- Homemade Pizzas with Quick Yeast Dough
- Gingerbread House And People
Homemade Pizzas with Quick Yeast Dough
Our children love making pizzas, and it keeps them amused for ages because they can choose their own toppings and create their own designs. This recipe has less salt and sugar than most shop-bought pizzas, and no hidden additives. Place as many toppings as you need in individual bowls and let the children make up their own combinations - with a little guidance, if necessary.
Makes about 12 25cm (10in) diameter pizzas
For the pizza dough
700g (1 ½ lb) strong white flour
1 rounded tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
50g (2oz) butter
15g packet (2 x 7 ½ g sachets) fast-acting yeast
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
350-400ml (12-14fl oz) lukewarm water for the tomato sauce
600g (1lb 7oz) ripe fresh tomatoes, halved
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and kept whole
5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar
Your favourite toppings, such as:
Mozzarella (approximately 450g (1lb) for 12 pizzas)
Slices of chorizo or pepperoni sausage
Small florets of broccoli
Cherry tomatoes
Peppers
Small red onions
Olives and anchovies (if your children like them)
1 First, make the pizza dough. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a big mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, add the yeast and mix together. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the oil and most, but not all, of the warm water and mix to a loose dough. Add more water or flour, if needed.
2 Take the dough out of the bowl and let it sit on a lightly floured worktop, covered with a tea towel, for 5 minutes. Then knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it feels smooth and slightly springy. You can also do this in a food mixer with the dough hook - it takes half the time. Let the dough relax for a few minutes again.
3 Shape and measure into 12 equal balls of dough, each weighing about 100g (4oz). Lightly brush the balls of dough with olive oil. If you have time, cover the oiled dough with cling film and put into the fridge for 30 minutes. The dough will be easier to handle when cold but it can also be used immediately.
4 Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F), Gas mark 8.
5 To make the sauce, lay the tomatoes on a baking tray, cut side up. Add the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely soft and blistered. Remove and liquidise and strain. Season again to taste. The sauce needs to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it needs thickening, place in a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce to thicken, which could take up to 10 minutes.
6 Prepare your toppings. Grate the mozzarella; boil the broccoli florets in water until just al dente (about 5 minutes), then drain and plunge into iced water to refresh; halve the cherry tomatoes; deseed and slice the peppers into strips and quarter the red onions, then roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil, thyme leaves, salt and pepper.
7 Place on a flat sheet or an upside-down baking tray in the oven - it's easier to slide the pizza on and off if the surface does not have a lip. Then, on a floured work surface, roll each ball of dough out to a disc about 25cm (10in) in diameter - if you have semolina or fine polenta you can use this to dust your worktop instead of flour.
8 Place a pizza base on a second, cool upside-down floured tray, spread with a little tomato sauce and sprinkle with your chosen toppings and cheese.
9 Slide the pizza off the cool tray onto the hot tray in the centre of the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on the heat of the oven and the thickness of the pizza, until the pizza is golden underneath and bubbling on top. I find it best to cook just one or two pizzas at a time.
This is a terrific two-way Mediterranean dish, served either as a sweet dessert with vanilla ice cream or Greek yoghurt and honey, or as a more savoury version with goat's cheese and balsamic vinegar. You can sprinkle chopped pistachios over the dish, either way you serve it. It's perfect with a sticky dessert wine like Sauternes.
Serves 4
8 ripe figs
8 tsp runny honey
2 tbsp chopped
pistachios, to serve
Choose from one of the following for the topping:
Vanilla ice cream
Greek yoghurt and honey
Soft goat's cheese, such as Ardsallagh, and balsamic vinegar
You will need a small gratin dish or four ramekins
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut each fig into four but only halfway down, not all the way through to the base. Pack them fairly tight into the gratin dish or ramekins - this will help them soak up the juices when cooking. (Don't roast the figs on a baking tray or the juices will run out and evaporate.)
2 Drizzle each fig with a teaspoon of honey and bake for 10 minutes or until soft, juicy and bubbling (no more than 15 minutes in total).
3 Once cooked, choose your topping. If using ice cream, place one small scoop on top of each serving. If using Greek yoghurt and honey, spoon the yoghurt liberally over the top and then drizzle with honey. If you opt for the more savoury version, place a tablespoon of goat's cheese on the top of each serving, followed by a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
This classic teatime cake can be served warm with cream as a dessert or cold, sliced and buttered at any time. I especially like to serve it for Hallowe'en and find that it keeps well for up to a week - if there's any left!
Makes 1 loaf
60g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter
75g (3oz) golden syrup
50g (2oz) molasses or black treacle
110g (4oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) self-raising flour
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
100g (3 1⁄2 oz) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
120ml (4fl oz) milk
1 egg, beaten
50g (2oz) crystallised ginger, finely chopped
For the syrup
80g (3 1⁄2 oz) caster sugar
80ml (2 3⁄4 fl oz) water
1 tsp finely grated root ginger
For the topping (optional)
200g (7oz) icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
You will need a 13 x 23cm (5 x 9in) loaf tin
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Line the loaf tin with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter, golden syrup and molasses or treacle in a small saucepan over a low heat. Set aside.
3. Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda, spices and pepper into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt, then add the milk and egg and mix until smooth. Gradually add the melted butter mixture, stirring until well incorporated, then fold in the chopped crystallised ginger. The mixture will be runny.
4. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Do not open the oven to test before the bread has cooked for at least 45 minutes. Allow the cake to stand for 10 minutes in the tin before removing to a wire rack to cool.
5. Place all the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Prick the hot cake all over with a fine skewer, pour over the syrup and leave to cool completely.
6. If you wish, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until thick, then spread carefully over the top of the cake with a palette knife or a table knife, allowing some icing to drip over the edges.
This elegantly simple cake doesn't need to try too hard to be absolutely delicious. It's light, heavenly with ice cream, and the hazelnuts give it an incredible texture - delicate and nutty at the same time.
Serves 6-8
200g (7oz) hazelnuts (with skins on)
1 tsp baking powder or gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g (31/2oz) butter, softened
5 eggs, separated
175g (6oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
You will need a 20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose bottomed tin
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Butter and line the sides and base of the cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Grind the hazelnuts with the baking powder and ground cinnamon in a food processor until fine. Add the butter and combine.
3. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric food mixer or use a hand-held electric beater. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture become slightly 'moussey' and the mix holds a trail when you lift the beater. Add the hazelnut mixture and the vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
4. Whisk the egg whites and salt together in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the nut mixture in three stages so as not to deflate the whites.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 55-70 minutes or until the cake feels firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The mixture is quite delicate so don't be tempted to open the oven until close to the end of the cooking time.
6. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then very gently ease the sides of the cake out of the tin using a palette knife. Remove the base after another 15 minutes and leave to cool before cutting into slices.
Variation:
Chocolate: Substitute the ground cinnamon with 50g (2oz) dark chocolate (whizzed up in the food processor with the hazelnuts).
This elegantly simple cake doesn't need to try too hard to be absolutely delicious. It's light, heavenly with ice cream, and the hazelnuts give it an incredible texture - delicate and nutty at the same time.
Serves 12
2 eggs
140ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
300g (11oz) grated carrot (weight when grated)
100g (31/2oz) raisins
75g (3oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
180g (61/2oz) self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
For the orange cream cheese icing:
250g (9oz) cream cheese (straight from the fridge)
50g (2oz) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g (10oz) icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
You will need a 13 x 23cm (5 x 9in) loaf tin
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2. Oil and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts.
3. Sift in the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1-11/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
6. To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix to combine. The icing should be smooth and quite thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out. Cut into slices to serve.
Rachel's Baking Tip:
Un-iced, this cake is also delicious sliced and buttered.
Our boys love it when it is time to make a gingerbread house at Christmas; they normally start asking for it at the end of November! You need to put aside a couple of hours, but it is great fun for the whole family - you can get very creative and as tasteful or as tacky as you wish. This recipe can also be used for making gingerbread people.
Makes Approximately 40 Gingerbread Boys And Girls
Or 1 Gingerbread House And All The Trimmings
300g (11oz) butter
125g (41/2oz) caster sugar
125g (41/2oz) soft dark brown sugar
225g (8oz) golden syrup or treacle
725g (1lb 9oz) plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the icing for the gingerbread boys and girls:
175g (6oz) icing sugar
1-2 tbsp boiling water
For decorating the gingerbread boys and girls:
Smarties
Chocolate buttons (milk or white chocolate)
Gold and silver balls
Or anything else that takes your fancy
For the 'glue' and icing for the house:
2 egg whites
500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
For decorating the house:
Hundreds and thousands
Chocolate buttons (milk and sugared chocolate)
Jelly Tots
Dolly Mixtures
Sugar strands, for sprinkling
Flake bar for the chimney
Or any other sweets you wish
You will need a piping bag and nozzles
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter together with the sugars and golden syrup or treacle. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix together.
3. Knead the mixture for a few seconds until it comes together, adding a teaspoon or so of water if necessary, but without allowing it to get too wet. Flatten the dough slightly into a round about 2cm (3/4in) thick, wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. To make the gingerbread boys and girls, remove the dough from the fridge, dust the work surface with flour and roll all of the dough out to about 5mm (1/4in thick). Cut out the girl and boy shapes using boy/girl cutters, transfer onto the baking trays and cook in the oven for 12 minutes, until they are slightly firm, a little darker at the edges and slightly drier on top. Allow the shapes to firm up for a few minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool. When they have cooled, they can be iced, if you wish.
5. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the water. Beat until the icing comes together, adding a little more water if necessary. (Be careful not to add too much or the icing will be too runny.)
6. Using a small palette knife or the back of a spoon dipped into boiling water (to make the icing easier to spread), spread the icing over the gingerbread boys and girls. If you wish to pipe on details, such as faces and hair, spoon the icing into a small piping bag with just the smallest corner cut off. While the icing is still slightly 'unset' on the biscuits, arrange the silver balls or whatever decorations you are using, then set aside for the icing to set.
7. To make the gingerbread house, first make templates with paper to the following dimensions. Front and back panels 12.7 x 17.7cm (5 x 7in). Two side panels 12.7 x 15.2cm (5 x 6in). Two roof panels 10.7 x 17.7cm (4¼ x7in) These templates are handy not just for now, but for when the dough is cooked and you need to trim the walls and roof, to ensure all the edges are straight.
8. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface, dust with flour and roll out about one-quarter of the dough to 5mm (1/4in) thick. Place one of the paper templates on the dough and cut round with a sharp knife, then slide the dough, still on its parchment paper, onto a baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels. Re-roll any leftover dough to make into Christmas trees or boys and girls - there should be enough for 6-8. Carefully trim excess paper from around each piece on the baking trays.
9. Bake all the sections in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firmed and just a little darker at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes on the baking trays to firm up. One by one, lift the pieces, still on the paper, and trim around the template to give clean, sharp edges. To make an open door for the house, cut one out of the front wall and cut out windows, if you wish. Place on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn over and peel off the trimmed paper. Leave all the pieces to cool completely.
10. Meanwhile, prepare a board for the house to sit on. I like to use a large wooden chopping board, which can be covered with tin foil, if you choose.
11. To make the icing 'glue' for the house, place the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a small, star-shaped nozzle.
12. To assemble the house, pipe generous lengths of icing along the vertical wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Using a bowl or some other object or objects to support the walls from the inside, hold the walls gently in place with your hands until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at least 30 minutes until the icing is firmly set.
13. Once dry, remove the supports and pipe a thick line of icing along one long side of a roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections together at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. You can arrange the roof so that there is a slight overhang on either side of the house. Hold the roof gently in place for a few minutes until it dries, then leave it to dry for a further 30 minutes.
14. While the roof is drying, attach the door to the doorway - so that it looks slightly ajar - by running a line of icing glue down one side and along the base. Stick a small piece of a Flake bar onto the roof as a chimney.
15. Using the icing, pipe around the windows, and stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make snow on the roof and icicles hanging from it, start with the nozzle at a 90-degree angle to the roof and squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing. Keeping the pressure on, pull the nozzle down and then pull away, leaving a pointy trail of icing. Repeat all around the edge of the roof.
16. Using the icing, stick milk chocolate and sugared buttons onto the roof for tiles. Glue the gingerbread trees or boys and girls around the house, then scatter the board with sugar strands.
Rachel's Baking Tip:
The gingerbread house will stay fresh for a week, although, after all the work putting it together and icing it, the temptation is to keep it for the few weeks over Christmas, by which time it will be quite stale and not so good to eat!