Sinful Devil's Food Cake

Time for a more adult Halloween Treat. This cake is luxurious and chocolatey you should be so naughty and have another slice. I won't tell!

Makes 1 Cake

Cake

Before Frosting

60g Cocoa Powder
100g Dark Brown Sugar
250ml Boiling Water
150g Butter
150g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
250g Plain Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 

Filling
150g White Chocolate
150ml Double Cream

Frosting
200g Dark Chocolate
25g Dark Brown Sugar
150g Butter
Dash of Water

Extra Chocolate to Decorate (Optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Line 2 20cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.

After Frosting

2. In a bowl whisk the cocoa powder, dark brown sugar and the boiling water. Whisk until combined. Leave and continue the rest of the cake in another bowl.

3. Cream the butter and caster sugar together. Then add the vanilla and eggs to the mixture and mix again. Then shift the plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate into the mixture.

4. The cocoa mixture would have cooled, add this to the cake mixture. Divide between the cake tins. Put in the oven for 25 minutes. Check the cake has baked all the way through.

5. While the cake is in the oven make the filling and frosting:

Filling
For the filling melt the white chocolate on a bain marie, allow the melted white chocolate to cool slightly. Whisk the double cream. Fold the white chocolate into the cream. And leave to cool.

Frosting
Melt the Dark Chocolate and butter in the pan. Add the Sugar and stir. Then take off the heat and add a dash of water. Leave to cool til the frosting thickens up.

6. Assemble the cake by sandwiching the white chocolate cream. Then cover with the frosting. Decorate with optional chocolate (example below). Enjoythis sinful delight.

Webcakes

Eeeeek a spider! Na its just some chocolate fairy cakes. Make your Halloween a bit special this year with these scary treats

Makes 24

150g Butter, cubed

225g Caster Sugar

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

200g Plain Flour

60g Cocoa Powder

175 ml Whole Milk

2 tsp Baking Powder

50g Dark Chocolate

Baking Cases

Topping

225g Dark/White Chocolate

White/Black Icing

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Cream the butter and egg together. Then add the eggs and give a stir till combined. 

2. Then add the flour, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and baking powder. It should begin to stiffen up. Gradually add the milk while mixing. It should loosen the mixture. Once all the milk has combined, melt the dark chocolate and allow to cool. Add this to the cake mixture and give a final mix. Should look like chocolate mousse. 

3. Divide the mixture between the baking cases and put on a muffin pan/tray. Put in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and put on a wire rack. 

4. To make the topping melt your preferred chocolate in a ban marie. Dip each cupcake into the chocolate and put to the side. Draw 3 circles increasing in size from the centre outward. Then using a toothpick make 6/7 strokes from the centre outward to make the cakes look like they have webs. To make a spider make 2 circles with icing and add 8 legs.

Happy Halloween!




Add these cases for a Halloween feel

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka

I'm on  a roll with these slow cooker recipes. But lets get British with this one. There is much talk with where this meal originates from. Some believe it was first created in an Indian subcontinent and others believe is Glasgow, Scotland. Either way this dish is lovely and will bring everyone to the table.

Serves 4

5-6 Chicken Thighs, cut into chunks

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

1tsp Ground Coriander

1 Large Onion, finely chopped

3 Garlic Cloves. crushed

2 tbsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Fresh/Lazy Ginger

2 tbsp Plain Flour

2 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 Can Chopped Tomatoes

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

400ml Coconut Milk

1 Red Chili, deseeded (keep seeds it you want hotter), diced
Olive Oil
Fresh Coriander (garnish)

1. In a frying pan/removable pot in the slow cooker heat olive oil over a medium heat on the hob. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken has changed colour. Add the onion, garlic and chili until softened. If using a frying pan put the chicken mixture mixture in the slow cooker. If not place the pot in the slow cooker.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the coconut milk to the slow cooker. Give a stir. And leave for the following:

- Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. Half an hour before the curry has finished add the Coconut Milk. Serve with rice and/or naan bread. Optional Garnish with Coriander.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

Midweek meal. Jam packed risotto with a huge amount of flavour

Serves 4-6

Knob of Butter
1 Onion, diced
2-3 Chicken Breasts, diced
200g Chestnut Mushroom, cut into quarters then in half
100g Smoked Bacon Lardons
150ml White Wine
1.4l Chicken Stock
25g Parmigiano Reggiano
250g Arborio Risotto
Handful Parsley, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and diced into cubes

1. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the chicken until cooked all the way through. Remove and put on a plate with kitchen roll to dab the excess fat. Then fry the bacon for 2- 4 minutes. Then remove this from the pan and put on kitchen roll.

2. With the juices and remaining butter in the pan, add the carrots and onion and fry til softened (couple of minutes). Add the risotto rice and allow to fry for a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Allow to reduce. Then add 2 ladles of stock and stir. Allow to reduce before adding another ladle of stock. Continue until out of stock. Keep stirring so risotto doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

3. When there is no more stock add the chicken, mushrooms, bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley to pan. Serve with extra cheese and parsley.

Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

A classic which goes well with custard. Any UK kid would have had this pudding at one point. Relive the experience or if you have tried crumble give it a go.

Serves 4-6

Fruit Filling

3-4 Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

4 Stalks of Rhubarb, sliced

1 tbsp Honey

1 tsp Cinnamon

50g Caster Sugar

Water to cover the base of the Pan

Crumble

140g Plain Flour

80g Butter, chilled, cubed

50g Light Brown Sugar

50g Oats

50g Flaked Almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted. Stew the the fruit by putting a pan over a medium low heat. Put water in to just cover the base and the fruit. Stew for 10 minutes. Stir during this time so it doesn't burn. Add the honey, cinnamon and sugar and give a final stir.

2. Make the crumble by taking a mixing bowl and adding the butter and flour. Rub the butter between the thumbs and fingers. Its a messy business but its so much fun. It should start to resemble crumbs. Then stir in the rest of the crumble ingredients. 

3. Pour the fruit in an oven proof dish. Then cover with the crumble mixture. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The top should be golden brown. Enjoy with cream or custard. 

Blueberry Pie (V)

Pastry week on the Great British Bake Off. So lets make a pie. This is one I have wanted to try and bake for a while. Hope you enjoy it


Makes 1 Pie

500g Shortcrust Pastry (Or Make your Own)
450g Blueberries (Frozen or Fresh)
Lemon Juice
Stick of Cinnamon
25g Cornflour
125g Caster Sugar
1 Egg
1- 3 tsp Granulated Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan Assisted. Split the dough. Use 2/3 of the dough and roll to cover a flan tin (25cm). Save the other third.

2. In a small/medium, pour enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Then tip in the blueberries, cinnamon stick and caster sugar and stir. Heat over a low heat for ten minutes. There should be fluid. Add the cornflour and give another mix. Keep on heat for 5 minutes. The blueberry mixture should harden. Make sure you occasionally stir so the mixture doesn't burn. Take off heat and allow to cool.

3. While cooling make the strips for the top of the pastry. Roll out the dough so it could just cover the length of the tin. Then cut 6 strips of 3cm width.

4. Pour blueberry mixture into the covered tin. Then layer over the pastry strips. Egg wash and sprinkle granulated sugar over the pastry.

5. Put in the oven for 18-20 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown. Leave to cool for a minute before taking out of the tin. Serve with thick cream.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Yes you can buy it from the supermarket. If you want to go the extra mile for pastry then give it a go by making it from scratch. Ideal for sweet pies.

Makes 500g of Shortcrust Pastry

125g Butter, cubed at room temperature
2 Eggs
90g Caster Sugar
240g Plain Flour

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, it should resemble scrambled eggs. Then add the flour. Mix together until it forms a ball. If too moist add more flour.

2. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes. And wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 20 minutes. Store in fridge until its needed or store in freezer for later use (don't keep in freezer longer than a month as dough can get freezer burn).

Slow Cooker Red Lamb Shank

Reason for the name red wine and redcurrant jelly are both key in this recipe. Another Slow cooker recipe for the blog.

Serves 2

2 x Lamb Shanks
2 tbsp Red Currant Jelly
250ml Red Wine
750ml Lamb Stock
Handful of Rosemary
1 Onion, Diced
2 Garlic Clove, crushed
Knob Of Butter
4 tbsp Plain Flour, seasoned
2 tbsp Plain Flour (Optional)

1. In the removable part of the slow cooker or a frying pan melt butter over a medium heat. Coat the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour. Brown the meat in the butter for 5 minutes turning so its all browned.

2. Add the Onion and garlic and low the heat and sweat for 2 minutes. Then add the wine, stock, Redcurrant jelly, rosemary and season. Put in the slow cooker.  Give a stir. And leave for the following:

- Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. Remove meat from the slow cooker. Put on mashed potato and serve with vegetables. If you want the sauce/gravy to be thicken put the sauce over a hob and mix in flour. It should thicken. Should be about 10 minutes.