Category: Dessert
Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

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My bakes never last very long in my house. Leave something on the kitchen table and it seems to disappear within a day or two, and this cinnamon roll apple pie is no exception! This style of pie crust is becoming a bit of a food trend, flooding every kind of social media. My sister knows I’m a big fan of cinnamon rolls and apple pie so I first saw the idea when my she tagged me in a post on it, and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make my own!

Instead of making (or buying) a dough for the crust – as you would if you were making cinnamon rolls – I’m using a shop-bought shortcrust here for two reasons, 1) it’s more sturdy and therefore a better container for the apple filling, and 2) it’s a lot quicker and easier to work with, and will therefore help you get a tight roll which should make the pie more aesthetically appealing. This also means that it’s not too tricky or time consuming to make, so if you want to make something that looks cool but doesn’t require too much culinary nous this is a good one to try.

I was experimenting on this one a bit which is why it doesn’t look very neat, but I’ve now worked out how to make it look better. Originally I tried to roll the little rolls together into one sheet (as above) but this didn’t work as the individual rolls didn’t fuse together. Therefore I’d recommend doing what I ended up doing next – roll each little roll out to the thickness you want it to be (about 1/2 the thickness of a pound coin) and then line the tin with these flat discs, overlapping and pressing adjacent rolls together so they fuse when cooking and so there’s no gaps. That said though, even if it doesn’t look completely neat it’s guaranteed to taste good so don’t worry!

Recipe

Serves 8

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
  • 80g Light brown sugar
  • 2 packs of ready rolled shortcrust pastry (I used Jus-Rol)
  • 60g Butter
  • Flour for dusting
  • 1 Egg, beaten

For the filling

  • 6 Medium sized Bramley apples
  • 140g Caster sugar
  • ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp Flour

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
  2. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and set to one side. Lay out the pastry on your surface. Spread over the butter and then sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar mix so that it covers the whole sheet of pastry in an even layer.
  3. Roll the pastry up from the short end, like a swiss roll, to make a tightly rolled log. Wrap the roll in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile begin to prep the filling. Peel, core and slice the apples and then wrap them in layers of kitchen roll and set to one side, (this will help to take some of the moisture out of the fruit so you don’t end up with soggy bottom pastry).
  5. Put the sugar, cinnamon and flour for the filling into a bowl, mix and set aside for later.
  6. Take the pastry out of the fridge and put it onto a chopping board. Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into discs about the thickness of a pound coin.
  7. Lightly flour a surface. Then take one of the discs and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thinner disc, about half the thickness it was before. Repeat with 2/3 of the discs.
  8. Take these discs and line the tin with them, starting from the centre of the base and working up the sides of the tin until you have a little overhang. Press the discs together so that they fuse and there’s no gaps.
  9. Put the apples into the bowl of sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix everything together and then tip this into the pie case.
  10. Cover your work surface with a sheet of clingfilm and arrange the rest of the pastry rolls on it in a round shape, making sure they’re close together. Cover these with another layer of clingfilm (this will make it easier to work with them) and then roll over them with a rolling pin to merge them into a single sheet. You want this sheet to be about 1 cm wider than the pie tin do that it comes into contact with the overhanging pastry.
  11. Brush the edge of the pie with a little water. Then take off one of the layers of clingfilm and flip the pastry sheet onto the top of the pie. Then take the other sheet of clingfilm off the pastry sheet.
  12. Take a knife and use it at a 45˚ angle to cut off the extra pastry around the edge. Then crimp the edge of the pie to seal everything by pinching the pastry between your thumb and first finger on one hand and your first finger on the other.
  13. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg to glaze and then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
  14. Leave to cool slightly before serving with cream, custard or ice cream!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x
Billionaires Freakshake Cheesecake

Billionaires Freakshake Cheesecake

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The other day I was milling around on Pinterest, as you do, and I stumbled across something that’s becoming a bit of a new food trend – the freakshake. For those who don’t know it’s basically a milkshake in a funky jar, topped with tonnes of tasty treats such as brownies, waffles, popcorn, cream etc. I almost got diabetes just looking at it, and so naturally I decided to do a spin off of my own.

For some reason I’ve never made a cheesecake before, so I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to go for it. Hence the billionaires freakshake cheesecake was born- a stunning vanilla cheesecake topped with every indulgent treat out there, with a general theme of the flavours of billionaires shortbread thrown in. This is insanely good for a night in/movie night/house party, but as those don’t come around every day it’s understandable that this might look a bit over-the-top for the every day household. Therefore I’ve included a list of alternative ways of topping the basic cheesecake at the bottom of the post, as the simple vanilla base is a delicious canvas for any flavour of cheesecake.

This takes very little effort or skill to make, but it does need time to set, so I’d recommend making this the day before you need it and leaving it to chill overnight. That way you can be sure that it’ll be set for when you want to serve it, and you won’t end up with cheesecake flopping all over your kitchen worktop.

Recipe

Serves 12

Time: 45 minutes plus chilling

Ingredients

For the Base:

  • 100g Butter
  • 300g Digestive biscuits

For the Filling:

  • 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 550g Soft cheese
  • 75g Icing sugar
  • 250ml Double crem

For the Topping:

  • 100ml Double cream
  • 100g Milk chocolate
  • 1 Box mini millionaire shortbreads
  • 1 Box of mini brownies
  • 100g Raspberries
  • 100g Strawberries
  • 3 Crunchies
  • 1 Bag of twirl bites
  • A handful of Caramel popcorn

Method

  1. Begin by making the base. Put the butter into a pan and melt over a medium heat.
  2. Then take the biscuits, put them into a large bowl and break them up into crumbs with the back of a rolling pin. Pour the butter into the bowl and then mix it all together until the biscuits begin to clump together.
  3. Take a 21cm cake tin and line it with butter and cling film. Tip in the crushed biscuit mix and smooth it over with the back of a spoon to make a compact layer of even thickness. Put this into the fridge whilst you make the next layer.
  4. Put the vanilla and cream cheese into a bowl and whisk together until the cream cheese begins to soften. Add the icing sugar and double cream and mix again until smooth and the mixture starts to thicken.
  5. Pour the creamy mixture onto the biscuit base. Smooth it over with a spoon or palette knife to make an even layer and then put back into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours (better overnight).
  6. When the basic cheesecake is ready begin prepping the toppings. Put the cream into a bowl and whisk it until it forms soft peaks. Put this into a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle and leave in the fridge until needed.
  7. Then put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and leave to melt. Then transfer it to another piping bag with a small round nozzle and get ready to start decorating!
  8. Begin by stacking up the larger elements of your decoration, such as the millionaires shortbread and brownies, in the centre of the cheesecake. Then place the fruit, popcorn and chocolates in and around these to build up the stack. Cut some of the shortbread bites and chocolates into quarters and sprinkle them over the cheesecake to top it off. Finish the decorating by piping the cream into any gaps and then drizzle over the chocolate.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Alternatives:

For all of the following make the cheesecake as written in steps 1-5. Then take 300ml of double cream and whisk to soft peaks. Tip this onto the cheesecake and smooth out with a palette knife to make an even layer and then top with the following –

Berry Bonanza Cheesecake – Scatter over a handful each of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries and garnish with fresh mint!

Banoffee Cheesecake – Slice two bananas into discs about the thickness of a pound coin. Drizzle a little lemon juice over the banana slices so they don’t brown over time. Arrange these slices on top of the cheesecake. Put a little salted caramel sauce into a piping bag with a small round nozzle and drizzle the cheesecake with it. Serve!

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake – Take a lemon and cut into into very thin discs. Put 100ml of water into a pan and add the lemon slices. Boil for 2 minutes and then drain the lemon and set them to one side. Put 100g of sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil, whilst stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Then stop stirring and add the lemon slices. Leave to simmer, but not boil, for about 1 hour. Take out of the pan using tongs and leave to set on a lined baking tray. Take some small meringues and either arrange them around the edge of the cheesecake or crush and sprinkle them over the cheesecake, depending on the size of them. Decorated with your candid lemon and finish with a drizzle of lemon curd.

Amaretto Cheesecake – Crush some amaretto biscuits and sprinkle them over the cheesecake. Sprinkle over some toasted flaked almonds and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.

 

Thanks for reading!

Emma x
Spiced Plum Creme Brulee

Spiced Plum Creme Brulee

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It’s the middle of the week and so here’s a little comfort food recipe to brighten the day. Call me pretentious, but whatever the weather I can never say no to a well made crème brulee. For me a sweet set custard with a crunchy caramel top is heaven in a ramekin. So, as always when making my own recipe, I’ve decided to take the classic and customise it a bit.

Since I was little fresh fruit and custard has been a staple comfort food dessert. Chop up some bananas/peaches/plums, whop a bit of custard on them and I’m happy. So it makes sense that when some spiced plums are popped into the bottom of a ramekin and then toped with custard and baked, it creates a stunningly tasty pot of goodness that brings back memories of sitting on the sofa with the flu, wrapped in a blanket and watching Disney.

(Note: If you don’t have a blowtorch you can caramelise the sugar under the grill. Be careful with this though as it can burn very easily (as I’ve done a bit in these ones))

Recipe

Serves 5

Time: 30 minutes prep time, 40 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

  • 4 Plums
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger
  • 350ml Double cream
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 70g Caster sugar
  • 4 Egg yolks

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 150˚C.
  2. Begin by preparing the plums. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Then cut them into eighths. Pat the segments down with kitchen roll to remove any excess moisture, (this is important as too much moisture from the plums will cause the custard to split).
  3. Then put the segments into a bowl and sprinkle over the cinnamon and ginger. Stir around in the bowl to coat in the spices and then leave to one side for now.
  4. Put the cream and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Then reduce the heat and simmer for a couple more minutes.
  5. Take a heatproof bowl and put the sugar and egg yolks into it. The whisk them until pale and fluffy (I use a hand whisk, but an electric whisk can also be used here).
  6. Pour the cream slowly over the egg mixture, whisking continuously as you do so until it’s all incorporated.
  7. Put a sieve over a jug and strain the mixture through it.
  8. Share the plums out between 5 ramekins, making a little layer of them in the bottom of each ramekin.
  9. Pour the crème brulee mix over the top so that it comes 2/3 up the sides of the ramekins.
  10. Take a large roasting tin and put the crème brulees into it. Rest this on the middle oven shelf and then pour hot water into the tin so it comes ½ way up the sides of the ramekins.
  11. Push the tin fully into the oven, cover with a baking tray, leaving a gap at one side of the tin to allow steam to escape, and bake for 40-45 minutes. You want them to be mostly set with a little wobble in the middle.
  12. Take the tin out of the oven and remove the ramekins from the water to chill.
  13. You can keep these cooled, set custards in the fridge for up to 3 days, until needed.
  14. When ready to serve sprinkle 1tsp of caster sugar over the each crème brulee. Then take a blowtorch (or put under the grill) and heat lightly to caramelise.
  15. Leave the caramel to set slightly before serving!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x
Ultimate Hot Chocolate

Ultimate Hot Chocolate

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Most people who know me know that I’m not a hot drinks person. Offer me a tea or coffee and I’m the one who goes  ‘have you got water?’ But I have to admit that a good hot chocolate at the right time is a great thing. This week I’ve been invidulating an art exhibition in an edgy, rustic, barn kind of a place. Whilst it’s great for the art, it’s major downside is that it’s FREEZING. Luckily a flask of this hot chocolate has been there to stop me from turning into an ice cube. When it’s made with milk, cream and chocolate, not just water and powder, it becomes a thick, sweet and nourishing, which is really needed for the current weather!

I love making confectionary and so I’ve included a recipe for marshmallows here. It does take a little time to do, and I’d recommend making them at least 2 hours before you use them, so if that’s too much to ask you can easily use shop-bought ones. I will say though that these little marshmallow blobs are really good in this, and making them is really worth it!

Recipe

Serves 2

Time: 10 minutes for the hot chocolate, 30 minutes plus setting time for the marshmallows

Ingredients

For the marshmallow

  • 150g Granulated sugar
  • 5g Liquid glucose
  • 1 Large egg white
  • 3 Gelatine sheets

For the hot chocolate

  • 450ml Whole milk
  • 50g Dark chocolate
  • 70g Milk chocolate
  • 80ml Single cream
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • A few chilli flakes (optional)

To decorate

  • 100ml Double cream, whisked to soft peaks
  • Some chopped hazelnuts and raspberries (optional)

Method

  1. Begin by making the marshmallow. Put the sugar and 150ml water into a medium sized saucepan. Bring to the boil whilst stirring over a medium heat.
  2. Once the mixture starts to boil stop stirring and leave it until it reaches 127˚C. Whilst waiting for this to happen leave the gelatine to soak in 50ml water.
  3. Put the egg whites into a very clean metal or glass bowl and whisk up to firm peaks (a stand alone mixer is really useful for this as in a bit you’re going to have to whisk for a long time in a bit, but if you don’t have one (like me) an electric hand whisk will also work).
  4. When the sugar reaches the right temperature add the gelatine and the water it’s soaking in and stir to dissolve.
  5. Continue whisking the eggs and simultaneously pour the syrup into them in a slow stream until it’s all whisked in.
  6. Continue to whisk for another 15-20 minutes until the mix is thick and holds it’s shape – the mixture should also have mostly cooled to room temperature by then.
  7. Line a baking tray with clingfilm, and then sift a little cornflour and icing sugar in an even layer over it. Transfer the marshmallow mix into a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe blobs of marshmallow onto the lined tray. (Alternatively you can line a small tin with clingfilm, icing sugar and cornflour and pour the mixture into it to set). Leave for at least an hour (or better over night) to set completely.
  8. When your marshmallows are ready it’s time to make the hot chocolate.
  9. Put the milk and chocolates into a medium sized saucepan and heat whilst whisking until the chocolate is completely melted.
  10. Then pour in the cream and add the cinnamon, salt and chilli flakes and whisk to combine. Continue to heat until it just reaches the boil and then serve…
  11. Pour this hot chocolate into a mug and serve with freshly whipped cream, raspberries, hazelnuts and your perfect marshmallow blobs!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x
Blackforest Daquoise Gateau

Blackforest Daquoise Gateau

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One of the most stunning retro desserts out there is the black forest gateau – and it has three of my favourite things: chocolate, cherries and a woodland association. Over the years I’ve become a bit addicted to taking these delicious flavours and have put them into almost anything and everything – but nothing beats a classic cake based gateau.

That said I have adapted this slightly by adding a daquoise, aka a nutty meringue, which adds a bit of texture and brings some sweetness to contrast the rich chocolate cake and creamy filling. Whilst I think this is as good as it gets, if you’re short on time or want to go for a more traditional gateau you could leave out the meringue layers and you’d still end up with something delicious. On the other hand, you could leave out the cake and then you’d end up with a derlish layered, hazelnut and cherry pavalova!

(Note: before starting make sure you have 2 cakes tins 21cm in diameter, and an electric or stand-free mixer!)

Recipe

Serves 12

Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

For the Daquoise

  • 170g Chopped hazelnuts
  • 200g Caster sugar
  • 18g Cornflour
  • 4 Large egg whites
  • Pinch salt

For the Chocolate cake

  • Butter for greasing
  • 200g Golden caster sugar
  • 7 Large eggs, separated
  • 3tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp Morello cherries (with juice)
  • 200g Dark chocolate

For the Filling

  • 600ml Double cream
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 4 tbsp Kirsch
  • 200g Morello cherries

To Decorate

  • 200g Dark chocolate
  • 2 tsp Dried raspberries
  • A handful of fresh Cherries

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
  2. Begin by making the daquoise. Put the hazelnuts into a small roasting tin and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until just starting to colour. (This is an important step as it’ll massively increase the flavour of the nuts).
  3. Leave to cool and then mix with 75g of the sugar and the cornflour. Set to one side for later.
  4. Lower the oven temperature to 150˚C for the meringues. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Take a 21cm diameter tin and draw round it onto the sheets of baking paper to act as a guide for pipping later. Turn these sheets over so that the pencil line is on the other side of the paper to that which you’ll pipe on.
  5. Take a super clean metal or glass bowl and put the egg whites into it.
  6. Add the salt and then whisk with an electric hand whisk (or a stand-free mixer) until it forms soft peaks (can just hold it’s shape).
  7. Continue whisking and add the other 125g caster sugar, one 1 tbsp at a time until it’s all incorporated.
  8. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes glossy and forms a stiff peak.
  9. Then take a large, stiff spatula and gently fold the hazelnuts into the meringue. From here you’ll need to work quickly as the oils in the nuts will start to deflate the meringue.
  10. Take a pipping bag with a round nozzle and fill it with the meringue. Then pipe onto the lined baking trays in a spiral, starting from the edge of the circles you drew to the centre.
  11. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until crisp to the touch. Then turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool in the ovens.
  12. When completely cool take out of the oven and set to one side for later.
  13. Now move onto the chocolate sponge. Increase the oven temperature to 180˚C. Line two cake tins, the same ones you used to draw round rings for meringue, with butter and baking paper.
  14. Put the sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until pale, fluffy and thick. You can test if it’s ready by taking the whisk out of the mixture, and if the trail it leaves is visible for 3 seconds or more it’s thick enough. Add the cocoa powder and cherries and then whisk to combine.
  15. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave to melt and then fold into the sugar mixture.
  16. In metal or glass bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
  17. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and mix in. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites with a large spatual until the batter is uniform in colour, with no flecks.
  18. Pour the batter into the two tins, making sure each has the same amount of mix. Spread the mixture around the tins so it’s an even thickness and then bake for 12-14 minutes, until risen, and just firm to the touch.
  19. Take out of the tins and leave on wire racks to cool completely.
  20. Whilst waiting for the cakes to cool move onto the fillings and decorations. Pour the cream into a bowl and add the vanilla. Then whisk it up until soft peaks start to form – be careful not to over whisk or it won’t pipe smoothly. Transfer this cream to a piping bag with a round nozzle and leave in the fridge until needed.
  21. Then take the chocolate and melt it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Take a piping bag with a small round nozzle and pour the melted chocolate into it.
  22. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Take a pencil and draw some trees about 10cm maximum in height. Turn the paper over and then pipe over your designs with the chocolate. It’s worth piping more than you think you’ll need in case some break. Leave these to set at room temperature. When completely set, transfer them to the freezer to make them easier to work with when it comes to decorating the gateau.
  23. When all the elements are ready you can start assembling the gateau. Put one of the meringue layers on the plate or board you want to display it on. Top with one of the chocolate sponges, and brush the sponge with ½ of the kirsch. Scatter the cherries over the sponge and then pipe blobs of the cream over the cherries. Then put the second meringue layer onto the cream and repeat the layering of the cake, cherries and cream, although this time only pipe two rings of cream on the top of the cake.
  24. Take a sharp knife and make small incisions in the top of the gateau where you want to position your chocolate trees. Gently peel the trees off the baking paper (a palette knife is useful for this) and stick them into the top of the gateau in the gaps you just made. Decorate with the fresh cherries and freeze-dried raspberries, and then finish with a dusting of cocoa powder!

Thanks for reading! Any comments, requests or queries don’t hesitate to ask…

Emma x