Dear Blog, (3)

Dear Blog It’s your birthday! 

I hope you didn't think I’d forgotten! I haven’t and am writing this post to have a look back at the last year with you!

I thought I would do the usual bakers dozen of links remincising of the past last year. 

Where to start? I know, how about where we left off last year….

1. Last summer I made White “Witch” Ice Cream for a Chronicles of Narnia competition. It was white chocolate ice cream with home made Turkish Delight folded in. It was actually really good. It was a shame I didn't win.
2. I made a week of yummy treats all based on Cadbury chocolates! Like PicnicDoodle Salad, Double Decker Pillow Cookies, Star Bar Cake, Cherry Ripe Cupcakes, and Curly Wurly Brownies.
3. We also took a trip up to Scotland to visit family and I made Cranachan Cupcakes while up there! Inspired by the Scottish dessert Cranachan. 
4. I made my first YouTube video again for a competition, once again I didn't win, but it was an experience and it taught me not to let my husband be the video recorder.
5. The Apple Pie Ice Cream I made in the fall was A-Mazing I don’t know why it didn't get more views? Who doesn't want Apple Pie Ice Cream?
6. In the New Year I made a resolution to use up the baking things I had in my magical baking cupboard. So, I made Mince Pie Biscuits!
7. I made a few cakes for my local Clandestine Cake Club, but the Killer Zebra Cake and a Cherry Garcia Cake were my favorite over the last year!
8. FINALLY, I successfully made fried doughnuts!
9. Homemade Double Deckers proved to be a bit of a challenge and were a bit chewy, but totally worth the extra effort!
10. We had a lot of fun meeting Johnny of Johnny Cupcakes at his 3 year anniversary in London.
11. The Brownie Quest I was on is now pretty much over. I found, in my opinion, the best and most versatile brownie recipe ever. Try it and then we can talk.
12. I blogged everyday in May which was an interesting challenge. It took me out of my comfort foodie zone and made me talk about different things.
13. Last but not least I attended Food Blogger Connect last week and on top of learning a lot of stuff I meet some really cool people!!

This last year was a year of experiences. Not just in my bloggy world, but in my real life too. Growing up is hard to do.

Things will continue to change, because things are always changing. We can’t stop it I've tried! I mean my littlest is starting full time school in September. How did that happen?

I’m also taking a much needed, long-time coming trip home to my family! USA here I come! It will be quiet here in United Cakedom while I am away, but don’t worry I have a few things brewing!

Then when I get back and the girls are settled in school, I will have to answer the big question: What do I want to be when I grow up?

When I find the answer I will let you know!

So, dear blog until next year! Love you, Lisa 

Curly Wurly Brownies {Cadbury Week}

Today is the fifth and final day of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom.

It was a no brainer that I was going to make brownies at some point this week. Brownies are prefect for adding things too, a bit like ice cream.

What I had in mind for these Curly Wurly Brownies was a lasagna type of dessert. Layer of brownie batter, caramel sauce, Curly Wurly’s (like lasagna sheets) and repeat. So that’s exactly what I did.

They turned out completely decadent and delicious!! I liked how the carame/toffee in the Curly Wurly didn't melt completely and so every other bite there’d be a bit of chewy caramel. Yum Yum!!

Its no secret that I love Betty Crocker's fudge brownies, I can only assume it's nostalgia or just that it has a texture I have yet to repeat with a from scratch recipe. If you'd rather not use a box mix for these don't worry. Any recipe would work for these, just double it so you can get 2 layers or just have one layer whatever you want to do!.Have a look in my archives if you don't already have a favorite brownie recipe. Don’t forget, if you choose to use the box mix, you’ll need 2 eggs and vegetable oil to make brownies.

Curly Wurly Brownies

2 boxes of Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix
Caramel Sauce (below)
10 Curly Wurly’s, chilled

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line and grease an 8 in (20cm) square pan. 

In 2 separate bowls prepare the brownies according to the instructions on the back of the box. 

Spread one of the brownie mixes at the bottom of prepared tin, smoothing it out as best you can. 

Place some of the caramel sauce in the middle. You could swirl it in. 

Then lay 5-6 curly wurlys across the top. 

Place the remaining brownie batter on the top and repeat with the caramel and curly wurly’s. 

Bake for 60-90 minutes. I know that’s a pretty big range, but it’s a fat brownie and it needs a lot of time. I baked mine for 80 minutes, the middle was cooked but pretty soft so bake longer if you want it firmer.

Caramel Sauce

2 tbsp cold water
100g caster sugar
120g double cream
25g unsalted butter

Put the water and caster sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat gently to dissolve, swirling but never stirring the contents. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. Cook until the caramel turns amber, then watch like a hawk until it turns dark, then whisk in the cream. Careful not to splash, add the butter and whisk until smooth. Cool before using.

notes: This is the last day of my Cadbury Week. I had a lot of fun concocting these recipes/ideas. If you have been inspired and have made a Cadbury inspired treat or if you already have Cadbury inspired treats to share please email me (unitedcakedom(@)gmail(.)com) a picture, a few words about your creation and a link if you are a blogger and I will do a round up post if I get any response!; Caramel sauce comes from The Whoopie Pie Book by Claire Ptak; And last but not least I will remind you once again that this post and this week has not been sponsored by Cadbury’s!

Monday: Picnic - PicnicDoodle Salad
Tuesday: Double Decker - Double Decker Pillow Cookies
Wednesday: Star Bar - Star Bar Cake
Thursday: Cherry Ripe - Cherry Ripe Cupcakes

Cherry Ripe Cupcakes! {Cadbury Week}

Today is day 4 of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom and the featured bar is one that hails from Australia….the Cherry Ripe!

If you have never heard of a Cherry Ripe before you probably don’t live nor have ever visited in Australia. Although I have done either and discovered these at a small business in Reading called The Strange Sweet Shop. It’s where I locally source any American things I miss from home.

A Cherry Ripe is Australia’s oldest chocolate bar, originally produced by a company called MacRoberston’s until Cadbury bought the out in 1967. It’s sort of like a cherry Bounty, but so much better!

I knew I wanted to use the Cherry Ripe in Cadbury Week even though they are hard to get a hold of. My first thought was the coconut and cherries and it automatically reminded me of German Chocolate Cake in the states. German Chocolate Cake isn’t really German, but it is a chocolate cake sandwiched and topped with a coconut & pecan mixture.

So, it’s a chocolate cupcake with a cherry coconut concoction on top covered in a chocolate ganache. Sound good? It is! I think I would tweak the cherry coconut concoction a little bit next time… just check the recipe below!

Chocolate Cupcakes:

100g Cadbury Bournville Dark Chocolate

175g butter, cubed

225g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

100g self-rising flour

2 ½ tbsp Cadbury Bournville Cocoa Powder

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas4; line your muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Melt the chocolate and butter together in your preferred method (in a heat proof bowl over simmering water or in a micowave) Once it’s all melted remove from the heat and stir in the sugar let it cool for about 10 minutes. Beat with a hand mixer for 3 minutes and then add the eggs one at a time beating for 10 seconds in between each egg. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat until well blended. Then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Use the skewer test to be sure that the batter is completely baked. Cool completely. While it’s cooling get on with the…

Cherry Coconut topping:

600g Glace Cherries

125g condensed milk

150g desiccated coconut

½ tsp almond extract (I should have used a whole tsp)

½ tsp vanilla extract (I should have used a whole tsp here too)

Place cherries in a food processor and give it a pulse or two before adding the condensed milk, coconut, and extracts. I only used half a tsp of each, but I wish I had used a bit more to give it a stronger flavor. Give it a few more pulses until combined and done. It’s nice to have a few chunks of the cherries in the mixture.

Chocolate Ganache:

100g Cadbury Bournville Dark Chocolate

100ml double cream

In a small saucepan gently melt the chocolate over a low heat. Before the chocolate is completely melted turn off the heat and stir until it’s completely melted. Pour in the cream and gently whisk until glossy and smooth!

To finish:

Cherry Ripe (optional)

12 Glace Cherries (optional)

Top each cupcake with a heaped tablespoon of the cherry coconut topping and spread as best you can. Then gently pour over the chocolate ganche. You can place a sheet of baking paper underneath the cupcakes to catch any drips, but as the ganche makes just enough to cover the cupcakes you’ll want to be a little careful not to waste too much. If you happen to have a Cherry Ripe chop it up into 12 pieces and place on top of each cupcake or you could place a glace cherry on top of each. I chose to do neither because that’s how I roll. Actually I didn’t have a cherry ripe and even though I saved glace cherries to top with I still liked how they looked plain!

notes: The Strange Sweet Shop website; cupcake recipe is from Making Cupcakes with Lola’s; I know yesterday I used a cake mix for my cake and today I am using a from scratch recipe. It can be interchangeable. If you don’t have time grab a box of chocolate cupcakes and top away! Sometimes box mixes give people a chance to be creative with out the hassle of getting the cake right. Cherry Ripe filling was found in Jenny Colgan’s The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (great read btw); how many times did I type Australia???; Please take a special note that this post and week are not sponsored by Cadbury in any way shape or form. It’s all because I just wanted to have a little fun!

Monday: Picnic - PicnicDoodle Salad

Tuesday: Double Decker - Double Decker Pillow Cookies

Wednesday: Star Bar - Star Bar Cake

Star Bar Cake {Cadbury Week}

Today is the third day of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom! I thought I would feature my favorite Cadbury bar since arriving on the shores of England. The Star Bar!! It has a peanut butter like middle, which is what immediately drew me in.

The Star Bar has gone by many names! It was popular in the 60's and 70's no surprise why they might have liked a chocolate bar called Star Bar! It was shortly re-named a Nudge before becoming a Peanut Boost in the 80's. It's now back to Star Bar... whatever the name it's still a great chocolate bar!

This cake is made from a box mix. I know shock and horror and condemn me for all time. You don’t have to use a box mix you can use whatever chocolate cake you’d like. I’m just sharing with you how I made it.

I choose to use a box mix for a few reasons. 1. Time. It was easy to just follow the instructions, throw the batter in prepared tins, bake, and done. 2. It’s been hot. So, I didn't want to spend too much time in front of a preheating oven etc… 3. Cake mixes aren't all that bad. The cake since made with oil is always moist and has a great crumb. It’s also a great base when wanting to highlight other flavors. Like the peanut mousse that I use to sandwich between the layers and top with.

It was pretty delicious. I shared it with my mom friends and the rest was taken to my husband’s office. I didn't hear any complaints only the humming noise that comes when people are enjoying a lovely piece of cake.

Star Bar Cake

1 pkg of Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix (or your favorite chocolate cake)

Follow the instructions on the package.

Peanut Mousse

145g cream cheese

1 cup golden icing sugar

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp whole milk

Beat the cream cheese until light and creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix until smooth. Add the peanut butter and the milk and beat until combined. The mixture should be fluffy!

Caramel Sauce

2 tbsp cold water

100g caster sugar

120g double cream

25g unsalted butter

Put the water and caster sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat gently to dissolve, swirling but never stirring the contents. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. Cook until the caramel turns amber, then watch like a hawk until it turns dark, then whisk in the cream. Careful not to splash, add the butter and whisk until smooth. Cool before using.

To finish:

2-3 Star Bars.

Place one layer of the cake on your stand/plate and cover with a little more then half of the peanut mousse. Place top layer on and press down slightly. Cover the top with the rest of the peanut mousse. Chop up the Star Bars and sprinkle over the top. Then drizzle the caramel on top and enjoy!!

notes: Sorry about the jumping from US measurements of cups to UK grams etc... the peanut mousse was adapted from All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray. This caramel sauce always works out for me, it comes from The Whoopie Pie Book by Claire Ptak. I know I already said this but this post is not sponsored by Cadbury, it's all done by me! Oh and in the Republic of Ireland it's known as a Moro Peanut bar and Canada and Germany it's known as a Wunderbar. Cadbury needs to make up it's mind! ;0)

Monday: Picnic - PicnicDoodle Salad
Tuesday: Double Decker - Double Decker Pillow Cookies

Double Decker Pillow Cookies {Cadbury Week}

Today is the second day of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom!! Today features the Double Decker.

The Double Decker is the chocolate bar we buy in bulk before we fly back to the states for a visit. It’s just that good that we feel we have to share it with everyone we love. They are obviously missing out on a great treat.

Maybe it’s a bit rude to share it… as it’s not readily available to them nor do we get back often. It’s like giving them a taste of something and taking it away again. Ah well.

I saw Pillow Cookies on Bakerella’s site ages ago and when thinking about how I wanted to use the Double Decker in baking it’s the first thing that came to mind. So, I made Double Decker Pillow Cookies.

I adapted the recipe to better fit a UK audience using grams instead of cups. However when scooping out the batter I use a ½ cup so not completely UK friendly. I did my best!!

The cookies turned out amazing!! I wish I had followed the instructions a little closer when it came to chilling the prepared cookies before baking. These spread a little more then I would have liked, but no harm done. The are still amazing!!  

Cadbury Double Decker Pillow Cookies

3 Double Deckers

230g  butter, room temperature
275g light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
360g cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
handful of rice cereal

Cut up the Double Deckers into 1 in squares, you will have about of bar left. I made 9 cookies, but I could have made 10.

Beat butter with a mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add the lightly beaten eggs gradually. Then add the vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Add flour to butter mixture and beat until combined. Gently fold in the rice cereal. Let dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 170C/350F about 10 minutes before taking out of the fridge. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter. It might be a bit tough to get out as it’s chilled so pack the cup with a spoon. Work quickly so the dough remains chilled or make one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold. I didn’t stick to this rule too closely and I think that’s why mine spread so much. I should have stuck them in the fridge for a few minutes before baking. Which is what you can do to stop the spreading.

Make an indention and place a 1 inch square Double Decker in the center. Press down gently and work the remaining dough around the candy bar piece. You can use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Prepare 5 or 6 cookies at a time using a large baking sheet (15 X 20) and bake at  170C/350F for about 18 minutes. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until time to bake the second batch.

Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack. Then enjoy!!

notes: Bakerella’s Brownie Pillow Cookies; as I said in my previous post these are not sponsored by Cadbury in anyway! Just me having a bit of fun with one of Britain's favorite brands. 

Monday: Picnic - PicnicDoodle Salad

PicnicDoodle Salad {Cadbury Week}

Today is the first day of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom! I thought I'd kick off the week with the perfect picnic dessert salad! We've definitely had the weather for it recently!

In the states there is a dessert salad called Snickerdoodle salad. It's Cool Whip, Snickers, and apples. I thought I'd Cabury it with Cadbury's Picnics instead of Snickers!

This simple dessert/treat is something I remember having since I was a kid. It's so super easy and so super delicious I am happy to finally be sharing it with you!!

It's a perfect combination of sweet & sour and crunchy & smooth! What more could you ask for??

Please feel free to use whatever candy bar you want! Sometimes I add a tsp or 2 of cinnamon to the whipped cream that's good too!

PicnicDoodle Salad

5 Cadbury Picnics, chopped
4 apples (Granny Smiths work well but any apple will do), chopped
500ml double cream
1 tbsp caster sugar

Chop up the Picnics and the apples. Rule of thumb: for every 1 apple you'll want 2 candy bars. Whip up cream with the sugar. Fold in Picnics and apples. Chill before packing in you're picnic basket! Enjoy!!

notes: Cadbury is not sponsoring this post. I just thought it'd be a bit of fun to showcase Cadbury chocolate bars in some of my favorite desserts! Cadbury Week will run from 15th (Janet's Birthday!) to the 19th! If you have felt inspired or are currently thinking up you're own Cadbury treat please email a picture, a quick description and a link if you're a blogger! I will do a round up post if I get any response!!