Crumbs & Cravings

Instructions

Combine milk and water, warm to 37c (~98f). Add yeast, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whisk it to combine.

Put it on your stand mixer, start it on slow and add your yeast mixture.

Once the dough looks cohesive, continue for 2-3 more minutes.

Stop your mixer and add in the butter. Recommend you put it right on the dough.

Turn the mixer back on for 30 seconds to one minute until the butter is incorporated.

Pull the dough out of the mixer, shape it into a tight ball, grease a bowl, drop the dough in, cover it and let it rise for 60-90 minutes.

Once it has well-doubled in size, grease a 9x4.5 inch loaf pan with butter.

Punch your dough. Seriously. Give it a good falcon punch.

Lightly flour a work surface, plop your dough on it and roll it out into a rectangle, roughly half an inch thick. Also, wide enough to fit in your loaf pan.

Roll it into a tube, drop it in the loaf pan, cover it with a damp towel and let it rise for another 45-60 minutes.

Once doubled, stick it in an oven pre-heated to 350F for 35-40 minutes or until light golden brown.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure it's mixed evenly.

Scoop by the rounded tablespoon (I use a medium #40 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop) onto the prepared sheet pan.

Bake until edges are crisp and the tops just barely appear set (no longer wet), about 9 minutes. Baking times may vary based on your oven and cookie size!

Immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar or salt while cookies are still hot. If they're misshapen, use a spatula to push them back into a circle. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days (if they last that long!).

Instructions

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f before starting the batter. Shelf to the middle.
2. Place cupcake liners in a standard muffin tin

Cupcake Batter

1. Whisk Dry: Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat Milk-Butter: Place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter. Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Cover and leave in microwave to keep very warm (stove: cover with lid and leave on turned off stove). (Note 10)
3. Mix eggs: In a separate, preferably heavy based glass bowl, beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a handheld beater.
4. Add sugar: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 30 seconds.
5. Beat until tripled: Beat eggs for 6 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and almost pure white.
6. Add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Stop beating, add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
7. Temper milk: Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 3/4 cups of the Egg Batter into the hot milk (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
8. Slowly add milk: With the beater on Speed 1, pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
9. Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds – batter should now be smooth and pourable.