Almond Toffee (Knäck)

My internet was down yesterday thus no post, but here it is, a Swedish classic that get stuck in your teeth!

Makes 100 (if you are using 25mm cases) 

This is what you need;

250 g double cream
250 g golden syrup
250 g caster sugar
100 g chopped mixed nuts

This is how you do it!

Firstly, put all your cases on a baking trey so you don’t have to fiddle with that. Then put everything into a saucepan, except the nuts, then biol until it reaches 125 c degrees, put to one side and mix in the nuts and use a tsp to transfer the toffee into the cases. Leave to set and then transfer into a jar or cellophane bags to give away.

Enjoy x

Cranberry Jam

This is a festive recipe for cranberry jam, it will be perfect with your roast turkey on Christmas day.
During the year I collect my empty jars from jams and salsas etc so when it’s jam time you don’t have to waste your money on jars!

Makes 1 large jar.

This is what you need;

300g frozen cranberries
1tsp cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 oranges, zest and juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
500 ml water
300g caster sugar

Add all your ingredients to a saucepan, put the cloves and cinnamon stick in a muslin, let this simmer for 2 hours and stir occasionally. Sterilize your jar and once the jam is done pour over and cover the opening with baking parchment, once cooled, put the lid on and leave it in the fridge until it’s ready to use. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 months.
Tip – Use your leftover turkey and make a nice sandwich for lunch and spread a thick layer of this jam and Christmas will be in every bite.

Double love biscuits

Makes 20 big ones….

Vanilla jammy dodgers just isn’t enough, lets put a chocolate layer on this!

This is what you need:

200g Self-raising flour
100g butter
50g caster sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla paste
1tsp corn flour
(make this dough again and add 2 heaped tsp of cocoa powder)
150g of raspberry or strawberry jam.

Let’s get baking!
Start by whisking the butter, sugar and vanilla paste, add the egg and whisk until you get an even mixture. Sift the flour and the corn flour (when you do the chocolate dough just add the cocoa powder at this stage).
Knead the dough until combined, don’t worry if it’s a bit sticky, wrap in cling film and let it chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, on a lightly floured surface knead the dough adding flour as you go along until the dough is smooth, make sure not to overwork the dough as the butter will melt and you will have to add flour for the rest of the day 🙂
Roll your chocolate dough out to around 0.5cm and use a 7cm cutter, I used a lid, and make 20 circles. Then take your vanilla dough and use the same cutter then place a small heart shaped cutter, or any other shape works too, in the middle.
Bake the biscuits in the middle of the oven for about 17 minutes.

Once they have cooled start putting the biscuits together,  put 1 tsp jam on the chocolate base and then chuck the lid on and voilà, you have a red heat in the middle of an epic biscuit!

This is a definite dunker so get your tea brewing.

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