sweet treats from the old classics ginger bread and mulled wine to the more interesting lasy apple strudel and hot spiced white wine

So the tree is up, the Santa letters sent and the presents for the wife bought, so the mind can get back to the little things in life. I had a thought during the week that maybe I haven’t given the sweet tooth anything to, excuse the pun, get its teeth into. So this week I plan the redress this issue with a few of my favourites sweet treats.

First up is not the sweetest, but for me it means Christmas; ginger bread!

Gibney’s ginger bread Christmas treats

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

10 minutes

Makes

Approx. 20

Ingredients:

Melted butter, to grease

125g butter, at room temperature

100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup

1 egg, separated

375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 tbs ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Plain flour, to dust

Writing icing for decoration

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic/cling wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

When removed from the fridge, place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm cutter to cut out shapes: trees, men, women, and stars, or whatever takes your fancy, remembering to make a small hole near the top before you cook them (for a ribbon to hang on the tree) . Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

To decorate use writing icing to create your master pieces  

* Notes
Allow 2 hours in the fridge resting time and 30 mins out of the fridge to make rolling easier


Next we're going to make some easy treats, butterfly buns. So you can still see some butterflies even in winter.

Garden Fairy cakes:

These are the prettiest little cakes they are also known as butterfly buns. Make into 12 medium fairy cakes or 24 mini ones.

Makes: 12-24

Prep time: 40 mins

(Including decorating time)

Cooking time: 8 mins

(May need an extra 4 mins)

 Total time: 48 mins

Ingredients:

When you cream your butter and sugar make sure you do this really thoroughly until the mixture is pale. Do the same when you beat your eggs. This means you've beaten in lots of air and that's a great start for well-risen fairy cakes.

125g (4.5oz) butter, softened

125g (4.5oz) caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

150g (5oz) plain flour

¼tsp baking powder

For the filling:

100ml raspberry or strawberry jam or something a bit more interesting I’m using my Rosehip and crab apple jam.

200ml crème Chantilly or vanilla buttercream icing

Icing sugar, for dusting

Dragèes (metallic sugar balls), to decorate (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, 375ºF, gas 5. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin, or a 24-hole tin for mini cakes, with 12 (or 24) paper cases.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating continuously, then sift in the flour and baking powder. (If you are pushed for time, and the butter is sufficiently soft, put the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into an electric food mixer and briefly whiz just until the mixture comes together.)

4. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases using two teaspoons for mini cakes or two dessertspoons for larger ones. Cook in the oven for 8-12 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch. (The mini cakes may take just 5 mins.) Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.

5. When cooled, cut the top off each cake, and then cut the tops in half to make the butterfly wings. Set aside. Spread half a teaspoon or so of jam on the top of the cut cake, then spoon or pipe the crème Chantilly or buttercream on top of the jam. Arrange two butterfly wings at an angle on top of each cake. Dust generously with icing sugar and decorate with dragèes, if using.

6. Best try a few before offering them around make sure they are ok.

Gibney’s apple and cinnamon lazy strudel

Ingredients:

·         1 whole Sheet Puffed Pastry, Cut Into Thirds

·         4 whole Apples, Cored, Halved, And Sliced, But Not Peeled

·         1 cup Brown Sugar

·         1 teaspoon of cinnamon

·         1/3 cup of raisins

Method:

Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray. Add sugar cinnamon and raisins to apples. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.(you can also add a tbsp. of brandy at this stage to give it an edge.

 Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Or until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.

Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter. Serve plain, with vanilla ice-cream whipped cream, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

For the kid in you:
 Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts

Note: You are welcome to make this with a food processor, but it’s important that the mixture is not over mixed or heated up too much as the butter will melt. Try handling it as little as possible. Also, I used mini tart pans, so be sure to roll out your dough to fit your pan.

For the Chocolate Crust

 170g flour

 30g cacao/cocoa powder

 100g cold butter, in small cubes

 66g sugar

 1 egg and 1 yolk

 1 pinch salt

 1. Cut the butter pieces into the flour and cocoa mix with a pastry cutter or use your fingers to create the consistency of large crumbs. You don’t want the butter to get too warm and start to melt, so work quickly.

 2. Make a well in the middle of the crumb mix and add the egg and extra yolk. Continue cutting the mixture until the egg has been incorporated and distributed. With your hands, start to form a single mass – if the mixture is too crumbly you can add a small amount of cold/ice water and mix that in. You don’t want to work the dough too much.

 3. Flatten it into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

 4. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and preheat your oven to 350F (175 C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, being careful not to add too much flour as it will change the composition of the dough. Roll it out until it’s between a 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick (around 1cm).

 5. Depending on what pan size you’re using, you’ll want to cut the dough to fit or try to fold it in and fix it with your fingers. You’ll want it to come up the sides of the pan evenly, and I like a little to peek above the top of the pan. Otherwise you can put it just even with the pan top.

 6.Next, we’re going to blind bake them – cut out a piece of parchment paper larger than the tart pan, enough so that it sticks up above the pan edges, so you can remove it easily later, and fill the centre with dried beans or lentils that will help keep the crust from rising and deforming.

 7. For small tarts, bake 8-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them that they don’t burn. Remove the pie weight and return the tarts to the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove the tarts and let cool completely before filling.

 For the Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Filling

 Start with a 1:1 mixture of Nutella-Mascarpone. In this recipe I used roughly 125g of Nutella with 125g Mascarpone. I whipped the Nutella for a minute or so with an electronic mixer so it would incorporate easier with mascarpone. Mix in the mascarpone and mix for a few seconds until completely mix. Taste, a little, to see if you want to add more Nutella at this point, or more mascarpone.

Refrigerate the mixture for 20-30 minutes, and then fill the tarts just before serving, so the crust stays crisp and the filling stays cool. The tarts can be refrigerated after filling, but the crust will lose the snap so it’s best to serve them the same day.

To contrast nicely with the Nutella flavour, I recommend chopping up some salted pistachios or peanuts and sprinkle them on top, or add a little filling to the tartlets, then a layer of chopped nuts, and then the rest of the cream on top.

Gibney’s German Granny's Hot Mulled Wine (Glühwein, "glow wine")

I got this recipe from one of my German friend’s granny when I lived there. Nothing like the old recipes for a bit of quality.

Ingredients (serves 2-3 persons)

·         1 bottle of dry red wine (750 ml) and as I always

·         one lemon

·         2 sticks of cinnamon

·         3 cloves

·         3 tablespoons of sugar

·         some cardamom (or ginger)

Directions

 Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil). Cut the lemon into slices and add to the wine. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything for about 5 minutes - do not boil - and let stand for about an hour. Before serving, reheat and strain. Serve in pre warmed glasses or mugs.
 It’s so simple you have no excuse not to try it.

Gibney’s White Hot Spice Wine 

Ingredients:

·         White wine, 3 cups (~720ml). Inexpensive wine is perfect (for this 1 recipe) you'll create the flavour by adding the spices.

·         Water, 1 cup (~240ml).

·         Sugar, 1/4 cup (~60ml).

·         Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon (~5ml).

·         Cinnamon, 1 stick.

·         Cloves, whole, 5.

Method:

Place all ingredients into a saucepan heat very gently for 20 mins to incorporate the flavours  strain and serve

Note: try i little fresh chilli to really make this interesting

So with a few sweet treat ideas, and a pot of mulled wine on the the hob, i hope you'll join me next week for my christmas day feast with a difference. If you have any comments on the last few weeks posts please feel free to post them, as i am as interested in your ideas as much as (i hope) you are interested in mine. With that in mind i'm off for the last bit of Christmas prep. Chat soon!