Sweet Genius

Round II of my meringue challenge and what better than to showcase our three new product launches for the Autumn Winter season - Secret Vanilla Pudding Spices, Toffee Hot Chocolate Drink Mix and St Clements Cardamom Curd.

Top of the bill is an award winning recipe from our consultant Susie Medcalf, a Spiced Pecan & Maple Caramel Meringue Roulade. Admittedly I've pimped this roulade with Secret Vanilla Pudding Spices but I'm sure she won't mind....

Next a Toffee Chocolate & Fig Meringue Layer Cake - this cake seemed to take on a life of its own, one minute each layer was beautifully stacked and the next it had cracked, hey ho, it still tasted great - very rich, with a hidden layer of toffee chocolate ganache and then masala and figs giving a lovely fruity boozy touch - you could use mascarpone as a change from whipped cream....

But my favourite meringue creation were these mini St Clements Meringue Pies and mini Toffee Chocolate Meringue Pies - simple pastry cases filled with St Clements Curd with Cardamom or Toffee Chocolate Ganache and topped with meringue...gorgeous when still warm and gooey from the oven...

Enjoy!

Clare
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Nirvana Palaver

Food Nirvana - peace achieved after a long process of committed application to the path of food perfection.

There aren't many things in the food world that get my feathers ruffled. Baking is a breeze now that my cupboard is constantly stocked with Beer Bread Mixes and Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix. But there is an achilles' heel in my kitchen.

The meringue may seem innocuous enough but believe me, many tears have been shed in search of that perfect light, fluffy, crunchy yet chewy concoction.

So in search of my foodie nirvana I have tackled the miraculous meringue with everything I've got. I've read and researched the expert opinions but honestly, the more I have read the more it reads like folklore and meringue mysticism. I foolishly thought I could create a 'one size fits all recipe' but it has proved elusive apart from a few consistent rules that I will share in due course.

On my ingredient list to test I found myself facing caster sugar vs. icing sugar vs. brown sugar and then salt, vinegar, lemon juice, corn flour and cream of tartar. Fascinating stuff - especially when you see the before and after photos of my meringue creations...

 

Clockwise from top - with cream of tartar, with corn flour, with lemon juice and the control. I'd like to say I intentionally induced a flat-as-a-pancake result with the control but it was a complete fluke - think I added the sugar too quickly :-)

And after...

In a nutshell, the cream of tartar definitely gave a chewier and firmer texture; the corn flour gave more structure and did not collapse as much as the lemon juice which had a good foam and a soft, chewy mallow-like finish. And the less said about the control the better. So from this, my golden rules for meringue nirvana....

RULES

For every large egg white allow 50g caster sugar + 1tbsp icing sugar.
Egg whites must be at room temperature.
School girl (or boy) error I know but the bowl and whisking equipment must be spotlessly clean.
Humidity is not your friend, have air tight containers standing by for meringue storage and this is definitely not rainy day cooking plus be aware of the moisture that your added flavourings may add to the meringue foam.
Oven temp - in my fan oven the best non-colouration was with 100C for 1 hour and then turn the oven off for another hour.
Leave space on the baking tray for the meringue to spread and always ALWAYS grease your baking parchment with plain vegetable oil.
Do not add the sugar too soon to the whisked egg whites and add slowly a tablespoon at a time and then whisk in the icing sugar.

Ultimately, be clear about what you are wanting to achieve in the final result, which from round one, I have summarised as thus..

1. The Meringue Roulade - a flat sheet of meringue that must be soft and pliable enough to fill and roll (when cold).
SOLUTION - add a dash of lemon juice after the initial whisking, before adding the sugar

2. The Meringue Sandwich - mounds of meringue, chewy but firm sandwiched together with cream, ganache etc.
SOLUTION - add 1 heaped tsp of cream of tartar to the sugar for every 4 egg whites

3. The Meringue Nest - a firm foam that can be piped in concentric circles to form a nest, pavlova base or piped onto the top of tarts and pies.
SOLUTION - add a dash of lemon juice plus 1 heaped tsp corn flour for every 4 egg whites

4. The Meringue Layer Cake - quick to cook thin rounds of meringue that can be layered up into a gateaux, light airy and melt in the mouth, also good for mini meringues.
SOLUTION - add 1 heaped tsp of corn flour along with the sugar for every 4 egg whites

My quest is not over. At the very least whilst you wait, I implore you to reject supermarket versions of these tempting treats especially when they are almost too perfectly white, with a chalky texture and a headache inducing sweetness. But now the fun can really begin - to decide on the combination of flavours and amazing My Secret Kitchen products to add to really blow these meringues out of the park....the list is endless and do share with us your own ideas; here are mine so far....

Maple Caramel & Pecan Roulade (courtesy of our consultant Susie Medcalf) - using Maple Caramel Sauce
Toffee Chocolate Meringue Kisses - using Toffee Hot Chocolate Mix
St Clements Meringue Layer Cake - using St Clements Cardamom Curd
Raspberry & White Chocolate Meringue Sandwiches - using Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix
Tropical Mango Mojito Meringue Nests - using Mango Mojito Dessert Sauce
Chocolate & Fig Roulade - using Fig Pudding Pickle
Hibiscus & Rose Pavlova - using Hibiscus & Rose Nectar

To be continued.......


Clare
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If all else fails - Eton Mess is a legitimate solution to any meringue related culinary disaster

Sugar & Spice

Cinnamon, Apricot & White Chocolate Whirls

Blueberry Honeycomb Loaf

 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Spiced Sea Salt & Smoked Oil

Sugar and spice and all things nice! We're revelling in the delights of all things spicy in our kitchen this week and by spicy we mean amazing tastes and flavours - not just chilli! Inspired by our host promotion this month, which is a collection of Secret Vanilla Pudding Spices (with cinnamon and roasted cassia), Secret Honeycomb Spices (with honeycomb, bee pollen and green anise) and our very special Spiced Sea Salt grinder (with lemon oil and chipotle), here are my three favourite recipes. All these recipes have our signature 'easy-peasy' philosophy with My Secret Kitchen products providing that extra touch  and are perfect for laid back week-end cooking. Enjoy!
Clare
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Bake me I'm yours...

Please don't hate me, but I feel compelled to tell you that it is National Doughnut Week. Anyone who has experienced a warm just-from-the-fryer doughnut dripping in sticky glaze or a sugar encrusted churros dipped in hot chocolate will understand the fascination that doughnuts have around the world. 

From Saturday 11th May to Saturday 18th May, bakeries around the country are frying up a storm and selling doughnuts all for a good cause in the shape of The Children's Trust.  The Children's Trust is a national charity providing rehabilitation, care and education to children with acquired brain injury, multiple disabilities and complex health needs. National Doughnut Week has raised over £755,000 for children’s charities in the last 21 years; you can find local bakeries taking part in the fun here.

Whilst I have not made any doughnuts recently per se, my take on National Doughnut Week is to make a simpler version with puff pastry stuffed with our Fig Pudding Pickle and Secret Honeycomb Spices and then tied in a knot. Then warm from the oven it is brushed with a milk icing or glaze - rather like a yum yum but without the fry factor.

I call them Fig & Honey Dough-Knots.....(get it?) and with everyone slightly different from the next it just adds to their home-baked charm; find the recipe here

Fig & Honey Dough-Knots

If you have been a guest at one of my tastings you will have heard me say 'I'm not a baker' and I make no apology for repeating it at every tasting because it is the honest truth. Cakes as flat as pancakes and pastry like rock candy are in my repertoire. Hence the strong motivation from day one when we developed My Secret Kitchen to create mega easy and foolproof products and recipes, especially the bakery mixes.

And just because we are about to embark on a 3 week tour of USA, back to where it all began, here are my Smore's Honeycomb Brownies, find the recipe here

I rather like this photo as they look as if they have been sent from heaven and believe me on the rainy days we have had recently it sure feels that way as they come out of the oven - I recommend inviting friends to just pull a wedge of sticky marshmallow and brownie heaven and eat with your fingers.

So happy doughnut week everyone and happy fundraising to The Children's Trust, I can think of no better way to help spread a little love and care so mis-happy baking too.

Clare
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Easy Easter

 

I love baking but freely admit I'm rubbish at it. (Enter the 'boob cake' that I made for my daughter's 6th birthday party - it was actually a pale pink crown with a jewel on the top but as my darling husband pointed out was more mammary than majestic).

I can spend hours drooling at bakery windows and at this time of the year we get to see Easter biscuits in all sorts of seasonal shapes, iced to perfection in pastel colours - cute little chicks and fluffy bunnies it seems a shame to eat them (but head first is best).

Our efforts are a little more rustic here at My Secret Kitchen but still as scrumptious and always reliable. I thought I'd share with you a really simple idea using our Mochaccino Cookie Mix. There is no shame here on using 'packet mixes' especially when our packet mixes are simply perfect ingredients, perfectly weighed and measured to take the time, stress and worry out of baking. Just add the eggs and butter for perfectly crumbly melt-in-the-mouth cookies every time.

You can find the recipe for Mochaccino Easter Nests here and more about our Mochaccino Cookie Mix here.

So as we count down to Easer, you'll find me daydreaming about egg custard tarts, Simnel cake, hot cross buns and all things sugar and spice thanks to all you inspirational bakers out there (and not a boob in sight!).

Clare
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Ultimate Brownie Bliss

March is here and it feels kind of good to have January and February under our belts. If you have been literally watching your belts perhaps you are also looking forward to Easter and saying yes instead of no! Traditionally at My Secret Kitchen we celebrate chocolate in March and with Easter and Mother's Day around the corner I have some brownie based inspiration for you.

Our Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix was the first product I developed several years ago for what was then, a developing dream of our own food tasting business. My philosophy was simple, to create recipes and products that I would make at home in a way for everyone to taste and use in their homes.  The values that were built into every recipe are as true and relevant today as they were back then and are what I believe also make our brownie mix the ultimate and here's why....

1. SECRET INGREDIENTS.
We only use naturally processed cocoa, and we're careful not to add too much sugar. We also use just enough flour to hold the brownies together. Belgian chocolate chunks and natural vanilla add the finishing touches. It’s also about what you will not find in our mix – there are none of the synthetic diglycerides, fillers or artificial flavours you might come across elsewhere. I also believe that adding real fresh eggs and natural butter are what makes a brownie and brownie so no water, oil or dried egg here!

2. PACKING A PUNCH
Many brownie mixes are on the small side, but we have purposefully made ours a large 500g pack. This lets you make 16 thick, squidgy, fudgey browines, or split the mix between two pans for 32 thinner squares; the photo below illustrates this point when compared to other brownie mixes.

3. RECIPES FOR SUCCESS
Inside each box is a set of recipes to help you create a whole host of blissful brownie creations – including a low fat version which substitutes the melted butter for apple puree and the whole egg for whipped egg whites, which results in a really intense chocolate flavour and 70% less fat. Don't forget our recipe site too with White Chocolate Macadamia Brownies, Cheesecake Brownies and my favourite, Brownie Nut Torte, perfect for Easter Sunday entertaining.

4. EACH PACKET IS KIND TO YOUR POCKET
The finished brownies work out at around 54p each – which is a fraction of what you can pay in certain coffee shops and cafes - see our recent taste testing below where we discovered you can pay up to £2 for a brownie in a coffee shop!

5. FREEZEY DOES IT
Our brownies also freeze brilliantly, so if you can resist the temptation to scoff the lot, you can save some for another day!

So here you can see some of our research in action and just a selection of the browine mixes we have been benchmarking our own recipe with. The white flags are all brownies made with other packet mixes (made according to the instructions). Each range in size from 35g to 60g per portion. The dark blue flag is our very own Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix and you will have to take my word for it that the taste test was no contest!

With the brownies below, the light blue flags are from well-known coffee shops as well as a local independent cafe. You certainly get more in a pre-prepared brownie (70g - 80g portion) but also be prepared to pay £1.45 - £2.00 for sadly, a very dry and grainy product. The dark blue flag at the end is again, our very own fudgy squidy amazingly chocolaty brownie!

So when time doesn't allow to bake brownies from scratch I am more than confident that our mix is worth every chocolaty penny.
Happy March, I hope its a fabulously chocolaty one for you too,

Clare
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Coffee Monster

Its no secret that I am the coffee equivalent of the cookie monster when it comes to my morning brew. Don't even think about talking to me until the kettle is on and I do not share. Yes I also take my own coffee pot and coffee wherever I go.

As a cooking flavour, coffee is more of an acquired taste. Enter My Secret Kitchen Mochaccino Cookie Mix. It is a brilliant cookie mix bringing coffee together with chunks of white and dark chocolate.  It was developed orignially as a biscotti mix (and you can still make fabulous biscotti with it - find the recipe and here) but in a simpler fashion it also makes fabulous soft bake cookies - amazing warm and gooey straight from the oven as well as chunky scones and to-die-for mini pecan pie coffee cookies
 
So I thought I would try to create a coffee cup cake with one of our most versatile products.  The results - the Caramel Latte Cup Cake.

Its a coffee and chocolate cup cake, doused in coffee liqueur and topped with maple caramel buttercream, sprinkled with cocoa and a coffee bean.  You can find the full recipe here and try your hand at any of the gorgeous recipes using our Mochaccino Cookie Mix.

Enjoy!

Clare
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Mango Melba Magic

Here's the second of our adventures in cup cake land. Our Mango Melba cup cake is a creative fusion of a raspberry and white chocolate cup cake (thanks to our Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix and Original Beer Bread Mix) with a mango glaze and topped with a velvety smooth mango cream cheese buttercream (courtesy of our Mango Mojito Dessert Sauce).  To complete the look, it is garnished with a fresh raspberry, a piece of dried mango, mint leaves and a final flourish of Mango Mojito Dessert sauce.  This is not a cup cake to be scoffed lightly, serve on your best tea plates with a little cake fork and slowly devour every mouthful.  You can find the full recipe here, Enjoy!

Clare
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Sugar and spice and all things nice

Autumn is in the air and as we say goodbye to the last few warm days of the season and drag out our woollies, here's a little something to look forward to from our kitchen - cup cakes.  This is our first cup cake recipe as we celebrate all that is sugary, sweet, plus a little spice and of course always nice.

Thanks to our client Lisa Lovell for the inspiration for the Apple Cup Cake with Canella Buttercream.  It not only features our Beer Bread Mix and Maple Caramel Sauce but a debut recipe for our new Vanilla Pudding Spices.  I promise you, baking with this new sweet spice will fill your home and your heart with the comforts of vanilla, cinnamon and our new bff, roasted cassia.

You can find the full recipe here

Next week with the expert help from 'Cup Cake Katie' we'll be turning our hands to another cup cake sensation.

Happy baking!

Clare
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