Chocolate raspberry mousse. When was the last time you ate a chocolate mousse? If like me and it was at school from a little plastic pot then you are in for a real treat. Chocolate mousse reminds me of my school days, looking forward to that little plastic pot of chocolaty goodness. Of course as an adult we tend to restrain ourselves and choose to reach for the more healthy options in the supermarket. Mousse has come a long way since those days and making your own is a great way to remenisse over the days where we begged out mums for those little pots of chocolate heaven.
A good basic madeira cake has many uses, it forms the backbone of many recipes. Because they are so versatile it is a recipe that every aspiring home baker should master. When it comes to making cakes for an occasion, something you are going to cover in fondant, I personally think you only have three options, madeira, chocolate mud cake or fruit cake. You need a cake that is dense enough to be able to hold the weight of all of that fondant and buttercream. Madeira cake is perfect for this because you can take the basic recipe and add flavour and colour to it and make it your own whilst still having a cake that is dense enough to withstand stacking and heavy fondant.
Banana bread, just the thought of it makes my mouth watering. The beautiful smell rising from the oven is enough to make me start to drool. This banana bread recipe is enriched with walnuts and poppy seeds for texture and flavour making it one of my favourite breakfast bakes. When I lived in Australia I went though a period of having nothing but banana bread for breakfast. Every day I would go to the cafe in the train station and get myself a toasted banana bread, this lasted for at least a year and at least half a stone. But that banana bread was oh so worth it.
I do love banana bread for breakfast, its so easy to slice and pop in a baggie. Its perfect for a breakfast on the go or even toasted and spread with butter for an at home breakfast. The addition of nuts for protein (that’s what I like to tell myself) gives me the excuse to have this more often as its practically good for me. This moist and flavourful banana bread recipe is the perfect make ahead quick breakfast that all the family will love.
Tip- for this recipe you want to use really ripe bananas preferably bananas that are on the verge of being inedible. You can mash them up with a fork nice and easily so this is the perfect way to use up any bananas that have been left for too long. If you always have the odd one left that has gone brown you can mash it up and pop it in a freezer bag for use later and when you have four you can get baking!
So there you have it, my best banana bread recipe. Don’t forget to show me your bakes by tagging @whatseatingmanchester in your social media post.
For more recipe inspiration check out my blog and pintrest.
Sarah
A New York cheesecake recipe is one of those recipes that every baker should have under their belt. Its’ rich, creamy and dense texture makes it a rich and decadent cousin to the light and fluffy Japanese veriety. The New York cheesecake is easier to make as they don’t require a waterbath to bake. This produces a denser cake.
Home baking tips, I have to admit I love looking at other peoples home baking tips. Its so much fun reading other peoples tips and tricks in the kitchen. I vividly remember receiving my very first home baking tips from my Grandma, when I was little. Before the mixing bowls came out she would always shout at me to “tie your bloody hair back” I couldn’t do anything in the kitchen before tying my hair up. This advice always stuck with me and after 9 years in the hospitality industry I still keep a bag of hair ties in the kitchen drawer and the first thing I do when I start cooking is tie my hair back. It’s sound advice really but how often do you think to tie your hair back when you start a bake?
So today we are going back to basics, back to always tying your hair back. You may know some of them or even all of them, but give them a quick look over to remind yourselves any way. These tips will take you from novice to baking pro in no time!
Matcha coconut tart. This beautifully creamy matcha coconut tart is a real treat for the senses. Buttery biscuit base made with oat biscuits and dessicated coconut topped with a whipped coconut cream filing flavoured with matcha green tea powder.
This strawberry cheesecake mess is the perfect valentines treat for your loved one this year. When served in a glass or wine glass and when care is taken over presentation, this easy to assemble dessert is a real showstopper. This strawberry cheesecake mess is super easy to make and all the elements can be made ahead of time to assemble after dinner. It tarts with a classic cheesecake layered with fresh strawberries, strawberry coulis, meringue kisses and amaretti biscuits.
How to make French meringue. Have you ever wanted to whip up your own meringue kisses or had a craving for pavlova and wanted to make it from scratch. French meringue is reletivley simple to make once you understand the basics
French meringue starts out life as egg whites at room temperature, whisked until small bubble start to form, these bubbles are very important as they build the eggs stability. Caster sugar is then added whilst continuing to whisk until the sugar has been completly dissolved and the mixture has formed stiff peaks. The meringue is then baked on a low temperature and left to cool with the oven turned off to cool completly and dry out.
When making meringue I always use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to egg whites. I find it useful to weigh out the egg whites first then weigh out double the amount of sugar. I always heat my sugar when making meringue, this helps creates a stable glossy meringue.
This recipe works the same for pavlova, just increase the cooking time as the meringue gets large.
And there you have it it, my ultimate guide on how to make French meringue. Don’t forget to show me your bakes by tagging @whatseatingmanchester in your social media post.
For more recipe inspiration don’t forget to check out my blog or pintrest.
Sarah xx
Cranberry orange shortbread super easy to make and taste amazing. These shortbread biscuits combine two amazing flavours for this time of year. Cranberry and orange are your typical winter flavours and these biscuits combine the two to make one amazingly simple biscuit that is sure to wow your family and friends. This recipe deffinitly needs to be on your January baking list.
Morning Campers! Lovely to have you here. I'm Sarah and I'm the brains behind WhatsEatingManchester. I am a full time photographer and part time food fanatic. I have held every job in the restaurant business and food is what I do. I created WhatsEatingManchester as a place to bring together and share all my favourite recipes and images.