{Valentine's Day table} Baking, baking and more baking !

I have finished the decorations for my Valentine's day table, so now it is baking time !
And today I am sharing with you some of my favourite recipes that I will be using for the table.


Chocolate brownie bites
I love the recipe from Nigella Lawson's How to be a domestic goddess. 
This is a very rich cake, but it is delicious !

Photos from Nigella's website

This is a very good Brownie recipe but beware of the quantities, it will make quite a lot!
I did not put any walnuts in and instead added some chocolate chips.


Ingredients:

• 375 g soft unsalted butter
• 375 g best quality dark chocolate
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 500 g caster sugar
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300 g chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. 2
   Line your approximatley 33 x 23 x 5 1/2cm brownie pan with foil or baking paper.
3. 3
   Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy based saucepan.
4. 4
   In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
5. 5
   Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.
6. 6
   When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour.
7. 7
   Beat to combine and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.
8. 8
   Bake for about 25 minutes.
9. 9
   When its's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey.
10. 10
    Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

Chocolate Mud cake
I like the recipe from The Home guide to cake decorating by Jane Price.
Click the above link to browse the book on Amazon.co.uk and read the technical section of her book (including all her recipes...).

Ingredients for a 22cm round cake tin or 20cm square cake tin

220 g unsalted butter

220 g good quality dark chocolate
6 tsp instant coffee granules
160 mL water
125g self-raising flour
125g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
480 g caster sugar
4 large eggs
7 tsp vegetable oil
110 mL buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (less if fan oven)

2. Put the butter, chocolate, coffee and water in a pan and stir over low heat till melted. Remove from heat.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa, caster sugar and bicarb soda and make a well in the middle.


4. Whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk in a separate bowl till combined.


5. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and carefully whisk to combine.

6. Grease and line your cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

7. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the well in the flour mixture.

8. Mix well to combine, then carefully pour into the lined cake tin. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin till completely cooled.




Red Velvet cake


I will be making a red velvet cake for the first time. I have decided to use this recipe from Cake Ink and I will let you know how I find it.