Garlic Rosemary Butter Rolls

July 18, 2014March 13, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next71 Comments

Take your classic white bread roll to the next level by serving it with homemade garlic rosemary butter.

These delicious bread rolls are great for anyone new or at a beginner stage of bread making. This recipe consists of a batch of white bread rolls served with garlic and rosemary butter. The homemade butter is brushed over the freshly baked bread rolls as soon as they leave the oven and as they cool the warm butter soaks into each roll and flavours enrich throughout the dough.

I firmly believe that there’s nothing quite comparable to bread homemade in your kitchen, it looks more rustic which is definitely a good thing and tastes so much better than anything you can buy. I used the recipe for tear ‘n’ share bread to make these rolls. The addition of olive oil in the dough not only makes these authentically Italian but it makes them super soft and delicious and taste like a focaccia or Italian-style bread.

Homemade garlic herb butter is really simple to make. You can add really herbs or flavours you like, for this recipe I’m using a combination of chopped garlic and fresh rosemary. If you’re not a fan of rosemary you can swap the rosemary for parsley or leave it out entirely and just make garlic butter for your rolls.

I don’t add any chopped garlic or rosemary to my bread dough. I just prefer to brush the tops with the garlic rosemary butter once they’re baked. However, if you want you can definitely add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary to the bread dough. I definitely recommend using real garlic opposed to using garlic powder, which I find doesn’t produce the same flavour that the fresh ingredients do.

You can make these rolls with half wholemeal flour and half strong white flour – follow my other recipe for 50/50 Bread Rolls. You could also even top each roll with a grated cheese like Parmesan or a vegetarian hard cheese alternative, but to be honest they taste so great just with the herby butter I don’t think any cheese is needed!

My favourite way of serving these bread rolls is with either pizza or pasta. They really are a fantastic addition to any mealtime, I am confident you’re going to really enjoy these!

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

550g strong white bread flour

1 and 1/4 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (substitute with another oil or alternatively use melted butter)

310ml warm water

Garlic Rosemary Butter:

60g (1/4 cup) butter

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Method:

1. To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and mix together (remember to make sure the yeast and salt are on opposite corners of the bowl). Add the olive oil and warm water and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes by hand or with an electric hand or stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes until the dough is soft and elasticated.

2. To knead and rise the dough: Once the dough is kneaded, lightly oil another large mixing bowl. Add the dough to the bowl and lightly coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a kitchen towel and leave somewhere dry and warm for at least an hour or until doubled in size. This should take around 60-90 minutes.

3. Once the dough has risen fully divide it into 12 equally sized pieces. I weigh the dough to be accurate then shape each piece of dough into rolls. Place the rolls onto a large baking tray that’s either been lightly oiled or lined with a silicone baking mat. Space the rolls apart by a 1-2 inches so they have enough room to rise and spread slightly. Cover with clingfilm or a kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for further 45-60 minutes or until the rolls have joined up and doubled in size.

4. To bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 220°C / 200 degrees Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until crisp and golden in colour. You can check the rolls are completely baked by tapping the bottom of one, if it sounds hollow then they will be cooked all the way through.

5. To make the garlic and rosemary butter: Whilst the bread rolls are baking, in a small saucepan gently heat together the butter, chopped garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat until it smells fragrant and the garlic has softened slightly but not coloured – this should take about a 2-3 minutes on a low to medium heat. Once the bread rolls are completely baked, brush the butter over and leave the rolls a few minutes to cool before serving. These rolls are best served warm, but they’ll keep in a bread bag or airtight container for up to 2 days.

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Baking · Cakes · Chocolate

Chocolate Fudge Cake

July 15, 2014August 23, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next43 Comments

Chocolate fudge cake decorated with a layer of velvety dark chocolate ganache.

Originally posted in July 2014, recipe and photographs updated May 2018.

It’s taken me four years to update this much-loved chocolate cake of mine. I’ve trialled several more chocolate cake recipes since then and now I’ve found this new recipe, which my taste testers and I absolutely love.

The original recipe I shared was a two-layer cake, the top of the cake was garnished with fresh raspberries and the sides decorated with milk and white chocolate biscuit fingers.

However, since then I’ve wanted to share an updated recipe with easier and minimalist decoration, with focus purely on the taste.

This recipe is from SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. Just like my favourite Chocolate Fudge Brownies, this cake has both dark chocolate and cocoa powder added for intense chocolate flavour and if there wasn’t enough chocolate already in the cake, there’s also a dark chocolate ganache spread on the top of the cake.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Fudge Cake:

250g butter (salted or unsalted), at room temperature and cut into 2cm cubes

200g dark chocolate, cut into 2cm pieces

1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (optional)

350ml boiling water – this is for dissolving the coffee

250g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

240g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt – only add this if using unsalted butter

Chocolate Ganache:

200g dark chocolate, cut into 2cm pieces

200ml double cream

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)

Method:

1. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Place the cubed butter and chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot coffee (1 and 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules dissolved in 350ml of boiling water) and whisk until melted.

3. Now whisk in the sugar until it’s all dissolved. In a smaller bowl beat together the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add the egg and vanilla mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated.

4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt (only use if using unsalted butter). Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. The batter will be liquid, don’t worry as this is how it should be. Bake the cake for 60 minutes or until the cake is risen and a cake tester comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs attached when inserted into the centre of the cake – my cake took an extra 10 minutes to finish completely baking. The top of the cake will crack, but once you’ve covered the top of the cake in ganache you won’t notice this.

5. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes, then carefully remove it from the tin, peel off the piece of parchment paper off the bottom and leave it cool completely on a wire rack.

6. To make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Heat the cream and golden syrup in a small saucepan until bubbles just begin to appear on the surface and just before it starts to come up to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until mostly melted. Now add the butter and continue to stir until smooth. Directly place a piece of clingfilm on the top of the ganache and leave it at room temperature for about two hours until spreadable.

7. Using a spatula or palette knife, spread the ganache on the top of the cake. Serve the cake with pouring or whipped cream, ice cream and fresh raspberries and strawberries. Cake will store covered at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Recipe from SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

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Biscuits and Cookies · Cheesecake · No-Bake

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream {No-Machine}

July 11, 2014August 2, 2015 What Jessica Baked Next105 Comments

This no-churn, no-machine Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice-Cream is super delicious and makes a great summer treat! Easy to make, and like most my ice-cream recipes this one is completely no-churn and only requires a handful of ingredients to make. I decided to post another ice cream recipe as my Melba Popsicles were really well received by you all, so thank you to everyone who left me some lovely comments- I really appreciate it! So, as my ice-cream recipes have been so popular with you all and lots of my readers have been asking me to share more strawberry recipes I knew more ice-cream was the perfect choice for today! Strawberry Cheesecake was my favourite flavour on to enjoy whilst I was on holiday last year, so I thought it would be great to make my own! I wasn’t disappointed, as this ice-cream was so, so good!

Just as creamy and delicious as ice-cream you can buy in the supermarket. I have to say this recipe tastes exactly like Häagen-Dazs ice-cream, but better (of course)! It’s lush, especially best scooped into a waffle cone or served in a bowl with lots of extra strawberries. (Also, let me apologise for the TERRIBLE pictures. My lighting was bad because it’s been super dark! So I found it hard to photograph my ice-cream before it started melting, but the taste definitely made up for those downfalls!…)

Ingredients-

Strawberry Syrup-

225g of strawberries, hulled & chopped into small pieces

50g of caster sugar

55ml of hot water

Ice Cream Base-

1x 397g can of sweetened condensed milk

300ml of double cream, chilled

250g of full-fat soft cream cheese (must be at room temp)

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Biscuit Crumble-

75g of digestive biscuits, finely crushed

30g (1tbsp) of unsalted butter, melted

Method-

1. To make the strawberry syrup: Place the chopped strawberries, sugar and hot water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, allowing the sugar to completely dissolve (stir occasionally). When there’s no sugar granules left, bring the mixture up to the simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Then blitz in a food processor/blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a bowl to extract the seeds. Then cool down and place in the fridge until cold and slightly thickened.

2. To make the Ice-Cream base: Whisk the cream and vanilla until just starting to thicken. Add the really soft cream cheese and then whisk for just a few moments to combine until smooth. Fold in the condensed milk.

3. For the biscuit crumbles: Mix together the crushed biscuit and melted butter.

4. To assemble: Fold in half the biscuit into the ice-cream base with half the syrup. Swirl the syrup around a little to combine the flavour throughout. Then pour into a regular loaf tin.

5. Finish by sprinkling over the remaining biscuit crumbs and swirling in the strawberry syrup. Cover with cling film and then really carefully place in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight. To serve- Allow to thaw for 5 minutes, then scoop into waffle cones or into bowls. ENJOY!

Enjoy and have a great weekend guys!

Greek Cuisine · Light Lunches · Pasta Recipes · Vegetarian Recipes

Greek Pasta Salad

July 8, 2014May 29, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next33 Comments

Greek pasta salad that’s perfect for summer BBQs, picnics and a lunch to take along with you to work! Choose your favourite pasta, add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives and crumbled feta cheese. Stir together with a simple dressing made from minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and seasoning.

This pasta salad combines all my favourite Greek flavours into a tasty pasta salad perfect for summer. I love making this pasta recipe ready to take out for picnics or to serve as a side dish at a BBQ.

The best thing about this recipe is you can make it the night before and leave it in the fridge ready for the next day’s lunch or dinner. Each bowlful of this divine pasta salad is packed full of fresh sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy red onion, refreshing cucumber and salty crumbled feta. Serve alongside lemon chicken, souvlaki or some fried halloumi cheese for an amazing Greek feast!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad that's perfect for summer BBQs, picnics and a lunch to take along with you to work! Choose your favourite pasta, add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives and crumbled feta cheese. Stir together with a simple dressing made from minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and seasoning.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

500 g tortelloni pasta or any pasta shape of your choice I use spinach and ricotta
1/2 large cucumber chopped into small pieces
225 g tomatoes chopped into small chunks - if using cherry tomatoes, just half
1 small red onion finely diced
70 g kalamata or black olives halved
150 g feta cheese crumbled

Pasta Dressing:

80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large lemon juice only
1 clove of garlic finely minced (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook your chosen pasta shape according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and cool with cold running water. Drain again before setting aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Add the chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and the cooked pasta. Crumble in the feta and stir through to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
This pasta is best served chilled, the longer time it can sit the better the flavour. The pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More savoury Greek recipes to try next!

Mum’s famous Greek Stifado

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Greek Pita Bread

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Baking · Tarts and Pastry

Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises)

June 30, 2014May 24, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next79 Comments

Today’s recipe is one of those classics I think everyone loves to eat. A slice of freshly made strawberry tart is pure comfort for me and is one of my favourite summer desserts.

Another birthday in the family called for another celebration bake, this time a lovely fresh tart. I love classic fruit tarts, they tick all the boxes for me on so many levels and make an amazing dessert.

Delicious, fresh and summery are just a few words used to describe this tart – each and every bite is perfection.

The recipe is also super easy to make, every single aspect of this tart is homemade and it doesn’t get better than that!

You can probably tell by now I’m absolutely loving the strawberry season – so expect lots more strawberry recipes this summer too. Also, the tart fits in with the Wimbledon theme at the moment, so if you’re hosting a Wimbledon-themed garden party, this tart should definitely be at the top of your baking list!

Ingredients:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée):

250g of plain flour, plus more for dusting

120g of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smallish cubes

80g of caster sugar

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Good splash of pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Easy Crème Pâtissière:

500ml of whole milk

Good splash of pure vanilla extract

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

100g of caster sugar

50g of strong flour

16g of custard powder

For the Crème Diplomat:

150ml of double cream, lightly whipped to soft peaks

Topping/Decoration:

Fresh strawberries

Strawberry jam, for glazing – must be boiling before brushing over the fruit

Method:

1. To make the pastry: Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled, cubed butter and using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until you have a light, airated breadcrumb mixture. Add the lemon zest and sugar and mix through. Now add the egg and vanilla and mix until you have soft dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

2. To line the tin, lightly dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Roll the pastry out, rotating the dough on each turn, until you have a round piece of pastry about a pound coin thickness. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C Fan. Wrap the pastry up onto the rolling pin and gently place into the tin. Press in fully, making sure the sides are fully compact. Prick the base with a fork, then line the pastry case with parchment paper and baking beans. Blind bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is coloured. Leave to cool completely.

3. For the Crème Pâtissière: Boil the milk and vanilla gently in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Sift in the flour and custard powder and whisk until smooth. Pour half the boiling milk and whisk, then return the custard mix back to the remaining milk on the hob. Stir until you have a really thick mixture. Then spread out into a tray, cover with cling – to prevent a skin forming and leave in the fridge until cold.

4. When your ready to construct the tart, in a mixing bowl add all the creme pâtissière. Then gently fold in the whipped cream (this is how you make a crème diplomat. Spread this mixture into the prepared pastry case. Then top with sliced strawberries, brush with the jam to glaze the top of the tart.

5. Serve slices of the tart, it will store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Main Meals · Vegetarian Recipes

Halloumi and Vegetable Couscous with Tzatziki

June 25, 2014August 1, 2019 What Jessica Baked Next62 Comments

Halloumi and vegetable couscous with tzatziki is a summery dinner all your friends and family will love. It’s super tasty and easy to make!

Originally posted in June 2014, recipe, writing and photographs updated August 2019.

Lately I’ve been baking so many sweet treats that I felt like posting something different and sharing a savoury creation of mine.

I’m constantly dreaming of all the recipes I can bake and create! Any spare moment I have I’m constantly scribbling down any recipe idea that pops into my head. I remembered a dish I used to make for dinner frequently that’s inspired by my travels and love of Cypriot and Greek cuisine.

I’ve been making this dish for a long time now and having first posted the recipe all the way back in 2014, I’ve meant to update the recipe and photographs for a while as I’d adapted it since then and the photographs didn’t do this recipe justice.

Eating a plate of this takes me back to sunny and warm evenings on holiday, one taste and I could be back in Cyprus or on a beautiful Greek island and that’s exactly how I want you to feel when you eat this beautiful dish.

This recipe combines two recipes I’ve previously shared: my Roasted Vegetable Couscous and traditional Greek-style Tzatziki. I’ve added some fried halloumi cheese to make this into a summer dinner all your family and friends will love. I’m yet to meet someone who dislikes halloumi, it’s quite possibly my favourite cheese simply served with a sprinkling of dried oregano and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon!

The dish is served with tzatziki, I find halving my recipe makes just enough to serve four people with maybe a little leftover. Sometimes we serve this dish part of a mezze and serve it with falafel, hummus, olives and homemade pitta bread.

Another recipe update completed. I hope for everyone who missed this the first time round will enjoy making and eating it!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Roasted Vegetable Couscous:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 mixed colour bell peppers, deseeded and cut into medium chunks

8-10 small mushrooms (such as button or chestnut), cleaned and quartered

1 red onion, chopped into small chunks

1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced into 1/2 inch quarters

Salt and black pepper, to taste

200g dried couscous

1 vegetable stock cube (optional)

Boiling water (see method for instructions)

Halloumi:

2 x 225g packs of halloumi cheese (see recipe method for instructions on slicing)

Olive oil, for grilling/frying

Dried or fresh herbs (I personally love seasoning mine with fresh thyme or dried oregano) – this is optional

To Serve:

1/2 x tzatziki recipe

Fresh lemon wedges

Method:

To make the couscous: Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Evenly spread the vegetables out onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until they’re all coated well in the oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft and starting to colour slightly.
Once the vegetables are near enough cooked, start preparing the couscous. Place the couscous in a large bowl that will be big enough to mix up all the vegetables in too. Crumble the stock cube over the top of the couscous, season with salt (go easy on the salt as the stock cube is very salty) and pepper and pour over just enough boiling water to cover the top of the couscous. Cover the bowl with some clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes (I always leave mine for the full 10 minutes).
Now using a fork, fluff the couscous and then mix through the roasted vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. Couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To prepare the halloumi: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a griddle/frying pan. Take the halloumi and slice each block of cheese directly down the centre widthways, then slice each half into four slices (you’ll have eight slices in total – so four slices per person).
Sprinkle each side of the halloumi with herbs (if using) and then grill/fry the halloumi until it’s lightly golden and cooked to your liking – some people prefer their halloumi slightly softer, whereas others like it on the crispier side.
To serve, divide the couscous between four serving bowls or plates, along with the cooked halloumi and serve with the tzatziki and fresh lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

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Biscuits and Cookies · Ice Cream · No-Bake

No-Churn Strawberry Shortbread Ice Cream

June 23, 2014June 23, 2016 What Jessica Baked Next116 Comments

It’s the start of Wimbledon today so there’s no better time to share a strawberries ‘n’ cream recipe with you all. I love making my own homemade ice cream and ever since I found a great, staple no-churn, no-machine recipe I’ve been hooked on creating new flavours ready to enjoy in the warmer weather. This ice cream recipe only requires a handful ingredients and will take less than 10 minutes of your time to make. In no time whatsoever you will have the most delicious handmade ice cream ready to scoop, eat and enjoy in the sunshine.

Ingredients:

300ml double cream, chilled

397g (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g (approx. 1 cup) fresh strawberries, chopped in small pieces

4-5 all-butter shortbread fingers, crumbled

Method:

1. Whisk the double cream to soft peaks. Fold in the condensed milk and vanilla extract. Place 2/3 of the strawberries into a food processor and blend until pureed, leave some bigger pieces of strawberry for texture. Fold in the pureed strawberries and half the crumbled shortbread.

2. Pour into a loaf tin or medium-sized airtight container. Scatter over the remaining chopped strawberries and crumbled shortbread. Cover with cling film and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight.

3. To serve, allow to thaw at room temp for 5-10 minutes. Then scoop into ice cream cones or into bowls with extra strawberries and shortbread.

Enjoy!

Baking · Cheesecake

Eton Mess Cheesecake {Laura Ashley Blog Feature}

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next99 Comments

So a few weeks ago, the lovely people from Laura Ashley contacted me to see if I would like to create a recipe to be featured on their blog. I’ve been really busy with exams, college and with lots of other bits and bobs that I haven’t had enough time to blog and share my recipes and tell you this amazing news. Also, a few days ago I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy my own domain, so you will probably notice this blog address is now whatjessicabakednext.com! But now I’ve finished for the whole Summer I will now be able to post a lot more frequently (which I hope is great news for you!). But back to this post, in particular I was asked to develop a recipe that was an English classic. So as I love dessert, cheesecake and Summer, my most favourite dessert sprung straight to mind. Eton Mess is possibly the most quintessentially ‘English’ dessert out there- so I knew it would fit the bill perfectly. Luscious, fresh Summer berries mixed with whipped cream and crumbled meringue. If that doesn’t sound like the most perfect dessert, then I don’t know what does! And as I’m the world’s biggest cheesecake fan, it thought it would be fun to combine my two favourite desserts. This cheesecake tastes amazing, it’s light, summery and very decadent with the fruit and meringue topping. And a definite popular dessert recipe for any occasion. Enjoy guys!

I’ve used my favourite baked cheesecake recipe. I like to use ricotta in the cheesecake mix and I’ve also added some lemon zest and juice to give the cheesecake extra Summer-y flavour. A crumbly, sweet digestive biscuit base is followed by a smooth, creamy layer of lemony ricotta mix and then topped off with a drizzle of fresh raspberry sauce, crumbled meringue and chopped fresh strawberries. This recipe is great for any occasion and it’s sure to be enjoyed by anyone who tries a slice. Also, the ‘traditional’ Eton Mess uses either raspberries or strawberries, but as I LOVE both fruits I decided to combine both into this amazing dessert!

Ingredients-

Base-

250g of digestive biscuits, crushed

100g of unsalted butter, melted

Filling- (Note: have both cream cheeses at room temperature)

600g of full-fat soft cream cheese

250g of Italian ricotta

3 large free-range eggs

Zest from 2 large lemons + juice from 3

200g of caster sugar

Raspberry coulis-

300g of frozen or fresh raspberries

1 heaped tbsp of icing sugar

2 tbsp of each lemon juice and water

(To make coulis- place all ingredients listed in saucepan, boil for 5 minutes, then pass through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and place in fridge for a few hours or overnight to thicken).

To decorate-

Fresh strawberries, sliced- I used approx. 300g of strawberries

Crumbled meringue pieces- use as much as you like

Method-

1. Start by making the base: Crush the biscuits until you have fine crumbs- you can do this in a food processor or in a disposable bag with a rolling pin. Mix the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter. Press down into a 23cm springform cheesecake tin and make sure it’s really well compact. Place in the fridge whilst you make the filling.

2. For the filling: Mix the ricotta, cream cheese lemon zest and juice, eggs and caster until you have a really smooth mixture. Carefully pour the filling on top of the chilled base. Before baking, fill a deep baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your oven. Bake at 140 degrees C Fan for 1 hour 10 minutes. Once baked, the cheesecake should be set around the outside, but should still have a slight wobble in the centre.

3. Then turn off the oven, leave the oven door open a little and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, cover with some tin foil and place in the fridge to finish setting overnight- this is the vital step to stop the cheesecake top from cracking.

To serve: Once the cheesecake has set overnight it will even more well set and will cut a lot easier- I serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis. Then top with strawberries and crumbled meringue.

My Top Tips-

Always fill a baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your preheated oven. This creates a steamy environment in the oven and the cheesecake will bake more evenly.
Once the cheesecake has cooked for the full amount of time, turn off your oven, leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar. It will slowly cool down to room temperature and won’t crack on top- never put a warm cheesecake straight in the fridge.
When decorating, top with the sauce, crumbled meringue and strawberries just before serving. *Note*: the cheesecake can be made in advance and left in the fridge completely covered for 2 days before decorating with the toppings.

Enjoy this recipe everyone, and do pop over the Laura Ashley Blog to find this recipe! I’ve got some amazing recipes lined up for you all, so watch out for those in the coming weeks!

Baking · Cakes · Chocolate

M&M Kit Kat Double Chocolate Cake

June 6, 2014June 6, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next160 Comments

Two cake recipes in a week? Yes but I had the perfect excuse! Birthdays for me always call for amazing celebration cakes to be made. And a double chocolate cake has to be the most heavenly thing for me and always at the top of my baking list. It was my Sister’s 20th birthday and when I asked what cake she would like, her answer was a chocolate M&M Kit Kat cake. Even though this isn’t really a recipe I still thought it would be cool to share some photos and show you how you can create a showstopper celebration cake for a birthday or special occasion. This cake was amazingly easy to make, I used my most reliable and favourite chocolate fudge cake recipe, brought a chocolate ganache icing and decorated with a rainbow of M&M’s and chocolatey wafer-y Kit Kat’s. The cake went down storm with both family and friends and it was completely devoured in a record time. Enjoy guys!

You’ll be surprised how easy this cake is to decorate. It looks so visually amazing! Just spread your favourite chocolate ganache icing all over the cake, stick the Kit Kat’s all around the outside and then pour over the M&M’s. That’s literally it and the cake looks absolutely stunning! And as you can tell it makes an amazing birthday cake.

Ingredients-

Cake (Makes 2 x 8 inch cakes)

1 3/4 cups of plain flour (all purpose)

2 cups of caster sugar

2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of good-quality cocoa powder

2 free-range eggs (I used medium sized)

1 cup of buttermilk

1/2 cup of Vegetable oil

1 cup of freshly brewed coffee (use a nice strong coffee)

To decorate-

Approx. 450g of Chocolate fudge icing- you can use homemade if you prefer

Chocolate M&M’s, Kit Kat’s

Method-

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C Fan. Line two 8 inch cake tins with some baking parchment and grease the sides with some butter. Then set aside. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (the flour, sugar, bicarb, baking powder, salt and cocoa.) Mix with a wooden spoon, just to combine.

2. Then add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and the freshly brewed coffee. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined and they are no lumps in the batter- don’t overmix, just mix until you can’t see any lumps of flour!

3. Ladel the cake mix into the tins and then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and a cake tester comes out clean. Once cooked, allow to cool in tins for 30 minutes, then remove from tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. To decorate, spread a thin layer of the fudge icing onto one cake layer. Then sandwich together with the over cake half. Spread the remaining ganache around the outside of the cake- don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect as you’re going to decorate with loads of chocolate! Then finish by going around the outside of the cake with the kit kat’s. Then decorate the top with chocolate M&M’s. Slice up and enjoy.

Note: The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Becky with her birthday cake!

Baking

Fresh Fruit Tart with Crème Pâtissière

May 17, 2014May 17, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next121 Comments

Want to make a effortlessly chic showstopper dessert? If so I have the recipe perfect for you to try out and it looks as though it was made and decorated in a Patisserie. I thought I would share this amazing fresh fruit tart with my favourite recipe for Crème Pâtissière. It’s light, super indulgent and definitely up your street if you love fruity, summery desserts. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)-

250g of plain flour + more for dusting

120g of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smallish cubes

80g of caster sugar

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Good splash of pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Easy Crème Pâtissière-

500ml of whole milk

Good splash of pure vanilla extract

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

100g of caster sugar

50g of strong flour

16g of custard powder

For the Crème Diplomat-

150ml of double cream, lightly whipped to soft peaks

Topping/Decoration-

Fresh fruit, anything you like: fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis…

1 tbsp of apricot jam, boiling hot for glazing tart

Method-

3. For the Crème Pâtissière: Boil the milk and vanilla gently in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Sift in the flour and custard powder and whisk until smooth. Pour half the boiling milk and whisk, then return the custard mix back to the remaining milk on the hob. Stir until you have a really thick mixture. Then spread out into a tray, cover with cling- to prevent a skin forming and leave in the fridge until cold.

4. When your ready to construct the tart, in a mixing bowl add all the creme pat. Then gently fold in the whipped cream. Spread this mixture into the prepared pastry case. Then top with any fruit you like- I went for an assortment of different berries. Then glaze with the boiling apricot jam. Serve chilled.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!