Easy & Fun Baking
Chef Graham Herterich, otherwise known as ‘The Cupcake Bloke’ brings his passion for quality and flavour with a dash of fun to his food. Here’s a little taste of what to expect from his new book celebrating traditional Irish baking with a twist.
Coffee & Walnut Pavlova With Coffee-Poached Pears
Serves 8
When we were growing up, my mum used to do some private catering from home. One of her most popular desserts was (and still is) her pavlova. In memory of getting up early on Saturday mornings, ‘shaving’ kiwis and chopping fruit for the fillings, this one’s for you, Mum. Love you!
Ingredients
∂ 4 medium egg whites
∂ 220g caster sugar
∂ ½ tsp cornflour
∂ ½ tsp white wine vinegar
∂ 100g chopped walnuts, plus extra to decorate
For the coffee poached pears
∂ 8 ripe but firm pears
∂ 750g caster sugar
∂ 750ml freshly brewed black coffee
∂ 1 tsp vanilla
∂ 1 star anise
For the coffee mascarpone cream
∂ 500ml cream
∂ 2 tsp icing sugar
∂ 250g mascarpone cheese
∂ 2 tbsp coffee extract, Irel or Camp
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 110°C fan. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Draw a 20cm circle on each piece of paper with a pencil, then flip the paper over so that the outline is still visible – this way, the pencil markings won’t be transferred to the bottom of your pavlova.
2 In a spotlessly clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. While still whisking, gradually add the sugar and whisk until it becomes thick and glossy, then whisk in the cornflour and vinegar. Gently fold in the walnuts.
3 Divide the meringue between the two prepared baking trays, spreading it out neatly into the circle outline that you drew on the paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let the pavlova cool completely inside the oven with the door slightly ajar.
4 Meanwhile, to prepare the poached pears, you’ll need a saucepan that’s big enough to hold the pears tightly standing upright. Peel the pears and cut a bit off the bottom of each pear so that they stand up nicely in the pan and on the pavlova.
5 Add the sugar, coffee, vanilla and star anise and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse before carefully adding the pears, standing them upright. Cover the pan and gently poach for about 30 minutes, until the pears are soft.
6 Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. The pears can be poached up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge in the cooking liquor.
7 To make the coffee mascarpone cream, whip the cream and icing sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Put the mascarpone in a separate medium-sized bowl with the coffee essence and 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream and mix to loosen it slightly (this will make it easier to fold into the remaining softly whipped cream). Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.
8 To assemble, place one of the pavlovas on a serving plate and spread with half of the coffee mascarpone cream. Place the second meringue on top and cover with the remaining cream and the coffee poached pears (left whole or cut into wedges). Scatter over some chopped walnuts to decorate.
Rye, Ale & Honey Bread
Makes 1 x 900g (2lb) loaf
I wanted to create a bread that worked really well with baked ham and cold meats. My dad was a pork butcher, so it’s only natural that he is the inspiration for this recipe. He loves a pint of Smithwick’s and with a surname like Herterich, I had to look to Germany for some inspiration. I’ve used rye flour and lots of seeds, like so many good German breads. I love this bread served with honey and mustard baked ham along with some good salted butter, gherkins and mustard. Pass the Kölsch – prost.
Ingredients
∂ melted butter, for greasing the tin
∂ 300g dark rye flour
∂ 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting the tin
∂ 100g pumpkin seeds, plus extra to sprinkle on top
∂ 1 tsp bread soda
∂ 1 tsp salt
∂ 250ml buttermilk
∂ 250ml ale
∂ 75g honey
∂ 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Prepare a 900g (2lb) loaf tin by lightly brushing it with melted butter and dusting with a little plain flour.
2 Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix.
3 In a separate jug, whisk all the wet ingredients together with a fork, then mix this into the dry ingredients. Pour the dough into the prepared tin and sprinkle some porridge oats on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, then take the bread out of the tin and place it back in the oven, straight on the oven rack, for a further 5 minutes. To check it’s baked, tap the bottom of the bread – it should sound hollow when it’s fully cooked.
4 Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean tea towel while it’s cooling to stop the crust getting too hard.
Tahini & Black Sesame Cupcakes
Makes 12
A lot of people know me as The Cupcake Bloke, the name of the business I started with my husband in 2012, so I have to include at least one cupcake.
Ingredients
∂ 165g self-raising flour
∂ 165g caster sugar
∂ 115g butter, very soft
∂ 50g tahini
∂ 3 medium eggs
∂ 1 tsp baking powder
∂ ½ tsp vanilla
∂ 1 tbsp black sesame seeds, plus extra to decorate (available from Asian food shops)
For the frosting:
∂ 100g butter, softened
∂ 50g tahini
∂ 300g icing sugar
∂ 2 tbsp milk (optional)
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line your cupcake tray with paper cases.
2 Put all the ingredients except the black sesame seeds in a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix everything together until you have a smooth, well-combined, fluffy batter. This will take a minute or two. Gently fold in the black sesame seeds.
3 Divide the batter between the paper cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
4 To make the frosting, using an electric mixer or the stand mixer again, mix the softened butter with the tahini and icing sugar, starting slowly or you’ll have a big mess. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes, adding a little milk if you would like to make the frosting a little softer.
Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich, published by Nine Bean Rows, is €25 and available now in all good bookshops and online at ninebeanrowsbooks.com.
5 Using either a piping bag, a palette knife or a spoon, divide the frosting between the cupcakes. To decorate, sprinkle with more black sesame seeds.