Chewy Monkey Bars

The bars in the Hummingbird book all look so fun and tasty but after much deliberation I decided i'd make these ones as they reminded me of the 'Kellogg's Rice Krispies Squares', which I never really grew out of. Packed full of sugar, these bars really are for those with a sweet tooth, but they hit the spot with me and my friends. 

The bars or squares contain mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter, honey, mixed nuts and coconut so there are flavours coming out left right and centre. The good thing about these bars is that you can kind of change them into what you want, for example I didn't use cherries, but I added more nuts to compensate, I also used pink and white marshmallows which changed the colour slightly but the taste remained the same. They are also ridiculously simple to make and require no baking, if you don't want to make something too complex or time consuming then these are perfect.

Iwas happy with how they turned out, (even though they aren't the prettiest things in the world) but the only thing was, was that they didn't hold their shape very well even after leaving them for longer than the recommended time, luckily however this didn't affect the taste. I'm not sure if the problem was that there wasn't enough honey or extras to 'glue' it together, or the opposite and there was too much, does anyone have any ideas?  

Recipe(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:
          120g (4oz) runny honey
          60g (2oz) unsalted butter
          60g (2oz) crunchy peanut butter
          160g (5.5oz) white mini marshmallows
          1 tsp vanilla essence
          100g (3.5oz) rolled oats
          175g (6oz) puffed rice cereal
          175g (6oz) desiccated coconut 
          40g (1.5oz) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
          40g (1.5oz) glace cherries, roughly chopped
          100g (3.5oz) dark chocolate chips
          50g (13/4oz) chopped mixed nuts

One 22 x 31cm (9 x 12.5in) baking tray

Method:

• Line the tray with baking parchment. Place the honey in a saucepan with the butter, peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla essence and melt together over a low heat. 
• In a bowl, mix together the oats, rice cereal, coconut peanuts, cherries and 70g (2.5oz) of the chocolate chips. Pour the warm, melted ingredients over this dry mixture, stirring together thoroughly to make sure all of the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray.
• Melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the monkey bar mixture and sprinkle with the chopped mixed nuts, then leave in the fridge for about 1 hour to set. Once the mixture has set, it can be turned out on to a chopping board and sliced into 12 bars. 

Thank you for reading,

Naomi ♥

Tiramisu Cupcakes

I love tiramisu, so after seeing this recipe in the Hummingbird book I had to make them.  They have a classic sponge base which you then soak in soaking syrup and top with a flavoured frosting.  The recipe says to use Kahlúa, which is a rum-based coffee liqueur, however, I didn't have any Kahlúa so I mixed together some Rum and Tia Maria which actually worked really well.  You mix the alcohol with strong coffee, so I made like espresso coffee to make sure it was really strong.

The cupcakes were quite simple to make but they tasted really good. Tiramisu is a really light dessert and these cupcakes were equally as light.  Due to the soaking syrup they were slightly more moist than normal cupcakes and made the cupcake cases go slightly soggy, however I put them in the fridge for a bit to firm up and they stayed in shape really well. Like Naomi said earlier though, these are also cupcakes that annoyingly should be kept in the fridge due to the mascarpone cheese and double cream frosting. Despite this, they still taste really good and would definitely be made again.


Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge: 
          80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
          280g (10oz) caster sugar
          240g (8.5oz) plain flour
          1/4 tsp salt
          1 tbsp baking powder
          2 large eggs
          240ml (8.5fl oz) whole milk
          1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the soaking syrup:
          250ml (9fl oz) strong coffee
          75ml (2.5fl oz) Kahlua
          3tbsp caster sugar

For the filling and frosting:
          400g (14oz) mascarponne cheese
          50ml (13/4fl oz) Kahlua
          300ml (10.5fl oz) double cream
          30g (1oz) icing sugar
          Cocoa powder, for dusting

one of two 12-hole deep muffin tins 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, salt and baking powder on a low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated and have the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
• Break the eggs into a jug, then add the milk and vanilla essence and mix together by hand. With the electric whisk or mixer running on a low speed, slowly pour three-quarters of the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Once everything has been mixed together, scrape down the sides of the bowl to pick up any ingredients that were missed, then add the rest of the milk mixture and mix the batter again, now on a medium speed, until it is smooth and even.
• Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them up to two-thirds. If any batter is left over, use it to fill up to four more cases in a second tin. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin, then place on a wire rack to cool completely while you make the soaking syrup. 
• Pour the coffee and Kahlua into a saucepan and stir in the sugar. Place the pan on the hob and bring to the boil, allowing the liquid to reduce by about half, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Using the electric whisk, beat the mascarpone and Kahlua until smooth. Pour the cream into a separate bowl, add the icing sugar and whip into soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, making sure it is evenly mixed in. 
• When the cupcakes have cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a piece out of each sponge - about 2cm (3/4in) in diameter and 3cm (11/4in) long - and set aside. Pour approximately 1 teaspoon of the soaking syrup over each cut-out piece of sponge and pour another teaspoonful into the hollow of each cupcake. 
• Fill each hollow to about halfway with the mascarpone cream, then place the cut-out pieces of sponge back on top of the hole, covering the filling and, if necessary, trimming the sponge pieces to fit. Lastly, frost the cupcakes with the remaining mascarpone cream and dust lightly with cocoa powder. 

Thanks for reading

Olivia x x

Rocky Road Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe isn't from the Hummingbird book, but a friend and I really wanted to make them so I put the Hummingbird challenge on hold. These cakes are from the 'Making Cupcakes with Lola' book, which contains recipes from Lola's cupcakes, a cake business with various stores around London including one inside Topshop Oxford Street. All the cakes in the book look perfect, and vary from your standard flavours, with options such as Toffee Apple (which I want to try ASAP), maybe Olivia and I can bake our way through the Lola book when we eventually finish the Hummingbird one aha. 

I love rocky roads and I love cake, so when I came across the rocky road cupcake it was an immediate baking must. The sponge is a marbled vanilla and chocolate mix, which is then topped with a standard chocolate buttercream. That's not where it ends however, the next bit is the part where your inner child can be released, where the cupcake truly takes on its 'rocky road' title. The piling of marshmallows, almonds and chocolate chips allows complete creativity and then topping it with melted chocolate really does make it a cupcake dream. I was happy with how they turned out as they don't look too dissimilar to the ones in the book and they taste pretty good too! 


Recipe
(Making Cupcakes with Lola - Victoria Jossel & Romy Lewis)

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the sponge: 
          130g/1 cup self-raising flour
          100g/3/4 cup plain/all-purpose flour
          1 teaspoon baking powder
             1/4 teaspoon salt
          130g/1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, cubed and soft
          200g/1 cup (caster) sugar
             1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
          2 eggs
          120ml/1/2 cup milk
          1 tablespoon cocoa powder
          3 tablespoons flaked/slivered almonds
          25g/1/3 cup white mini marshmallows 
          40g/1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
          store bought chocolate sauce, to drizzle (or just melt chocolate as I did)

For the buttercream:
          135g/1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, cubed and soft
          410g3 cups icing/confectioners sugar
          45g/1/3 cup cocoa powder
          6 tablespoons milk 

muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4
• Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl
• Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients in alternate batches with the milk ad beat no low speed until combined. 
• Transfer half the mixture to another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder. 
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of the vanilla mixture into each muffin case, followed by 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture. 
• Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
• While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the chocolate buttercream. 
• Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth. Sift half the sugar and half the cocoa powder into the bowl, beating until incorporated. Add the second half of the sugar and cocoa and beat on low speed. 
• Slowly pour in the milk and when it is mixed in, beat for 3-5 minutes on a higher speed. 
• Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula. Cover with the almonds, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Finish by drizzling with chocolate sauce  (or melted chocolate). 

Thankies for reading,

Naomi ♥

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Back on the cupcakes and I decided to go for something quite simple, not that red velvet is a simple flavour but I think it's become a sort of new 'classic' recently. Whenever people ask me what they taste like I always find it hard to describe them, they have a hint of chocolate but aren't too sweet and the cream cheese frosting pulls the whole cake together. The best thing about the cake however, is the colour, it makes it different from your bog-standard vanilla or chocolate sponge but it doesn't look artificial like some coloured cakes.

Anyway, moving on to the actual cakes I made, they turned out pretty well (at least I think they did). The sponge was light and had just the right amount of cocoa and the cream cheese frosting was nice and fluffy. The only thing I dislike about making cakes with a cream cheese frosting is that you (ideally) have to keep them in the fridge, which then makes the cake less light and sometimes a bit doughy but it's just one of those annoying things in life I guess. 

Recipe

(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:

          120g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

          300g (10.5oz) caster sugar

          2 large eggs

          20g (0.75oz cocoa powder)

          40ml (1.5fl oz) red food colouring

          1 tsp vanilla essence 

          300g (10.5oz) plain flour

          1 tsp salt

          240ml (8.5fl oz) buttermilk

          1 tbsp white wine vinegar

          1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting:

          100g (3.5oz) unsalted butter, softened

          600g (1lb 5oz) icing sugar

          250g (9oz) full fat cream cheese 

          coloured sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

One of two 12-hole deep muffin tins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Break in the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition and mixing in the scrapings from the sides of the bowl.
• In a separate, small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla essence to form a paste. Add the paste to the batter, mixing thoroughly until the paste is completely incorporated. 
• Stir together the flour and salt in another bowl, then add the flour to the batter in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing thoroughly after each addition. Lastly, in another bowl, mix the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda together by hand and add it to the cake batter, mixing it in until it is fully incorporated. 
• Spoon the batter into the paper cases, so that they are two-thirds full, using any remaining batter to fill up to four more cases in another tine. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a short while in the tin, then place on a wire rack to cool completely before you frost them. 
• Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, and mixing on a low speed, beat the butter and icing sugar together until no large lumps of butter remain and the mixture is sandy in texture. Add the cream cheese and mix together slowly until everything is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting until it is soft and fluffy. 
• Cover all but one of the cupcakes with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese frosting, smoothing it down with a palette knife and making a swirl in the middle of the frosting for a decorative finish. 
• Place the remaining cupcake in a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs, then sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with the red crumbs. Or you can use coloured sprinkles instead, if you prefer. 

Thanks for reading, 

Naomi ♥

Maple and Pecan Layer Cake

After making cupcakes and whoopie pies I decided to go for a big cake to mix it up a little bit, and being a lover of maple syrup this one stood out to me. I've made maple and pecan pie in the past but never thought of putting it into a cake, however the result was really nice. The syrup makes the cake moist (sorry for anyone who hates that word, I know it's controversial ha) and in a good way a little bit sticky. It is obviously quite a sweet cake therefore you don't need a big piece but the pecans do cut through the sugary flavour. It took a little while longer to cook in the oven than the book said but I put that down to my tins not being the exact size as specified. Apart from that, it is an easy cake to bake and went down well with all the family, therefore definitely makes it onto my list of successful bakes and i'm sure will be made again. 


Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)
Serves 10-12

For the sponge:
          120g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
          400g (14oz) caster sugar
          360g (12.5oz) plain flour
          1.5 tbsp baking powder
          1.25 tsp salt
          360ml (12.5fl oz) whole milk
          40ml (1.5fl oz) maple syrup
          3 large eggs
          100g (3.5oz) pecans, chopped


For the frosting:
          240g (8.5oz) unsalted butter
          750g (1lb 10oz) icing sugar
          60ml (2fl oz) whole milk
          1 tbsp maple syrup
          pecan halves, to decorate
Three 20cm (8in) diameter loose-bottomed sandwich tins


Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170C (325F) Gas Mark 3, and line the base of the sandwich tines with baking parchment. 
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, set on a low speed, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until the mixture reaches a crumb-like consistency. 
• In a jug mix together the milk, maple syrup ad eggs by hand. With the whisk or mixer still on  low speed, pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until everything is combined. Stir in the chopped pecans by hand. 
• Divide the cake batter equally between the three prepared cake tines, then place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sponges are golden brown colour and bounce back when lightly pressed. Leave in the tines for a few minutes, then turn out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before you add the frosting. 
• Using the electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly mix the butter and icing sugar until fully combined and sandy in texture. In a jug mix together the milk and maple syrup, then pour this into the butter and icing sugar, while mixing on a low speed. When all the liquid has been incorporated, adjust the speed to high and beat until soft and fluffy. 
• Once the sponge layer feels cold to the touch, you can assemble the cake. Place the first layer on a plate or cake card and top with 3-4 tablespoons of the frosting. Smooth the frosting out using a palette knife, adding a little more if needed. 
• Sandwich the second layer on top, then add more frosting, followed by the third layer of cake. Next frost the sides and top of the cake, covering it completely so that no sponge is showing. Finally, decorate the top of the cake with pecan halves. 

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥ 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Our second creation is the Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Olivia had made a batch of whoopie pies before however this was my first try, therefore neither us knew completely what to expect. I'd say they are in between a biscuit and a cake, not quite as crunchy as a biscuit or cookie yet not quite as spongy as a cake. 

The mixture is extremely chocolaty due to the large amount of cocoa used, however this is cut through with the marshmallow fluff based filling. The filling did cause some problems whilst assembling the pies, the recipe states that you should leave the icing in the fridge for around 30 minutes to set a little. We ended up leaving ours in the fridge for over an hour and when we took it out it seemed hard enough to use, however minutes after spreading the mixture onto the pies they were sliding all over the place and we were struggling to take a decent photo without them falling apart. Neither of us are still sure why this happened and we can only try again with another whoopie pie recipe to see how they turn out. 

Despite the mishap with the filling, I did enjoy the pies as they are something a bit different to a cupcake and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the pies in the book turn out. 

Recipe

(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 8-10 pies

For the Sponge:

             1 large egg

          150g (5.5oz) caster sugar

          125g (4.5oz) plain yoghurt

          25ml (1fl oz) whole milk

          1/4 tsp vanilla essence

          75g (2.5 oz) unsalted butter melter

          200g (7oz) plain flour

          80g (3oz) cocoa powder

          3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

          1/4 tsp baking powder

For the filling:

             170g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

          280g (10oz) icing sugar

          220g (8oz) marshmallow fluff

Method:

• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the egg and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour the yoghurt, milk and vanilla essence into a jug and stir together, then add to the beaten egg and sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix in thoroughly on a medium speed.
• Sift the remaining sponge ingredients together, then add to the creamed mixture in two batches, mixing well on medium speed after each addition. Place the batter in the fridge to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3, and line two baking trays with baking parchment. 
• Once the batter ha cooled down, spoon it on to the prepared trays, dividing the mixture into 16-20 mounds (8-10 per tray), each 3-5cm in diameter and spaced 2-3cm apart. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Remove from the trays and place on a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely before sandwiching them together.
• While the sponges are cooking, you can make the filling. Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and icing sugar on a low speed until well blended. Add the marshmallow fluff, and lightly mix it in, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Place in the fridge and leave for about 30 minutes for firm up slightly. 

• To assemble the whoopie pies, take one sponge and spread about 1 tablespoon of the filling over the flat side, adding a little more if needed. Then stick another sponge, with the flat side facing down on the filling to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sponges and filling.

Thanks for reading,


Naomi xxx

Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes

We decided to start off with Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes, both agreeing they looked pretty good. They consist of a plain vanilla sponge with a raspberry, jam and custard filling topped off with custard and cream icing.
This was the first time either of us had made custard from scratch so it was definitely going to be a bit of a challenge, but they turned out pretty well, despite cooling the custard for a bit too long! This did make our custard slightly harder than expected when we took it out the fridge, however, it was nothing a bit of whisking couldn't fix as we managed to get it to the right consistency to pipe on.


We both thought they were pretty good cupcakes, however, we did think there was quite a lot of the custard/cream as it was the icing and inside the cake. Therefore we, personally, would only put the custard/cream on top of the cake and add extra jam in the middle to make a better jam to custard ratio. Other than that, we enjoyed them and would definitely make them again!


Recipe:
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:           
            80 g unsalted butter, softened

• 280 g caster sugar
• 240 g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.24 tsp salt
• 240 ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs

For the Filling and Frosting:

• 500 ml whole milk
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 5 egg yolks
• 100 g caster sugar
• 30 g plain flour
• 30 g cornflour
• 200 ml double cream
• 32 fresh raspberries
• 100 g raspberry jam

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C / gas mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Using a handheld electric whisk, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until the ingredients are well mixed and resemble fine breadcrumbs.
• In a jug, whisk together the milk, vanilla essence and eggs by hand, then pour three-quarters of this into the dry ingredients, while mixing on a slow speed. Beat together, scraping down the sides of the bowl, to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat again, on a medium speed, until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each one two-thirds. Any remaining batter ca be used to fill up to four more cases in an additional tin. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until the sponges bounce back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool down fully.
• While the cupcakes are cooking, make the custard for the filling and topping. Place the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla essence and bring to the boil. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a pasta, adding 1tbsp of the hot milk to thin it, if necessary.
• When the milk has boiled, remove the pan from the heat and mix 4-5 tbsp with the egg and flour paste, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining hot milk and return to the heat. Bring back up to the boil, whisking constantly, and continue to boil for a further minute to ensure the flour and cornflour are fully cooked. Pour the custard into a baking tray, cover with clingfilm and set aside to cool for 30-40 minutes.
• Tip the cooled custard into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. In a separate bowl whip the double cream into soft peaks, either by hand or using an electric whisk. Fold the whipped cream into the custard and use to fill a piping bag (if using).
• Using a sharp knife, make a hollow in the centre of each cupcake - approximately 2cm in diameter and 3cm deep - retaining the cut-out pieces of sponge. Place a raspberry upside down in the hollow of each cake, then spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top, followed by the same amount of custard, either piped of spooned into the hollow.
• Replace the cut-out pieces of sponge, trimming to fit and pressing down gently to ensure that the top is level with the rest of the cake, then pipe or spoon the custard topping in a circular motion (like whippy ice cream) on top of each cake. Add a fresh raspberry on top of the swirled custard to finish!

Thanks for reading,

Olivia xx

Welcome

After watching 'Julie and Julia' a while back we (Olivia and I) have both wanted to create a similar style blog; for those who haven't seen the film (I'd highly recommend it by the way) it is basically about a woman cooking her way through an entire recipe book whilst blogging about it. This blog however is mainly centered around baking instead of french cooking and after much deliberation we decided to bake our way through the whole of the Hummingbird Bakery 'Cake Days' book, a favourite for both of us. This doesn't mean however that other recipes from various books or sites won't slip in here and there.

Anyway, we'll be posting the first recipe soon so happy reading I guess :)

Naomi and Olivia xx