My banoffee pies

These are the pies I made on Sunday. I'm trying to post a GIF with the steps of making them but once uploaded, the GIF doesn't move. Any tips?
photos © Russian Doll

Making Banoffee Pies this weekend... - recipe

Ingredients

Base:

• 225g (8oz) digestive biscuits
• 85g (3oz) butter, melted

Filling:

• 397g can Carnation Caramel
• 3 small bananas
• 150ml carton whipping cream, softly whipped
• cocoa powder to finish

You will also need:

• 6 individual 9 cm (3½in) loose-bottomed flan tins
• Alternatively use a deep 18 cm (7in) spring-form cake tin, greased

Method

1. Crush the biscuits in a blender or in a double-lined bag with a rolling pin. Combine the crushed biscuits with the melted butter.
2. To make the pie bases use the back of a teaspoon to press the mixture into the base and sides of the tins. Chill for about 20 minutes.
3. Divide the Carnation Caramel between the bases.
4. Remove the pies from the tins. Slice the bananas, reserve six for the top and fold the rest into the softly whipped cream.
5. Spoon the mixture over the caramel, decorate with a banana slice and dust with the cocoa.

Tips

Turn this recipe into a sundae idea – layer the crushed biscuits (without the melted butter) and other ingredients into sundae glasses and chill until ready to serve.

I'm thinking about experimenting with the choice of biscuts and might go for chocolate biscuits instead! We'll see on Sunday! :)

Recipe from carnation.co.uk

New Ben & Jerry's!

There is a new Ben & Jerry's again! But this one is only for the Nordic Countries! Good thing I'll be in Sweden soon to buy it and try it. Sounds delicious! :)

Brownies + Cheesecake

My little sister is graduating from the equivalent of college (UK) in a few weeks and I will be baking for the occasion. I'm going to Sweden for the celebrations and am now in the process of deciding what to bake!
I'm definately making the Espresso Cheesecake Brownies (Bottom picture). My little sis loves brownies, coffee and cheesecake! So its perfect! Recipe here.

The top picture is a recipe from this week's "Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard". They are cheesecake brownies too, with a hint of coffee. I'm thinking about taking that recipe (below) and substitute the coffee for something else, probably something orange-flavoured. The thing is, one of my other sisters does not like coffee at all but loves brownies and cheesecake and I want her to have some cheesecake brownies too. She adores all things chocolate orange! :) Not sure what to use yet! Any tips?

Eric Lanlard's Cheesecake Brownies (From Channel 4's website)

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter
• 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 100ml espresso
• 100g plain flour

For marble topping

• 150g cream cheese
• 60g caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• rd's cheesecake brownies need no introduction

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease a 20cm square tin with butter and line with baking paper.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over a smaller pan of just simmering water. Remove from heat once melted and leave to cool.

3. Stir the sugar, vanilla and salt into the cooled butter and chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in the coffee, then sieve in the flour and beat until glossy.

4. For the marbling mixture, in a bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and then stir in the sugar and vanilla. Finally add the beaten egg.

5. Spoon the brownie mixture into the lined tin then top with the marble topping mixture, using a knife to cut through the topping mixture and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to over mix or you will lose the effect.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, covering the tin with foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking to keep the top from over browning. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin then cut into squares.

Mint candy cupcakes

photos © Russian Doll

I made these mint candy cupcakes the other week. The mint flavour in the batter is from crushed mint candy and in the frosting I've used mint flavouring from the supermarket. Delicious and refreshing!

Red velvet whoopie pie from Starbucks

photos © Russian Doll
Got the Starbucks newsletter earlier this week and found out that they are now selling small cakes including WHOOPIE PIES. I love whoopie pies. Just the name is adorable!
I tried the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie yesterday. This cake was delicious! Fresh and soft and sweet.
I did suffer from a migraine for about 5 hours after eating it but it might not be related. Or it could be. They do use a lot of colourings for red velvet things. It was worth it though.

Good enough to eat.

photos © Russian Doll

I bought these babies yesterday. I know it's not for baking but they smell so sweet and are inspired my sweet things you can eat so I thought they could still go on this blog.
The flavours ... scents I mean ... are HOT BUTTER FUDGE (the best!), GINGERBREAD LATTE, CHOCOLATE ORANGE and ANGEL CAKE.

M&Ms brighten up anything!

Always PEANUT M&Ms for me :)

Espresso Desserts/Trio with recipes

Coviglia al caffe

Total time: 30 minutes, plus freezing time

Servings: 10

Note: Adapted from Cucina del Sole by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. "Coviglia should not be frozen hard," she writes. If you must keep them in the freezer longer than 2 to 3 hours, transfer them out of the freezer and into the refrigerator so they loosen up before serving.

• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons very finely ground espresso coffee (freshly ground)
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 1/2 cup strong brewed black coffee
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it is just hot to the touch, but do not let the milk come to a boil. Keep warm.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ground espresso and flour, tossing with a fork to mix well. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is light-colored and thickened. Continue beating as you slowly pour in the warm milk. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, the coffee and the mixture of ground espresso and flour, beating constantly.

4. When everything is well-combined, transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency. Note that it's important to watch the mixture and stir constantly because if it comes to a boil, it will curdle as the eggs start to cook. (If that starts to happen, immediately pull the pan off the heat and cool it by setting the base of the pan in cold water. Strain the mixture to get rid of any curdled/cooked bits and continue with the remainder.) In the end, the mixture will thicken to a custard and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

5. Beat 1 cup of the whipping cream in a chilled bowl to soft peaks, then fold the whipped cream into the coffee mixture. Rinse the beaters and beat the egg whites to stiff peaks; fold into the coffee cream.

6. Pour into a glass bowl and freeze about 1 hour, then stir the mixture, which should be half-frozen. Divide into espresso cups and return to the freezer until almost frozen, an additional 2 to 3 hours.

7. Whip the remaining cream together with the powdered sugar and remaining vanilla to soft peaks. Spoon a small dollop of whipped cream onto each serving and sprinkle lightly with bittersweet chocolate. Serve immediately.

Caramel Espresso Float (4 servings)

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup instant-espresso powder
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 4 generous scoops premium vanilla ice cream (from 1 pint)
• 2 tablespoons chopped nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate shavings (made with a vegetable peeler; from a 3-oz bar)

1. Cook granulated sugar in a dry 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat and carefully add 1 cup water (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over high heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved, then remove pan from heat. Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved. Add remaining cup water and ice cubes and stir until espresso is cold. Discard any unmelted ice cubes.

2. Beat cream with confectioners sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Divide ice cream among 4 (8-ounce) glasses, then pour 1/2 cup espresso over each serving and top with whipped cream, nuts, and chocolate.

Chocolate Espresso Cups:
Ingredients

• 100 g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 150 ml double cream
• 150 ml single cream
• 1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 6 coffee beans to decorate (optional)
• 12 chocolate curls for decoration (optional)

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
2. Lightly whip the double cream and reserve 2 tbsp. place the remaining cream and the single cream in a small pan. Heat very gently until just below boiling point, but do not boil. Add the melted chocolate and coffee powder and stir until smooth and velvety. Stir in the brandy.
3. Pour into espresso cups or very small dessert bowls and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly, before chilling for 2 hours. Spoon the remaining whipped cream on top of each cup and top with a coffee bean before serving.

Chelsea bun

Just found out what my favourite starnucks bun really is! The Chelsea bun! Massive and delicous.

So here it is....

The latest book to join my collection of baking books! Can't wait to bake something out of it!

Love is sweet,

These are so adorable and sweet! Perfect for sharing with your valentine. Red Velvet Macaroons. From here.

Newest Baby

Gorgeous and BIG book with lots of yummy things I can't wait to bake! BAKED.

photos © Russian Doll

Mint Chocolate Chip ... things/

I'm a sucker for mint chocolate chip things. Can you tell? Especially ice cream!

Friday Sweetness

Just some pretty sweetness to look at this Friday. Have a nice weekend with plenty of treats! X

More coffee!

"Tiramisu Cupcakes
white cupcakes (recipe follows)
espresso chocolate mousse (recipe follows)
1/4 cup coffee or espresso
mascarpone frosting (recipe follows)
cocoa powder for dusting
crushed ladyfingers for garnish

White Cupcakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (you can use all-purpose if you need)
1 TBSP. baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
5 egg whites

Sift together flours, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
In a mixing bowl (if using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
In a liquid measuring cup, combing vegetable oil and milk.
Add flour mixture and milk/oil mixture alternatively to the mixing bowl. Beating on low speed after each addition.
Pour mixture into a large bowl. Scrape down to make sure you get all of the batter.
Clean out bowl and switch to whisk attachment.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, to “lighten” the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
Grease and lightly flour muffin pans. Fill each cup half full.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until done.
Cool on a wire rack.

Espresso Chocolate Mousse

2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
4 TBSP sugar
2 tsp espresso powder
8 oz fine-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Heat ¾ cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot.
Whisk together yolks, sugar, espresso powder, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
Beat remaining 1 ¼ cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Mousse recipe adapted from Gourmet December 2002
Mascarpone Frosting

2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Using and electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
In a mixing bowl, fold 2/3¢â¬â„¢s of the whipped cream into the Mascarpone cheese, along with the powdered sugar.
Add remaining cream. Blend until cream is fully incorporated.
Place in refrigerator until ready to frost.

Assemble:
Using the cone method, fill cupcakes with Espresso Chocolate Mousse filling. Place top back on top of cupcakes. Brush top of cupcake with coffee or espresso. Go light on this as they are fresh cupcakes, and not hard like most ladyfingers. You don’t want to soak them.
Frost top with Mascarpone Frosting.
Sprinkle cocoa powder on top of cupcakes and garnish with crushed ladyfingers."

Recipe and picture quoted from here.

Coffee Mousse Cravings and Inspo.

After spotting these in M&S during the week. I'm reaaaally craving coffee mousse! Don't think I've ever had it but I love mousse and I love coffee even more so sounds like a combination made for me. Above are some inspiration photos that I found online. You can do a lot of pretty stylish things with a coffee themed dessert!

Other heart shapes...

More inspiration for Valentine's Day. Anything is cute in a heart shape.

Thinking about love

I've started thinking of things to bake for Valentine's day for my man and myself. He's not a massive cake fan but he does like pastry! I'm thinking a blueberry millefeuille like lovely Lorraine Pascal made on her new show "Baking made easy" (which I absolutely love by the way!). But maybe I could make it heart shaped like the one below...

Ingredients

• 115g/4oz icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

• 250g/9oz shop-bought puff pastry

• 200g/7oz (or 1 punnet) blueberries

For the sweetened cream

• 165ml/5½fl oz whipping cream

• 25g/1oz icing sugar

• 1 vanilla pod, seeds only (or alternatively 2 drops of vanilla extract)

• 1 lemon, finely grated zest and a squeeze of the juice

Preparation method

1. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Dust the work surface with lots of icing sugar and roll out the pastry to a rectangle just larger than 27 x 30cm/10½ x 12in, trimming the edges straight. It should be super thin, as thin as you can get it, without stretching the pastry.

2. Cut out 18 rectangles about 9cm/3½in long and 5cm/2in wide and place them on the prepared baking tray. Sprinkle with lots of icing sugar and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

4. Remove the pastry from the fridge and bake in the oven for five minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle the pastry with more icing sugar. Return to the oven and bake for a further five minutes, or until the pastry turns golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

5. For the sweetened cream, put the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whip until medium-stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Fold in the lemon zest and juice, to taste, then scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in straight nozzle.

6. Place one of the pastry thins on a serving plate. Pipe blobs of cream over the pastry and put the blueberries between the cream, then put another pastry thin on top and repeat with one more layer. Sprinkle the top layer with more icing sugar and repeat until all the pastry and cream is used up.

Recipe from here.

Close Ups!

Close ups of some of the goodies that put me and my friends in a sugar coma...

photos © Russian Doll

Finally! Pics from my b-day Cake Party :)

We have...
Saffron buns with "Mandelmassa" (Almond paste) and white chocolate!
Rainbow cupcakes
Carrot Cake
Apple Cake
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate & Raspberry Cookies

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

photos © Russian Doll

Junk Foodie !

This looks like a fun and colourful baking book for all candy and baking lovers out there! I might buy this!

"Got a peanut butter cup, a Fruit Roll-Up, and a bag of chips? Voila--Truffled Berry Praline Purses!

Passing off a snack attack as fine food is as easy as a trip to the corner convenience store with the wildly imaginative culinary creations in Junk Foodie. Featuring fifty-one recipes designed to turn the most outrageous of snacks into delicious(-looking) "gourmet" morsels, you'll be able to fool even the most discerning palates at your next dinner party.

But why wait for a dinner party? Since the ingredients are easy to find in your average vending machine, you can save money—and treat yourself to a sublime snack whether you're on the road, in between meetings, or en route to dinner at a four-star restaurant—(it's important to satisfy your junk food joneses; just don't get caught with sticky fingers)!"

Chocolate made by me.

A few months ago, my mum and I took a chocolate course with the lovely Mia Öhrn at Medborgarskolan in Stockholm. These are the chocolates that we made.
The big round one with a coffee cup on is *surprise surprise* coffee flavoured.
The white one is lemon-white chocolate-poppy seed.
The rectangular one is Rum-dark chocolate.
And the other round one is hazelnut-roasted coconut-milk chocolate.
All yummy! :)

photos © Russian Doll

Just telling you

Just telling you about my third blog on this account. I'm still keeping this one and my Russian Doll blog of course, but just wanted to do this little thing aswell. Check it out here.

Bought treats and sweets

Top photo: A couple of 5 flavours from the mini baklava mix box from Marks & Spencers. YUM. And mini coffee loaf cake from ASDA Choosen by You. We made our own coffee drizzle for it and it made it a wonderfully moist and flavoured little cake.
Bottom photo: Mini Cupcakes from CUPCAKE STHLM. So many different flavours, all yummy but not as good as FANCIE. Both cupcake shops have new websites by the way. Check them out.

photos © Russian Doll