Alix Carey - The Unicorn Cookbook: Magical Recipes for Lovers of the Mythical Creature

THE UNICORN COOKBOOK

Copyright Alix Carey, 2017

Photos: p.37 Elena Shashkina/Shutterstock; pp.29, 35, 38, 81 Ruth Black/Shutterstock; p.73 Kvitka Fabian/Shutterstock; p.120 Elena Veselova/Shutterstock; p.122 Little Hand Creations/Shutterstock

All other photos Alix Carey

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

Alix Carey has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Summersdale Publishers Ltd
46 West Street
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RP
UK

www.summersdale.com

eISBN: 978-1-78685-509-1

Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organisations. For details contact general enquiries: telephone: +44 (0) 1243 771107 or email: .

For my friends, family, Liam and everyone
who believes in unicorns

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alix Carey is a baking enthusiast from Surrey and the author behind food blog and Instagram account My Kitchen Drawer. She is a self-confessed dreamer who wishes on stars and searches for the end of rainbows.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @mykitchendrawer .

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Did you know that unicorns are a combination of dreams, stardust and sunbeams? Their heads are full of glitter, their hearts are bursting with magic and their eyes shine like stars. Inside this magical book youll find an array of fun-filled recipes ready to help you unleash your inner unicorn. But before you turn your kitchen into your very own rainbow haven, you need to (figuratively) wear the unicorn cookery badge of honour and the only way to do this is to be given a unicorn name. So, what you waiting for? Go to the facing page, identify your fantasy alter ego and begin your cooking adventure into the world of the most revered mythical creature of all time!

WHAT IS YOUR UNICORN NAME?

To discover your unicorn name, find the initial of your first name and the month you were born in these lists. Combine the two and state your new alias aloud with pride as you don your apron and get ready to create a spread thats out of this world.

CONVERSIONS AND MEASUREMENTS

All the conversions in the tables below are close approximates, which have been rounded up or down. When using a recipe always stick to one measurement; do not alternate between them.

LIQUID MEASUREMENTS

6ml = 1 tsp
15ml = 1 tbsp
30ml = cup
60ml = cup
120ml = cup
240ml = 1 cup
2 tbsp liquid egg white = 1 large egg white

DRIED INGREDIENT MEASUREMENTS

5g = 1 tsp
15g = 1 tbsp
150g flour = 1 cup
225g caster sugar = 1 cup
115g icing sugar = 1 cup
175g brown sugar = 1 cup
200g sprinkles = 1 cup

BUTTER MEASUREMENTS

30g = cup
55g = cup
75g = cup
115g = cup
150g = cup
170g = cup
225g = 1 cup

OVEN TEMPERATURES

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

Before we get started, lets take a look at all the essential ingredients and equipment youll need.

INGREDIENTS

Butter Unsalted butter is best for baking and it is easiest to use at room temperature, but when youre making pastry it needs to be cold.

Flour Most of these recipes call for regular plain flour, but occasionally, when baking cakes, I advise using self-raising flour.

Sugar The two most important types of sugar for the recipes in this book are caster sugar and icing sugar.

Flavour extracts A number of recipes in this book require vanilla extract, but there are several others that call for more unusual flavours, such as candy floss and Parma Violet, if you wish to use these.

Eggs Always use large eggs, unless otherwise specified.

Gel food colouring These are preferred over liquid food colourings because, most importantly, they do not dilute any mixtures and, secondly, you only need to add a few drops to make rich, vibrant colours.

Sprinkles and pixie dust Youll have a hard task getting through this book without sprinkles and pixie dust. Many of the recipes here will call for Unicorn Sprinkles (recipe on page 93) so I urge you to make yourself a big batch. The key cake decorations you will need are: hundreds and thousands, chocolate sprinkles, sugar strands, nonpareils (tiny balls made of sugar and starch), edible star- and heart-shaped confetti sprinkles, drages (edible pearls), sugar crystals and pixie dust (AKA edible glitter).

White chocolate Whether it be for dipping, coating, drizzling or even baking, white chocolate is a big part of many of these recipes. Of course you are welcome to use dark or milk chocolate as a replacement, but white chocolate adds to the dreamy aura of the unicorn.

EQUIPMENT

Baking trays/tins You will need at least two flat sheet baking trays, a 27cm x 20cm tray bake tin and a 20cm square brownie tin.

Cake/cupcake tray All the cakes in this book are baked in 20cm cake tins and you will need at least two (maximum of six). All cupcakes are baked in batches of 12 so you will need a 12-hole cupcake tray as well as a 12-hole mini cupcake tin.

Sugar thermometer When making confectionery items such as toffee and marshmallow a sugar thermometer will make the recipes failsafe and easier to follow.

Baking paper The majority of recipes will ask you to line a baking tray or cake tin so baking paper is a necessity. NOTE: this is not to be confused with greaseproof paper, which is not heat resistant and can cause baked goods to stick to it like glue. Baking paper has a silicon lining and is heat resistant, which prevents any cakes or baked goods from sticking to it.

Mixing bowls An assortment of sizes would be ideal, but as long as you have one heatproof mixing bowl youll get through this book just fine.

Piping bags Piping bags are used throughout this book for piping buttercream, meringues and batter. You could make your own out of sandwich bags but youll never achieve the perfectly piped cupcake that way. Piping bags, especially those with a grip, allow you to pipe with absolute accuracy and precision so I would always recommend having a large stash in your kitchen drawer.