in a 375 degree F 190 c oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking the doughnuts around minute 8. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just barely baked through. 4. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately. Thanks tohttps://www.melskitchencafe.com/baked-doughnuts/e to edit.  This is an amazing versatile and tasty flat bread recipe. It is so quick, doesn't need any yeast and can use almost any flour that you have in your cupboards (today I will try it with gluten free flour and strong flour and update you in advance of Friday if they both work).
It is a great one to get the children in the kitchen, all you will need to do for them is the hot stuff. The recipe below makes 6 flatbreads, as I will demonstrate LIVE on Friday at 12.00pm on the Warrington Guardian Coronavirus Facebook page. I'll be showing you how to make the basic flatbread and then turn it into an Indian inspired bread, a garlic bread and a pizza. Once you have the hang of it I am sure you will be able to come up with your own inspired flavourings! I use butter as I like the flavour it brings to the bread, but you could substitute with olive oil, and similarly with the milk you could swap it for almond milk to make it vegan. Ingredients 300g plain flour (plus extra for rolling) 1/2 tsp salt 50g butter 185g milk A little oil for your pan Topping ingredients Garlic and butter to make garlic bread Passata or tomato puree and cheese to make pizza. Some dried herbs would be good too. Cumin seeds and coriander for Indian inspired bread Equipment Weighing Scales Frying pan Bowl Spoon/spatula Measuring jug Rolling pin (or bottle) Grill - if you want to heat the top of your pizza Method for the basic bread Melt the milk and butter in a pan or in the microwave Mix in the flour and knead lightly for a minute Split into six balls. Cover the ones you're not using so they dont dry out Roll the ball into a bread shape Heat a tiny bit of oil, and get your pan quite hot Put the bread in the pan and cook for around 2 minutes or until it begins to brown Turn it over and cook the other side. Watch the video for the other options! Available here after the LIVE EVENT Click here to I have been wracking my brain for ideas for you to make when you don’t want to make (and eat) a full cake, but you want a sweet treat. These recipes also need very few quantities of ingredients, which is great when some items are scarce!
Now these are not the prettiest cakes you’ll ever bake but they are fun and fast to make. We’ve gone chocolatey with an Easter inspired chocolate cake and a vanilla cake that you could use to treat someone special. You’ll need to keep an eye on them in the microwave (this is the fun bit - watch them rise high over the mug! They do shrink back down…. usually!). If you would like to bake along with me I will be live on Warrington Guardians Coronavirus Facebook page at 12.00 on Friday 10th April. Or you can watch it just afterwards on our Facebook page - or here (after it has aired!) Nutella Mug Cake Serves 2 (or one hungry person)
Equipment Large mug or jug Tablespoon measures Fork, spoon or small whisk to stir Sieve (not essential but helpful!) Instructions 1. In a mug, add in an egg, milk, vegetable oil, and Nutella. Stir until well combined. 2. Sift in flour and cocoa powder. Add in sugar and baking powder. And stir until well mixed. 3. Microwave for 1 minute and check, repeat microwaving for 10 seconds until the cake is done and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. Birthday cake in a mug Serves 2 (or one hungry person) 2tbsp butter 1 egg 2.5 tbsp milk 1tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup or 34g sugar 6 tbsp Self raising flour OR plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder Options, Jam/sprinkles/custard/cream – be adventurous! Options – you could also make this coffee or lemon flavoured. Grate the zest of one lemon into the mix, or dissolve 1tsp of instant coffee in 1 tsp of water and mix in. Add nuts, chocolate chips… experiment with your favourite flavours! Equipment Large mug or jug Tablespoon measures Fork, spoon or small whisk to stir Sieve (not essential but helpful!) Instructions
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AuthorJen Perry; loves discovering beautiful vintage china, eating cake and drinking proper tea. Archives
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