Stephen's Award Winning Kirschtorte

This spectacular cake won Stephen the first prize in the cake category plus the closely-fought Best In Show Award.

Macaroon layers:

220g icing sugar

120g ground almonds

4 egg whites

80g caster sugar

Sponge:

3 eggs,separated

3 tablespoons hot water from a boiled kettle

80g icing sugar, sifted

10g caster sugar

50g plain flour

50g corn flour

Pinch of baking powder

Buttercream:

225ml whole milk

170g caster sugar

3 egg yolks

170g unsalted butter

3 tbs blackberry jam (without seeds)

Kirsch syrup:

4 tablespoons water

20g caster sugar

120ml kirsch

For decoration:

100g toasted flaked almonds

70g icing sugar

METHOD

Macaroon layers

1) Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

2) Draw two 25cm circles in a large piece of baking parchment and grease the insides of each circle with butter. Place each piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet.

3) Place the ground almonds in a large bowl and sift the icing sugar on top.

4) Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar until the whites have formed a thick meringue, but don't let it get dry and powdery. Take one third of the meringue and incorporate it into the icing sugar and almonds with a large metal spoon. Then add the remainder of the meringue in two equal batches. Try to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.

5) Spread the mixture inside the prepared circles, bringing it right up to the edge. You may find it helps to stick the baking parchment to the baking sheet using a small amount of the macaroon mix.

6) Bake for about 10-12 minutes – ideally until the macaroons come away freely from the baking parchment, but whatever you do try not to overcook them. Remove from the oven as soon as they are cooked and leave to cool.

Sponge

7) Increase the oven to 175ºC.

8) Grease a 25cm springform round cake tin lined with baking parchment (for best results use one with a removable bottom).

9) Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks on full power, adding the hot water a tablespoon at a time, until thick and light. Add the icing sugar gradually and beat well. It should be light and fluffy. Set aside.

10) Beat the egg whites until stiff in a clean bowl. Add the caster sugar to the stiff egg whites and beat well until smooth and glossy.

11) Sift the flour, corn flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Fold in the egg yolk and icing sugar mixture with a large metal spoon one third at a time until fully incorporated. Then fold in the egg whites very carefully. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through – the cake will come away from the sides of the tin when baked.

12) Transfer the tin to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Buttercream

13) Put the milk in a small saucepan with 85g of caster sugar. Heat until the mixture steams, but do not allow to boil.

14) Put the egg yolks in a bowl with 85g of caster sugar and stir until pale and thick. Do not whisk as you do not want the mixture to become airy.

15) Slowly pour the hot milk on to the yolk and sugar mixture, stirring constantly.

16) Rinse or wipe out the saucepan and return the mixture to the pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until thickened and a nice custard consistency has formed (it will be ready when it coats the back of a clean wooden spoon). Do not allow to boil.

17) If there are any lumps in the custard, strain through a sieve, and allow to cool until it is thickened and set.

18) Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until very soft and creamy. Then beat in the cooled custard one tablespoon at a time. Add the jam and mix well.

Syrup

19) In a small saucepan, bring the water and caster sugar to the boil over a medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the kirsch and mix well. Set aside.

Assembly

20) Very carefully, peel the macaroon discs off the baking paper and place one of them on a serving plate or cake stand.

21) Spread one third of the buttercream evenly over the macaroon.

22) Place the sponge on top of it, poke lots of small holes in the sponge with a skewer or sharp knife and brush it generously with the syrup. Leave to rest for a few minutes, until the syrup is absorbed.

23) Carefully spread one third of the buttercream over the soaked sponge. It will be more difficult because the sponge is moist from the syrup.

24) Overturn the second macaroon onto a clean flat chopping board so that it is upside down with the baking parchment now face up. Carefully peel back the baking parchment. Then, as quickly as you can, turn the chopping board back over and, holding the macaroon in both hands, place it on top of the cake; an extra pair of hands is useful at this point! If your macaroon is soft it might crack in your hands – don't worry about this.

25) Spread the remaining buttercream on the sides of the cake and press the flaked almonds onto the cream. Using a sieve, sprinkle the top of the cake with a small amount of icing sugar.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This recipe is adapted from Patricia Scarpin's Zuger Kirschtorte recipe. The macaroon layers are based on Ottolenghi's macaroon recipe and the buttercream is adapted from a recipe in Leiths Techniques Bible.

Sam's Eye Poppin' Cookies

This recipe is from Sam Fisher who scored very highly in the Under 8s category with his yummy cookies

125g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
50g soft brown sugar
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
70g butter (softened)
1 large egg, beaten
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

preheat oven to 180c, and grease 2 baking sheets

Put flour, bicarb, both sugars, vanilla extract and butter into a food processor for a few seconds. Blend in egg briefly then chopped chocolate.

Divide mix into 8, and place 4 blobs, well-spaced (so they don't join together - which some did anyway with our wonky sheets), onto each baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or till golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before lifting onto wire racks to cool completely.

Decorate with melted dark chocolate - Sam put chocolate sprinkles and mini marshmallows on to the chocolate while still wet.

YUM!

Chocolate & Crystallised Ginger Biscuits

The worthy winner of the Biscuits & Cookies category from Hannah Jones

225g soft unsalted butter

110g caster sugar

275g plain flour

25g crystallised ginger

200g bar dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 170C. Cream the butter, then add in the sugar and beat until pale and soft. Chop the ginger into small pieces and mix it with the flour. Add the ginger and flour to the sugar and butter and mix until you have a dough.

Break off walnut-sized balls and roll in your hands until smooth. Place on a baking tray and press into them with the back of a fork to pattern 'n' flatten. Bake for around 15 minutes or until they are nice and golden brown. Near the end of the cooking time, watch them obsessively so you don't miss the optimum colour, as biscuits are sly and will burn on you in a second.

Take them out of the oven and immediately transfer them from the tray to a wire rack. When they're cold, melt the chocolate in a bowl. You will have far more chocolate than you need, but melting a large quantity makes it much easier to coat the biscuits smoothly. Dip the biscuits halfway into the chocolate, gently combing off any drips or runners with a teaspoon. Leave on greaseproof paper until the chocolate has set.

Ricciarelli

These chewy Tuscan macaroons came 2nd in the Biscuits & Cookies category. They're very good with espresso and ice cream and are easy to make.

Makes 24

300g blanched almonds

grated zest of 1 lemon

200g caster sugar

2 egg whites

icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C/ Gas 3. Tip the almonds onto a baking sheet and cook for a few minutes until pale golden then leave to cool.

Whizz the nuts and lemon zest in a food processor until coarsely ground. Stir in half of the sugar.

Whisk the egg whites until they hold their shape firmly then gradually beat in the sugar until smooth and glossy. Fold the nut mixture into the meringue.

Using two dessert spoons shape ovals out of the mixture and drop onto two lined baking sheets - leave room for a little spreading. Dust with icing sugar and bake for 8 - 10 minutes until set and pale golden but still a little squishy in the centre. Leave to cool then store in an air-tight container.

Charlie Fox's Carrot Delight

This fantastic cake scored second place in the Cake catergory

175g dark brown soft sugar

2 eggs

80ml sunflower oil

40ml walnut oil

200g wholemeal self-raising flour

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp mixed spice

Grated zest 1 orange

200g grated carrots

175g sultanas/raisins

Topping:

150g Quark

100g cream cheese

(You can vary the Quark/cream cheese ratio to taste)

20 g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup:

Juice ½ orange

1 tblsp lemon juice

40g dark brown soft sugar

Grease/line the base of an oblong cake tin (15cm x25cm)

Preheat the oven to 170º C

Whisk the sugar, eggs and oil together. Then sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the mixed spice into the bowl, adding in all the bits of bran that stay in the seive. Stir together, then fold in the orange zest, grated carrot and the sultanas/raisins. Spoon into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until it has risen all over and feels firm and springy in the middle.

To make the topping mix all the ingredients well together in a bowl, then cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for an hour or so.

For the syrup just whisk together the fruit juices and sugar so that all the sugar is dissolved.

When you take the cake out of the oven, stab it all over with a skewer (or, in my case, a mini screwdriver from a Christmas cracker) and spoon the syrup over evenly. Leave it to cool in the tin so the syrup soaks in.

When the cake has completely cooled, take it out of the tin, spread the topping over evenly with a palette knife (wavey pattern optional) and lightly dust with more cinnamon.

Very Nutty Energy Bars

Thank you to Fred & George Seedhouse for this brilliant recipe which won the Under 8s category. It is adapted from a Jane Clarke recipe from a Sainsbury's magazine.

175g butter
100g soft brown sugar
50g runny honey
50g malt extract
25g apricot conserve

250g oats
50g pecan nut halves
50g walnut halves
50g pistachios
30g pumpkin seeds
30g sunflower seeds
30g hemp seeds
75g dried apricots
75g dried dates
75g dried figs
50g sultanas
50g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to gas 5 and line a 26 x 17 cm tin with baking parchment.

Chop the pistachios, walnuts and pecan halves into pieces (try to make them about the same size as the pumpkin and sunflower seeds).
Cut the apricots, dates and figs into chunks about the same size as the cranberries.
Stir the nuts, seeds and chopped fruit together with the oats until well mixed.

Meanwhile, ask an adult to melt the butter with the sugar, honey, apricot conserve and malt extract in a large saucepan, and stir until the sugar disolves. Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes and keep stirring.

Take the saucepan off the heat, add all the other ingredients and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread it out evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out and cool completely before cutting into bars.

These keep well for 10 days and are great as an after school snack, or to take on days out or camping trips.

Classic Victoria Sponge

This year's champion sponge cake by Nikki Sims
200g SR flour
25g cornflour
225g unrefined caster sugar
225g very soft salted butter
1 teasp baking powder
1 teasp vanilla extract
4 eggs
3-4 tbsp milk

Put all but milk in food processor and whiz but not too long. Then add bit of milk and pulse a couple of times. Pour into two greased pans and bake at 180C for 25 minutes. That's it

I sandwich first with Tiptree raspberry jam, a punnet of raspberries and then about 250ml double cream whipped with a tiny bit of icing sugar and second sponge. Then sprinkle a dusting of icing sugar over finished cake. Voila!

Black Forest Gateau Tribute Cupcakes

Here is the winning cake recipe from Sally Williams
125g butter
165g caster sugar
2 eggs
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp cocoa powder
125ml milk
100g dark chocolate melted
TO FINISH
200ml double cream
vanilla icing sugar
dark cherry conserve

Preheat oven to 160c. Cream butter + sugar till light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Sift over flour, baking powder + cocoa and beat till combined. Fold through milk and stir in melted chocolate. Spoon mixture into cake cases and bake for 25 - 30 mins till well risen and springs back when touched. Cool thoroughly.

Cut a slanted circle around top of cupcakes, 8mm in from edge - the top will pop out. Whip 200ml double cream with a dessertspoon of vanilla icing sugar (vanilla pod kept in jar with sugar) till it holds its shape, but not too firm. spoon a generous teaspoon into one side of the hole. Fill the other half with cherry conserve, replace sponge top and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Crab Apple Jelly

First prize in the Sweet Preserves Category

Crab apples contain so much pectin that unless you really add too much water, the jelly will always set and you'll have something delicious to show for your efforts.

Wash the crab apples well, removing the leaves and stalks. Place in a large pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer on the lowest heat for one hour until the apples are very, very soft. Line a large sieve or colander with a muslin cloth and tip in the mixture. Leave the liquid to drip through for a couple of hours - if you push it with a wooden spoon, you will get more out but the finished jelly will be cloudy. Measure the apple liquid and pour into a very large clean pan. Add roughly three quarters of the same volume of granulated sugar ( I had 2.5 litres liquid, added 1.8 litres sugar and got 9 jars of jelly) and gently bring to the boil, stirring from time to time until the sugar has completely dissolved. Boil hard for 10 minutes then cool a little, pour into jars and seal.

Victoria Sandwich

I've been practicing for the all-new category of Classic Victoria Sandwich this week. I started with the oldest recipe I had which is this one here:

Isabella Beeton is one of the most famous cookery writers in British history. The Book of Household Management, first published in 1861, was a best-seller and a guide to how to run a household in Victorian Britain.

Time: 20 mins
Serves 5-6

Ingredients
4 eggs; their weight in pounded sugar, butter and flour; 1/4 spoonful of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade.

1. Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour and pounded sugar; stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be previously thoroughly whisked.
2. When the mixture has been well beaten for about 10 minutes, butter a Yorkshire-pudding tin, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven for 20 minutes.
3. Let it cool, spread one half of the cake with a layer of nice preserve, place over it the other half of the cake, press the pieces slightly together, and then cut it into long finger-pieces; pile them in cross bars on a glass dish, and serve.

Recipe taken from Mrs. Beeton's Cookery and Household Management, Isabella Beeton [1874] London.

Mme Hamlet's Courgette Tart

On the subject of courgettes, here's a lovely gluten and dairy-free recipe from local blogger Pig in The Kitchen:
Click here

Tamsin’s Courgette Muffins

These lovely muffins came first in the Baking Brilliance Category.

Tamsin says "These are so moist and easy to make that you can’t go wrong!"

Cake:
60g raisins (optional)
250g courgette (2-3) weigh them before grating
2 eggs
125ml / 4fl oz vegetable oil
150g caster sugar (I use golden)
225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

Icing:
Small (250g) pot mascarpone cheese
125g icing sugar
Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes (to taste, depends how juicy they are)

Deep “American” muffin tins
Greaseproof paper

Preheat oven to gas mark 4 (180C)

First prepare your tins by cutting some greaseproof paper into squares approx 15x15cm. Size really depends on the size of your muffin tin; it works best if the paper is roughly 4 times the diameter of each hole. Lay aside until needed a bit later.

Put the raisins into a small bowl and pour over enough just boiled water to cover them. Leave to plump up whilst you get on with the rest of the cake.

Grate the courgettes (don’t peel them, the skin gives a fantastic colour once baked) Its best to do this by hand using the rough setting on a normal box grater rather than a food processor (mushy results), then pop them into a colander and allow to stand in order for excess water to drain off.

Weigh out the flour. Spoon in the baking powder and bicarb and stir to evenly distribute.

Put the eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy (I prefer to mix by hand but sometimes do this bit with an electric whisk). Spoon in the flour and mix until combined. Then stir in the grated courgettes and drained raisins (best to do this delicate stage by hand)

Now for the only tricky part, but don’t worry if it gets a bit messy, they’ll come looking fantastically homemade. Shove a greaseproof square into a muffin tin hole by pressing the centre of the paper. Press down to form a basic muffin paper case. The paper will buckle up around the top (I like the rustic look!) Spoon a generous dessertspoon-full into each case. Bake for 20-30 mins until golden brown, firm to the touch and smelling yummy. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire tray.

For the icing:
Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste. Spoon the icing over the muffins once cooled.

This recipe also works really well as a layer cake. Use 2 x 21cm sandwich tins and spread the icing in between layers and on top

Myles’ Chocolate Snails (or Blonde Brownies)

These delicious brownies won a prize for best flavour in the LIttle Spooners category

Warning: Not for the calorie-conscious….

1/3 cup of butter (75 grams)
1 cup brown sugar (200 g)
1tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup plain flour (110 g)
¼ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, or good quality chocolate, broken into small pieces
Optional – cup of chopped walnuts

Cream butter, sugar, egg, vanilla
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix
Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread into a greased and floured 7x11 inch pan

Bake at 180c (350f) for 20 – 25 minutes

These brown quickly, so watch them and check at 20 min. mark. Take them out of the oven when they still seem a bit gooey, but slightly browned on top.

Let cool and cut.

Enjoy!

Fabio's Butterfly Sandwiches

Fabio based his entry on a biscuit recipe from Waitrose.com and sandwiched them together with buttercream and his mummy's home-made berry jam. The biscuits taste lovely but the dough is a little tricky to roll and there's ages of waiting while it chills.
And they didn't win any prizes!
Makes 20
100g blanched hazelnuts
225g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
3 medium egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour, plus a little extra for rolling out
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
25g icing sugar, to dredge
10 tbsp raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Finely grind the hazelnuts in a food processor and set aside. Beat together the butter and sugar until light. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla, then sift in the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and hazelnuts and blend. Lightly knead until it comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to 3mm thick. Using a cookie cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as you can. Reshape leftover dough into a ball, re-roll and cut out more biscuits – you should get about 40 in total. Arrange them all on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets; chill for 15 minutes.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven (in batches, if necessary) for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then on a cooling rack. When completely cool, spread half of the biscuits with buttercream and jam. Press another biscuit on top and dust with icing sugar..

First Batch is Ready

I've been busy this morning making my entry for the preserves catergory. I'm no expert when it comes to marmalade and this is my first atempt at lemon which I've livened up with a few lime leaves and a last minute addition of star anise which James is guaranteed to hate. I can hear him now, "You can't have star anise in marmalade, Silvana, it just isn't done!" No prize for me then...

Lemon and lime leaf marmalade
Makes 10 jars
1kg lemons
2.2 litres water
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 star anise
2.5kg granulated sugar


Place the lemons and water in a very large pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on the lowest setting for 2 hours.

Leave until cool enough to handle.

Halve the lemons and scoop out the pulp, pips and pith and add to the pan along with the star anise. Shred the rind as you go and set aside .

Bring the pan to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve, lined with a cloth back into the clean pan. 

Add the shredded rind and sugar, gently bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves then boil vigorously for 15 – 20 minutes.

Test by putting a little onto a cold saucer and returning to the fridge for a few minutes – push the marmalade with your finger and if it wrinkles, it is ready to set. If not, keep boiling and testing.

Carefully ladle the hot marmalade into warm sterilised jars (wash then put in a cold oven, turn to low heat and leave for 20 minutes), then top with a wax disc and circle of sellophane. Leave to cool and set then it’s ready to eat.