Week 42 - Toffee Apples

Evening everyone, how are you adjusting to the clocks going back? I'm not liking the dark evenings, it feels like I'm leaving work in the middle of the night! Never mind only what, 6 months until we're back on BST?!

So it's Guy Fawkes Night this Friday & I thought I'd mark the occasion with a Bonfire Night treat. I'm not quite sure why I associate toffee apples with this time of year, but I do remember as a kid nagging Mum to buy one for me (I also liked the chocolate ones that were covered in sprinkles!) Growing up in a small town in Northumberland, Bonfire Night was a big deal, it started with a candle lit procession through town up to the bonfire, then a fireworks display that was sure to bring out the oohs & aahs! The event was usually newsworthy for the local paper & yours truly even got her picture in the paper one year. We've dug it out of the Hodgson archive & here it is. Yes I do look like the Michelin man, Northumberland in November is a very cold place!

So question of the week...you probably know the start of the rhyme, but do you know how it finishes?

Remember remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason & plot. I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.


Useless information of the week over, back to the baking...Now I know these aren't strictly cake, but I'm exercising creative licence & I have made the toffee from scratch, so there was some element of cooking involved :-) This recipe came from my traditional 1970's Good Housekeeping cookbook, can't go wrong!

450g demerera sugar
50g butter
10ml vinegar
15ml golden syrup
150ml water
6-8 apples & lolly sticks

1. Put all the ingredients (except the apples!) into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat gently until the butter & sugar have dissolved, then turn up the heat & boil it rapidly for 5-8 minutes. The recipe said to use a sugar thermometer, but I don't have one. I tested it by dropping a small dollop into a glass of cold water, if it holds together & set immediately then it's ready to use.

2. Stick the lolly stick into the apple, then dunk it in the toffee, be very careful, hot sugar can be lethal! Lift it out & keep twirling it to even out the toffee, then dunk it in a bowl of cold water for 10 seconds, still twirling. Place it onto a piece of baking parchment to set completely. If your toffee sets in the pan before you can coat all the apples, simply put it back on the heat & bring it up to the boil again.

Do you know these almost didn't happen, there wasn't a lolly stick to be found in my local area, I ended up having to buy ice lollies just to get the sticks! It was either that or spearing them with a plastic fork. I hope you enjoy them & sorry but I can't be held responsible if the toffee causes havoc with your fillings! Have a fun Bonfire Night & please remember the fireworks code (that's the public service announcement for this week!) Take care, Rebecca x

Week 40 - Apple Cider Cake

I have to start this weeks post with a confession & apology! Last week I mentioned I would be making something for my best friends birthday & it would be a bit of a challenge for me...I wasn't wrong there. As a result I had to turn up to my BF's birthday dinner, sans cake! Dear readers, my experience last weekend has just confirmed that I really can't do pastry. At the request of my BF I attempted to make Profiteroles, my mum had said she'd made them years ago & thought they were pretty straight forward, how hard can it be I thought...silly Rebecca! Here's a picture & yes I am a little embarrassed to call myself a home baker after this...

Needless to say I didn't bother filling them with cream & topping them with chocolate. Mum was suitably confused as to what went wrong & as she was stuck in the house poorly, decided to have a go herself. This is what she produced...
All I can say is good work Mum! I also got to taste one & they were delicious, maybe I should hand over the reins to Mum, could always change the blog to Val Bakes Cakes!

Anyway onto more successful cakes & this weeks recipe. This week is National Baking Week & Thursday is also Apple Day. Apple Day was founded in 1990 by Common Ground to celebrate apples, orchards & local distinctiveness, what better excuse for an apple cider cake? This recipe is one I've had in my scrap book for a number of years, I think it originally came from BBC Good Food magazine.

For the cake
330ml cider
150g unsalted butter
300g plain flour
2tsps bicarbonate of soda
1tsp mixed spice
1tsp ground cinnamon
4 apples, peeled & grated
150g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
200g sultanas or raisins

For the topping
250g marscapone
1tsp cinnamon

1. Put the cider into a pan & simmer it until it reduces by about two thirds. Place to one side to cool a little.

2. Melt the butter, then stir in the grated apple & sugar. Stir in the eggs & sultanas, then finally sift in the flour & spice & fold together.

3. Pour the mixture into a buttered springform tin & bake in the oven at 180c/GM4 for 45-60 minutes. You need to keep an eye on it, the top of mine over browned a little! It's done when a skewer stuck in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

4. Beat the marscapone with the cinnamon until soft, spread it all over the top of the cake when it's completely cold.

I love this cake, the apples & cider give it a really moist texture. Hope you enjoy it & if anyone else is inspired by National Baking Week I'd love to hear what you create. See you next week, Rebecca x

Week 1 - Spiced Apple Muffins

So here goes, it's week 1 of my 52 week baking epic! The weather is miserable, so I thought I'd try & warm things up with Spiced Apple Muffins. I love applely cakes, but really can't be bothered to peel & core a pile of apples, so I've used a jar of apple sauce instead. This makes the mixture quite sweet so I've reduced the amount of sugar I'd usually use to make muffins. The apple sauce has given the muffins a really delicious taste & a moist texture. The oats on the top toast in the oven & give a really lovely crunch!

300g plain flour
100g soft brown sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Good pinch of salt
1tsp mixed spice
250g apple sauce
50ml milk
50g unsalted butter (I think it's ok to use salted if that's what's in the fridge, just don't add the extra pinch)
1 beaten egg
Porridge oats to sprinkle

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt & spice.

2. In a separate bowl melt the butter, then mix in the apple sauce, milk & egg. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients & give it a good stir. It's best if you leave it a little lumpy!

3. Line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases & divide the mixture evenly.

4. Add a sprinkling of oats to the top of each muffin, then bake at 200C/GM7 for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden.

5. Leave them to rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool. Or if you're impatient like me, wait approximately 3 minutes then take one out of the tin & enjoy whilst still warm!

Overall I'd say week 1, big tick :-) If anyone else tries this out, let me know what you think...that's assuming anyone is actually reading my baking ramblings!

Till next week...Rebecca