Four-plait Challah Bread

This recipe is from my 'The Great British Book of Baking' cook book it is on page 110 for anyone interested. I had never made bread before, and even though the Challah bread looks a bit difficult, it was quite a simple recipe to follow.
Challah is an elaborately plaited Sabbath loaf made from a soft sweet dough containing eggs, honey and fat. It was first made by the Jews of central Europe in the Middle Ages. My version is non-dairy, but you can use 85 grams of unsalted butter instead of the sunflower oil. I decorated mine with poppy seeds because I wanted a contrast in flavour between the slightly bitter poppy seeds and the sweet bread.I think the bread was a success, as it has almost all gone 2 days after I baked it. I will be baking more bread in the future especially this Challah, I think it may make a nice bread and butter pudding too.

Four-plait Challah Recipe

Makes one large loaf

700 grams strong white bread flour

2 tsp salt

1 x 7 gram sachet of easy blend/easy bake dried yeast

250 ml lukewarm water

3 medium eggs, at room temperature

3 tbsp runny honey

100 ml sunflower oil

A large baking tray, well greased with butter. 

To Finish

1 medium egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

2 tbsp poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a free standing mixer. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water, beaten eggs, honey and oil. Gradually work the flour into the liquids using your hand or the dough hook of a mixer on the lowest possible speed. 
2. Work the mixture until it comes together to make a soft but not sticky dough: if there are dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl or the dough feels tough and dry, work in a little more water; if it feels sticky, work in a little more flour. 
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes by hand, or for 4 minutes in a mixer using the dough hook, until it feels firmer, very smooth and elastic. It is important that the dough is fairly firm so it keeps its shape when plaited, so be prepared to work in more flour if the dough still feels soft after kneading.
4. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. 
5. Punch down the risen dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a floured surface and cut into four equal portions.
6. With your hands roll each one into a sausage about 40cm long.
7. Pinch the rolls firmly together at one end, then arrange vertically in front of you with the join at the top and the rolls side by side, slightly apart. 
8. Run the far left roll under the two middle ones, then run it back over the last one it went under. Run the far right roll under the twisted two in the middle, then back over the last one it went under. Repeat this until all the dough is plaited and pinch the ends together at the base of the plait.
9. Transfer to the prepared baking tray and slip the tray into a large plastic bag slightly inflated, or two smaller plastic bags overlapping in the middle like I did. Leave to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 40 to 50 minutes.
10. Turn the oven on at 220'C/425'F/Gas Mark 7 while the bread is rising. 
11. Uncover the plait and brush with two thin coats of the beaten egg glaze. Make sure you don't stick the bread to the tray. Decorate with the seeds if you are using them. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190'C/375'F/Gas Mark 5 and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the loaf is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Rotate the tray halfway during cooking if necessary so the loaf colours evenly.
12. Cool on a wire rack.

My bread after its first 10 minutes in the oven. I had to take a photograph because I was so surprised at how much it had risen. 

Oreo Cupcakes

The Oreo cupcake is the final cupcake to go with the other five American flavours inspired cupcakes I am making for my boyfriend's birthday. The Oreo cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie cupcake, a Mississippi Mud Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake a Smore's cupcake and a Key Lime Pie cupcake. The cupcake is flavoured with crushed Oreos and has half an Oreo at the bottom waiting to surprise whoever eats the cupcake. It is topped with cookies and cream buttercream and a mini Oreo, but you can choose whatever decoration you like to finish the cupcake off.

Oreo Cupcake Recipe

Makes 20

20 Oreos

280 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

335 grams caster sugar

110 grams unsalted butter

3 large egg whites at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

215 ml semi-skimmed milk

150 grams of crushed Oreos

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'f/Gas mark 4. Line two cupcake tins with 20 cases.
2. Place half an Oreo, the half with the cream still on it into the cupcake cases, save the other half to smash into crumbs for the cupcake batter.
3. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer on a medium speed, or a wooden spoon, combine the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.
5. Blend in the egg whites one at a time beating well after each addition.
6. Add the vanilla extract and beat slowly to mix.
7. Beat in half of the dry ingredients.
8. Add the milk and beat until just combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.
9. Crush the left over Oreo halves in a bag with a rolling pin, and pour them into the cupcake batter. Then gently fold them in with a metal spoon until incorporated. Its important to not over mix the batter at this stage.
10. Place into cases until the are 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until springy to the touch or a skewer comes out clean.
11. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them out and putting them on a cooling rack.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

 (For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream 

6 crushed Oreos

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add the Oreos and keep beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes however you want to. Add an Oreo as a decoration, or use a mini Oreo like I did.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Smore's Cupcakes

The Smore's cupcake is the fifth cupcake that I made to go in a six cupcake box inspired by American flavours for my boyfriend's birthday. The Smore's cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Mississippi Mud Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake an Oreo cupcake and a Key Lime Pie cupcake. While thinking about different cupcakes I could make to go with the trios inspired by a Walt Disney World dessert me and my boyfriend had, I came across the website for the Stateside Candy Co. I saw I could buy Graham Crackers from them, which is something I have never been able to try living in England. I knew I had to incorporate them into a cupcake so I decided to make a Smore's cupcake. I did eat one or two of the Graham Crackers once I opened the box, they are tasty, almost as good as the cheese-its I'm addicted to when I go to America. I wish I could get them here. The cupcake has a graham cracker crust, there are graham cracker crumbs mixed into the cupcake batter. It has a vanilla buttercream frosting, decorated with half a Graham Cracker, a toasted marshmallow, a square of Lindt chocolate and a few Graham Cracker crumbs.

Smore's Cupcake Recipe

Makes 12

120 grams of Graham Crackers crushed into crumbs

2 1/2 tsp melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

150 grams plain flour

a pinch of salt

180 grams unsalted butter, cubed and soft

150 grams packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

150 ml milk

1. Preheat oven to 180'C/375'F/Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Mix 3/4 of the Graham Cracker crumbs with melted butter. Place 1 tsp into each cupcake case.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the remaining Graham Cracker crumbs and mix well.
4. Put cubed butter, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and beat using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. 
6. Pour in a third of the dry ingredients and beat slowly to incorporate into the mixture.
7. Add half of the milk and beat well.
8. Add another third of the dry ingredients, beat, then add the last half of the milk and beat again.
9. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until everything is combined.
10. Put the mixture into the cases on top of the Graham Cracker crust.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until springy to the touch.
12. Cool for 5 minutes inside the cupcake tin, then place on a cooling rack.

Buttercream Frosting

(For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream 

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes however you would like.
7. Toast a marshmallow by putting it on a skewer and holding it over the flame of a gas hob. Or use a blowtorch if you have one, I don't. Leave the marshmallow to cool while you place half a Graham cracker on top of the cupcake, and place a square of any chocolate of your choosing on top too. Finally add the marshmallow and a sprinkling of Graham Cracker crumbs and your Smore's cupcake is ready to go.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

The Pecan Pie cupcake was the fourth American Flavours cupcake that I baked to go inside a cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. It is a brown sugar cupcake with chopped toasted pecans inside topped with brown sugar buttercream and a toasted pecan. It will be going with a Mississippi Mud pie cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

 130 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

165 grams dark brown sugar

110 grams butter softened

2 large eggs

125 ml whole milk at room temperature

85 grams toasted pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcakes cases.
2. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl beat the brown sugar and butter at high speed with a mixer, or with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. This shouldn't take longer than five minutes.
4. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. 
5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, then add half of the milk. Keep beating. Add the remaining half of the flour and the rest of the milk and beat until it is combined.
6. Using a metal spoon fold in the chopped pecans and vanilla.
7. Fill the cupcake cases to 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 or until golden and springy to the touch.

Brown Sugar Buttercream 

40 grams dark brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt

55 grams butter and a separate 2 tbsp of butter

500 grams icing sugar

2-3 tbsp whole milk

1. In a saucepan combine brown sugar, water and salt. Place it on a medium high heat and bring to the boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp of butter. Leave to cool.
2. In a large bowl beat the cooled brown sugar mixture and the remaining butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, or a wooden spoon, until it is creamy.
3. Add the icing sugar slowly beating until it is combined. Then add enough milk to achieve a think consistency for piping.
4. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a large round nozzle to achieve a buttercream swirl. Place a whole toasted pecan on the top for decoration. 

 The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Mississippi Mud Pie Cupcakes

This recipe is inspired by Mississippi mud pie, which was one of the desserts on the American flavours dessert trios my boyfriend and I had at the Wave restaurant in Walt Disney World. I wanted the cupcake to take inspiration from the mud pie but still keep the aesthetic of a cupcake. It is a moist chocolate cake with a layer of bourbon biscuits at the bottom. It has a swirl of chocolate buttercream on top and a spoonful of melted dark chocolate to be the mud on the cupcake, and it is finished with mini marshmallows. It will be going with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Mississippi Mud Pie Cupcakes Recipe

The cake mix is from my Love Food, cupcakes and muffins book that I bought from WH Smith. 

Makes 12

8 tbsp soft butter

100 grams caster sugar

150 grams self raising flour

2 large eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

25 grams plain chocolate (70% cocoa) melted 

 50 grams bourbon biscuits

2-3 tbsp butter (to rub into the biscuits)

1.  Preheat your oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Crush the bourbon biscuits in a bag using a rolling pin so they are evenly crushed. Place the crumbs into a bowl and rub the butter into them until most of the biscuit have butter on them. Spoon a little of the mixture into each cupcake case and press down with the spoon to create a base.
3. Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl and using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon, beat them together until smooth.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cases filling them 3/4 full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.

Chocolate Butter Cream and Chocolate Topping

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp salt (if you are using unsalted butter)

200 grams icing sugar

50 grams cocoa powder (sieved)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream

1. Beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it.
2. Sieve together the icing sugar and cocoa powder then add a half of the mixture to the butter a quarter at a time. Beating after each addition.
3. Add vanilla extract now to add an extra depth of flavour to your chocolate buttercream. 
4. Add one tablespoon of the cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder mixture a quarter at a time, beating slowly.
6. Add cream until you have the right thickness for you to pipe onto the cupcakes. 
7. Using a nozzle of your choice pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.
8. Melt 200 grams of dark chocolate and slowly drizzle it over the cupcakes, adding any decoration you wish. I used mini marshmallows.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

This cupcake idea is the second cupcake that will be going into my American Flavours cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. It is inspired by a key lime pie, and still keeps this name even though I couldn't source any key limes for my version, because I wanted the American theme to shine through in my cupcake box. It is a lime zest filled sponge with a lime curd filling and a lime zest buttercream. The lime doesn't overpower the flavour it gives the cupcake a light citrus flavour. Excuse the sloppy piping, I am practising my piping skills having just got all the equipment, I hope to be better in the future. The Key Lime Pie cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Mississippi Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Key Lime Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

175 grams self raising flour

175 grams butter

175 grams golden caster sugar

3 eggs

2 limes zested

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp whole milk

50 grams digestive biscuits crushed

1-2 tbsp butter to add to the biscuits

1.  Preheat the oven to 190'C, gas mark 5, 375'F. Place 12 cupcake cakes in a cupcake tin.
2. Crush the digestives using a rolling pin, making sure they are evenly crushed. Rub in the butter until you get a sandy mixture. Add a layer of crushed biscuits to each of the cupcake cases, pressing the mixture down slightly so it forms an even layer. 
3. Whisk the butter and caster sugar together in a larger bowl until it is pale and creamy. 
4. Whisk in the eggs until they have just combined in the mixture. 
5. Add the flour, lime zest, baking powder and milk to the mix and beat slowly until combined.
6. Spoon the mixture into cases and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top and springy to the touch.

Lime Curd Filling

25 grams butter cold and cubed

100 grams golden caster sugar

2 medium eggs beaten

4 limes juiced

Green food colouring (optional to give the curd a bright green colour)

1. In a saucepan cook the butter, sugar, eggs, lime juice and green food colouring (if using) over a low heat. Stir it continuously until it has thickened. Approximately 5 minutes. Do not overheat it or you will cook the eggs.
2. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave to cool.
3. When the cakes and lime curd are cool cut out a section of the top of the cake, using a melon baller or a spoon, and fill with 2 teaspoons of curd or until the hole is full. Leave this to set inside the cupcake.

Buttercream Frosting

 (For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

half a lime zested

2-3 tbsp whipping cream

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla and lime zest.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the filled cupcakes however you would like. Add extra lime zest on top for decoration.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

 How my cupcake looked after my second try to put in the box for my boyfriend's birthday. It has a swirl of vanilla buttercream on top, and then I covered it in dark chocolate letting it drip down the sides.

Hi. For my first post I wanted to share my Boston Cream pie cupcake recipe. These cupcakes were only a practise of the recipe, I think I might change the fudge cake to chocolate cake to give the cake extra lightness because the fudge cake was quite heavy. I will be baking six different American inspired cupcakes to go in a cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. I was inspired by a dessert we had together at the Wave restaurant in Walt Disney World's Contemporary Hotel when we were there on holiday. It was a dessert celebrating American flavours, and that's what I hope to do with my cupcakes for this project, because I know we won't be able to afford to go back to Walt Disney World for a while, having both just graduated from University, so I hope the cupcakes will remind him of the amazing memories we have there. The Boston Cream pie cupcakes will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Mississippi Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Disney's the Wave dessert trios. American Flavours. Key Lime Cube with fresh Citrus Whipped Cream, Mississippi Mud Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Boston Cream Pie.

Boston Cream Pie Inspired Cupcakes

Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe (if you want a lighter cake, feel free to use a chocolate cake recipe)

Makes 20 Cupcakes

200ml Water

85 grams butter

85 grams caster sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

225 grams plain flour

2 tbsp plain cocoa

1. Preheat Oven to  180'c/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Place the water, butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn the heat off and leave to cool.
3. Place the milk and vanilla extract into a bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the milk and stir to dissolve. 
4. Sift the flour and cocoa into a separate bowl and add the cooled syrup mixture. Stir in the milk mixture and beat until smooth, then spoon the batter into paper cases.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Ganache Topping

200 grams dark chocolate (I used 90% cocoa)

284 ml double cream

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Pour cream into a pan and add the caster sugar.
3. Heat until it is just about to boil, where you can see small bubbles coming to the surface.
4. Take off the heat and add to the chopped chocolate.
5. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth.

American Buttercream Frosting

This recipe yields quite a lot of frosting so if you aren't planning on frosting a lot of cupcakes halve the recipe.

227 grams butter

1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

512 grams icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp heavy cream

1. Beat the butter in a bowl until it is smooth. Add the salt if it's needed.
2. Add 128 grams of icing sugar then another 128 grams of icing sugar, beating after each.
3. Add vanilla or other flavours you might want to use.
4. Add 1 tbsp of cream and continue beating.
5. Add remaining icing sugar slowly, beating as you add it.
6. Add cream until you have a thick enough consistency for piping. 

Here I have two different ways of presenting my cupcakes. One is inspired by how a Boston cream pie looks, with the cream in the middle and the ganache covering the top and dripping down the sides. The other is a traditional cupcake design, with the buttercream frosting on top and the ganache dripped over the top. Both ways work as cupcakes, so I bet there are many other ways the Boston cream pie cupcake could be presented.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.