Preparation time - over 2 hours Cooking time - 30 mins to 1 hour Serves - Makes 1 half sheet or 2 quarter sheets Ingredients 1. Bread flour - 500 grams/ 1 pound 2 oz strong 2. Salt - 2 teaspoon 3. Instant yeast/ Fast Acting yeast - 2 sachets/ 14 grams 4. Olive oil - 2 tablespoon 5. Cold water - 400 ml/ 14 fl oz 6. Olive oil, for drizzling 7. Fine sea salt Method
In a large bowl, add flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and 300ml/10½ fl oz water. Slowly mix with your hand or spatula. When the flour starts coming together slowly add the remaining 100 ml/ 3½ fl oz water. Stretch the dough with your hand for about 5 mins. The dough will be very sticky. (you might feel that the water is so much but that's what is expected. Do not add more flour). Oil a clean work surface with olive oil and tip the dough. Knead the dough on the work surface for about 5 mins. Return the dough to a greased the bowl, wrap with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size. Keep the dough at room temperature. Do not place in any warm place. Line one half size sheet pan (or two quarter size sheet pan) with parchment paper and grease with olive oil. Tip the dough on to the sheet pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Now spread your fingers out and make finger holes through the dough. Place the dough unwrapped for about 1 hour or until it rise double in size. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425°F/ 220°C. Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle top with olive oil. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve hot or warm.
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Ingredients For the pastry 1. Plain Flour - 175 grams/ 6 oz 2. Cold Butter - 100 grams/ 3½ oz , cut into small cubes 3. Icing Sugar - 25 grams/ 1 oz 4. Egg yolk - 1 5. Cold Water - 1 tablespoon For the filling 1. Eggs - 5 2. Heavy cream/ Double cream - 125 ml/ 4 fl oz 3. Caster Sugar/ Granulated Sugar - 225 grams/8 oz 4. Lemon zest and juice - 4 lemons 5. Icing Sugar for dusting Method For the Pastry
In a food processor combine flour, icing sugar and cold butter. Pulse briefly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. To the same mixture add egg yolk and cold water. Pulse again until the mixture sticks together in clumps. Now place the dough in a work surface and make into a smooth dough. Knead the dough 2-3 times to make it smooth. If the butter in the pastry feels to soft, wrap the dough and chill for 10 mins Grease a 23 cm/9 in loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin. Remove the base of the tart tin and place over a silicone mat/ parchment paper. Dust the tin base with flour and place the dough in the center. Flatten the dough with your hands and start rolling dough over the tin base. Roll the dough, 1½ bigger than the tin base. Gently fold the pastry surrounding the tin base in towards the center. Carefully place the base back into the tin, then ease the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the tin, pressing the overhang lightly over the rim. If the pastry has cracked at all, simply press it together to seal. Press the pastry into the flutes of the tin then lightly prick the base with a fork, but not quite all the way through. Place the pastry-lined tin on a baking tray, cover loosely with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Remove the tart from fridge and unwrap. Place a parchment paper/ aluminum foil over the pastry dough and fill the tin with baked bean. (I just used normal beans) Bake blind the pastry for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is set, then lift out the parchment/foil and beans. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife. Remove the trimmings from the sheet. Return the empty pastry case to the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until it is pale golden and completely dry. Set aside to cool for a while making the filling. For The Filling In a large bowl, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with a wire whisk. Add the rest of the ingredients, cream, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Whisk again until everything is combined. (Strain the mixture - optional) Pour the mixture into the cooled tart shell and slowly place inside the oven. (you can also pour the filling keeping the tart shell inside the oven to avoid spelling on the way to oven) Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until just set but with a slight wobble in the center. Leave to cool slightly then, when the pastry seems firm enough, remove the tart from the tin. The easiest way to do this is to place the base of the tin on an upturned can or jam jar and let the outer ring fall to the work surface. Transfer the tart to a serving plate and serve warm or cold, dusted with sifted icing sugar. For the cake 1. Butter - 100 grams / 3½oz 2. Sugar - 100 grams/ 3½oz 3. Eggs - 2 4. All purpose flour - 100 grams/ 3½ oz 5. Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon 6. Ground almonds - 50 grams/ 1¾ oz 7. Vanilla extract few drops 8. Milk - 3 teaspoon 9. Instant coffee powder - 1½ teaspoon 10. Walnuts, chopped - 25 grams/ 1 oz For the coffee butter icing 1. Powdered sugar/ Icing sugar - 100 grams/3½ oz 2. Softened, Butter - 100 grams/3½ oz 3. Instant coffee powder - ½ teaspoon 4. Milk - 1½ teaspoon To decorate the cake 1. Marzipan - 225 grams/ 8 oz 2. Walnuts to decorate To make cake
For the cake, preheat the oven to 170 C/ 325 F/. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square cake pan. Place aluminum foil in middle of the pan, place parchment paper over foil and divide the pan into two sections. One for vanilla and other for coffee walnut batter. In a bowl, cream butter sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. Add the ground almonds, flour, and baking powder and mix until combined. Divide the batter evenly into 2 bowls. To one bowl add vanilla extract and half the milk (1½ teaspoon) and mix until combined. Mix the remaining milk (1½ teaspoon) to coffee and mix until dissolved. To the other bowl, add coffee milk mixture and walnuts and mix until combined. Spoon the vanilla mixture into one half of the tin and the coffee-walnut mixture into the other half. Level the surface of each half with a spatula. Check the paper divider is still straight and in the middle. Bake at 325 F/170 C for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen well. Cool for 10 mins in pan. Take off the cake from pan and cool completely about 30 mins over wire rack. Once the cakes are completely cooled. Trim the crispy outer edges of both flavors. Now cut each cake into 2 portions (2 strips of vanilla and 2 strips of coffee walnut cake). Total of 4 equal strips. For making coffee buttercream In a bowl, add softened butter and icing sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Combine milk and coffee powder. Mix until coffee is dissolved and pour into bowl. Mix until everything is combined well. Assembling the cake Lay one vanilla and one coffee-walnut strip next to each other, then use a little of the coffee butter icing to stick them together. Spread a bit more icing on the top. Stick the remaining two strips together with icing and place them on top to create a checkerboard effect. Cover the strips with icing which makes it easy to cover with marzipan. Roll the marzipan between two parchment paper until it reaches desired thickens. Place the cake middle and cover with marzipan. Place the cake in such a way that the joins come underneath. Trim a slim slice from each end of the cake to neaten and show off the checkerboard effect. Smooth the marzipan with your hands, so their warmth will give it a smooth finish. While the marzipan is still soft, crimp the edges by pinching the marzipan between your thumb and first finger at a slight angle and at regular intervals. This is a very simple to make chocolate cake with a soft mousse like frosting. Chopped hazelnut in between the layers will give a good texture and crunch which I really enjoy. Yields - 3 six inch cake Ingredients For cake Yield - three 6 inch cake 1. Flour - 1 and 1/2 Cups 2. Cocoa powder - 1/2 Cup, good quality 3. Baking Soda - 1 Teaspoon 4. Salt - 1/4 Teaspoon 5. Fine Sugar - 1 and 1/2 Cups 6. Vanilla essence - 1 Teaspoon 7. Egg - 2 8. Milk - 1/2 Cup 9. Strong Hot coffee - 1/2 Cup 10. Butter - 1/2 Cup, room temperature For hazelnut cream cheese frosting 1. Heavy whipping cream - 8 oz/ 1 cup 2. Cream cheese, room temperature - 8 oz /1 pack 3. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread - 3/4 Cup 4. Powdered sugar - 2 Cups 5. Vanilla - 1 teaspoon For Chocolate coffee syrup 1. Warm Water - 1/4 cup 2. Semi sweet chocolate chips - 1/4 cup 3. Instant coffee powder - 1 teaspoon Assembling Hazelnut - 1 cup Spread the nuts on a baking tray and bake for 350 F for 10 mins. Crush or chop according to preference. Method
For Cake In a Bowl, sieve all the dry ingredients flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. If sugar is not super fine no need to sieve just add to the flour and whisk well to combine well. Add room temperature butter and with a mixer or fork mix until it turns into breadcrumbs like texture. Add coffee, milk, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix well. Now add eggs one at time and mix until well combined. Grease three 6 inch cake pan. Pour the batter evenly into pans. Tap to release any air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30 - 35 mins. Cool cake in the pan for 10 mins, then run a knife around the side of pans and invert into cooling rack. Cool completely. For Frosting In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, vanilla extract, cream and powdered sugar. Combine well using a whisk/ hand mixer until reach stiff peaks. Finally add in the hazelnut spread and mix until combined. Icing is ready, we can refrigerate it until ready to use. Note - It's a soft and mousse like frosting. For chocolate coffee syrup Add coffee and chocolate to warm water and let it stand for 5 mins. Then mix until chocolate is melted. If chocolate is still not completely melted microwave for 30 sec and mix. Keep repeating until chocolate is completely melted. Assembling cake Place the first layer of cake over a plate/cake board. Soak the cake with chocolate coffee syrup, now spread an even layer of chopped nuts. Spread an even layer of frosting over the nuts. Place the next layer cake over the mousse. Now repeat the steps for next layer. Place the final layer of cake and cover the cake with thin layer frosting - Crumb coat. Now refrigerate until set, now apply the final coat of frosting and decorate as preferred. |
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