Great British Bake off winner launches new social media baking service, John Whaite has teamed up with Stork to help you avoid baking blunders.The service which has launched on Stork’s social media channels has tips from John Whaite, a baker who knows a thing or two about creating a show-stopping bake. The tips are aimed at everyone who’s ever wanted to bake, as well as hints and recipe inspiration on Sundays
The Stork with Butter Sunday Bake service has launched on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and to give you some ideas of what you can expect here are a couple of delicious recipes. I had a go and making these very simple Spiced Lamb Pasties, which were very moreish a deliciously tasty.
Spiced Lamb Pasties.
Makes 4
For the Pastry
250g plain flour
¼ tsp table salt
125g Stork with Butter
1 large egg
2tbsp. cold water
For the Filling
250g 20% fat lamb mince
100g frozen peas, defrosted
100g coarsely grated sweet potato
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp finely ground black pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice/pimento
½ tsp ground cinnamon
50g toasted pine nuts
75g feta cheese, crumbled
Zest of 1 large lemon
To glaze
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
Method
For the pastry, toss together the flour and salt then add the Stork with Butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix together the water and egg and add to the flour. Use a dough scraper or butter knife to cut the liquid into the dry ingredients. When it starts to clump together, use your hands to press the mixture into a smooth paste. Wrap the pastry in cling, roll into a short, stout sausage, and chill for at least an hour.
For the filling, mix the ingredients together until very well combined. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 4.
To assemble, take the pastry from the fridge and cut it into 4 fat discs. Flour the worktop and a rolling pin, and roll each disc out into a circle of about 18cm in diameter. Place a quarter of the filling onto one half of each pastry circle, leaving a good 2cm margin from the edge of the pastry then fold the empty half of pastry up and over the filling. Crimp the edges to form the classic pasty shape. Glaze the pasties liberally and place, well-spaced, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Drip Cake.
Suggested serving 14-16
For the Cake
300ml boiling water
450gm dark brown muscavado
180g Stork with Butter
150gm caster sugar
6 large eggs
360ml buttermilk
120gm cocoa powder
480g self-raising flour
1tsp bicarb powder
For the Buttercream
350g Stork with Butter
350g Sunpat smooth peanut butter
500g icing sugar
For the Chocolate Drip
75g dark chocolate chips
75g double cream
To Decorate
A selection of your favourite chocolates (Reese’s peanut butter cups and chopped Curly wurly’s are a great topping)
Equipment
3 x 20cm loose bottomed cake tins
Small offset palette knife or any other knife if you don’t have a palette knife
Flat cake/dough scraper or you can use the knife again
20cm cake card, stand or plate
Icing turntable or plate to put the cake on
Piping bag fitted with large open star nozzle
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line the bases of 3 x 20cm loose-bottom cake tins.
For the cake, dissolve the dark muscovado sugar in the boiling water and set aside until needed. In a mixing bowl using an electric handheld mixer, or in a KitchenAid fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the Stork with Butter and caster sugar until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Add the buttermilk along with the cocoa powder, and beat until smooth. Sift over the flour and bicarb and beat just until incorporated, then slowly pour in the sugar-water mixture, beating. Once you have a smooth batter, divide between the cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then invert
onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream whisk together the Stork with Butter and peanut butter until very pale and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Then add the icing sugar and whisk again for a further 5 minutes until very pale.
When the cakes are cooled, sandwich them together with a layer of buttercream in between each cake. Put the cake onto the cake card and onto an icing turntable (if using) and with the small offset palette knife, spread a generous helping of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake – be careful not to touch the cake with the palette knife to avoid mixing crumbs into the buttercream. Get the top and sides as smooth and sharp as possible, and then chill the cake for 20 minutes. Put the leftover buttercream into the piping bag.
Meanwhile make a ganache by placing the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer, remove it from the heat, and then pour it over the chocolate chips. Wait for 30 seconds then whisk together into a smooth, glossy ganache.
Pour a little ganache over the top of the cake and coax it towards the edges of the cake allowing it to run down the sides. Chill for 10 minutes.
To finish decorating, pile a selection of various chocolates and sweets on top of the cake – this looks better not quite central and herded together in one area.
Check out www.bakewithstork.com for these and more delicious recipes,
