The Golden Egg Break, crack, splat and let the baking begin! Eggs are one of the most essential ingredients we use in baking, but you know the history of eggs? What about how to check for freshness? We’ve got your answers. Test for Freshness Did you know you can test an egg and get an approximation of its age? All you need are the eggs and a bowl of cold water. Gently drop the egg into the bowl of water. If it:
Sinks to the bottom and stays there, it is about three to six days old. Sinks, but floats at an angle, it's more than a week old. Sinks, but then stands on end, it's about two weeks old. Floats, it's too old and should be discarded.
Eggs act this way in water because of the air sac present in all eggs. As the egg ages, the air sac gets larger because the egg shell is a semi-permeable membrane. The air sac, when large enough, makes the egg float. Eggs are generally good for about three weeks after you buy them. And how do you see if an egg is hard cooked? Spin it on a flat surface. If the egg wobbles, it's fresh because the insides are moving around. If the egg spins smoothly, it's cooked.
For a test, dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 2 cups cold water, then put the egg in the water. If it sinks, it's good; if it floats, it's too old.
Ancient egg When did people start using eggs in baking and why? Food historians tell us the practice was ancient but they do not venture an exact place, date, or reason. The domestication of fowl (esp. chicken) greatly increased the availabiltiy of eggs to ancient peoples. This is thought by some to have begun in China in 6,000BC. About chicken. Culinary evidence confirms breads and cakes using eggs were made by Ancient Egyptian and Roman peoples. The reason most often sited was the recognition that eggs worked as binding (thickening) agents. How did that begin? The food historians to not venture into this territory. Possibly it was a discovery based on trial and error. Many foods and cooking methods (leavened bread, roasted meats, yogurt) were "invented" this way. "It is clear that Egyptians enjoyed their food. Nobles and priests were particularly well served, with at least forty different kinds of bread and pastries, some raised, some flat, some round, some conical, some plaited. There were some varieties made with honey, others with milk, still others with eggs." ---Food in History, Reay Tannahill [Three Rivers Press:New York] 1988 (p. 53)
Classic Recipes First thing’s first. Every avid baker needs a few classic recipes in her repertoire of which she can build new great recipes. This issue includes a Classic Victoria Sponge and a decadent Chocolate Cake.
Classic Victoria Sponge
200g caster sugar 200g softened butter 4 eggs , beaten 200g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp milk
1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
2. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
3. To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract if you're using it. Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the sponges, top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
chocolate cake w/ ganache 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids 200g butter 1 tbsp instant coffee granules 85g self-raising flour 85g plain flour 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g light muscovado sugar 200g golden caster sugar 25g cocoa powder 3 medium eggs 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp) 1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin
(7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break 200g good quality dark chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Cut 200g butter into pieces and tip in with the chocolate, then mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat 3 medium eggs in a bowl and stir in 75ml (5 tbsp) buttermilk.
4.2. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop 200g good quality dark chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour a 284ml carton of double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Remove fom heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.