Valentines Day Baking

I love all things baking, but I love nothing more than Valentines Day giving me an excuse to go all out with the pink love heart foods. Here are a few ideas for Valentines baking, and be warned: I am going to go all out with the hearts here.

 Heart Macaroons! I would love to try these, but I have heard that they are really hard- maybe it will take more than one attempt, but I'll get there.

Make your sweetheart some heart eggs for Valentines- I think the stick they used is a chopstick(it took a good few minutes of looking to work out what it was!)

This is so clever; put marbles or a rolled up ball of tin foil in the tray with your muffins. This will make them cook in a heart shape.

Don't these Red Velvet Brownies look simply divine! I will definitely be trying them.

DO you have any favourite valentines baking traditions?

Get The Gossip; Apocalypse Bunker, Glowing Bedrooms, and Brussels Sprout Crisps...

Hi guys! wow- I've had such a stressful week revising for exams! Anyways, here are my favorite finds of this week, enjoy!

Most people absolutely detest Brussels Sprouts, but how many people have actually tried them? Not many, I bet. I actually really like Brussels sprouts, I can't eat to many, but about six or seven in one sitting is perfect. So here is a recipe which I found about how to make these Brussels crisps, which look totally awesome! I wouldn't bother to make them just for a snack, but as a side dish at at dinner party, or even on Christmas  I think that they would be delicious.

Winter Warmers; Make The Perfect Winter Lattes

I have a confession- I hate coffee. I know that some of you big coffee drinkers will be gasping right now. I just hate they way that it tastes. .But, I like the way it smells. So, you could say that it surprised me when I bought a gingerbread Starbucks latte on a Christmas late night shopping evening last year, and I liked it, a lot.

I found myself at the counter of Starbucks buying this overpriced, but delicious drink, and I after drinking it I knew two things. 1. That even though it was coffee, it was so yummy, and 2. That I knew there was a way to recreate this amazing-ness a a fraction of the cost.

Sweet Treat Time

Good Morning to all! How has your day been so far?

I have been drooling at these photos all week, and now its finally time that I posted them! This delicious collection of photos that I found this week all look scrumptious, but I wanted to share with you, my favourite recipe for my favourite cake ever; Coffee and Walnut Cake! Coffee cake was not invented. It evolved from ancient honey cakes to simple French galettes to medieval fruitcakes to sweet yeast rolls to Danish cakes made with coffee to nowadays variation of yummy goodness. However, I do believe that I have found a perfect recipe. Also, when I make this cake, I always double the nut quantities because I like the flavour very strong.

Now, I'm not a big fan of coffee. quite frankly, I find it bitter and disgusting, but this cake is something else. the coffee is subtle and the mixture of flavours is amazing! I really hope that you try out this recipe (from River Cottage) because it is just the bomb!

So, without further ado, here is my favourite recipe for the best Coffee and Walnut cake you'll ever eat (although, I'm not making any promises, so don't sue)!

Cook Time

• 25 - 30 minutes

Servings

• 10

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 200g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 200g unsalted butter, cut into small
• pieces and softened
• 100g light soft brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 50ml coffee essence (or 1 tbsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling
• water, or 3 tbsp very strong
• fresh coffee)
• 100g chopped walnuts
• 25–50ml milk
• For the buttercream:
• 60g unsalted butter, cut into small
• pieces and softened
• 125g icing sugar, sifted
• 10ml coffee essence (or 2 tsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 2 tsp boiling
• water or 1 tbsp strong fresh coffee)
• For the topping
• 200g icing sugar
• 2 tsp coffee essence (or 2 tsp instant
• coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling
• water, or 1 tbsp strong fresh coffee)
• 50g chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using either a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter to a cream. Add the brown and caster sugars and beat until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp flour with each and beating thoroughly before adding the next. Stir in the coffee essence. Now carefully fold in the remaining flour, half at a time, with a large metal spoon. Fold in the chopped walnuts, and sufficient milk to give a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, spreading it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the tops are a light golden brown and the cakes spring back into shape when gently pressed. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream. Beat the butter to a cream, add the icing sugar and the coffee essence and beat until light and creamy.

To make glacé icing for the topping, sift the icing sugar into the bowl, add the coffee essence and 1-2 tbsp boiling water, and mix until thick.

Spread one of the cooled cakes with the buttercream. Sandwich together with the second cake and cover the top with the glacé icing. Finish with the chopped walnuts.

This cake will keep for a week in an airtight tin.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are enjoying the cake too. I would love to see any picture of attempts at this recipe, leave a link in the comments. Talk soon, Jenny xx

Below are the rest of the yummy food photos!