(Unrelated Topic) GOODBYE ISAAC!

So,this is just a dedication to one of my bestest friends Isaac,who i have knew since year 5 (when he used to go to the karate club i wen't to sometimes).

Isaac is moving to San Diego,CA which if you're no good at geography-IS REALLY FAR!
Isaac has always been there for me and he has helped me acomplish alot of things in Music!
To be honest,i can say that without his help i wouldn't be achieving my current grade in Music!

Anyway,i will really miss Isaac,but i can't help but be happy for him and all the opportunities that lie ahead for him in California.
I hope this specific part of his life helps map out his career and i hope he remembers-the world is his oyster.

I'm sad that i never got to back im something before he wen't, but he probably wouldn't have wanted all the fuss anyway!
But i promise to him,if i open my LA bakery which is my lifetime dream,he will ALWAYS be welcome and he will ALWAYS get free food!

You will be my friend for life,and finally,good luck!!!!!

:') ~Jake

MY LATEST YOUTUBE ADDICTION!

Okay!
So recently i have become OBSESSED with Anime and all things japan!
Especially Ghibli Studio's "となりのトトロ" or "My Neighbour Totoro" as it is known in the west.
Well anyway.......

I was browsing Youtube and decided to type in "トトロ" or "Totoro" as it translates and this video came up:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqnPeKD_X-o

The name of this video was "How to make Totoro Onigri".
"Onigri" is the japanese name for Rice Ball.
So i watched the video and it turns out,you can make an Ultra Cool bento box with this onigri!

So automatically i subscribed to "Ochikeron" who was the maker of the video!
I looked through 3 or 4 more of Ochikeron's video's and everything she makes is AWESOME and KAWAII (CUTE)!
So i have been watching her for about 3 weeks now and i have to say, i NEVER miss one of her videos!
I know baking's my thing but her channel is inspiring and she does bake quite frequently too!
Here are my 3 favourite videos by Ochikeron:

3.)Panda Macaron's:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH4qJb6O-KQ
2.)Haribo Happy Cola Jelly:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRHdt9s4YWY
1.)Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWKARYqOnE

So,finally,i'd just like to say!
I reccomend you subscrbe to her channel she upload's new videos every Tuesday and Friday night (as she releases them in Morning in Japanese Time!)

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake

Apperance on Nigella.com!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys!
Sorry i haven't posted in AGES!!!
I have been revising for ALOT of subjects at school!
Anyway......

On Twitter i was asking Nigella Lawson if she had a recipe for Maple Syrup and Bacon cupcakes (you may think that's weird but trust me-in America they have that on waffles!)
Unfortunately,she didn't have one,however,she did PROMISE to come up for one for me,and she did!

I am so ecstatic that my cooking queen had the time to write this in her BLOG too!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't believe it at first,i was almost in tears(that's how much nigella means to me!) and she even said she want's to make them her SIGNATURE FREAKIN' CUPCAKE!!!!!!!
here's the link to the recipe:http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/maple-buttercream-cupcakes-with-bacon-sprinkles
and the link to the blogpost:http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-witter/view/1st-may-2013-153

Also,i got 19 marks out of 20 on my practical part of my Task 1 Catering Exam!!!!!!!!!

Cookies With Love!

These cookies are amazing! They are FAIRLY simple to make and don't take much effort,but the result is fantastic! They would also be great party/wedding favours!
All you need is:
1 Quantity of best Ever Sugar Cookie Dough,cut into heart shapes and baked,then cooled for 30 minutes.
100g Blackcurrant Jam,sieved and placed in a piping bag
 and 150g Pink Strawberry Flavoured Glacé Icing(see below how to make).

Strawberry Flavoured Glacé Icing:
100g Icing(aka. Confectionery/Confectioners) Sugar.
4tsp water,mixed with 1tsp of strawberry flavouring and pink food colouring.

Mix the ingredients together until the mix is well combined,if the mix is still runny,add 10g of icing sugar,and keep doing so until the mix runs of the spoon,sets on top of the mix,and sinks in after 5 SECONDS.

To Assemble:

When the cookies are cooled,pipe all the way around the outline of the heart shapes cookies,about 1 cm away from the edge.
Fill the cookies with 1tbsp of the Glacé Icing and spread around using the back of a teaspoon.
Decorate with sprinkles and left over Blackcurrant Jam.

Here's what MINE looked like:

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Gâteaux)

Sorry i haven't posted in 4 days! It has been exams week at my school this week and I've been hectically studying like nobody's business!

This is a recipe share from one of my all-time favourite baking recipe books: THE HAIRY BIKERS' BIG BOOK OF BAKING! This book follows Si and Dave; The Hairy Bikers' as they travelled across Europe in their European Bakeation Show on BBC (As this book is the book with all the recipes they made along the way on their TV show!).

This is a well known cake but i bet you NEVER knew the original name from Germany; Which is where it originated from!
The name comes from "Schwarz-Wälder" Meaning Black Forest and "Kirschtorte" meaning Kirsch Cake     (As Kirsch is a cherry flavoured liquor,for those who don't drink!).

Here is a link to where you can buy the book in:
A) The US (PLEASE NOTE: IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON KINDLE ON AMAZON.COM)
  http://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Bikers-Book-Baking-ebook/dp/B007I4CAQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360944403&sr=8-1&keywords=hairy+bikers+big+book+of+baking
B) The UK
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hairy-Bikers-Book-Baking/dp/0297863266/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360944496&sr=8-1

Here is the recipe:

• 225g/8oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 160g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 65g/2¼oz cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 4 medium eggs

Filling and decoration

• 340g/11¾oz jar of morello cherry jam
• 2 x 80g/2¾oz packs of sweetened dried sour cherries
• 2–3 tbsp Kirsch (Or water)
• 100ml/3½fl oz cherry brandy (ideally morello cherry brandy) (Optional)
• 500ml/18fl oz double cream
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate, coarsely grated
• fresh cherries, to decorate
  
  

  Preparation method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F/Gas 5. Grease 2 x 20cm/8 in loose-based sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
  2. Put the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs into a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. You may need push the mixture down from the sides a couple of times to make sure the mixture is well blended.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula.
  4. Bake for 22–25 minutes or until the cakes are nicely risen and just beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tins. Remove them from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Take off the lining paper and leave the cakes to cool.
  5. When the cakes are cold, cut them in half, horizontally, with a long-bladed serrated knife. Take care to keep the knife parallel to the work surface, to get a good even cut. Place the cakes back on the wire rack or a board, cut sides up.
  6. For the filling, put the jam in a saucepan with the sour cherries and Kirsch and place over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the jam has melted and the cherries are beginning to swell. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle the cherry brandy over the chocolate sponges, then spread three of them with the sour cherry mixture and leave to cool. Make sure that the sponge without the cherry topping is from the top half of a cake.
  8. Whip 300ml/10fl oz of the cream with an electric hand-whisk until soft peaks form.
  9. Transfer one of the sponges (with the cherry topping) very carefully to a cake stand or plate – slide a cake tin base under the sponge to help you. Using a couple of pudding spoons, dollop about a third of the whipped cream gently on top of the cherry mixture. There is no need to spread it out, but try to keep the spoonfuls evenly spaced over the cake. Sprinkle with a little of the grated chocolate.
  10. Top with another sponge and repeat the layers twice more. You should end up with three layers of sponge, cherries, cream and chocolate. Place the final sponge on top, with its top surface facing upwards.
  11. Whip the remaining 200ml/8fl oz of the cream with an electric hand-whisk until soft peaks form.
  12. Using the flat side of a palette knife, spread about three tablespoons of the cream over the top of the cake, taking it all the way to the edge. Spoon the remaining cream into a piping bag fitted with a large, plain nozzle and pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake. Tip almost all the remaining grated chocolate into the centre and sprinkle the rest over the rosettes.
  13. Decorate with fresh cherries if you have some. Keep the cake cool or chill until ready to serve.
  14. It’s best to eat it the same day as it is made – how could you resist? – but if you need to make the cake in advance, chill it in the fridge for up to 24 hours and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
      
      
      Here is what the book looks like:
      
      
      
      
      
      Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake,
      
      
      
      

Nielsen-Massey Extracts (Product Review)

Nielsen Massey is an American extract company based in Illinois,USA with the main production factory in Netherlands.
I had never used this extract before last week,when i received some in the post,but i had seen in used on all the famous Youtube channel's like Cooking And Crafting and Yoyomax12 ect.
I was so happy when i received it in the post,because i know how expensive it is,but it is equally,if not more luxurious!
The extract i received was Madagascan Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract which tastes DIVINE!
If you ever get the chance to buy some of this- i seriously RECOMMEND IT!

This was what it looks like!:

Thanks for reading my blog! ~Jake.

Desserts101 (Yet another Youtube Channel Review!)

Desserts101 is a Youtube channel,owned by a dear friend of mine-Joseph Khoury;who lives in Nazareth,Israel.
He is very good at making the step-by-step videos on how to make various baked goods,for his age,and i can see him going very far in life and a baking career!
He always tries to help you get the best result,from the best ingredients,from the best price and doesn't skip little steps-it's all in there!
He has been having a few problems with people writing nasty comments on his videos saying he should stop making them,but trust me,just watch one and you will HAVE to subscribe and watch them all!
Plus,he must be very skilled if he can speak his dominant language AND a second one, know how many Youtube Bakers can say they can do that?!
Go and check out his channel here,you won't regret it!:http://www.youtube.com/user/desserts101.

Here is Joseph in action and some of his makes:

(Pictures courtesy of Google,with the search "desserts101 youtube").

Thank-you for reading my blog! ~Jake.
PS: DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT HIS CHANNEL!