Lemon and blueberry loaf cake

Make this in advance and take thick slices to your picnic or Easter soiree, serve drizzled with honey! Totally delicious!

Ingredients

175g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

150mls Greek yogurt

50g lemon curd from a good quality jar

3 eggs

zest and juice of 1 lemon

200g self-raising flour

200g punnet of blueberries

 

Method

Cream the butter and the sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time adding a tsp of your flour after each egg to keep the mixture smooth.
Add the lemon curd and lemon zest and beat gently until incorporated.
Sieve the remaining flour, toss in the blueberries and set aside.
You want to alternate adding the lemon juice, the yogurt and the flour mix, in stages, so start with adding half the flour, then beat gently.
Then add half the yogurt and beat gently again.
Then half the lemon juice and again beat gently.
Repeat this process mixing slowly, you don’t want to work the gluten in the flour so only beat until the ingredient is incorporated.
Grease a 2lb loaf tin.
Fill the tin with the mix and bake in a pre-heated oven (170º) for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.
if you want to make a drizzle mix the juice of a lemon with enough icing sugar to make a runny drizzle and flick over the loaf once cool.

White chocolate and lemon swirl cheesecake

I'll keep this snappy for two reasons, 1 - cheesecakes are easy and take no baking or real skill and 2 - the dog needs a wee.

Im not spell checking this.  This ones for Darren Caldwell by the way, a twitter pal who challenged me to out do a Tesco cheesecake.

You'll need a deepish 8 inch round tin, at least 2 inches deep so its nice and thick.

Line the bottom of your tin but you dont have to grease it.

Ingredients

For the base:

200g ginger nut biscuits or digestives

65g melted butter

For the filling:

250g full fat cream cheese

250g mascarpone

80g caster sugar

100mls double cream

500g white chocolate melted

Zest of 1 lemon

2tbsp of lemon curd warmed in a pan so its loose and runny

Method

As always with a cheesecake we start with the base, smash the biscuits to a fine gravel using a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin.  Stir the crumbs into the melted butter and press evenly into your tin.

Put the base in the fridge while you whip up the filing.

Simply add everything to the mixer and beat together except the lemon curd until smooth and thickened, this will take a couple of minutes so persevere.  It needs to be spreadable but not too loose or it might not set properly. The texture of lightly whipped cream is right.

Spoon the filling over the base and smooth out flat.

drizzle on the runny lemon curd and swirl through with a knife. 

After that not so difficult five minutes pop the cheesecake in the fridge to set for two hours.

while your waiting spin this LOUD  its my new purchase, i cant stop playing it. I cant wait to hear it out and give it a dance.

White chocolate and preserved lemon fudge

I knocked this off from a recipe i read ages ago in a book i cant remember. Luckily i changed it, my handwritten scrawl all over the original, i always like to be imspired by what i read and put my own stamp on it, probably because i stupidly always think i can make something better haha!

Right here goes, a magical mystery tour of sweet, sour and salty. Anyone who hasnt made fudge before its dead easy all you need is a saucepan, a massive bowl and a tin to put the fudge in.

Ingredients
100g clotted cream
600g caster sugar
250mls liquid glucose (available from all supermarkets or chemists believe it or not)
450g white chocolate
60g unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
100g of salted/preserved lemons finely chopped (if you cant find these just use zest of 2 lemons and 1tsp of maldon sea salt, its essential its sea salt, you can get this from most supermarkets. Preserved lemons really are awesome though so please try find them, they'll be on the shelves in a jar.

Method
Put the cream, sugar and glucose in a pan, bring to the boil and boil for 4minutes stirring frequently. if you have a sugar thermometer is should be around 140oC
Transfer to a bowl and beat on low adding the finely chopped chocolate slowly so it melts in the heat of the liquid.
After this add the butter and the salted lemons (or the rind and salt)
Pour the mix into a lined tray around 8 inches square.
Pop it in the fridge to set overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Cut into desired shapes, dip in more white chocolate if you like.

A Slice of the King

A request.....

As we all know cheesecakes can be made in two ways, baked, (recipe includes eggs) or chilled / fridge set.  The former is laborious, you have to bake your cheesecake in a ban marie, chill it slowly and leave it for at least 9 hours from baking to eating.  The latter, can be whipped up and eaten within a couple of hours, sometimes even an hour depending on how cold your fridge is.

So this ones the quick and dirty. Ive named it a slice of the king as its a peanut butter cheesecake.

You'll need a loose bottom tin about 8 inches, the bigger the tin the thinner the cheesecake will be BUT the quicker it will set.  You can also use a springform tin, it doesnt matter as long as your confident you can get the cheesecake out once its set.

Ingredients:
for the base:
200g chocolate digestives
100g butter

for the cheesecake
200g cream cheese
200g mascarpone
100g smooth peanut butter
2 packs of reeces pieces or 1 snickers roughly chopped
50mls double cream
100g caster sugar
50g of chocolate and 50g smooth peanut butter (optional for the top)

Method:
Start with the base, blitz or smash the biscuits so they are small crumbs.
melt the butter and stir everything together.

Line your tin, whatever your using with clingfilm so it hangs over the sides.
press the biscuits into the base and push down so they are well packed.
chill for 10 minutes while you make the topping.

For the topping it couldnt be simpler
beat all the ingredients together except the chocolate.
add the chocolate a few seconds from the end so its despersed through the mix
the mix should be thick and billowing but NOT stiff, it should hold on a spoon and SPLAT when you jerk your wrist.

Spoon the mix over the base making sure you dont get any gaps.
Smooth the top and chill the cheesecake until its set, usually an hour but it can be upto 2.

For the topping slowly melt the chocolate and add the peanut butter, the peanut butter should melt in the heat of the chocolate.

Flick or drizzle over the cheesecake and serve!

Just dinnet have a heart attack on the toilet while eating it. Its been done..

EAT Festival Newcastle

This weekend is the return of the EAT Festival Newcastle.

IM doing various bits across the weekend including manning a chilli stall, where i'll be selling my homemade chuck steak chilli with nachos, salad and sour cream.

Next i'll have a stall just on the bottom of Northumberland St selling goods from the Beehive Bakery, expect cupcakes and brownies in all flavours.  Last year i sold out in 2 hours so im going well prepared.

Finally i'll be doing a demonstration in the chefs theatre, 2pm, im cooking an easy supper dish made from leftovers you might find in your fridge.  Come along and ask questions, put me on the spot and watch me burn myself as usual in soectacular fashion.

Either way you'll catch me sometime over the weekend im sure!

Im also planning on making little tajines of rosewater jellies for my customers to eat while perusing! YUM.

Theres more info about the EAT Festival here.

http://www.eatnewcastlegateshead.com/

What I bought today

Good evening.

What a week its been, what a month its been actually, Ive never stopped, literally been workin 18 hour days at the bakery but im not complaining. Ive worked so hard this last year and its starting to pay off.  Ive got a long road ahead of me but im looking forward to it.

Who would have thought entering a cooking competition would completely overhaul my life so quickly.

So as we all know you work hard and you play harder. And on the latter subject ive been making a few cheeky purchases.

The first is this original knitted Fred Perry, winter white and a brown laurel.  Its very similar to my John Smedleys i LIVE in, the style is so classic and smart.  Yes its a ladies even though the manequin looks like its is smuggling a banana in the bottom picture.

I plan on wearing it two ways.  Casually with turn ups and my bass weejun congac loafers.

Heres me in it, its just arrived:

The secons is a bit more dressy, chocolate two tone pencil skirt, fishnets and black fringe 60s penny loafers.  I love blending black and brown shades.

Im also debating whether to get a chocolate suede a line skirt with pres stud fasten down the front made.  Somewthing like the below but shorter, i love the shape.

This below one is also amazing and is in a deep plum, its from Topshop of all places.  I dont mind the high street but the thought of going out and seeing anyone dressed in something the same as me scares the crap out of me.

Ive also just bought these amazing Churches shoes.  Church are one of the most amazing shoe brands, they are famous for their brogues but these pretty 60s weaves are exactly what ive been after for years.  A bargain at £25 aswel.

Ive been after a new Breton stripe for ages. The one ive got is a little worn, I love them with simple navy chino trousers.  Ive found these and they are a snip at £15 each so ive bought 2 ha!!

My final purchase was a Britac shirt.  Britac are a Spanish firm who make the most amazing shirts, they are a true mod/skin/suede brand and although they dont do womens their xs mens fit me a treat, i got this shirt today and plan on wearing it with either trousers in chocolate brown or a navy tonic short skirt.  A snip at £45 and the detailing is outstanding.

In the bakery today I made a cake for Olympic medalist Tony Jefferies.  Hes amazing im such a boxing fan so its nice to know a Sunderland lad is doing so well.  I made it red velvet and vanilla sponge in alternating layers so when you cut into it its red and white stripes like the football club. 

You can see the cake here top row on the right.

Chocolate and banana muffins

These moist muffins are the prefect place to start if your a budding baker, muffins are the simplest thing to make, the trick is to leave the batter lumpy - you dont want to beat vigarously or the texture will be all wrong...

Ingredients

Makes 12
2 large very ripe bananas
200g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
125g caster sugar

100g chocolate chips
175ml milk or buttermilk
2 eggs
150ml vegetable oil or 125g of melted butter.
Method

Heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Lightly oil the muffin tin moulds. Mash the bananas.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the sugar then add the chcolate chips so they get coated in the flour – this stops them sinking in the batter.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg and oil (or butter) together until smooth.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, and quickly, lightly, beat in the liquid mixture, the mix should be lumpy thats fine. Fold in the bananas and spoon the batter into the muffin moulds.   Fill to the top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until risen and golden, and cool on a wire rack. Serve while still warm, or eat the same day.

Cake, a canine celebration and a dress i need

My plan of action for last night was to blog the Rolling Stones "Exile on Main St" album but i just didnt have time.  Without going into to much info i was stuck in A&E until late. So thats going to have to wait for another day.

This morning ive been through to Whitley Bay teaching a one on one class with a little girl who wanted to make brownies and whoopee pies.

I got back around 1pm and made this for a customer tomorrow.  Its a chocolate sponge filled with chocolate buttercream and raspberries. the collar is chocolate pencils and its topped with lindt shavings that i did with a hot knife and a selection of fruit.  It looks pretty good if i do say so myself.  It will serve around 20 good  slices, (its 8 inches but is 4 layers high) and is priced at £65.

Tonight im going to Bouchon the French restaurant from the F Word Series 5.  I'll be reviewing the restaurant so check back tomorrow for my pictures and recommendations.

Finally, it was 1 year ago today that i picked Percy up and brought him home. He is such a handsome little boy and is like my best mate.  He is currently lay on the bed upstairs with his three piece in the air for all to see. 

Heres a few pictures of him.

Oh the dress, i alomst forgot, im having visions of a tangerine paisley number with contrasting off white detail.  Not sure on the sleeves yet, i'll probably so sleeveless either that or really structured well fitted sleeves.


Today ive been wearing:
vintage Levis 501 with 1/2 inch sewn in turn up
black fred perry m12 with gold twin tip and laurel
black bass loafers

Tonight i'll be wearing:
60's navy dress with gold buttons
black vintage loafers with fringe detail

cookies at bedtime?

I made these before bed....

cranberry and white chocolate shortbread from the Beehive Bakery, dunked in cold whole milk.

night night

Font & Font(ella) Bass

Got to love this lass, It was her hit Rescue Me in '65 under Chess Records that finally gave Motown Records a run for their money in the hit making factory.  Before the release, Motown had been relatively unrivalled in the top of the charts.

But thats not what this post is about, my lovely mate Alan at Grab a Graphic (the company who did my logo) have created me a lovely font, in the style of the wriging part of my logo

heres it is i think its fab, its going to feature hevily on my new packaging, which im designing at the minute

(having problems getting the font to stay in font on this bloody blog, i'll repost tomorrow)

loving the ginger (and) another collaboration

Ive been supplying Picolo coffee in Newcastle for a few months now, the lovely James gets an order every Monday, although this week its Tuesday.  Out of the norm, James ordered ginger and lemon cream whoopie pies this week and i was over the moon, i love making them, the house is filled with the scent of Christmas.  The process of making the gingerbread is a lot firmer and therefore better to handle than usual whoopie pie batter.

Here they are, available from Picolo Coffee as of 8am tomorrow morning.  Always had a soft spot for the gingers.

Secondly the fantastic Candy Handfuls Bakery and I have worked together again on a corporate project, which shall remain anonymous for the time being, just until i know whats going on with the contract if you know what im saying...

Here it is, a pie chart cake, comprising of a vanilla white cake sandwiches with raspberry mousse, and secondly a chocolate fudge cake sandwiched with a chocolate butter cream, the cakes are sandwiched inside to represent the sections too so it was a bit of a challenge for poor Helen to make it nice and flat before doing a bloody fantastic job of the fondant!

Dinner tonight for me was my bolognaise, i tell you i make the best and ultimate bolognaise sauce, a proper ragu, theres hundreds of recipes out there for bologonaise but believe me this is the best one I've ever tasted!  I'll put the recipe up tomorrow.

The Beehive and CandyHandfuls Boutique bakeries

Ive been looking for a bakery in the North East to collaborate with for ages now, I want to be able to offer clients a wider range of products and services than i just sell.  I also think its nice to extend an olive branch to someone who should technically be my competition to just say, hey look we both make cakes, we are both very good, why dont sometimes we work together and play to our strengths to offer a wider service and expand both our businesses.  Its nice to be nice i reckon.

Thats exactly what i said to the lovely Helen a couple of weeks ago and thrillingly she agreed.

Helen owns and runs Candy Handfuls Boutique Bakery and is really really good at what she does, infact I might go as far to say shes the best, AND shes cool as. Rocking the decade before my prefered 60's, shes a glam 50's vintage cake queen!

We are going to be collaborating on a few cakes over the next couple of months to see how things go.

Out first collaboration was this 18th birthday cake.
The top a large cupcake was half chocolate and half vanilla with a vanilla buttercream, Helen worked her wonders and accesorised the cake perfectly as per the brief (pink girly and glittey)

I worked on the cupcakes, again half vanilla half chocolate, the sprinkles were all edible and included tiny little pink hearts which actually looked like tin foil.

What does everyone think?

The second cake we worked on was a Christening cake today (for tomorrow)  its a half red velvet and half vanilla elephant, in the style of the Christening invitations, Helen has excelled herself on the carving and decoration and i think its a pretty excellent version of the invite!

Lots to come from us in the future!  x

The announcement

Well well, not quite sure how to start this so in my usual style im just going to blurt it out.  Iits with enormous pride that I have been offered my very own Dragons Den style offer from two local business men.

I have been offered substantial investment to expand the brand and to hopefully make The Beehive Bakery a national brand and beacon of quality.

First things first as of March 1st I will be operating out of a brand new commercial unit at the Sunderland Business Innovation Centre.  Equipment, packaging, advertising and marketing will benefit from the investment and im working closely with the investors to relaunch the Bakery.

Im really excited about the coming months and believe me when i say ive worked my arse off to get this opportunity.

For those of you who might not know, since finishing MasterChef ive been holding down my full time job aswel as doing the bakery from home to support myself financially. 

Its been the most mental 12 months, i originally started the bakery as a hobby but its grown into something i can be proud of, something i can be proud to say ive done from the ground up.  Ive had no help, financially or business wise and its been a struggle.

There have been times when ive been close to giving up as the pressure and stress of my family life and working two jobs has on more than one occasion taken its toll (however i wasnt complaining about loosing 7lbs in 5 days at the time due to overworking)

Anyway, enough of the sob story its not Jereme Kyle; ive got a fulll time assistant bakery manager and an apprentice working for me so its time for me to (wo)man up and continue to make my dreams a reality.

Its poingant that the new series of MasterChef starts this month and I hope i have inspired at least one person to believe that if you have a dream you can make it happen.

Thank you to Claire, Vicky and Suk from Shine for believing in me from day 1 and giving me the opportunity.  Thanks to Greg and John for recognising i had potential and most importantly thanks to everyone who has supported me and the bakery.

Heres to 2011 and beyond.