Two Ways with a Gypsy Tart

I just realised that my title could be taken the wrong way … if you are inclined to think that way. Something that I’ve learned is that it’s actually how a lot of people think. Being one of the small percentage of people who don’t always get innuendo I say a lot of things that get laughed at. I would relay some of the these instances, but we don’t have all day. Just take my word for it.

It’s not the first time I shared a Gypsy Tart on United Cakedom, but I thought I would try something different this time. Then it didn’t turn out so well and I hadn’t accounted for a couple of things. With a little improvising and adjusting I sorted it out and ended up with two different way to make a gypsy tart!

The filling is the same, it’s the base that changes. First I made mini tarts with a sweet shortcrust pastry. Then when I was stuck with a lot of extra filling because I didn’t think to half the recipe or something I made a quick cookie/biscuit base to bake the rest of the filling over with successful results!

Just like the title of this post could be taken two ways this gypsy tart can be made two ways...here's how:

Gypsy Tart

filling  

(makes enough for 24 mini tarts or 12 mini tarts and 7inch Gypsy Tart)

451ml (1 can) of evaporated milk
300g muscovado sugar

Whip them together for 15 minutes until light, fluffy, and tripled in size.

Mini Gypsy Tarts:

sweet shortcrust pastry

300g plain flour
4 tablespoons of golden caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk the flour and sugar together before rubbing the cubed butter into the flour/sugar until it resembles bread crumbs. Add all the other ingredients and bring together with a spatula or your hands until it makes a smooth dough. Make into a ball and squish a little to make a fat disk like shape, wrap in cling film and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough and cut out 12 circles to line each muffin hole. Gently press down into the corners, use a fork to put holes in the base of each pastry case before leaving in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes. The follow the instructions below for blind baking.

blind-bake

Pre-heat the oven 200C - Line each pastry case with a square of baking paper and fill with ceramic beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove ceramic beans and bake for a further 10 minutes until pastry turns a light brown.

to finish 

Fill each pastry case with the gypsy filling and bake for 5-10 minutes. Do not bake for 15 minutes as I did and had them collapse on me. Which I then whipped up some whipped cream and drizzled raspberry sauce on top!

Cookie Base Gypsy Tart 

cookies base 

213g chocolate chip hobnobs
50g melted butter

Blitz the cookies in a food processor, then add the butter and pulse a couple of times. Line a 7inch circle cake tin with the cookie mixture.

to finish

Pour the remaining gypsy filling into the tin and bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool in the fridge for 2 hours before slicing and enjoying!

notes: Gypsy Tart is a pretty basic recipe, but this one was adapted from Eric Lanlard's Tart it Up! I wrote about it here the first time I made it. This is my #thepastrychallenge entry which I host with Jen at Jen's Food. There is still time to link up here!

Baking Book Gift Guide

It is the day after Thanksgiving. 

Sometimes it's also known as Black Friday. In the states after Thanksgiving people start getting ready for Christmas. A lot of families will be putting up trees and other decorations this weekend, along with starting their Christmas shopping.

It makes a bit of sense really, if the stores know that people are going to be shopping over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend then why not entice them in more with some great savings? 

It suits both retailers and shoppers. One makes a lot of money while the other gets some great savings. I don't like the chaos and you will never find me going out on Black Friday, but I don't hate it either.

So, because a lot of people will be starting their shopping this weekend I though I would write up a quick "gift guide" based on baking and cook books that I own. Then at the end of the post I have included my book "wish list" for books I wold love to read!

I have chosen these books because I think they would make great gifts for bakers with particular tastes! Some are just because they are a good read! 

To me it's not just about the recipes, it's about what they have to say as well! I like a cookbook that I can read and get into too! 

 

Cake by Rachel Allen

This literally has every and any cake you’d ever want to make in it! A great book for cake lovers!

Cake Days and Home Sweet Home by Hummingbird Bakery

Cake Days is the book that really started my baking and blogging life. I can’t recommend it enough. It has amazing recipes perfect for every season. 
Home Sweet Home is just as good! Perfect for a new or experienced baker! 

Chocolat by Eric Lanlard

~ For the chocolate lover in your life! 

Crumb by Ruby Tandoh

It is one of the most informed baking books I have ever read. Perfect for a new baker! 

Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

I think this has some of the best bars and brownies I have ever come across! Perfect for brownie lovers!

Jamie Magazine

Not a book, but I love this monthly addition to my recipe collecting habit. I should probably get a subscription!

Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

 I find myself engrossed in this book whenever I read it. Perfect for any cookbook lover!

Leon: Family & Friends (book 4) by John Vincent & Kay Plunkett-Hogge

Great book for anyone who likes to cook for their friends and family! 

Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town! by Ms. Cupcake

Not just for Vegans, but a must this Christmas for the Vegan in your life!

Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Perfect gift for ice cream lovers! Make sure they have an ice cream maker!

Robicelli’s A Love Story with Cupcakes by Allison & Matt Robicelli
The funniest and most real cookbook I have ever read. For cupcakes biggest fan! 

Sprinklebakes by Heather Baird

 Need an artistic twist to your baking, then this is the book for you!

Sweet Treats for a Sugar Filled Life, Presented by Cakespy by Jessie Oleson-Moore

 This book is your guide to taking dessert above and beyond your wildest dreams!

The Vintage Sweets book, The Vintage Tea Party Book, The Vintage Tea Party Year by Angel Adoree

If you know someone who loves vintage, afternoon, tea, sweets, parties and more then this is the book for them! 

Warm Bread & Honey Cake by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra

Great read and recipes in this book! Great for someone who loves to learn about food from all over the world. 

Now for the books I wouldn't mind appearing under my Christmas Tree this year!

Bake to Baking: 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share, and Enjoy by Anna Olsen

My Paris Kitchen: Recipes & Stories by David Lebovitz

Sweet by Valerie Gordon

Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

Baked Elements: The Importance of Being Baked in 10 Favorite Ingredients

& Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Sweet Baking by Johnny Iuzzini & Wes Martin

Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from our Kitchen by Zoe Nathan

Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes by Shauna Sever

What is your favorite baking and/or cookbook that you think would make a great gift? Any book that you think everyone you know should own? Just leave a comment below because I am always looking for new cookbooks!!

notes: To see my full list of baking books and a handful of my cookbooks check out the tab above! I really need to update it! All opinions and suggestions are my own I have in no way been compensated for this post by any of the publishers or authors. Please see my contact/policy page for further information. The black box on the top is intentionally a black box. 

Five on Friday: Favorite Five Chocolaty Things

It’s the end of the National Chocolate Week and there have been a lot of chocolate stuff going on in London.

I wish I could tell you about all the fun I was having in there in London, but I wasn't there! 

So, from the comfort of my couch and laptop I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite chocolaty things for my Five on Friday.

1. Brownies

In the early days of my blog I was going to have a whole thing about my quest to find the best brownie recipe ever! Then I sorta stopped. However I have found my favorite brownie recipe and I haven’t used another one since. I wrote about them in the post Bribe Worthy Brownies (I still haven't taken my driver's test O_o ) and a look here for more brownie recipes!

2. Paul A. Young

He could secretly be made of chocolate. When I got to meet him briefly at last years Cake & Bake Show, he was super friendly and happy to answer any questions. I love his book and I love his shop(s). His book is full of amazing chocolate things and his store is filled with amazing chocolate treats! (His brownies are freakin’ amazing! If you want to know about my visit to his shop I wrote about here and if you want to know more about his book I wrote about it here and more about when I meet him look here!

3. Hotel Chocolat

They have great chocolate and the range of flavors and products is astounding! It is a bit pricey, but it’s part of why I think of it as such a treat! One time when I was pregnant I bought one of the Caramel Slabs and I hid it in the back of a cupboard so my husband didn't know about it because I didn't want to share and in 3 days I had finished the whole thing. So, unless he reads this he'll never know about it. 

4. Blackout Cake

I don’t ever think I ate anything so chocolaty and so rich as this cake. It is the cake that I found myself sneaking to the fridge with a fork to steal bites of it. Then when the cake looked a bit funny, due to the fork marks in it, I had to have a few more bites to even it out. Why I didn't just cut myself a slice is beyond me. More about the blackout cake here! 

5. Galaxy Ripples

I know I like high-end chocolate from places like Paul A. Young and mid-end chocolate from places like Hotel Chocolate, but there is something to be said about a Galaxy Ripple. I mean sometimes you just want a creamy chocolaty treat! These are my go to chocolate in times of need. 

A couple other things that almost made my list where:

Eric Lanlard’s book Chocolat:

&

Oatly Chocolate Oat Drink 

notes: Pictures are my own, except the Hotel Chocolate logo, it is from their website. All opinions are my own, no compensation was given for this post. Please see my contact/policy page for further information. 

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 

Honey & milk chocolate bars!! & Chocolat by Eric Lanlard {book review}

When one enters the world of baking, chocolate is King. So, when Master Patisserie (King of Patisserie) Eric Lanlard wrote a book on this royal ingredient I knew I was not going to be disappointed!

The book is broken down into 7 chapters. The first few get the reader familiar working with chocolate, and then it goes into From the Bakery; Desserts & Puddings; Truffles & Treats; Drinks, Spreads, & Sauces.

Unless you happen to be a chocolate hater, surprisingly they do exist, there is something for everyone in this book.

The wide variety of recipes available in the book, all including chocolate, are within any level of bakers reach. Some are super easy and some just take a bit more time and concentration.

Here is my list of stuff I would like to try:

Chocolate & Cinnamon Buns

Chocolate Kouign Amann

Chocolate Gateau Basque

Salted Butter Caramel Cake (picture)
Breton Shortbread with Chocolate

Chocolate, pumpkin, & pecan cake

Chocolate petits pots (picture)

Chocolate & tonka bean Crème Brulee

Raspberry & Chocolate Tart

Gateau Opera

Double baked Chocolate Meringue Brownie

Chocolate Coffee baked cheesecake

Proper Black Forest gateau

Iced Berries with white chocolate sauce

Chocolate ‘cassis’ royale (cake on cover of book)

Chocolate covered Cherries

Honey & milk chocolate bars (recipe below)

Chocolate Guimauve aka marshmallow

Soft Chocolate Butter Toffee

Double Chocolate Milkshake

Chocolate Cola Float

With over a 100 mouth-watering chocolate treats I didn't know where to start! So, circumstances helped me choose. As the weather has been brightening up a couple of friends and I decided to take our little ones to the park for a play and picnic. I wanted an easy sweet treat and Eric’s Honey & milk chocolate bars were exactly what we needed.

They were super easy to make and they were a hit with the kids and us moms! I would be careful if you don’t have a cool pac in your lunch box, the chocolate would melt on hot days! If not for a picnic these are perfect for an after school treat too! Enjoy!

Honey & milk chocolate bars

200g/7oz milk chocolate, roughly chopped, plus an extra 25g/1oz for the topping

40g/1 ½ oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

2 tbsp clear honey

2 tbsp condensed milk

75g/3oz crispy rice cereal

25g/1oz desiccated coconut

150g/5oz white chocolate, roughly chopped

&

18cm/7in square shallow baking tin greased and lined with baking paper

~Melt 200g milk chocolate, butter, honey, and condensed milk in a saucepan on a low heat until smooth, and then stir in the crispy rice cereal and coconut.

~Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level with the spoon. Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

~Melt the white chocolate in your preferred way; in a bowl over a barely simmering pot of water or in small bursts in the microwave, but be very careful as white chocolate burns easier then dark chocolate. Leave to cool for a few minutes before spreading over the top of the rice cake. Then return to the fridge to set completely.

~Melt the remaining 25g of milk chocolate as you did above and spoon into a piping bag or a small plastic bag and cut a small hole in the tip and drizzle over the top. Leave to set at room temperature. I skipped this step, because I wanted to save my chocolate for another baking project with out having to run to the store again. Sorry! From the picture in the book it really does make it look extra special!! 

~Remove from the tin and cut into bars using a large sharp knife and store in an airtight container or wrap in a cellophane bag for gifts.

Eric notes that kids can help, but would need supervision!

As I mentioned in my review of Tart it Up! I will be visiting Eric’s café Cake Boy in a few short weeks to participate in his Spring Baking Mad course!! It falls on my 30^th birthday and I am super excited!! I am trying not to think about it too much because I wish I were going right now. I am the most impatient person I know!

notes: Chocolate may be King, but Vanilla is Queen. I attribute genders to inanimate objects including food. For instance I think of salt as female and pepper as male and it’s why Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper in Blue’s Clues always freaked me out. Chocolat by Eric Lanlard Amazon UK & USA (out September 2013); Eric Lanlard’s Cake Boy & baking course schedule, Octopus Publishing, my review of Tart it Up!