Delicious & Delightful recipes
QUICK & EASY TREATS FOR EVERYONE
A Spoonful of Sugar ASpoonfulofSugar.com
January 2014
8
NEW RECIPES TO SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES
50 +Sweets & Treats p28
Extravagant cakes NEW
Innovative cupcake decorating ideas p22
£3.50 £4.50
Welcome!
Of course, we are obsessed with cakes at A Spoonful Of Sugar HQ. We see enough incredible cake designs and taste so many divine concoctions - it couldn’t be possible by any other way And so this issue is jam packed with delightful recipes to tantalise your taste buds and some background history on the treats you are making. From the history of the Victoria Sandwich featured on page 4 and American baking vs English baking on page 14. This issue is a visual feast of everything you will need to impress your friends or work colleagues. With inexpensive recipes, you don’t have to spend an absolute fortune when wanting to make a big extravagant cake. From one inspiring person to another, turn to page 8 for an exclusive interview with the owner of Lully Cupcakes.
EDITOR editor@aspoonfulofsugar.com ADVERTISEMENT advertisement@aspoonfulofsugar.co.uk SALES & ADVERTISEMENTS magazine@aspoonfulofsugar.co.uk EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jameelah Graham
2
ISSUE 1
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
A SPOONFUL OF SUgaR
Contents
PROMISES
January 2014
To Provide family friendly recipes that save you time and money
Celebrate the taste of some classic cakes, perfect your baking skills and show off your stylish creation to your friends!
M M
All recipes are nutritionally balanced, using everyday i ngredients
12
All recipes are triple tested. We test each recipe at least three times in an ordinary kitchen, to make sure it works for you first time and every time.
M Features 14 16
American baking vs English Baking Traditions of English Baking
WE LOVE 4 6
History of The Victoria Sandwich Quick and easy fruit tart
Cake treats
INTERVIEWS & TIPS
3 Decorative iced cupcakes 12 Chocolate tart recipe 20 Valentines Day Gingerbread Heart Biscuits 22 Cupcake decorating ideas 28 50 Sweets & Treats
8
Interview with the owner of Rosendale Cupcakes
24 Baker’s toolkit, the basic essentials to get you started 26 Start your own baking business , tips for a keen baker
6 3
ISSUE 1
6 ASpoonfulofSugar.com
American BAKING vs...BRITISH BAKING In the red corner we have... AMERICA
I
n this cake battle the two contenders are an American Classic, Red Velvet cake and the traditional English sweet treat luxury that is Eton Mess. The red velvet cake is a layer cake with a subtle chocolate flavour, known for its distinctive bright red colour the sweet treat was formally known as Devil’s Food Cake. This is because the sponge itself is often dark, rich and chocolatey resembling a devilish red. A proper red velvet cake is moist and soft, with a slight tang and not overly sweet. The flavours of cocoa are vaguely present, but not pronounced. The original red velvet cake was made from vegetable shortening which produces a tender crumb and light texture. The bubbles created in the mixture when heated fluffed up the cake, making it light and smooth. Variations developed using butter for more flavour which turns out rather dry, or oil for extra moistness. Red velvet cake without the adjective ‘red’ dates back to the civil war period, referring to a tender, moist and smooth texture. T h e unrelated addition of red to this cake’s name initially arose due to the chemical reaction of acid in unsweetened cocoa and buttermilk. Today, red velvet cake gets its colouring from a huge amount of red food colouring dumped in the mix, staining the cake a vivid red, but it wasn’t always so. Red velvet cakes previously got the ‘velvet’ part of their name not because they resembled bright red velvet dresses, but because their texture was so smooth
However, there are many myths as to how the infamous cake got its name. The theory of why the red colour is so significant is perhaps due to a 1950s housewife, dissatisfied with the brownish hue of her chocolate cakes and she mixed in a lot of food colouring. Or maybe someone was careless in measuring. Possibly a baker wanted a red cake for Valentine’s Day or another fitting occasion. Accidental or intended, the result is a flaming red cake. Here is how Red Velvet cake really got its name, during the Great Depression, and the post war period foods were rationed. Bakers boiled beetroot to create juices and enhance colour of their cakes. Beetroot is found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture. Traditionally, the cake is iced with a French style butter roux icing which is of a light and fluffy consistency. Families were using were using less food colourings and extracts. They were just one more unnecessary expense that could be cut out. Whilst the savings were good news for penny pinchers, it was not so great for the Adams Extract Company. To boost slumping sales the company came up with ‘The Adams Red Velvet Cake Recipe’, a concoction that used red food colouring and butter extract instead of the traditional ingredients.
and velvety. Their texture was in part influenced by the special ingredients put into the cake. The resplendent cake serves as a traditional treat for birthdays, Christmas, Fourth of July and Valentine’s Day. If you want to know how to bake these tasty treats from Great Britain and across the pond in America, visit our website ASpoonfulofSugar.com for the video tutorial going through step by step. 14 ISSUE 1
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
In the blue corner we have.. GREAT BRITAIN Eton Mess is a traditional British dessert, which consists of meringues, delicious fresh strawberries and soft cream, however over the years many people have substituted other types of fruit in this dessert. In addition, many people have come up with their own versions of Eton Mess, which is why you may come across different recipes for the same dessert. Eton mess was said to be invented around 1920s, it apparently got its name during the annual cricket match at Eton College, a rather giddy Labrador sat upon the picnic basket containing the strawberry pavlova, squashing it. The plummouthed boys didn’t care a single jot that their dessert had been essentially ruined (and probably covered in dog hair) and ate the thing anyway, preferring it to the Pavlova. And so the Eton Mess was born and served up as a summertime pudding ever after. It turns out this story is total nonsense, and was just invented by the cook during the 1930s.
DID YOU KNOW... The prestigious Eton College, was founded in 1440 by King Henry IV and has a long list of distinguished pupils, including Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William. Eton Mess was taken from two parts; the first word Eton was obviously taken from Eton College, where the dessert originated.The word mess refers to the appearance of the dish, as its appearance is not very tidy. In addition, the word mess also refers to a mixture of ingredients that are either cooked together, eaten together or both. The name ‘Eton Mess’ has stuck since the 19th Century. According to Recipes from The Dairy by Robin Weir, Eton mess was served at the school in the 1930s and was originally created with either strawberries or bananas. The fruit was mixed with ice cream or cream, according to the librarian at Eton College’s. Meringue was added later on, and is believed to be by a chef.
There are multiple stories about how this sweet sumptuous summertime dessert got its name. However, Eton Mess came about its namesake due to the cook creating the dessert at the famous English Eton College in Windsor England, and was traditionally served at the school’s annual prize giving celebration every 4th of June.
ISSUE 1
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
15
How to bake a rich, indulgent chocolate tart This chocolate tart recipe is a simple-to-make tart, that yields brilliant results. This lovely chocolate tart would be the perfect finish to a meal, the chopped hazel nuts are the delicious additions and truly complement the tart base.
1 2 3 4 5 12
METHOD Preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan or gas mark 5. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix until creamy and lighter in colour, using a spoon, hand held mixer or frestanding mixer.
6
For the gloss ganache on the top layer of the sponge, chop the chocolate into small pieces so it will melt easily and evenly. Pour nearly boiling double cream onto the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Leave the cake to chill overnight, add fruits and chocolate flakes if you wish.
Sieve the cocoa, flour and salt into a bowl and crack one of the eggs into a cup or ramekin. Constantly stiring all the time, add the egg and a third of the flour mixture into the sugar and butter, add the second egg and third of the flour and add the last egg and flour mixture in to the butter and sugar. You should have a smooth thick batter. If your batter is sift, add a splash of milk and stir. Put even amounts of the mixture into the tins and spread using a knife. Put into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until springy to touch. Take out of the oven at leave them in their tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the buttercream for each layer by melting the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over barely simmering water. Leave to cool but make sure the chocolate stays in liquid form. Put the butter into a bowl and add half of the sieved icing sugar and mix. Add the rest of the sugar with the chocolate and stir to combine. If you icing is runny, put it in the fridge to set up.
ISSUE 1
For the white chocolate version of this recipe visit ‘http//www.aspoonfulofsugar.com. Watch the tutoiral for this video too Follow us on Twitter @ASpoonfulofSugar and Like us on Facebook - A Spoonful of Sugar
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
ISSUE 1
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
13
Quick and Easy, Succulent Mixed Fruit Tart This feature will show you how to make a small, juicy fruit tart with a crumbly biscuit base in just 1hr 30 minutes! You’ll be able to impress your colleagues with this treat when you tuck into this on your break.
METHOD
1 2
For the pastry, sift together the flour and icing sugar in a mixing bowl until well combined. Tip in the butter cubes and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and work together with your hands until the pastry comes together. You may need to add a splash of ice-cold water if the pastry is too dry. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least ten minutes.
3 4
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Then, remove the pastry from the fridge and peel off the cling film. Roll the pastry out on a well-floured surface to a thickness of about 5mm/¼in. Cut circles of the pastry out with a cutter that’s only slightly bigger than a set of 10cm/4in tart cases. Carefully line the miniature tart cases, ensuring that you overlap the edge a little. Alternatively, lay the pastry on the top of the tins and roll a rolling pin over the tart case to cut them to shape - this should cut the pastry exactly the same size as the case. Then press the pastry into the tart tin with your fingers.
5 6
ISSUE 1
6
7 8
9 10
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Press a square of aluminium foil bigger than the tin against the bottom to make the shape of the tin. Then place the foil into
the pastry case and fill the case with ceramic baking beans. Repeat with the remaining pastry and cases. Place all the cases in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked and crisp all the way through. Remove the beans and foil lining and set aside the cases to cool on a wire rack. Then remove from the tins and set aside. For the crème pâtissière, heat the milk in a large pan until it is just boiling. Thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, plain flour and sugar in a bowl. Pour the milk into the bowl containing the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and cook over a medium heat while stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken as it just comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. At this point sprinkle over a little icing sugar to stop a skin from forming. Pass the jam through a sieve into a clean bowl to make it smooth. Heat up the apricot jam with two tablespoons of water and leave to cool. Spoon a little of the cooled crème pâtissière into each one of the tart cases. Top with whatever fruit you wish before brushing lightly with the cooled apricot jam.
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
ISSUE 1
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
7
The History Behind a british classic
This feature sees our editor Jameelah Graham delve into the history of a quintissential tea-time treat and how the Victoria Sandwich came to be an all time classic.
‘Queen Victoria would have a sinking feeling - in other words, she would feel hungry’
The Victoria Sandwich is the quintessential English cake, conjuring up images of Old England, quaint little tea shops and afternoon tea. This feature looks into the history of a delicacy that was created for the only British monarch who reigned longer than she has: the Victoria Sandwich. The Victoria Sandwich may well be Britain’s all-time favourite – though, that position has been contested by such impudent upstarts as carrot cake and chocolate, and is certainly an English classic. One of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting, Anna Duchess of Bedford was said to have invented the tradition of afternoon tea. During this time she had found that, in the late afternoon, Queen Victoria would have a ‘sinking feeling’ – in other words, she would feel hungry. The Duchess invented tea time initially as just a time of the day when her servants would sneak the Queen a few edible treats to last her until the evening meal. In due course, the Duchess expanded her tea parties so that they included guests, small cakes and petite sandwiches. The Victoria Sandwich was invented as a sweet treat to accompany tea time, which was a new concept during this period. From this, a national tradition was born.
4
ISSUE 1
contain jam, usually raspberry, but as the cake became more popular and cooks became more affluent, cream was added as a delicious addition. The Women’s Institute apparently has strict guidelines on the ‘correct’ way to make this cake. For all the hype and rivalry this isn’t actually a very difficult recipe. The Queen’s sweet tooth soon guaranteed that the small cakes that were served became her favourites. Fittingly, these small cakes were called Victoria Sponge cakes or Victoria Sandwiches, named after the Queen herself, presumably because of her great affection for it. In 1816 a landmark cookbook was published, ‘Mrs Beeton’s Book Household Management’ and it included a recipe for a Victoria Sandwich. Victoria Sandwiches were soon all the range and eventually became the measuring stick by which the home baker was judged. A true Victoria Sandwich would only
For the step by step video tutorial on how to make this classic tea time treat visit our website ASpoonfulOfSugar.com
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
METHOD
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 3
ISSUE 1
sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
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. 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
ASpoonfulofSugar.com
5