Happy Mother's Day & Madeira Cake

One of my favourite treats as a child was being handed the wooden spoon after my mam had mixed up a cake and licking off the delicious batter that refused to shift and plop into the baking tin.  Once the spoon had been licked clean the bowl would be offered forward and the remnants diligently scraped and shovelled into my little mouth.  More often than not it was the dregs of a Madeira cake batter, thick, creamy and sweet, almost nicer than the baked cake.  It is such a versatile cake and I'm sure it appeared in many guises throughout the baking year but all that I remember are those delicious moments stood in the kitchen licking the spoon clean until my tongue felt like it would fall off its hinges. 

I made a Madeira cake yesterday for my husband to give to his mam for Mother's Day.  Without thinking when I had filled the cake tins I licked the spoon.  It was an involuntary action and one I am sure I do every time I make a cake but it stopped me in my tracks for a moment.  It tasted exactly the same.  Had I closed my eyes I could have been standing in our old scullery kitchen again 5, 6 or 7 years of age.  I have tried many times to recreate some recipes so that they taste exactly as they did when my mam made them.  I don't think I have ever managed it so perfectly as with this simple cake.  Without even consciously trying it always tastes exactly as it did then.  I love that food has that power over us, like a time machine it can transport us in an instant to a perfect moment forever etched on our minds and in our hearts.  Some of the happiest memories in my life have food at their centre.  Yes it nourishes our body, but more than that it nourishes our soul.  A life without food would be a sad and empty journey.  Next time you fancy a little time travel forget all of that quantum physics nonsense, just grab a spoon and close your eyes.  Bon voyage!

To all of the yummy mummy's out there I hope that you are enjoying a lovely day.  Sit down, put your feet up and leave all of the hard work to someone else for a change.  If you are really lucky maybe someone will make you a nice Madeira cake.  Either way, enjoy your day, you deserve it.

x

Madeira Cake

175g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
175g Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
225g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Whole Milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 170C/F/Gas Mark .  Grease an 8" spring for cake tin with butter and line the base with parchment paper, alternatively grease 2 x 8" sandwich tins and line the bases with parchment paper.

2.  Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and cream, alternatively place in a bowl and cream using a hand held electric whisk.
3.  Add the caster sugar and mix until combined and fluffy.
4.  Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix.

5.  Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to combine but do not overwork the mixture.
7.  Finally, add in the milk and mix until incorporated.
8.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin or divided evenly between the 2 prepared sandwich tins.

9.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour if baking 1 cake or half an hour if baking 2 to sandwich together.  I clean skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean when baked.
10.Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins before turning out.

Buttercream Icing

180g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
500g Icing Sugar
3tbsp Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
Food colouring of your choice

1.  Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of and electric mixer and add the butter.  Alternatively sift the sugar into a bowl and add the butter and use a hand held electric whisk.
2.  Mix on a medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3.  Add the milk, vanilla extract and food colouring and mix on high speed for five minutes.
4.  Place a layer between the two cakes and then smooth over the top and down the sides.

Rachel Allen's Chocolate Melting Moments

Another cookie recipe from Friday's #twookieparty.  I found this recipe a couple of years ago in a Rachel Allen diary I bought.  I made these once and always remember the rather unusual texture and their complete deliciousness.  They literally melt on your tongue and sometimes in between your fingers when you pick them up.  I made these as a dessert for a romantic meal and they are pefect little morsels to share following a candle lit dinner.  As they can be prepared in advance they leave plenty of time to whisper sweet nothings across the table at your loved one.  They were equally delicious the second time round and the strange melting sensation was just as I remembered.  Let me know what you think.

Rachel Allen's Chocolate Melting Moments

(Makes 24 halves, 12 when sandwiched together)

125g/4&1/2oz Unsalted Butter, softened
50g/2oz Icing Sugar
50g/2oz Cornflour
25g/1oz Cocoa Powder
100g/4oz Plain Flour
Approx. 2tbsp Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 3 and lightly grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2.  Beat the butter, then add the icing sugar and beat until soft and light.  Sift the cornflour, cocoa powder and plain flour into the butter and sugar and mix until the dough comes together.

3.  Divide the dough into 24 equal parts (about the size of a walnut in its shell).  Roll into balls, place slightly apart on the prepared tray and then flatten each biscuit lightly with a fork.  Cook in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until firm.  Remove from the oven and let the biscuits sit on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  Then sandwich the biscuits together with a nice thick layer of chocolate hazelnut spread.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like A Big Pizza Pie...Part Deux

If you read my original pizza post earlier in the week you will know that I planned a follow up.  I like a thin and crispy pizza base so have been rolling my yeast free base to a thickness of 5mm, which has been yum.  Last Sunday I visited the new Saturday and Sunday market at the O2 in Dublin.  Having strolled around and purchased some culinary delights for the store cupboard Mr. Boo and I decided it was time for a little bite to eat.  We were undecided between calamari and pizza from Dick and Dave's.  As we couldn't decide the only option was one of each.  We joined the pizza line and queued and queued and queued and then we queued a little more.  This had to be a good sign right?  The pizza must be good if so many people wanted some. 

While we were queueing I had my little eagle eyes on red alert watching all that was going on behind the counter.  The guy making up the pizzas was pulling small balls from a large mound of soft white dough.  I verbalised to Mr Boo that I wondered what sort of a dough base these professionals were using and he swiftly pointed to a rather large sign heralding the use of sourdough bases.  OK, so my eyes were having a bit of an off day. 

We placed our order with the very friendly guy busy making up boxes in a vain attempt to keep up with demand.  I was instructed by Mr Boo to stay put while he popped behind us to get some Calamari before he collapsed from the hunger (honest to God).  He returned mere moments later proudly clutching a bowl of (rather delicious) calamari and chorizo for us to munch on while we waited (yep, still waiting) for our pizza.  Just as he polished off the last of his starter his name was called and Mr. Boo stepped on small children and grannies to get to it.  We found a little spot at a picnic table and sat down to enjoy it and got plenty of envious looks from people who had opted for alternatives.  As we happily tucked in Mr Boo declared that the sauce wasn't up to much and that mine was so much better. Ah, I really do loves him.  He was right, it was watery and bland.  The base however was light and crispy and just perfect for my taste so I knew that I was onto a winner and would just have to try it out during the week.

Cue reindeersp and her idea for a twizzaparty having seen pizza recipes emerge from more than one Irish Food Blogger over a couple of days.  The idea was for any of the Irish Food Bloggers who wanted to participate to make homemade pizzas and tweet ideas and photos last night.  Perfect, I could try out my new dough and not feel guilty, as I was contractually obliged to do so.  Well, maybe I wasn't exactly contractually obliged but it sounds much better than just eating pizza for the 3rd time in one week because I am a little porker!  The dough was perfect and as if I didn't love him enough already Mr. Boo declared, unprompted, that it was MUCH better than Dick and Dave's as he inhaled slice after slice.  I am a very happy bunny, I have a new favourite pizza base that is so light and yum, and I have a gorgeous man who loves me, and my pizza.  Life is good.

The following is a basic sourdough recipe, which makes one loaf, but if divided into six pieces will make 6 (approx 9") thin and crispy pizzas.

Sourdough Bread

For the sourdough starter:
2tsp dried yeast (1 7g sachet was exactly 2tsp for me)
300ml/10floz water
240g/8&1/2oz Strong White Flour

1.  Sprinkle the dried yeast onto the water and stir until dissolved.
2.  Stir in the flour, cover and leave to ferment for 2 days at room temperature. 
3.  Stir a couple of times a day.

Make the starter in a much bigger bowl than you think you will need, as it will rise as it ferments.  Once the starter is ready you can make the dough.

For the dough:
1tsp Dried Yeast
200ml/7floz Water
60g/20z Rye Flour
300g/10oz Strong White Flour

1.  Sprinkle the dried yeast onto the water and stir until dissolved.
2.  Sieve the flours in to a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
3.  Pour in 250ml/9floz of the starter (reserve the rest for a future loaf) and mix in the flour from the sides.
4.  Stir in the yeast water until you have a sticky dough.
5.  Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
6.  Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm room to rise for 2 hours. (I left mine in the airing cupboard)

7.  Knock back (knead) the risen dough, punching out all of the air, and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8.  Shape into a round loaf, place on a lightly floured baking tray and cover for 1&1/2 hours to allow it to prove. Alternatively if using as pizza dough at this stage divide the dough into 6 pieces, shape into balls before placing onto the baking sheet and returning to the airing cupboard for 1&1/2 hours.

9.  If baking as a loaf at this stage place into an oven that has been preheated to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 for 1 hour.  When cooked the loaf should sound hollow when you tap the base.  Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Alternatively, on a floured surface roll out the individual dough balls to a thickness of 5mm or less.  Place on a floured baking sheet and dress with sauce and toppings of your choice and bake in an oven preheated to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 for 10 minutes.

This might all seem like a lot of hard work but each of the stages takes between 5 and 10 mins and it was definitely worth it for the results.

Mojito anyone?

This one was just for the lovely Italian Foodie

(Nutella dusted with a little icing sugar)

Other Irish Food Bloggers who participated in the twizzparty are:

Musings of a Med Student (who was responsible for the event, so a big thank you)

Gluttony For Beginners

Babaduck Babbles

Dinner du Jour

I Can Has Cook

Bibliocook

An American In Ireland

Italian Foodie (expert judge on the evening)

Now don't be rude, go on off and say hello to all of these lovely people. 

Peanut Butter Cups (GF)

Probably my favourite place in the world (aside from home) is New York.  I have been every year since 2004 and think were I confined to one holiday in a year that it would be my destination of choice everytime.  I don't think I could sum up it's attraction in one word or even 20 for that matter, it just has a hold over me that draws me back time and time again. 

The excitement at the moment the shiny black limo emerges from the tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan has yet to fade.  Stepping from the car to the pavement and taking that first glimpse of the sky high buildings all around, and being greeted by name by the hotels concierge, as though you are an old friend returned, fills me with a great sense of belonging to a city so far from home.  The city just intoxicates me.  Invades every ounce of my being and assaults each of my senses.  From the blinding lights of Times Square, the smell of pretzels wafting from the carts of street vendors, the noise of a million (well maybe not a million but close) honking horns emanating from yellow cabs, the heat rising from street vents above the subway and the (imagined) taste of delicious confections lined up in bakery windows as I pass by (we usually save sampling the wares for Billy's Bakery in Chelsea). 

I love to walk the streets of New York hand in hand with my gorgeous man, pounding the concrete of familiar block after block and spotting new little gems that have evaded our sight on past visits.  I have been in both the depths of winter, -15°C, and the height of summer, 28°C, but I cannot say which I prefer as both have their merits.  I love the ritual of layering up in winter before venturing out to snowy sidewalks, entering a bar or restaurant for some much needed heat rosy cheeked, stripping off the 50 million layers and savouring the warmth of the room and the people all around.  Equally, I love the freedom of waking in the morning during summer and slipping on a delicate flowing summer dress before venturing out into the stifling heat (serioulsy, not a breath to be had) and walking the streets frappucino in hand or braving the oven like temperatures (and rather unsavoury smell) of the subway.  The antidote to such extreme temperatures, an ice cold mojito guzzled on a roof top bar enjoying the cities skyline from a birds eye view.

Each visit is planned with much anticipation at the prospect of visiting favourite haunts yet again and also trying new eateries and bars and seeing the city from a slightly different angle.  One favourite haunt that is never snubbed in favour of a new and shiny upgrade is the Hershey store in Times Square.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of American chocolate.  I know, I know, I'm sorry to any stateside readers, but it is not to my liking.  It is a bit on the sweet side and doesn't possess that deliciously rich creamy luxury of it's European counterparts.  I am however, rather partial to a box of Milk Duds and a mountain or 3 of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  I know these are available in Ireland now but I still can't step foot back on the plane without at least a months stash safely stowed in my suitcase.  Between visits to tide me over sometimes, there is nothing else for it other than to whip up a batch with my very own hands.  For the know how keep on reading.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

for the base:

50g Soft Brown Sugar
200g Icing Sugar
50g Soft Butter
200g Smooth Peanut Butter

for the topping:

200g Milk Chocolate (chopped)
100g Dark Chocolate (chopped)

also required 45-50 paper petit-four cases (teeny tiny cup cake cases in other words)

1.  In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, icing sugar, butter and peanut butter using an electric whisk until the mixture is the consistency of a sandy paste.

sorry, forgot to take a picture of this mixed together

2.  Using clean hands place a teaspoon size disc of the paste into the bottom of the petit-four cases (I used a melon baller and a teaspoon to do this instead.  You should have enough mixture to fill between 45 and 50 cases).  Press the mixture down to form a smooth layer in the bottom of the case and place the cases into the indentations of a mini muffin tin (if you don't have a mini muffin tin place the cases onto a flat baking sheet).

3.  Melt both chocolates in a heat proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water).

4.  Stir the melted chocolate together to combine and set aside to allow to cool slightly.
5.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into the petit-four cases covering the sandy base.

6.  Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes before devouring.

Happy Birthday E (7)

A certain little someone I know is turning 7 tomorrow.  I decided to bake her a pretty little pink cake today to kick start celebrations for her birthday weekend.  She is a standard 7 year old who loves all things pretty, princess and pink so I decided to bake her a pink sponge cake with pink frosting and lashings of sparkles and prettiness.  All went well barring the colour of the sponge which remained decidedly un-pink really(after adding 6 drops of red colouring following the milk at stage 6 of the recipe I decided to call it quits and rely on pink frosting to provide a suitable princess themed cake).  It would seem sponge cake requires rather a lot more colouring than frosting and icing so next time I will lace it with the stuff.  It was a rather pretty little cake none the less and the sight of her little eyes lighting up when she saw it was approval enough for me.  Happy birthday E, have a fabulous princess day.

Madeira Cake with Pink Frosting

for the cake

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter (softened)
175g/6oz Sugar
3 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
225g/8oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Milk

for the frosting

80g Butter (softened)
250g Icing Sugar
1-2drops Vanilla Extract
25ml Milk
approx 4 drops of Red Food Colouring (I used liquid colouring in this recipe)

1.  Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
2.  Line the bottom of an 8" round cake tin with grease proof paper and grease the sides with butter.
3.  Place the butter in a bowl and cream using a hand held electric whisk.
4.  Add the sugar and beat for a minute.
5.  Add the eggs individually while continuing to beat, and then add the vanilla.
6.  Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder, and then add the milk. (red food colouring was added to the mix at this stage but did not make a difference to the colour after 6 drops so was abandoned)
7.  Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
9.  While waiting for the cake to cool make the frosting.
10. Place the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and beat with a hand held electric whisk until well combined.
11. In a seperate bowl combine the milk and vanilla extract and then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time.
12. When all of the milk has been incorporated add in 4 drops of food colouring and then turn the whisk up to full speed and beat for at least 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.  (if you would like a deeper colour frosting add in more food colouring 1 drop at a time and incorporate fully before adding more)*
13. Once the cake has cooled spread the frosting all over using a spatula or palette knife and decorate to your liking.

* you can use any food colouring of your choice to adapt the cake to be suitable for a boy or an adult.  I have used liquid food colouring as it is what I had available to me but you could use paste, powder or gel colourants and adjust quantities as necessary.

A little pinktastic I know, but for a 7 yr old it was frosted perfection!