Baking Archives - Horizon Guest House

Almond Mini Cookies

Posted on March 11, 2023March 14, 2023 by Angus

These mini almond cookies are super easy to make and are the perfect snack to go with your morning coffee. The mix of almond with a dash of Amaretto, and a hint of vanilla, make for a delicious cookie.

Ingredients

5 egg whites
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of corn starch
5 cups of almond flour
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of Amaretto or Frangelico (or lemon juice instead of alcohol)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond essence

Coating

1 cup of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of corn starch

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 320F (160C). Line 2 trays with baking paper.

In a bowl mix together the first measure of powdered sugar and corn starch.

Using an electric mixer, combine egg whites with the powdered sugar mixture in a large bowl. Whisk until frothy.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the cookies, is assistant chef Ele – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via many cute poses. More Cleo and Ele

Measure out approximately one tablespoon of the mixture. Roll into a ball. Do this for the remaining amount of mixture. In a bowl mix together the second measure of powdered sugar and corn starch for the coating.

Roll each of the balls in the powdered sugar mixture, coating the entire surface.

Place the coated balls on the trays. Slightly pinch both sides of each ball and then push down in the center.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow biscuits to cool.

The recipe makes approximately 40 biscuits.

Almond and amaretto make for a great flavor combination. Enjoy!

How did your cookies turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Walnut Maple Banana Cake

Posted on January 21, 2023March 11, 2023 by Angus

I enjoyed the combination of maple and banana so much in the muffins I made recently that I decided to try this as a cake, although this recipe does have eggs! The original recipe used a baking dish but I rather liked using the more traditional cake tin (if you do decide to use a baking dish it will bake faster, in about 30-35 minutes).

Ingredients

Cake

1 1/2 stick butter (softened)
1 c pure maple syrup
3 lg eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c mashed bananas (2 large or 3 med)
3/4 c buttermilk

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter (softened)
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c walnuts (chopped)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9-inch cake tin. Line with baking paper, lightly oil.

In the bowl using a hand beater (or using a stand mixer) cream the butter until soft and light. Gradually add the maple syrup and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes more, or until light. The butter and maple syrup may separate slightly. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the cake, is assistant chef Cleo – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via many cute poses. More Cleo and Ele

Add to the butter mixture along with the milk and mashed bananas.

Note: Buttermilk can be substituted for a mixture of ½ cup of yoghurt and a quarter cup of milk, adding more milk if the mixture is too thick. See photos below.

Beat all ingredients on low speed just until combined.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Wait until the cake is completely cooled. Then in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter, maple syrup (increasing the amount of maple syrup until the right intensity has been achieved), then add vanilla and beat until smooth.

Frost cake and garnish with walnuts!

Maple is such a great flavor for a cake and is made even better by using it in the cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

How did your cake turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Eggless Maple and Banana Muffins

Posted on January 15, 2023January 22, 2023 by Angus

This recipe combines maple and banana with great success. The muffins are made without using an egg and produce a light fluffy texture. Originally a cake recipe, this has been adapted for muffins.

Ingredients

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (180 ml) pure maple syrup
1 ripe banana, mashed (about 90 g)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Using baking spray, generously grease one muffin tray (makes 12 muffins). In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Put aside.

In a mixing bowl or jug, combine milk and vinegar. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened. You should be able to see small curdled pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed. Do this for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed. Next, add maple syrup, mashed banana and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the muffins, is assistant chef Cleo – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via many cute poses. More Cleo and Ele

With the speed on low, add half of the flour mixture. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and turn the batter over several times to ensure all of the ingredients are well mixed. Add milk mixture – continue beating to mix. Add the remaining flour and beat until just until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour the cake mixture into the muffin tray. You may have some batter left over. Be careful not to overfill the muffin tray – this is something I (Angus) did! You can see in the photo below that I’ve overfilled the tray. Make sure each muffin mold is only filled to about 2/3 full. This is a cake recipe so the mixture will rise quite a lot.

Bake until a skewer comes out clean when poked in the center. Baking times may vary but these muffins should take 20-25 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool before serving. (Optional: serve with whipped cream, adding 2/3 tablespoons of maple to the cream!).

My muffins overflowed and ended up flattening out (they were still delicious though). How did your muffins turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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French Apple Custard Cake

Posted on October 16, 2022October 31, 2022 by Angus

This apple custard cake is perfect for autumn. The cake itself has a smooth consistency – filled with sliced apples, spiked with brandy (or rum), and with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. It’s the perfect breakfast treat with morning coffee because it isn’t too sweet.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon Calvados*
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*If you don’t have Calvados (French apple brandy) any brandy (or even rum) will work.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325F. Spray 9-inch springform and place pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes (to make sure they are soft enough for the cake).

Toss apple slices with Calvados, lemon juice and cinnamon and let cool for 15 minutes.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk the whole egg (not the yolks), oil, milk, and vanilla together until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.

Add egg yolks to the remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in the apples. Transfer batter to the pan, using an offset spatula to spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into the batter you set aside. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth the surface. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over cake.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the apple custard cake, the faithful baking assistants – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via adoring looks. More Cleo and Ele

Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 75 minutes.

Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Serve alone or with whipped cream!

How did your French apple custard cake turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Fresh Mango Cake

Posted on August 12, 2022August 12, 2022 by Angus

It’s mango season on the Big Island, and what better use of mangos than for making a cake! This recipe for fresh mango cake has been adapted from Ina Garten’s peach cake recipe. Fresh mangos make a great filling for a cake but if you can’t get hold of fresh mangos then fresh peaches (or canned peaches) will work just as well.

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 pound)

1 cup of sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 cups of fresh mango, diced

Topping

½ cup sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection). Cream together butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy.

Add room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each.

Add sour cream and vanilla extract, mix until blended.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix together until just blended.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the mango cake, the faithful baking assistants – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via adoring looks. More Cleo and Ele

Butter a 9×9 baking dish. Pour in half of the batter and smooth out.

Add half of the diced mango, distributing evenly.

Mix second measure of sugar with cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Sprinkle half of the topping mixture onto the mango.

Add the remaining batter and cover with the remaining diced mango.

Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon mixture on top.

Bake at 350F for approximately 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm! Goes well with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

How did your fresh mango cake turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Easy to make Ginger Banana Bread

Posted on June 30, 2022July 2, 2022 by Angus

This recipe for ginger banana bread is packed full of amazing ginger flavor. By using three types of ginger, and a dash of cranberries, this banana bread makes a great snack.

Ingredients

Bananas – approximately 1-2 pounds or 6-10 ripe bananas

Dry ingredients

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 TB cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp mace

Wet ingredients

4 large eggs

2 cups Canola oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped crystallized ginger (or non-crystallized)

1-2 TB chopped fresh ginger

1 cup cranberries (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 6 loaf pans or 4 bread loaf pans.

Peel bananas and place in a bowl or stand mixer.

Mix on low to thoroughly mash.

Add the remaining wet ingredients and combine.

We’ve discovered non-crystallized ginger chunks and we love them! Highly recommended. Without the added sugar but just as flavorful.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of the ginger banana bread, the faithful baking assistants – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via adoring looks. More Cleo and Ele

The cranberries are optional but do add a nice extra flavor.

In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients together.

Then add to the wet mixture (after you stop the mixer). Mix together, gently at first, to combine.

Pour into greased loaf pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes (or up to 1 hour if you are using four bread loaf pans).

Cool loaves on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

How did your ginger banana bread turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Almond Flour Lemon Muffins

Posted on March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 by Angus

These almond flour lemon muffins are easy to make and delicious. The almond flour creates a soft chewy texture, while the crumbly topping adds that extra flavor hit!

Ingredients

3 cups almond flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Crumble Topping:

½ cup almond flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda together into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Add flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined – be careful not to overmix.

Cute kitchen moment!

On duty during the making of these muffins was Cleo, my faithful baking assistant – providing helpful and encouraging feedback via adoring looks. More Cleo

Spoon the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling the cups all the way to the top.

Make the topping by mixing almond flour, brown sugar, and butter together until crumbly.

Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle crumble mixture over the top.

Continue baking for another 3-5 minutes until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Cool muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

How did your almond flour lemon muffins turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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Chocolate brownie pecan tart

Posted on November 29, 2020November 30, 2020 by Angus

Chocolate brownies are the best, so why not turn them into a fabulous tart! One of the best things about this easy recipe is the homemade pastry crust. Don’t worry if you’ve never made pastry before, it’s a straight-forward recipe and easy to make (and a lot better than store-bought). Perfect for the holiday season!

Make the pastry

Put the flour, cocoa, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse again, until you have a sandy texture and the butter has disappeared into the mixture. Pour mixture into a bowl. Add ice-cold water (1 tbsp at a time) mixing in between until the pastry comes together in clumps. Don’t over work the pastry or it will become too tough. Tip onto a sheet of plastic wrap and draw up on all sides – gently press the pastry into a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (you can also freeze for up to 3 months).

Heat oven to 350F. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 9.5-inch tart tin. Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge. Line with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Take out the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Let sit while you make the filling.

Make the filling

Melt the butter and chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl set over a pan of boiling water. Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla, then the flour. Stir in the pecans, pour into the tart case and bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool and then serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Let us know how your tart turned out in the comments below!

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Easy to make cinnamon & raisin bagels

Posted on November 14, 2020November 20, 2020 by Angus

This is our very own hybrid bagel recipe. A combination of what we’ve found works best and results in the most delicious, chewy bagels. Bagels have a reputation for being time-consuming and difficult for beginners. We disagree! This easy to make recipe for cinnamon and raisin bagels couldn’t be easier, and don’t let the boiling part put you off, it’s not as hard as it looks – in fact, it’s a lot of fun.

In a mixer bowl sprinkle the yeast over 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water. Add 1/4 tsp of sugar and stir gently. Allow to sit in a warm room until the yeast dissolves and is foamy (about 5 minutes).

Sift together the flour and then add to the bowl along with salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla.

Mix until combined by hand.

Kneading by hand

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes by hand.

Add the raisins and cinnamon, fold in until combined. The dough should form into a ball easily and be smooth and not too sticky to handle. Add additional flour if necessary.

Place the dough in a bowl which has been lightly greased with oil, cover and allow to rise (about an hour in a warm room or until doubled in size).

After your dough has doubled, punch it down and allow it to rest for 1 to 2 minutes. While it’s resting, preheat your over to 400F and cover 2 cookie sheets or baking pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together the egg and 1 1/2 teaspoon water to make an egg wash.

Turn your dough onto a floured surface and divide it into the number of bagels you require (makes 8 large bagels).

Shape each piece into a ball and using your thumb make a whole in the middle (or roll out each piece and then join to make a doughnut shape). Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

Time to boil the bagels!

Bring a large pot 2/3-full with water to a boil and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the baking soda.

Place 3-4 bagels in the water at time. Cook for 1 minute and the flip to boil the other side for 1 minute. Remove from boiling water using a slotted spoon or a strainer.

Place the bagels on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal (so your bagels won’t stick).

Brush bagels with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut in half before freezing – this makes it easier to place straight into the toaster

Happy bagel making! Let us know how your bagels turned out in the comments below!

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Making Paul Hollywood’s rainbow bagels

Posted on October 16, 2020November 6, 2020 by Angus

The British Baking Show (aka The Great British Bake Off) is on constant rotation here at Horizon Guest House. In one of the TV show’s latest episodes the contestants were asked to bake rainbow-colored bagels for their technical challenge. This recipe is a little more work than the average bagel recipe but the vibrant results are well worth the effort. Have fun and celebrate all things Pride! (don’t worry, the food coloring doesn’t change the great bagel flavor!).

You will need five mixing bowls (one for each colored dough), two baking sheets (greased and lined with baking paper) and two proving bags.

Place flour in a mixing bowl, add the yeast to one side and the sugar and salt to the other.

Add three-quarters of the water and, using your fingers, mix together. Add the remaining water, bit by bit, until all the flour is incorporated. This should give you a rough dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 5–10 minutes.

Once you have a soft, smooth dough, divide into 5 equal pieces.

Cover the pieces of dough with a damp tea towel. Working with one piece of dough at a time, turn each into a different colour.

Add 3 pea-sized drops of food coloring onto the dough, then fold up and over the colouring. Knead to an even colour. You may need to add more coloring to achieve the correct level of brightness. Add additional drops one at a time. Place the coloured dough into a greased bowl.

Repeat the process with the other four pieces of dough until you have five brightly coloured pieces of dough. Cover each bowl and leave to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.

Turn out each piece of colored dough, one by one, onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out each piece to a 8″x 5″ rectangle. Set each piece aside.

Place the orange rectangle of dough neatly on top of the red. Add the yellow, green and blue rectangles, until you have a stack of five layers of dough – red at the bottom, then orange, yellow, green and blue.

Cut the stacked dough into six 8″ x 2″ wide slices, slicing down through the layers, so each strip has five layers of colour.

To shape the bagels, lay one of the stacked dough strips on your board and place the palm of your hands at either end.

At the same time, move your right hand forwards and your left hand backwards to twist the dough into a rope about 10 inches long. Pinch the ends together to form a circle and gently roll the join back and forth to seal. Repeat with all the pieces of dough.

Place the bagels on the lined baking sheets, then into the proving bags. Leave to prove for about 20 minutes, until risen and puffy.

While you wait, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) / 350°F (180°C) fan / Gas 6.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the baking soda (this will help give the bagels a shiny, chewy crust).

Plunge the bagels into the boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, until the bagels puff up and the shape sets. Allow the water to reach boiling point again between each batch of bagels you plunge.

Using a slotted spoon, remove each bagel from the water and place back on the baking sheet (note: if you like you can sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheet to ensure the bagels don’t stick to the sheet).

Bake the bagels for 25–30 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with your favorite bagel toppings!

Bagels are best enjoyed fresh so if you’re not going to eat them soon after baking it’s best to freeze them. The best way to do this is to make sure to cut them in half first – that way you can put them straight into the toaster from the refrigerator when you want to (no need to hurt yourself trying to saw a frozen bagel in half!).

We hope you enjoyed Paul Hollywood’s bagels. How did your rainbow bagels turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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