Chocolate Caramel Biscuits / August 14, 2012 by Kevin

This is another one of the numerous biscuits myself and the sister make together. I oddly don't have a picture of the finished product. I guess I'll have to make them again.....

What you'll need:

for the biscuit

100g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
1 egg
175g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

for the caramel

1⁄2 of one 379g of condensed milk
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
50g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon golden syrup

for the topping

125g dark chocolate

For the cookies, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, mix well, add flour and baking powder. Combine. Shape the dough into a log about a thumb in diameter, wrap in cling and leave in a fridge for 1 hour.

When the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 165°C/gas mark 3. Slice about 15 biscuits. Place on a prepared baking tray. Bake for about 15mins. They might be a bit ready beforehand pop them out once they're a pale golden colour. They'll be soft. Leave them on the tray for about 10min and move them over to a rack ro cool.

While the biscuits are cooling make the caramel, place all ingredients in a small pot over a low heat. Stir regularly, allow the mix to thicken. The moment you see the caramel setting on the side of the pan it's ready. Transfer to a shallow pan and cover in cling, let it cool for 30min. Once it's cool, divided it into 15 balls and place it on top of each biscuit. Flatten.

Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Once it's melted make a mess....or use a slotted spoon. Dip the biscuit into the chocolate and leave to sit on a rack in the fridge to set.

Eat.

Imagine lovely chocolate dipped biscuits.....maybe i'll just make more...and take a photo and eat more....

Semolina Sponge Cake for Lorraine! / June 24, 2012 by Kevin

So as it says above this cake was for Lorraine. It was Lorraine's birthday so I decided she would need a cake! I had the idea for this cake on Father's Day when I was teaching my sister how to make a Victoria Sponge. There's 3 main things needed to make this cake. SO this is my first recipe post so you know....bear with me. There's also fondant involved for the lettering.

What you'll need to make this cake!

For the sponge

6 eggs, seperated
300g caster sugar
240g semolina flour
Grated Zest of 1 organic unwaxed lemon
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

For the salted caramel sauce

1 can of condensed milk (379g)
150g soft dark brown sugar
150g butter
pinch of maldon salt

...you end up with some extra caramel sauce...but that's never a bad thing.

For the Apricot Butter Cream

227g unsalted butter, softened
2 lots of caster sugar 50g each
8 fresh apricots

or if you get apricot jam just use 1 lot of caster sugar.

2 egg yolks

Ok so that's everything! So we'll begin!

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and grease a 20cm cake tin with butter. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth then gradually whisk in small amounts of the flour. Add the lemon zest. In a seperate bowl whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then fold into the mixture with the baking powder. Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Pop it out and let it is in the tray for 15 minutes. The flip it upside-down on a wire rack and leave to cool. It should look a little like this:

Once it's cool slice it in half like so:

Ok I have acidtate strips that wrap around and keep everything in place, if not place the bottom half of the pizza back in cake tin.

Ok so caramel sauce, in a saucepan melt the butter and sugar together till it's smooth. Once all the sugar is dissolved pour in the condensed milk. Stir it continuously till the first bubble appears. Don't let it boil!

Pour it over the bottom half and leave it to cool in the fridge for a half hour.

Pop it back out and put the top half on.

Now last but not least the apricot butter cream:

In a small pop cook down the apricots with 50g of sugar....or if you have apricot jamdo nothing. Beat the butter till it's pale and creamy. Beat in the remaining sugar, apricots and egg yolks. Mix it till its very smooth.