Sorry 'bout the Photos

Sorry for the lack of photographic backup to most of these recipes.  My camera took a tumble and my phone doesn't have a flash so indoor photos are really bad.  I work during the day and most of my baking happens in the evenings and at weekends and the cakes and biscuits don't usually last that long. I am working on sorting myself out for a camera but in the meantime please be patient.  As I will have to get pics of recipes already made let me know if you would be interested in coming to see me work my magic and bake a little.

Why sieve or sift flour? What difference does it make?

A sieve is a fine wire mesh with a handle used in baking.  It is typically bowl shaped or conical.

Purposes

• Removing lumps from 
• powders used in baking e.g. flour cocoa
• other things that can be pushed through the sieve like raspberries to remove the seeds when making raspberry coulis
• Mixing ingredients together e.g. sifting baking powder and flour together for even distribution
• To add air to a mix e.g. a sponge cake.

Alternative:
In many cases you can use a whisk to add air, mix dry ingredients or remove lumps.

Care:
The main disadvantage is that its something else to wash up afterwards.  Wash it dry it and pop it in the oven for a few minutes to dry off the metal fully as your ovens cooling down after baking.  It will prolong the life of your sieve by not going rusty. (I know this goes without saying, but only put the sieve in the oven if it has no melt-able parts and please remember to use an oven glove to handle it).

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

This recipe comes courtesy of my sister in law Maura.  I usually find banana cake or banana bread to be a little dense and soggy this is both moist and flavourful and has a little welcome surprise in its belly.  This makes two loaves (one for now and one for the freezer).

28/6/15 I have used exactly this recipe to make muffins and they are divine! The great thing about them is that you can bake a big batch and freeze the individual muffins so that there is always something in the house when you have surprise visitors or when you fancy something sweet.

225g butter/marg

350g caster sugar

* Cream these together*

Add in:

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream (fresh is ok if using self raising flour)

3 or 4 ripe bananas

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp bread soda

pinch salt (I never use this)

1 tsp vanilla essence

525g plain flour

*Mix well*

Filling and Topping;

50g brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

200g (2 packets) Milk chocolate chips

1. Grease the tins
2. Divide half the cake mixture between the two tins
3. Put a layer of the filling and topping mixture in each tin (I use most of the chocolate chips here)
4. Divide the remaining cake mixture between the tins
5. Top off the cakes with the rest of the filling mixture
6.  Bake for 45-60 minutes @ 180 degrees C

Macaroons

I've been searching for a recipe that I could use up the leftover egg white whenever I make cinema floor cookies and this is it. There is no flour in it and for those with issue with gluten their nice sweet treats. I've used lemon zest to flavour these but you could use almond essence instead.  Regarding Ground Nuts this is not limited to almonds; you can toast and skin all sorts of nuts before pulsing them in a blender for this recipe or buy them in the shop

1 egg white
100g Ground Nuts (or dessicated coconut)
100g Caster Sugar
Flavouring (see note above)

(Makes 8)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170c
2. Lightly beat an egg white
3. Mix in the remainder of the ingredients in a bowl.
4. Form little ping pong ball sized balls in your hands the mixture should be firm but sticky and place them on a baking tray and flatten a little with a fork
5. Bake for 10 mins until pale golden, then cool on a wire rack

Alternate method

1. Preheat oven to 170c.
2. Prepare a baking sheet with oiled baking parchment
3. Using a stand mixer whisk the egg white to soft peaks add a little sugar and mix briefly but thoroughly.  Add the remainder of the sugar. Mix properly but do not over whisk!
4. Fold in ground nuts
5. Half fill piping bag (I use one without the nozzle) and make 4-5cm diameter circles on the baking sheet
6. Bake for 10mins until pale golden, then cool on a wire rack

Fruit Scones that dont look like biscuits!

Finally I found a recipe that works!  For years every time I made scones they wound up looking like biscuits- tasty but rock hard.  I got the basic recipe from Shamrock but as usual have made a few little changes.  The basic recipe called for Margarine but I prefer butter.  I also have ingredients for a glaze which I think makes a good scone a great scone.  Apple and Cinnamon are a lovely combination so if you choose to put apples (pick a firm apple with flavour e.g. a Pink Lady or Coxs Pippin) in the mix add a tsp of cinnamon for every 100g of flour or you can add it to the glaze.  This makes about 12 generous scones that can be frozen and microwaved for approx 1 minute to defrost though nothing beats a scone fresh out of the oven.

Ingredients
8oz/200g Self Raising Flour
4oz/100g Fruit (Sultanas/Cherries/Cranberries/chopped Apple/Raspberries-take your pick)
2oz/50g Butter (cut into cubes at room temp)
1oz/25g Sugar
¼ pint Milk (though I added an egg instead and topped it up with milk for a richer dough)

Glaze:
1 egg
2 tbsp Demerara Sugar (there should be enough here but you can always add more)
1 tsp Cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
2. Sieve Flour into a bowl. Stir in the sugar
3. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar mix. It should look at little like breadcrumbs when you're finished.  Stir in the fruit.
4. Make a well in the middle. The best way to stir this gently is to make a claw shape with your hand and add the milk (or egg and milk) a little at a time until you reach a soft dough.  (Your hands will be a sticky mess but you'll have really light and fluffy scones)
5. Tip your dough onto a floured work surface.  Roll it out to about 2cm
6. To glaze them brush them with egg and pop them in the oven just like that or dip them in the demerara sugar cinnamon mix.

 

1. Bake in the oven for 10-15 Mins and serve with butter or cream and jam.

Variation
For Brown Scones use 4oz/100g Wholemeal flour and 4oz/100g Self Raising Flour instead of the 8oz/200g Self Raising Flour in the recipe and leave out the fruit.