Almond Sugar Cookies

It has become somewhat of a tradition in our family to bake and decorate cookies at Christmas. I for one have no complaints about it. I recently have become OBSESSED with cookies,cookie decoration,piping, flooding and working with royal icing in general. I'm still only learning and am nowhere near any of the fantastic cookies you see about but I am determined to get there.

This year I decided to make a few changes to our usual sugar cookies. As you probably know I'm a huuuge fan of ground almonds so I decided on an almondy sugar cookie. These are definitely my go to sugar cookies from now on. I had to restrain myself (and my father) from eating just the dough.

This year we did some cute simple 'gingerbread men'. They were for my two year old nephew,who in the end spent more time playing with them than actually decorating them :)

Recipe for Almond Sugar Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 200g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg
• 50g ground almonds
• 300g plain flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add your egg and beat until well combined. Add your vanilla and almond extracts.
2. Sift in your flour and ground almonds into your mixture. Ground almonds tend not to be very fine, just be sure there is no lumps. Fold into mixture until dough comes together.
3. Place dough on cling film and press into flat round shape. Chill for at least 30 mins. I chill mine until it is quite solid. Pre-heat oven to 170°C. Then roll and cut into desired shape. Bake for 8-10 mins. Leave cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack. And decorate!

Honestly couldn't be simpler. Hope everyone is nearly set for the big day. I am currently constructing my first gingerbread house so everyone please cross your fingers for me it doesn't crumble and fall apart. Lol!

Shirley x

Wedding Cake

My cousin Laura asked me to do her wedding cake and I jumped at the chance. I don't think there is one cake more daunting to us amateur bakers as a wedding cake.

As much as I love doing cakes, they can get a bit monotonous. I always say to people leave your imagination run wild, you can do anything with cakes nowadays. I love a good challenge and I think a wedding cake is pretty much up there with the best of them.

Laura wanted to incorporate her wedding dress details on the cake. I made a sketch and free handed the beautiful design. It was probably the thing I was most scared about as I hadn't really done much piping before. But I was delighted the way it turned out. It was simple,clean and elegant. She had roses as her flowers so we topped the cake with them. I love incorporating little details into cakes, even if guest don't cop it. Its all part of the theme!

She then wanted two little figurines of herself and her new hubby. These took me.....ahem.....awhile. I made four brides heads until I was happy. Painting eyelashes on an already tiny eyes took a lot of patience and a seriously steady hand. I thought they turned out super cute and they were very happy with them so it was smiles all round.

The cakes were Chocolate Biscuit Cake and Red velvet.....ya-huuum! I also, as per usual, completely forgot to take proper pictures. Please forgive me for the hazyness. When will I ever learn!

I loved doing every single bit of this cake and I got sooooooo many compliments off people, I was absolutely delighted.

It was a beautiful wedding and such a great day.

Congrats to the newly-weds xx

Shirley x

Chocolate Coconut Cake Squares

If you are following me over on Instagram, then you will have seen my nephew and I made some Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes. It has been so long since I had coconut and I had forgotten how deliciously scrumptious it is. So I decided to spruce up the child friendly version and make a more pretty refined cakey treat.

Cake cut into squares,dunked into melted chocolate and covered in coconut....pretty yes...refined not so much!

These little squares would be perfect for Christmas party finger food and let me tell you why....

They are much tastier the next day, so you can have them done way ahead...yay!
The chocolate seems to set more but is still velvety and soft.
The coconut makes them Christmassy and almost snow like.
You can make them as small as you like so they're just bite-size. No chocolate and coconut all over you.
They are Deeeelicious,absolutely finger lickin' good.

Honestly they are a winner in my book.

Recipe for Chocolate Coconut Cake Squares

Makes 16 (depending on what size you cut them,mine were 1 1/2" squared)

Ingredients

 

Victoria Sponge

• 175g butter, room temp
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs,beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but a must in my books)
• 175g self-raising flour, sifted 

Chocolate Ganache

• 150g milk chocolate,chopped into pieces
• 80ml double cream

Coconut Topping

• 150g desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line your tins. I used a 7" square tin.
2. Beat your butter for a minute or two until soft. Add your sugar and cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add your vanilla extract, if using, to your eggs. Slowly add this to the mixture while continuing to beat or if your doing it by hand beat well after each addition. If you add the eggs too quickly, the mixture will curdle, making the cake much heavier. If it does curdle don't panic try adding a spoonful of flour to bring it back.
4. Fold in your sifted flour and pour the mixture into your prepared tin. Bake in the oven for 15-20mins until the cake is risen and spongy to touch. Leave to cool completely.
5. While the cake is cooling make your ganache. Chop chocolate into small pieces and tip into a heat-proof bowl.
6. Pour your cream into a saucepan and heat until it is just at boiling point. Carefully pour your cream over your chocolate and stir until all your chocolate is melted.
7. Cut your cake into square shapes,I went for 1 1/2" squared cakes.
8. Place coconut into a large bowl. Using a fork stuck in one side of your cake, dip it into your melted ganache. Then using a spoon sprinkle coconut abundantly. I did this over the bowl of coconut to catch any waste. You could also leave the ganache cool and spread it on the cake but I don't think the coconut sticks as well. I also find the cake almost soaks some of the chocolate in, making them super moist. Place on wire rack and let set.

I think its almost impossible not to end up eating half the ganache and coconut by themselves. If you love bounty bars, you are going to adore these. They taste exactly like bounty bars but with cake....seriously good!

Happy Tuesday peeps :)

Shirley x

Victoria Sponge with Nutella Buttercream Frosting

I don't know anyone that doesn't like Nutella. Whether you're smothering it on bread,stuffing it into a cupcake or my fav, licking it off a spoon. It is always a huge hit! I've seen loads of different recipes around for Nutella buttercream but I decided to wing it. Lets face it buttercream isn't exactly rocket science, once you've mastered the basics you're pretty set but I was happy with myself none the less.

I will admit I used copious amounts of Nutella trying to get the flavour just right. I had scribbled down on a piece of paper what I thought the recipe would be and ended up with a whole different recipe.

At first this buttercream gives you a super strong flavour of nutella but then it becomes smooth and creamy. It is actually like a nutella cream flavour. The cake was a Victoria Sponge ,sandwiched also with this buttercream. I'd love to try a chocolate cake with this buttercream too. I've a feeling it would be a winner!

Recipe for Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Iced and sandwiched a 10" cake

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter
• 550g icing sugar
• 280g nutella
• 60ml double cream
• 2tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Beat butter until completely softened. Add nutella and beat until well combined almost fluffy. Add icing sugar bit by bit while beating. Using a mixer mix on highest setting beat until all ingredients are well combined.
2. While beating, mix double cream and vanilla extract together in a jug. Slowly pour the liquids into the buttercream mixture. And BEAT!! I did it for about 8 mins. You should have a light creamy Nutelly mixture.

I ate waaay too much of this straight out of the bowl, it is not the kind of buttercream that you can just have a taste. I had to restrain myself from diving in face first lol!

I am linkin up today to Tea Party Tuesday as recommended below by the lovely Hazel.
 

                                                           

 Hope you are all having a great day :)

Shirley x