Tag: chocolate

White chocolate & salted caramel cake

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So that was a bit of a gap between posts, eh? 2014 has already been somewhat bonkers, to the point that food has been about what can be cobbled together in the few hours between getting home and going to (sweet, sweet) bed, rather than something of experiments and long weekends in the kitchen.

White chocolate & salted caramel layer cake // The Dinner BellLetting go of the festive season has been a struggle. Our Christmas tree came down long after January 6th, and the rest of the month saw me gleefully throwing leftover Roses and Quality Street down my gullet and swigging beer while I chuckled at the poor chaps giving up sugar and taking part in Dry January.

But it’s February in a few days, and nothing makes you realise you need to step out of Hotel Chocolat, even if there are bargains to be had, like facing Valentine’s Day as it rushes at you head-on.

Of course, I realised this after I made this cake. It was a multi-purpose delight: a birthday cake, a look-how-strong-my-willpower-is-I’m-not-even-saving-myself-some cake (kidding no-one, I know), and as the last slice was devoured with a cup of tea by a friend, fork in one hand, tissues in the other, a break-up cake.

The cake itself is layers of salted caramel, carried by a simple vanilla sponge and wrapped in white chocolate buttercream, the sweetness offset by the touch of salt. What a way to wave goodbye to January. Continue reading →

Brown butter, chocolate and hazelnut muffins

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Today I’m beyond excited to have a post from Sophie, who was one of the very first people to welcome me to this food blogging community, as well as being a great inspiration and fellow pumpkin lover. Take it away!

Brown Butter, Chocolate and Hazelnut Muffins {Guest Post from The Cake Hunter} | The Littlest Bakehouse

I’d had this recipe lying around for some time and I knew it would be perfect for anyone baking in limited space.

I love a method born out of sheer laziness. Don’t get me wrong, not all shortcuts in baking are good…it is usually better to sift your flour and ingredients do really need to be at room temperature for a good cake but the method that requires very minimal equipment is a method I can get on board with. I don’t like to make work for myself unless absolutely necessary. This includes washing up, now that we don’t have the luxury of hiding plates in a dishwasher, their constant presence in the sink serves as a reminder that they always need doing! Therefore, if I can get some baking done and only have to wash a spoon, fork, bowl and little saucepan at the end of it then I’m pretty happy. Continue reading →

Triple chocolate orange cups

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One of my most vivid memories from childhood is, unsurprisingly, centred around food. When we were young, my mother seemed to have frequent dinner parties with five of her friends, an affair that saw her slightly on edge the days preceding the “big night”, busy with writing lists, checking and double checking ingredients while she planned an enormous array of dishes Continue reading →

Salted caramel chocolate layer cake

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March and April are always a bit of a family affair.

In the space of six weeks – and this is the just the family we see often – there are five birthdays, two wedding anniversaries and sometimes Easter. In those few weeks, there was wine, and feasts, and games, and more wine. What this also means is many hours of carrying a heavy suitcase around London, hefting it up and down the steps on the underground and dragging it, wheels rattling, over uneven pavements. Continue reading →

Banana & chocolate filo wraps

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You know there are some days when nothing but chocolate will do? Well, I’ve been having that a lot lately – it’s all about the chocolate, and the bananas. These weekend I’m migrating away from chocolate and banana porridge in favour of something a little more fancy looking. The past few weeks have been pretty hectic, which led to an impromptu week away from the blog, but it’s felt good to be back in the kitchen. Nothing says weekend like baking in your pajamas.

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So it’s full steam ahead now, and this weekend I discovered an amazing baking tray liner that filo doesn’t stick to, after a string of sticking catastrophes every time I’ve cooked with filo. My boyfriend’s mum gave it to me a while ago but it had been tucked away in one of my boxes of stuff that won’t fit in the kitchen, and was brought down to battle with the terror that is filo-greaseproof adhesion, which, despite extensive googling, I’d never been able to solve. But here we go – the Lakeland silicone baking mat (available here in various colours) is magic. Not a hint of sticking. Didn’t even have to get a palate knife involved. Continue reading →

Lemon & white chocolate Viennese whirls

GawkI love cooler weather, but this cold snap we’ve had has left me yearning for waking up to sunshine and eating cold summer fruit pudding with yoghurt for breakfast. I’m craving packing up bread and cheese to eat in the park. I want to get out in my garden to see if this soil’s any good for growing, and if we can make it an outside space where we can drink iced coffee and listen to the radio. I need the sun to rise earlier so that I’m not hopping about 5 minutes before leaving for work, trying to put on tights and take photos simultaneously, cursing the unstoppable grey light filtering through my windows. My taste buds are crying out for salads, and sorbet, and citrus fruits. I’m ready for spring. Continue reading →

Christmas gifts: Oreo truffles

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These (really naughty and delicious) truffles are the last in my Christmas gift ideas series, with a few sweet ideas for the skint (me) or thrifty.

Knowing full well that this little corner is just a tiny drop in the ocean of food blogs out there can be a little overwhelming. At Christmas, this becomes doubly clear: because it’s a time when a lot of bloggers are sharing very similar recipes and ideas. It’s not just an internet thing – if you watch a morning of cookery shows at a weekend in December you’ll be bombarded with ingredients like celeriac. In a lot of ways, this seasonality is the lifeblood of food and everything associated with it – and rightly so. But it brings with it a certain inevitability, and a need to innovate.

Equally, there are some things that really don’t need innovating, that speak for themselves the moment you take an innocent little bite. Although many Pinterest users and bloggers could say it more eloquently than I: ladies and gentlemen, these Oreo truffles are that perfect mouthful. Continue reading →

Chocolate hazelnut cinnamon rolls

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I’m sorry guys. I’m sorry that I have to barge in on your Thursday morning just to break your heart with lust for chocolate hazelnut cinnamon rolls. It isn’t my fault. Really. You can blame this on my dad for giving me the hazelnuts in the first place. What’s a girl to do, if not mix those hazelnuts with delicious melty chocolate and sweet warm bread? But I’m only a little bit sorry – because damn, these rolls are good. Continue reading →