Turkish Pide by Kenrick Rhys Photography

Hi, I’m Kenrick.  I am a photography and food lover from Auckland, New Zealand, where I run Kenrick Rhys Photography, specialising in Wedding and Portrait Photography.

This is my second post on Baking Makes Things Better.  If you didn’t catch my last post, 5 Minute Microwave Fudge Brownie, you can check it out here.  Today’s recipe is one for Pide; a broad, round and flat bread made of wheat flour originally from Turkey.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
500g flour
1 ½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
Olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds / black sesame seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 egg yolk

Method:
Mix the yeast, sugar, a little of the flour and a little of the warm water in a small bowl.
In a large bowl or on a clean bench, mix the bulk of the flour and salt together and make a well in centre.  Add the yeast mixture to centre of the well and mix with a wooden spoon or using your hands.  Add in small amounts of the water, continuing to mix until a dough has formed (the consistency you are after is like a slightly sticky play dough).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured clean bench and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Grease a large bowl with a little olive oil and place the dough in the bowl.  Cover with a damp tea
towel.  Leave in a warm, draft free place for 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut it in half.  Flatten the dough slightly with your hands.  Place the dough onto some non-stick baking paper.  Cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm draft free place for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 230°C.  Place a baking tray in the centre of the oven.
With floured hands, stretch each piece of dough into a long skinny rectangle approximately 20 x 40
cm.  Leave on the non-stick baking paper.  Cover with damp tea towel and leave aside for 10 mins.
Combine seeds and cumin seeds in a small bowl.  Make indentations with floured fingers on the top of the dough, brush on egg yolk, sprinkle seeds and cumin on top.
Remove the hot baking tray from oven.  Still on the baking paper, slide loafs onto the baking tray.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Kenrick’s Tips:

• When making dough, mix the yeast with a little flour, water and sugar before anything else.  This gives the yeast a head start and helps your bread rise faster.
• The best place to rise your bread can be your car of all places.  It’s usually the warmest place around, just make sure it’s not too hot, about 30 - 37 degrees is perfect.
• When making bread in a hurry, you can mix and knead your dough and then place it covered in the refrigerator for a day or so (or the freezer for longer), then leave it on the bench for a few hours to thaw/warm up, then shape and rise again in a warm place as usual.  This is great if you make too much dough or don’t have the time to do the whole process in one go.
• To check if the bread is cooked all the way through, turn it over and gently tap on the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow if cooked inside.

Check out the Kenrick Rhys Photography website and like them on facebook.

Cookies and Cream Marshmallow by High Tea With Dragons

Hi everyone!  It’s Kirsten from High Tea with Dragons here - I’m beyond honoured to be guest posting on Baking Makes Things Better today!

Marshmallow is one of my absolute favourite treats to make and once you get the hang of it, is unbelievably easy too!  If you haven’t tried making marshmallow before then you’re missing out - homemade marshmallow is totally different from its store-bought cousin; it’s super soft, packed with flavour and melts away in your mouth.

This recipe for cookies and cream marshmallow is perfect for beginners – the flavours come from a little bit of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla essence) and crushed Oreo cookies, not additional sugar syrups like some more complicated marshmallows.  This marshmallow is absolutely delicious – the crushed Oreos are a crunchy surprise when you bite in, perfectly balanced by the smooth vanilla marshmallow.  I’m sure you’ll love it – enjoy!

Note: While the mixture itself takes around 30 minutes to prepare, keep in mind that marshmallow needs to set for 24 hours before you slice and dust it.

Ingredients:
500g sugar
4 teaspoons glucose syrup
2 tablespoons gelatine powder
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
¾ cup Oreo cookies, crushed
½ cup icing sugar (to dust)
½ cup corn flour (to dust)

Method:
Grease and line a rectangular tray with baking paper.  Lightly spray top of baking paper with non-stick spray.
Place 200ml of water in a bowl and sprinkle with gelatine.  Set aside.
Place sugar, glucose and 200ml of water in a large saucepan.  Place on low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat to medium-high and insert sugar thermometer.  Boil for 3-5 minutes until the mixture reaches 120°C.  Remove from heat and carefully add gelatine mixture.  Whisk until gelatine dissolves and no lumps remain.
Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with a whisk attachment on high until foamy. Gradually add hot sugar syrup while mixing.  Continue to beat on high until white and glossy – about 5 min with stand mixer, 10 with hand mixer. Fold vanilla bean paste/vanilla essence through mixture.
Add crushed Oreos and gently fold through mixture until evenly spread.  Pour into prepared pan and allow to set for 24 hours.
In a small bowl, sift together icing sugar and corn flour. Dust large knife with icing sugar mixture and slice marshmallow into squares.
Roll each square in icing sugar mixture, ensuring all sides are coated, and place on cooling rack. Leave to dry for at least 3 hours. Store in an airtight container.

*For more amazing recipes, check out Kirsten’s blog High Tea With Dragons.  We love it.  Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Kirsten!  -Melissa and Courtenay xx.

5 Minute Microwave Fudge Brownie by Kenrick Rhys Photography

Hi, I’m Kenrick Rhys and I am pretty stoked to be able to share my love for food with you all!  I’ve been good friends with Melissa and Simon for a few years now and was lucky enough to meet Courtenay (and Lydia) at the Picnic High Tea that they held.  I’m going to be sharing a couple of recipes while Melissa is on holiday.

I love good food, I guess I always have.  When I left school at 18, I trained as a chef and worked for a few years in various kitchens. I was usually in the entree and dessert section but another passion was baking, mostly breads and pastries.  When my wife and I sold everything and travelled around the world, I ended up working in a big international kitchen in central Amsterdam.  While there I also spent time developing my other passion, photography.  I carried my camera and took photos whenever I could.  We are now settled back in New Zealand and I am the name behind Kenrick Rhys Photography.  Check my wedding and portrait work out, and if you love it, I’d love to buy you a coffee and have a chat.

 

Today I am sharing a recipe that my Mum used to make, for a quick and easy, moist, American-style brownie.  It’s so easy I’d bet I could make it in 10 minutes from start to finish!

 

Ingredients:
100g butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder

 

Method:
Melt the butter in the microwave.
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Sieve flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl.  Mix gently until just combined.
Pour the mixture into a microwave safe dish and place in the middle of the microwave.  Cook on high for 4 - 7 minutes depending on your microwave.
Let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Kenrick’s Tips:

• The brownie should have risen and be not overly wet on top, although slightly moist on the sides.
• It may take a few attempts to get the cooking time perfect for your microwave power/wattage, but you will soon see how you like it.  I like my brownie soft and sticky so go for a lesser cooking time.
• I have successfully cooked this brownie in glass Pyrex dishes, silicon flan dishes, and plastic bunt pans.
• You can add chocolate chunks or buttons to this recipe, they will sink to the bottom during cooking.

Check out the Kenrick Rhys Photography website and like them on facebook.

Vanilla Cupcakes by Lydia Bakes

Hello lovely followers of Baking Makes Things Better, it’s Lydia from Lydia Bakes here.  Thank you for having me today, I am truly honoured to be guest posting for Melissa and Courtenay.  As you know, the three of us organised a little get together and decided on a high tea picnic.  We were blessed with gorgeous weather (although I did end up getting severely sunburnt - my fault!) and had a great afternoon getting to know each other while sampling some delicious baking.

Although the idea was to bake something new and exciting I was having a bit of a blonde moment and thought I’d just bring something I’d made before.  Oops!  In any case, I think cupcakes deserve to be at a high tea!  So here is a very simple vanilla cupcake recipe.  This recipe is not your typical beat-the-butter-and-sugar type, but rather aims to be more like “packet” cake mix where you add oil to your batter. I adapted the recipe from Glorious Treats and find it has been more reliable than my last vanilla cupcake recipe!

Makes approximately 24.

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
2 ½ cups cake flour (see below for instructions on how to make this)
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice)

Vanilla Buttercream:220g butter, softened
3 - 4 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 - 4 tablespoons milk

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C and line two muffin tins with cupcake cases. 
Mix up buttermilk (if you're making your own like I always do) and set aside, this will look funny and chunky when you go to use it later.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl, stir together and set aside.
Beat eggs for about 20 seconds and gradually add sugar.  Beat for another 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil to egg mixture and beat.  Add a third of the flour mix to the eggy mixture (make sure your beater is on a low setting or the flour will fly everywhere!) and beat.
Add half the buttermilk and beat, then add another third of the flour.  Add the remaining buttermilk and then the flour and beat until combined.
Pour the cake batter in to cupcake cases about ⅔ full and bake for 12 - 14 minutes.  Cool in tin for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Wait for them to cool down completely before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:
Beat butter for a few minutes until nice and fluffy. 
While butter is mixing (if you have a stand-alone mixer) sift icing sugar into a large bowl and set aside. 
Add vanilla to the butter and beat for about 30 seconds.  Add the sifted icing sugar one cup at a time.  When icing starts to get lumpy add a tablespoon of milk.  Continue adding milk until you reach the consistency you like.
Tint your favourite colour and pipe on to cupcakes with a large star tip (my favourite is Wilton 1M).

Cake Flour Recipe (makes one cup):
Place 2 tablespoons of cornflour in a measuring cup.  Spoon normal flour into the measuring cup, use a knife to scoop away the extra on top of the cup.  Sift the cup of flours at least 3 or 4 times to mix them together.

I decorated these cupcakes using the famous cupcake swirl and topped them with a mini fondant rose. You can find tutorials for both of these techniques on my blog, Lydia Bakes.

Thank you so much for having me. I loved collaborating with Baking Makes Things Better and I get a feeling this will not be the last time we bake together!

Guest Post: Russian Fudge by Andie from Red Strawberries!

This is a guest post from Andie at Red Strawberries.  She is a friend of Simon’s from their school days, which is how she met Melissa.  She is also now friends with Courtenay as they both have baby boys to run around after, which are about a month apart in age.  There’s more info on Andie below, lets get on with the post :)

This is one of those simple but oh so yummy recipes.  My husband absolutely loves Russian Fudge and it makes a great party food, or in my house, a 'put it in the pantry and snack on it until it's gone' food.

You will need:
3 ½ cups white sugar
125 g butter
3 tablespoons golden syrup
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
200g sweetened condensed milk (half a standard tin)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

 
1. Place all ingredients, except the vanilla, into a saucepan.
2. Warm over a low heat until all the sugar is disolved.
3. Bring to a gentle boil (you shouldn't need to increase the heat) and cook for about 15-20 minutes until it reaches about 120°C, aka. the soft ball stage. If you're like me and don't have a sugar or candy thermometer, you can test the soft ball stage by getting a glass of cold water and adding a few small drops of the mixture to it. If it forms a soft ball as it drops through the water then you're at the right stage.


4. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
5. Beat until the fudge is thick and has lost its gloss.
6. Pour into a baking tin and let cool (you can put it in the fridge if you like). Once cool you can cut into bite size pieces and go for it!

Though I haven't tried it yet, you could probably add some Rum / Whiskey / Kaluha (or other liquor of your choice) to give it an 'adult' touch.

 
Andie is a full time mum of one little boy & wife of a slightly larger one.  In her spare time she takes photos, bakes and catches up on sleep.  She blogs over at Red Strawberries about her family and life in general.