Saturday, 2 February 2013

Fairy cakes

I've always been rubbish at creaming butter, so I was looking forward to the Kenwood taking away that effort.



Ingredients
110g butter, softened at room temperature
110g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g self-raising flour
1-2 tbsp milk
For the butter icing
110g butter, softened at room temperature
220g icing sugar
2-3 drops food colouring
1 tbsp milk
Preparation method
1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole fairy cake tins with paper cases.
2.  Cream the butter and sugar together using the K-beater on a medium speed until pale. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.
3.  Fold in the flour using the K-beater on a slow speed. Add a little milk until the mixture is a soft dropping consistency and spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
4.  Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
5.  For the butter icing, cream the butter using the K-beater then slowly add the icing sugar. Add the drops of food coloring until the desired colour is achieved and add milk which improves the consistency. To ice the fairy cakes, pipe the icing over the cakes and set aside until the icing hardens.

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

1st Use - Shortcrust pastry for Mince Beef Pies

I received my Kenwood Chef as a gift from my parent's for Christmas. I've wanted one for years but despite my excitement it's taken until today for me to make my first use of it. I blame the distractions of planning for the arrival of our first child (eta 13th June).

I decided to make six individual mince beef pies.

Shortcrust pastry: Use the K beater on speed two to mix 300g flour and 150g butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Slowly add approximately 30ml water until dough comes together. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes wrapped in cling film in the fridge.

Filling: Fry one onion and 500g lean mince beef removing excess fat. Add 1 tbsp flour, a squeeze of tomato puree and 250ml beef stock and heat until liquid has reduced. Set aside to cool.

Make up the pies, brush with butter and cook at 200ÂșC for 20-30 minutes (until the pies look golden)