Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

Hi again, I did something like this with the Chocolate Caramel Cups, but this time we are filling and decorating them a little prettier this time. Something Sweet was used as a guidance for this recipe. Happy Baking xx

Ingredients:

175g dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best)
25g peanuts toasted and chopped
75g crunchy peanut butter

Method:

1. Place 2/3 of the dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl over some simmering water. Melt and heat to 48-49 degrees. Then take off the heat and wrap the base of the bowl in a tea towel  to keep in some of the heat, cool the chocolate to a working temperature of about 30 degrees.

2. With a teaspoon spoon a little of the chocolate into the moulds used in the Caramel Cups recipe from Something Sweet. With a small flat paintbrush, paint the chocolate up the sides of the mould evenly coating all around paying particular attention to the top of each. Touch up any sides of the mould that look a little thin. Set for 5-10 minutes in the fridge.

3. Once the base layer has set, reheat the chocolate to about 30 degrees ( a working temperature), brush another layer of chocolate over the top and set in the fridge.

4. In a bowl mix a few of the chopped peanuts with the peanut butter and evenly blend. Take the set chocolate cups and fill the cup with peanut mixture leaving enough space for chocolate to go on the top to finish off.

5. Bring the chocolate back up to temperature and spoon a little on the top of each chocolate cup, smoothing over with a small spatula or the end of a spoon. Decorate with left over peanuts for presentation, set in the fridge until the chocolate has gone hard.

6. Pop the cups out of the moulds, and serve in a small box as a nice gift or just enjoy them.

Happy Baking xx Beth

Death By Chocolate Giant Cupcake

It was my Dad's birthday last Tuesday and he specifically wanted me to make him a giant chocolate cupcake. Thanks to my wonderful Great Nan who brought me a great mould to use. Hope you enjoy this. Happy Baking xx

Ingredients:

For bottom half of giant cupcake:
250g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
220g caster sugar
220ml vegetable oil
220ml milk
3 eggs
3 tbsp golden syrup
For the butter cream:
160g unsalted butter
500g icing sugar sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
3tbsp cocoa powder
For the top half of the giant cupcake:
125g self raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp cocoa powder
110g caster sugar
110ml vegetable oil
110ml milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp golden syrup
Ganache:
150g milk chocolate
150ml cream
To decorate:
Maltezer treat pack ( or a choice of chocolates)

Method: 
1. Pre-heat your oven to 160C and grease the top and bottom parts of your giant cupcake mould, with a few drops of vegetable oil.

2. In a mixing bowl sift together all the dry ingredients for the bottom half of the cupcake except the caster sugar. Mix that in hen all the other dry ingredients have been combined. (flour, bicarb, cocoa powder). Mix together all the wet ingredients for the bottom half and make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients. Blend with a hand mixer until you have a smooth consistency. Fill the bottom half of the cupcake mould with the mixture, bake for about 45 minutes. Do this same step with the top half ingredients but bake for 20-25 minutes instead. Cool on a wire rack. You should now have two cakes one top and a bottom.

3. For the butter cream. Cream together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and cocoa power until evenly combined. Add the milk in a little at a time until you have a smooth consistency.

4. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and put in a bowl. In a small saucepan bring the cream to the boil before whisking onto the chocolate. Continue whisking until all the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth silky ganache. Trim the bottom side of the top half so it will sit well on the bottom half. Put a blob of ganache on the cake board and place the bottom half of the giant cupcake to it so it sticks to the cake board.

5. Cool the ganache to a spreading consistency, I left it over night. Once the ganache has cooled to a spreading consistency, spread it onto the bottom half of the cupcake using a palette knife. Spread a large layer of ganache onto the top of the bottom half. Accompanied by a handful of Maltezers. Now spread a layer of butter cream onto that. Place the top half of the cake on top of the decorated bottom half. Decorate with as many maltezers as you want!

6. With the remaining butter cream, pipe around the join of the two cakes, spread the rest of the butter cream evenly all over the rest of the top half. Put in the fridge for 5 minutes. Place the bottom of the ganache bowl in hot water, and whisk until a thick pouring consistency is achieved. Take the cake out of the fridge and drizzle the ganache over the peak of the cake.

Happy Baking, Beth xx 

Double Chocolate Citrus Segments

I wanted to try something else from my Something Sweet magazine, but more chocolate-y because I haven't done something like that I feel since 'My Chocolate Workshop Experience' so I put some of that experience into these chocolate segments. I have used a mould that I received from Something Sweet, you could use other moulds, but use the same method. Hope you enjoy! Happy Baking!

Ingredients:

Lemon Segments:
25g white chocolate
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
75g milk chocolate

Lime Segments:
25g white chocolate
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
75g milk chocolate

Method:

1. Melt the white chocolate for the lime segments in a heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat just before all the chocolate has melted. Continue to stir until all the chocolate has been turned to liquid.

2. Stir in the lime zest into the white chocolate until evenly mixed. With a small flat paintbrush, paint a thin layer of lime flavoured chocolate onto the flesh section of the lime mould (or the bottom of your mould). Place in the fridge for a few minutes until the chocolate has set.

3. Break two thirds of the milk chocolate (for the lime segments) in a heat proof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat until all has melted, take off the heat and add the rest of the chocolate, like you did with the white chocolate and stir until liquefied, cool until room temperature.

4. Spoon a little of the milk chocolate into the moulds on top of the set white chocolate. Level out the chocolate by tapping the mould on a work surface. Scrape off any excess chocolate with a pallet knife. Set in a cool dry place. (I set mine in the fridge and that was absolutely fine.)

5. Turn out the lime segments once set and place in the fridge until you want to have them. Repeat all the steps, but using lemon zest and the lemon ingredients.

These will keep for a week in the fridge wrapped up with baking parchment or a little box. Happy Baking, Beth xx

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

On Sunday it was my Grannies birthday and we went over to her house to celebrate, I of course made a cake for her- as I had never made a marble cake, so this was the perfect opportunity. Happy Baking xx

Ingredients:

For the cake mixture:
225g unsalted butter
225g self-raising flour
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used seeded)
2 tbsp cocoa powder

For the icing:
270g unsalted butter
450g icing sugar
75g cocoa powder
1 tsp milk 
1 tsp vanilla extract 

Method:

1. Grease a round 20cm cake tin, and put grease-proof paper on the base. Pre- heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/ gas 4.


2. Beat together the sugar and the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, fold in the flour, milk ,and vanilla extract. You may want to mix more to get the mixture the correct consistency (fall off the spoon) with an electric hand mixer.

3. Divide out the mixture into two bowls- in one of the bowls add in the cocoa powder and mix well. Then place in the prepared tin alternately with two spoons. Then take a fork and swirl around the tin for effect. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When a skewer has been placed in the centre and pulled out clean the cake is done.

4. To make the icing beat the butter and icing sugar, and vanilla extract, together with an electric hand mixer until smooth, about half way through mixing add the milk to loosen the mixture a little to make it easier .

5. If you want to make alternating colours of icing on the cake just as you did with the marbling in the cake, split the icing into two bowls and mix cocoa powder into one of them, place the vanilla down one side of the piping bag and chocolate the other. This way when you pipe it will come out in two colours side by side. I did this in the centre by squeezing and lifting the bag to make a starry effect using a starry nozzle size 1M so it was quite large to those who don't know.

6. If it's chocolate icing you want add in the cocoa powder without splitting the mixture. I made two cakes and sandwiched them together with piped chocolate/vanilla icing in the centre. Take your butter-cream (I used the chocolate) and spread over the top of the cake with a pallet knife until it's smooth or looks how you want it to look. Dust with a sprinkling of icing sugar to finish.

Happy Baking xx Beth

My Chocolate Workshop Experiance

My winning mouse

Hey, recently I went to a Chocolate workshop as part of my Christmas present, and it was really cool. I met lots of other people who loved to bake/cook. Most were slightly younger, but they enjoyed it as much as I did. The three women that were holding it were fantastic! They helped us do lots of really cool things. The main woman's name was Melanie Fallon, I've linked her website so please go and have a look, because she is great.

At the workshop itself, we did a few mini challenges where we had an allotted amount of time to be creative with chocolate. Such as the mouse challenge for example. We were all given a chocolate mouse, some white melted chocolate, and lots of sprinkles. In 10 minutes we had to decorate this mouse as best as we could. I won this challenge in the over 11's category. I won a chocolate Santa which looks absolutely delicious.

We also did a snowman challenge where we had 2 circles of chocolate, one milk, one white. Then we had 20 minutes to decorate a snowman. This was really fun and my friend won because hers was amazing but here is mine:

Well I had fun with it let's just say that. The whole experience was just so much fun. We got a little more technical towards lunch, with white chocolate truffles coated in milk chocolate and decorative sprinkles. I certainly learnt that with truffle mix you have to be quick and have cold hands, because the mix melts so quickly.

I unfortunately failed to get a picture of the truffles, because they were packaged up, then my family ate them at home. They were delicious though. I promise.

I got so much equipment and stuff needed for chocolate making as well, lots of great chocolate moulds that I will be using in the new year and might do some really simple new years chocolate stars, or a cupcake with little angels all over it. Just some fun stuff really. Also we got lots and lots of chocolate that was passed around after my dinner on Monday night, and has been shared on boxing day.

Please be sure to check out Melanie's website. A great big thank you to them for hosting that on Monday, everyone enjoyed it so much.

Happy Baking! Beth xx

Mini Chocolate Caramel Bites

These are really cool, they are bite sized and creative- Happy Baking! Remember: always keep a large bowl of ice cold water nearby with making caramel for if it touches your skin- plunge it  into it the bowl to prevent blistering.

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate 70% coco solids
150g granulated sugar
3 tbsp cold water
75g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
4 tbsp double cream

Method :

1. Melt 2/3 of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then take off the heat and wrap the bowl in a tea-towel to stop it cooling too quickly- then stir in the rest of the chocolate until it has all melted together. Then take a silicon case mould, and then with a flat brush paintbrush coat the moulds in chocolate, starting from the base then making sure the sides are coated as well.Then put these into the fridge and after about 10 minutes coat them again in chocolate. Put in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes.

2. Flex the mould so that your chocolate cups come out- I placed mine on a plate then put them back in the fridge to keep the cool, meanwhile make the caramel.

3. Place the sugar and the cold water in a small heavy based sauce pan. Heat gently stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear. Bring the mixture to the boil, without stirring until the syrup has turned into a deep rich caramel colour.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and leave to cool for a few minutes Then carefully stir in the butter and half the salt. The mixture should bubble up. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter has all melted.

5. Using a balloon whisk, gradually whisk the double cream into the caramel and keep whisking until you have a glossy sauce.

6. Put the caramel into a small heat proof bowl, and put in the other half of the salt then leave for about an hour until cold, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon. Then when the caramel has cooled take the cups from the fridge and put near the caramel.

7. Using a teaspoon spoon the caramel into each cup- you may need another teaspoon to nudge it into the cups.

Enjoy!

Mini Chocolate Hearts

These are cute, little gift ideas for birthdays or valentines day. They are also very easy to make! Happy baking!

Ingredients: 

300g of 70% coco Milk chocolate couverture buttons

Method:

1. Pour two-thirds of your chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and melt over a saucepan half filled with water. The base of the bowl should not touch the water otherwise the chocolate would melt too quickly. Also don't boil the water, keep it to a gentle simmer. Occasionally stir the chocolate until it's all melted.

2. Take the chocolate off the heat and wrap the base of the bowl in a tea towel, so the chocolate doesn't melt too quickly. Then pour the remaining chocolate into the melted chocolate, and stir until all of the chocolate has been melted.

3. Make sure the mould is clean and dry then use a teaspoon to fill each of the heart moulds ,using another teaspoon to scape any excess chocolate off the spoon. Don't worry if you spill any chocolate over the mould. Fill all of the rows of hearts. Then gently vibrate and tap the mould so the chocolate spreads into all of each heart.

4. Scrape any excess chocolate that has spilt onto the mould off with a pallet knife then return it to the bowl. Set the chocolates in the fridge until firm.

5. Once set flex the mould and the chocolates should pop out. Trim the edges of the chocolate and arrange them in a box to give as a gift or you could just eat them!

Happy Baking.Beth x

Yummy Chocolate Macaroons

These went down so quickly after a really lovely dinner. Surprisingly they were easy to make, and were not that time consuming to do. i got a basic recipe from Good food. Happy Baking :-D

Ingredients:

125g Icing Sugar
1tbsp coco
100g ground almonds
2 medium egg white

For the filling: 

50g of milk chocolate - chopped 
2 tbs milk

Method:

1.Pre-heat the oven to 180C line a large baking tray with grease proof paper.

2. Sift the icing sugar and coco into a bowl, mix in the ground almonds.

3. Whisk the eggs until they are at stiff peaks and then fold into the dry ingredients.

4. Fill a piping bag with a plain nozzle with the mixture and then pipe 24 small equal blobs around 3cm across. Leave some space between them. leave for 15 minutes and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. leave to cool.

5. To make the filling melt the chocolate and warm the milk a little leave to cool and then put around 1tsp of filling onto 12 of the macaroon slices then put the other 12 slices onto each of those and sandwich together.

Enjoy !!!!! 

Chocolate and Pecan Brownies

These brownies are so yummy. My Great Nana saved me this recipe card when I went to see her I gave the card to my Nana and then.... I forgot to pick up to take home but after a short phone call I got the ingredients and then I made this! Happy Baking!

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate
100g Pecans 
3 eggs
225g light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g Plain Flour sifted

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line a 23x33 cm baking tray. And then crush the pecans in a mortar and pestal.

2. Place the chocolate into a saucepan and start to melt it then add the butter to the pan and melt them together. Then remove from the heat and add the crushed pecan nuts.

3. In another mixing bowl whisk eggs and add the sugar and the vanilla and mix until it is smooth.

4. Fold in the flour, fold in the melted chocolate taking care not to over mix the mixture.

5. Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the brownie.

6. Leave to cool and cut into pieces and serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar.

Enjoy :-)

Marshmallow Fluff Bites

This is a quick, easy, simple recipe that is extremely enjoyable. This recipe was inspired by Sydney from Yankee Candy of Ludlow. I give thanks to him for the supply of Marshmallow fluff. This is such an easy recipe that anyone can do! Happy baking!

Ingredients:

Half a tub of Marshmallow Fluff - roughly
Half a bag of chocolate chips
250 g of Rice Crispies- roughly

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150 C and put cupcake cases into a cupcake tray.

2. Take the Marshmallow fluff, chocolate chips and the Rice Crispies and put them all into a mixing bowl.

3. Mix together until all the ingredients are blended.

4. Into the muffin cases spoon the mixture in with a table spoon.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Place on a baking tray and leave to cool.

Enjoy! :-D

Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Slices

I love this snack! Any one who loves peanut butter and chocolate will too. Hope you enjoy this! I got this recipe from The Cake Mistress and added my own few tweaks to it.

Ingredients

Base

200g of plain biscuits
90g  of unsalted butter melted.

Filling

50g of Demerara sugar
200g of icing sugar
50g unsalted butter
200g smooth peanut butter

Topping

300g milk chocolate
2tbsp unsalted butter

Method

1. Take a 23cm circular baking tin and cover with baking paper.

2. With a food processor blitz together the  biscuits and melted butter until it sticks together, put into the tin and smooth out with your fingers until evenly spread.

3. Next in the food processor mix together the Demerara sugar, icing sugar, butter and peanut butter until combined, spread onto the top of the base until evenly spread.

4. Melt the chocolate and butter and keep stirring while you do this, then pour the chocolate over the top of the filling and the base. Put in the fridge until the chocolate is set.

5. Cut up into squares and serve.

Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Brilliantly melt in the mouth, perfect to eat when cut up and still warm. Brownies are rustic and delicious. I got this recipe and added a twist,  from a cookery book written by Zoe Berkeley.

Ingredients:

Half a bar of milk chocolate bashed up into chunks.
200 g melted butter
65 g coco powder
3 large eggs
1 tea spoon vanilla extract
200 g caster sugar
75 g plain flour


Method

1. Pre- heat the oven to 180 C and put some grease proof paper in a shallow baking tin approximately 20 cm wide. Mix the melted butter in with the cocoa powder and set aside to cool for 10 mins.

2. Whisk the eggs in with the sugar and vanilla extract and then add and beat in the cocoa mixture. Then gently fold in the flour and the crushed chocolate. bake for 35 mins, the mixture should be sticky.

3. Leave in the tin to cool for 10 mins and then lift out of the tin by the edges of the grease proof paper. Cut into 12 pieces and serve with pink glitter.

Chocolate Tart

This recipe is in Jamie Oliver's 'How to make you a better cook' cook book. I have put my own twist on it by using a mixture of dark and milk chocolate. It tastes like a chocolate bomb has gone off in your mouth. It is a melt in the mouth sensation. We only waited for about half an hour because we were so tempted ,so we had a slice, it was amazing! :)  :-D  : 8)

Ingredients for pastry

325g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
565g plain flour sifted plus extra for dusting pastry
3 large  free- range eggs
45g coco powder

For the filling

200ml milk
Pint of cream (565ml)
65g caster sugar
175g milk chocolate
175g dark chocolate
2 large free-range eggs


Method


1.  Grease a loose bottomed tart tin with a little oil, so pastry doesn't stick to the bottom of the tin.

2. To make the pastry measure out the butter, plain flour and salt and then put into a food processor and mix. Transfer into a mixing bowl and add the eggs and coco powder and mix together, then form into a ball of dough.

3. Wrap up in cling film and put into the fridge for 1 hour and pre-heat the oven to 180C.

4. Roll out the dough, line the inside of your tin with it and put in the freezer for half an hour.

5. Take out of the freezer and blind bake for 15-20 mins. Blind baking means to part cook your pastry case, so the bottom of your pastry base dose not go soggy when you put the filling inside. To prevent the pastry case from rising whilst you are blind baking, cover the pastry with some grease proof paper and place a weight on top of it. I use ceramic baking beans.

6. To make the delicious chocolate centre, put the milk, cream and sugar into a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, while stirring, when the creamy mix is boiling, turn off heat and break up chocolate and put in the sauce pan to melt. Take out grease proof paper and slide pastry back into the oven. When chocolate has melted slide the oven tray half out of the oven, and pour filling into pastry base.


7 Slip the oven tray back into the oven carefully,bake for a further 15 - 20 mins, until the centre has a slight wobble to it.


8. Cool naturally for an hour and then put in the fridge for half an hour.


This is lovely served with ice cream! (=ＴェＴ=) 

Milka Oreo Chocolate Cupcakes

This week the kind people at Cybercandy sent me some delicious Milka Oreo chocolate, and they gave me inspiration for this recipe from their blog. Have fun! :-D

Ingredients

100g softened butter
150g self raising flour
150g caster sugar
3 tbs milk
Half a tea spoon of vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4-5 shakes Galaxy hot chocolate powder
Bar of Milka Oreo chocolate


For the Icing

2 tbs Nutella
100g softened butter
225g icing sugar
Splash of milk
Bar of Milka Oreo chocolate

Method


1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and put muffin cases into a 12 hole tray.

2. Mix the butter, flour, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs together with a wooden spoon until light and airy. Then add the Galaxy hot chocolate and mix again.

3. Spoon the mix into the cases and put a square of Milka Oreo chocolate on top of each cupcake. Put into the oven for 25 mins until golden brown. Test that they are ready by gently sliding the end of a skewer or a knife into the cupcake. If it comes out clean it is cooked.

4. Place onto a cooling rack and let them cool until there is no heat from the cupcake (this is so the icing doesn't melt).

For the icing

1. Slowly add the icing sugar to the butter until nice and creamy. Add a dash of milk to make it a little bit creamier (don't put in too much milk or the icing will go runny!). Scoop the Nutella into the icing and mix.

2. Pipe the icing onto the cupcake.

3. Put a square of the Milka Oreo chocolate onto the icing.

Many thanks to Cybercandy and I hope you have enjoyed making this. Me, my daddy, mummy and sister Megan all loved these cakes as we all love chocolate!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I adore chocolate cupcakes they are so yummy and good for celebrations or just as a treat, they are just as fun to create as well. Here's how to make them with Nutella chocolate spread. :)

Ingredients 

100g of softened butter (4oz)
150g of self-raising flour.(5oz)
150g of caster sugar (5oz)
3tbs of milk
2 large eggs
Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
A quarter of a bag of chocolate drops
A couple of shakes of galaxy hot chocolate
A jar of Nutella

For the Icing


100g of softened butter (4oz)
225g of icing sugar (8oz)
Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
A splash of milk
2 large tablespoons of Nutella

 Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Gas mark4) (Fan 160C)
2. Put muffin cases into a 12 hole baking tray
3. Measure the cake mix ingredients out and put them into a mixing bowl and whisk until blended and smooth
4. Spoon into paper cases
5. Bake for 20-25 mins until beautiful golden brown
6. Take out of the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool

Meanwhile...

Make up the icing ready to pipe on to the cakes when they have cooled.

Once the cakes have cooled....

Make a small hole in each of them with a knife or apple corer and pipe some Nutella from the jar into the hole. This fills the cake with yummy Nutella in the middle!

Pipe on the icing and then you're done!:)

My sister loves these cupcakes!!!