(Unrelated Topic) GOODBYE ISAAC!

So,this is just a dedication to one of my bestest friends Isaac,who i have knew since year 5 (when he used to go to the karate club i wen't to sometimes).

Isaac is moving to San Diego,CA which if you're no good at geography-IS REALLY FAR!
Isaac has always been there for me and he has helped me acomplish alot of things in Music!
To be honest,i can say that without his help i wouldn't be achieving my current grade in Music!

Anyway,i will really miss Isaac,but i can't help but be happy for him and all the opportunities that lie ahead for him in California.
I hope this specific part of his life helps map out his career and i hope he remembers-the world is his oyster.

I'm sad that i never got to back im something before he wen't, but he probably wouldn't have wanted all the fuss anyway!
But i promise to him,if i open my LA bakery which is my lifetime dream,he will ALWAYS be welcome and he will ALWAYS get free food!

You will be my friend for life,and finally,good luck!!!!!

:') ~Jake

MY LATEST YOUTUBE ADDICTION!

Okay!
So recently i have become OBSESSED with Anime and all things japan!
Especially Ghibli Studio's "となりのトトロ" or "My Neighbour Totoro" as it is known in the west.
Well anyway.......

I was browsing Youtube and decided to type in "トトロ" or "Totoro" as it translates and this video came up:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqnPeKD_X-o

The name of this video was "How to make Totoro Onigri".
"Onigri" is the japanese name for Rice Ball.
So i watched the video and it turns out,you can make an Ultra Cool bento box with this onigri!

So automatically i subscribed to "Ochikeron" who was the maker of the video!
I looked through 3 or 4 more of Ochikeron's video's and everything she makes is AWESOME and KAWAII (CUTE)!
So i have been watching her for about 3 weeks now and i have to say, i NEVER miss one of her videos!
I know baking's my thing but her channel is inspiring and she does bake quite frequently too!
Here are my 3 favourite videos by Ochikeron:

3.)Panda Macaron's:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH4qJb6O-KQ
2.)Haribo Happy Cola Jelly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRHdt9s4YWY
1.)Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWKARYqOnE

So,finally,i'd just like to say!
I reccomend you subscrbe to her channel she upload's new videos every Tuesday and Friday night (as she releases them in Morning in Japanese Time!)

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake

Apperance on Nigella.com!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys!
Sorry i haven't posted in AGES!!!
I have been revising for ALOT of subjects at school!
Anyway......

On Twitter i was asking Nigella Lawson if she had a recipe for Maple Syrup and Bacon cupcakes (you may think that's weird but trust me-in America they have that on waffles!)
Unfortunately,she didn't have one,however,she did PROMISE to come up for one for me,and she did!

I am so ecstatic that my cooking queen had the time to write this in her BLOG too!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't believe it at first,i was almost in tears(that's how much nigella means to me!) and she even said she want's to make them her SIGNATURE FREAKIN' CUPCAKE!!!!!!!
here's the link to the recipe:http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/maple-buttercream-cupcakes-with-bacon-sprinkles
and the link to the blogpost:http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-witter/view/1st-may-2013-153

Also,i got 19 marks out of 20 on my practical part of my Task 1 Catering Exam!!!!!!!!!

Cookies With Love!

These cookies are amazing! They are FAIRLY simple to make and don't take much effort,but the result is fantastic! They would also be great party/wedding favours!
All you need is:
1 Quantity of best Ever Sugar Cookie Dough,cut into heart shapes and baked,then cooled for 30 minutes.
100g Blackcurrant Jam,sieved and placed in a piping bag
 and 150g Pink Strawberry Flavoured Glacé Icing(see below how to make).

Strawberry Flavoured Glacé Icing:
100g Icing(aka. Confectionery/Confectioners) Sugar.
4tsp water,mixed with 1tsp of strawberry flavouring and pink food colouring.

Mix the ingredients together until the mix is well combined,if the mix is still runny,add 10g of icing sugar,and keep doing so until the mix runs of the spoon,sets on top of the mix,and sinks in after 5 SECONDS.

To Assemble:

When the cookies are cooled,pipe all the way around the outline of the heart shapes cookies,about 1 cm away from the edge.
Fill the cookies with 1tbsp of the Glacé Icing and spread around using the back of a teaspoon.
Decorate with sprinkles and left over Blackcurrant Jam.

Here's what MINE looked like:

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Gâteaux)

Sorry i haven't posted in 4 days! It has been exams week at my school this week and I've been hectically studying like nobody's business!

This is a recipe share from one of my all-time favourite baking recipe books: THE HAIRY BIKERS' BIG BOOK OF BAKING! This book follows Si and Dave; The Hairy Bikers' as they travelled across Europe in their European Bakeation Show on BBC (As this book is the book with all the recipes they made along the way on their TV show!).

This is a well known cake but i bet you NEVER knew the original name from Germany; Which is where it originated from!
The name comes from "Schwarz-Wälder" Meaning Black Forest and "Kirschtorte" meaning Kirsch Cake     (As Kirsch is a cherry flavoured liquor,for those who don't drink!).

Here is a link to where you can buy the book in:
A) The US (PLEASE NOTE: IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON KINDLE ON AMAZON.COM)
  http://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Bikers-Book-Baking-ebook/dp/B007I4CAQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360944403&sr=8-1&keywords=hairy+bikers+big+book+of+baking
B) The UK
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hairy-Bikers-Book-Baking/dp/0297863266/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360944496&sr=8-1

Here is the recipe:

• 225g/8oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 160g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 65g/2¼oz cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 4 medium eggs

Filling and decoration

• 340g/11¾oz jar of morello cherry jam
• 2 x 80g/2¾oz packs of sweetened dried sour cherries
• 2–3 tbsp Kirsch (Or water)
• 100ml/3½fl oz cherry brandy (ideally morello cherry brandy) (Optional)
• 500ml/18fl oz double cream
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate, coarsely grated
• fresh cherries, to decorate
  
  

  Preparation method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F/Gas 5. Grease 2 x 20cm/8 in loose-based sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
  2. Put the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs into a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. You may need push the mixture down from the sides a couple of times to make sure the mixture is well blended.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula.
  4. Bake for 22–25 minutes or until the cakes are nicely risen and just beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tins. Remove them from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Take off the lining paper and leave the cakes to cool.
  5. When the cakes are cold, cut them in half, horizontally, with a long-bladed serrated knife. Take care to keep the knife parallel to the work surface, to get a good even cut. Place the cakes back on the wire rack or a board, cut sides up.
  6. For the filling, put the jam in a saucepan with the sour cherries and Kirsch and place over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the jam has melted and the cherries are beginning to swell. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle the cherry brandy over the chocolate sponges, then spread three of them with the sour cherry mixture and leave to cool. Make sure that the sponge without the cherry topping is from the top half of a cake.
  8. Whip 300ml/10fl oz of the cream with an electric hand-whisk until soft peaks form.
  9. Transfer one of the sponges (with the cherry topping) very carefully to a cake stand or plate – slide a cake tin base under the sponge to help you. Using a couple of pudding spoons, dollop about a third of the whipped cream gently on top of the cherry mixture. There is no need to spread it out, but try to keep the spoonfuls evenly spaced over the cake. Sprinkle with a little of the grated chocolate.
  10. Top with another sponge and repeat the layers twice more. You should end up with three layers of sponge, cherries, cream and chocolate. Place the final sponge on top, with its top surface facing upwards.
  11. Whip the remaining 200ml/8fl oz of the cream with an electric hand-whisk until soft peaks form.
  12. Using the flat side of a palette knife, spread about three tablespoons of the cream over the top of the cake, taking it all the way to the edge. Spoon the remaining cream into a piping bag fitted with a large, plain nozzle and pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake. Tip almost all the remaining grated chocolate into the centre and sprinkle the rest over the rosettes.
  13. Decorate with fresh cherries if you have some. Keep the cake cool or chill until ready to serve.
  14. It’s best to eat it the same day as it is made – how could you resist? – but if you need to make the cake in advance, chill it in the fridge for up to 24 hours and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
      
      
      Here is what the book looks like:
      
      
      
      
      
      Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake,
      
      
      
      

Nielsen-Massey Extracts (Product Review)

Nielsen Massey is an American extract company based in Illinois,USA with the main production factory in Netherlands.
I had never used this extract before last week,when i received some in the post,but i had seen in used on all the famous Youtube channel's like Cooking And Crafting and Yoyomax12 ect.
I was so happy when i received it in the post,because i know how expensive it is,but it is equally,if not more luxurious!
The extract i received was Madagascan Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract which tastes DIVINE!
If you ever get the chance to buy some of this- i seriously RECOMMEND IT!

This was what it looks like!:

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake.

Desserts101 (Yet another Youtube Channel Review!)

Desserts101 is a Youtube channel,owned by a dear friend of mine-Joseph Khoury;who lives in Nazareth,Israel.
He is very good at making the step-by-step videos on how to make various baked goods,for his age,and i can see him going very far in life and a baking career!
He always tries to help you get the best result,from the best ingredients,from the best price and doesn't skip little steps-it's all in there!
He has been having a few problems with people writing nasty comments on his videos saying he should stop making them,but trust me,just watch one and you will HAVE to subscribe and watch them all!
Plus,he must be very skilled if he can speak his dominant language AND a second one, know how many Youtube Bakers can say they can do that?!
Go and check out his channel here,you won't regret it!:http://www.youtube.com/user/desserts101.

Here is Joseph in action and some of his makes:

(Pictures courtesy of Google,with the search "desserts101 youtube").

Thank-you for reading my blog! ~Jake.
PS: DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT HIS CHANNEL!

Cookies,Cupcakes and Cardio (Youtube Channel Review)

I <3 this channel!
Jen is the crafty baker who owns this YT channel and it's content and she is one SMART COOKIE!
She is very informative and i like how she always "gets straight to the point" unlike other channels,who dordle on for about half an hour.
The show is VERY WELL organised and i love that it's always a different thing like cupcakes,cakepops and cookies! I also like her quirky little quick tip and review videos!
Jen run's quite a few competitions throughout every year and currently has one running at the moment,but you'll have to watch this video to see what to do to enter!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcUCmSzGMzU&feature=share&list=UUg-YSRB6TsIq-c5PUZ0F1Jg.
Jen is all over the internet and can be found here:http://www.youtube.com/user/CupcakesandCardio?feature=watch,here:http://www.facebook.com/jjscustomcakery,here:http://www.jjscustomcakery.com/ and here:http://cookiescupcakesandcardio.com/!
Here are my favourite videos for each topic:
Cupcake:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIyaXXMBytk&list=PL9AD4C02CC2A5B5B3 (Pumpkin pie is really tasty,well to me and i thought this is really innovative!)
Cookie:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9uefVhu5g&list=PL9E01E715FB6D60BF (i love poinsettias and it looks great!)
Cardio:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JUmrtAyxAk&list=PL17C45AB761990325 (canada is so pretty and im jelous and it looks so amazing!)

Thank you for reading my review blog post and don't forget to go and check Jen's channel out! ~Jake.

Chocolate Orange Gâteau (The weekly picture) :D

This is how to make the rather DELICIOUS chocolate orange gâteau that is featured in my blogs weekly photo box this week. This cake is extremely tasty and the the genoise sponge is AMAZINGLY moist!  This went down really well with my family and would look even better with chocolate orange segments on top to decorate!

Ingredients(For The Cake):

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2  cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated orange zest (6 oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients(Orange Whipped Cream):

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice                                                                                                                                                      1 Tbsp. fresh orange zest, chopped                                                                                                                                                            ½ cup heavy whipping cream                                                                                                                                                                          1 Tbsp. icing sugar (aka. powdered/confectioners/confectionery sugar in the US and Canada. :D)

Ingredients:(Chocolate Fudge Frosting):

1/2 cup butter.

3 cubes of 1oz baking chocolate,

2 cups icing sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Method(Cake):

1.)Heat the oven to 175C(150 fan oven)/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour two 20cm (8 inch) round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.2.)Cream the butter and 2 cups of the granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the orange zest.
3.)In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a metal rod inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
4.) Cool the cakes for 30 minutes whilst making the whipped cream and icing, then tip out onto a cooling rack and place in the freezer for 20 minutes (this is a new tip i came accross which helps out A LOT when you want to assemble cakes/Gateaux's).

Method(Whipped Cream):

1.)Whip cream until soft peaks form.                                                                                                                                                             2.)Stir in freshly squeezed  orange juice, fresh orange zest and powdered sugar.                                                               3.)Continue whipping until peaks are firm.                                                                                                                                      4.)Refrigerate until needed.                                                                                                                                                                                  5.) **OPTIONAL** Add a few drops of orange food colouring to the whipped cream at stage 2 to make the cake more aesthetically pleasing!

Method(Frosting):)

1.)Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, or in the top of a double boiler (bain marie). In a large bowl, combine the icing sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the milk. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture. Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.                                                                                  2.)Let the frosting stand until it becomes spreadable (the frosting will thicken as it cools).

To assemble,on a cake board place one of the cakes,then spread with whipped cream and Cover with the other cake layer,frost the top and sides(if you wish,i didn't!) of the cake with the fudge frosting using an off-set palette knife et voila! a beautiful french cake! I decorated with icing sugar sprinkled through a sieve onto a pattern i cut out of grease-proof(parchment) paper. Enjoy! This is what it should look like:

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake :D 

Red Velvet (aka. Waldorf-Astoria) Cake!

Red Velvet is (well to me) the MOST FAMOUS CAKE IN THE WORLD! -Next to the Sachertorte!
It's origin is known to be from the USA but there is no exact place known to be the birthplace of this magnificent creation,that is why there is 2 names in the blog title Red Velvet AND Waldorf-Astoria cake,as there is still a dispute from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City,New York that THEY invented it!
Find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_velvet_cake.

Ingredients(For the Cake):

150g Butter or Margarine

150g Caster Sugar.

1 tsp Vanilla Extract.

3 Free Range Eggs.

50ml Buttermilk or Greek Yogurt.

2 tsp No Flavour Red Food Colouring (Such as Wilton or Americolor Brands).

150g Self-Raising Flour.

60g Cocoa Powder.

Ingredients(For the Cream Cheese Frosting):

100g Butter or Margarine.

200g Cream Cheese (I used Philidelphia)

500g Icing Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract.

Method:

1.) Preheat the oven to 170C(150C Fan Oven)/ Gas Mark 3/325F.

2. Grease and Line a DEEP 15cm (6 Inch) round cake tin.

3.) Beat the butter,sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.

4.) Add the eggs one at a time (If the mixture LOOKS curdled add a teaspoon of the measured flour.

5.) Mix the food colouring with the buttermilk or yogurt (whichever you are using), then beat this mixture into the butter mixture.

6.) Fold in the flour and cocoa powder,which has been sifted and mix until well combined.

7.) Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for 30 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges and a metal skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

8.) When fully cooled (for about 2 hours) slice the cake into 3 equal layers,leave to cool for a further 30 minutes.

9.) Whilst the 3 layers are cooling make the frosting by creaming the butter and cream cheese together and slowly beating in the icing sugar a little at a time,then add the vanilla extract (if the mixture looks a bit too thick,add a teaspoon of milk).

10.) To assemble the Red Velvet cake, place one of the layers on the cake board and spread 1/4 of the frosting ontop,followed by another layer of cake and another 1/4 of the frosting and the final layer. With the left over 1/2 of the frosting,ice the top and sides of the cake. Decorate in any way you wish,i sprinkled with some chocolate shreds. 

11.) serves 12-15 people or 6-8 VERY HUNGRY people!

Here is what the cake should look like:

(Picture courtesy of Jake Molineux)

Enjoy!

As you can probably guess,BUTTERMILK was today's ingredient!

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake

Buttermilk Scones!

I have had a few E-Mails asking me to write blog posts about what  I MAKE! So today there is 2 recipes i am going to share with you! I have made scones many a time's using plain milk,but to get the right flavour and texture,it is best to use buttermilk; i'll let you decided what you want to use,varying on your budget!
This recipe is easy-peasy and trust me-they taste AMAZING with cream and strawberry jam!
The yield is 20, and to be honest, i still don't think they'll be around THAT long!

Ingredients:

900g Plain Flour

1/2 tsp Salt.

85g Caster Sugar.

1 + 1/2 tsp Baking Powder.

200g COLD Butter or Margarine,diced.

2x284ml pots of Buttermilk OR 570ml Milk.

2 tsp Vanilla Extract.

80g Currants (Optional).

Method:

1.) Preheat the oven to 220C(200C fan oven)/Gas Mark 7/450F.

2.) Using your fingertips, rub the butter,salt, and flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs,the mix in the sugar.

3.) Warm the buttermilk with the vanilla extract over the stove until it comes to a simmer,fetch a larger bowl then take the buttermilk mix off the heat.

4.) Into the larger bowl,mix together the butermilk and flour in alternate actions using a knife (ect. Start with 1/3 of the flour in the bowl,then add a 1/3 of the buttermilk and mix, ALWAYS END WITH THE FLOUR!)  BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERMIX THE DOUGH!

5.) Tip the dough onto a LIGHTLY floured surface and bring together into a rough ball shape in your hands. Pat down the dough to approximately 1 inch thick with your hands and use a 7cm (3 inch) cookie cutter to cut out the scones.

6.) Transfer the scones to well greased baking trays covered with parchment/grease-proof paper.

7.) Place the scone sin the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the edges,making sure you turn the baking trays around halfway through baking time to ensure even baking.

8.) Serve whilst the scones are still warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

These are what MY scones looked like:

(Picture courtesy of Jake Molineux).

Enjoy!

Thank you for reading my blog! ~Jake.

Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry) :D

Choux pastry is a weird pastry! Weird because it is NOTHING like other pastries,the way its made,the way it look,and the taste and texture are very unique. Choux pastry can be used to make Profiteroles,Croquembouche's or Croque-En-Bouche's (A french dessert often served at weddings made out of cream filled profiteroles stuck together around a cone shaped tin with caramel-literally translating as "Crunch In Mouth",St Honoré cake, and Éclairs.

Today,our teacher got us into teams and we each made a batch of Profiteroles,So i am sharing the recipe-this is DOUBLED as the original only makes 8-10 profiteroles,if you want the original,just HALF the recipe:

Ingredients:

300ml water.

100g butter or margarine.

120g plain flour.

4 eggs,beaten.

Method:

1.) Melt the butter in the a saucepan with the water and stir continuously until it just starts to boil.

2.) Keeping over the heat,quickly add the flour (which has been sifted) and quickly beat the mixture until it starts to come away from the edges.

3.) Take off the heat and slowly add the beaten eggs,mixing well between each addition.

4.) Fit a piping bag with a large round nozzle,and spoon the choux mixture into the bag,squeezing it down right to the bottom of the bag,to make sure there is no air bubbles.

5.) Pipe 8-10 large round balls of the mixture onto a well greased baking tray.

6.) Bake for 20 minutes until the balls are blown up and are golden brown, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN UNTIL THIS STAGE!

7.) Cool for 1 hour to make sure the profiteroles dont deflate and go floppy when cut into.

8.) Cut each profiterole into 2 halves,dip one half into some tempered milk chocolate and leave to set,fill the other half with whipped cream or a filling of choice such as Nutella or other chocolate spread.

9.) Join the 2 halves together,with the chocolate covered half on the top, and Voila, PROFITEROLES!

These are relatively easy to make,just make sure the mix is coming away from the edge in step step 2 or it will turn out like cupcake batter (like my first attempt!) 

They will look like this:

(Picture courtesy of M&S)

Thank you for taking the time to view my blog! ~Jake

Butternut Squash (Or Pumpkin) Soup :D

Sorry that i have not published yesterday's soup and bread recipe's,i got carried away writing a story for my english homework! So here it is!

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:

• 1 large butternut squash (mine weighed 1.5kg before peeling and de-seeding)
• 2 carrots (about 200g before peeling)
• 1 large white onion
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 litre of half strength stock

For the bread rolls:

• 500g packet of white bread mix
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 30g pumpkin seeds (15g inside the dough, 15g on top)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel/de-seed and chop the butternut squash, carrot, onion and celery into inch pieces
2. Put in the slow cooker with the stock and nutmeg
3. Cook on low for 6 hours
4. About an hour before you serve up, start work on the bread – put the bread mix in a bowl and add the dried thyme and warm water to the amount stated on the packet instructions, mix well, then turn out onto a floured surface to sit for 5 minutes
5. Knead the dough well for 5 minute until springy, then chop half of your pumpkins seeds into smallish pieces and kneed them into the dough for a minute or so
6. Work the dough into an oblong, then use a sharp knife to cute into 8 equal pieces
7. Work into roll shapes, then lay on an oiled tray, cover with a damp tea towel again and leave to rise for 40 minutes somewhere warm – they should double in size
8. Turn on the oven to 230C (210C fan assisted), sprinkle the top of each roll with water and add a sprinkling of sunflower seeds to the top of each one
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes until gently browned and crusty
10. Remove from the oven and leave on a rack to cool
11. When all your soup veg are soft, blitz with a hand blender and season to taste
12. Serve with your lovely warm rolls – they’re perfect with salted butter.

Here are 2 pictures  of what they should look like:

Thanks for reading the blog. ~Jake

PS: today's recipe will be up later on tonight or early tomorrow :D

New Statistics!

since 2 hours ago,there has been a rapid increase of nationalities viewing my blog! I can now add,Israel,Iraq,India,Indonesia,China,Argentina,Kenya and Chile to the list of countries! the web browsers and providers are almost the same so here is the newly updated map! (Bottom) compared to 2 hours ago (top)

EARLIERS MAP:

NEW MAP:

Thank You for reading my blog ~Jake! PS: Soup and bread roll recipes coming up at 6pm GMT :D

Statistics

Here are the relevant statistics from my blog including countries where it is mostly being viewed,web browsers used to view it and service operators which are being used to view it!

Here is the map of the world,i am currently being viewed in the US,the UK,Canada,Germany,Malta and Spain,the darker green colour the country is,the more i am being viewed there:

Here are 2 pie charts showing the web browsers(top pie chart) and service operators(bottom pie chart)
 used to view my blog:

Thank you for spending a few short moments looking at this information about my blog,today's souper saturday will be posted later,and you're gonna love it! ~Jake.

Lavender Cupcakes!

Lavender Cupcakes!

I found this recipe AGES ago! I saved it to my computer for future reference but have never had chance to try it :( 

However,i thought i would share it with the JWLTB fans,so here it is,(and because i'm so considerate,i have converted the measurements so US site viewers,who are my most dominant viewers,followed by the UK and Germany viewers who use metric and not imperial measurements!:

INGREDIENTS:

280g/2+1/4 cups/10 oz plain flour sifted. 

2 tsp Baking Powder.

1/2 tsp/Pinch salt.

130g/1+1/5 sticks/1/2 cup/4.5 oz softened butter or margarine.

 220g/1 cup/8 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs at ambient(room) temperature.

130ml/1/2 cup/ 4fl oz Lavender Milk.

1 tbsp Good quality vanilla extract,bean or bean paste.

METHOD:

1. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the caster sugar and beat for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with the flour. Be careful not to over-mix.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 15 minutes in a 180C(160C fan) oven/Gas Mark 4/360F, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes then remove and cool completely(for about 2 hours).

LAVENDER BUTTER-CREAM FROSTING:

50g/2 oz Butter or Margarine.

300g/12 oz Icing Sugar.

A handful of lavender buds.

1 tsp Lavender milk.

FROSTING METHOD:

1. Crush the lavender buds with a pestle and mortar.
2. Whisk butter in a metal bowl until smooth for about 3 minutes. Then add 300g icing sugar, milk and double cream. Blend until smooth and slowly add remaining icing sugar until you have the consistency you want.
3. Ice cupcakes and dust with a sprinkling of lavender.

how to make lavender milk:

1. Measure out around 1.5 times the milk your recipe requires and add lavender buds at a ratio of 2tbsp to 1 cup milk to a small pan.
2. Heat the ingredients to a scald stage (just before boiling), then turn off heat and leave to cool completely. Strain the flowers with a sieve and re-measure milk before adding to your recipe.

Here is a picture of what they should look like when finished:

Thanks for reading my blog!~Jake.

St.Valentine's Day Is On It's Way!

14th February. A special day to show your love to that someone special in your life! Many people think that their love can make do with a box of chocolates and card,but have you ever thought of baking something for them? It adds a personal touch that comes from you,and nothing can compare to it! Here is a valentines recipe that shows the gift is with all the love from your "heart"! :

 Boiled Sweet-Centred Biscuits (Stained Glass Cookies).

This project is relatively easy,all you will need is 1 quantity of Sugar Cookie Dough,2 different sized heart cookie cutters and flavours of boiled sweets(or hard candies) seperately crushed until fine. Once the cookie dough is rolled out to approximately 5mm thick,cut out heart shapes using the LARGEST cutter,then using the SMALLEST cutter to cut out a heart shape in the centre of the LARGER heart.Transfer the cookie's to a baking tray that has been lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper(or wax paper,as it's known in the US),within the centre of the cookies,where the heart shaped hole was cut out,place 1tbsp of the crushed sweets/candy and pat down until completely flat,you may need to add a bit more or a bit less (depending on how big/small your cutters are).
Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the candy centre has melted.
Leave to cool for ATLEAST 2 hours,or the candy centre will still be soft. Once completely cool,transfer the cookies to a box or cake/cookie tin,which has been lined with red tissue paper.
OPTIONAL- decorate the edges of the cookies with messages such as "Be Mine" and " I LOVE U" using white writing icing before placing into the box,Make sure the writing icing has had atleast 30 minutes to dry/harden.

Here is a picture of what the final result should look like:

Thanks for reading my latest blogpost! ~Jake :D

My 3 Favourite Shows!

3.)Choccywoccydoodah! (http://www.choccywoccydoodah.com/)

I love this show!It combines chocolate,cake and the mischief of working in a bakery! Choccywoccydoodah is set in Brighton,UK and follows Christine and her head cake decorator Dave as they make cake's for not just everyday people,but famous celebrities,including Gene Simmons! Not only do they make cake's though,they also make luxurious Belgian chocolates that they sell in their Bar Du Chocolat's in London,Brighton and on their online store! This show is now in it's 3rd series,and i'm loving every minute of it!What i also love is that it feels so "real",unlike some shows,as the clients featuring on the show aren't always celebs! Anyway,if you get a chance to,i seriously suggest purchasing the series on DVD or watching the show on the Good Food channel! Here are a few photo's from their website to enjoy:

2.)Cake Boss (http://www.carlosbakery.com/)

I also love Cake Boss.This show follows Buddy Valastro and his (rather) large family as they make business in a Hoboken,New Jersey,USA based bakery.This show makes larger cakes than Choccywoccydoodah,and these are often more spectacular!With help from Mauro and Joey (Buddy's Brother's-In-Law),they manage to get through the day,usually with quite a few mishaps,but they get through it! I like that every time the cake is delivered you get to see the reaction of the clients and how much they likes the cake! A must see programme for all Cake Decorators like me! Here are a few of Buddy's cakes:

1.) DC Cupcakes (http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/)

I adore this show! It follows Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis Berman,who in 2008,got inspired from childhood cupcake baking with their grandmother to give up their corporate jobs in fashion to co-found a cupcakery(cupcake-bakery) in Georgetown,Washington. The original store was only tiny as they only expected to make little business,but they were soon shocked that they had more customers than bargained,so now they make their main projects there and the main store is round the corner,there is also 5 more locations in Bethesda,SoHo-NewYork,Boston,LA and Atlanta! They also ship to anywhere in mainland USA! What i like about this show is the "reality" that anyone can follow their dream,and that they will come true! Here are some of their cupcakes and projects:

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe There Is + Decoration Tips!

I love sugar cookies,whether it's just decorating them for fun or giving them to someone as a special gift,they always put a smile on the receivers face! I have known this recipe for AGES and it is one of those which i NEVER forget! And the sweet,crumbly texture is to DIE for! Here it is:

Jake's Best Sugar Cookies.

Yields/Makes 40 Small or 20 Large Sugar Cookies.

Ingredients:

*200g/1+3/4 stick's/1 cup/7oz of Butter or Margarine.
*150g/3/4 cup/5.3oz of Caster Sugar or Raw Sugar.
*2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste,Vanilla Pod or Vanilla Extract.
*1 Egg.
*300g/2+1/2 cup/10.5oz Plain Flour,Sifted.

Method:

1.)In a large bowl,use a wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar together until a smooth,pale paste forms.
2.)Add the egg and the vanilla(whichever type you are using) slowly,being careful not to curdle the mixture.
3.)Beat in the flour until a soft dough forms (DO NOT be tempted to add more flour),then wrap in clingfilm or saran-wrap and chill in the fridge for 40-60 minutes,or until firm.                                                                                    4.)Preheat the oven to 180(or 160 fan) degrees Celsius/Gas Mark 4/360 degrees Fahrenheit.
5.)Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough to approximately 3-5 mm thick,then cut out shapes using cutters of your choice.
6.)Using a Palette Knife, carefully place the shapes on bake trays that have either been greased,covered in grease-proof paper(or wax paper) or a silicone mat.
7.) Bake for 10-12 minutes,or until the edges are light golden brown in colour.

**DECORATING TIPS-SUGAR PASTE/ROLLED FONDANT**
1.)Over a stove,heat 6 tbsp Apricot Jam until it becomes less viscous and is runny.Strain the jam through a sieve,this is now Apricot Baking Glaze.
2.)Using the same cutter as you did for the cookies,cut out shapes of fondant that has been rolled out to 2 mm in thickness.
3.)Using a pastry brush,place the cooled baking glaze on 1 cookie at a time,then place a fondant shape on top of the cookie,being as accurate as possible to line up in the same way,leave the cookies in a cool place for the glaze to dry for 30 minutes.
4.)Finally,use royal icing or embossers to decorate the cookie with messages such as "I LOVE YOU" or "THANKS!"

**DECORATING TIPS-FLOOD ICING WITH ROYAL ICING**
1.)Make a batch of royal icing using your favourite recipe or use a shop bought type(such as Betty Crocker's Cookie Icing).
2.)In a piping bag,place a small icing nozzle such as a 2M Wilton Tip,place 1/4 of the royal icing in the bag and draw outlines around the shapes.
3.)Once the icing has dried for 30 minutes,place 2-3 tsp of water into the remaining 3/4 batch of royal icing and place into the piping bag,"Flood" the inside of the outlines with the rest of the icing and leave to set for 4 hours at the least or overnight where possible.
4.)Finally,when dry decorate as you wish a message or pearl dragées.

Here are some cookies i made last year to celebrate Halloween(i coloured the dough black):

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as i do! Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake :D

My Top Five Youtube Channels

My Top Five Youtube Channels.

I love Youtube.I can honestly say that my life would not be the same without it,because that's where i get most of my inspiration from.Over the last 4 something years,i have browsed www.youtube.com looking for great channels with a love for food-like me! One thing i hate are those channels which act like they are robots and speak slowly,it bores me i want a show with fun,laughter,comedic yet informative,and that's where my top five list comes in!..

5.)Jolene Sugarbaker (http://www.youtube.com/user/jolenesugarbaker)

I have been a subscriber to Jolene since i began my Youtube Account.She lives in Virginia,USA and help's you to "live on a budget" and "live the trailer park way". Jolene's recipes are often weird,something that you would  not usually think of making for house guest,but that's what i LOVE about her channel! Her videos are well organised and recipe's well written.My favourite video of her's is the Butterscotch Cashew Cake(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN8u9hzxSqc&list=UUBGHNezJkCydyCA2PUEL1zw),i have made this recipe personally and it tastes out of this world!
I would seriously recommend going and subscribing to her,NOW!

4.)Cookies,Cupcakes and Cardio (http://www.youtube.com/user/CupcakesandCardio).

I have been a subscriber to Jen's channel since August 2011.She lives In British Colombia,Canada and she is owner of "JJ's Custom Cakery". Jen's videos have a calm vibe and are often nice to watch while sitting down with coffee and cake(ironically!). She is always welcoming when her videos starts,which is what i like about them,because it's as if you are actually there! Her videos are mainly recipes,which she shows you how to make but she often does reviews of popular products or bargains that she has found in stores.My favourite video of her's is the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IqTGoJWa2E&list=UUg-YSRB6TsIq-c5PUZ0F1Jg&index=50),i am yet to make this recipe myself,but they do look divine and i can't wait to try them!

If you haven't already,GO SUBSCRIBE!

3.)Laura In The Kitchen (With Laura Vitale) (http://www.youtube.com/user/lauravitaleskitchen)

Laura is one of the best Youtube Chef's there is! I have been a subscriber to Laura's channel since March 2010.She lives in New Jersey,USA but is originally from Italy.Obviously,being from Italy,most of Laura's recipes are Authentically Italian or twist's on Italian Classics.Laura's channel is such a favourite of mine because of her "No Fuss" attitude and her reliability for great tasting food! Her video's are a mixture of healthier options and "go on,treat yourself!" options,meaning a lot of the time,they end up being naughty,but NICE! My Favourite video of her's is the No Bake(Fridge Set) Nutella© Cheesecake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlbM0piFFh8&list=UUNbngWUqL2eqRw12yAwcICg&index=35), i have made this recipe before for our christmas platter,and trust me,IT WILL be a hit,it went in less than 10 minutes! A MUST SUBSCRIBER on Youtube!

2.)CookingAndCrafting (http://www.youtube.com/user/cookingandcrafting) 

The only word to describe Beth's channel is PERFECTION! I have been a subscriber to Beth since June 2010.Beth lives in Honolulu,Hawaii,USA.Her recipes are often inspired from locally written cookbooks,but Beth also cooks family favourite's and she also makes wonderful crafts too.Beth is a lovely person and ALWAYS tries her best to reply to your comments on her video's.I have tried a lot of recipes off her channel because like it says on the top banner; "No Frills Cooking,Baking and Crafting",this is most likely there because IT IS! My favourite videos(sorry,i couldn't chose just one from her channel!) of her's are the Fried Chicken Hawaiian Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUqGvD3ZYSE&feature=plcp&list=PLoFCUKOoR9ltHNGPYNBuR06fEmUrs2nb-),Cheddar Baked Chicken (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqNAyFoOyKQ) and the Molten Lava Cakes For Two (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JaXNAlf4fQ),i have made all 3 of these and they taste as good as they look!SUBSCRIBE,SHE HAS THE BEST GIVEAWAYS!

1.)CrumbBossTV(steph91069) (http://www.youtube.com/user/steph91069)

Now this is the ULTIMATE channel! I have only been a subscriber to CrumbBossTV since July 2012,but i am already in LOVE! Like Laura, Steph(The Producer) and Gretchen(The Baker) live in New Jersey,USA. There channel is full of delcetifying goodies which you just wanna gobble up and not even think about the calories!My favourite video of there's is the Red Velvet Cheesecake Truffles(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MknIR2lYVrM&list=PLd6Gb7vQamicQx-bzPaQ0KTh6gp99Dayp&index=1) these are like red velvet cake-pops(another video on their channel) but they are not as sweet and obviously,they aren't on a stick! SUBSCRIBE,THEY ARE VERY POPULAR! 

Thank You for spending your time looking through my blog posts,and for all the support on FaceBook,i appreciate it! -Jake Molineux