Tag: orange

Cluck cluck #1

Hi there. First off, apologies are in order. I missed my Monday night slot this week. I am deeply entrenched in finishing my portfolio and got really, really, involved in designing a book cover, more on that another time.

ANYWAY. My lovely housemate Vicky had her Hen Party a few weekends ago. Sadly I had something I had booked up a year in advance to go to so I couldn’t make it. Sad face. Instead I thought I would leave Vicky a little surprise on the dining table so she’d know I was thinking of her while she partied on down with her hens.

This is a little four part series, showing you how to make three different little hen/bachelorette party favours at home; the final post will detail all the finishing touches. You might prefer to use them as wedding favours or for childrens’ parties instead.

Heads up: I made 30 of each recipe, so if you’re looking to make a sweet treat for an evening in, divide, divide, divide the quantities of the recipe, don’t send me the bill for your fillings.

We’re kicking off this week with a recipe for orange sherbet. I just need to clarify for the sake of my US (and possibly Canadian?) readership, we mean something different when we say sherbet. You mean sorbet. We mean sherbet.

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You will need

300g/10.5 oz Icing sugar

300g/10.5 oz Granulated sugar

175g/6 oz Caster sugar

125g/4.5 oz Orange jelly powder (again, America, you mean jelly when you say jello)

1-2 tsp Yellow food colouring

1 tsp Orange extract

60 small, or 30 regular sized lollipops

Cellophane DL card bags

(makes 30)

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Step one

Mix together the granulated and caster sugars with the orange extract and colouring. If you want it to be a really bright colour, go for 2 tsp, I wanted a more subtle yellowy-orange so went for one.

Just in case you think I’ve lost it…the colour dilutes when you add the other ingredients.

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Step two

Add the jelly powder and stir again until fully combined. Give it a little taste at this point. For a stronger flavour add more jelly or more flavouring, but for the record, I think you’ll be set.

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Step three

Add the icing sugar and mix again thoroughly. See, now you you know what I mean about the colour? Nice and subtle isn’t it?

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Step four

Weigh 30g portions and pour into the card bags.

That’s where I’m leaving you for today I’m afraid folks, the finishing off will be in my round up post in a few weeks. The suspense is killing you I know.

In the meantime, just when you thought you weren’t even getting a gif this week. Here’s a tinker in her dungarees:

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Have a fabulous day whatever you’re up to!

Jaffa-ncy a cake?

Week two of the British favourites series. One of the most heavily contested treats in GB, it had to go to court in 1991 to establish once and for all if it were a cake or a biscuit to make sure McVitie’s (its creators) were in the right tax category.

This version is 100% a cake and I dare say my favourite of this series, though there are a few still to be baked, so we’ll see.

Though this recipe contains an orange curd and a chocolate ganache it’s actually pretty easy to make, and has been met with universal approval by all who have consumed, so please don’t be put off.

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You will need

For the cake:

185g/6.5 oz self raising flour

185g/6.5 oz butter/margarine (I use Stork)

185g/6.5 oz caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla extract/paste

For the orange curd:

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

85g/3 oz caster sugar

60g/2 oz butter

90ml/3 fl oz freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges should do)

Zest of one orange

For the ganache:

150ml/5 fl oz double cream

200g/7 oz dark chocolate

(makes 12)
jaffa-cake-cupcake-recipe

Step one

Zest one of the oranges on the smallest setting of your grater. If you don’t have a small setting don’t worry, we’re going to sieve it later. If you don’t have a small setting or a sieve then you’re stuffed, and a little odd.

Step two

Roll the oranges around to release the juices a little more. I also give them 10-20 seconds in the microwave.

Juice them using a juicer or a fork until you have the required 90ml.

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Step three

Combine the eggs and yolk, sugar, butter and the orange related ingredients into a heatproof bowl.

Set aside a little bit of zest aside to decorate with later.

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Step four

Place the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir regularly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. It should coat the back of a metal spoon without sliding off and will be fairly opaque and lighter in colour too.

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Step five

Sieve the mixture to remove the zest. Stir with a dessert spoon to get as much of the mixture through the sieve as possible.

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Step six

It’s time to make the cakes! This is a basic sponge recipe as the base of a jaffa cake is not flavoured per se. If you want an extra boost of flavour you could zest the second orange and add it to the cake batter. I’ve not actually tried this (though I expect it would be nice) and they are good without so not to worry if you don’t fancy it.

Combine the butter/margarine and the caster sugar. Using an electric whisk beat until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs and whisk again.

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Step seven

Beat in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla until fully combined.

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Step eight

Spoon the mixture evenly into 12 cupcake cases. It’s about two dessert spoons per case, but just keep topping up until you run out.

Bake on gas mark 4/180C/350F for 20-25 minutes. Take care not to open the oven halfway through or your cakes will sink.

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Step nine

While the cakes are cooling make the ganache.

Finely chop the chocolate (or grate it if you’re super keen) and place in a clean bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan. Do this slowly on a low heat, it burns quite easily.

The cream only needs to barely simmer before being poured over the chocolate and stirred until smooth.

The ganache won’t take long until it’s ready to pipe so only prepare it when the cakes and orange curd are nearly cooled.

You will know it’s ready when you drop a spoonful back into the bowl and it holds it’s shape.

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Step ten

Cut a section of sponge out the middle with a small veg knife, and chop off the pointy bit, saving the lid.

Fill with curd and place the sponge lid back on.

Point a piping bag full of ganache straight down and squeeze. You may need to use the tip of the back to spread it out a little as you go.

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Enjoy!!