Red Velvet cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes

350g (2 1/3 cups) plain flour

2 tbs cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

315g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar

250ml (1 cup) buttermilk

185ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 tsp red gel food colouring

2 tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line eighteen 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, food colouring and vinegar in a jug until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.

Divide the mixture among the prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

4 large egg whites

1 Cup caster sugar

1 tsp cream of tartar 

2 tsp vanilla essence

Place all ingredients except the vanilla essence into a heatproof bowl then place over a pot of simmering water. Whisk the egg white mixture constantly over simmering water until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to the touch. Pour the mixture into a bigger bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Adding vanilla and any colouring. It is done once the mixture has tripled in size and is light and fluffy. 

Caramel Apples

Ingredients

• 2  pounds  lady apples or tart apples, such as Macouns or Winesaps
• 1  pound  caramel squares
• 10  wooden sticks

Directions
Wash and completely dry the apples. Insert a wooden stick into the top end of each. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the caramels with ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water. Cook until smooth, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
While the caramel is hot, dip the apples in, swirling to coat evenly. Let the excess caramel drip off and place the apples on the lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to harden, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose G/F flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips . Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Harry Potter Party

A selection of Harry Potter Themed Treats, surprisingly uncomplicated. 

I used some old books and chocolate coins for extra effect.  

Butter-beer: Butterscotch syrup, ginger beer and whipped cream or ice-cream to top.

Broomsticks: Paper bag filled with popcorn tied with pretzel stick.

Golden Snitch: Ferrero Rocher with cut out paper wings 

Chocolate frogs: Paper boxes filled with chocolate frog. (see below)

Pumpkin Pasties and Quidditch Cup Pies 

The Daily Prophet: an important part of the Harry Potter world.

Ours was created using publisher and various stories 

and pictures from the internet, see the link below.

The Daily Prophet



Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans

I used a mix of the small boxes of gross flavoured beans with nice flavoured ones from the jelly bean co.
These are available at The British Lolly Shop or on-line.

Chocolate Frogs:  While you can buy these, they are $4.50 per frog. 

So I made these boxes and filled them with generic chocolate frogs. 

Chocolate Marquis

250 gm	dark chocolate (53% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
5	eggs, separated
100 gm	white sugar
175 gm	unsalted butter, melted
Chocolate sponge
3	eggs
140 gm	caster sugar
75 gm	(½ cup) plain flour
1 tbsp	Dutch-process cocoa powder
30 gm	butter, melted
Cognac raisins
50 gm	white sugar
100 gm	raisins
50 ml	Cognac

1	For chocolate sponge, preheat oven to 220C. Whisk eggs and caster sugar in an electric mixer until pale and triple in volume (8-10 minutes). Sift over flour and cocoa powder and gently fold until combined, then fold through melted butter. Pour into a greased and baking paper-lined 30cm x 42cm baking tray, smooth top and bake until cake springs back when lightly pressed (4-5 minutes). Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
2	Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and set aside. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and frothy (4-5 minutes). Stir through melted chocolate and butter until combined. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until firm peaks form, then fold through chocolate mixture and set aside.
3	Cut chocolate sponge to fit the base and sides of a 8cm x 22cm straight-sided loaf pan, line pan with sponge and fill with chocolate mixture. Trim remaining sponge to fit top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
4	Meanwhile, for Cognac raisins, combine sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes, add raisins and Cognac and remove from heat. Set aside to cool (raisins will keep refrigerated for up to 2 months, the flavour will improve with age).
5	Remove cake from mould and thickly slice with a warmed knife. Serve with Cognac raisins spooned over.

Lamb, Lentil and Spinach Pie

1 large onion, finely diced

300g lean lamb mince

300g frozen spinach, chopped, drained and defrosted 

400g can of brown lentils, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons of Greek spice

100g reduced fat feta

1/4 cup each of fresh mint and coriander, finely chopped

6 sheets of filo pastry

Olive oil

2 tablespoons of low fat natural yoghurt

Preheat oven to 180c 

Fry the onion and lamb with seasoning until brown, drain. Stir through spinach and lentils. Remove from heat and add feta and herbs. Brush a pan with oil and fill with mince mixture. Lay the filo sheets on top one layer at a time, brushing each with oil and yoghurt. 

Bake for 30 minutes

Slice and serve

Chocolate Stout Cake

Anything Sweetapolita makes would tempt even the most reluctant cook. For my version of her stout cake I opted for Chantilly cream and dark chocolate ganache frosting . This cake is dark and rich and oh so lush. 

Cake recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Yield: One 9-inch round two-layer cake--12-16 servings.

Cake Layers

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) stout or dark beer (I used Guinness)

1 1/2 cups (340 grams/12 ounces/3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 cup sifted (115 grams/4 ounces) King Arthur Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa (I use Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder - Extra Dark)

3 cups (360 grams/12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

3 cups (600 grams/20.5 ounces) granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (12 grams/11.25 mL) baking powder

1 teaspoon (8 grams) salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup ( 165 mL) sour cream, at room temperature

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans (2" deep), line bottoms with parchment paper circles, then grease circles, dust with flour and tap out excess. Set aside.

2. Place the stout and butter in a large, heavy saucepan and heat on medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder until smooth. Pour into a large heatproof measuring cup or bowl and let cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (flat beater), mix the eggs and sour cream on medium speed (I use #4 on KitchenAid) until well combined, about 3 minutes.

5. Add the cooled cocoa mixture, and mix on medium speed (I use #4 on KitchenAid) until combined, about 1 minute.

6. Add the dry ingredients slowly and combine on low-speed (I use #2 on KitchenAid) until blended, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl, and then mix for another minute.

7. Divide batter into prepared pans evenly. If possible, weigh the pans and batter with a kitchen scale for accuracy and even layers. If you do, each pan of batter should weigh ~1 kg/2.2 lbs. Place cake pans on middle oven rack side-by-side, but about 2" apart and bake until toothpick inserted into centre comes clean, about 35 minutes.

8. Let cakes cool on wire racks for ~10 minutes, loosen edges with knife or small palette knife, then gently remove from pans to cool completely.