How to sprinkle Icing sugar

Tips, Hints and Help

Every now and then I will be adding little baking tips to the blog.
Hope you like it.

What to do when you want to sprinkle icing sugar on something but you don't want it to go all over the place?

If you find yourself in the position of having to decorate something delicately with a sprinkling of icing sugar here's what you can do:

Use a tea-strainer,
one of those small balls of wire-mash that you can put fresh tea leaves into and leave in the mug / cup to soak.
Just scoop some sugar into it and dust away.

I used it to decorate the individual vanilla pudding I served at Christmas.

You can find that recipe here too, look for 
Recipe Vanilla Pudding from scratch
http://topoftheworldcakes.blogspot.com/p/vanilla-pudding-from-scratch.html 
  

Pizza: calzone and cheesy garlic bread in one

Make your own pizza... call it what you will

I was making pizza at home the other day, (Great Pizza recipe below... keep reading) and as it happens not everybody likes the same topping.

Our solution up until now has been to make lots of pizzas with different toppings, maybe splitting the pizza in half or quarters because you can't bake 5 pizzas in one go, at least not in my oven.

But splitting the pizza like that has it's disadvantages, the main one being, I find, is that pizza toppings don't respect borders or boundaries. They don't care which half of the pizza they should stick to.

The flavors from toppings like blue cheese, or pepperoni or pineapple or pretty much anything that releases oils, liquids or melts easily is going to find its way all over the pizza and "contaminate" other parts of the pizza.

Nobody said sharing was easy.

Leading us back to the original solution of making individual pizzas.

I have issues with this method too, it means that someone is going to eat first and someone is going to eat last, unless you want to wait, in which case someone is going to have a cold pizza and someone is going to burn their tongue.

Then there's the whole issue of the garlic bread, as a side dish.
When is the right time to make that?
First? - so that everyone can enjoy it as a starter?
Split the difference?- make it midway?
or
Last?- so that the people who got their pizzas first have filled up on it and leave more for you? 
I'm usually the one who ends up eating last.

Maybe it's not really that big an issue... I don't know...
These things have a way of sorting themselves out for themselves.
But it got me thinking...
And when that happens... there's no turning back.
  
My solution...
The remember the calzone?
It's a kind of stuffed pizza, where the toppings are piled up on half the pizza and covered with with the other half. You end up with half a pizza stuffed with three times the topping of a normal one, can't go wrong.

The Icelandic name for it translates into Crescent Moon Pizza, which I like. I think it captures the meaning quite nicely.

I did a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and added some oregano...

Here's what I did.
I'm torn between calling it the
the Calzone Corner Pizza
or
the Custum Corner pizza
(help me decide)

Anyways...

Flatten the pizza dough into a square.
Even if I'm not making the calzone corners I like the square pizza, there's more room for toppings.

Add your pizza sauce (or ketchup and spices) as per usual, but only in the corners.
Leave lots of room in between the circles....

Add a topping of your choice.





Here I grated cheese, put some pepperoni squares and some pineapple chunks and little bits of ham. (definitely not kosher)







Fold in the corners

Cover your pizza toppings with the corners of dough by pulling them over and towards the center of the pizza.


Press the corners down so that there is less chance of the insides turning into outsides.


By doing this you have created the pizza equivalent of "no-man's land".

Even if some juicy flavors were to escape from your folded corners and roll on towards the center, no harm done..
They sit in the cheese (see next step) closest to their designated quarters.


Now...

Make garlic bread
Use the empty space in between to make the garlic bread, don't put any pizza sauce underneath.

Sprinkle cheese in the empty spaces between your stuffed corners.

Be generous with the
- pizza cheese,
- chopped fresh garlic
- grated Parmesano Reggiano

- slithers of red onion

Like like this.......



Bake the Stuffed Pizza in oven
200 dC
for
10 min
or
until Golden Brown



Serving it up
When the home made custom calzone corner Pizza looks ready, take it out of the oven, drop a little pizza sauce on each corner, some cheese and sprinkling of parmesano and let it rest for a few minutes.

Brush some garlic oil on the cheesy center.

Cut into 4 triangles

Plate up and everyone can eat at the same time.

This slice of stuffed pizza is the equivalent of at least two generous slices of regular pizza, in addition it is surrounded by tasty soft garlic bread.


Now the Pizza dough recipe as promised:
(Makes two pizzas)

You will need:
700 gr. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. yeast

280 ml. water
120 ml. oil
80 ml. beer

Yes there's beer in it.
Mix the dry stuff in one bowl and the liquids in another.
Stir together at first, when that is not possible anymore, knead for 5 min.
Leave to rest in the bowl under a damp cloth for 30 min.
Split the dough in half.
Then make pizza.

Remember
I'm torn between calling it the
the Calzone Corner Pizza
or
the Custum Corner pizza
(help me decide)

As always...
 
Happy baking

Back in baking action - Simple marshmallow fondant

Hello everyone
The last few weeks have been very busy to say the least...

But now I'm back and I'm trying out new things in the kitchen like never before, seriously, I've never before had the good sense to keep the camera in the kitchen with me at all times, but now that it's found it's new home it's up to me to use it wisely.
After all, with great pixels comes great responsibility.

Unfortunately I didn't always have the power of the photograph at my side so I have some "must have" recipes which I want to share but I will have to add more pictures later. It's not like I make some of this stuff every day... unfortunately.
Anyway

I thought I'd share something I think people google a lot :)

For the baking beginner and the brightest stars alike :)

I cannot stress enough how sticky everything will unavoidably get, but that should not stop you... after all...
It's only sugar
 

Marshmallow Fondant

You will need:

1. bag of marshmallows (between 25-30 pieces)
2-3 tbsp water
lots of powdered sugar - confectioners sugar - (at least 750 gr)
vegetable shortening (for the grease, here it's called Palmin)
microwave oven
big bowl, one that doesn't absorb the heat in the microwave
big spoon

Grease the bowl and spoon thoroughly.
Add marshmallows to bowl.
Give it 30 sec in the microwave, stir... and another 30sec.
Add water... stir.

Note:
(depending on the power of the microwave maybe you need another minute or two)


The marshmallows should be really fluffy and starting to puff up at this point, melted on the inside...
Then add the sugar... don't be hasty... add the powdered sugar bit by bit (may want to use a sieve, less risk of getting the fondant all lumpy)

Your basic marshmallow fondant is now taking shape (or not since it's probably just a big sticky mess)

If you want to add color, now is a good time...

Or
I like to make a lot of white marshmallow fondant first and knead in the color later, that way I'm not committed to a specific color.

Keep stirring in the sugar
BEWARE it will be extremely sticky and will go everywhere, that's why you want to grease everything up, including your hands.


When it gets thicker grease up a table top and knead in more sugar until you can touch it without it sticking to you.


You should end up with a thick white lump that you can roll out.
Keep the powdered sugar at hand while you work with it, you can add more if you think you need it.




If you don't use all your marshmallow fondant right away wrap it in plastic... It will keep good for up to a month in the fridge.

hope it works out well :)













I made this Bob the Builder with that marshmallow fondant recipe.
I think it worked out nice.

January... Birthday thoughts

The mad month of December with it's feasting and glorious anticipation is over.
January is a month of trying to keep the New years resolutions, trying to eat reasonably and trying to spend less money.
That's no reason to stop playing around with good food.
I'm sure that we could all come up with some appropriate excuses to baking cakes and cooking delicious meals.
Mine is an upcoming birthday party...
7 is a big number when you're 6.

It's gonna be a good one :)


I'm trying to decide what to make...
I don't want to make a huge cake which for the most part will likely go uneaten and I'm thinking about ways to draw back on the sugar intake.
kids are energetic enough.

I'm thinking...
Pop-corn, fruits, home made pizzas and maybe a selection of cup-cakes?

we'll see...

What to do with a Brown Banana?

Well you make banana bread...
Obviously.

There comes a time in the life of every banana when it just doesn't look good anymore. It's been left too long sitting on the table or in the fruit basket.
Brown, not Yellow...
It's just lost that appealing glow.

That's OK.
Don't throw it out.
Just make some really sweet banana bread.

Here's how...

You will need:

1 Egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
150 gr. flour
100 gr. sugar
3 brown bananas mushed up real good








Then you:
Beat the egg and the sugar together, you want to get a smooth light yellow batter.
Add the mushed up bananas and fold into the mix.
Then the flour, baking soda and salt.
Roll it around so it's nice and even.
Pour it into a baking mold.




Bake in oven (where else?)

Heat the oven to 160°C

Bake for 35 to 40 min.


Attention!
You will know it's ready when you attack it with a knitting needle, knife or other prickly object, jabbing it in the middle of the now brown and crusted bread as it lays basking in the heat of the oven, if the object you have chosen comes out moderately clean, albeit a little sticky, you have done well my young padawan and the bread is ready for consumption.

Smear generously with butter, add cheese, and eat while warm.

Happy Banana-baking

Let me know how it turns out :)

Carrot ? Cake... with chocolate trees

First up...
My Early Winter Nights cake.

Here we go ... (and you just sort of have ti imagine the sound track from Super Mario Bros playing... dum, dum, dum , durrrum, durrum, durrum, durrumm durrummm dumm dumm dumm)

You will need...
2 eggs
180 gr. sugar
150 gr flower
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp milk
100 ml. oil
4 shredded carrots
50 gr dried apples (you can use fresh apples but I like the chewy texture of the dried ones.)
50 gr chopped hazelnuts

one oven heated to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit or there about)
one mixer
one spatula
two baking tins (mine are round 22cm in diameter)
baking parchment (that's posh for paper)

You will then:
1. Beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is nice and light and fluffy, about 5 min. in an electric mixer at medium to high speeds, depending on how dangerously you want to live. (meanwhile you could peel the carrots, shred them and chop the dried apples, it's just a suggestion you don't have to... I mean there's no law) You could do the mixing by hand but if you do it's gonna be hurting tomorrow.

2. Add the cinnamon, baking soda and powder to the mix and stir together, just a little bit... be gentle. Then the oil and milk and now you should have some brownish- orangy looking goo. DON'T PANIC.

3. Stop using the electric mixer and add the flower bit by bit mixing it gently, try folding it in with a spatula. You don't want to beat the air out of the mixture with too much force because you want to make the cake nice and fluffy don't you?... yes you do, I know because I read minds.

4. Then you dump in the carrots (which by this point should be peeled and shredded), the apples (which should be chopped to little bitty bits) and the hazelnuts (which you should have bought pre-chopped, if not... well I guess the whole thing is ruined then isn't it?)

5. Now 
I like to keep my baking tins clean by lining them with the paper... but it's your mess, you can opt out and just smear them with butter and dust them with flower. (if you have no idea what I'm talking about let me know, but I will be adding this little tip in the "hint's and help" section sometime later)
Pour the mix into the tins dividing it evenly between them... no favorites, it will get you nowhere.

6. Oven... 20-25 min or until it's nice and golden on the outside and the edges are firming up. Test it by stabbing it with a little prick, it should come out clean... or knife. (I use a knitting needle, it's the only thing they're good for... just an opinion)

7. Let it cool down... give it time, it should be very soft and fluffy.

8. Do you want to put cream on it?

You will need

200 gr Mascarpone cheese (it's white and really creamy. You could spread it on bread but then you might as well soak the bread in double cream.)
180 grams powdered sugar (fluffy white stuff)
1 tbsp butter, really really soft... like leave-it-on-the-table-for-a-long-time soft.
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp Maple syrup

Put in a bowl and mix until smooth.
You may want to taste it and see if it needs some more vanilla or maple syrup (or just because you want an excuse to eat nothing but the topping.)

9. Spread over the cake once it has fully cooled down or the cream will melt into the cake. (I'm warning you... I mean it.)


Enjoy
And remember to lick the bowl clean.

Gingerbread cookies.. or House... or Boot... or whatever

So I finally got round to writing this down for all y'all out there.
This recipe is actually really simple and easy to make and doesn't have to be cooled over night in a refrigerator like so many others.
No, You can use it while it's nice and warm.
That also means you can make nice cookies at short notice.
Great for impatient kids.

You will need.
100 gr butter
150 gr brown molasses sugar (the really dense dark brown stuff)
150 ml syrup
a sprinkling of ginger
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
5-600 gr flower

What you want to do with that is this:

Put the butter and the sugar and the syrup in a big pot and melt it thoroughly together... it needs to start boiling slightly.
You may want to keep the kids away from this part.
When it's nice and dangerous go ahead and take it off the heat and let it cool down so that it's a little less dangerous.
Then...
Add the spices and stir.
Then...
When it's cooled down a little bit more... add at least a third of the flower.
Now it should look like a really gooey brown, sweet smelling, sticky mess...
You've done good so far.
If you feel up to it try to kneed more flower into it...
If it's still too hot... give it a moment... it's been through a lot.
Ok now you should be able to dump it on a tabletop along with the rest of the flower, make a little nest in it and crack open the egg...
It's gonna wanna run, but you mix it up and squish it in.
Now you just keep kneading it until it's nice and smooth... shouldn't take more than a few minutes.
Roll it out thin and go wild with the cooky cutters.

fire that oven up to 180 C.
Bake in oven for 10 - 15 min depending on the thickness of the dough.

Let them cool
Decorate if you must...
No I'm kidding... decorate them with Icing sugar and candy, they'll be great.

Good luck
Sweet times.

New Year... New food

Hello everyone..
Happy new year, hope you had a good one and that this one will be even better :)

Celebrating the New year in Iceland is pretty cool.
We get together to stuff our faces full of some of the best foods we can think of. (there's generally a lot of double cream, butter and other taboo stuff involved.)
Some people break out the barbeque and throw on a slab of meat or two or three.
Seriously... the BBQ! in a snowstorm.
It's the best.
Then there's the traditional "sitting around and watching TV" part of the evening, when the national tv station RÚV breaks out the fine china and tells us all the interesting things that happened this past year both here in Iceland and abroad.
That's nice. We forget too fast.
Then there is a bonfire...
There are about 20 around the capital, big blazing mountains of fire.
Everybody get's together and there is singing involved.
It's funny, because most of the people there are strangers.
Everybody's there to have a good time.
Some people bring little fireworks to light up the sky.
Pretty.
After that we go back home and have a blast of our own.
Have you ever seen a black starlit sky suddenly turn into a puddle of light and color.
I have.
It's amazing.
Everybody and their grandmother get's out and lights at least one little firework.
Kids stand around with blazing torches and sparkling lights.
There is so much noise you have to shout.
But that's ok because you don't want to talk anyway.
There are flashes of light and color that stun you into silence.
This is the Icelandic midnight.
We celabrate the New Year with a boom.
Then a party.

I made a cake...
It's a rocket, heading for the stars.
it's one of those marzipan marvels that taste so good with coffee :)

Happy New Year