Friday 28 September 2012

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting


Hey everyone, with fall upon us now we have gone for lovely desert comfort food that is great for parties and holidays. As some of you may know, one of our staff is American, so we have posted a recipe that incorporates one of America's Autumnal favourites, Pumpkin Spice Cake. Now because tinned pumpkin can be difficult to find, she has given us a suggestion of using sweet potatos instead. Alternatively if you want to try pumpkin and can't seem to find it in the stores, you can puree' fresh pumpkin or buy it online on Amazon, or American food stores.



Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Cake
  •  310 g bleached all-purpose flour
  •  30 g cornstarch
  •  20 g baking powder
  •  3 g salt
  •  4 g ground ginger
  •  2 g ground cinnamon
  •  2 g ground nutmeg
  •  1 g ground allspice
  •  1 g ground cloves
  •  235 ml milk
  •  3 large eggs
  •  10 ml vanilla extract
  •  225 g unsalted butter, softened until easily spreadable
  • Special Ingredient--
  • 300g Tinned Pumpkin. Can be difficult to find, but Sainsbury's and Watrose have it. If not bake 2 or 3 sweet potatos until soft and remove flesh their from jackets
  •  290 g dark brown sugar


Cake Method

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a Small Roasting Pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
2. Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture, pumpkin or sweet potatos and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool while you make the frosting.

Frosting Indredients

1 package of cream cheese, softened
32g cup of butter, softened
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
380 cups of Confectioners' Sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together until fluffy and frost your cooled cake!
Works great for cupcakes too!





Tools:

We used this great online conversion chart for Cup to Gram Conversions. http://allrecipes.com/howto/cup-to-gram-conversions/


 

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Friday 14 September 2012

Toad in the Hole

 
Toad in the Hole

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

9 oz (225g) Plain Flour
9FL oz (225 ml) Milk
3 Eggs
2 fl oz (55 ml) Water
3 tbsps Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
   
 
 
 
Method
  • Pre heat the oven to (220°C)
  • Brown the sausages in the Crafond Roasting Tray on the hob, (for approx 5 minutes on a medium heat),
  • Then make up the batter by sifting the flour into a bowl and making a well in the centre. Break the egg into it and beat, gradually incorporating the flour, and then beat in the milk, 2 fl oz (50 ml) water and seasoning (an electric hand whisk will do this in seconds).
  • There is no need to leave the batter to stand, so make it when you're ready to cook the pudding.
  • Pour the batter into the Roasting Tin. Put the roasting tray into the oven on the highest or medium shelf.
  • The pudding will take 25-30 minutes to rise and become crisp and golden.
  • Serve as soon as possible: if it has to wait around too long it loses its crunchiness.
*****Tip--You can even make this recipe in our Best Selling Saute Pans!

Friday 7 September 2012

Leasa's Special Bread Pudding and a New Website!


Ingredients

Bread Pudding·         25g/1oz butter,

·         Full Loaf of Sliced Brioche

·         50g/2oz sultanas---optional

·         350ml/12fl oz whole milk

·         50ml/2fl oz double cream--optional

·         2 free-range eggs

·         40g granulated sugar

·         2-3 tsps of Vanilla Essence

·         2-3 tbsp of Brown Sugar

·          

Preparation method

1.     We suggest using one of the following pans for this dish: Small Roaster, 24 cm Cocotte, Rectangular cocotte, and even a 28cm Saute pan!

2.     Spread each slice with on one side with butter, then cut into triangles.

3.     Arrange a layer of Brioche, buttered-side up, in the bottom of the pan, then add a layer of sultanas or other fruit if preferred and sprinkle sugar. Repeat the layers of bread, sultanas and sugar, until you have used up all of the brioche. Finish with a layer of Brioche and sprinkle with brown sugar, then set aside. Do not put sultanas on the top layer.

4.     Gently warm the milk and cream in a pan over a low heat to scalding point. Don't let it boil.

5.     Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three quarters of the sugar, Vanilla Essence and lightly whisk until pale.

6.     Add the warm milk and cream mixture and stir well, then strain the custard into a bowl.

7.     Pour the custard over the prepared bread layers and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

8.     Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.

9.     Place the pan into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown.


Will Post more pictures soon!

Check out our new website on www.perfectpans.com! We have fully updated it and are slowly adding new items daily for our Diamond Cookware line.