Right, recipe time! Sorry, it's all in UK measures, so anyone in a part of the world where you don't use proper weights and measures, you'll have to convert :) It's a Dan Lepard recipe.
It should be a really rich, reddish brown, moist cake.
1 tsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp dark cocoa powder
100ml boiling water
50g dark chocolate, broken into little pieces
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g unsalted butter, softened
175g soft muscovado sugar
125g condensed milk
1 large egg
150g superfine self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Rub the oil inside a deep oblong cake tin (about 22cm x 11cm, or a 2lb loaf tin), and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Stir three tablespoons of cold water into the cocoa until you have a smooth paste, then whisk in the boiling water. Straight away stir in the chocolate and the bicarb, and leave to melt and fizz.
In another bowl, beat the butter, sugar, condensed milk and the egg until very smooth (use an electric mixer). Sift together the flour and baking powder, beat half of this into the egg mix, fold in the chocolate mixture, then beat in the remaining flour until smooth.
Scrape evenly into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. Stick in a skewer: if it comes out with a few crumbs sticking, the cake is ready. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin, then turn out once cold. You can have it as it is, but it's nicer with icing on top - this recipe for icing makes a LOT. You possibly could manage to fit it all on the cake, but it's more fun to find a willing partner and spread it on them. (I jest. John would kill me with his laser eyes if I got chocolate on the bedsheets.)
2 tbsp treacle
150g light soft brown sugar
3 egg yolks
4 level tbsp cocoa
4 level tbsp cornflour
300ml milk
250g dark chocolate (or half milk and half dark), finely chopped
75-100ml boiling water
50g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
In a saucepan, beat together the treacle, sugar, yolks, cocoa, cornflour and milk until the mixture is smooth. Then bring it to the boil, whisking often so it doesn't scald on the base. Remove from the heat, beat in the chocolate and enough boiling water to make it smooth and creamy. When just warm, beat in the vanilla and softened butter, a knob at a time. Use immediately, as it will firm quickly.
And there you go. In our flat, it didn't last a day. But then we do have Mrs H, security, John and a Sherlock.
I'll let John tell you about our day today. It was lovely. :) Bikes, boyfriend, baking. Doesn't get much better!
150g superfine self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Rub the oil inside a deep oblong cake tin (about 22cm x 11cm, or a 2lb loaf tin), and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Stir three tablespoons of cold water into the cocoa until you have a smooth paste, then whisk in the boiling water. Straight away stir in the chocolate and the bicarb, and leave to melt and fizz.
In another bowl, beat the butter, sugar, condensed milk and the egg until very smooth (use an electric mixer). Sift together the flour and baking powder, beat half of this into the egg mix, fold in the chocolate mixture, then beat in the remaining flour until smooth.
Scrape evenly into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. Stick in a skewer: if it comes out with a few crumbs sticking, the cake is ready. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin, then turn out once cold. You can have it as it is, but it's nicer with icing on top - this recipe for icing makes a LOT. You possibly could manage to fit it all on the cake, but it's more fun to find a willing partner and spread it on them. (I jest. John would kill me with his laser eyes if I got chocolate on the bedsheets.)
2 tbsp treacle
150g light soft brown sugar
3 egg yolks
4 level tbsp cocoa
4 level tbsp cornflour
300ml milk
250g dark chocolate (or half milk and half dark), finely chopped
75-100ml boiling water
50g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
In a saucepan, beat together the treacle, sugar, yolks, cocoa, cornflour and milk until the mixture is smooth. Then bring it to the boil, whisking often so it doesn't scald on the base. Remove from the heat, beat in the chocolate and enough boiling water to make it smooth and creamy. When just warm, beat in the vanilla and softened butter, a knob at a time. Use immediately, as it will firm quickly.
And there you go. In our flat, it didn't last a day. But then we do have Mrs H, security, John and a Sherlock.
I'll let John tell you about our day today. It was lovely. :) Bikes, boyfriend, baking. Doesn't get much better!
117 comments:
Thank you!!!! *quickly saves bookmark and a PDF of the page*
Thanks Greg :-)
Glad you've had a good day, I hope a great evening is to come.
No problem. Enjoy!
Anthea's going to tell you off again for overfeeding her minions...
She'll tell me off if I don't make some for her at the weekend. I think she's entirely open to being bribed with chocolate cake.
Can't blame her when it's this good.
Ah, so you're just marrying me for my domestic God-ness?
That's okay. I'm only marrying you for your personality, brains and looks...
That and everything else about you, yes.
I 100% refuse to believe you love everything about me.
Most things, obviously. And possibly even more than at first, now I pick my socks up and put them in the laundry the right way in... but still not *everything*.
You wouldn't be you without everything about you though.
That is true. You got the whole package.
Mycroft, anything you want/need to do at the weekend?
Anthea, same to you ;)
You got the whole package.
And that's what I love.
I'm exceedingly glad you like my package. I have rather a thing for yours.
I saw Sherlock talking about going back to the off road place. That would be fun.
Yeah, it would. I'll call them tomorrow and book it. Can't imagine too many people are eager to go this time of year.
You want picking up by bike-chaffeur on Friday? Or take the luxury Anthea-driven warm-dry-four-wheeled-version?
The bike, please, if that's all right.
Course I don't!
I was going to roast a pheasant for lunch on Sunday, if you feel like giving me a hand?
Yes, that sounds like it would be interesting.
I'm debating Christmas lunch this year. Any suggestions welcome.
Apple tart?
sure thing.
Danger, anything you want? Sherlock?
Cauliflower.
....right. With cheese? Or...some other sort?
With olives and garlic.
Okay. Right. Very specific.
You decided what your Christmas show will be yet?
No but it should have bats and a fog machine.
Is that what everyone wants, or just what you want?
That sounds a bit like a Halloween show. (Exciting, though!)
his silence is speaking volumes...
Christmas shows are fun but I'm not sure where bats could feature, it would be unique though I guess ;-)
Christmas bats? Bats with holly...
green wings and red bodies could be holly and berries?
Bats with mistletoe?
A version of A Christmas Carol could use a fog machine? (But that's rather long for a school show, it would have to be much abridged.)
The bats and the fog,
When they are misty and have flown
Of all the bats that are in the wood
The mist conceals half
O the rising of the sun
Means the bats go to bed
The creeping of the fog
Means sonar rules the night...
(Did you know you can sing 'Holly and the Ivy' to the tune of 'Heartbreak Hotel'?)
When did you get a new profile picture? I like it. :)
Did you change your icon so you'll look more like a lounge singer?
captcha say 2 super.". i agree. you two are super.
I just changed it. My hair in the other one was too horrible to keep looking at, so, for YOU, fiancé o' mine, I found another picture where I was actually smiling. Which isn't easy to do.
another lovely smiling pic, lovely Greg, I like the song as well :-)
I don't know "Holly and the Ivy". OTOH, I'm sure I know a few Chanukah songs that you know nothing at all about! :)
(By the way, just because a fog machine COULD be worked into a show of A Christmas Carol, it doesn't mean it WOULD be. The scenes it would fit in might end up being cut--or it might be too expensive. Or it might not work for other reasons.)
I like the picture too!
L - I appreciate it. It's always nice to see you smiling.
well, that's good, as I seem to be unable to stop myself smiling when I see you.
Also 'While Shepherds watched their flocks by night' to the tune of 'Ilkley Moor' and 'There is a green hill far away' to the tune of 'The House of the Rising Sun'
Lancs. Anon
Lancs - Brilliant!
(I have just been forced to give John a rousing version of 'Heartbreak Hotel' on the guitar.
Sherlock yelled at me because he's watching Guy making bricks...
In all fairness, you don't get to see someone making bricks every day... :)
Don't get to hear me singing Elvis every day, either!
:D
*not taking sides*
I'd give making bricks a miss to listen to you sing Greg but that is partly because I am really curious what you sound like!
I hope Sherlock's asleep now so you can play as much as you want :-)
I sound like a bloke who smoked too much for too long. If you were being kind you might call it husky... but it's more like..hoarse and gravelly ;)
I'm still convinced you sound lovely and seen as you'll never be able to prove me wrong I can go on believing that ;-)
(I'm betting on husky. :))
Husky...hm, maybe. I would've just said sexy.
AnonyBob, Danger - well, I don't recommend the 'smoking for 30 years and shouting a lot' method of achieving said voice.
But you're all, as usual, far too kind (or just biased, in Danger's case)
you know that one day you're going to have to just say thank you when someone says something nice about you don't you Greg ;-)
(Was it not clear that a husky voice is a very sexy one?)
Husky you may be, but I bet you do a mean Johny Cash!
That recipe makes me hungry! (And I came across these Christmas Tree cupcakes and thought immediately of making them with your cake recipe for the cupcake part, so I think my resistance isn't going to last.)
I like the new profile picture, agree with Sherlock that bats can be ornamental even at Christmas, and would probably like the husky voice. And now I need to get off the internet again before I have wasted my entire five minute break. But thanks for the distraction, I needed it!
rsf
I'm not sure Sherlock was intending his bats to be ornamental. Knowing his class it'll end up as bats pulling Santa's sleigh (they would be better than reindeer, surely?)
Well, given that they can fly, I would say so!
Lancs. Anon
Fly and avoid crashing in the dark, yup!
Danger, don't take me out for coffee at lunch. I've just realised I'm on my fifth mug. I think i might be on the verge of being hyper.
Oh, feel like I should say that any of you who can, go and vote for your police And crime commisioners. We police officers are desperate for someone who's never had anything to do with the job before to come and tell us how it's done.
But seriously, they will be elected whatever, so go and vote for someone half decent.
Are you going to see him play tonight, John? He's got his guitar in his office and he won't play us anything.
In theory I am... in reality he still hasn't told me where this place is.
What, no Jailhouse Rock or anything?
It's my last line of defence, you not knowing where it is.
You bringing Sherlock? Or coming alone. Wasn't sure how he'd like being left alone two nights in a week.
Bringing him, probably, unless he succumbs to Mrs H's offer to make Mycroft a surprise for tomorrow. Do you want lunch that doesn't involve coffee? I'm fairly close.
Yeah, sure. I love the faces you make when you're close ;)
Right now the face I'm making involves some heavy eye rolling...
(the face he makes after he's close often involves eye rolling, dear readers.)
Lestrade!
John Hamish!
You said you loved all of me, from cakes to cold feet, from scowl to casual public observations about your face during...a petit mort ;)
You know I do.
Sherlock won't be joining us. Apparently he got a better offer from Mrs H...who won't tell me what they're up to. I hope it doesn't involve bats. Or a fog machine.
A better offer, huh.... I might not go either.
Bats and a fog machine would be worse - they'd have a distinct advantage!
Right, voted on the way home from work. Had decided who to vote for and then got flummoxed by needing to vote for a second choice as well. Voted for the least worst of the remainder.
Not sure we'll be needing a fog machine tonight.
Right, it's up by Kings X Danger. How do you want to get there? If you want to go on the back of my bike you'll be wearing my guitar.
Sound good to me. Isn't that how groupies are meant to travel?
Well...until I get my tour bus, yeah, I suppose. You coming here, then? or shall I pick you up on some street corner somewhere?
I can come there. I mean, unless you want to pick me up on a street corner.
there are ways of avoiding your fiance seeing you play that don't include getting arrested you know ;-)
Enjoy your evening.
I guess I'm not worried about him seeing me play... he does that all the time. It's him seeing other people see me play!
I'll text you, Danger I'll pick you up from the tube station, okay?
Will be off to vote later. Not really good choices here; I've been seriously considering spoiling my paper just to protest the whole thing, but, like the man said, "decisions are made by those who turn up", so I suppose I'll pick the least worst options... although I think the worst option will be the one who gets elected.
Enjoy your evening in the pub, gents - twice in a pub in one week, people will talk :-p
So you mean you're worried that he won't be happy if people are less than nice about your playing?
He'll love it and you'll be brilliant :-) enjoy.
Nameless - they're saying the turnout might be as high as 20% ...what a mandate!
I think a lot of people might be going for the 'least worst option', and a lot of people haven't heard from a single one of the candidates, so don't even know who's the worst! It's a complete shambles.
AnonyBob - yeah, I dunno, just embarrassing, isn't it?
meant to say, leaving now, Danger. About 99% sure I'll fetch you and not leave you there and run away...
You will be wonderful, I have no doubt.
right. I have beer.
Shortly I will also have a seat on what we like to refer to as 'the stage' (space between two speakers with a chair in it.)
I think I might forget every chord and every word
You'll be great!
Have fun, both of you. :)
He's obviously got some sort of reputation here...half the place said hello when we came in.
do not.
Uh huh. Go play your guitar, rockstar.
Sounds great - have a fun evening.
Re PCC voting: I had to look up my candidates online and that was because I knew about it. Otherwise all I've seen is some posters saying "look who will be happy if you don't vote" with a picture of a thief type person. Which is ridiculous because someone would be elected unless absolutely no-one voted.
shh. And...shh.
And don't...do.....anything. at all.
except maybe...no, just nothing.
here goes..
(He's doing beautifully. I am, as requested, doing nothing at all, especially not throwing boxers at the 'stage'.)
What a killjoy! ;)
(You'll just have to save the boxer throwing until you get home, I suppose. ;D)
right, done.
No underwear or rotting vegetables thrown at the stage.
Aside from the lack of projectiles, how was it?
yeah, okay, not too bad. DIdn't hit all the notes. But nothing major.
John completely failed to do nothing. he watched, smiled, all sorts. terrible audience ;)
Well done Greg :-) I'm impressed by your bravery!
John smiling at you is so not ok when you're being amazing ;-)
So, good then? I have serious envy of anyone who can sing (or play a musical instrument); it's lovely watching friends perform. I assume it's pretty good to play well in front of an appreciative audience?
He also commented that you were doing "beautifully", which I'm inclined to believe :-)
Yeah, pretty good. Bit of a way to go still, but...yeah, good. And yes, it's nice to play for an audience again.
He is horribly biased.
I can't be that biased! Other people liked it too, they told me so.
did they now. I'll add 'talking to other people' to your list of reasons you failed to 'do nothing' as instructed...
Thanks for wanting to come and watch though. It's really kind of you.
They talked to me! I was also breathing...
Thanks for letting me, love. I really enjoyed it. Felt really proud watching you up there.
I know! I could see you breathing! And...looking. And probably thinking.
Can't take you anywhere.
And that's...really nice. 'Proud' isn't something I'd even considered, really.
*mental note: do not trust Mrs Hudson.
...Devious.
Why? Something to do with what she and Sherlock were doing? Or is there belated boxer throwing going on? ;D
You HAVE to help me finish it because there's loads to do and we didn't have time and I want to hang it in my room after!
what've you made Sherlock?
What is "it", Sherlock?
It's going to be a WHOLE BEE but at the moment we just did the abdomen and next we can do all the innards and then the rest of the body and the head and wings and legs.
brilliant Sherlock, I'm glad you had fun while John and Lestrade were out :-)
My goodness, that sounds like quite a big project! How large is your bee going to be?
HUGE
Huge for a bee, but thankfully not large enough to use as furniture.
Huge is good!
What kind of innards were you planning on?
thankfully not large enough to use as furniture.
I think that would have needed a stronger adjective than "huge"...
It's entirely huge enough....
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