Category: Baking

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Kerrygold Chocolate Hazelnut Eclairs

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Ingredients:

  • For the choux pastry:
  • ½ stick of Kerrygold Unsalted Butter
  • ½ cup of water
  • ¾ cup of plain flour, sifted
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • For the crème patisserie:
  • 6 large free range egg yolks
  • ⅔ cup of sugar
  • ⅓ cup of cornflour
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • ½ stick of Kerrygold Unsalted Butter
  • For the chocolate glaze:
  • ⅔ cup of good quality dark chocolate
  • ¼ cup of cream
  • ½ stick of Kerrygold Unsalted Butter
  • ½ cup of roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter and water in a saucepan and bring to a steady boil until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon until a dough comes together. Place back over the heat and beat the dough in the saucepan for about 40 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the eggs little at a time, beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the egg is completely incorporated after each addition. You are looking to have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. It should be smooth, shiny and just about fall from the spoon. You might not use all the egg.
  3. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping nozzle and pipe 10cm lines on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 4cm in between each line to allow for spreading. Brush each one with a little leftover beaten egg.
  4. Place in the oven, reducing the heat to 375˚F for approximately 25 minutes until they have risen and are golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack and use a sharp pointed knife to pierce three holes on the underside of the buns. Allow to cool completely before filling.
  5. For the crème pâtissière, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add this to a medium saucepan with the milk and place over a medium high heat. Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Scoop out the vanilla pod.
  6. While the milk is coming to the boil, place the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until thick and pale.
  7. Pour the hot milk into the bowl, whisking quickly and continuously until it is smooth and incorporated. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over a medium heat beating continuously until it has thickened.
  8. Transfer the crème pâtissière to a cold bowl, create a flat surface with the back of a spatula and wipe the top with little butter (this will prevent a skin forming). Cover directly with cling film and allow to cool completely.
  • 9   For the chocolate glaze, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of hot water. When the chocolate has melted remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir through the cream. Fold in the butter until you have a shiny, spreadable chocolate glaze.
  • 10  To assemble the eclairs, fill a piping bag, fitted with a small round nozzle, with the crème pâtissière and pipe into the holes on the underside of the choux buns. Spread the chocolate glaze over the top of each eclair and sprinkle with the roasted hazelnuts. Serve straight away or the eclairs will keep for 1 or 2 days in the fridge.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ECLAIRS

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Wild Mushroom & Spinach Lasagne By Rozanne Stevens

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Ready Time 55 mins. Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 box lasagne sheets
  • 500g baby spinach leaves
  • Light olive oil
  • 500g selection of wild mushrooms
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 200g Avonmore Grated White Cheddar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh nutmeg

Bechamel sauce:

  • 80g butter
  • 80g plain flour
  • 1 litre Avonmore Milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh nutmeg

Directions

  1. Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth and slice up. Heat the oil till very hot and fry the mushrooms in batches till golden. Set aside.
  2. Heat a little more oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and thyme till soft.
  3. Wilt down the spinach by adding a handful at a time to the hot pan and stirring it in. The heat will wilt down the leaves, just be patient.
  4. Remove the thyme twigs. Mix with the cooked mushrooms, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  5. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a pot. Stir in the flour and cook out for a minute. Gradually add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Boil for 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  6. Grease a lasagne dish. Pour in enough white sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Place down a pasta layer. Spoon over half the spinach and mushrooms. Repeat, finishing with a layer of pasta.
  7. Cover the top layer very well with white sauce. Sprinkle over the cheese.
  8. Bake at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

http://cookwithavonmore.ie/recipe/wild-mushroom-spinach-lasagne/

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Odlums chocolate biscuit cake recipe


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Who doesn’t love chocolate biscuit cake? This recipe is perfect to make a few days before Christmas Day to give you more time to enjoy the festivities.✨

You will need:
275g/10 oz Butter
150ml/¼pt Golden Syrup
225g/8oz Chocolate (good quality, at least 60% cocoa)
½ x 400g packet of Digestive Biscuits, roughly crushed
½ x 400g packet of Rich Tea Biscuits, roughly crushed
1 packet of Maltesers
125g/4oz Shamrock Walnuts, Brazil Nuts and/or Almonds (optional)
Add the biscuits, Maltesers and fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well.

Method:
✔️Line a 15cms/6″ round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
✔️Melt the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan over a low heat. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed together.
✔️Add the biscuits, Maltesers, fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well.
✔️Transfer to the prepared tin. Level it on top and press down well to avoid air gaps. ✔️Allow to cool and harden. Wrap completely in greaseproof paper and store in a fridge.

#odlums #behindeverybake #chocolatebiscuitcake #christmasbaking
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Rachel Allen’s lavender sponge cake with rhubarb curd

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A lovely lavender flavoured cake with a hint of rhubarb from Rachel’s TV series “All Things Sweet” proudly sponsored by Connacht Gold.

Ingredients

For the lavender sponge

  • 6 eggs
  • 175 g (6 oz) caster or granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 150 g (5 oz) plain flour
  • 2 tsp lavender buds, finely chopped (off the stems)
  • 125 g (4½ oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

For the rhubarb curd

  • 550 g (1 lb 3 oz) rhubarb, cut in to 1cm (½in) slices (weigh when sliced and trimmed)
  • 200 g (7 oz) caster or granulated sugar
  • 75g (3 oz) butter
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • To decorate
  • icing sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line the base of three 18cm (7in) cake tins and butter the sides.
  2. To make the sponge, place the eggs, the sugar and the salt in the bowl and, using an electric whisk, beat for 5–8 minutes until tripled in volume, light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and fold into the light mousse-like mixture with the lavender and the melted butter, working quickly so that too much air does not escape.
  3. Divide the cake mixture into the three tins and place in the oven. Bake for 22–25 minutes until light golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Take out of the oven and let sit in the tin for a few minutes before taking out and cooling on a wire rack.
  4. Next, make the curd. Place the rhubarb and 50g (2oz) of the sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring every so often. Cook for about 5–6 minutes until the rhubarb has softened, broken up completely and the mixture has thickened to a pulp.
  5. Pour into a sieve sitting over a bowl and push the mixture through the sieve into the bowl, making sure to scrape the underside of the sieve to get every last bit.
  6. Next, place the butter in the cleaned saucepan on a low-medium heat and allow to melt. Take off the heat just while you add in the eggs, rest of the sugar and the rhubarb purée. Put back on a low heat and stir all the time for about 2–3 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat, tip into a bowl and allow to cool.
  7. When ready to assemble, place one cake (save the cake with the best-looking top for the top) upside down on a plate or cake stand. Place half of the curd on top and spread it out (I like to allow the curd to drip slightly over the edges). Put the next cake, right side up, on top, then cover with the second half of the curd, as before. Finally, top with the third (and best-looking) cake. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with some more lavender if you’d like.

http://www.connachtgold.ie/recipes/rachel-allen-lavenderspongecake/

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Pecan and Salted Caramel Butter Cookies

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Recipe by Sharon Hearne-Smith

  • Ready Time : 20 min
  • Serves: 24

Ingredients

  • 225g Avonmore Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 300g plain flour
  • 125g cornflour
  • 100g pecans, finely chopped
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2tbsp whole milk
  • 150g Avonmore Salted Butter, softened
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 100g caramel (from a can or jar)
  • 1/4 tsp roughlycrushed sea salt flakes
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Directions

The melt in the mouth, buttery cookies can be enjoyed as they are. However, when combined with the sweet but salty caramel buttercream filling, there will be no going back for you!

Enjoy these as an afternoon treat with a tea or coffee, include them on a party table or make for a school bake sale

First, to make the cookie dough, beat the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour, cornflour, pecans, cinnamon and milk and beat until well blended to give a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a 25cm sausage shape. Wrap each one in a piece of parchment paper, twisting the ends to secure. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm. This can be made up to a few days in advance or longer if frozen.

Meanwhile make the salted caramel filling. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer or processor until smooth. Add the caramel, salt and vanilla and beat until well combined. Spoon into a piping bag which has been snipped to a 1-2cm opening and refrigerate until needed.

When ready to cook the cookies, preheat the oven to 160C (fan 140C), 325F, Gas Mark 3.  Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Unroll the cookie logs, trim the ends and cut each one into 24 x 1cm wide slices, arranging them spaced apart on the tray as you go. Bake for 20 minutes until just firm to the touch and just beginning to catch colour.

Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack, arranging half of them underside up. Once cool, pipe about a tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each of the upturned cookies. Top each one with another cookie, pretty side up, pressing it down gently to allow the filling to ooze to the edge. If the filling is quite soft them pop them into the fridge for about 20-30 minutes until firm.

These will last for about 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

 

TIPS

Use walnuts, almonds or roasted hazelnuts instead of the pecans if preferred.

Try out different cookie flavours by replacing the cinnamon and pecans with dried cranberry and white chocolate chip or lemon zest and poppy seeds. In which case replace the caramel sauce in the filling with melted and cooled white chocolate or lemon curd respectively.

Make minature versions by simply rolling the dough into longer and thinner rolls.

If you only need 12 cookies at a time, then freeze one dough roll and make half of the filling with each bake.

    
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http://cookwithavonmore.ie/recipe/pecan-salted-caramel-butter-cookies/