heleneats

[heleneats]

All Kinds of Chocolate Cake

When times get tough, I bake. Having bombed a final the other day on no sleep and minimal revision and bla bla bla there was nothing more I wanted to do than to come home, put on Fleetwood Mac and bake.

For me, there's something strangely soothing about baking. Its probably the pre-baking ritual - turning on the music, clearing all the kitchen surfaces, measuring out the ingredients, getting all the equipment ready - that my inner creature finds comforting.

Anyway. In a bit of a rubbish mood, I was craving something dark, rich and chocolatey. Brownies? Too sickly sweet. I found a punnet of squashed raspberries going for 50p in Sainsbury's and couldn't think of any better use for them than in a cake. With dark chocolate. And white chocolate. And milk chocolate, just because and why not. It'd been a bad day. 

This cake was perfect. The chocolate sponge wasn't overly rich, and its sweetness was nicely balanced out by the bitterness of the dark chocolate ganache. The raspberries added tart and a pop of colour while the white chocolate buttons evened out the more adult flavours of the cake. Entirely prepared in 1(!) mixing bowl, I'll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients Cake: 50g cocoa powder 6 tbsp boiling water 3 large eggs 50 ml milk 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 100g soft butter 300g caster sugar

Icing: 150g dark chocolate 150ml double cream White chocolate buttons and raspberries, to decorate

Method Cake: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C; grease and line 2 round baking tins 2. Place cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl; add boiling water and mix until it becomes a smooth paste 3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined 4. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the prepared tins 5. Bake for 25-30mins until a knife/skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean 6. Cool for 10mins in tins before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely

Icing: 1. Place dark chocolate and and double cream in a heatproof bowl; heat over a pan of simmering water and stir until just melted 2. Remove from pan and cool until room temperature 3. Spread icing on both cakes 4. Decorate and devour.

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[heleneats]

No food-related post this week as I've been living amongst the piles of notes and books that have habitated my room. Stumbled across this gem last night and have been listening to it on repeat since. Food for the revising soul.

[heleneats]

Helen Eats: Amsterdam

With only 48 hours in the capital of the Netherlands, my boyfriend and I were determined to soak in as much of the 'Dam as we could. We booked a room through airbnb in a beautiful flat belonging to a lovely, young Dutch couple. For those of you who don't know, airbnb allows registered users to advertise spare rooms, or even entire apartments, for (short-term) rent to other users. Prices are usually much lower than that of hotels; rooms are nicer and cosier than those in youth hostels. The couple we stayed with even let us use their kitchen, TV, and washing machine!

We were based just off the river Amstel, in a residential area within walking distance of the city centre. Our hosts were super helpful and gave us recommendations of places to eat, drink and visit. During our weekend away, Leo and I visited the Rijkmuseum among other sights, cycled along the canals and spend hours on end in the many cafes and beerhouses that have been a long-standing tradition in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is easily my most favourite city in Europe. It isn't overwhelmingly big, and it was somewhat refreshing to be able to visit the main attractions and sights in a day, and to spend the next wandering and exploring. The Dutch are friendly, and they definitely take pride in the quality of their food and drink! 

Here is a list of places we particularly enjoyed and found especially worth mentioning:

De Ysbreeker A huuuuuge grand cafe just on the river Amstel, 'The Icebreaker' is the perfect place to spend the day reading/working, watching the boats go by and catching up with friends and family. Dark wood, marble and high ceilings give a touch of luxury, while the all-day menu is extensively mouthwatering yet affordable. Leo and I opted for a brunch of eggs, smoked salmon and rye bread and were not disappointed! We also shared a hefty slice of excellent Dutch apple pie afterwards which was delish. Being quite hungover, we unfortunately demolished the food before we could reach for our cameras. 

Weesperzijde 23 1091 EC Amsterdam +31 20 468 1808

Cafe de Wetering Having cycled around the city all day, it started pouring just as we got to Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, an area known for its antiques and art. We popped into a few shops and wandered around, until we decided it was time to give our (very soggy and tired) feet a rest. Leo spotted Cafe de Wetering on the corner of two very quiet, residential streets; the entrance was small and looked closed. Alas. On the inside it was cosy, had a wood fire going, and felt like and extension of someone's living room. We set up by a small table near the fireplace and had a go at some local Dutch beers and a game of scrabble. The latter proved a tricky task as the Dutch use different letters more frequently than the English, which made for a rather interesting game. The crowd was mostly locals from the surrounding neighbourhood. 

Weteringstraat 37 1017 SM Amsterdam +31 20 622 9676

Cafe 500 This has got to be, hands down, my favourite Italian restaurant. Cafe 500 is a small, unpretentious restaurant run by 3 young Italians. The menu is limited and in Italian, but the staff are more than happy to translate and recommend. The wine is awesome but the food is INCREDIBLE. We went on a Saturday night and the vibes were great. Given the number of tables, it is probably best to book ahead. 

Albert Cuypstraat 59 +31 20 6762687

Lunchroom Hannibal This cafe was recommended in the Lonely Planet guidebook. We'd spent most of the morning exploring Albert Cuypmarket and tasting what its stalls had to offer - put simply, a lot. A tonne of fresh fruits and juices, flowers, cheeses, hams, bread, and a weirdly large amount of rotisserie chickens. We loved the dutch pancakes (see below), but were in need of a sit-down and hot cuppa. Lunchroom Hannibal, to me, seemed like a brighter, healthier, less greasy, greasy spoon. Its menu is mostly sandwich, omelette and pancake-based; all served with varying degrees of cheese and/or ham, your pick. We both had Dutch ham and cheese sandwiches with fresh mint tea and again, a slice of Dutch apple pie. A great place for a spot of lunch.

Ferdinand Bolstraat 92 1072 LN Amsterdam +31 20 6735488

Dutch pancakes (Poffertjie) at Albert Cuypmarket Albert Cuypmarket is based in the trendy neighbourhood of De Pijp. Cafes, bars and cute boutique shops line the streets. For the most part of the week, Albert Cuypmarket takes over the streets with cratefuls of produce. The sights and smells are incredible. We were quite full from a big breakfast at Yoghurt Barn (below) and unfortunately didn't have the stomach capacity to try each and everything available. We did, however, manage to sneak in a plateful of poffertjie between the two of us. Poffertjie are small, fluffy pancakes made from buckwheat flour and served with butter and icing sugar. I've forgotten the name of the stall we got them from, but they were delish.

Yoghurt Barn Yoghurt Barn is a shop that sells yoghurt like how ice-cream and froyo are sold. You pick your yoghurt and toppings as someone fills a tub to the brim of the good stuff. The choices are endless - soy/greek/vanilla/goats milk yoghurt, fruits, berries, nuts, cereals, chocolates, etc. The coffee and pastries are excellent, too. It was a great place to start our weekend, sitting at one of the wooden tables in the airy bright shop planning our next few days.

Eerste van der Helststraat 801072 NZ Amsterdam +31 20 221 6932

Winkel Cafe We ate a grand total of 6 slices of Dutch apple pie on our first day in Amsterdam, and were determined to equal it on our second. Leo had read about Winkel Cafe and its famous apple pie, and was a man on a mission when it came to navigating our way through the city to find it. In the north-western corner of Amsterdam in the district of Jordaan, Winkel Cafe sits amongst numerous art galleries and other cafes. It started pouring once we got to Jordaan, and Winkel Cafe was packed. Service was great but the rain had made the atmosphere a bit competitive, as customers got aggressive over who had been waiting for longer. The apple pie itself definitely lived up to the name. Thick and chunky bits of apple with sprinklings of cinnamon and raisins; served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Mmmmh.

Noordermarkt 43 1015 NA Amsterdam +31 20 623 0223

Girassol Arriving late on Friday night meant we were a little tired from travelling and in need of a quick supper somewhere closeby. Girassol was literally around the corner, and was busy despite it being 11pm on a Friday night - always a sign of a good restaurant, in my opinion. A family run Portuguese eatery, the owners are friendly and welcoming, but I'm not sure if they speak English or not. The menu was explained to us in Portuguese/Dutch/Dutchuguese and we just nodded eagerly and smiled; from our experience, I think they have a set menu each night, with a mixed platter of starters, a choice of fish/meat for mains, and a few desserts. It didn't matter, as it was all pretty scrumptious and fairly cheap. House wine was good, too.

Weesperzijde 135 1091 ES Amsterdam  +31 20 692 3471

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[heleneats]

Homemade Ravioli

Life has been pretty monotonous as of late. Exams period means days are spent between the library, the swimming pool where I train, and home. My friend Izzy recently returned to the UK after having spent a few months working in South Africa, and I thought it'd be a great idea for a few friends to get together to take a break from revision, catch up and have some fun at cooking dinner.

I was given a ravioli making kit for my birthday last year, but hadn't tried it since, mostly out of sheer laziness. Mine's from Kitchen Craft; you can buy a similar one here.

Homemade ravioli is surprisingly easy to make, and a million times better than the shop-bought stuff. I've been making my own since, as the dumplings are satisfyingly bigger and flavourful than anything I've ever had before. You can make them in bulk and freeze the rest for another time.  

We'd decided three fillings: spinach + ricotta, and pancetta, ricotta + sage for the mains, served with a simple tomato sauce, and for dessert, nutella. You can really go ape and fill the ravioli with ANYTHING, so long as its soft enough to be 'stuffable' into the dough.

Ingredients Dough: 300g plain flour 3 large eggs

Filling: 300g spinach leaves 160g pancetta, cubed 500g ricotta cheese 1 egg yolk A sprinkle of dried sage Salt and pepper, to taste 350g tomato sauce Parmesan cheese, to serve Fresh basil, to serve

Instructions Dough: 1. Place flour on a clean surface and make a well in the centre 2. Crack eggs into centre of well 3. Using your fingertips, incorporate a little flour into the well and mix in with the egg. Repeat and continue until everything is combined. 4. Knead dough until smooth and elastic 5. Cover and chill in fridge until read for use! 

Filling: 6. Fry pancetta until lightly browned; drain off oil and cool. 7. Chop finely and mix with 250g of ricotta and half the egg yolk 8. Season with sage, salt and pepper.

9. Steam spinach and pat dry with a tea towel 10. Chop finely and mix with remaining ricotta and egg yolk 11. Season with salt and pepper

12. Roll out dough until it is thin enough to see you hand clearly through it 13. Lay onto ravioli tray and press into wells 14. Press fillings into wells (do not over-fill otherwise they will burst when cooking!) 15. Lay another sheet of dough on top (see picture above) 16. Use a rolling pin to seal the dumplings; remove from tray 17. Cook in a large pot of boiling water until the ravioli float 18. Serve with tomato sauce, generous shavings of parmesan and fresh basil. 

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P.S. Here's our dessert ravioli -

[heleneats]

(February) Super Brownies

Hi Tumblr, its been a while. Things over the past two weeks have been pretty hectic recently and life kind of got in the way of baking and blogging. However, my dissertation has been handed in, classes done and dusted, and plans for next year sorted(-ish).  From here on out its revising for finals, baking and exploring what London's food scene has to offer! 

I've mentioned it before, but as part of my boyfriend's Christmas present last year, I promised to bake him something once a month. For February, I wanted to bake something a bit more adventurous. My housemate (well-known for her love of potatoes and chocolate) showed me something she'd found on buzzfeed - a bar made of a layer of chocolate chip cookie, Oreos and brownie. I was sold. 

These brownies are SUPER. Rich yet not sickly sweet, best served when they've cooled down a bit with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Apologies for the crap photo - they didn't last long enough for a decent shot.

Ingredients Cookie layer: 1/2 cup butter 1 1/8 cup granulated sugar 1 1/8 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 1/8 cup plain flour 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg A splash of full-fat milk 1 cup chocolate chips

2 packs Oreos (roughly 32 biscuits in total)

Brownie layer: 125g butter 125g dark chocolate 180g golden caster sugar 2 large eggs 60g plain flour 30g cocoa powder

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to (fan) 160°C; grease and line 2 square baking tins

Cookie layer: 2. Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla with an electric whisk 3. Beat egg and milk; stir into mixture with a wooden spoon 4. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into bowl; stir with a wooden spoon 5. Stir in chocolate chips 6. Press dough into bottom of prepared tins

7. Arrange Oreos in a single layer to cover the cookie dough layer

Brownie layer: 8. Melt butter and dark chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; remove to cool 9. Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until the mixture resembles a thick milkshake - this should take roughly 5-8 minutes 10. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the bowl and fold gently with a spatula to combine 11. Sift flour and cocoa powder into mixture; fold gently until batter is just combined. 12. Pour into tins over Oreo and cookie dough layers 13. Bake for 35-40 mins; remove and cool completely in tins 14. Cut into squares and devour. 

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[heleneats]

Banana & Nutella bread

Having handed in two massive essays and taken an exam in one week, I was in need of some therapy (in the form of baking) last weekend. Practically living in my university's library meant I had neglected to feed myself properly - my diet consisted of bowlfuls of cereal and hastily made, stir-fries. 

On Saturday I discovered a bunch of rather sad looking, old, brown and spotty bananas. I'd also decided to give up chocolate for Lent so needed to use up any cocoa-containing ingredients I had before Wednesday, which was a half-used tube of gianduja. Perfect. Gianduja is v. similar to Nutella, but perhaps slightly less sweet and more nutty. My tube was obtained from a friend doing her year abroad in Italy - check out her travel experiences here! 

This recipe makes one loaf - retrospectively, I should've made two as it was devoured by my housemates in under half a day. Super easy and best sliced when slightly cooler (so it doesn't squidge everywhere) but when the Gianduja/Nutella is still warm and gooey. Oooft.

Ingredients 1 cup mashed (old, brown, spotty) bananas 1/2 cup brown sugar ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup full-fat milk 1 large egg 1 tsp  vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups plain flour  1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup Nutella/Gianduja 

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to (fan) 170°C; grease and line loaf pan 2. Mash bananas with a potato masher; set aside 3. Melt Nutella in microwave; set aside 4. Beat sugar, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla until well mixed 5. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt into mixture 6. Stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated 7. Add bananas; stir 8. Drizzle 2/3 melted Nutella over batter and gently stir to form swirls 9. Gently pour batter into pan 10. Add the remaining Nutella and swirl over batter 11. Bake for 45-50 mins, until skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean. 12. Cool in pan for 10 mins before removing onto wire rack. 13. Slice and serve!

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[heleneats]

(January) Peanut Butter Cake

Last year, as part of his Christmas present, I promised my boyfriend a cake a month in 2014. With last weekend being the first of March, I realised I was literally months behind. Shit. I hastened to the kitchen and began to bake with what ingredients I had in my cupboard.

I love peanut butter. Particularly the all natural, no added salt or sugar type that you really have to stir to mix in the nut oil with the crunchy peanuts; having said that, I am always impartial to a spoonful of Skippy.

And so it began. I'd recently stocked up on a kilogram tub of the glorious nut butter and so had plenty of room to experiment. The peanut butter cake itself had a great sponge and a delightfully subtle peanutty taste. The icing had a stronger flavour, and was deliciously sweet yet salty at the same time.

Ingredients Cake: 1½ cup plain flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ⅓ cup vegetable oil ⅓ cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter (I use Meridian Crunchy Peanut Butter) 1 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing: 55g softened butter 125g natural, unsweetened peanut butter 125g icing sugar A generous splash of full-fat milk

Instructions Cake: 1. Preheat oven to (fan) 170°C 2. Grease two 7-inch round baking tins 3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. 4. Cream together peanut butter, oil and brown sugar with an electric whisk 5. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined 6. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition until just combined. 7. Pour batter equally into tins 8. Bake for 35-40 mins until skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean 9. Cool cake in tins for 5mins before removing onto wire rack to cool completely.

Icing: 1. Beat butter and peanut butter in a bowl until combined 2. Gradually beat in icing sugar 3. Add milk, one splash at a time, until icing is thick and spreadable 4. Beat for a further 3 mins 5. Ice cake and eat. Don't share.

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[heleneats]

Easy Peasy Baked Lemon Cheesecake

Having returned to London only last week, I thought it'd be a great idea to host a post-holiday dinner party for a handful of friends. In my excitement to catch up with everyone, I forgot about the all-powerful effects of jetlag. After crossing 8 time zones and on little to no sleep, I found myself with only 4 hours until my guests arrived, and a 3-course meal to prepare.

Cheesecake (baked or not) is one of the easiest cakes to make and I find it rather annoying that many high street cafes and restaurants still serve up sickly sweet and over-rich plates of it. The perfect cheesecake should have a rich, crumbly, flavourful biscuit base of considerable thickness - i'm all about the base to filling ratio - and a velvety, airy, deliciously tangy (but not too tangy) filling. 

This recipe is perfect for those lacking in time and looking to impress. It is easy to prepare, looks great and can be left in the oven while one busies themselves with other tasks. 

Ingredients 112g digestive biscuits 50g butter, melted 125g mascarpone 300g full-fat Philadelphia soft cream cheese 1 egg and 1 yolk Zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1  2tbsp plain flour 85g caster sugar Raspberries, to decorate

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to (fan) 160°C 2. Crush digestives in a ziploc bag until they resemble crumbs; mix well with melted butter. 3. Press mixture into bottom of round 21cm tin and chill in fridge. 4. Beat all other ingredients with an electric whisk until combined (this should take about 3-5 mins) 5. Pour into tin and bake for 40mins 6. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake inside to cool completely.

NOTE: The cake should be wobbly all over after baking; it will set as it cools in the oven. It is important to leave the cheesecake inside the oven otherwise large cracks will form as it cools!

Enjoy,

H

[heleneats]

Fail-proof Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I've been using this recipe for about 5 years now, with consistent results and positive feedback. Warning - these cookies are NOT akin to the cake-like monstrosities you get at Ben's Cookies (not that I have anything against Ben and his cookies; they're fantastic, just not quite the right texture for the good ol' oat + raiz). These cookies are incredibly moreish, thick and chewy. Perfect with a hot cuppa on a cold winter's day. (Or for breakfast.)

Another warning - this recipe makes LOADS of cookies, roughly 4 dozen. Fret not, they'll be eaten up soon enough.

Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter (softened/room temperature) 1 cup light brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs (beaten) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 1/2 cups rolled oats 3/4 cups raisins

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to fan 180°C; line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper 2. Beat butter and sugars with an electric whisk until creamy 3. Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract; stir with a wooden spoon 4. Sift flour and baking soda into mixture; stir until just incorporated 5. Stir in oats and raisins 6. Roll roughly a heaped dinner spoon's worth of dough into a ball and flatten on tray. Place cookies about an inch apart. 7. Bake for 10-12 mins on lower to middle shelf of oven. You know they're done when the bottom of the cookies are brown! 8. Cool on tray for 1 minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely 9. Consume

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[heleneats]

Helen Eats: Gordon's Wine Bar

I was introduced to family-run Gordon's on a first date about a year and a half ago, and have since returned more times than I can count. Unfortunately I haven't any photos of the place as its business and lightning don't photograph too well - here are a few off Google images:

Gordon's Wine Bar is London's oldest; located right by the river, it is the perfect place to bring old friends, family and potential love interests. The street-level entrance looks like an old shop - however, you descend the stairs into a warm, candle-lit subterranean den with exposed brickwork and vintage bits and bobs on the walls. The outdoor terrace is lovely in the summer (and winter, when the gas heaters are on). 

The wine selection is HUGE (yet affordable, at roughly £13-20 a bottle). Kept in casks behind the bar, there are also a handful of ports and sherries to choose from. However, my favourite part of an evening at Gordon's is the food (obviously). A perfect spread of bread, cheeses and pickles to accompany the vino. The platters are generously portioned and staff are more than happy to help you choose between smoked cheddar or port salut. Baguettes are crusty and homemade, and the pickles are done just right - not too overpowering yet deliciously crunchy.

Despite ticking all the boxes, Gordon's has somehow managed to stay under the radar from tourists and the masses. The crowd ranges from mid-20s to 40s and so can get quite busy on a Friday night - perhaps not the best time to take your granny visiting from out of town.

All in all, a wonderful place full of character and one of London's best kept secrets.

Gordon's Wine Bar 47 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NE

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[heleneats]

HELPS US FUND THIS PROJECT: http://kck.st/17NVkC9

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? There’s an obsession with “being a twenty-something”.

I don’t want to be creating more ideas and definitions on yet another online platform, giving people bullet pointed lists of excuses for them to act the way they do. We don’t need to define you on TwentyBliss. We want to hear your ideas, give you resources and an audience. It’s about coming together with things that we have in common at an age where so many opportunities are in front of us, and executing them. Curating and cultivating our futures together.  We should be seeking inspiration, not validation. We want to create a global conversation about art. Art should be for everyone. How many times have you walked into galleries feeling as though you have to hold your breath as well as your tongue? Art should be celebrated in a welcoming and comfortable environment, connecting individuals. That’s what a TwentyBliss exhibition is. People in their twenties often have so much to say, but don’t necessarily have anyone to listen, which is why we are also currently shooting a short film in LA (clips of it was shown in the video above), interviewing people in their twenties and asking them to share their perspective of our generation. As artists ourselves, we understand the crippling fear that comes with showing your work. We believe that part of the intimidation comes from having to approach galleries and all the in-between details of putting together an opening night- We want to eliminate that. We’ll guide you and provide a guaranteed audience for you to be heard. It’s all about connecting people at the end of the day. Every little bit counts. Please help spread the word. Click over to: http://kck.st/17NVkC9

[heleneats]

Best Chocolate Cake

Last night, with the temperature in London approaching zero degrees and having spent the past few days living in the library, I was positively itching to bake.

A friend, who spends his time between Bologna and London, suggested I bake a layered chocolate cake with a mascarpone and Nutella filling. I obliged - the result:

This is, hands down, the easiest and best chocolate sponge recipe I've ever tried. It can be made in a single bowl (less washing up), bakes evenly and tastes like real chocolate.

Admittedly, I wasn't too sure about the combination of mascarpone and Nutella, but the final product had me converted - the mascarpone balances out the sweetness of the Nutella, and hazelnut and chocolate are a pair I shouldn't, and don't, have to convince anyone of.

Ingredients Cake 100g milk chocolate 100g dark chocolate 200g butter (I use Stork as I find it gives a better textured sponge) 100ml hot water 200g light brown sugar 100ml soured cream 2 eggs, beaten 200g self-raising flour 5 tbsp cocoa powder

Filling 50g Nutella 225g mascarpone cheese Roughly 100g icing sugar

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to fan 160°C; grease 2 round 7-inch cake tins 2. Melt chocolate, butter, sugar and water in a bowl over a pan of simmering water 3. Set aside until bowl feels slightly warm; stir in soured cream, followed by the eggs 4. Sift in flour and cocoa powder. Whisk until lump-free; stop just before you think you should! 6. Pour equally into tins and bake for 45-50mins 7. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from their tins 8. Beat mascarpone and nutella until creamy; add icing sugar to taste and beat on high 9. Ice ice baby.

Buon appetito!

H

[heleneats]

Artichoke & Rosemary Foccacia

Homemade bread, artichokes, rosemary and olive oil. A finger-lickingly delicious combination and the perfect recipe for summer.

Lots of people aren’t too keen on  baking their own bread – mostly due to the idea of spending the entire day kneading a lifeless lump of dough. Homemade bread is incredibly rewarding, and infinitely tastier than anything you can buy at Gail’s or Bagatelle. The two tricks of the trade are: temperature and time. Ideally, all ingredients should be at body temperature; it is absolutely crucial for the water to be warm, and the dough to be made and let to rise in an equally warm room. (A good alternative is to let the dough rise in a switched-off oven, with a large bowl of hot water) You must also allow sufficient time for the dough to rise; stop checking on it every 5 minutes and chill. Take a nap.

Ingredients 500g strong flour 7g sachet fast-action yeast 350ml tepid water 1 heaped tsp salt Large bunch rosemary 285g jar artichokes antipasti in oil 50g freshly grated parmesan Black pepper

Instructions 1. Put flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add yeast and salt. 2. Gradually pour in the water, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon, and then your hands - it should be soft, but not too sticky or wet. Add extra water/flour if necessary. 3. Knead on a floured surface until it is smooth, soft and springs back when pushed with a finger (this should take about 10 mins) 4. Leave to rise in an oiled bowl covered with cling film in a warm place for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size 5. Finely chop half of the rosemary leaves, and break the rest into smaller pieces. Drain the artichokes (save the oil for later) and chop into chunks. 6. When risen, roll out dough on an oiled work surface into a 35 x 45cm rectangle 7. Slip an oiled baking sheet under half of the dough; top the half with artichokes, all the Parmesan and rosemary. Grind over black pepper and drizzle with a little artichoke oil. 8. Fold over the other half, pressing the edges together and under to seal 9. Leave to rise in a warm place, covered with oiled cling film, for half an hour. 10. Preheat oven to 240°C/fan 220°C 11. Drizzle over a little artichoke oil. Make dents in the top with your fingers and pop rosemary sprigs into the dents. Grate over a little more cheese. 12. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and risen 13.   Cool on wire rack for half an hour. Cut into squares and enjoy!

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[heleneats]

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Loaf Cake

I baked this a while ago, in the hopes of making it taste and feel somewhat like Spring, despite it being the coldest London had experienced in 50 years.

This is one of my favourite cakes and one I consider to be a bit of an underdog. Kind of like a more sophisticated and healthier pound cake, it is often forgotten among the rich and mighty red velvets and chocolate fudges of cake-dom, and doesn’t receive as much attention or praise as it should. Benefits of its mild and less-than-sweet flavour include being able to eat as much as you like, without suffering from the headaches or nausea that come with eating too much cake.

Moist yet light, and incredibly comforting, this is the perfect cake for warmer days

Ingredients 175g unsalted butter (softened) 100ml greek yoghurt 2tbsp lemon curd 3 eggs Zest and juice of 1 lemon 200g self-raising flour 175 golden caster sugar 85g blueberries 140g icing sugar Extra greek yoghurt, lemon curd, blueberries to serve

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan 2. Grease a large loaf tin and line bottom with baking paper 3.  Quickly mix butter, yoghurt, lemon curd, eggs, lemon zest, flour and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk until they just come together 4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared tin; sprinkle half the blueberries into the tin. Repeat with rest of batter and blueberries 5. Bake for approximately 1 hour, 15 mins (When inserted, a toothpick should come out clean) 6. Cool completely before removing from tin 7. Sift icing sugar into a bowl and stir enough lemon juice to make a thick, smooth icing 8. Ice and decorate 9. Eat; don’t share

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[heleneats]

Helen Eats: Flesh & Buns

Flesh & Buns is a new restaurant brought by the same team behind Bone Daddies; a ramen joint that opened in London just last year. This time, the focus of the menu is hirata buns – originally from Taiwan, these are steamed dough buns typically filled with a thick cut of sticky pork and a bit of lettuce.

With a definite lack of ‘bao’ eateries in London (Yum Bun is delish, but doesn’t have seating and is a little pricy – same goes for the food stalls dotted around the city), a fellow foodie and I were hot on the heels and paid Flesh & Buns a visit just 3 days after opening.

Located in a large basement just off the Seven Dials, the restaurant has an open kitchen on one end, and a bar down the other. Booths and small tables line the sides and a tall, long, sharing table features down the centre of the room.  Service was friendly, and our waitress was very helpful in suggesting dishes and advising us how to order (2-3 small dishes and an order of ‘flesh and buns’, to share). Loud music played and generally the vibe was fun.

The cocktails incorporated Asian ingredients and had an unusual mix of flavours - these were refreshing and well-made; Asahi on tap was definitely a plus for me.

Small plates included the usual sushi, sashimi, tempura, salad/veg selection – the yuzu kosho mayo and tenderstem broccoli combination went down a treat, and the deliciously salty, ‘japanese pepper and lime’ fried squid was cooked just right.

Our hirata buns were gone in 60 seconds. My partner-in-crime’s pulled pork was tender and melt-in-the-mouth; the sauce tasty, yet not overpowering. I chose the lighter, more summery option – the grilled seabass had a delightfully crispy skin and was served with a fresh tomato salsa (nothing special, but accompanied the fish well). The buns were just lovely - warm, soft and fluffy.

As recommended by our waitress, dessert consisted of the kinako doughnuts filled with black sugar custard, and yuzu meringue pie with raspberry sorbet. The meringue pie was average - the flavours were not particularly delicate, and overall the ensemble felt like it was put together in a hurry. On the other hand, the doughnuts were scrumptious – made with roasted soya bean flour, these were warm and fluffy; the oozy black sugar custard was delicate and just sweet enough.

We left satisfied and stuffed. A return visit soon is definitely on the cards.

Flesh & Buns 41 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LX 020 7632 9500 www.fleshandbuns.com

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[heleneats]

Perfect Carrot Cake

Having flown nest 6 years ago, I have since been on the quest for a carrot cake recipe that compares with my mother's own. In my opinion, the perfect carrot cake should be dense, rich, studded with raisins, nuts - and, the word everyone loves to hate, moist. Kind of like a more mature, deeper and richer version of the carrot cake sold in Pret and Yumchaa.

The recipes tried did not quite come up to scratch - The Hummingbird Bakery’s I found plain, flat and lacking in 'oomph'. This BBC Good Food recipe was not moist enough and had an odd, crumbly texture.

After much experimenting and tweaking, here it is:

Note: This is a very easy recipe, suitable for even the earliest of beginners. The only skill (if you can call it that) required is for measuring the ingredients.

Ingredients Cake: 1 cup wholemeal flour 1/2 cup plain flour 1 cup caster sugar 1/2 cup oil (rapeseed or sunflower) 2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tbsp cinnamon Half small can crushed pineapple (drained) 3/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup grated carrot

Icing: 1/2 cup icing sugar 100g Full-fat Philadaelphia cream cheese 50g softened, unsalted butter Walnuts/pecans to decorate

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to (fan) 160C 2. Mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon until they just come together 3. Bake in 2 round cake tins on the middle to lower shelf of the oven for approximately 45 mins (When inserted, a toothpick should come out clean) 4. Cool completely before removing from tin 5. Beat all icing ingredients together with an electric whisk until very smooth 6. Ice and decorate!

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