Truffletastic by David!

We are still catching up with all the goings on at the third meeting of our Hot, Sweet and Yummy baking group. If you look at the column down the right hand side you can link to earlier posts to see what everyone baked for our Indulgence themed night. You can also link to all the previous posts on our Blog or search for recipes containing your favourite ingredients by scrolling down to the recipe search area. In fact, please have a good look around our Blog. You might find something sweet and yummy to tempt you on a wet and windy Friday afternoon. 

Well after our dramatic dried fruit stand off, we were ready for some sustenance and it came our way as a veritable smorgasbord of truffles from David. Known for his ability to just throw some ingredient into a bowl and pop out something hot, sweet and yummy! Well, I don't think anyone was prepared for what David had in store for us. We were, I must say, a bit truffled out after Paul's two tier tower of delicious little bites and I think david was worried that we would just have a teeny nibble at his little balls before moving onto something bigger but he didn't need to worry one bit. I was late to join in the tasting but Mmmmometer was off the scale. Jane was the loudest but it really was just a cacophony of ecstasy so I got stuck in. I think these truffles have to be tasted to be believed but they were gooey, yummy, fruity and quite simply perfect. David was worried that they weren't as firm as they normally are being left at room temperature for an hour or so but who cares we all chorused...it all goes down the same way and I was quite enjoying licking my fingers and dribbling gooey truffle down my chin! David really is the master of all things small, sweet and delicious and I am certain that he just thought these up in his head without ever referring to a recipe! David - we loved your Truffletastic balls of yumminess and what was so fab was that they were so different to Paul's that we couldn't and wouldn't even dare to compare them! I must insist David, that next time you bring something huge! We want large, sweet and yummy! Here's a wee pic or two of Truffletastic. You can see the little cherry hiding inside one of them and there were also apricots which were all gone by the time I got the camera out! The recipe is below.
Ingredients (makes about 15)
150ml double cream
1 vanilla pod or one tspn vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
25g caster sugar
150g plain or white chocolate
25g unsalted butter at room temperature
150g plain and white chocolate for coating
Method
-Place cream and vanilla into a pot and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool
-whisk egg yolk and sugar until creamy and pale
-add the two mixtures, whisk together and then return to a very low heat and stir until it starts to thicken. Do not overheat or the egg will start to cook (yuk)
-add broken up chocolate of choice to mixture and stir until it has all melted
-place into the fridge and leave for one hour.
-after an hour, whisk in the soft butter
-arrange into small balls or put into a piping bag and make some nice shapes
-melt the butter for coating in a bowl over simmering water on the hob
-roll truffles in the melted chocolate and place on a tray covered with baking parchment and return to fridge to set
David added cherries and apricots to different batches of his basic truffle mix. You can add whole nuts too and instead of coating the truffles in melted chocolate try chopped nuts or coco powder.
Enjoy. Love Hot, Sweet and Yummy xxx

The great raisin debate!

You may be wondering what else we do at our baking group meetings and you'd be forgiven for thinking that we just sit about eating cake and making noises like Meg Ryan in that movie I've never seen (apart from that scene obviously) but we do have some pretty serious chats about all things food. We also like a good bitching session and a saucy giggle! After we had scoffed the double rum and raisin cakes, Grace wondered what the difference between a raisin and a currant was. There was a short pause and then we all launched into fervent discussion as to what we thought they were. Someone also threw sultana into the debate which confused matters even more and after about 3 hot minutes, we decided that we didn't really know. We knew a raisin was a dried grape and that a currant was another dried small fruit but I think the consensus was a blackcurrant and as for a sultana well there were many weird and wonderful ideas about it. Fiona decided to whip out her laptop and get onto Wikipedia immediately as we were wasting valuable tasting time and the rest of the delights on the table were crying out to be consumed ASAP. So, this is what we found out...

• raisin - the collective name for naturally dried grapes. 
• currant - dried black Corinth grape
• sultana - not quite sure as there are so many conflicting theories but it seems that a sultana is a specific type of grape (maybe Thomson seedless) which is sulphured to dry it out and then dipped in veg oil so that it looks pale, plump and golden. 

Its quite fascinating really that something so small and insignificant could have baffled us all! That's what happens when your brain is addled by sugar. If you disagree with the above descriptions of have your own theory or info to add, please let us know by leaving a comment. Its quick and easy to do. Or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

One thing we did agree on was that we either love them or hate them but as long as they are in something hot, sweet and yummy we will eat them!

Love Hot, Sweet and Yummy xxx

Grace's double rum and raisin cakes

 At the third meeting of our Hot, Sweet and Yummy baking group, the theme was 'indulgence' and we also had a new member! Grace is a good friend and we were delighted when she agreed to come along. Grace's roots are in the Caribbean and we were all quite excited about the possibility of something tropical and exotic and weren't disappointed. Grace had been soaking raisins in something alcoholic for months for no other reason that its a good thing to do and you never know when you're going to need some boozy raisins. It was lucky that we invited her when we did as I'm sure the potency of booze soaked fruit quadruples with every passing week and therefore some of our members may have been driving home slightly tipsy!

I love Grace's sense of humour and was delighted to see she hadn't lost it whilst creating something for Hot, Sweet and Yummy. She had cunningly disguised her lethal raisins as Tom and Jerry cakes - genius! So beneath the innocent looking face of Jerry mouse and the sweetie pink icing lay those devilish raisins literally bursting with rum. We demolished one each no problem and all agreed that although they were definitely potent, the rum wasn't overpowering. It seems rum was the order of the evening after Jane's rum and chocolate cake. Maybe we should have a boozy themed meeting sometime soon! Anyway, we all throughly enjoyed Grace's double rum and raisin cakes and look forward to the next meeting as Grace has volunteered to cook up something savoury for us. Yummy. Grace, welcome to the group and well done on baking something completely sweet and yummy but please send us your recipe soon so everyone can enjoy some double rum and raisin cakes.
Love Hot, Sweet and Yummy x

Jane's chocolate hunk!

So after we had sampled Jan's Slovakian potato cakes and Paul's Tropical truffles it was time for something else indulgent. The theme for our third Hot, Sweet and Yummy meeting was Indulgence so we were definitely on the right track. the table was literally groaning with sweet and magnificent treats in all shapes and sizes. Jane had missed our last meeting so was making up for it by turning up with something so dark and rich and gooey that we were all a bit nervous about tasting it. I imagined we would all lose self control after one slice of this dangerously decadent hunk. I am not sure the photo does it justice but it was almost black in the middle, glistening slightly, hinting at an inner moistness. I think Jane mentioned it would be even better served hot with vanilla ice cream but there was no time for such frivolities...we were all armed with little forks and a lust for chocolate. Oooh I forgot to say it was a chocolate and rum loaf..inspired I think by the High priestess of indulgence...Nigella. The Mmmmometer was off the scale. The loaf had a sight crunchiness round the edges leading gradually into a centre of rich, sweet gooey cake. The rum was there but very subtle which is always good with alcohol. Not everyone likes rum or brandy or whatever the recipe calls for but this was just perfect. The texture was really food too. Almost smooth and velvety but a bit more robust like a manly rum drinking sailor. Ah well, I can't think of any more words to describe apart from delicious Jane, well done babe! It was a marvel and we hope you'll make it again soon and serve it with promised ice cream. In fact, when Jane returns from her little Icelandic adventure, I'll get the recipe and make it myself. Watch this space if you want Jane's yummy recipe! 

Sweet cake stand!

It was Harry’s birthday at the end of February, and one of the birthday presents he received was a gorgeous cake stand from his good friend Dave. This thoughtful present was too lovely to go unmentioned so I thought I'd post a wee pic of it. The stand is decorated with cute pictures of cupcakes and will be a welcome addition to Harry’s extensive collection of kitchen, cooking and baking equipment. It had its maiden voyage at the third meeting of Hot, Sweet and Yummy as Paul used it to display his delicious tropical truffles and velvet fudge.  Dave unfortunately lives in Livingston and makes it a bit difficult for him to become a regular member of the group.  We’ve nevertheless made him an honourary member, and hopefully Dave will be able to join us at a meeting at some point to share with us one of his own culinary creations, and join in the fun of Hot, Sweet and Yummy!  Here is a picture of the cake stand so you can see how lovely it is for yourself.

It's fudge dear but not as we know it!

Well, after hoovering up the savoury potato cakes we were ready for something sweet! This is after all a baking group first and foremost so sugar and sweetness is never far from our greedy little minds! Paul had arrived as usual with a tupperware bursting full of goodies. He nipped into the kitchen announcing 'I need some assembly time'! When he emerged there were gasps all round, not only because his little sweet nibbles were displayed on Harry's new cake stand (more about that in another post) but also because he had made not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 different sweety things for us to sample! I just loosened another notch on my belt and accepted my fate for the evening...death by sugar!
So, the first one to try was on the bottom tier and it was a dark chocolate fudge. Not fudge as we know it but an altogether much easier version. Paul has no confidence in his own abilities but I've said it before and will keep on saying it...he knows his stuff! Well we named them Paul's Velvet Fudge as this is exactly how it was...dark, luxurious, smooth with an amazing depth of flavour without being overpowering. Yum! Here's a wee pic and the recipe.
Paul's Velvet Fudge
200g plain chocolate
300g condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pop it all in a pan and heat over a low heat stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
When smooth and velvety pour into a tin to set and cut into squares when cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat!
I say easy peasy - another one for me to try!
The next 3 truffles went by in a haze for me as I was still enjoying the fudge but I am well assured that they were equally delicious filled with coconut and juicy glace cherries. They were duly named Paul's Tropical Truffles AKA Paul's Cabana Balls as we all fondly remembered the retro coconut and cherry chocolate bar. He had coated them in 3 different coatings and here is the recipe. 
Paul's Tropical Truffles

75g Condensed milk

Icing Sugar

Desiccated Coconut

Glace Cherries

Coating

White Chocolate

Coconut, Chocolate Sprinkes, Chocolate Strands

• Pour the condensed milk into a bowl, add sieved Icing Sugar and mix through.  Add coconut and chopped cherries.
• Mix to a firm consistency – keep adding icing sugar until correct consistency is reached. 
• Pull off some mixture and roll into balls, then dip in the white chocolate (melted in a bowl). Then roll in the desired coating and leave to set.

Well done Paul as always they looked stunning and tasted magic! If anyone tries this yummy recipe, please let us know or even take a photo for us and send it to the group at Hot, Sweet ad Yummy by clicking this email link.

Love Hot, Sweet and Yummy xxx

The Mmmmometer!

We have a new invention! Not only are we a fabulously delicious baking group but we are now pioneering scientists with startling new ideas of how to measure yumminess! The Mmmmmometer is a wonderful way to tell people how sweet and yummy their baking is. In fact its the perfect gauge for anything you fancy! Our Mmmmometer is apparent at every meeting and Harry is working on a physical prototype for future meetings! He will be inspired by John Snow's Swingometer he thinks so we can't wait to see it. Anyone can have and use one...you just eat something yummy and let the Mmmmmmms flow! Go on, try it! The louder and longer, the better.
Oh and here's a wee pic of the lovely John Snow with his Swingometer! 


Love Hot, Sweet and Yummy xxx