Pulling at the heart strings /-/ Triple Choc mousse pocky cake

 I am guessing you have noticed it too. Red velvet recipes on blogs, cute bears holding big ass hearts and heart filled boxes of candy have just landed. There is no question that Valentine’s Day is on the mind of people everywhere. Like most people I think it is a bit early to start with it but hey, the stores need to make money right?
 


It is so cliché to be anti-valentine’s day these days (when did having haters make you more “cool”). 

“The selling of love is so terrible”, “You do not need a bit statement to show you care” etc. etc. 

This is why I love doing arts course at University; I am always proven wrong. It is has been enlightening to do a course that studies the history of romance and our ideas around the future of it. A few modern names like Sherry Turkle might ring a few bells; but in general there is a bleak outlook on love.

If you read back at my last year post for valentines day, I held a similar perspective to the anti-commercialisation folk.  To be honest I was telling a teeny weeny lie when I said that. After doing the course I found that main reason why Valentine’s Day is not my favourite day of the year is because my idea of romance makes me want to crawl up into a ball of angst. Yes this is the tale of the girl with a scorned heart, weird idea of romance and a long held grudge against all that is typically romance related. 

My idea of romance is not flowers, sweet, music and fancy outings. It actually has nothing to do with positive emotions either. Like Romeo and Juliet, my idea of what true romance is incredibly counterproductive (well if you are thinking of ever wanting to get married anyway). Even though I have only had a minimal amount of success in long term relationship field, the one that have causes me post break up heartache is the one that are “star crossed”.

Yep I am a relationship masochist. Come to think of it I am setting myself up to fail every time.

Now I consider myself a pretty levelled headed person but I cannot shake this romance ideal off. I blaming it on not having a teenager rebellion stage; I did not pass this normal milestone thus stuck for eternity with a teenage mind set. The worst part about it is that every time I hear the instrumental versions to songs, in particular ones string instruments; I develop a black haze around me and run to the nearest corner.  So no I will not being going out to eat this Valentine’s day.


 
If you are brave (and honest) enough to comment; Are you like me and have a very twisted view on romance? Or are you one of those who love the pet names, cute bears and rose bunches? With all the hate in the world it is nice to talk about love isn’t it? (Even though it is unconventional)
 
 

This a post for you romantic types. If you are fan of Japanese love culture; you would know the idea of pocky, strawberries and sponge cake is widely thought of as cute and erotic. Who would ever thought those things would go together and be accepted in culture?
 
Sponge cake normally overlooked but if you are in my family sponge cake is king. Airy, light but still slightly moist which leaves bits of crumb on your lips after taking that first bite. Yep this is my recipe adaption for getting that texture without having to whip egg yolks and whites into different bowls then fold in whites afterwards. 

The benefit of using Victoria sponge is that it is almost no fail due to the fact you use self-rising flour. No measuring out baking agents here. I would recommend you make the sponge in advance and leave it tightly wrapped in cling film. Like aging your cookie dough, sponge cake needs the same time. This mean your cake will stay beautifully moist for days after without the hassle of sugar syrup.

 
The mousse part is simple as, you do not even need eggs or gelatine to help it set. All you need for this simple mouse is marshmallows to help it set. From Nigella’s recipe for her chocolate mousse this is the best way getting an egg-less mousse when you are sort on time that has “body”. Also you need this firmness as the cake is in cased in the mousse. 


-This is well worth the effort and it also mean that you so not have perfect with the sides as the pocky and strawberries cover up any lumps and bumps.
While might be relating this to valentine’s day I made this cake for a cake order; so this is my festive bakes 4! The last one which is the quickest and easiest to prepare. Who said good looking cake needs to be hard?


 
Triple Choc mousse pocky cake
Sponge adapted from AWW classic cakes
Mousse from Nigella express.
Concept of the cake from Japan.
Double choc sponge 
Fills 3 18cm spring form tins
 
4 eggs
170g butter soften
170g  raw caster sugar
50g black/onyx cocoa shifted
150g self-raising flour, shifted
50g shaved dark chocolate

Pre heat oven to 180C. Grease, line and flour 3x18cm cake tins so that the sides come up 2cm above the rim of the tin.
Shift in a medium bowl your cocoa and flour. Set saide.
In a stand mixer cream your butter than sugar on high until light and fluffy (5 minutes). Reduce the power to low medium and beat in each egg one at a time. Make sure it returns to the fluffy texture you had prior to adding eggs before adding the next one.
Fold in the flour and cocoa in 3 batches. Fold in the shaved chocolate.
Smooth into your prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes clean and springy.
Cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to wire racks to cool completely.
 Level off your cake domes when cool. Wrap in Cling film and fridge for 1 day.

Chocolate mousse
Depending on how much mousse you want to cover your cakes you can go for a 24cm but double the recipe. I used a 20cm tin here.
 
50 grams mini marshmallows
50 grams soft butter
250 grams good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), shaved
60 ml hot water (from a recently boiled kettle)
284 ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
On low heats melt the ingredients, stirring occasionally to help melting. Remove from the heat.
After whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick. Fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until glossy.
 
Assembly
 
One 20cm tin, lined with clear acetate on the sides and a baking paper base.
One recipe for cake
One recipe for mousse
5-6 packets of pocky
Two punnets of strawberries. Hulled.
Sugar glaze (twice the amount of sugar to water melted over the stove then cooled)

Place on leveled cake base the base of the tin. Pour over one third of the mix. Repeat with next two layers. You may smooth out the top. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.
 When you are ready to eat place hulled strawberries on top.  Lined the side with pocky sticks. Brush with sugar glaze on the berries.

Serve well salted /-/ Oven baked pork crackles (plus video of the sound)

Over the years I have either become more immature or I have reached the thrush hold for my level of seriousness (terrible term but I cannot think of any other way to explain it). If there is a one trait that I am known for being it has to be acting serious and unspoken.

 I spent my first year of University avoiding public situations in place of study groups in the library. While others were heading to the campus pub ( Which I saw a counterproductive) to party; I went to the library and sat with my Mac book  and notes. Never put my hand up and never contested if group work load was unfair. Yep I was walked all over.



However the flip side to this story is that I was completely miserable. Sure I got grades that I was proud of but after finishing high school, going through rough patch and finally getting to study again. Grades did not mean as much as they did when I was in high school.

 In fact most of the stuff that high school is meant to set you up with is not true. This post is a bit of reassurance for those Aussie teenagers who did not make it in to University or are feeling crappy about not getting into their first/second/third choice courses for university. If you are in Northern hemisphere, you can also take a bit of comfort in knowing collage is not all it cracked up to be. 



One of the best lessons I have ever learned in life is to take everything with a grain of salt especially when you come up against the education system. I am not saying do go cray-cray and do not study ( I am pretty sure your parents want to do your best when studying) but nothing is ever completely true.   I guess as a kid you cannot see the politics behind these “white lies” but I be damned if I believed the same stuff about education as I did back then.
 


Most of the time at university I saw people start assignments the day before but then apply for as many extensions as possible. Others would want to live on campus purely for the access to non-stop parties. This final one is really smart; students would choose the subjects with online testing so they could do it as an open book/Google search test. University students are very sneaky to say the least.

Career and school is important however university/collage is not the be all and end all. Most people do not even stay in the same field for more than 3 years. Some may say it is because generation Y are so fussy about things but overall the trend is about the same for each generation. Humans are not meant to stay static.

 The “success” rate they toot about needs to be taken with a pound of salt rather than a grain in my opinion. Have you seen the percentages of unemployment and dissatisfaction with Tertiary education these days?


 


As someone who has finished (finally) their further education studies; I am not even using the bachelor I achieved. I have embarked on another pathway to become (hopefully) commercial pastry chef; So right now I am brushing up on my cleaning and peeling fruit/vegetable skills.
But enough with my back to education ranting; so the reward you for listening I have pork Crackling for you!  

If there is one thing China knows how to do is it has to be roasting meats. Pork crackling is one of the main things you fight over when someone buys Sui yuk or roasts a pork lion/belly with skin.I might be a sweet focused a blog but I as have a thing for salty crunchy snacks.  So Granola, chips, nuts etc. are all very dangerous to me; I can never get enough.  Not to mention they make the perfect game day or  (of you are in Australia the return of summer Television viewing); can resist a big bowl of pork crackle?

The problem is the more traditional way of achieving this pork is you either
 

• Need a big, whole skin of pork for the oven. So meat needs to be eaten ( not bad but you do not always want pork; no matter how good it taste)
   
• Deep fry the pieces of pork. 

However the Chinese technique of pre boiling you pork belly or skin then allowing it to dry over night with the spices, means the cooking time is shorter; pork skin becomes blistered and overall a better flavoured crackle.Look at the bubbles on it! 

This is video my mum took on my FIRST go at it (she is so cute with her ipad :3). It work just as well on the pork belly as well as on the rind.

The best part about this is that it works with just the skin too as well as your whole pork belly. So you can make a bunch for your friends (and another for yourself) of JUST crackle. That’s the main idea of pork belly right?


 
Oven baked pork crackles

Depending on your pork skin but try to make it about 20 by 30cm at the most, so you can fit it all in the oven and pot (for the pre boiling).  I used a smaller 16 by 25 cm piece here; so the amounts listed will need to be doubled.

Pork skin/rind, I used the one above but I have also done it with a big piece but cut into two
 
15g sea salt, flakes
 
2tsp five spice
 
1tsp brown sugar

Clean your pork belly/rind by first drying it with paper towels and removing any hair from the top. Also if you have a very fatty rind, you may need to remove some of the excess fat layer.
With a sharp knife, draw lines in a cross pattern along the skin but do not cut all the way through.
Bring a  large pot of boiling water to the boil. Place pork in the boiling water and boil for 20 minutes (30 minutes for belly). Remove the pork from the hot water and allow to cool until you can touch it.
In a smaller bowl combine the spice, sugar and 5 grams of salt. Set aside.
Using paper towels dry your pork as much as you can. Rub in the spice mix making sure to get it into the gaps in the rind.
Place on a cooling rack on a baking tray. Sprinkle remaining salt on the top BUT do not rub it in. Place in the fridge over night, uncovered to dry.

Next day: pre heat your oven to 220C.  Line another baking tray with foil and place a cooling rack on top of the foil. 
Dust the extra salt off the top of the pork.  Gentle dab the pork with a paper towel to remove any reminding liquid.

Place your pork on top of this tray and bake for 30 minutes or until it crackles to your liking. Drain oil as necessary.

 *NOTE if doing pork belly after 30 minutes turn it down to 180 and cook for a further 20 minutes. Allow to cool then cut and eat straight away! Or you can save some for one day in an air tight box lined with paper towels.

A post for my little niece /-/ Lily's Wishes and balloon Dessert bar

I guess if you have been following my Festive bakes post, I am about to post number 3!

This cake is in honour of my little niece who turned 100 days or 3 months. I am not sure why this is significant as I always thought the 1st birthday was the big one however it was her Baptism day, so that is a call for cake!

Well I am particularly proud of this because I did most of the dessert bar by myself! (with a lot of help and direction by my sister). Also reporting this event because the topper on the cake turned out better than I expected. You would understand my pain if you ever tried to work with fondant in warm weather. Melting and sticky, frosting mess everywhere… 

I have done a desert bar before for her but I have not reported on it. Basically I was not proud of it but if you want a look. This photo of it I think my sister took of it on the day (I had to be a University). As you can see this is where all the inspiration from pinterest comes to meet in a pretty celebration of yellow, balloons and elephants. Really sorry about the quality here too (stole it from facebook)

Anyway I think my sister has gotten on the band wagon for wanting to conduct a dessert bar/party thing for any major celebration. She had so many ideas for her baby shower a few months back, that her enthusiasm for Lily’s 100 days is expected.

 Inspired by the symbolic nature of the wishing well and hot air balloons, she wanted me re-create a hot air balloon themed cake. Of course a lot of inspiration for this was drawn from Pinterest (What the hell did we do before this??) but the design of the topper is completely my own.

Yes that is a bunny and bear in the basket. I am not too sure why I choose them but I have a particular love of shaping fondant into animals. I might suck at trying to cover cakes in the stuff but molding it in to cute things is actually fun. 

I am sorry that I did not take any professional shots of this cake. I was so popped from doing the cake and other things that all I wanted to do was eat it (destroy it). So all these shots where done on the day (BLAH!). I am really sorry about the quality of them; I am not experienced in the real life, unset up photography ( I swear how do these people do it???)

Also there were macarons and candy (really a party would not be complete with these would they?)

 The things on this dessert bar were some cupcakes, cookie pops, candy pops, macarons, decorated fondant biscuits and cake. The base cake here measures about 22cm high, which is almond and peach fruit cake (which I will write up here) and filled with and covered a white chocolate ganche. When I get a chance to make this cake again I will post a professional picture of the inside (sorry again!) The top cake measure about 15cm high (not including the basket). The basket is fondant the balloon is a sphere of Styrofoam covered in a layer of fondant. I also molded the all the details on the balloon by guess work and a lot of luck.

The cookie pops are a simple butter cut out dough which you can find here by Nigella Lawson. After me and sister cut out cloud shapes and place them on cookie sticks to bake. After we painted them with a bit of royal icing and stuck a cloud shaped white piece of fondant on top with the words “lily” printed into them. 

The balloon cookies were a bit of last minute thing but they were done in the same way as the cookie pops; but instead I did a line pattern and studded the intersections with a sugar pearl. 

The hot air balloon candy pops are simply melted yellow candy melts in a hot air balloon shape. I think My sister got them online but I ask her and update you on where she got it if you are interested. 

We also made vanilla cupcakes which are covered in a thin royal icing them topped with a Peanut butter cup and tiny shaped fondant clouds on top. The balloon is made from shaping a piece of oval fondant around a cake pop stick which is glued together with royal icing. Very clever sister for these!

The cake for this is really easy and is very tasty. The key here is to cream the butter really well and to use TOASTED almond meal in place of some of the flour. This help with the moisture retain in the cake but the flavor combines with the pieces of soft peach in the cake. Simply if you want a cake that would wow people without too much work; this is for you. This recipe would make two 20cm layer cakes but I had to triple it for mine.

The parents both really love it and so did the guest. As a baker that is all I can ever hope for when I people taste my food.  You might not want to take on a whole dessert but I am sure you and friends can band together and make one or two foods each. Like they say two hands are better than one!

Butter milk almond and peach cake 
Based on cake from taste.com
Makes 2 x 20cm round

220 g unsalted butter, soft
200 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 eggs, whisked in a small bowl.
180g plain flour

60g Toasted almond meal

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda
300ml butter milk, room temp
3 ripe peaches, de stoned and cut into 2cm dice
40g whole almonds finely chopped

Preheat oven to 170°C.
Grease and line the base of a 20cm spring form cake pan.

Shift the almond meal, flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a bowl mix until light and fluffy (takes about 7 minutes). Add the vanilla, then beat again for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl down. With the mixer running, pour the eggs in a thin stream in to the stand mixer.
Alternate between folding in the flour and butter milk. Mix until barely combined.
Fold in the peaches and nuts.

Divide the mix into your lined tins and bake for 30 minutes or until the skewer when placed in the middle comes clean.


White chocolate ganche

500g white chocolate, shaved

400g pouring cream

In a medium sauce pan, bring the cream to boil. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Allow to sit for 30 seconds. Using a plastic spatula, slowly work the cream and chocolate together until it is fully combined. Allow to cool to room temp than transfer to the fridge for 2 hours.

Once cool, beat with an electric whisk till fluffy (2 minutes for me). Use as an icing for the cake above.

Words and photos united /-/ Saffron and pumpkin melon pan (bread)

 
If you are a fan of food blog sites, you probably have stumbled upon this one via two of the most used food photography sites. I adore these websites and treasure the valuable resource they are to food bloggers like myself.

 I am not sure if this message was drilled into while I took primary school remedial English or the fear of failing the “MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER” HSC *cough*; never settle on “plain” words to describe objects. 




 
Lately I have been paying particular attention to the words used in description boxes. I know most of you guy would only go there for pretty food photography or “money shots”(Argh, hate this term and the predictable nature of it); none the less I feel the description box is being undervalued.

While I know in a visual media like the internet, pictures play a pivotal role in conveying emotions and tone, words are important too! Just last night I was watching the Melbourne comedies “Great debate” in Australia with the topic are words more/less powerful than actions. Yes it was in comedic fun but it does raise some key points for the case that words are powerful. 

• The universal and unambiguous understanding: With a the universal translator now; the internet passages are no longer bound by language.
• The emotional effect of words to elevate or depress the soul

I am not great at linguistics; funny how I took to blogging but that’s another story. Words are to key to explain what your actions (or in this case) what your food photography is about. While you can tell a story through the setup, lighting and overall mood of the food plating; the thing about taste, texture and the memories that come with food can only be reach by using related descriptive words. 

 



 

One of favourite past times is to read food articles; they do not have to be long but if you are a great writer the mood is completed in one paragraph.
Yes, just one. 

Some of these are some I pick up on just the other day

I have no idea but when did the words SO GOOD!! become acceptable? If I described something as SO GOOD! during my schooling years I would of have been bagged out and marked down.

“To die for” and “need I say more”? Really? Your photography does not need words? You are that pretentious to think that your photography is so prefect?

Also the exclamation point is not attractive. If you are using an exclamation point every time you describe something; you need to get your ears checked.

The list could go on and on depending on patience level but maybe food gawker or taste spotting should bring out a course in food description writing.





A lot of the food I cook/bake in my kitchen has a back story. I might not always be willing to tell the history I have with it but be rest assured one day when I am confident enough to post the stories, I will. I am not picking on anyone as I am aiming to rid my own writing of these over used phrases but at least I am acknowledging there is a problem!





Food bloggers; food lovers! You food deserves a better word that just good! Pick up a thesaurus and label them with a description you can wear with pride! *Wooden spoons up*



 
Japanese “melon” pan is a popular among all ages due to it attractive presentation (it looks like a melon) and the signature cookie crust. I tried to roll mine in sugar but it sank into the dough; so to compensate I just used egg wash. 




Tinted gold with threads of delicate saffron; this bread bun is unlike any other Asian bakery bread. The texture is the same but flavour different. Shreadable threads and pillowy thanks to the glutinous dough in the early processes of kneading. The texture of the crusted sweeten short bread topping provides crunch but melts in o the bread as you eat it. I can only compare it to sweet butter when it is melting your mouth.

Saffron is hard to describe without sounding like a "foodie" but I will take a quote from a famous french man. "Do not try to compare it; Simply savour the taste of saffron in all it golden glory"
Pumpkin, well, is an accident that it went in the first place but helps the sweetness, colour and texture of the bun. Like potatoes pumpkin used in a small amount helps the bread keep it softness past the typical overnight shelf life. If you want you could leave it out completely but that would change the colour again.


Yes this bread does take work; however can you compare the feeling of having a success loaf of fresh bread coming out the oven then see others enjoy it? I don’t think so. Also Chinese’s New year great time to break out your heavy machinery and saffron; and enjoy a bun of luxury. 



Saffron and pumpkin melon pan (bread)
Adapted from Happy home baking and Christine recipes
Makes about 18

150ml full fat milk
A pinch (4-5 threads) saffron
160g tangzhong
120g steam mashed pumpkin
1 egg
20g milk powder
20g caster sugar
30g condensed milk
4g salt
490g bread flour
6g dry yeast
45g butter, cubed and soften

Cookie cover
100g unsalted butter, cubed and soften
90g caster sugar
1egg
1 egg yolk
170g flour
20g corn flour
20g custard powder
3g baking powder
1g salt
Optional: After baking Roll in caster

Before making bread make saffron infused milk. In a small sauce pan bring the milk to the boil and whisk gently in your saffron threads, so that the colour begins to turn it yellow. Leave it to get luke warm then strain in a another bowl. Set a side

Before making bread make the glutinous pre dough; In a small sauce pan combine 250ml water with 50g bread flour. Over low heat whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 65C or begins to pull away from the sides of pan. Set aside to cool before using. NOTE: you will only need about half for this so you can try another bread with the remainder.

Making Bread
In a stand mixer combine all the ingredients but the soften butter for the bread. Knead the dough together with the dough hook until it pulls away from the sides (this can take up to 25 minutes Once pulling away from the sides of the bowl or becomes less sticky, add you cubes of butter to the dough. Continue kneading until it is absorbed. The dough should be very shiny and no longer sticky; place in an oil bowl covered with cling wrap to proof for 1-2 hours on a hot day.

Make the cookie cover

In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes or until it is light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk one at time ; beating well between each addition.
Fold in your flour, corn flour, custard powder and salt to the butter mix until it forms a soft dough. Divide this into 40g balls and set aside on a lined baking tray. Fridge for 30 minutes to get a little bit harder,

Between two sheets of cling film; roll each the soft dough to a circle with a diameter of 10cm. Return to the fridge until needed.
Once bread has doubled in size punch down and divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. Take out your cookie dough rounds.

Line two trays with baking paper and roll each dough ball into a round shape. With each dough ball pinch in a cookie cover on to the dough ball, making sure to leave a bit of room at the bottom for expanding.

Pinch the bottom of the bun and gently roll in caster sugar. Do this for all the dough balls and place on a lined baking tray, cover with cling film and leave to proof until doubled in size.

Pre heat oven to 180C. Remove cling film and bake each tray for 18 -20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Fatal attraction /- /Soft and chewy raspberry, white chocolate and sour cherry cookies

Guess what?
Today I have nothing to rant about *shocker*. I am actually quite content with how things are going which is a first for me as I am easily ticked off by the smallest thing.

Maybe not completely content…

The summer weather in Australia is breeding the worse kind of bug. 



For those of you in the northern Hemisphere; I am want to be in the snow storm because of one bug and one bug only.

DAMN blow flies. Not just your standard blow fly. Like 1cm, fat, loud and buzzing blow flies. I have the worse luck with these kinds of bugs because for some unfortunate reason they are attracted to me. 

You know some people get bug "love" bites at night? Well it is same relationship (forgive me for a lack of a better word) I have with flies. 



I almost got into an accident because of one of these flies. I am not a big fan using air conditioning in the car. As a driver, I am aware about the fuel/power consumption that comes with blasting the AC in the car, and anyway I can save a bit on the petrol (always a good thing). 
However this means, either I am going to need to open the windows or start wearing less clothes in the car to beat the heat (did you know in the sun the car can get as hot as 40 degrees?)

So the other day while driving along a road I am completely familiar with; a fly would think it would be funny to buzz into the car and refuse to leave! Being the annoying bug that it is, it was targeting my ears and nose.

If you know the sound they make when roaming around your head you would distracted too. Being distracted in the car is not good (have you seen the “texting while driving” ads in Australia?; they are being creative to say the least)


 
Combine my aversion to these bugs, driving and a failure to think on my feet (should of just pulled over in hind sight); I just had to grin and bear for the last ten minutes of my trip. 

Prrfff…. it was a dangerous, shaky drive.



But enough my problems and on to these cookies. 

One of key things with white chocolate cookies (in particular ones with cocoa free base) is that they are ALWAYS ridiculously sweet. Sometimes cookies that feature white chocolate are like biting in to a cube of sugar (yuk!).

So in an effort to help fix this problem. I have actually found a way to reduce the extra sugar in the cookie mix without effecting the chewy, soft texture that these cookies are so famous for.
 
My secret? Use custard powder. If you look at the ingredient list in Custard powder; you will find it is just mixture of colours, flavour, corn starch and sugar. So by replacing some of the bread flour in these cookies with this sweet powder; it helps with the soft texture while sweetening it at the same time. Thus the need for additional sugar is not there! WIN!
 


I have also included ground macadamia flour (ground nuts) in the flour mix as I am feeling a bit indulgent; but they are great without them. Simply use the same amount of plain flour in the mix. 

Yes these do require you to freeze them overnight but I assure you (as a cookie lover) freezing dough is the best way to help pastries relax and become flavorful.

Once you bite into these cookies the tart sweetness from sun dried raspberries and cherries help to break that clawing sweetness from the white chocolate. I only placed half of the white chocolate chips in the batter as studding the top with MASSIVE pieces of chocolate is what cookies are all about right?
What you waiting for? The recipe is here ^_^


 
Soft and chewy raspberry, white chocolate and sour cherry cookies
Adapted from Trisha Yearwood, Maratha Stuart and my own changes  
Makes about 3 dozen
 
150g unsalted butter
20g brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla paste
150g self-rising flour
20g plain flour
50g ground nuts ( or more plain flour)
3 tbsp custard powder
3g flake salt
3g baking soda
140g white chocolate, half chopped finely; half in 0.5cm chunks.
30g sour cherries, chopped
50g dried raspberries, chopped

• In stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and egg for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and whisk for additional 2 minutes until it returns to it fluffy state.
• In another bowl combine your flours, nuts(or more plain flour), custard powder, baking soda and salt.
• Fold in the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in your finely chopped white chocolate, cherries and raspberries. Using a cookie scoop or table spoon roll out rounds on to a cookie sheet lined with baking paper and fridge overnight.
• When ready to bake take out the tray 10 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 180C. Place each cookie ball 4 cm way from each other on a lined cookie sheet. Stud in your big chocolate chunks.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes until the edges are brown. Leave to cool on the tray then transfer to cookie tray to finish cooling. Store in air tight box.

Modelling muddle /-/ How to make a fondant Thomas cake with carriages plus templates

So this is the Second part of festive bakes!

Apart from cakes decorated in candies and other baked goods ( see my obsession with putting mini food on cake…), I have been required to do fondant work.

Let me make this clear I am not a professional when it comes to fondant; in fact if I am being completely candid I am beginner who REALLY dislikes it. 

I have no idea why people would want to cover the cake in ANOTHER layer of sugar when you have something as delicious as butter cream or marshmallow frosting however I am told (I am sceptic of this) for the sake of aesthetics fondant does rule. IT DOES NOT EVEN TASTE THAT GOOD!! (Sorry for the caps but I am taste over look person)


 
Maybe I have a dislike for fondant because it requires skills of a pattern maker or architect. It is funny that did textiles as a major subject in my final year of high school but yet have gone complete in opposite direction. 
I am thinking the years of ruling up patterns, measuring twice; cut once and the frustration of failed garments have deterred me from EVER picking up a ruler again.
OR it could be the fact that I have numerous cake fails when it comes to covering cakes in fondant. 

While I might dislike measuring; I am pedantic when it comes to the smoothness of cakes whether it is butter cream or sugar art. Some people may think my cakes are flatly iced but I can see all the bumps and lumps on it which have caused the permanent scowl on my face. Along with other “very desirable qualities”, it makes it difficult for me to be happy with my fondant cakes, which is why I do not post them here. 



However I feel that this one can help a lot of people who have a little boy (or girl!) who likes Thomas the tank engine. In Australia there are three cakes EVERY child has to have at one point in their childhood. These are (in no particular order) the swimming pool cake, the princess doll cake and the train cake. 

All these cakes come from the classic 80’s edition of the Australian Woman’s weekly Birthday cakes and as retro as these cakes are they have stood the test of time. Inspired by the train cake and the little boy’s love of Thomas; I embarked on my quest to make a Thomas the Tank engine driven train cake.



The front is completely made of fondant while the back is covered in Swiss butter cream and filled with a mixture of fruit loops, taffy, jelly beans and hard candies. The wheels on the carriages are created with oreos and all addition decorations are hard boiled lollies. The fence holding the treats in is created with half a piece of stretched out caramel chocolate ( know as a curly wurly in Australia).
I used a ganache recipe for the crumb coat which is a 3 parts white chocolate to one part cream eg. 300 grams of white choc to 100 ml of cream. You will need about 1 kg of ganche for all the cake in including the crumb coat for the carriages and about 500grams of blue butter cream for the carriages. 

To achieve the blue (fondant and butter cream) I used mix of gel food colour by Wilton and Americolour; while the red (fodant only) was already dyed. The cake need to be something quite stable so I used a vanilla butter cake recipe which I include below. 


 
I will list all the resources I that helped me make this cake and the dimensions I used for the train and carriages. Also I have scanned in the template I used to help me create the shaped Thomas part of the cake ( side and base). I hope you guys can read it; I placed it at the bottom of this post so for those of you who are interest in making a cake this can use it. To use in enlarge the picture it so that it fit on to an A4 piece of paper.


 I was greatly helped by this video and walk through on How to cook that, it actually saved me from a complete melt down. Go to the website below to learn how to shape front of the cake as it explains it a lot better than if I wrote it down in instructions. Also I will not claim the technique of shaping the cake as it belongs to How to cook.

You will need to begin this cake at least 4 days in advance; so you can do all the decorations, make the cakes and creams and give time for the cake to set with fondant. I did all the details 7 days in advance so they could dry. I am sorry I do not have any progress shots but E-mail me or comment if you need any help in your fondant train cake. ANYWAY this a completed photo of the cake taken by the mother; she was so nice to send them to me!





 Thomas the tank engine cake
Inspired and guided by Austrian woman's weekly ,  How to cook that and Thomasthetankenginecake.blogspot.com

Fondant part
600g blue fondant
300g red fondant
150g yellow fondant
200g grey fondant
300g black fondant
fondant/ gum paste tools
corn flour
two heavy duty cake boards, one short and one long 
fondant smoothers
corn flour
Sugar syrup ( equal amounts of water and sugar melted together then cooled)
vegetable shortening
turntable


Butter cake
270grams unsalted butter, soft
420grams caster sugar
2tsp vanilla paste
450g self-rising flour
100g plain flour
50g corn flour
300ml milk
4 eggs

• Pre heat oven to 160C. Line a greased sheet tray pan (11 inches by 15 inches by 3 inches) with baking paper.
• Sift flour together in a medium bowl set aside.
• In a stand mixer cream butter, sugar and vanilla till it is light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes. Add eggs beating well in beat each addition.
• Alternating between flour and milk; fold each into the butter mix. Do this until just combined. Pour in your tin.
• Using a spatula spread out the top so it is even. Bake in oven for 50 minutes or until the cake comes clean when a skewer is inserted. Cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn on a wire rack to cool completely
• Note: for the entire cake front and back you will need 6 of these cakes (You may only need 5 but just to be safe)

Constructing the face ( start this first)

• In order to construct Thomas’ face I used about 200 grams of grey fondant, small (<50g) of black and white fondant. The diameter of the face is approx. 7-8 cm which I made using a circle cutter and slightly rounding out the sides. In order to create the raised features I used this tutorial, which gives you a step by step guide with images. I also used a bit of creative guessing and the help of a picture of Thomas.
   
• Dust your surface with corn flour. Roll out you grey to 1cm thick. Using a circle cutter cut a shape in your grey fondant.
   
• Using your hands, smooth out the edges to create a shallow dome sphere. Using a butter knife create a fold in the middle lower 2/3rds of the face. This will be the nose. Roll a small ball of fondant and place it inside this fold. By moistening the fondant with Vegetable shortening, join the flap to the base of the face so you are covering the tiny ball in the face. Smooth out the join with the large rounded fondant tool.
   
• Create two dents in the top half of the face which will be the eyes. Mark the smile with the small rounded fondant tool below the nose.
   
• Using a small amount of fondant shape the smile, paint with sugar syrup and place it in the dent below the nose. Using the small rounded fondant tool smooth out the smile into the face creating the chin.
   
• For the cheeks, like the nose create to flaps on each side of the smile. Insert a tiny ball of fondant in each space. Join the seam with your fondant tools and vegetable shortening.
   
• Roll out two 5mm circles for the eyes and glue them with sugar syrup to the face. Glue a tiny dot of black for the pupil. Create eyebrows with black fondant using a sharp blade and a flat piece of black fondant. Glue this down as well with sugar syrup.
   
• At this point you can create all the details for Thomas such as the wheels, side panels, strips, whistles etc. I have drawn out the panels on the cut out below to help you. However the red and black strips are variable depending on your cake.
  NOTE; The panels below are for the larger rectangles, to get the smaller ones simple reduce the print size to 75% and print from their.

Train assembly.
 

• Using the base template cut out 4 x 4cm deep rectangles from your cakes. Sandwich these with ganache.
• Take the side template and cut around the template to form a rough train shape. Discard cake.
• While looking from the front, you will need to make a 3cm small cylinder with remaining cake. Cut out semi circles of cake and sandwich with ganache. Attach to the cake with ganache. Cut out a small section of cake below the so you have a place to put another circle of cake. Make a 4cm long cylinder but do not place on cake yet. Ganache this cylinder. Crumb coat the cake in ganache and leave to set for 12 hours. This technique is from how to cook that.
• Using a strip of black fondant cover the bottom edge of the entire cake. Do the same with a red strip to cover the front section above the black. Cover the level above the red with grey fondant and smooth out.
• To cover the cake first roll out your blue fondant to large rectangle (about x1.5 size of the cake) about 3mm thick. Drape over the cake smooth out the cake with your hands; using vegetable shortening and corn flour to help it along. Using your hand feel your way around the cake. Cut the blue fondant and join the seams.
• Attach your cylinder to the front of the cake and cover with black fondant. Smooth it out the best you can to join the black and blue without a noticeable seam.
• Glue on wheels blue with sugar syrup. Cut another red strip to cover the join at the back of the cake. This will cover the wheels abit that is OK.
• Make the stripes, black cover and chimney for Thomas. Attach these with sugar syrup.
• Attach your details on the cake (e.g windows, numbers, whistle and bumper) with sugar syrup.
• Finally glue your face on to the cake with fondant glue.
• Allow to dry for 24 hours. 
  
  
  

Making the carriages
 

• Level out the 2 of the slab cakes.
• Cut out 14cm by 19cm rectangles in this cake. You can use left over cake to make the full rectangles by sandwiching them with ganache. Place two of these rectangles on top of each other and sandwich with ganache. Crumb coat and leave to set in the fridge for one hour.
• Make blue butter cream. Place your cakes on a turn table lined with baking paper. Ice the cakes with butter cream; creating the sharpest edge possible. Transfer to fridge to harder for 3 hours.
• Move to a long cake board. Hollow out a small gap in the middle of these rectangles for candy. Make the fence with the long caramel chocolate. Fill with lollies and fruit loops.
• Make lights on carriages with boiled sweets and gently press in 2 Oreos to each side of the cake.

Templates for cake