Sweet Treats

Martha Stewart's Rocky Road Tart

Rocky road

Bored of making the same old rocky road bars and want to mix it up a little? Why not have a go at making this delicious Rocky Road Tart! Somewhere between a cheesecake and chocolate traybake, this delightful tart has an incredible mix of textures and savoury-sweet flavours, making it perfect as both a dessert or as a treat with tea.

One of the best parts about this bake, is that it can be adapted to your own tastes and preferences! If you're not a fan of the toppings, simply add your own to create a bespoke kitchen creation that you and your family will love!

This mouth-watering image opposite was taken by Charles Schiller, and the original recipe can be found on the Martha Stewart website.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

170g of digestive biscuits
1 tbsp of sugar
Pinch of salt
5 tbsp of unsalted butter

For the Filling:

400g of dark chocolate (70%)
1 3/4 cups of heavy cream
The yolks of two large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 cup salted almonds

For the Topping:

3/4 cup of mini marshmallows
1/4 cup salted almonds, chopped
1/3 cup melted dark chocolate

Step 1 - Preheat your oven 180 degrees. Ground your biscuit, sugar and salt in a food processor (or crush will a rolling pin).

Step 2 - Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and combine with melted butter.

Step 3 - Pour the mixture onto your tart tin, then press down the crumbs on the bottom and sides with your hands (or a glass) for form an even layer.

Step 4 - Bake your crust for about 15 mins, until the crust turns golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Step 5 - Melt 300g of chocolate in a heatproof bowl, while bringing the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over a high heat.

Step 6 - Remove the cream from the heat, and whisk a 1/4 cups worth into the beaten egg yolks, before whisking this mixture with the rest of the cream.

Step 7 - Whisk the cream mixture with the chocolate, and set aside.

Step 8 - Chop the remaining chocolate, and transfer to a bowl with the marshmallows and almonds, before scattering over the crust.

Step 9 - Follow by pouring over the chocolate ganache mixture, reserving 1 cup for topping. Refrigerate the tart for around an hour, or until it is firm, and cover the remaining chocolate ganache at room temperature.

Step 10 - Once the tart has set, gather together the remaining toppings, before sprinkling them over the tart filling. Then, drizzle over the remaining ganache, before refrigerating the tart for another 10 mins.

Step 11 - Remove the tart from the tin and cut into slices.

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Sweet and Sticky Baklava

Baklava

If the glimmer of UK sunshine is making you impatient for your summer holiday, here’s a recipe that will give you a taste of that Aegean bliss.

Sourced from a lady who was taught how to make this classic dish first-hand by a Greek friend, this sweet and nutty recipe is a truly authentic take on the popular pastry dish. Luckily it’s not too difficult to make either, so you’ll be sitting back and relaxing with a piping hot pastry on your plate before you know it!

Ingredients:

For the baklava

250g (9 oz) butter, melted

500g (1 1/4 lb) chopped walnuts (you can use a combination of almonds if you wish

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 packet filo pastry

For the sauce

200g (7 oz) caster sugar

250ml (9 fl oz) water

8 tablespoons Greek honey

1 large piece of lemon peel

Instructions:

Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4, before greasing the sides and bottom of a large baking tray.

Step 2 - Pour the nuts and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together thoroughly, before setting aside for later.

Step 3 - Unroll your package of filo pastry, then cut the whole stack to fit the size of your tray. You should cover your unused pastry with a wet towel as you prepare the dish, to keep it from drying out.

Step 4 - Place two sheets of the filo onto the tray, before buttering the top layer. You should then repeat this step until you have 8 sheets layers on top of each other. Sprinkle 2-3 table spoons of the nut-cinnamon mixture on top, then top with 2 sheets of filo, butter and nuts, continuing to layer as you go along. Once you get to the top, this should also be 6-8 sheets deep, like the base.

Step 5 - Take a sharp kitchen knife, and begin to cut your baklava into segments. You can choose to cut them into diamond or square shapes, working from the top to the bottom of the dish. Once this is done, pop them into the pre-heated over and bake for around 50 minutes until the pastry is crispy and golden in colour.

Step 6 - Whilst your baklava is baking, prepare the sauce. Begin by boiling the caster sugar and water until all of the sugar is dissolved, before adding the honey and lemon peel. Simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the saucepan and allow it to cool. Once the sauce has cooled fully, you can remove the lemon peel.

Step 7 - Remove the baklava from the oven, and immediately pour over the cooled sauce. Eat when the entire dish has cooled, then store uncovered to prevent your pastry from going soggy.

Source: All Recipes

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Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

We have a fantastic Friday treat for you here at British Bakeware thanks to our good friend Sammie from Feasting Is Fun!

If you haven’t already seen Sammie’s blog, you take a look at this recipe along with all of her other fantastic bakes via the link below this recipe! These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes look fantastic and are utterly delicious, a perfect way to treat yourself after a long week! This recipe is directly from Sammie and she has very kindly let us share it with you! Made in our 12 cup bun tray, these Vanilla Bean Cupcakes are very easy to make. A fantastic tip that Sammie shares in the recipe is to use the 3 tbsp of boiling water for the buttercream frosting. The reason for this is to stop the frosting forming a hard crust on top, a great tip there! To top off these wonderful cupcakes, the edible pearls on top will bring a sparkle to your kitchen! So why not try these cupcakes by Sammie at home this Friday or over the weekend, they are the perfect thing to bake with children or for as a treat to go with your Saturday afternoon cup of tea!

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Cupcakes

150g of plain flour
150g of unsalted butter
125g of caster sugar
3 large free range eggs
1/4 of a tsp of salt
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste
1 and a half tsp of baking powder
25ml of whole milk
12 cupcake cases

For the Buttercream

3 tbsp of boiling water
400g of sieved icing sugar
200g of unsalted butter
1/8 of a tsp of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Edible sprinkles for decoration (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1- Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius/160 degrees celcius in a fan oven. Take a large mixing bowl and add the 150 of unsalted butter and the 125g of caster sugar.

Step 2-Whisk together the sugar and butter until it turns a creamy colour. Once you are happy with it, add in the 3 eggs, tsp of vanilla bean paste and the ¼ tsp of salt. Mix together until all ingredients are well combined.

Step 3-Sift in the 150 of plain flour and the 1 and a half tsp of baking powder. Fold everything in the mixing bowl together to ensure it is well combined. This helps out with the texture of the cupcakes, making sure they are deliciously light and fluffy in the centre.

Step 4- Place each of your 12 cupcake cases in to our 12 cup bun tray before filling each cupcake case about half way with some of the mixture.

Step 5- Once you have done this, place the 12 cup bun tray in to the centre of your pre-heated oven for around 20 to 25 minutes. You will know the cupcakes are ready when they have turned a delicious golden brown colour and are springy when you touch them in the centre. Remove them from the oven, allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the 12 cup bun tray and placing on a cooling rack.

Step 6-Now you can start the buttercream frosting for these delicious Vanilla Beam Cupcakes! In to another mixing bowl, add the 200g of unsalted butter, the 400g of icing sugar, the 3 tbsp of boiling water, the 1/8 tsp of salt and vanilla extract.

Step 7-Using a mixer, start combining the ingredients on a low speed before increasing. Continue mixing for 10 minutes or so for the perfect buttercream. If you are doing this by hand, just mix together slowly again increasing speed until the frosting is stickier in appearance.

Step 8-Now take a large piping bag and fill it with the finished buttercream. Ensure you use a circular motion when piping the buttercream on to the cupcakes, creating a swirl effect as you go along. If you are using edible pearls or decorations, these will add a certain sparkle to these already beautiful looking cupcakes!

Step 9-That’s it, you can now enjoy these delicious Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with a nice afternoon cup of tea. Enjoy!

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Cherry Bakewell Cookies

It’s time to share another fantastic recipe from Sammie at Feasting is Fun! This time, we have these delicious looking cherry Bakewell cookies for you to have a go at making at home. These little beauties were made using our large baking tray, the perfect size for a large batch of cookies.

Cherry Bakewell cookies may not be the first type of cookie you think of, but after reading this brilliant recipe from Sammie at Feasting is Fun, you will wonder why you didn’t think of these cookies sooner! If you love baking cookies, you will certainly love these cookies with glacé cherries and flaked almonds, they are perfect with afternoon cup of tea. This recipe will make roughly 20 cookies, so you can ask your family and friends around to try one of your tasty cherry Bakewell cookies!

Ingredients:

For the Cookies

225g of unsalted butter
150g of caster sugar
225g of plain white flour
1 large egg yolk
100g of flaked almonds
100g of chopped glacé cherries
A quarter of tsp of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the Drizzle

200g of icing sugar
Some tap water
1 tsp of almond extract

Instructions:

Step 1-Take a large mixing bowl and add the 225g of unsalted butter, the 150g of caster sugar and ¼ tsp of salt. Whisk this all together until it is a deliciously creamy consistency. Add in the large egg yolk and the tsp of vanilla extract. If you don’t want to make the drizzle, you can add some almond extract here as well. As before, mix together well.

Step 2-Add in your flaked almonds to one side of the bowl, the flour to the other side of the bowl, and the cherries on top of the flour. This is a handy tip from Sammie as she says by doing this, the cherries won’t stick together and will be evenly spread out in the cookie dough! Mix together again until combined.

Step 3-Wipe your work surface down with a damp cloth before laying cling film over it, this should help it stay in the correct place. Take around half of your cookie dough and roll in to a log shape with a diameter of around 4cm. Once you have done this, do the same with the other half of your cookie dough. Place both cookie dough rolls in the fridge to cool for about an hour until they are both firm.

Step 4- Preheat your oven to about 175 degrees/160 degrees for a fan oven. Slice the cookie dough in to 1.5cm thick disks. Line your large baking tray with baking paper and place them on to your large baking tray with room in between each cookie. Bake for no longer than 15 minutes before removing from your oven to cool for 15 minutes.

Step 5-After cooling, transfer to a large cooling rack for further cooling. It is important to ensure the cookies are completely cool before you start to ice them. In a small bowl, add the icing sugar and almond extract before adding tap water a little bit at a time to help it reach the correct thickness. You will know the icing sugar is ready when you can make a figure 8 shape when you drizzle the icing sugar on itself.

Step 6-Drizzle the icing over your cherry bakewell cookies using a spoon, or even a piping bag, whatever you have to hand. Ensure the icing is completely dry before serving or storing these delicious cherry bakewell cookies! Now put the kettle on and enjoy this fantastic recipe from Sammie at Feasting is Fun!

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Spiced Fruit Loaf

We are absolutely delighted to share this fantastic spiced fruit loaf recipe with you from one of favourite bloggers at feasting is fun. Sammie bakes everything from cookies to delicious loaves of bread such as this one and we simply had to share her recipe with you.

We recently sent Sammie at feasting is fun a selection of our products for review, as she was equally as passionate about baking using British manufactured bakeware as we are! This fantastic recipe for a spiced fruit loaf was one of many she created using our 3lb loaf tin and we love it! Fruit loaf is the perfect accompanying food for a cup of tea or coffee, especially at this time of year! The warming flavours you get from the cinnamon and ginger combined the tangy taste of the dried fruits will leave you feeling warm right through to the core. A fantastic recipe from the equally fantastic Sammie at feasting is fun, we can’t recommend her blog enough, especially if you want some inspiration for baking bread. We are delighted to share this recipe with you, so why not have a go at home!

Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour
1 large free range egg
1 sachet of fast action dried yeast, around 7g
1 tsp of salt
320ml of whole milk
1 tsp of honey
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of ginger
225g of dried fruit (figs, cranberries, vine fruits etc.)
75g of unsalted butter

Instructions:

Step 1- Take a measuring jug and crack the large free range egg in to it. Add the 320ml of whole milk in to make up to around 340ml in total with the egg. Beat together until well combined.

Step 2- Pour the mixture in to the bowl of a bread maker or a stand mixer, whatever you have to hand. Then add in the 1 tsp of honey and the sachet of fast action dried yeast.

Step 3-Next, take the 500g of white bread flour and add it to the mixture before adding the tsp of salt and the 75g of butter to the top of the flour.

Step 4-If you are using a bread maker, put it on to the dough cycle and add the ginger, cinnamon, and the dried fruit when you are encouraged to do so by the bread machine, or if you aren’t prompted, add it in around 5 minutes before the end.

Step 5- If you are using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook to it. Start mixing it on a medium speed until it is well combined. Stop to remove any dough that is caught on the hook before adding the spices and the dried fruit to the mixture. Mix for a further 5 minutes. Stop the process and again remove all the dough from the hook attachment. Shape the dough in to a ball and place back in to the mixer bowl. Cover it with a damp tea towel and leave it in a cupboard for around 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

Step 6-Take your 3lb loaf tin and grease it with any of the remaining butter.

Step 7-If you are using the bread mixer, once it has finished the cycle, restart the machine so it can mix the dough again for around 2 minutes.

Step 8-If you are using the stand mixer, take the dough out of the cupboard once it has doubled in size and place it back in the mixer with the dough hook and place it on a medium speed for 2 minutes to knock back, or mix, the dough again.

Step 9- Dust your surface with some flour and tip the dough on to it. The dough should feel sticky. Shape the dough in to a shape that is suitable for the 3lb loaf tin you are using. Cover it again with a damp tea towel and allow it to double in size for about an hour.

Step 10- With about 10 minutes remaining, preheat your oven to 210 degrees celcius or 190 degrees celcius if you have a fan oven. Place the 3lb loaf tin in the middle of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Step 11- You will be able to tell when the spiced fruit loaf has finished baking as it will have a delicious golden brown finish. The spiced fruit loaf will also sound hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before serving. Enjoy this with spread of butter on top and nice cup of tea!

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