Outsider Tart, Chiswick {bakery tour}

I have been a fan of the David’s the owners of Outsider Tart since I bought myself a copy of their book 2 summers ago. I have stated more then once my love for their book Baked in America. I even traveled to Oxford to get them to sign it. So it's a bit odd that this was my first visit to the shop, store, café, bakery, all of the above?  

Thursday after my day at Cake Boy (see previous entry) my friend Lauren, picked me up and to avoid rush hour traffic hung out at Outsider Tart for a bit. It was on our way back to Berkshire, not that I needed an excuse to visit!

The day before I had tweeted them @OutsiderTart and asked what I should try as my birthday treat. I had a reply saying I should ask for him (David) when I got there because he was working on an ice cream sandwich.

Before I get to the ice cream sandwich can I just say that if you are planning to visit Outsider Tart you should go on Thursday night because it’s Chili Night and the chili was amazing! It was accompanied by the best corn bread I think I have ever had. Or at least the best I have had since I left Indiana in 1998.

Back to the ice cream sandwich…it was good! It was gorgeous! The vanilla ice cream middle was the perfect balance to the rich chocolate cookie outside. I hope they decide to add it to the menu! 

Thank you so much David for letting me try it out! I hope to visit again soon!!

notes: Outsider Tart official site; In my find what you're looking for under 'O' you'll see Outsider Tart click that and you'll see all the stuff I baked from their book, my visit to their market stall, and the time I meet them in Oxford at a book signing! :0) 

Adventures at Cake Boy [Battersea]

In the words of my little one: Best Day Ever!

Before Christmas (last year) I started looking around for a baking class to attend. There are a few here and there around London, a couple outside of London as well, but Eric Lanlard’s at Cake Boy seemed the best by far. Along with the fact that there was one on my birthday it seemed like fate.

The day started with breakfast and a briefing by Eric, before getting on to the baking. The first half we made 3 delicious treats a Yuzu Tart in a Matcha pastry, a Light Fruit Cake, and a Valhrona Chocolate Mousse on a crunchy praline base. We paused in the middle for a delicious lunch before finishing the day with decorating our treats!

(When I got home I set my bag on the counter and the fruit loaf slipped down off the top of the boxes and brought the whole bag to the flour. I was so upset, but thankfully everything was alright. Only a few bumps and bruises, still edible, which is the only important part!)

It was obvious that Eric and staff have done this before it was very well organized and the day ran very smoothly. The best part was that I didn't have to clean up after. Bowls and spatulas would just disappear and come back clean, it was like magic. The other four ladies I was with were very lovely and we all got on very well. In fact everyone was amazing especially Eric, he was patient and gave very clear instructions, everything you'd want in a teacher. The staff working that day were also very friendly and helpful! 

We took home all our treats, along with the aprons we wore, and a goody bag full of baking essentials. Let me just say I have tried all of them since I have been home and they are all amazing. My favorite is the Yuzu Tart. The yuzu has such a refreshing yet tart taste it’s delicious. All of the treats we made are more then doable at home, but I don't know that they are the type of things I would bake at home. It's another reason I chose this class. Oh and if you want to try the Yuzu Tart it's in Tart it Up! 

It was a great experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you Eric and everyone at Cake Boy for making it a great experience. A bigger thanks to my Mom and Dad for sending me!

Oh and I forgot to mention I had a fun birthday cupcake!

notes: most of the pictures are mine save for a few that were sent to me from one of the ladies on the course with me!; for classes at Cake Boy; my review of Chocolat; my review of Tart it Up!; my first thoughts on Home Bake 

Bake Brave today on World Baking Day!

Happy World Baking Day!! 

Have you been Baking Brave today?? 

If you have young kids and want to bake something easy, but super delicious with them today check out level 10 on the World Baking Day website, for Banana CinnaMuffins! 

If you don't have kids and you want something to make your house smell amazing and to show off to friends these muffins are perfect for that too!! 

Yum!!

Place in a 2lb loaf tin for an alternative bake! 

Thank you Janet! 

All you need to make this delicious bake!! 

You probably have all of this in your cupboard.... so go make them!! 

Age is Just a Number {lemon poppy seed scones}

Today is my birthday.

Not just any birthday, my thirtieth. See I wrote it out as it looks better then in-your-face numbers.

Honestly though I am not overly bothered about turning thirty. I knew it was going to happen one day. Next year will probably make me freak out a little, but that's a whole year away!

I need to focus on today and tomorrow. Today while you read this I will be baking with Eric Lanlard in his Spring Baking Mad course. Thanks to my Mom & Dad! I can't wait to share my experience with you! And on my way back to Berkshire I plan to stop at Outsider Tart with my amazing friend Lauren, who is picking me up!

Then Friday, I have family and friends coming round for drinks and snacks and drinks. Should be a good night. It will be even better if it doesn't rain all day like predicted. So, I made these Lemon and Poppy Seed scones as an offering to the Sun God(s). That is if there are any left to offer. 

I will let you know if it works, as soon as these were out of the oven the sun shone through the clouds! I used John Whaites recipe from his new book!

I probably will be absent from social media the next few days as I'm off having a fun birthday weekend! But follow me on Twitter (@unitedcakedom) on Sunday May 19th as I will be baking and tweeting live my Banana CinnaMuffins (level10) for World Baking Day!

notes: Happy Birthday to me! Eric Lanlard's cooking school; Outsider Tart; Sun God(s); my review of John Whaites Bakes; World Baking Day check out the site for recipes and Bake Brave this Sunday May 19th!

Cinnamon Glazed Baked Doughnuts! {National Doughnut Week}

The whole selling baked good for a worthy cause is not a new one. Who hasn't attended or helped out with a bake sale before? Well this week, National Doughnut Week, independent bakers are raising money for the The Children’s Trust, through the sale of doughnuts!

A local bakery, Warings, is taking part! Not only are they donating 10p per doughnut sold, but they are hosting various competitions. One contest I am going to have my Mini Baker partake in. They are asking 5-15 year-olds to design a doughnut. I am going to get my Mini Baker to enter. I think she’ll really enjoy that! To find out if your local bakery is taking part please check out the links below!!

Baking doughnuts at home is pretty easy. I think frying them is too, but I like to make them with the girls and therefore easier to bake. The recipe I used here comes from Wilton. It was on the packing of my new heart shaped doughnut pan.

Cinnamon Glazed Baked Doughnuts 

2 cups cake flour

¾ cups granulated sugar

2 tsps baking powder

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp salt

¾ cups buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp butter (about 14g), melted

Preheat oven to 425F/240C grease your doughnut pan. I used melted butter and a pastry brush. Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and beat until just combined.

Half fill each doughnut hole (about 2 tbsp all depending on your pan). Bake for 4-5 minutes. If you over fill, like I did, then you will need a few extra minutes. If when touched they spring back then they are done. Let cool for a few minutes before removing. Repeat until all the batter is used, then glaze…

Cinnamon Glaze

1 cup confectioners’/icing sugar

3-4 tbsp milk (add slowly)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved. Use immediately to glaze the doughnuts. I just dipped mine into the bowl and then place on a cooling rack, with parchment paper underneath, to catch the drips.

notes: Find out if your local bakery is taking part and join in the fun! - National Doughnut Week; Warings are not sponsoring this post, I have mentioned them because I do enjoy their baked goods!. I recently picked up this Wilton heart doughnut pan from Home Sense. Home Sense is like a TK Max for household items including kitchen stuff! How to Make Cake Flour 

Waste not, Want Not {meringues}

In my last post I made ice cream for the very first time. So, in this post I’m going to share my first experience making meringue! I think I've been put off meringue because I found whisking them, even with a handheld whisk, a bit of a chore.

It just shows that I shouldn't have been so daunted. There really was no reasoning to why I haven’t tried making meringues before. I think of all the egg whites I have wasted in the past. I feel ashamed.

I know you can freeze egg whites and many people have tips on how to freeze them. I just know myself well enough to know that I would forget about them or they would go funny, that is if they do, before I even got around to using them. So, it just better if I use them right away!

Some people prefer more crisp meringues I like them a little more chewy. These were smaller so these were pretty crisp, but a couple were on the bigger side had a nice chewy middle. Here is the recipe I settled on with. It’s not really from one source as I combined a few different recipes from different places. It is just a meringue, egg whites and sugar! 

Meringues:

6 large egg whites

300g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

Preheat the oven at 100C/200F/gas ½

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with electric hand whisk or free, standing mixer (so much easier). Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar at a time, whisking constantly until the whites come to a stiff peak. Add the cornflour and whisk until combined.

Using a circle cookie cutter any size, depending on what size you are after. I used a 2 ¼ in/58mm circle cutter. Then I used a pencil to draw many circles on the sheet. They can be close together but not touching. Then make sure you turn the parchment paper over before placing on the baking sheet. I didn't and had pencil lines on my meringues.

Then I used a star tip and filled a piping bag with the whisked egg whites. Towards the end they didn't seem to keep the shape so much I’m assuming (there I go again) because my hands were warm and it started to loose it’s stiffness.

I just swirled them around staying as best I could with in my lines.

Then I placed in the warmed oven, for about 2 hours until dry and crisp. Time will vary on how big they are. Smaller less time, bigger more time I probably wouldn't leave them in for longer then 3 hours. Turn the oven off, but leave in the oven to cool. Over night is best from what I read, but a couple of hours would probably be all right.

Meringues are delicious on their own. However there are many ways to enjoy them! My favorite way is add them to a yogurt that has a fruit layer. Any fruit peach, blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry!

Last summer with all the British pride The Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Muller came out with an Eton Mess Corner. I was in love. However I do prefer Greek yogurt so I bought one with strawberries then crumbled my meringue on top! As Dora’s backpack would say: Delicioso!!

How do you like you're meringues? Chewy or Crispy? & How do you prefer to eat them?? 

Homemade Very Vanilla Ice Cream!!

The scent of vanilla is intoxicating. Whenever I make anything with vanilla you will find me wafting the scent towards me or continuously trying the batter/custard/frosting and so on.

I decided to make ice cream this weekend. I have had an ice cream maker for over a year now and not once used it. Sometimes I do wonder if there is something wrong with me?

The big debate was where to start? Vanilla, Chocolate, or Strawberry… maybe Coffee, Cinnamon, or Raspberry Ripple? The choices were endless…. So, to make my life easier and the fact that I absolutely adore vanilla I chose to start with vanilla.

Very Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk

½ cup double cream or heavy cream

6 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 vanilla bean split

½ cup sour cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ice cream maker

Ice for the ice bath

Have an ice bath at the ready before… Combine milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth and aerated. Pour into a saucepan and add the vanilla bean and cook on a medium heat, stirring often. I used a rubber spatula so I could scrap the bottom and sides of the pan. Once the mixture has thickened it should coat the spatula/spoon and you should be able to run your finger through it and the trail should remain. Remove the vanilla bean and scrape the rest of the caviar into the pan.

Pour the custard through a sieve into a large bowl nested in the ice bath you should have already prepared. Stir until the custard until it is cool to the touch. In a clean blender pour the cooled custard in to it and add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Blend for about a minute before pouring back into your bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hrs or overnight.

Once it’s chilled in the fridge pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

notes: When I chose vanilla I went straight to the vanilla bible Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever (amazon UK & USA), check my book review and her website. Do not throw out the vanilla bean pod, if rinsed and dried add it to a bag of sugar to make vanilla sugar or get a copy of Shauna’s book for other vanilla bean pod uses! Also do not discard the egg whites, make an omelet or make meringues like I did… post will be up soon!! It's the first time I have ever made meringues as well....