Author Archives: assenkameltingpot

Red velvet Macaron Cake

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There hasn’t been much cake around these parts lately and that is because I gave up cake for Lent. I thought that instead of the usual Easter eggs on Easter Sunday I would make myself a cake but where to begin? I thought maybe a carrot cake? chocolate cake? no, this occasion called for Red velvet.

This Red Velvet needed something different to lift it from the usual but tasty cream cheese frosting, in this case I was inspired by who introduced me to white chocolate mascarpone cream. To make it extra special I decided to decorate it with the always temperamental French macaron – too much? of course not.

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Ingredients

120g salted butter at room temperature
300g caster sugar
2 egg
30g cocoa powder
40ml red food colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
240ml buttermilk
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp white vinegar
1 x 8″ springform cake tin

For the frosting:
200g good quality white cooking chocolate chopped
100g double cream
1tsp vanilla paste/extract
30g usalted butter, at room temperature cubed
250g mascarpone cheese, cold

For the Macaron

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1tbs meringue powder
3tbs sugar
100g extra fine ground almonds
200g icing sugar, sifted
Red food colouring paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.

Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the frosting by bringing the double cream and vanilla the boil and pouring over the chopped chocolate let sit for one minute. Using a rubber spatula stir until all of the chocolate has melted allow to cool slightly.
Transfer to your mixer’s mixing bowl and using the whisk attachment begin whisking the chocolate ganache, turn the mixer to low and add in the butter continue to whisk on medium.
When the mixture begins to resemble whipped cream add in the mascarpone all at once and continue to whisk until smooth.
6. Spoon the cake mixture into the lined cake tin until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When the cakes is cold, frost the cake with the white chocolate cream.

For the macaron:

Preheat the oven to 150 or gas mark 3 and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

Whip the whites and meringue powder until they are foamy, then slowly add the sugar and whip just until the whites barely hold a soft peak when the beaters are lifted. It is very important not to overwhip your egg whites). Stir the ground almonds and icing sugar together and then fold this into the whipped whites in 2 additions (the batter will be quite runny).

3. If you want to colour the macarons, stir in a touch of colour into the batter. Fill a piping bags fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe macarons that are 2 inches wide and an inch apart on the baking tray. Let the macarons sit for 10-30 minutes, until they develop a “skin” (until the surface of the macarons appear dull – no longer shiny). Bake for about 10 minutes, until they lift off the parchment paper using a spatula without sticking. Let them cool on the trays before removing.

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4. To assemble, pipe or spread a little white chocolate cream on the bottom of one macaron and press the bottom of a second onto it, pressing gently. Continue until all of the macarons are filled.

5. The macarons will keep for up to 3 days in airtight
container.

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Chocolate Chip Vanilla Fudge Hot Cross Buns

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I decided to make these buns after walking around my local Marks and Spencer, they had just brought out their Belgian chocolate fudge hot cross buns and I thought to myself “I think I’ll have a go at making these” this was largely drawn for the fact that the M&S buns only have four in a pack and my family can be a little bit greedy (this recipe makes 15)

For the buns I took inspiration from the bread master himself Paul Hollywood, but instead of mixed peel and other dried fruits it replaced them with vanilla fudge pieces and dark chocolate studded with crystallised ginger to ramp up the spice.

These buns are a truly decadent take on the original that shouldn’t be confined to just the Easter period, have them for breakfast toasted with butter and a cup of tea or use the leftovers to make Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter pudding.

The process is a little bit time consuming when you factor in proving time but that is what passing the time on Instagram is for right??.

Chocolate chip vanilla fudge hot cross buns (makes 15)


Ingredients:

For the buns
300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 tbsp more
50g butter
500g strong bread flour
1 tsp salt
75g caster sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
1 egg, beaten
75g vanilla fudge chopped into small cubes
100g dark chocolate chips (I used crystallised ginger studded dark chocolate chopped into chunks)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cross
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

For the glaze
3 tbsp apricot jam

Method:
Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough – I used the bowl of my mixer and mixed together using the dough hook.

Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic or if using a mixer once the dough has come together continue to knead with the dough hook for 10 mins until the dough is elastic and the gluten strands have formed. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.

With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the chocolate, fudge, and cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.

Divide the dough into 15 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.

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Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.

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Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool (you could use a sugar syrup instead)

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Peter Pilotto for Target

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When I first heard last year that Peter Pilotto were going to collaborate with Target, my first thought was “which of my American relatives am I going to have to bribe to get my hands on some of the collection?” and then I continued reading and saw that a selection would be available on Net – a – Porter.com. Yes , Jackpot!

This is what Target said about the collection –

“PETER PILOTTO for Target exemplifies the designers’ distinct aesthetic, combining hyper-real digital prints in striking blues and greens and warm reds and oranges.”

A little background about the London duo –

“Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos are the designers behind PETER PILOTTO. Together, they embrace both new and classic perspectives on elegance, leveraging Pilotto’s expertise in textiles and print, and De Vos’ concentration on silhouette and drape. In December 2009, PETER PILOTTO was awarded the Best Emerging Talent Award and the Women’s Swarovski Award for New Potential High-Level Garments at the British Fashion Awards. Additional accolades followed in 2011 when the label received the prestigious Fashion Forward Award by the British Fashion Council.

“Our brand is about print, yes, but it’s also about the emotional feeling you can get from color and color combinations.”

There have been many times where I have wandered through the halls of Selfridges admiring the gorgeous thick silk jersey material of the Peter Pilotto collection, hoping to one day to own a piece, and now I had a more pocket friendly chance.

I spent and embarrassing amount of sleeping hours refreshing the Net-a-porter website on February 9th to make sure I got a piece of the action – it nearly didn’t happen. I did, however, manage to get a couple of pieces and they are beautiful.

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I had never ordered anything from Net-a-Porter before but I will again if only for the beautifully elegant packaging (I’m a sucker for good packaging)

Although the items were not in Peter Pilotto’s signature materials they are in a lightweight crepe that makes them perfect for spring and summer. The quality was on par with mid range high street stores and were priced accordingly.

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For fans of Peter Pilotto’s work it gave you the opportunity to get their aesthetic on a shoestring budget and to my mind it was money well spent.