Ballyknocken House & Cookery School

As Christmas is a time of giving, and being a cookery school teacher it makes sense that I give edible gifts. It is such fun making tasty treats and children love to join in the action in the kitchen – in fact, here at Ballyknocken Cookery School, we run special Edible Christmas Baking Classes for children every year and they are really popular.

Merry Christmas

Catherine

Coconut Macaroons
Makes 15

110g desiccated coconut
75g caster sugar
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Set the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Lightly whisk the egg white. Then add in the coconut and the sugar, stirring to combine. The mixture should be firm, yet slightly sticky.
Using a melon baller or a teaspoon, form rounds (to resemble large snowflakes) and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

180g dark chocolate
150g butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
50g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
30g plain chocolate, chopped into small chunks

To decorate
Icing sugar glaze (icing sugar and a drop of water) or melted dark or white chocolate
And further decorate with any of the following: chocolate flakes; hundreds & thousands; Christmas cake decorations; oven dried orange slice segments dipped in chocolate; chopped nuts; chopped pistachios; toasted flaked almonds; pecans dipped in melted chocolate; mixed peel; edible flowers; strawberries dipped in chocolate… just a few ideas

Preheat the oven to 180°/Gas 4. Line a brownie tray with baking parchment.
Break the 180g of dark chocolate into squares and place in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Melt the butter in a saucepan and pout the hot butter over the chocolate, stirring until all of the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar.


Beat the eggs. Stir the beaten eggs into the melted chocolate mixture, mixing well. In a separate mixing bowl sieve the flour and baking powder. Slowly fold in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the 30g of chocolate chunks.
Transfer the mixture into the baking tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes until it is just firm to the touch in the centre.

Remove from the oven, cool slightly, turn out and cool on a wire rack. Slice into 16 squares.

Decorate each square with melted chocolate or an icing sugar glaze and then make then even prettier with some of the decorations as suggested above.


HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM BALLYKNOCKEN HOUSE & COOKERY SCHOOL





Recipes supplied by Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken House & Cookery School in Ashford, Co Wicklow. Web: www.thecookeryschool.ie