United Cakedom: August 2011

Apple Streusel Cake (Day 31 of the August Break!)

love apples

ready for the oven!

out of the oven!!

Pac-Man??

would you like a slice?

Today is the last day of the August Break! I've had a lot of fun participating! Can't wait for the August Break 2012!! This recipe came from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days. It was amazing!!! If you want the recipe please leave a comment or email me at americanbakerinengland@gmail.com! or buy the book! You won't be disappointed!!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

taken from Martha Stewart's Cookies

you can also find the recipe here!

guest post from IN Baker

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor
2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about thirty-six 1 1/2-by-2-inch pieces.

My kids loved these!! ~IN Baker

Snickers Brownies

Snickers Brownies:

taken from Baked in America, Outsider Tart

225g , plain flour
¾ tsp, baking powder

½ tsp, bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp, kosher salt

175g, peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

unsalted butter, softened

115g, unsalted butter, softened

225g, sugar

225g, light brown sugar

3, large eggs

¾ tsps, vanilla extract

175g, salted peanuts

250g, semi-sweet chocolate chips

mini marshmallows

50g mini marshmallows

Pre-heat oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream the peanut butter, butter and both sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Slowly beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spread evenly in a prepared pan. (I don’t have a “brownie” pan; which is usually about 12x9x2in/30x23x5cm) So, I had two pans for these.

Bake for 40 minutes (I didn’t adjust the time even though I used smaller pans as they were thicker. Just watch them)

For the topping:

225g, sugar

120ml, double cream

60g, butter

60g, salted peanuts, chopped

Combine sugar and 4fl oz/120ml/ ½ cup of water in a heavy saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and then bring to a medium simmer.As the mixture heats brush with a wet pastry brush to remove any crystals that have formed, do not stir. Shake the pan to mix it, but do not stick a spoon in there and stir (direct instructions from the authors!)

Once the mixture takes on a caramel color, watch it closely (very important as it burns very easily!) You want a deep amber color. Could take up to 20 minutes. Bubbling will slow down as it finishes.

Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the cream. Add a little, then a little more, you’ll see why!! It’ll save you from having to start over and cleaning up a big mess!

Once it settles down whisk in the butter until creamy and smooth. Cool and then pour on top of brownies then sprinkle on the chopped peanuts!!

Keep Calm and Bake On

Look what my friend gave me!! Check out her facebook page Scrummy Mummy Jewels!!

London Bakery Tour: Thoughts

I've listed a whole bunch of bakeries in London, mostly in the Covent Garden area, but as I'm impatiently waiting to go, my list seems to be getting smaller.

I have to go to Hummingbird Bakery! I have both their books (I prefer Cake Days) and have produced amazing things from them! Both books have a good variety: cupcakes, cakes, pies, bars, and cookies. Luckily there are 4 locations of the hummingbird bakery no excuse not to get to one of them!

Since buying and reading Baked in America last week I have to go to Outsider Tart. On Saturdays they are at Royal Festival Hall (South Bank Centre) which doesn't look to be too far from Covent Garden! The bakery is not so close, but if I cut out some of the other places not impossible (time wise) to get to. I'm making brownies from the book this weekend I'll be posting to let you know how it's turned out!

So, I'm a little obsessive at times and I've completely been obsessed with Bea's of Bloomsbury. Her book is out next month (September 8th) and it looks amazing (I really want to make the cake on the cover! Yes, I judge books by the the cover. Why do you think publishers make them so pretty?) Naturally I want to go here as well! In fact it's first on my list!!

Then I really want to check out Johnny's Cupcake apparel. I'm seeing his signature black t-shirt, a cupcake cross-bones, EVERYWHERE!!

The other place I'd like to go is Violet, but it's East London and not sure on traveling time etc... Like the David's of Outsider Tart, she's American. Like me, she's married to a British man. Might have to see if I can squeeze it in. Lily Vanilli has her bakery on the East side as well and also at Harrods.... so many places so little time!!

Love Bakery is another one I wouldn't mind checking out, but again not in the immediate area of London that the majority are located. It just depends a lot on time and how big the group is.

Every where else is just convenient. LOLA's Cupcakes, not to be rude, I'm just not overly fussed really. Primrose Bakery just hasn't grabbed my attention too much and Cox's Cakes and Biscuits had a negative review from a blog I read. Which shouldn't mean I totally dismiss it, but it doesn't endure me when the reviewer commented on how an over-priced cupcake should taste better! Candy Cakes has a location in Windsor, that I might try to visit. One friend said it was amazing another said so/so.

~ A word with whoever is thinking of joining me, if I become too much of a "mom" please let me know. Whenever I go places with a group of people I always feel responsible for everyone. I just like to make sure everyone gets home safely! As we get closer to the time I'm going to have a loose time schedule, that way people can drop in and out as they wish.

I've just been thinking about this for a while and just wanted to write about my thoughts to my blog readers and those who are thinking of joining me on October 8th. My top 3 places are Hummingbird Bakery, Outsider Tart, and Bea's of Bloomsbury! Where would you like to go?

If you think you'd like to go please leave a comment or send me an email at americanbakerinengland@gmail.com. Just would like to get idea of how many people are interested! Might need to get a T-shirt or maybe just a button/badge.

I love...cake

When Donna tells Eric how she feels he responds with... I love cake. Don't we all?

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

or Original Nestle' Toll House Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Morsel Cookies

Taken from the back of a package of Nestle' Toll House Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda (baking powder)
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (11-oz pkg) PB&MC Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (I didn't use nuts)

Pre-heat oven to 375*F or 190*C
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter, g. sugar, b. sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time.
Beat in flour gradually.
Stir in morsels and nuts if used.
Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 5 dozen

My batter was very fluffy. I might have beat it a bit much? They still turned out good though!! My father-in-law had brought me back lots of American 'chips' to use in baking and instead of being creative I just followed the recipe on the pkg with this one! Very yummy!!

White Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

250g stale bread, cut into 3cm cubes

~ I had a stale baguette sitting around so I used that; if your bread isn’t stale leave out for a few minutes to dry out first

100g white chocolate chips or morsels

3 eggs

40g soft light brown sugar

2 x 15ml tbsps of Amaretto

125ml double cream

500ml full-fat milk

to cover:

4 tsp light muscovado (unrefined sugar cane sugar)

2 tsp ground almonds (this was my adding as I used Amaretto instead of dark rum and I used Amaretto instead of the dark rum because I used white chocolate chips not milk chocolate chips!)

Pre-heat oven 170*C/gas mark 3 Grease dish lightly with butter, you just need a casserole type dish!
Place bread cubes in the dish and toss in w.c. chips to cover
Whisk eggs, brown sugar, Amaretto, double cream, and milk.
Pour over bread and press down to coat them in the liquid
Leave to soak for at least 20 minutes
Sprinkle with muscovado and g.almonds
Bake for 40-50 minutes turn half way through if your oven cooks unevenly

Let the dish stand for a minute before serving!

This turned out really well; we topped ours with some vanilla ice cream! The ice cream helped make it a summer dessert! I always think of this dish as more of a winter type dessert. It is the perfect comfort food!!

soaking!

baked!

dished up with icecream!

Lasagna or Lisagna (Day 14 of the August Break!)

Brown Sugar Pound Cakes

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

guest post ~IN Baker!!

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks*) unsalted butter, room temp.

2 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temp.

¾ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven 325*F or 170*C and line your tin(s)
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
With an electric mixer on med-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beat until combined after each.
Fill your lined tin three-quarters full. Bake for about 25 minutes, rotating your tin half way through.
Let cool for 10 minutes. (Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temp. or frozen for 2 months in airtight containers)

Brown-Butter Icing:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar)

2 tsps vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk, plus more if needed

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nut-brown colour, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind.
Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and 2 tbsps milk to the brown butter; stir until smooth. If necessary, add more milk (no more then an extra 2 tbsp) a little at a time, just until icing is spreadable. Use immediately

To finish:

Place cupcakes on wire rack, over a baking sheet, and spoon icing over the cupcakes and let set. Cupcakes best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temp until ready to serve.

*1 stick of butter weighs 115g

Taste Tester! :0)

Please refrain from licking your screen please!

A few days ago I posted Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cupcakes! If you'd like the recipe go her official website where you can find many more of her delicious cupcake recipes!!