Something for the weekend- Bake.

Sachertorte and Lemon Tea

A fancy chocolate cake for afternoon tea? ooo yes, that will do nicely, thank you.
A couple of weeks ago it was my Granny's 99th birthday (look out for some pictures soon) and as I was doing the catering, I thought I would try my hand at baking a Sachertorte, seeing as it was one of my late grandfather's favourites. The picture above is a leftover slice!
Sachertorte is a crazy rich and intense chocolate cake covered in more chocolate and layered with apricot jam so it becomes more and more fudgey the longer you leave it. The cake was discovered by accident in 1832 in Vienna, Austria and as all these things the recipe is a closely guarded secret.. Luckily, as I didn't fancy put any pastry chefs into thumb screws, I just had a quick peruse on the interwebs and thought I would give Mary Berry's recipe a go as it did seem less complicated than others!

Ingredients:
For the cake-
140g/5oz plain or dark chocolate (I used dark for even more of a chocolatey hit)
140g/5oz soft unsalted butter
115g/4oz caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
5 free range eggs, seperated
85g/3 oz ground almonds
55g/2oz plain flour

For the Ganache and filling:
6 tbsp apricot jam
140g/5oz plain or dark chocolate
200ml/7oz double cream
25g/1oz milk chocolate (or more plain chocolate if you don't have)



Preheat the oven to 180c and grease 23com/9 inch cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Melt the chocolate by placing small pieces (or those handy chocolate dots) in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering hot water. Don't let the water boil too ferociously as this will do funny things to the chocolate. Stir it occasionally to speed up the melting. When this is done, pour the chocolate into another bowl to cool down. You can fill the sink with cold water and put it in there to speed the process up, or in the fridge. But don't forget it!
Whilst this is happening, cream the butter and sugar together in a processor or with a wooden spoon and elbow grease! When it's light and creamy (like clotted cream) add the cooled down chocolate and vanilla extract, and mix in. Separate your eggs, this is a messy job, I sloosh them between the shells so the whites drain away, fold the yolks into the mixture and then add the ground almonds and flour.
In another bowl, whisk up the whites till they are forming peaks and then add one third to the mixture. Stir this with wild abandon. And then with the rest of the eggs, fold in as gently and delicately as you can, it's all about keeping the air in apparently. It takes a fair bit of patience, but just look at it as meditation and be zen like!
Dollop the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface so it's evenly spread and pop it in the oven for 40/45 mins. Have a peek around the 35 minute mark and check it's done by seeing if you press down gently with your finger and it bounces back. The cake, not your finger.


Once the cake is cold, slice in half and spread with the apricot jam between the layers, spread the rest of the jam over the entire surface and sides of the cake. Leave this to set while you make the ganache.
Heat the cream in a pan until it's hot but not boiling, again break the chocolate into small pieces and place into the bowl and stir until gooey chocolate loveliness. Leave it to cool, but make sure it is still pourable.
To coat the cake, pour the ganache on to the centre of the cake, it should run nicely and then smooth it over the entire cake. Leave it to set.

If you want to decorate use, melted white chocolate and write Sacher for an authentic touch, or just swirl it around a bit.. Or place fresh raspberries on top.. the world is your lobster. We don't advise using shellfish.

The cake is AMAZING the next day, and even better the day after as the cake become super moist and fudgey as it soaks up all the jam. Serious yums..So if you bake it today, it will be perfect for Sunday afternoon tea.

A cup of fresh lemon tea compliments the rich chocolate hit.. Use a light tea with slices of lemon in. If you want to serve it like the Hotel Sacher, squidge a dollop of cream on the side (none of that aerosol stuff, mind).. Imagine you are in Vienna and about to go waltzing..




(picture from here and vintage postcard here)

Elderflowers and confusion at the chemists.

Have you noticed that there is a whole ton of elderflower blossom everywhere? I have been longing to concoct some cordial and finally got round to it last week.

Our local park has been brimming with the starry white flowers and I went to do some 'pruning'.


Returning home with armfuls, it was only then I checked the recipe and read it called for citric acid. So warning to you all, before you pick - get some in. You can buy citric acid online or try your local chemists as I did...
However what I thought would be a simple purchase turned into rather a mission as the first chemist had just run out apparently and refused to tell me when they were going to get some more in. Odd, I thought. Trekking on to the second chemist, they too were devoid of the stuff. I was exasperated and cried 'oh no where can I find some,i've been all over' (ever the drama queen) .The lady asked me what it was for and I explained to which she replied 'oh well you seem genuine' and reached under the counter and brought out a box!  It would seem that it is used for nefarious doings which made me think how could the first chemist obviously assumed that's what I would do. What a cheek..

I guess I do live the wrong side of the tracks, where they might not be used to  Tom and Barbara Good Life behaviour!

There are lots of recipes on the internet, but as I couldn't really work out how much elderflower I had.. I just winged it, but mainly based on this one.
So if you have a large bowlful of elderflowers- say an armful when picked, this should work.

To make the sugar syrup bring 1 and 1/2 litres of water to the boil with 1 kg of caster or granulated sugar, stir to check all the sugar has dissolved.
Whilst this bubbles away,  clean the flower heads by shaking any bugs off and removing any sign of brown flowers, I also gave them a quick dunk in a bowl of water.
I got a great tip through twitter from Easton Walled Gardens to pick the heads when they are fabulously fragrant and heavy with pollen! Don't you love it?

Pare two unwaxed lemons with a veggie peeler and then slice up the fruit and place with the rind in a the bowl of elderflowers.

Pour over the sugar syrup and stir in 50g of citric acid. Simples.

Cover and leave to stand for at least 24 hours, some recipes advise 48 hours, which is what I did as I had also forgotten to get any bottles.

The house was wonderfully scented with lemony fragrance.
Strain through muslin or a new jay cloth and pour in to sterilised glass bottles. Wash and rinse the bottles and place in a warm oven for 15 minutes. Using a jug and a funnel pour into the hot sterilised bottles.  Or pour the cordial into plastic bottles and freeze for future use.

Elderflower cordial is such a delicious tipple,dilute with still or fizzy water and garnish with sliced lemon and mint. A summer's day could be magnificent with a cool glass of cordial in your hand, use it with icing sugar to ice lemon cupcakes or try it poured on ice cream.
Or mix up a cheeky cocktail with a shot of vodka, cordial,  lemon juice and soda water, shake it all up in your cocktail shaker and serve with lots of ice. Doesn't that make your mouth water?

pancakes,cupcakes and teaspoons

Happy flippin' pancake day!

There was always much excitement in the Lula house when I was a nipper; coming home from school to find Mother Dearest up to her elbows in floury batter,whisking up a storm.

The flipping would start (I always lived in hope that one would stick to the ceiling) and we would pile them high soaked with lemon juice and crunchy with sugar. Yum yum yum!

As with most things in life, when it comes to the simple things- turn to Delia.

By the way- have you caught any of her Delia through the Decades on the television?

Amazing what a powerhouse of cooking influence she has been, whilst sporting an array of

pudding bowl haircuts!

And the pancake recipe is such a breeze to follow

110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
50g/2oz butter

This makes 12-14 pancakes.

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl,

slowly add in the milk and water mixture whisking all the time to obtain a smooth batter.

Scrape down any floury mixture from the sides and soon the lumps will disappear so it is nice and creamy.

(If you have a mixer this can be made even easier by ditching the whisk)

Melt 50g/2oz of butter and whisk 2 tablespoons into the mixture, the rest use for greasing the pan.

Lightly grease a hot frying pan and using a ladle spoon the mixture into the pan.

Tip the pan so it is completely covered, wait till the underside comes away easily with a flat knife 

and  then the fun really begins..start flipping!

Traditionalists stick with lemon and sugar, but for those more adventurous-

the world is your pancake.

Nutella,stewed apple and icecream, golden syrup or honey..

As I'm sure you know, Pancake day or Shrove Tuesday was the day people used up the rich ingredients, butter, milk and eggs before eating plainer food during Lent.
And sticking with this idea, I have been polishing off the cupcakes leftover from Sunday's Valentine Cinema day like a hoover- oh my poor waistline!
It was another triumph and luckily most of the cakes were snapped up, these were some we forgot to put out,The Chap was meant to take them into work..
Quelle dommage.

 

I picked up this set of teaspoons at the weekend, couldn't resist the gorgeous art deco design. 

Might make a cup of darjeeling to give them a whirl and a stir!

 (pancake pic from flickr)

Blue Monday and Comfort Cookies..

Well, apparently January 18th is meant to be the day of glums and boohoos and misery..

For why, I ask you lovely readers, is this day specifically singled out to be a day of sadness?

Let's not be dragged down.. The promise of spring is wafting it's way to us, yesterday we almost had a whole sunshiney walk with the pooches. And what is really cheery is to come home take off the muddy wellies and snuggle on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate and a toasted crumpet with butter all oozing through it... Some serious mmmms.

I must give this recipe a go from Hugh Fearnly-Whatsit, as he says if you're tired of British teatime, you're tired of life and who are we to disagree!

If only we had an open fire.. that's the only way to toast a crumpet- sitting near to the fire as possible, toasting fork in hand. Keeping warm with your loved one as the night draws in.

Another favourite recipe that has been putting a smile our faces is this  delicious oat and raisin cookies recipe from the marvy Smitten Kitchen website. It's the best we've tried as they are just the right texture of chew, I can't resist tweaking and throw in whatever I have in my dried fruit and nut cupboard. Our favourite muesli even goes in the mix, it's called Rude Health! See, the cookies must be good for you if they have prunes,apricots,oats and nuts in.

The tip about refrigerating the cookie dough before baking is a winner as the results never last long. The chap blames the pooch but I know they prefer chocolate chip..

Oh look Blue Monday is practically over, let's raise our teacups to a terrific Tuesday!