Christmas 2021

 Don't you just hate it when bloggers you follow just vanish? No explanation. Poof! Like that last slice of cheesecake you tucked away behind all the turkey leftovers in the fridge....

When I wrote that last post - January, 2020 - I knew that I had wrapped up Tea, Cake and Create decorating classes (with work and family commitments, classes had simply become to much to juggle). But I honestly expected to continue to bake and post recipes on the blog. Then 2020 happened and ...well, you know. 2020. 

I started out with a diary of lockdown days on Instagram, and then that grew a little tedious.  At that point we were still working (both my husband and I are in the medical field) and although we weren't at the frontline of Covid-care, other hospital responsibilities continued. The kids were at home. A year later, now they are nearly-12 and a solid thirteen; it isn't as daunting an idea as it was back then, but leaving two pre-teen children alone at home while we went to deal with medical emergencies left me with a constant pit in my stomach. I think, for me, that was the greatest lockdown challenge.  (I am very aware that many, many families have had much greater difficulties to face over the past two years.) Then there was the cleaning. Endless cleaning. Endless snack-making. And that was even before we had to start distance-learning/home-schooling. 

So, any baking I did became purely functional. No frivolity. That's not to say no joy - because the time that we spent in isolation was also very special. Life simplified and streamlined.  Since then, I have not managed to bring myself back into the fast-flowing stream of social media. 

While I have picked up my piping bags again recently, it has been a relief to be able to bake and not feel the need to document, photograph, photoshop, post. 

Do you sometimes wonder if Facebook, Instagram, Twitter don't take more than they give? Do they rob us of the moments of joy? 

Anyway... I don't know if you have missed me or these posts - I have certainly missed so many of you! Know that I think about you often -  all my class regulars that became such a special part of my Friday and Saturday mornings. (You know who you are!)  

 

While I won't make any promises about being back here soon ... I'd like to believe that I will occasionally visit with you. 

I wish you well! Have a wonderful festive season, and all the very best for 2022! 

xxM 

Strawberry and Nutella Meringues

Clouds of flavour ... that's how I'd describe these. 

And I'd have to admit that I am usually not a big fan of meringues,  but these have just enough crunch, just enough chewiness, and just enough tartness to make them quite delicious.   

They are good, really good. 

Pair them with ice-cream and fresh berries, and you'll have an easy yet impressive dessert. 

When I made the first batch, I only had 2 fresh eggs in the house. This was just before Christmas, where you avoid going to the shops at all costs. 

So I made up for the absent egg by reconstituting meringue powder with warm water. I've made meringues with just meringue powder before, and while very convenient - I wasn't convinced about the taste.  This combination though, definitely works. 

I repeated that with the second batch, using 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon re-hydrated Actiwhite (our local meringue powder brand). The original recipe called for 3 egg whites - which I'd say go ahead and use, if you don't have meringue powder. 

Strawberry and Nutella Meringues

Preheat the oven to 135'C
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
Prepare a piping bag with a large plain round tip

Ingredients 
3 egg whites (or 2 egg whites + 1 tbs meringue powder dissolved in 30ml warm water)
150g caster sugar
30ml icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup Strawberry preserve

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer, on high speed, using the whisk attachment.
When the egg white starts to form soft peaks, slowly  add the sugar and icing sugar while continuing to beat.
Beat in the vanilla and vinegar.
Beat until meringue is glossy and stiff.

Prepare a piping bag with a large plain round tip. In the inside of the piping bag, paint stripes of Nutella and strawberry jam/ preserve. If the Nutella is too firm, soften it by heating gently.

Place the meringue into the piping bag, and pipe swirls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 135'C for 30minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven with the door closed for an hour.

Half the second batch I made was put into a container with the meringues nestled between parchment paper, and buried in the depths of my fridge.  A month later they're still good. Freezing them is also and option. Just make sure that the meringues don't come into contact with humidity, and they'll have a long shelf life. 

Happy baking!

xxM

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

I may or may not still be catching up with posting the festive season recipes...
Ok, full disclosure - I am still catching up. But whoa - slow down 2020!
 I thought that taking a sabbatical from classes would give me a little more time this year, but so far all gaps have just been filled up with other demands (admittedly, I have given myself a bumper list of things to tackle in the next 12 months!)

This cheesecake was made for a pre-Chritmas Christmas dinner with friends.
I use my standard cheesecake recipe and just change it up a bit for the different flavour versions.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Prepare a springform pan with non-stick spray and parchment.

Ingredients:
Base
180g chocolate cookies
60g melted butter

Break the cookies into small pieces, then use a food processor to blitz until finely crumbed.
Mix with the melted butter, and press the mixture firmly into the base of the pan. 
Chill in the freezer for 30minutes. 

Filling
Preheat the oven to 160'C

2x 250g tubs cream cheese at room temp.
120g caster sugar
250ml sour cream 
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
100g salted caramel *


Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
Beat in the cream and vanilla extract.
Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well in between additions.
Mix in the salted caramel. 
Pour onto the chilled base. 

*I used the salted caramel from this recipe. I often have a jar in my fridge - it keeps really well, and is handy for these recipes, or simply to use between cake layers, on ice-cream , cupcakes, etc. 

Bake in a water bath at 160'C for 60-70 minutes, or until just the centre of the cheesecake jiggles when gently shaken.
 Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
Once cooled, refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight

Ganache:

240g dark chocolate - chopped into small even sized pieces.

120ml fresh cream (35-40% fat content)

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler. 
Once most of the chocolate is melted, stir until smooth. 
Leave to set until it has an easy spreading consistency. 

When the cheesecake has chilled, spread the chocolate ganache on the top and smooth. 
Place back into the fridge for 30 min before serving. 


Before serving, decorate the top of the cheesecake with chunks of caramel and shavings of Lindt dark chocolate with salted caramel  .

As a little addendum....

I also made a Nutella swirl cheesecake for Christmas. In brief:
Use the above recipe, omit the salted caramel.
After pouring the batter into the base,
warm 1/3 of a cup of Nutella so that it is softer. Use a piping bag with the tip cut off to pipe concentric circles of Nutella into the batter. Drag the Nutella inwards using a cocktail stick.
And bake!

So I know that these instructions are wholly inadequate.  But I'll add a video of the technique as soon as I have an opportunity to bake this again.

Happy baking!

xxM

Christmas Cookies Part 2

And then there was one! One day left of 2019, and still so many things to do before the end of the year!
In all reality, most of them can wait. But not this last post on Christmas cookies.
 It would be anathema to me to be talking Christmas after the 1st of Jan (yes, the tree is already down and all the ornaments are packed away. We start the New Year  without having the depressing business of clearing up Christmas decorations hanging over our heads. And by we, I mean me - because while the kids are at the age where they gladly decorate the tree, they sure as heck aren't going to help un-decorate it.)

I promised (you may not have noticed, but it didn't slip my mind) that there was a part two to the Christmas cookies from 2019, so here it is...

I constructed the gingerbread men out of a standard gingerbread cutter and a pocket watch cutter - see this post for the technique: http://teacakeandcreate.blogspot.com/2019/11/halloween-zombling-cookies.html

One of my favourites was this tree with the tangled lights, but if you want an even simpler design, try this one: 

(triangular christmas tree from Treat Boutique.)

Aaaand that's a wrap for Christmas 2019 (and for 2019!)

See you in 2020 ;-) 

xxM 

Christmas Cookies 2019

Ok, so I might just be avoiding today's real task of cleaning the house and cooking Christmas Eve dinner But it is also important to get these cookies logged before Christmas 2019 comes and goes, right?!

This was the first time I made Santa and Mrs Claus cookies for a class - I've avoided them before because it's a whole other colour to consider, but I justified making flesh colour by using it for Rudolph's snout too:

I know that some gel colour ranges have a copper colour that works well for skin tones, however

I always use a mix of soft pink and ivory - because that's what I've got! And if you need to neutralise it a little - if it's looking too pink - add a tiny drop of black 

I have more Christmas cookies for 2019 to share - but those pic's are a  different colour scheme, so obviously they require a separate post!

See you then!

xxM 

Christmas Trifle with Champagne and Panna Cotta

Is Christmas Eve a little late to be posting suggestions for Christmas dessert?
It is - especially if, like us, you celebrate on the evening of the 24th!
But there's always next year...

I made this trifle for a celebration dinner we had with friends last week,  because it has been ridiculously hot and a light trifle seemed like the perfect dessert.
The other reason I made it pre-Christmas, is because I know that the family we have coming over this  evening would far rather have cheesecake than trifle....
So  of course I've made a cheesecake (it's a Nutella swirl cheesecake to be precise. I guess I should share that recipe too?!)

But this trifle went down really well, so it is something that I will make again.

Here's a little video that I put together as a summary of the process. 

A couple of additional notes:

 - I used a small cake that I had in the freezer, made with the hot milk vanilla sponge recipe that I use for  basic cupcakes - it makes a great light sponge cake, so it's not just for cupcakes. 

- any vanilla sponge cake or pound cake will do, even un-iced cupcakes. 

- I used a small squeeze bottle to drizzle the champagne over the sponge cake. The cake was moist, not sloshed!

- use this yoghurt panna cotta recipe and omit the berries

-the panna cotta has to be made in two batches because it sets (which is what you want it to do!) , but that does mean you can't put aside half the batch to pour in for the second layer. 

- if you aren't comfortable halving the panna cotta recipe for a small trifle, then pour the remainder of the panna cotta into small glasses and top with berries for extra desserts. 

I hope the rest is  sufficiently explained in the video, if not - feel free to comment with questions below!

Now I need to go and sort out that cheesecake!

Happy Christmas Eve. 💕

xxM

Rainbow Spectrum Cupcakes

Why is it that rainbows make us happy?
We could go scientific and speak about the wonder of prisms reflecting and refracting light.  We could go deep and philosophical and speak about how rainbows symbolise hope and renewal when they appear with the calm after a storm. And that is all true.
But I think our delight in rainbows is simply the  magic of revisiting our childhood excitement at the words - look! there's a rainbow.  It's an ingrained joy.

Now,  what is not a joy is a kitchen full of buttercream, right?
And these cupcakes look like a lot of work, don't they? Imagine all those mixing bowls and filling all those bags with the different coloured icing!

Would you believe me if I told you I only used two bowls and one icing bag and nozzle?!

Believe me!

Here's how to make Rainbow Spectrum Cupcakes... 

Place a small amount of uncoloured buttercream in a bowl (enough to pipe approx. 3 cupcakes).

Add a drop of yellow gel colour. 

Put this yellow icing into a disposable icing bag fitted with the nozzle of your choice.

Pipe three rosettes. 

Return any left over icing to the bowl, and top up with a couple of spoons of plain icing. 

Add a drop of blue colour to the icing, and a drop of green. 

You should have green icing. 

Put this into the same icing bag that you used before. Pipe rosettes. The first couple will have a little bit of yellow on the outsides of the swirls - lovely!

Return any left over green icing to the bowl, and top up with more plain icing. 

Add more blue colour. You'll now have turquoise icing. Put this icing into the bag... 

you're getting the picture?!

You'll probably do one more blue - make it a pure blue, don't use the left over turquoise in this batch. 

After the blue, you are going to add pink gel colour to your bowl of icing (leftover blue, topped up with plain icing) - pink and blue mixed together will make purple. 

Add a little more pink to the icing for the next round, to get a pinker purple. 

After the purple, it's time to change bowls. Discard any leftover purple icing, you'll want a true pink next, but still use the same icing bag. 

...can you see how using the same icing bag adds to the effect? Each of the previous colours can be seen as a trace on the next shade. 

The magic of the colour spectrum... it's really the magic of science!

Happy baking 💕

xxM