The Giving in Thanksgiving

Posted on December 5, 2011


One of the best parts about Thanksgiving, and the holiday season in general, is that good feeling you get from giving, be it food, friendship, or assistance to those in need. This year, I had the great pleasure of  doing a Thanksgiving cooking demo at Ti-Ratana Penchala, a Buddhist temple in Petaling Jaya, to raise funds for flood relief in Thailand.  Luann Wong, who has been the chef at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Kulala Lumpur for the past twenty-plus years, helped me create a delicious meal for about forty guests.

We showed them how to clean, brine, roast, and carve a turkey. Many people complained that their turkeys always turn out dry, so hopefully our brining tips will solve that.

Luann made one of her wicked apple pies, the best in the world (and I’ve tried many), which we auctioned off to the highest bidder.

I  sold my  nutrition-cookbooks, Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love and Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be, and donated all the proceeds.

A deliciously fun time was had by everyone. The temple raises money for its Meals on Wheels program and other charities by hosting cooking classes and a monthly lecture series. A special thanks to Irene Hui and Jennifer Lim, the Ambassador’s Residence Manager, who organized and helped execute the event. For more information about Ti-Ratana Penchala, visit: www.ti-ratana-penchala.com.my.

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Homemade Rocks! Bread Made Easy

Posted on October 26, 2011

Much as I love homemade bread, baking it has always scared me. The thought of wasting hours babysitting dough to produce what could be a flat hockey puck has kept me from making it, at least up until now.  The epiphany came when I decided to order Artisan Bread in Five Minites a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois from amazon, along with the recommended 6-quart food storage container (to mix and keep the dough in), and the Danish dough whisk.

When the book arrived, I took a deep breath opened it. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the authors made producing a perfect loaf of bread sound. I followed the directions exactly, and a day later baked my first two loaves of delicious bread (see the two loaves in the bottom of the photo…I added walnuts to the one on the right). Miraculous, really. The best part is the dough, which makes three loaves, and can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Feeling confident, I decided to play around with the master recipe. To make a healthier whole wheat version, I substituted 3 cups of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, added 1 tablespoon more yeast, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Perfection again. If you want to try your hand at baking bread, I highly recommend this book.

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Essential Tips for Measuring Wet, Dry, and Sticky Ingredients

Posted on August 23, 2011

There is an art to measuring, and it can make the difference between a beautiful cupcake and a hocky puck. Some simple tricks will ease the cooking and/or baking process and keep clean-up to a minimum as well.

Choose the proper measuring utensils. Use plastic or metal stacked cups for measuring dry ingredients. Why? Because these cups are designed to allow the cook to level off the ingredients by running a flat edge across the top. Liquids are hard to measure in these cups because everyone tends to leave a bit of space at the top to avoid spills. Sometimes this space can throw a recipe off by up to 1/4 cup of liquid.

Measure all liquids, thin or thick, in a Pyrex measuring cup. Look at the fill line at eye level to make sure the measurement is accurate.

Choose the proper method to measure flour according to how the flour is called for in the recipe. The difference in weight can be up to 1 ounce, which has a huge effect on the outcome of the recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour: Dip the measuring cup into the flour and sweep the top.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour or cake flour: Place the measuring cup on a piece of parchment paper (or something to catch the extra flour) and sift the flour directly into the cup. Return the stray flour to the flour container.

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted: Dip the measuring cup into the flour, sweep the top, and then sift the flour.

Measuring butter in the stick form can yield erratic results. Oftentimes the wrapper is not perfectly placed on the stick of butter so the tablespoon marks are off. The best way to get an accurate measurement is to mark the midpoint of the stick and then mark the midpoint of each half, and then each quarter. One stick will yield 8 tabelspoons…and each tablespoon is equal to ½ ounce.

When measuring sticky ingredients like honey, molasses, or syrup, spray the cup with nonstick cooking spray before filling it. The substance will slip right out of the cup.

Brown sugar is often written in recipes as packed or lightly packed, the difference being up to 2 ounces. Brown sugar can be packed by hand, with the back of a spoon, or with the bottom of a smaller measuring cup.

Measuring peanut butter, or any other tacky, messy substance can be a challenge. I like to line my measuring cup with plastic wrap and then fill it. I simply lift out the wrap and dump the ingredient into the bowl. No gooey mess to clean. Hooray!

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Happy Birthday America! Totally Cool 4th of July Orange Cupcakes

Posted on June 27, 2011

If you’re looking for a fabulous dessert to serve at your Fourth of July BBQ, picnic, pot luck, or fancy dinner….you’ve landed at the right cooking blog. This recipe, from one of my favorite baking books, Sweet Gratitude: How to Bake a Thank-You by Judith Sutton, produces cupcakes with a rich yet light crumb balanced by a creamy orange frosting. Decorate to your heart’s content…I went for red-white-and-blue stars and hearts, and wisps of ribbons in between. Happy Birthday America!

Judith Sutton’s Orange Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 85 mini cupcakes, or 24 regular cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1-1/2 cups whole milk

  1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups, large or mini, with foil or paper cupcake liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange extract and zest. On low speed, beat in the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions and beating just until incorporated.
  4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes (less for mini muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cupcakes can be baked up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

One 8-ounce package cold cream cheese, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Beat in the orange zest and extract. On low speed, beat in the confectioners’ sugar in two additions, beating until smooth.
  2. Spread the frosting generously over the cupcakes. Or, for a fancier presentation, transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star-tip and pipe a generous swirl or rosette of frosting onto each cupcake. The frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Happy Father’s Day! Treat Dear Ol’ Dad to Some Ol’ Fashioned Ginger Snaps

Posted on June 16, 2011

Perfectly gingery, sweet, and slightly chewy, these ol’ fashioned ginger snaps are some of the best cookies ever invented…and here’s a fabulous recipe for them. Bake a batch and watch your dad smile! Serve with a glass of cold milk, or a cup of freshly-brewed coffee or tea. Happy Father’s Day!

Old-Fashioned Ginger Snaps

Makes about sixty 2-1/2-inch cookies
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 tablespoons ground ginger
1-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling the dough balls before baking
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses

  1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs and molasses and continue to beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter will be quite creamy.
  5. Add half of the reserved  flour mixture and beat on low speed for 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining half. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and refrigerate the dough in the bowl for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. (Chilling makes the dough easier to roll into balls.)
  6. Place the 1/2-cup of sugar for rolling the dough in a pie plate. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the dough for large cookies (2-1/2-inch size), or a ½ tablespoon for small ones (1-1/2-inch size), and form it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball in the sugar. Repeat  until you have  5 to 7 balls in the pie dish. Then, roll the balls to cover them with sugar and arrange them on the baking sheet, spread at 1-1/2 inch intervals.
  7. When the first baking sheet is filled, bake until the outside of the cookies are firm but the inside gives just a little when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not open the oven during the baking process or the puffed cookies will fall. While the cookies are baking, repeat the ball-making procedure with the remaining dough.
  8. Remove the finished cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

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The Perfect Breakfast Treat for Mother’s Day: Walnut Spice Coffee Cake

Posted on May 5, 2011

The other day I was interviewed for a Malaysian magazine called UnReserved. The story hinged on Mother’s Day, specifically on the challenges of balancing family, work, and, most importantly, my sanity. I thought about what to serve my interviewer with her coffee (feed the press is a cardinal rule, especially if you’re a cook), and eventually decided on my killer brownies, healthy bird seed bars, and chocolate chip cookies.

Then, at the eleventh hour, it dawned on me to make my deliciously moist walnut cake from Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be. I said to myself, she’ll be writing about my book, so why not give her a taste from it.

From years of experience, I had wisely saved the final step of frosting the walnut cake until the last minute, just in case the photographers might want a kitchen shot…which they did. I whipped together a caramel frosting and drizzled it over the cake. I have to admit that sometimes my own recipes surprise me. This walnut cake was so simple and oh so good. Nothing was left by the end of the day. Make it for mom…or anyone else!

Walnut Spice Coffee Cake
Makes one 9-inch round cake
Canola oil cooking spray, for greasing the cake pan
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
Confectioners’ sugar or maple glaze for the finished cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with canola oil cooking spray and sprinkle with flour; set aside.
  2. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process, using the pulse button, until finely ground, but not to the point of forming a paste.
  3. Transfer the ground walnuts to a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and the eggs and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the canola oil and sour cream and beat 30 seconds more.
  5. Using a rubber spatula, fold into the egg mixture the reserved flour mixture until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar or frost with the maple glaze before serving.

Maple Glaze
Makes about 2 cups frosting
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 4 tablespoons milk, depending on desired consistency
2 cups icing sugar

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk and heat over medium heat just until the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, cool completely, and then stir in the icing sugar. The frosting should be of a spreading consistency, or if you’d like more of a drizzle, add a bit more milk.

Advance Preparation:  This frosting can be made up to 2 days in advance. Keep covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before frosting the scones.


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Homemade Rocks! My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on April 14, 2011

Few things in the sweets category top a still-warm-from-the-oven, perfectly crisp yet melting gooey chocolate chip cookie, and I think this recipe is the BEST on the planet. I’m sharing it under one condition: that you give me credit when people say, OMG where did you get this recipe, and then you send them to my blog, catherinejonescooks.com for more delicious recipes. I love these tasty morsels with a cup of robust coffee, my daughter prefers Earl Grey tea, while my son happily dunks his cookies in cold milk. My husband just stands by the cookie jar in easy reach of the next bite…you can’t eat only one, I’ve tried!

Catherine’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

The secret to this recipe is grinding the oats into a powder, which gives the cookies a wonderful crunch. No nuts are called for here, but add them if you wish. Also, you will notice that I call for baking the cookie sheets one at a time. Yes, this takes way more time, but in my many years of baking in conventional home-ovens (not restaurant ones with serious convection power) I have found that baking one sheet at a time leads to more consistent results. You can bake two sheets at once; see my Cooking Tip below.

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies
2-1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center an oven rack. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. Place the oats in a food processor and pulse about 10 times, or until they are a broken down to a powder slightly thicker than whole wheat flour. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed until light and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and reserved oats and mix on low speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Place heaping teaspoons of the cookie dough on the baking sheets, allowing about 1-inch of space between the mounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden.
  6. Remove from the oven, cool for 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Cooking Tip: To bake two sheets at the same time, position one oven rack one rung down from the top, and the other rack one rung up from the bottom. Place both sheets in the oven at the same time and bake for 6 minutes, then switch the order of the sheets and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes.

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Bran Muffins with Attitude

Posted on March 19, 2011

Most people get the bulk of their daily fiber at breakfast from cold cereals, warm oatmeal, toasted  whole wheat bread or rolls, fresh fruit, or bran muffins! This recipe for bran muffins, made from All-Bran cereal combined with dried cranberries or apricots and walnuts, comes from Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be. Each regular-size moist and tasty muffin contains a whopping 5 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 208 micrograms of folic acid…all for less than 200 calories!

Bran Muffins with Dried Apricots, Walnuts, and Candied Ginger

Makes 15 regular muffins or about 52 mini muffins
Cooking spray for greasing the muffin pan (or use muffin cup liners)
3-1/2 cups All Bran Cereal
1 cup boiling water
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots
½ cup walnuts
1/3 cup chopped candied ginger

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the muffin cups with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
  2. Place the cereal in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Do not stir. Set aside.
  3. Combine the canola oil and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk and eggs and whisk again. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger and whisk just until well combined. Add the All Bran mixture and mix with a spoon, then add the remaining cranberries, walnuts, and candied ginger and mix until well combined. (The batter will be quite thick.) Let the batter sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Gently stir the batter, then divide evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean: about 20 minutes for regular muffins, about 12 for mini muffins. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly before serving.

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Homemade Rocks! Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on February 26, 2011

cinammon-rolls

I’m on a roll…haha..these just came out of my oven, and I’m doing everything in my power not to eat the entire tray. Beyond yummy is the only way to describe them. This recipe is adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated, Make Ahead 2010 issue.  They are easy to make, and they freeze well for that Sunday morning breakfast treat.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 12 rolls

Dough
¾ cup buttermilk, warmed to about 110 degrees F
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
Filling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the baking dish
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
Flour for the work surface
Icing
1-1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1-1/2 cups icing sugar

For the dough, whisk the buttermilk, butter, and eggs together in a large Pyrex measuring cup; set aside.

Mix 4 cups of the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer running on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If the dough is still sticky after 5 minutes, add the remaining ¼ cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.


Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball, about 1 minute. Place the dough in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. In the meantime, butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish; set aside. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the rectangle, leaving a ¾-inch space along the top border. Gently press the sugar-cinnamon mixture to adhere to the dough.


Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Roll the cylinder over, seam side down, and gently stretch the cylinder to an 18-inch length, with an even diameter. Pat the ends of cylinder to even them out. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into 12 even pieces (the easiest way is to cut the roll in half then cut each half in six even pieces measuring with a ruler).

Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish with a little less than an inch of space in between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until they look puffy, about 40 minutes.

Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Flip rolls out onto wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Drizzle or smear the icing over the top of the rolls. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Cook’s Note: To make ahead, after arranging the rolls in the prepared baking dish, wrap the dish tightly with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to  16 hours. At least 1-1/2 hours before serving, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, loosen the plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 1 to -1/2 hours. Once they have risen, proceed with baking.

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Valentine Lamingtons for Your Sweethearts

Posted on February 12, 2011

Moist vanilla sponge cake doused with chocolate icing rolled in shredded coconut spells sweet bliss. The other day I made a batch of these Australian confections for a coffee I hosted.  My guests, who normally pass on sweets, couldn’t resist. I won’t tell you how many I ate…needless to say, it drastically increased my time in the gym. Over the years, I’ve tried a number of different lamington recipes. I think this one, adapted from Books for Cooks 8 (a fabulous British cookbook series), is the best so far. If you have the desire and energy for a bit of baking, give them a go. Hope your Valentine’s Day is a happy one. I’m a bit overdone on Asian food lately, so Paul and I are going to an Italian restaurant to celebrate. Cheers!

Lamingtons
For the Cake
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick, 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar or granulated sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
For the Icing
3-1/4 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tabelspoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy (I skipped this)
2 cups desiccated (shredded dry) coconut

  1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- or 10-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, sprinkling in one tablespoon of the flour mix after each egg (this is to stop the curdling). Gently fold remaining flour mix in two goes, alternating with the milk to make light, smooth batter with no trace of flour. Spread the mixture over the base of the buttered and lined tin and bake until the sides of the cake have shrunk slightly from the tin and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 15 minutes before turning out on the wire rack to cool completely.
  3. Make the icing. Sift the sugar and cocoa into a large bowl. Beat in 1/2 cup boiling water until smooth, then beat in the butter, vanilla, and brandy to make a runny icing. Spread half of the coconut in a pie plate.
  4. With a serrated knife, trim the crusts off the sides of the cake. Cut the cake into nine equal squares, about 3 inches square. NOTE: I made much smaller squares, about 1-1/2 inches in size. Take two forks to gently lift a cake square into the chocolate icing and turn to coat in all sides. NOTE: I found it easier to hold the cake square with a large fork and to spoon the icing on top of it. Transfer the square to the plate of coconut, then scoop coconut on top of it to completely coat all sides. Transfer to a large plate dusted with a bit of the coconut to dry. NOTE: It might take a few squares to get your routine in place (any mess ups are still delicious).

Think ahead: The cake is best baked a day in advance for easier cutting. Let cool completely, wrap in cling film and store in an airtight container. Once iced, store in an airtight container for 3 days. If not making a day ahead, cut the cake into squares as soon as it is cool and leave the squares to dry out on a wire rack for at least an hour to make icing easier. If too fresh, the cake sheds crumbs into the icing.

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