Joy's Vegan Sausage Rolls

These "sausage" rolls kept me sane for a few months of semi-inforced veganism as my boyfriend at the time suddenly went dairy free! They're ridiculous easy to make but I didn't have much time or money last week to be more creative.

1 pack of Jus Roll puff pastry (This is the only which is actually vegan. Do NOT get the low fat one, the Tesco one, the all butter one etc)
1 pack of stuffing mix, I used Co-op sage and onion. In my experience, most stuffing mixs are vegan
Soya milk/rice milk etc

Cut pastry lengthways. Mix up stuffing mix and place down middle of pastry strips. Lightly roll one of the edges of the pastry, brush with a little soya milk/water and roll the pastry around the stuffing mix. Cut into bite size chunks, add a few slashes with a sharp knife and brush with a little soya milk.
Bake at 200°C for about 30mins or until golden brown. Looking at the photo I don't think I did mine quite long enough!

And THAT is me up to date - phew! What a productive Sunday evening.

Joy's Unicorn Poop - Birthday NUMBER TWO

As I spent most of the previous month's meeting making bad jokes about number 2, I was absolutely thrilled when I stumbled across this whilst googling kid's birthday party baking ideas:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Unicorn-Poop/

I used my standard shortbread biscuit recipe though (see previous post), but added cola flavouring, vanilla extract and a good slosh of caramel flavouring as this is clearly what unicorn poops would taste like. I divided it into 6, and spent far too long blending red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple colour pastes into the cookie dough. As a side note, for those who are still using liquid food colourings, I cannot recommend these highly enough:

Get them from eBay/Amazon etc. They're a little more expensive, but they last for ages, a little goes a long way and you really do get a much bolder colour without altering the texture of the cake/biscuit/icing. Anyway...

I rolled each of the 6 colours into long strands, then piled them up and kept rolling to make one really long multicoloured sausage. I chopped this up and had fun rolling each poop into a unique swirl shape. This is definitely the weirdest thing I've ever baked, and I've baked a cookie with ketchup in...

I baked them (probably at 200°C for about 15mins), and when cool, I used icing to stick multicoloured shimmer balls, white chocolate stars and sprinkles. I then sprayed with Dr Oetker gold shimmer spray and added a further sprinkling of cake glitter, for good measure. Voila! (Unfortunately I don't think the picture does the colour justice):

Joy's Cosmopolitan Rolls

August:
August was No Bake month, and I was one of 2 or 3 who made Rocky Road so I won't bother posting the recipe for that as everyone knows how to make it!

September:
I didn't go - sorry!

October:
October was cocktail month, and as I was beginning to get into the Christmas spirit, I fancied making some cranberry sauce, but I added orange and vodka as a nod to the Cosmopolitan! However nowhere was selling fresh cranberries yet and so I settled for dried and used this recipe, but used vodka instead of Grand Marnier:

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/dressingpreservessauces/r/Cranberry-Orange-Relish-Recipe.htm

I spread this over bought puff pastry (I know, I know, I'm a terrible lazy person, especially as it's about the 3rd time I've used it!), then added some turkey slices to keep with the Christmas theme! I rolled this up, chopped it into bite-size chunks and baked. Probably at 200°C for about 20mins but I can't really remember, sorry. I vaguely recall that the pastry didn't rise particularly well, so not my best idea yet!

Joy's Cheese Scones and Lemon Rose Shortbread

We held a fairy tale themed picnic to raise money for Marie Curie. I picked two of my tried and tested favourite recipes: cheese scones and lemon rose shortbread.

Cheese Scones:

This is my Mum's recipe and it's the one I've always used; it's super easy and they always taste great!

8oz SR flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1oz butter/marg
4oz cheese (I usually use mature or smoked cheddar)
1/4 pint milk

Chuck it all in a food processor and blend until it forms a ball.
Roll out to 2cm thick and cut into desired shapes - don't twist the cutters in the dough as they won't rise as well.
Brush with a little milk, and sprinkle a bit of exra cheese/herbs/ground black pepper if desired.
Bake at 200°C for 15mins.

Lemon Rose Shortbread:

Again, the shortbread recipe is my Mum's (I learnt from the best!) I've probably listed the exact same recipe previously on the blog but here it is again for good measure!

4oz butter/marg
3oz caster sugar
6oz plain flour
2-3 drops lemon essence

Once again, I've afraid this is a lazy food processor recipe! Chuck it all in and blend until it comes together.
Tip onto a floured surface and roll out to about 0.5cm thick. I used a round cutter, and then cut a mini star out of half of the biscuits.
Bake at 190°C for 7-8 mins, then allow to cool.

I never use a recipe for buttercream and just keep mixing and adding until it seems the right consistency, but I also added a couple of drops of rose essence and pink food colouring to this batch.

Use a Wilton 2D rose nozzle to pipe onto the biscuits without holes, then press one with a hole on top - voila! Simple but rather effective, I like to think.

Joy's Toffee Apple Gingerbread Skeleton Cupcakes

So shamefully it's been absolutey months since I last posted on here, but here goes:

I halved the original recipe & it still made 30 mini cupcakes. I used to loathe recipes that called for cups but all the best muffin & cupcake recipes are American!

You will need:

• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter/marg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup applesauce 

The recipe also called for the following, which I didn't have. I intended to replace them with toffee chunks, but I forgot to include them in the mix so used them to top the cakes instead!

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 
• Pinch of nutmeg 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line mini muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, cream together sugars butter.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
5. Add applesauce, then flour mixture. Mix just until combined after each addition.
6. Spoon into cases & bake for about 8-10 minutes.

I used vanilla buttercream coloured purple, green & orange for that extra halloweeny feel, then topped with gingerbread skeletons & toffee chunks.

There's already a gingerbread recipe on the blog as Charlie made them for Christmas, or you use own family one (I can't remember which book the recipe I used was in, sorry!) But I quartered the recipe as I knew I wouldn't use much. I rolled them thinly, & used a mini gingerbread cutter to make the shapes. They only took about 4 mins in the oven so don't forget about them! I used writing icing to decorate, then assembled. I would suggest not sticking them on until just before you want to eat them as they did go very soft the next day.

Baking Mad! Valentine's Cheesecake

We entered a Baking Mad Valentine's bloggers competition, and were ecstatic to be selected as one of 15 blogs to receive an assortment of Silver Spoon and Nielsen Massey baking goodies with which we had to create a baked Valentine's spectacle. We found out on the afternoon of our February meeting that our blog had made it through to the "final 15", and the very next day the following wonderful goodies arrived:

We had to use at least three of these lovely products to make something we'd love to receive for Valentine's Day, so each of us dug around our recipe books and the interwebs to put forward our suggestions. Everyone in the club was offered the opportunity to vote for the recipe we entered into the competition, and the very clear favourite was a cookie dough cheesecake which included two types of ganache and Oreos; all the trimmings a good cheesecake should have! (We found our inspiration at the Willow Bird Bakery). We chose this because it's a really indulgent treat, which should only be eaten on special occasions, and which we'd all LOVE to receive on Valentines Day! 

The recipe might sound complicated, but that's simply not true; it was fun to bake and contrary to popular belief too many cooks do not spoil the broth, (5 of our club members got together to bake this special treat!) We christened our version the Baking Mad Cheesecake, as it contains a bit of everything, and - just like love itself -  is a bit mad.

You'll need a bit of room in your fridge or freezer before starting, a 6" springform tin - trust us a 6" cheesecake is enough - some tin foil and a baking tin to fit the cheesecake in for when it's in the oven (a lil Bain Marie so it cooks evenly).

Ingredients:

Base:

2 packets of Oreos (28 biscuits in total)

50g butter, melted

pinch of salt

Milk Chocolate Ganache:

300g Silver Spoon milk chocolate cake covering

100ml double cream (or elmlea)

Filling:

500g cream cheese (full fat if possible)

200g caster sugar

75g plain flour

1 sachet Silver Spoon vanilla paste

2tsp golden syrup

3 large eggs

Cookie Dough:

100g butter, softened

150g light brown sugar (although white caster will do)

125g plain flour

Silver Spoon Giant Snownies, broken
white chocolate chips

White Chocolate Ganache:

100g Silver Spoon easy melt white chocolate

50ml double cream (or elmlea)

You'll also need some Silver Spoon duo chocolate hearts and Silver Spoon white chocolate letters for decoration.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C and make sure your shelf is in the middle; you don't want it too high up.

It's best to start at the bottom, so crush up the Oreos in either a food processor or just attack them with a rolling pin (I'd advise you put them in a food bag first). Then pour in the melted butter and a pinch of salt, and mix til they're all combined. Press into your well greased springform tin, being sure to make sides for the cheesecake too so you get more of that tasty biscuit base. The Willow Bird Bakery provided a great tip to use a glass to press in the corners of your biscuit base, which worked a treat! Then pop the tin in the fridge whilst you make the milk chocolate ganache.

Break up the Silver Spoon milk chocolate cake covering to small pieces. Heat the cream to just simmering, then pour over the chocolate, mixing until all combined into a smooth glossy goo. Pour over the base, and return the whole thing to the fridge (or freezer) until it's set. This should coincide with when you've made the filling.

For the filling; beat the cream cheese and sugar together with either a wooden spoon or use a food mixer. Then beat in the flour (sifted if you fancy it), and eggs one at a time. Finally add in the Silver Spoon vanilla paste (reserve a little of the packet for your ganache later!) and golden syrup and give it all a good beat. When the base is set; pour this in to just below the top. Wrap the tin in foil tightly, then place into your baking tray (a brownie tin is good). Fill the baking tray with hot water so it goes about an inch up the outside of springform tin. Put it in the oven for an hour and a half, until it comes out with a slight wobble, and is golden all over.

Now you have some time for a cuppa, a sneaky Oreo dipped in some left over ganache, and i suppose some time to make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugar together, add in the flour and salt, and some water to get it to a nice consistency. Finally stir in the Silver Spoon snowies and white chocolate chips. Press out into a 6" round on some greaseproof paper, and pop in the fridge until needed.

When the cheesecake is cooked leave it in the tin until cool. You'll need to make the white chocolate ganache while this happens. This time melt the Silver Spoon easy melt covering in a bowl of hot water (as instructed) and pour into the remaining cream, along with a little more vanilla paste. Mix until combined and the place in the fridge to set slightly. Once you're ready to use the ganache remove it from the fridge, whip it up until you have a nice fudge like consistency, and place into a piping bag.

You're nearly done; honest!

Now using the white chocolate ganache, pipe a nice decoration around the edge (or just do some squiggles if decorations aren't your strong point,) and decorate with Silver Spoon duo chocolate hearts and Silver Spoon white chocolate letters. (We also decorated ours with a few sugar roses we had left over from our last meeting!)

Phew, done.

Put the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 2 hours before eating, and if possible overnight... If you can resist!

Thank you to Silver Spoon and Nielsen Massey for providing these wonderful products to for us to play with, even more thanks to Baking Mad for picking our blog to sample the products, and another thank you to all the members of Cambridge Cake'n'Bake Club for taking part!

Impromptu Rose and Lemon Shortbread

We decided to whip up a batch of simple shortbread to try out the rose water & lemon icing that Baking Mad kindly sent us, and to pass the time whilst waiting for the cheesecake to cook!

You will need:

6oz plain flour
4oz butter/marg
3oz caster sugar
A generous splash of Neilson Massey Rose Water
Silver Spoon lemon flavour icing sugar
15ml water
Approx 1 tbsp of marg

1. Cream butter & sugar
2. Add rose water & flour
3. Combine, form into a ball and generously flour your work area!
4. Roll out to approx 3-5mm and cut desired shapes. You may wish to turn the remainder of the mixture into a GIANT HEART.
5. Transfer to a lined baking tray & bake at 170ºC for 10-15mins or until browned to your taste. (Tom and Charlie had very differing opinions on this but luckily we ended up half soft & half crunchy!)
6. Whilst they're cooling, make up the icing as directed on the pack. We used less marg than suggested to keep a relatively thick consistency.
7. Sandwich them together with the icing.
8. Enjoy!

Joy's Mini Valentine's Bakewell Tarts

I adapted my recipe from a BBC Food one, but used blackcurrant jam as it was all I had & I don't eat enough of it to justify buying another jar! The recipe said it made 12, although I used a fairly small cupcake tin and made about 16. Yes, I ate 4 of them the night before!

For the pastry:

100g/3½oz butter, chilled and cubed (I used Clover)
200g/7oz plain flour, sifted
40g/1½oz icing sugar, sifted
1 free-range egg, beaten

For the frangipane:
55g/2oz butter or margarine
55g/2oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg, beaten
40g/1½oz ground almonds
1 tbsp plain flour

Few tablespoons of jam of your choice
Icing sugar
Ready roll icing
Food colouring pastes

 1. For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar. Use a palette knife to cut in the beaten egg then press together to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick. Cut out cirlces, and press into a cupcake/muffin tin, I find a rolling bin useful to form a "cup" shape. Chill for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. For the frangipane, place the ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined.

4. Prick the bases of the pastry cases then place half a teaspoon of the jam in each. Top with the frangipane mixture and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the frangipane is risen and golden. Cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Eat any that the jam has oozed out of (this is essential).

5. Decorate with simple icing sugar/water mixture, dyed pretty colours if your heart desires! I topped mine with ready roll icing hearts to make them more Valentine's themed!

6. Enjoy!

Joy's Ginger & Chocolate /Cinnamon & Cranberry Cookies

This recipe was adapted from the "Stem Gingernuts" recipe in the Great British Bake Off book that I got for Christmas. I originally tried to make a vegan candied clementine cake (http://veganyumyum.com/2009/02/candied-clementine-cake/) but disaster struck due to a poorly chosen pan and lack of knowledge as to how far to fill the pan up! It looked a bit of a disaster but my partner assures me it was very tasty!

Please note that these quantities are from the book & make 24 cookies. I quartered the recipe as I didn't want loads & wanted to make 2 varieties:

350g self raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger [or cinnamon for the second batch]
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
85g goldern syrup
1 medium free range egg, beaten
Candied ginger to taste (the book uses stem ginger but I didn't have that), I used about three 1p sized pieces for my quarter batch) [or replace with dried cranberries for the second batch. I don't know how many I used as I used up the packet but just keep adding & stirring until it looks right!]
I also added very dark chocolate to my recipe, because it goes beautifully with both ginger & cranberry

Preheat oven to 170ºC and line 3 baking trays with baking paper/sheets

1. Gently melt the golden syrup & butter over a low heat & set aside to cool
2. Sift flour, ginger/cinnamon, bicarb & sugar into a mixing bowl
3. Pour the cooled syrup mixture into the dry ingredients, add the beaten egg, candied ginger/cranberries, chocolate & combine
4. Roll into 24 walnut sized balls and arrange on the baking trays, allowing a lot of room for spreading!
5. Bake for 15-20 mins (I did mine for 15 to keep them chewy & gooey!)

6. Enjoy!

Joy's Nut Roast Tartlets

I feel a little ashamed to admit to using shop-bought pastry after Sarah's post!

You will need:

Puff pastry (block/pre-rolled, whichever you prefer)
Half a finely diced onion (I use red because they're tastier & prettier)
1 garlic clove
Couple of finely diced mushrooms and/or any other veg that you want to use. Peppers, sundried tomatoes & olives work well too.
1/2 tsp flour
150ml veg stock
85g chopped mixed nuts
85g breadcrumbs
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt, pepper & herbs to taste. I think I used basil, parsley, cumin & rosemary.
Something to stick the nut roast to the pastry and prevent them being too dry: this was a last minute thought & unfortunately the Co-op didn't have cranberry sauce so I went for apple sauce in some & tomato puree in others.

Method:
1. Stew onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic & mushrooms.
2. Sprinkle on flour. Add stock, stirring continuously.
3. Bring to the boil & simmer for 2-3 mins.
4. Add remaining ingredients & allow to cool slightly.
5. Meanwhile, roll out your pastry & cut desired shapes. I used a traditional pastry cutter and stars.
6. Put pastry shapes into lightly greased (or Frylight-ed) bun tins and press down to form a cup.
7. Spoon in a small amount of sauce, and add a pressed ball of nut roast mixture.
8. I cut out little stars from my pastry offcuts & added these to the top to make them look more festive!
9. Bake at 220ºC until pastry is browned nicely, about 15-20mins I think.
10. Enjoy!

Joy's (very easy) stained glass bakewell hearts

I chose these for the first bake off as biscuits were probably the first thing I learnt to make as a child, and I still use my mum's old recipe today, hence why it's in ounces!

Ingredients:
4oz butter/margarine (works equally well with vegan margarine if you're that way inclined)
3oz caster sugar
6oz plain flour
Any boiled sweets, I used Cherry Drops
Anything else you want to add! For these I added a couple of drops of almond essence and a shake or 2 of cinnamon.

Method:
1. Cream butter & sugar, add vanilla/almond/orange/lemon essence
2. Sieve in flour & cinnamon and mix to combine
3. Roll mixture to about half to 1cm thick on a floured work surface, and cut out desired shape. I find it's easiest to transfer them to a lined baking sheet before cutting out the hole where the sweets will go, as it helps them retain their shape.
4. Fill the hole with crushed boiled sweets (I used half a cherry drop per cookie)
5. Bake at 170oC for 10-15mins or until the sweet fills the hole & the cookies are nicely browned.
6. Enjoy!