Apple Strusel Sponge Cake

Yes, this is the last one from my recent baking batch - pictures aren't that great as the cake didn't last very long. It was just TOO good. It was a vanilla sponge base, with apples on top and a lovely crunchy sweet crumble topping - had with cream this was pretty much my favorite thing in the world. Not too sweet like the rest of the cakes, and honestly by this point in the baking we had to make something 'healthy' because we literally could not face any more chocolate!

Plus, one of your 5 a day - how could it be bad?

Again, apologies for pictures - and the jacket potato in the back ground!

Oh dear.. I think I need to make another!

Recipe to follow!

Sam
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Chocolate and cheesecake brownie tray bake thing!

Yes, another baking blog. This is the 2nd to last one for now so enjoy!

Again, recipe will have to be brought to you at a later date, I've put my book somewhere... clever... and can't find it.

Blog about what I've been up to recently will be up shortly. I promise. It's kind of fun! (In my eyes)

nothing could prepare you for how good this tased. It was chocolate brownie, with cheesecake mixture on top, with chilled chocolate brownie pieces scattered on top... it was fulfilling in every way! God, I need it now!

Sam
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Peanut Butter and Chocolate pie

AKA. The devils pie.

Let me tell you, when we made this we had no idea what we were getting into. The book didn't have a nice display picture so we were baking blind, if you will. I have never baked anything so sweet and bad for you as this pie is... but it was also SO good. The pictures didn't come out the best. I was going to pop a picture of a slice of it on a plate so you could see all the layers etc. but... well.. the slices didn't last long. It was destroyed quickly, what with my lovely siblings only scooping the layers they liked, and not taking full peices! Gotta love em!

The pictures come first so you can see what it is we were dealing with :P
I'll pop the recipe below!

If you're diabetic, look away now!

Quick note - I'll have to post the recipe later... I've misplaced my book! oops!

Sam

Boston Cream Cupcakes!

Yes, that's right. True to my word I actually took pictures of something I baked. And what a treat I made.

I got another Hummingbird bakery book a month or so ago and have been dying to try one of the new recipes. I decided the (almost) first thing I wanted to make were the Boston Cream Cupcakes. I won't bore you with all the details of how I ended up covered in icing sugar and cocoa powder... or how I managed to make about 25 cupcakes with a recipe that stated it made 12-16... What I will do is tell you what the recipe is for these delish vanilla cupcakes, which have a custard filling and chocolate frosting... try not to drool!

Cupcakes:

240g plain flour

280g caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

240ml milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method: Just do what I do. Whack it all in a bowl and mix it together with an electric mixer! :P

Custard:

250ml Milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

1 tbsp Plain flour

1 tbsp cornflour


Method: boil the milk in a pan with the vanilla. Whisk other ingedients together in a seperate bowl. When the milk has boiled remove from heat, pour a little bit into the mixture in the bowl so that it becomes all runny - then add that mixture into the pan of mix and boil again for about a minute. You'll be able to tell when it's done because it will turn thick, like custard! Next, put it in a bowl and cover with clingfilm, leaving it until its cooled.


Frosting:

400g Icing sugar

100g cocoa powder

160g Unsalted butter

80ml Milk

Method: mix the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter in a bowl, when its all breadcrumby, and sandy texturised gradually add the milk. IMPORTANT NOTE: this made A LOT of mixture.


After you've done it all - and the cupcakes have totally cooled - you get to start the fun bit!


You cut some holes in the tops of the cakes, scoop some custard into them, trim the top which you cut out so it fits back on and squidge it down (see pictures below for help!) - then you whack some of the amazing chocolate icing on and voila! Boston cream cupcakes!


Perfect for any occassion - I found they went very well with a movie (scarface) an a cup of coffee!

Pictures for all below:



BURGERS! NOM NOM!

I miss hamburgers the most!

I've been a veggie for about 3 years now... maybe 4. I don't know. I lose track of time because I don't pay enough attention to it, but burgers are probably the BEST food in the world, and yet I don't eat them!

Why? I always ask myself this. I miss burgers more than any food, well... apart from ham. How is ham SO good?

I do sometimes wonder why I don't eat meat, when I sometimes miss it. (But really I just miss burgers... I'm losing focus now...). But hey! That's my life! I stop eating things I like.

Example. In order to lose weight this year I have stopped eating white bread (amoung other things!). To you, maybe that's no biggie. But to me? Jesus *drags hands through hair to emphasise the point* White bread to me is literally my bread and butter. If I was hungry or just wanting to eat for the sake of it, white bread was there for me. To cradle some soft fillings, maybe with a sauce and some salad, or to toast and melt butter and marmite into... we had a deep connection. A strong relationship, but... like everything I love. I had to cut myself off from it.

I do notice patterns with my eating. If it's good, I actually have the stupidly steely determination to NOT eat it. And I do it for myself - in spite of myself. What a fool! I don't eat sweets, you know - because they are bad for your teeth. I only eat chocolate every once in a while, but NEVER chocolate bars. Only a truffle here, a piece there. To sate my desire.

One day I'm actually going to snap - gorge myself on burgers and ham, and chocolate and white bread and sweets. And then I'm going to keel over. Because if there's one thing I know, it's that when I open those gates, there's no closing of them. I will literally eat until I drop!

And this was the blog that was inspired by the picture of the burger.

Gods damn it - I'm starving now!

Sam

PS. I'm going to change my blog template again. I'm bored of it... I think....

I know this doesn't count as a blog post but...

I'm going to TGI Friday's! woohoo! I'll think of you when I'm eating amazing food and drinking my free refills of coke! ahhhhhhhh....... Sam