Kransekake (Gluten Free)

This is a traditional Norwegian dessert that you would make for big celebrations such as; weddings, Confirmations and Christmas. It’s made of almonds so it’s gluten free and just so tasty, now if you don’t have the molds make sure to prepare the rings so you can eventually build a tower.

Makes 18 rings, serves around 25-30 people

This is what you need;

• 500g grounded almonds (now you can do this yourself, just buy the almonds and blanch them, remove the skin and let them dry for 24 hours then ground them up in a food processor or a food grinder if you have one with a fine grinder setting)
• 500g icing sugar
• 4 egg whites

For the icing;

• 1/2 egg white
• 75g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp cointreau (normally we use lemon juice, but I think this is so much nicer)

Let’s get baking!

Start by putting your grounded almonds in a bowl then sift the icing sugar into the bowl, add the egg whites and mix then transfer into a saucepan, heat up and then transfer back into the bowl. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Everyone has their own way of managing this dough, the ideal way is if you have a food grinder with a star shape setting. If you don’t but you have big muscles you can use a piping bag with a 30mm round tip, or if you are feeling brave you can just roll them out yourself (this is what I did, have patience  and a glass of water next to you)

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees, gas mark 5.
You have to make 3×6 different ring sizes, bake of a cookie trey in the middle of the oven for 8 min, then let it cool until you start the icing (just put all the ingredients for the icing in a bowl and mix) then organize the rings and start building, icing every layer as you see fit.

Tip – if the rings starts to get a bit dry put a piece of bread in the bottom of the tower.

Enjoy x

Gingerbread And Clementine Cupcakes

Happy advent 1st!
It’s December 1st and I am super excited for this years first Christmas bake.

Makes 25

• For the sponge

170g of self-rising flour
170g soft butter (if it’s still hard, use a fork and mash it until soft)
150g brown sugar
3 medium eggs (room temperature)
1 big tsp baking powder
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground all spice
1tbsp golden syrup

• For the butter cream

450g icing sugar
475 unsalted butter (soft)
2 eggs
2 clementines, zest and juice.

Let’s start baking

Preheat your oven to 180 fan, gas mark 4.5, prepare your cupcake tray and start making the sponge.
Start by whisking butter, sugar and golden syrup, then add the eggs one by one until the butter mix is smooth. Sift flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and baking powder into the butter mix.

Divide the mixture into 25 cupcake cases and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Whilst this is baking away start making the butter cream.

Put sugar, butter  in a bowl and mix until fluffy, start adding the confectionery sugar gradually once incorporated add the eggs one by one and mix for 3 minutes / egg to create a light and fluffy cream, then pour in your juice and zest and mix well.

Lemon Curd cupcakes

These zesty lemon curd and vanilla cupcakes works perfect as an afternoon tea treat.

Makes 25

This is what you need;

• Lemon Curd

3 Lemons, the zest and the juice.
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
150g sugar
100g cubed unslated butter

• For the sponge

170g of self-rising flour
170g soft butter (if it’s still hard, use a fork and mash it until soft)
150g granulated sugar
3 medium eggs (room temperature)
1 big tsp baking powder

• For the butter cream

450g icing sugar
475 unsalted butter (soft)
2 eggs
250g Lemon curd

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, on a medium heat, add your lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter and stir now and then. In a bowl whisk your eggs until combined and set to one side. Once all the butter has melted slowly add your egg mixture and whisk whilst adding, then let it cook for 10 minutes string now and then. After 10 minutes take it off the heat and let it cool,  you should have about half of the mixture left over and you can transfer this into a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge. 

Preheat 180 fan, gas mark 4.5, prepare your cupcake tray and start making the sponge.
Start by whisking butter, sugar and vanilla paste, then add the eggs one by one until the butter mix is smooth. Sift flour, and baking soda into the butter mix and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 25 cupcake cases and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Now on to the butter cream.
Put sugar, butter and vanilla paste in a bowl and mix until fluffy, start adding the confectionery sugar gradually once incorporated add the eggs one by one and mix for 3 minutes / egg to create a light and fluffy cream. Now mix ur lemon curd into your butter cream and mix well and it should be ready for piping. 

enjoy!

Cracking Chocolate Cookies

These are the nicest biscuits ever!!

Makes 30 biccies

This Is What You Need;

100g Dark Chocolate
100g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
50g Muscovado Sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla paste
175g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
5tbsp icing sugar (To roll the biscuits in)

Lets get baking!

Start by melting the chocolate by putting a plate over steaming water, not boiling but simmering. Add the chocolate and the butter into the bowl, once completely melted put to one side so it cools.
Whisk the egg, sugar and vanilla, don’t beat it too much but just until combined, then sift flour and bicarbonate soda and roughly incorporated then add the melted chocolate and butter and mix well. Cover the bowl in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 200 fan, gas mark 6.

In a bowl, add the icing sugar and prepare a baking trey with greaseproof paper and divide the dough into 30 little balls, roll them in icing sugar and bake in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes for extra crunch.

Enjoy x

Iced Fingers

This is by far my favorite bun!

You can make these super fancy by cutting them in half and pipe whipped cream on the bottom layer, then a thin layer of strawberry jam on the top layer and sandwich them together and BOOM you have amazingness in a bite..

Makes 20

This is what you need;
The recipe for Norwegian buns (posted 12.10.13)
200g icing sugar
1tsp water
3 drops of lemon juice.

Lets bake people!

Start by sifting the flour and  cardamom into a bowl, add yest on one side and sugar and salt on the other.
Add 1/4 of the milk into a saucepan together with the butter, stir until the butter has melted and set to one side.
Mix the remaining milk into the melted butter, mix all the dry ingredients together then make a whole in the middle of the bowl, pour in the milk mixture.
Knead in the bowl until the dough feels manageable, pour out on a lightly floured surface and get stuck in kneading to build up as much gluten as you can, this should take about 10 minutes. Put the dough back into a lightly floured bowl and cover with clingfilm, leave to rise until twice it’s original size.
Preheat your oven at 200 fan, gas mark 5.
When it’s risen divide into 20 little fingers and let them rise on the baking tray.
Now bake in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes until golden brown.

• Icing
  In a bowl, add the icing sugar and lemon juice then slowly add the water and stir at the same time, you want a really thick consistency.

When the buns are done and properly cooled, take a pallet knife and spread a nice, thick layer of icing.

Tuck in x

 

Mudcake

Chocolate lovers this is the ONE for you!
This recipe can easily be made gluten free, just swap the flour, it’s also a great way of making a normal chocolate cake into an AMAZING chocolate cake. Just make this and have as a middle layer in a layer cake.

Makes 12 slices

This is what you need;

100g butter
250g sugar
90g self-raising flour
2 eggs
3 tbsp cocoa powder (70%)
1 tbsp vanilla paste
20g white chocolate chunks
20g milk chocolate chunks
20 g dark chocolate chunks
2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting

Start by preheating your oven to 180 fan, gas mark 4-5, grease your cake tin and line with grease proof paper. Now in a bowl mix sugar, vanilla paste and butter until fluffy.  Add the eggs one by one as this is your only raising agent, but don’t worry if it’s not too fluffy as it’s all about the gooeyness..
Sift flour and cocoa powder and add to the mix together with your chocolate chunks.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 min for a soft gooey inside….

I love icing sugar so I cut a heart out and put it in the middle of the cake then dust with icing sugar.
Serve with loosely whipped cream.

Custard Buns with Coconut Icing (Skolebrød)

This is a classic Norwegian bun that goes down a treat every time, guaranteed!
(Makes 12 heavenly buns)

This is what you need:

650g Self-raising flour
90g caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp cardamom
1 Sachet fast action yest
100g butter
360ml whole milk

For the custard:

6 egg yolks
1tbsp vanilla paste
1tbsp cornflour
50g caster sugar
610ml whole milk

Icing:
1egg white
5 drops of lemon juice
2tbsp water
250g confectionery sugar
1cup on dessicated coconut

LET’S BAKE!
Start by sifting the flour and  cardamom into a bowl, add yest on one side and sugar and salt on the other.
Add 1/4 of the milk into a saucepan together with the butter, stir until the butter has melted and set to one side.
Mix the remaining milk into the melted butter, mix all the dry ingredients together then make a whole in the middle of the bowl, pour in the milk mixture.
Knead in the bowl until the dough feels manageable, pour out on a lightly floured surface and get stuck in kneading to build up as much gluten as you can, this should take about 10 minutes. Put the dough back into a lightly floured bowl and cover with clingfilm, leave to rise until twice it’s original size.
Start making the custard, start by adding the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla paste and cornflour into a bowl and mix vigorously until combined. Heat up the milk until simmering, pour the milk slowly into the bowl whilst stirring, once half the milk has been combined but the milk back on the stove on low heat. Start poring the the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan whilst stirring but make sure it doesn’t start to boil, stir until the custard goes really thick, set to side.
Preheat your oven to 250 or gas mark 7, punch your dough down (once finished proving) and divide the dough into 12 and make round balls and then flatten them out, time to prove for a second time, cover with clingfilm but make sure the the buns have space to raise. After 1 hour they should have grown about twice their size, using your thumb create a dent in the bun, now you can make a big dent if you LOVE custard or a smaller one if you’re not that keen. Add the custard and bake the buns in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Ice Ice Icing time, add all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk with a fork, the consistency should be really thick, it should struggle to slide off a spoon. Put the coconut into a bowl and set aside.
Once the buns has cooled cover the bun in icing around the custard (i love icing so I just chuck it on all over) then dip the iced side into the coconut, now the only thing left to do is stuffing your face in this goodness !

Enjoy