Thursday 27 August 2015

WIN: Bake In Black Review, Giveaway & Chocolate Cream Marshmallow Pie



It's not often I look at a cookery book and think 'that's genius'. I mean sure, I'm impressed by people who have been able to start a whole new cookery craze or style of eating like Deliciously Ella, but for me to actually flick through the book and smile at each and every recipe is quite unusual.

This week I was sent a recipe book called Bake In Black - Music Inspired Baking. Eve and David O'Sullivan are a food writer and musician who decided to combine their two loves, taking a song or album by a band they love and creating a recipe inspired by it. It's not just a play on words on the title (though the name of the book itself references Amy Winehouse) but they soak up what the music is about and infuse that into the food.

That results in recipes including:
Sex Pistols: God save the cream (angel cake with minted whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries)
Guns 'n' Roses: Sweet tooth o'mine (three-tier honey, molasses and maple cake with cream cheese icing)
Megadeath: Megadeath by Chocolate (chocolate and meringue layer cake)
Deep Purple: Smoke on the Rosewater (gluten free chocolate, almond and beetroot cakes with rosewater icing)
Meatloaf: Battenberg out of hell (chocolate and raspberry Battenberg)
Led Zeppelin: Glazed and confused (lavender-infused ring doughnuts with milk chocolate glaze)
and so on, and so on.

I hadn't heard of a lot of the songs or even some of the bands - this book has more of a heavy metal than a pop slant (but maybe there's an idea for a follow-up).

The book is really well presented with colour pictures for every recipe, and some interesting props in the photos, such as doughnuts resting on a guitar. The instructions are carefully thought through and easy to follow and I think this book would make a great gift for someone who loves music and baking.

I made a recipe from it called Faith No S'More - based on Faith No More of course, but also s'mores which are an American campfire snack. They have given me permission to reproduce the recipe here.

Serves 8
you need:
375g sweet shortcrust pastry
flour for rolling
200g dark chocolate, chopped
100g milk chocolate, chopped
300ml double cream
2 eggs
pinch of salt
small bag of marshmallows

Preheat oven to 180C/375F/Gas 4. Roll out the pastry to 1/2 cm thickness and use to line a 23cm pastry case [I used a loose-bottomed cake tin]. Chill while you make the filling.

 
Put the 2 chopped chocolates in separate bowls then bring the cream to the boil. Once boiling, pour into a measuring jug, then add 200ml cream to the dark chocolate and 100ml to the milk chocolate. Let stand for a minute or so, then stir each chocolate, separately, to combine.


Whisk the eggs into the dark chocolate, then pour into the pastry case. Add blobs of the milk chocolate mixture to the tin, then swirl gently to achieve a marbled effect [I found this quite difficult and ended up just pouring most of the milk chocolate on top of the dark chocolate].


Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden an the mixture is almost firm. Allow to cool a little then chill in the fridge until set.
 



To make the topping, heat the grill to high, then top the pie with marshmallows so they cover the surface evenly. Put small pieces of foil around the pastry edges to stop them burning then put the pie under the grill and cook until the marshmallows are scorched, campfire style, around 2 minutes [from the picture in the book I thought the marshmallows were supposed to melt which they didn't really do, so I left them under the grill too long and the tops burnt! I managed to lift the burnt parts off and then it did look much better].



This was a gorgeous dessert, really indulgent and the melted marshmallow on top really took it to another level. I think it might actually have been nicer with a biscuit base rather than pastry but my other half very much enjoyed it, helping himself to two slices!




Now that I've whetted your appetite you can enter to win a copy of the book for yourself from Musicroom! UK addresses only though please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

49 comments:

  1. My favourite song depends on my mood so I don't think I have an absolute favourite but if I did bake it into a themed cake I'd make sure I hot chocolate in there somehow!

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  2. My favourite song varies bad mood would create a big sticky chocolate cake to cheer me up :)

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  3. What's your favourite song? Can you imagine it inspiring something to bake? Non Je Regrette Rien and no i dont think it would inspire anything to bake

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  4. Embarrassingly the only music I listen to these days tends to be things my children like so it would have to be something from one of the songs from Frozen!

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  5. I love Firework by Katy Perry. Always puts me in an upbeat ready to bake mood

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  6. I love Blank Space by Taylor Swift, I'd imagine it with a Mississippi mud pie infused with apple because of the music video!

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  7. if I can dream by elvis presley

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  8. Angels by Robbie Williams - this song inspires me to whisk up eggs to create a pavlova then top it with salted caramel sauce, fresh whipped cream and maltesers!

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  9. I don't really have a favourite song! Candy man would inspire me though!

    Ashleigh

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  10. My daughter says I have to say my favourite song is Let it Go

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  11. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding, I imagine it would be a good song to knead bread to.

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  12. My favourite song is 'Let it Go'. My daughter plays it so much I know it word for word. I could sing it to the oven when we're baking the chocolate cake 'Let it rise!' :)

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  13. My favorite is summer of 69 and i like to sing it when I cook something summery!!

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  14. Uprising by Muse...erm...what can I think of to bake? Some kind of melting middle pudding maybe?!

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  15. I like 'I should be so lucky' by Kylie when i'm baking.

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  16. I listen to Kylie - i should be so lucky when i'm baking, along with her other songs.

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  17. Mr Brightside by the Killers

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  18. My favourite song is shake it off by Taylor Swift-not inspiring for cake making or it might end up a bit messy! :)

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  19. The book looks awesome, my favourite song doesn't lend itself to baking though!

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  20. I don't have a favourite song but if I'm baking I would listen to something cheery like Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the waves which would inspire me to make cupcakes decorated with summery flowers.

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  21. islands in the stream , maybe something with meringue?

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  22. Nina Simone - feeling good, I dont think it would really but it would put me in a positive mood so the bake would turn out nicer!

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  23. Layla by Eric Clapton... definitely Red Velvet Cake xx

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  24. Reasons Unknown - The Killers

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  25. I love 90's music, anything spice girls! lol

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  26. sundays morning by maroon 5. i could imagine baking bread to that

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  27. Happy by Pharrell Williams - Maybe I could make a giant minion cake :)

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  28. I love Black Magic by Little Mix - maybe I could apply some magic to my baking with this book!

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  29. Come On A My House by Rosemary Clooney. It always puts me in the mood for having a party so would lead me on to baking cakes, pizza etc.

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  30. That looks scrummy, and the book looks fab - I love the puns, really appeals to me!

    I don't have one favourite song, but I can definitely imagine music inspiring my baking

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  31. I don't have a favourite song. But happy songs always inspires me to bake something happy and colourful! :)

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  32. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen - I'm not sure what it would inspire me to bake

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  33. what a fab idea for a book. Strangely most of my favs are already in that book, but if I had an angel by nightwish could become if I had an angel cake :)

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  34. Club Tropicana - Wham. Makes me Think of sunny climates and cocktails. Baking wise I would whip up something with tropical fruits or coconut.

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  35. If I knew you where comin I'd've baked a cake - Eileen Barton .

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  36. My favourite song is queen dont stop me now, and I imagine if it inspired me to bake anything it would be something very boozy

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  37. i love champagne supernova - leanne w

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  38. My favourite song at the moment is How Deep Is Your Love (Calvin Harris and Disciples song).

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  39. Old school Rock and Roll perhaps?

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  40. Think About Me - I Can Def.Do That - About Chocolate Fudge Cake ;)

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  41. I can't visualise my favourite songs in cake form but you never know! ;)

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  42. I like Angels by Robbie Williams.

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  43. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

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  44. It's hard to choose but might have to say Into The Mystic by Van Morrison. I can't imagine what the bake might be!

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  45. I have so many favourites for so many different reasons! I love (attempting) baking to Disney songs! But then mixing cake mixture to soulja boy is also quite amusing too!!

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