DIY watercolours (the fast way)!

When it comes to my child and her activities, I try to minimise store bought things wherever I can.

She likes watercolours and I had bought her some, but I couldn't get the stain from her clothes well. I even ended up throwing away one of her blouses.

I came across this recipe for making your own. It is a quick way with no cooking and you don't have to wait too long for them to dry.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup cornstarch
food colouring of your choice


* Put baking soda in a bowl and add vinegar (it will bubble).
* Mix in corn syrup.
* Add cornstarch and mix very well so that the mixture is liquid.
* Divide this mixture into smaller bowls and add food colours to make the combinations you want.
* Pour them into the ice cube tray and let it stand a bit, before using them.

I used an ice cube tray.

I always use coffee whisks for mixing food colours.

Gel food colours is what I used.

This is how we started....

.... this is how we ended up!

I can't say I was very satisfied with the result, as the colours formed a gelatinous surface that was not easy to penetrate with the brush.

Next time I will try another recipe, which takes longer to make, but resembles more the watercolours you see in the store.

Louise

P.S. Well, something different than a baking post, at last!

Chocolate chip cookies!

I decided that I will stop looking for a perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies, because I have found it!

I kept on seeing a New York Times version recipe around the web, so I gave it a try. With more chocolate, of course!

Triple chocolate chip cookies
recipe slightly adapted from here


200gr all purpose flour
200gr bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp salt
290gr butter
290gr brown sugar
250gr white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
white, milk and dark chocolate chips (as much as you want!)

* Sit the flours, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch and salt.
* Beat butter and sugars, until creamy.
* Add eggs one at a time, mixing very well.
* Add the vanilla.
* Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix lightly, until just combined.
* Mix in the chocolate chips, using a spoon.
* Cover the bowl of the dough with cling film and refrigerate for up to 72 hours. I left mine in the fridge for about 40 hours. (YES, you read it correctly....)
* When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180o C.
* Line your cookie pans with parchment paper.
* Roll pieces of dough into balls. You can choose how big or small.
* Bake until the edges are golden and the centre is lighter in colour and rather soft. The time depends on the size.
I rolled my dough to 30gr balls and baked them for 15 minutes, which was fine for me.
* Let the cookies on the cookie pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Seriously, EVERYBODY loved them. No more searching for me!

The fact that you let the dough in the fridge for this long is helping the flavour and I believe the texture, as well.
It is a trick, I tried for the first time!
The only thing is that you must plan ahead, to have enough time to let the dough rest!

Make them!!!!

Louise

Christmas cupcakes!

This is a nice idea for an edible present. It is actually one of the presents I made this Christmas!


Bake your favourite cake (these are lemon cupcakes), glaze them with a simple topping in green and add on top a yellow sugar cookie star.

Place them in a nice box and offer them. Everybody will be impressed!

They are cute, aren't they?


Louise

Daring Bakers - December 2013!

Well, after two whole months of not participating to the DB Challenges, I must say I was really really happy and excited to make Whoopie Pies!!!

Yes, Whoopie Pies. A lovely challenge hosted by the very talented Bourbonnatrix!

I used the given recipe for chocolate Whoopie Pies, only I made them more chocolatey by adding melted milk chocolate and a little espresso coffee, very little, maybe half a shot.
For the filling I already had some Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the freezer, which I thawed and flavoured with maple syrup.

I simply adore the combination of chocolate and maple!

Whoopie Pies

115 gr butter
1/2 shot espresso coffee
200 gr brown sugar
5 gr baking powder
3 gr baking soda
5 gr salt
a pinch of vanilla
1 egg
45 gr cocoa
285 gr all purpose flour
240 ml milk
100 gr melted chocolate

* Preheat the oven to 180oC. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
* Beat butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla until smooth.
* Add the egg and beat smooth again.
* Add the cocoa and mix gently.
* Pour the coffee and mix until incorporated.
* Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
* Add flour and milk in turns and mix until smooth and incorporated.
* On the prepared sheets drop balls of dough, how big, well it depends on how big you want your whoopie pies.
* Bake for about 15 minutes until they are firm to the touch.
* Remove from the oven and cool for 10 min on the sheets, then remove them with a spatula and let them cool completely, before you fill them.

The batter is rather thick.

I made balls using two tablespoons.

I piped the filling, so that it would look prettier!

.

After making these, I realised that they resemble a Greek treat called "kok", which comes in individual portions and in bite sizes. The difference is that while "kok" is a vanilla cake with vanilla filling and chocolate glaze on top, the whoopie pie can be found in so many flavor combinations!

This is what I really like about them, the versatility.

I am certainly going to make them again, bite size this time!


Thank you Bourbonnatrix for a great challenge!

Louise!

Orange sweet rolls!

I like yeast dough.

Even though it is difficult, the yeast may not react, you have to wait, etc., the result when it comes to taste and texture is so good!

I made orange sweet rolls for brunch, using a recipe, which can also act as a base for cinnamon rolls, chocolate rolls and so on.
In fact, after making cinnamon rolls with no yeast, I wanted to find a nice recipe for cinnamon rolls with yeast and I believe my search is over!

Orange sweet rolls
recipe adapted from here

dough:
21gr active dry yeast
375gr warm water
120gr honey
120gr butter melted
3tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
600gr flour + more if needed

filling:
125gr butter soft
225gr sugar
4tbsp fresh orange juice

glaze:
500gr icing sugar
5 tbsp fresh orange juice
110gr creme fraiche

* Preheat the oven to 110oC, then turn it off.
* Combine the warm water with the yeast in the bowl of your mixer. Allow it to sit for 5 min, until it bubbles.
* Add honey, melted butter, salt, eggs and mix them well.
* Slowly add 450gr flour, using the dough hook. The dough will be wet.
* Start adding more flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is sticky. Put a finger in the dough. If it sticks, but does not pull any dough, it is OK.
* Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the warm OFF oven.
* It must double in size, about 40-45 min.
* After it has risen, punch it down and roll it to a rectangle sheet. Spread the filling and roll tightly, from the long end.
* Cut rolls about 3cm thick and place them in a buttered pan.
* Cover with a towel and place back in the warm OFF oven to rise for a second time, about 20-30 min.
* Now preheat the oven to 180oC and bake the rolls for 25 min.
* Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls!

* For the filling mix everything together.

* For the glaze combine everything together and adjust for consistency.

Mmmm, they smell so good!

Soft and fragrant and tasty, these rolls are a treat!


Louise

Cake batter cookies!

I made a coconut cake and there was some left over batter. The cake pan was full, so I thought to my self, let's bake a few cupcakes as well. This is what I usually do with the left over batter.

This time, I had the sudden idea to turn the batter to dough. I simply added 1 cup all purpose flour and some more coconut. The result was not your typical cookie dough, but it was rather pliable.

Since, you can't roll this type of dough, I formed it in balls and placed them in a pan with holes in a flower design and pushed them to cover the bottom. I baked them and this is the result:

They are soft inside and crunchy on the outside. Quite tasty and a great alternative to baking cupcakes!


Louise

Cookie dough stuffed cupcakes!

Cookie dough is one of my favourite things. Well, eggless raw dough.
I don't care much for raw egg....

I baked vanilla cupcakes, but instead of plain white sugar, I used dark brown sugar.
I prepared the cookie dough, formed small balls to fit the cupcake cases and placed them in the friezer.

What I did was to drop some cake batter in the cases and place a frozen dough ball in the middle. While the cupcakes are baked, the batter rises and covers the ball.

I love these close-ups...

Yes, I did eat a few balls, while making them!

Brown sugar cake.

Fresh from the oven!

Some formed air pockets...

Great taste, great idea!
If you can actually resist eating the cookie dough...


Louise