“Hot Doughnuts Nice and Fresh!"

I've tired to make fried doughnuts a couple of times now and have not been successful. 

I've baked doughnuts with no problem at all so, I didn't really think I'd have that much trouble frying them. Well, I was wrong about that. 

After reflecting I figure it’s probably due to over proving, probably not kneading right or enough, and not regulating the temperature of the oil.

It had to be one or all of those things!

Baked doughnuts are easier, but fried taste so much better! Who doesn't like fried dough?

So, using the first recipe I tried, I tried again!

This time with the results I wanted. They made the house smell delicious! I covered mine in Vanilla Sugar to give them an extra flavor.

Vanilla sugar is easy to make! Just place a vanilla pod, new or used, in a jar of sugar. Some stores now sell it if you don’t use vanilla pods often.

After rolling them in sugar they can be filled with jam or cream. They can be iced or made into rings, they are pretty versatile so use what you like!

I prefer a plain fresh doughnut without all the extra stuff.  So, I made these “Hot Doughnuts Nice and Fresh!" just the way I like them!

If any of my readers are also from Reading (Berkshire) then they will know where the phrase comes from! You cannot have walked down Broad Street without hearing it as the picture below informs us!

Fried Doughnuts:

500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour

50g/2oz caster sugar

40g/1½oz unsalted butter

2 free-range eggs

2 x 7g sachets instant yeast

10g/¼oz salt

150ml/5fl oz warm milk

130ml/4½fl oz water

Sunflower Oil or Crisp n Dry, to fry

vanilla sugar, to coat

For the dough, place all ingredients except a quarter of the water, into a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low until combined. Slowly mix the rest of the water into the dough and beat with the dough hook for 3-5 minutes or until the dough comes together and comes away from the side of the bowl. The dough will be sticky, but it shouldn’t be sticking to the side of the bowl. Also you should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to you.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in size. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knock it back by kneading it a few times. Do this part by hand, especially as you’ll have just cleaned your dough hook and bowl!

Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. I just folded the dough into itself to form a ball; I didn’t want to handle the dough too much. Place all balls onto a lined baking tray and allow to rise for another hour or until doubled in size.

In a large sauce pan, using sunflower oil or Crisp n Dry (what I used) heat the oil to160C-180C. Keep an eye on this, as I had to keep turning my heat up and down to keep it within the range I wanted. Lower each doughnut into the fryer, cooking each side for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and immediately roll in the vanilla sugar so that the hot fat makes the sugar stick to the sides.

Set aside and leave to cool. Only just slightly! Fresh Hot Doughnuts are Nice and delicious!

notes: I showed off my failed doughnuts here! Recipe is adapted from The Great British Bake Off: How to turn everyday bakes into Showstoppers by Linda Collister. The Game of Throne's Image is from Spotted: Reading Town’sFacebook Page.

A Love/Hate Relationship & Vegan Cupcakes

I sat down to write this post and soon realized I was going on a rant about the Internet.

Then I thought I best rewrite and get to the point. The point being these cupcakes made for my daughter's birthday lunch with her friends.

My youngest turned 4 last Saturday and we had a few friends around for lunch the day before. One of her friend’s parents are vegan and they are raising their children as vegans too.

Since I've made some amazing vegan cupcakes using Ms. Cupcake's book, I turned to it again. 

She has a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake in the book, but Baby Baker wanted a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting so that’s what I made her!

They turned out pretty good! Of course the cakes turned out to be more for the parents then the children. Frosting was licked off and tiny bite marks were left on the cakes.

I consider that a success!

The cake was soft and chocolaty and the frosting was full of peanut buttery goodness! The parents liked them! 

In a nutshell, referring back to my rant I mentioned above, I do have a personal love hate relationship with the Internet.

However, when it comes to my children, I tend to err on the side of caution. I personally don’t think I would have appreciated my parents plastering my childhood over the Internet for the world to see. 

I respect that my children will one day be adults and, as I can’t predict how they will feel about it I don’t offer much information about them on here. Or to be far on any social media site - much to my long distance family and friends distress. 

I could go on and on about this subject, but since I already wasted about 20 minutes doing so then realizing I was rambling and it made no sense as a blog post I took a break and wrote something that made a bit more sense.

Question: Am I the only one who feels the same way? If you're of a generation, like me that grew up without the internet reflecting back would you like anyone being able to access your childhood photos and stories? Also would you like to try these cupcakes? Please leave a comment below or on twitter or facebook (oh the irony)! 

notes: for more vegan cakes and bakes check out Ms.Cupcake’s The Naughtiest Vegan Cupcakes in Town! I've had nothing but success following her methods!

Twinkies made with love by Janet

A while back I decided I wanted a Twinkie pan.

They don’t exist in the UK as far as I am aware.

They aren't that abundant in the US either from what I understand.

Anyhow I decided that it was something I had to have and I had to have it right away. So, my sister Janet sent me one and bought one for herself!

I have yet to use mine.

I've had it for like 6 months or so? I've also had this recipe she used and her pictures for about that same amount of time.

Oops.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember I would post what my sister Janet had baked recently. I called it “Weekend Baking with Janet” but I haven’t posted anything for her in a long time.

So, I gave her button an update and thought I better get some of her back-dated stuff posted! If you want to know a little more about my sister, check out the about me page or some of her old posts by clicking on the button on the side!

Here is how she made her Twinkies, it is an American recipe and uses cups. I also added a way to make them without the tin at the bottom. However neither of us have tried and tested the method. 

Twinkies cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

½  tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½  tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F and spray your molds with nonstick spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar and beat at a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, make sure each is completely combined before adding the next.

Reduce the speed and add flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Over mixing will make the cakes chewy.

Fill the molds with batter and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cakes are a light golden color and a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.

cream filling

2 tsp hot water

½  tsp salt

2 cups marshmallow fluff

½  cup shortening

1/3 cup powdered sugar

¼  tsp vanilla

For the filling, mix the hot water and salt in a small bowl and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool. Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy.

notes: If you don’t have a Twinkie or canoe pan, try folding a square sheet of aluminum foil in half lengthwise and then in half again to form a smaller square. Wrap the foil square around a 4-inch round spice container to form a canoe shape with the top left open. Remove the spice container and place the molds into a deep baking dish. The recipe was taken from this website. Twinkies were made by Janet, but I wrote the post! How I convert butter from cups to grams and so on…

How to Convert Butter

How I Convert Butter

For recipes on United Cakedom

Sticks	Cups	Tablespoons	Ounces	Grams
2	1	16	8	228
1 ½	¾	12	6	171
1	½	8	4	114
¾		6	3	85.5
½	¼	4	2	57
¾		2	1	28.5

notes: not all butter is created equal, it depends on where you live and what your the cows ate and the amount of water etc... but generically you should be okay with any butter from the store. Try different butters until you find one you like to work with! 

Peanut Butter Birthday Crunch Cake

My littlest one had a birthday last Saturday and when I asked her what sort of cake I should make her she said “peanut butter.” Then I asked what she wanted for dinner (they always get what they want for dinner) I got the same response.

So, peanut butter it was. On Friday after nursery I made some chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting and on her actual birthday I thought I’d make this peanut butter crunch cake I had remembered reading about in the Outsider Tart book Baked in America.

I've been baking from this book now for 2 years and it’s finally dawned on me that they must use a fan-assisted oven. All the cakes I've baked from the book takes almost double the time suggested.

Anyhow we took her out for the day so I had a late afternoon start and because of the extra time needed to cook it through she went to bed without any birthday cake. Luckily she hadn't really noticed.

So, the following day I gave her a square after breakfast. It’s what we call in America a “coffee cake” because you eat it with a cup of coffee and since most people have coffee in the morning I thought it okay to give her as dessert after breakfast. Birthday’s are special and therefore I didn't feel guilty about giving her cake after breakfast. I already felt guilty enough for having terrible time management!

She took one look at it and declared she didn't like it. Didn't even try it, she just didn't like the look of it.

I should know better then to give a child a cake without frosting to be licked off and the cake left…

Lesson learned.

I liked it and everyone I pawned it off on liked it. So, despite the roller coaster of emotions I went through to please a now 4 year old it was a good cake!

Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

340g milk chocolate chips

115g smooth peanut butter

450g plain flour

450g light brown sugar

225g butter, softened

225g smooth peanut butter

4 large eggs

240ml whole milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb of soda

½ tsp salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan-assisted or 200F for a conventional oven. Grease and line a tray bake tin 12x9x2 inches or 30x23x5 cm, lightly dust with flour tap out any excess.

Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a bowl over a simmering pot of water. Stir occasionally, once melted remove from the heat and set aside. This is for a chocolate swirl in the middle and on top of the cake. (It reminds me of making puppy chow!)

In an electric mixer, on low, beat the flour, sugar, butter, and peanut butter until crumbs form. Remove 3 cups of the crumb mixture and set aside.

Add the eggs one at a time to the remaining crumb mixture. Then add the milk, vanilla, baking powder, bicarb, and salt. Beat until just combined.

Spread half of the batter in the prepared tin, then top with half the chocolate mixture gently swirl it together without combining before topping with the rest of the batter. Then drizzle the rest of the chocolate mixture on top.

Pour over the crumb topping you set aside and gently press down. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer test tells you that it’s done. Cover the cake with tin foil if the crumbs look like they are scorching. Let it cool completely before cutting up and eating!!

notes: recipe is from Outsider Tart’s Baked in America. I have skimmed back through the book and didn't read anywhere that they use fan-assisted. It could state it clearly somewhere? However, this is an observation I've made from baking from the book. Check out some of the other things I've baked from the book!

What’s for Dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? {a note to my readers}

In the past any time I ever posted anything savory it didn't get a lot of love from my readers. So, I learned to stick to the sweet stuff. I do feel more challenged by baking and desserts then I do everyday cooking.

That isn't because it actually is more challenging, but because I am my family’s cook. I cook everyday day, 3 times a day. Cookbooks were my first love, a love that is founded on necessity. I didn't know the first thing about cooking, besides Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (the blue box blues) and scrambled eggs.

So, I taught myself by reading cookbooks. I then discovered that I loved reading about food and where it comes from and then trying all the foods I read about. Then I got the baking bug and hence the blog started.

I’m getting to the point, I promise!

Recently I have been starting to swing back to cooking more then baking. Our dinners started to get very same-y and we needed to change it up a bit. So, (now finally at the point) I’m going to start adding in some of the meals I making for my family and the titles will start with “What’s for …” and I will insert dinner, lunch, or breakfast.

It’s also the question I get asked a lot. That and when will dinner/lunch/breakfast be ready??

Here are my first couple of posts: 

Old El Paso

Udi's Gluten Free Ancient Grain Crisp(y) Chicken

I hope you enjoy the addition of some of my family’s meals on here. I'd love to hear what you think? Please leave me a comment below or on facebook or twitter! 

A Holiday of Love {Oreo Truffles}

I have written in the past about how I’m not overly big on holidays. There are parts of holidays that I do enjoy and others I don’t.

It’s very conflicting actually. 

For instance, Valentine’s Day (today) I think it is an incredibly stupid holiday and probably the best of all the holidays.

I think it’s stupid that there is so much pressure put on couples to celebrate the holiday to prove that they are in love. Then it completely ostracizes those who are not coupled up and in love.

There are so many people in my life that I love. Why should it focus mostly on couples? Which is why I like the holiday. A day that celebrates love is a good day in my books!

I made these truffles for the two little people who I love more then anyone or anything in the whole world. It is for them that I celebrate this holiday of love. 

Oreo Truffles:

200g oreos or other sandwich cookies, crushed

100g cream cheese

283g (10oz/1pkg) of white candy melts

Mix the Oreo crumbs and cream cheese together, until completely combined. It will be sticky, but roll the mixture into about 12 one-inch balls. Place in the fridge for at least an hour; they can stay in for longer if need be.

When they are ready, but before you take them out melt the candy melts according to the instructions on the package.

Once it’s all melted, stick a fork into the candy melts before using it to pick up an Oreo truffle and dip into the melted candy melts, gently rock back and forth until covered. Very gently pull them out and let drip until smooth. Don’t worry too much about them being perfectly smooth if you are covering them in sprinkles.

Then set in a cupcake case or on a sheet of grease-proof paper. Cover with sprinkles right away because candy melts set fast. Repeat until they are all done!

notes: These were all over the internet a year or two ago, so it’s nothing new. However they are delicious. It’s the cookies and cream flavor covered in chocolate or candy melts that makes them a gorgeous treat! They also make great gifts and are really versatile! Decorate for any holiday, sports team, or special event!

I forgot to add that these are my entry for this month's Treat Petite, a monthly blogging challenge hosted by The Baking Explorer and Cakeyboi, this month's host. The theme is "Loved Ones" and I think these fit that theme perfectly! There is still time to enter so, head over to his site to find out more!