Hi my name is Jo Wheatley, some of you may know me as the winner of 2011 Great British Bake off. Since finishing GBBO I have started up a Home bakery school from my house in Essex (the class dates are listed in masterclasses) and I've now written 2 books 'A passion for baking' on general release & 'Home Baking' available exclusively in Sainsburys and where I also write my monthly column for their lovely foodie magazine. I would love to hear from you with any questions you may have and I promise to answer if I can! (for a quicker response Facebook or Twitter me) Love JoX

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Kelloggs Christmas Baking

I've been asked to make some Christmas bakes with Kelloggs Rice Krispes that would be fab to bake with children. This has really inspired me. I loved baking with my boys when they were small and I'm so happy to say they all really enjoy cooking now. They are really adventurous in the kitchen, in fact far more so than I was at their ages. I think it is an amazing way to spend time with your children, it gives you an interest together which for me is so important and actually a fun and reasonable cheap way to entertain them. I have such wonderful memories of baking with my nan and I hope my boys and nieces will have those same sort of memories with me.


WHITE CHOCOLATE TIFFIN
6oz digestive biscuits Crushed into random sizes pieces 2oz rice krispies
4oz butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp malted drink
2oz shredded dried coconut
2oz glace cherries halved
*Replace coconut and cherries with 4oz of fruit pastels cut in 2, for a more
childlike recipe 700g melted white chocolate 

In a saucepan melt butter, syrup, malted drink and sugar until all combined
Add all other ingredients except for the chocolate, press into a 13 x 9
baking tray.
Once cooled spread over chocolate, leave to set. When nearly set it is
easier to mark out pieces in the chocolate. I think this looks exceptionally
love sprinkled with white edible glitter.





Christmas star biscuits
40g Rice krispies
230g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
115g unsalted softened butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste  preheat oven to 180


1, In a freestanding mixer beat butter and sugar together until light and
fluffy
2, Add the egg and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined.
3, Add flour, baking powder, salt and rice krispies. Beat until a nice
dough.
4, Turn out onto clingflim, wrap and chill for an hour, or until firm enough
to roll.
5, Roll out on a floured piece of parchment, transfer onto baking trays and
chill the unbaked cookies in the fridge for 15-20 mins.
6, Bake for 10mins depending on cookie size, leave to cool on trays.


To decorate, move to wire racks, drizzle melted milk chocolate in vertical
drizzles across the cookies, then sprinkle with gold sprinkles or dust with icing sugar.



Rice Krispie Snowmen
I think these little guys will look great at a children’s christmas tea party

200g Rice Krispies
400g white Marshmallows
50g butter
6 melted marshmellows
a handful of currants
strips of jelly sweets
300g fondant (either 2 different colours 200g for the hats & scarfs 100g for scarfs and noses or white and 2 gel colours)
some sprinkles for buttons

1, Melt butter and marshmallows in a heat proof bowl in the mirco (about 60-90 seconds)
or melt butter in a pan until melted then add marshmallows until melted
2, Add to rice Krispies in a large bowl ( I used a washing up bowl that I keep for big volumes)
3, Use an Ice-cream scoop to get the body shapes, with buttered hands compact together, set a side.To make the heads, roll smaller amounts with buttered hands, set a side to firm.
4, To make fondant hats, Roll out coloured fondant, about half a centimeter cut 8 circles using a small round cutter (about 4cm) then shape a little top of the hat, glue together with a little water. Make 16 sausages of fondant then twist together to make scarfs. Shape 8 carrot noses.
5, ‘Glue’ the snowman head and body together using the melted Marshmellow, then cut 8 currants in half for his coal eyes, these should easily stick in place, then add 3 sprinkle buttons along his body, lastly add his hat, scarf and carrot nose.

19 comments:

  1. Beautiful photo of you and wonderful bakes Jo!
    Karen @ Lavender and Lovage
    XX

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  2. Gorgeous (both the recipes and the photos....)

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  3. Thanks Jo. More goodies to bake for my Hamper Gift. I need a bigger Basket! Agree with the others a superb photo. Good for you.

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  4. You look gorgeous! Bakes are lovely too xx

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  5. Fantastic photo and recipes look good. Look forward to trying them with my kids
    Michelle
    (@ a mum who loves to bake)

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  6. Cor What A Stunna - looking good jo x

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  7. What a gorgeous photo, recipes are great too xxxx

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  8. Adore the little snowmen and that photo of you is rather lovely!

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  9. Lovely photo! I love the snowmen!

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  10. Lovely photo of you, you model girl you! And those recipes look scrummy, never mind the kids I'm having a go :)Sue xx

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  11. Stunning photo and the rice crispie snowmen are so cute, my little boy will love having a go at those. x

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  12. Love the baking but *love, love* the photo. Just gorgeous :)

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  13. The tiffin looks delicious!
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.com/

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  14. Clever lady. I know two little boys who will love making those snowmen! xx

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  15. Thank you for all your lovely comments, I really enjoyed having a reason to bake childish bakes again, my boys are all a bit big for the snowmen LOL but really loved the tiffin xx

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  16. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are brilliant Jo, you deserve to go far my lovely. Picture of you looks fab too.

    Hugs Jill xx

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  17. Nice photo. And you're so talented! x

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  18. I just made the white chocolate tiffin - it is yummy. Stupid supermarket had run out of dessicated coconut so I put in chopped almonds instead and it was scrummy - thanks for a fab recipe x x x

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