Gingerbread Biscuits

I love spices. I love flavour, heat and zinginess in all of my food. Earlier this month I attempted to make my very own gingerbread house, but to my dismay, it all collapsed as I was assembling the last roof panel. It looked rather messy and hap-hazard, but it doesn't darrrrrrn good!! Here is a fool proof recipe that is guaranteed to produce you with some very delectable gingerbread biscuits. 

***

Ingredients

(Makes about 25 biscuits)

125g Butter
50g Dark soft sugar
50 Light soft sugar
300g Plain Flour
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
3tbsp Golden Syrup
2tsp Ground Ginger (I like mine extra spicy so I always make sure these are HEAPED GENEROUSLY)

1. Preheat the oven to 200degreesC. Place baking paper on 4 baking trays.

2. Heat the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan until all of the sugar has disolved and the mixture is no longer 'granually'.

3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a large mixing bowl and stir until the colour of the ingredients is a consistent light brown (due to the ginger).

4. Pour in the melted sugar, syrup and butter mixture into the flour and stir slowly until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Towards the end, begin to use your finger tips to roll the dough together into a ball shape. (The mixture is full of fat and sugar so will leave your hands sticky and glossy.)

5. Wrap the dough in some cling film and chill in the fridge for about 30mins.

6. Flour a work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough until it is the thickness that you require. (Not too thin or they will break and burn.) Cut out your shapes carefully and place them onto an already prepared baking sheet.

7. Bake in the oven for about 12mins. Gingerbread does not take very long to cook and burns easily due to the high sugar content - KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BISCUITS! After 12mins they will still feel slightly soft, do NOT worry about this - the biscuits get much harder as they cool.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 30mins.

9. Decorate however you wish! Personally, I love the combination of ginger and white chocolate. I like my gingerbread to be VERY spicy (to the point where your tastebuds tingle) and I find that the white chocolate just soothes your mouth after the zinginess and leaves a sweet, milky taste in your mouth....but you may prefer icing sugar and jelly diamonds!!

***

They are very quick to make, and fun to decorate. I made this batch the night before going to the inlaws for Christmas so I wasn't too fussed about the decoration element as I didn't have much time, but actually thought that this melted white chocolate technique looked quite cool.

They were very addictive and didn't last very long between the family. And the white chocolate was absolutely scrummy with the ginger. This is a great recipe to try with the children over the Christmas holidays as it allows them to be as creative as they so wish. 

Bon Appetit!!

Cheddar and Leek Puff Pastry Plait

Every Christmas at school, the staff have what is known as a 'Shared Table' or a buffet lunch, where every member of staff brings in some form of party food and during the lunch break, staff are free to grab a plate of food for lunch. Now, having brought in some form of yummy treat every Friday throughout the term the pressure was kind of on for me...there was no way I could just bring in something shop bought. So after much discussion and consideration of what I had available in the house that needed to be used up before Christmas, I decided to go for this traditional pastry snack. Not very challenging, but my pastry work was practiced and improved.

***

Ingredients

500g Puff Pastry
2 Leeks
250g Cheddar Cheese
1 Egg (2 if you prefer egg wash to milk)
Salt
Pepper
A little splash of Milk
Flour for the work surface

1. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC.

2. Chop the leeks into sizeable chunks and grate the cheese. Stir in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Beat the egg and pour into the cheese and leek mixture. Stir until everything is coated in the egg. Leave to stand whilst preparing the pastry.

4. Flour the work surface and your rolling pin. Roll the puff pastry into an oblong shape approximately 30cm long and 20cm wide.

5. Begin to spoon the cheese and leek mixture into the middle of the pastry, leaving a border of about 5cm all the way around the oblong. Pat the mixture into a neat sausage shape making sure it is rather tight and compact.

6. Starting at the left hand side (closest to you) of the plait, using a sharp knife, cut several strips diagonally downwards about 2cm apart from one another, working your way along the pastry. Repeat this on the other side.

7. Take the first pastry strip from the side closest to you and fold it tightly over the cheese and leek mixture, then take the first pastry strip from the side furthest to you and fold it over....causing a 'criss-cross' or plait type pattern. Do this all the way along the pastry, making sure each piece is tight around the mixture.

8. At the top and bottom ends you will have some excess pastry left over. It is important that you tightly seal the plait so that the cheese and leek filling doesn't petrude whilst in the oven. What I did here was just trim the pastry and then neatly fold it over then compressed it with a fork to make a nice frilly pattern at each end.

9. Before placing the plait in the oven put it onto a sheet of baking paper and pop it onto a baking tray. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the outside of the plait with the milk/beaten egg. This will make the pastry nicely crisp and golden and will act as a glue, piecing the pastry together.

10. Bake in the oven for about 30mins, or until piping throughout.

***

This was actually much nicer than I thought it was going to be. I've always been very honest in that I'm not too confident with my savoury snacks (especially pastry) but the flavours were sooo yummy together and really complemented one another.

And I'm really quite impressed at how it looked - not too shabby and rather professional, I think!! I made a little mini one and had it hot at home and I must say that it was so much nicer hot than cold, but was still a tasty snack. Well, at least the staff clearly thought so as there was a not a crumb left!!

Bon Appetit!!

Chocolate Fridge Cake

Another recipe that is steeped in memories for me is my Mum's (no bake) Chocolate Refrigerator Cake. Working as a nurse in care homes, my Mum would always drag my sister and I along to all of the fetes   that they would have and we were always allowed to help out on her stall - the cake stall!! You could guarantee that my Mum would bake 3 or 4 different cakes and every single one would sell out completely. And the fridge cake - well, that was mine and my sister's job. She would always allow us to help in the kitchen with the reward of licking the bowls clean afterwards. This fridge cake recipe is soooo easy and relatively quick to make. Also, it is possible to personalise it in any way that you so desire. 

***

Ingredients

400g Milk Chocolate

250g Digestive Biscuits

100g Butter

6 tbsp Golden Syrup

Icing Sugar for dusting

200g - 250g Fruit/Nuts/Sweets/Chocolates 

(I often use a mixture of marshmallows, cherries, maltesers, smarties and crunchies)

1. Get a 20cm square dish and completely cover it with cling film, making sure that there is excess cling film hanging over each of the sides. (This will be helpful later on.)

2. Place the digestives into a food bag and smash them up using a rolling pin. Do NOT smash them until they are breadcrumbs - you still want some chunks of biscuit in the mixture. 

3. Melt the chocolate in a pyrex bowl above a saucepan of boiling water. Add in the butter and syrup and keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and glossy and thoroughly combined.

4. In a large mixing bowl, tip in your choice of sweets and treats, as well as the smashed up biscuits. Give them a quick stir and then pour in the melted chocolate. Mix thoroughly until all of the sweets and biscuits are covered in the chocolate.

5. Spoon the mixture into the square dish with the cling film, flattening it down with the back of your spoon. Try to make it as flat as possible. Place in the fridge and allow to set for 2hours.

6. Once the fridge cake has set and is hard to the touch, remove from the fridge and lever it out using the excess cling film. Chop it into sizeable chunks (triangles are the best shape in my opinion!) on your work surface and then sprinkle some icing sugar on the top if you wish. 

***

This is a great recipe if you are in need of a sugar fix but can't decide what to make. It is super easy and nigh on impossible to mess up - brilliant if you have a brood of children long awaiting to do the all important taste test! It's great fun to make and you can get as messy as you so wish (or not). It's a must at any good children's birthday party!!

Gooey marshmallows, crunchy digestives, sweet honeycomb = simply divine!!

Boxed up and ready to go to school! Went down a treat on Friday with the staff. 

Bon Appetit!! 

Cinnamon Buns with Lemon Icing

The temperature has dropped, the snow is beginning to fall and Christmas is just around the corner. For me, spices are the most important accompaniment to food and drink at this time of year (a cheaper alternative to keeping you warm instead of putting the heating on!) and cinnamon is one of my favourites! I love it in my coffee, in my red wine AND in my sweets and puddings. As many of you will know, my sister is vegan and I can honestly say that she bakes some of the nicest cakes/biscuits/generic treats I have ever tasted!! And, for me, my favourite of her creations is her Cinnamon Buns...also known as Cinnamon Swirls and these are simply delightful.

 (C) Charlotte Rydz

***

Ingredients

This recipe was baked in Andy's breadmaker, but you can use the old fashioned method. RESTING TIME is the most important with this recipe as the dough acts like a bread and needs time to rise.

Dough:                                                  Filling:                                                Icing:
225g Strong Bread Flour             30g Pure (melted)                       Icing Sugar
1 tsp Mixed Spice                             50g Brown Sugar                              Cold Water
1/2 tsp Salt                                       1/2 tsp Cinnamon                             Lemon Juice
1 and 1/2 tsp Dried Yeast              75g Sultanas
110ml Soya Milk
50g Vegetable Spread (Pure)

1. Place the pure and milk into the bread maker pan. Add in the flour, salt and spice. (Make sure there is no liquid viewable at the top as the yeast will start reacting as soon as it comes into contact with the milk.)

2. Spoon in the yeast on top of the flour in the middle of the bread pan. Set the bread maker to the dough programme. Sit back and relax for about 1hour and 30mins.

3. Remove the dough from the bread maker, place in a deep bottomed dish, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for about another hour, just so that the dough is light and airy and you can get as many buns out of the dough as possible.

4. Start to make the filling - mix the sugar and sultanas together in a small bowl. 

5. On the stove, melt the pure in a saucepan until it resembles liquid gold.

6. Sprinkle some flour onto the work surface and roll out the dough into an oblong shape, about 30cm long and 25cm wide.

7. Brush the melted pure over the dough and evenly sprinkle the sugar and sultanas over the pure. 

8. Pre heat the oven to 190degrees C.

9. Gently roll the dough up - grab hold of the long side of the dough and roll to the other long side so it resembles a long, thin, swiss roll shape. Using a blunt/butter knife, cut the rolled up dough into little 'pinwheel' sort of shapes. 

10. Place into a deep baking dish (I used my roasting dish, my sister uses her lasagne dish) so that the pinwheel is facing upwards. Bake in the oven for 30mins until they have swelled, gone golden and are firm to the touch.

11. Whilst the buns are cooling, start to make the icing using the icing sugar, lemon juice and water to taste.

12. Once the buns are cool, drizzle the icing randomly over the buns. Allow the icing to set and Voila!! Easy peasy, professional looking Cinnamon Buns/Swirls!

***

I was so so sooooo chuffed with how these turned out. I was quite anxious about giving my sister's recipe a go, as she always does them to perfection and I didn't want mine to be atrocious, but I was quite proud at how they turned out. I loved the size of the buns, a small, bitesize bun to go with your tea. Infact, I was so impressed with them, I took some into uni for my friends to try. They absolutely adored them and they were very much needed after a boring lecture at uni!! 

It just proves that just because something is described as 'vegan' doesn't mean it is going to be tasteless and raw like it is commonly perceived. Infact, I don't think I know anyone who cooks better or eats just as well than my sister. She definitely is my cooking (and eating!) role model. (Also, these are fab for anyone who is lactose intolerant.)

To find out more about my sister's and brother in law's vegan lifestyle, why don't you follow @theveggieblog on Twitter? Lots of yummy things to bake and eat, as well as reviews on vegan products and places to eat and drink. 

Bon Appetit!!

Jam Roly Poly

I have a confession to make. In all of my 21 years of life, I have never, I repeat, NEVER had a Jam Roly Poly (home made or otherwise). Shocking, I know isn't it? I have no idea what it is supposed to look like, or taste like yet after a polite request from Andy (and another poll on facebook) I thought I would give it a blooming good go! So, here it is...a complete challenge and a bit of an experiment!! 

***

Ingredients

225g Self Raising Flour
Pinch of Salt
110g Suet (Beef or Vegetable)
7 tbsp Cold Water
400g Jam (Your choice, but I Picked Strawberry)
1 Egg

1. Preheat the oven to 190degreesC. Place some baking paper on a baking tray, ready to dollop your Roly Poly on to once it's ready.

2. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the suet and mix with your hands so that it is evenly distributed.

3. Spoon in the cold water. Mix using your finger tips. The 'dough' should be of the consistency where it is a little sticky - enough to gather the excess dough off the sides of the bowl, but not too sticky so that you cannot manoeuvre it off you fingers. 

4. Sprinkle a little of the flour onto your work surface and over your rolling pin. Squish the dough into a rough square shape (this makes it easier to roll into an oblong). Roll out the dough until it is about 1cm thick and just short of the size of your baking tray.

5. Meanwhile spoon the jam into a microwaveable bowl and heat for about 30seconds (this makes it easier to spread). 

6. Spread the jam over the dough but leave a 1cm border around the outside.

7. Using your hands, roll the dough into a swiss roll shape. Dollop onto your baking tray. 

8. Beat the egg in a bowl and spread over the top of the Roly Poly to give it a nice golden colour when baked. Place in the oven for 30mins or until firm to the touch and cooked throughout. Serve with custard.

***

This was the weirdest taste experience I've ever had. Basically, from what I can tell, a Jam Roly Poly is not a cake, neither is it a sponge, nor biscuit, nor pastry. It's kind of a mix of them all. But, it doesn't really taste of anything at all...it's just stodge. Public consensus kind of tells me that that's what it's meant to taste like!?

Admittedly, I don't think mine turned out like it should have (the jam exploded and the dough in the middle was a little under cooked) but still, it was a bit bland and well, boring to be honest. The best thing about it was the custard!! Not sure I will make it again...even if I had done it perfectly, I'm not sure it's my kind of pud. What do you think? Are you a fan of the Roly Poly?

Bon Appetit!!

Vanilla and Milk Chocolate Marble Loaf

It's that time of the week again....I need to find something else to bake to take into school tomorrow! Last week, the Cherry Loaf went down a treat and I thought maybe it's time for some chocolate indulgence. I have never made a Marble Loaf before and wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. I had a little google search and saw many different methods and lists of ingredients, but to be honest, I didn't really feel comfortable with any of them. So, this recipe is completely made up from my personal experiences of making cake mix and how I felt most comfortable 'marbling' the cake. It's quite a messy technique, but it's great fun AND I can imagine baking it with young children would be a right laugh!

***

Ingredients

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

275g Self Raising Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

4 Eggs (beaten)

2 tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

100g Milk Chocolate

2 tsp Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Hot Water

1. Preheat the oven to 160degreesC and grease a 2lb loaf tin. (I have a silicone one so I don't need to do this).

2. Cream together the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the the mixing bowl and stir into an even consistency.

4. Pour in the beaten egg and milk and stir thoroughly.

5. Meanwhile, using a ban marie, melt the chocolate on the stove.

6. Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water and add to the melted chocolate. Stir so the dark colour of the cocoa and lighter colour of the melted chocolate become even.

7. Separate the cake mixture into 2 bowls so that there is approximately the same amount in each bowl. 

8. In one bowl, add the vanilla extract and mix.

9. In the other bowl, spoon in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate mixture. Fold into the cake mix until evenly distributed. It should have a lovely chocolately colour.

10. Dollop one spoonful of the vanilla mixture into the loaf tin, followed by a dollop of the chocolate. Keep rotating the order in which you add the mixture so that it has a random marbled affect when cooked. It will look a bit random when it is raw, but the 'vice versa' approach really gives the most aesthetically pleasing final product.

11. Place into the oven on a baking tray and allow to bake for 1hour or until the cake is fully risen, soft to the touch, and do the 'fail safe' shuvving-a-knife-in-to-see-if-it's-clean test. 

12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 or so minutes. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool for a good half an hour and then slice and have with a cup of hot chocolate.

***

Considering this is my first attempt at a Marble Cake I am sooo chuffed with how this turned out! As you can see from the piccies below, the loaf had risen perfectly, the colours had intertwined fabulously and it was so crumbly and soft - just like any good cake should be!

The chocolate layer seemed to dominate the top of the loaf, but if you look at it side on, it kind of has a 'zebra' like appeal...

Next time I make a Marble cake, I reckon I will up the quantity of the vanilla part of the cake (think I did just a little more of the chocolate mixture than the vanilla) and add some melted white chocolate for an extra bit of sweetness. Might up the amount of chocolate I melted in it as well, as it really cut the bitterness of the cocoa powder. 

When I was slicing it, it was so cool to see all the different slices, as not one slice had the same look. I love the strategy of 'random dolloping' the cake mixture. I really hope that everyone at school loves it and finds it just as gorgeous as I do! (This week Mrs D, I've put you some in your own little tub again...no greedy guts stealing your piece!!)

Bon Appetit!!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Something that amazes me about human beings is our ability to form associations. I have no idea how it works,  but somehow our brain responds to certain triggers which can allow us to associate certain smells, tastes, people, places and even memories with other things.  For example, I always associate the smell after it rains with a family trip to the zoo when I was little and I claimed to be Dr Doolittle and persisted to go around talking to the animals whilst it was chucking it down. I always associate the song 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' by Deep Blue Something with my Dad laughing non stop at me for getting the words wrong and believing that 'Tiffany' was referring to Tiffany from Eastenders!! And, well, I always associate home made cheesecake with my Dad! 

My Dad was known for his currys and his cheesecakes. He didn't have that much of a sweet tooth (I got that from my Mum!!!) but, he was always partial to a home made cheesecake, and my word, were they the best thing EVER!! My Dad really did try very hard to keep our family together but he didn't always get everything right. Something I guess you only really appreciate when you look back and reminisce. However, you could guarantee that his ideas for day trips, his leftover turkey currys and his cheesecakes were ALWAYS right. This will never be as good as his, but I will try, just like he did.

***

Ingredients

(You will need a 20cm Spring Form Tin which will serve about 8 people)

175g Digestive Biscuits (or ginger nuts/shortbread)
50g Butter
300g Strawberries
300g Cream Cheese
200g Fromage Frais
200g White Chocolate (plus extra for grated decoration)

1. Place the biscuits in a food bag and tie quite tightly. Bash the biscuits to death using a rolling a pin (great if you are feeling stressed/angry) until they resemble quite fine crumbs. Tip them into a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt the butter on the stove until completely liquid. Pour onto the biscuit crumbs and stir until combined. Place the buttery biscuit mixture into your tin and compress it firmly so that it reaches each part of the tin and is evenly spread. Chill in the fridge.

3. Mix the cream cheese and fromage frais in a mixing bowl.

4. Using a ban marie (or in the microwave if you prefer) melt the white chocolate. Allow to cool a little and then spoon it into the cream cheese and fromage frais mixture and fold it in until combined.

5. Chop the strawberries (save 6 or so for decoration if you wish) into SMALL pieces (you will see why later) and scatter throughout the cheesecake mixture. Fold in until everything is nicely mixed. 

6. Remove the biscuit base from the fridge and spoon the mixture into the tin. Flatten with the back of a spoon or a spatula until the cheesecake looks smooth, glossy and appetising. 

7. For added decoration slice the 6 saved strawberries in half and place in a pretty pattern on top of the cheesecake. Place back in the fridge and allow to chill and set for at least 4hours (the longer you leave it, the nicer it is, in my opinion). 

8. Just before you serve it, grate some white chocolate and scatter on the top of the cheesecake, just for an added bit of yumminess!!! 

***

This looks pretty spectacular, a real centre piece and I'm quite proud of how pretty it looks. However, something was missing! It didn't have that "Yum! Eat some more!" 'ness about it. You could really taste the yoghurt and it made it have a bit of a sour after taste. My Dad's were always really thick and sweet, but mine was a bit gloopy and liquidy (I added 400g of Strawberry chunks and I think this is what made it liquidy). It looked FAR better than it tasted (however, Andy really enjoyed it). What would have made it absolutely fabulous is a brown sugar layer on top of the cheesecake and then blow torched so it had a creme brulee look to it. 

Defo going to try another cheesecake, as I'm not entirely happy with this one, but I still thought it was worth blogging. Please feel free to try this recipe yourself and let me know how you get on. And also, upload a picture!!

Bon Appetit!!

Cherry Loaf

So, I have every Friday off of uni at the moment so I have been going back into the last school I taught at, and working with Year 3 so that I don't go mad with boredom! I have now started a bit of a tradition at school that every Friday I will bring in some form of home baked goods as a 'pick me up' for the staff. I was searching for an idea the other day of something that I could bake that would be quick to make and popular to eat as well as easy to transport it into school on the bus! Then I remembered that Andy's mum is known for her cherry loaf and is asked to make one every Christmas for his sister, instead of Christmas cake. So, we rang her up and I got the recipe!!

***

Ingredients


(Fits a 2lb Loaf Tin)

9oz Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs (beaten)
6oz Sugar
6oz Butter
6oz Cherries (floured)
3tbsp Milk
1tsp Vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 16odegreesC. Grease your loaf tin/line it with a paper case if you have a metal tin. (I have a silicone one, so my cakes easily pop out.)

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until soft and smooth.

3. Add the beaten egg and vanilla and mix until all the ingredients are combined. 

4. Sift in the flour and stir all of the ingredients.

5. Chop the cherries in half (or keep them whole/chop them smaller if you like) and lightly dust them in some flour. This helps the cherries go through the mixture without them all grouping together and sinking to the bottom. Add them to the cake mix and make sure they are spread fairly evenly.

6. Spoon  in the milk to make the mixture softer and lighter. If the mixture looks too dry, add a little more, but do not make it too sloppy. Pour into the loaf  tin. Spread and flatten with the back of a spoon. 

7. Place in the oven and bake for 45mins or until the cake is golden. A good way to test if it is ready is to get a sharp, clean knife and stab the cake in the middle. If it comes out clean, it is ready, if not just place it back in the oven and use your best judgement to see how much longer it will need. 

***

This cake really went down a treat at school! It had all gone by 11.30 which is always a good sign (I'm really sorry Mrs Dawson that you didn't get a slice...I am planning something just for you next week!!) It was super light and fluffy, despite it not having risen very much (perhaps over stirred the mixture). It was perfectly golden on the outside and went down lovely with a cuppa. Nothing particularly luxurious, but always great to have the ingredients in the cupboard for days when you fancy something sweet that isn't chocolate, or sickly! Next time, I think I might have a go at adding some dessicated coconut to it, just for an extra little kick!

Bon Appetit!!

Sausage and Onion Rolls

I have recently bought a massive, classical cookery book (which I will post a review of sometime soon) and as I was looking through it, I was looking for some inspiration for a savoury snack/treat that I could make for lunch. I saw the recipe for a Sausage and Apple Plait, which just looked gorgeous, but really, really hard!! A lot of time would be required to do the precise pastry work, and I quickly lose my patience, get hot hands and mess up the pastry, sooooooo....I thought of an adaptation to this recipe, that was just as yummy...Sausage and Onion Rolls.

***

Ingredients

450g Sausage Meat

1/2 Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Egg

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

500g Puff Pastry (YES, I used ready made BUT so does Jamie Oliver!!)

1. Preheat the oven to 200degreesC.

2. Lightly fry the onion and garlic in some oil until transparent and add the worcestershire sauce. Stir thoroughly and then take off the heat and allow to cool for 5mins or so.

3. Massage the onion and garlic mixture into the sausage meat.

4. Roll out the pastry into a long rectangle. Slice into 2 to make it easier to manipulate on the work surface. 

5. Now, this is the messy bit coming up - grab about half the sausage meat and roll out into a long thin sausage on top of the rectangular pastry. Make sure the meat is right up close to one edge of the pastry and slowly grab the edge of the pastry and roll over the sausage meat, continuing to roll until all there is only a thin strip left.

6. At this point you need to beat the egg and using a pastry brush lightly glaze the edge of the pastry as it will act like a glue, making the sausage 'roll' take form and stay together.

7. Then place the sausage roll on a baking tray and squish into a nice shape. Continue to glaze the top of the sausage roll with the egg wash (this will make it nice and crisp and golden) then with a sharp knife, slice a little pattern into the pastry - just for prettiness sake!! Bake in the oven for about 30mins or until piping hot throughout and goldenly crisp.

***

I was actually so gobsmacked at how big and good they turned out!! When debating what size to cut them to, Andy said that bigger is best so I went for 'Greggs' sized sausage rolls, whereas I would have been quite happy with picnic sized ones, guess this is just down to personal preference really. I feel like I cheated a little bit, what with using ready made pastry, but it's just getting a bit awkward on the old fridge space, what with living with 3 other girls, who also need to use the fridge! (Although I feel I should get priority on space because I make YUMMY YUMMY food!!) 

Bon Appetit!!

Banoffee Pie

I recently had a little poll on facebook, asking all of my friends which out of the following should I bake next and post on my blog; Cherry Loaf, Banoffee Pie or Milk Chocolate Fudge. Banoffee Pie won hands down and I was secretly very happy!! I LOVE Banoffee Pie...there is something magical about the combination of bananas and toffee...it tastes heavenly!! One of the most luxurious and self indulgent desserts ever.....not one for those who are calorie counting, that's for sure!

***

Ingredients

(Fits a 10inch Tart Tin - Serves 8)

For the Filling                                                          For the Pastry Base
3 Bananas                                                                    300g Plain Flour
115g Butter (diced)                                                  230g Butter (diced)
1 tin Condensed Milk                                                 100g Caster Sugar
115g Soft Brown Sugar
2tbsp Golden Syrup
Lemon Juice
1 pot of Double Cream
Some Milk Chocolate to grate on the top

1. Start by Preheating the oven to 160degreesC.

2. Place the flour and butter into a large mixing bowl and crumble with your finger tips. Pour in the sugar and form a very soft and pliable dough. (Do NOT roll it out with a rolling pin - it is too soft and will break.) Massage it into the tart tin so that it covers the tin and there are no gaps/holes. Try to make the pastry as evenly spread as possibly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

3. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool.

4. Meanwhile, put the butter, sugar, syrup and condensed milk into a large saucepan and heat slowly, stirring constantly. Work up to the boil and then reduce the heat and cook for 10mins. Make sure you stir throughout the cooking process otherwise the sugar will burn. You will see the caramel/toffee change colour and increase in thickness. 

5. Pour the caramel/toffee sauce over the cooled pastry base and allow to set and cool for at least 1hour.

6. Slice the bananas and drip the lemon juice on top of them (this will stop them going brown and mushy) and place them on top of the the toffee, over lapping in a pretty pattern.

7. Whip the double cream in a bowl and when firm, spread over the top of the bananas relatively evenly. Grate the milk chocolate on top of the cream and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

***

This is a pretty spectacular pudding! I would definitely recommend baking this for a dinner party or if you are spending time with some family. Make sure you have plenty of room in the fridge, to keep it chilled, or that you are baking it for people with rather large appetites!! I would happily have a Banoffee Pie instead of a birthday cake any day! I really hope that you give this recipe a go, it's rather time consuming, but soooo worth the effort! Please let me know how it goes and feel free to post a picture or any improvements that you would recommend.

Bon Appetit!!

    

Moussaka

My first ever proper holiday abroad was with my best friends from sixth form and we went all out on a  girlie holiday to Zakynthos in Greece. It was such a gorgeous little island, and the clubs were great! One time, I remember going straight from a club, to the sea and saw the sun rise whilst swimming in the Mediterranean Sea...gorgeous! (And also, such a laugh!) During the night time, we lived on fish bowls of sex on the beach and blue lagoon and during the day time...we were ladies who lunched and tried loads of different Greek restaurants on the beach. There was this one place that we all LOVED and went back to on more than one occasion. The waiters were friendly, they did Greek dancing there, they always supplied us with zambucca after our meals AND the food was scrummy!!! My favourite meal had to have been a proper traditional Greek dish, Moussaka!!

This is my 'special' twist and I will never claim it to be as good as a Greek's (mainly because I cannot supply you with gorgeous views and zambucca afterwards!)

***

Ingredients

(This will easily serve 4 people)

330g Mince Beef/Lamb (Beef is cheaper but Lamb is more luxurious!)

1 Aubergine

1/2 Onion

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Tin Tomatoes

6 Mushrooms

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 Eggs

300ml Natural Yoghurt

Grated Cheese

Salt 

Pepper

1. Fry the onion and garlic lightly in some cooking oil. Add the mince and stir until browned.

2. Add the tomato puree and tin of tomatoes. Stir thoroughly so that everything is covered. Work up to the boil, then simmer for 20mins.

3. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC.

4. Slice the aubergine and dry fry on a high heat in a non stick frying pan.

5. Line half of the aubergine on the bottom of a casserole dish so that it is completely covered with no gaps.

6. Meanwhile, chuck the mushrooms in with the mince and gently simmer for 2mins. Then, pour the mincey tomatoey mixture on top of half of the dry fried aubergine in the casserole dish. Layer the other half of the aubergine on top of the mince. Try to make sure there are no holes.

7. Beat the eggs and yoghurt together to form a bechamel sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour on top of the aubergine and scatter the grated cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 45mins.

***

This meal is escapism in a dish, for me! Don't forget that mushrooms and aubergines let out a lot of water when cooked so there will be a lot of sauce in the bottom of the dish - get a nice bit of ciabatta to mop it up! Laaaavely!! Yet again, tastes better than it looks, but then in my opinion there's nothing better or tastier than rustic, home made cooking!! 

Bon Appetit!!

Bacon and Egg Open Top Pie

I was having a little chat with my housemates today as they had just come back up to Sunderland after spending a long weekend at their parent's and I was asked, "So Steph, what have you been baking this weekend?" I told them about the my Sausage and Leek pie, my rubbish second attempt at an Apple and Cinnamon Crumble and my plans to make a Cherry Loaf and Andy reminded me about an open topped pie that I had made ages ago, that I professed I had never made, so he said "Check your blog if you don't believe me." Well...I've checked it and can't find it, yet I have a picture of it on my phone. So here is a very delayed recipe for my very Mediterranean looking Bacon and Egg Open Top Pie.

***

Ingredients

I used my loose bottomed flan tin for this recipe: about 24cm-26cm

For the Filling:                                                                      For the Pastry:

5 Eggs                                                                                      200g Plain Flour

5 Bacon Rashers                                                                  50g Lard

4 Large Tomatoes (Or lots of cherry toms)              50g Butter

6 Large Mushrooms                                                           Pinch of Salt

1/2 Onion                                                                               3-4 tbsp Cold Water

8 tbsp Single Cream

Salt

Pepper

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut up the pieces of fat into little cubes and massage into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water, little by little until you can knead the mixture into a ball and clean the bowl. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for about 30mins.

2.  Preheat the oven to 200degreesC.

3. Roll out the pastry and line your flan/pie tin. Place some baking paper in the centre, making sure the edges of the pastry are covered and sprinkle in some baking beans/rice and blind bake for 20mins. 

4. Remove from the oven and using one of the eggs, egg wash the pastry and place bake in the oven for 5mins UNCOVERED. (This will further support the pastry to avoid soggy bottoms!)

5. Meanwhile gently fry the bacon and onion and chop into little pieces. Line the bottom of the pastry case, scattering the pieces fairly evenly. Add the chopped, uncooked tomatoes and mushrooms, leaving space to crack the eggs into. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Crack one egg into each quarter of the pie...it will feel a bit odd adding raw eggs at this stage, but it looks pretty special when cooked. Then drizzle over the single cream. At this point, I thought the pie looked a bit to dry and I thought the mushrooms were going to burn, so I kept on adding cream til I was happy...but then when I cut into it later, it was a bit too liquidy. You just have to use your best judgement about how much cream to add.

***

It was such a yummy pie!! I didn't serve it with anything special - just a bit of salad, but as a whole, it really reminds me of a cross between a quiche/pie that you would have in the warmer months. Normally, Andy's mum would whisk the eggs so it was more quiche based, but presentation wise, I think the eggs add another dimension to the pie. If you want, you can always add more eggs depending on how many people you are cooking for. You can also adapt this recipe so that you can add whatever vegetables that you like. Yum, yum yum!

Bon Appetit!!

Apple and Cinnamon Crumble (Round 2!)

So, regular readers on my blog will know that I have previously tried to bake an Apple and Cinnamon Crumble, but it went pretty tits up, to be honest!! Thought it was about time I gave it another go, plus my friend from uni has bought me the COOLEST apple corer and slicer EVER so thought I should really include it in my latest blog.

How awesome is that?!? I love it, it's my new favourite kitchen toy! Shame that it actually resembles more of an apple crumble than my actual crumble did. Needless to say, I am NOT posting the recipe for my Apple and Cinnamon Crumble (Round 2!) as yet again....it was rubbish!!

I tried a different recipe, (yet again!) but it didn't crisp on the top (the recipe said to cook for 25mins at 180degreesC, yet after 45mins, it STILL wasn't ready and I was aware I was about to miss the start of Alan Carr, Chatty Man...so I took it out, maybe too early?) AND the apple was WAAAAAY over cooked...was like mush, with no chunks...basically baby food. Oh, and because this crumble was taking forever, my custard got cold and turned to water...not good!

I was going to say it doesn't look as bad as it tasted, but after seeing this photo, I'm not even sure it actually looked good!! I just don't know why I keep getting it wrong. I've tried not cooking the apples before, I've tried cooking the apples before, I've tried plain flour, I've tried wholemeal flour....and still, I can't get it right! 

Seriously guys, do any of you know a FOOL PROOF recipe that I could try to make an Apple and Cinnamon Crumble? Gutted that I can't recreate the childhood classic of desserts.

Sausage and Leek Pie

So, it's been a while since I made some pastry and I kinda thought it was one of those things were you either 'use it, or lose it' so I asked Andy for some ideas of a pie filling he would like me to try out. We had some leeks in the fridge that I got for a bargain price of 69p and they were looking a bit worse for wear, so we researched some leek pie ideas. Alot were cheese based (Andy can't have cheese based sauces) and others involved using chicken (chicken is really expensive so kind of ruins the idea of making a poor man's pie) so we came up with the idea of combining sausages and leeks - we thought why not, afterall you have sausages with onion gravy and leeks are from the same family, so I gave it a shot.

***

Ingredients

(I used the same sized dish as with the Minced Beef and Potato Pie - serves 6)

Pie Filling                                       Pastry

8 Pork Sausages                           400g Plain Flour

3 Leeks                                          200g Butter

30g Butter                                     2 Pinches of Salt

30g Plain Flour                             4 tbsp Cold Water

300ml Milk

3 tsp Mustard (your choice)
Salt
Pepper
1 egg

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and add the butter in SMALL CUBES (you will see why I stress this later!) Crumble with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the water, little by little and when the pastry begins to combine and can 'clean' the side of the bowl, you know it's ready. Knead into a ball and wrap in cling film. Leave in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour. (If you make the pastry like this, you will have enough for a pie bottom AND lid, so when it gets to just after step 3, you will be able to line your pie dish with your pastry here....however I messed it up, as you will see!)

2. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC.

3. Grill/fry the sausages until browned on the outside. Chop into chunks and place in your pie dish.

4. Fry the chopped leeks in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Once all the butter has melted sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir continuously. Leave to cook for 3mins or so. Take off the heat and add the milk slowly, yet again, stirring continuously. Add the mustard and season with the salt and pepper.

5. Pour the creamy leek mixture over the sausages that are already cut up in the pie dish.

6. Roll out the pastry and lay on the top of your pie. Use the beaten egg wash and a pastry brush to spread it evenly on the pie lid to get a lovely golden colour. Place on a backing tray in the oven for about 40-45mins.

***

We both absolutely loved this pie hot, with a bit of mash and some boiled carrots, however, Andy wasn't so keen on it cold as apparently the leeks tasted like 'jellied slimey eels'....I thought it was scrummy though. 

But, I must admit I MAJORLY cocked up the pastry this time (I told you - use it or lose it!) because I was trying to be clever and take a short cut, so instead of adding the butter in small cubes, I added it all in one go. Consequently when I tried to roll out the pastry it kept crumbling, so I added water then it kept sticking...basically it was a right old mess!!! Furthermore, because I cheated the gluten didn't form properly and therefore the pastry didn't expand to the right quantity, so instead of having a pastry bottom and top, we only had the lid. Whoops!!!

So....because I cocked the pastry up so much, I didn't take a photo, sorry! It just looked like a completely botched up 'pie', but trust me when I say it tasted yummy!!

Why don't you give it a go and add your piccies?? Let me know how it goes guys :)

Bon Appetit!!

Boozy Bolognese

My favourite home cooked dinner when I was a child had to have been my Mum's Bolognese. Normally we would have it with spaghetti, but now, whilst I am a student, it will often be spooned over a couple of jacket potatoes, or maybe some pasta. Her recipe was amazing...even to this day I cannot get it right. Still not sure what I am missing out. But mine is a pretty good second best...plus, it's more mature now with the extra indulgent ingredient - red wine!! As I have previously said on many blog posts - my sister and I were not afraid of vegetables so my mum would chuck EVERYTHING that we had in it...carrots, mushrooms, celery - the lot! My mum would let it simmer for aaaages, which would always lead me to temptation, so whenever she wasn't looking I would grab a spoon and give it a little taster...just to make sure it was okay, of course!! 

***

Ingredients

330g Minced Beef

1/2 White Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

3 Carrots
150g Peas (I use frozen)

1/2 Tin of Sweetcorn

6 Mushrooms

1 Tin of Peeled Tomatoes

2 tsp Sunflower Oil

1 Generous Glass of Red Wine
1 tbsp Tomato Puree

Salt

Pepper

1. Pour the oil in the pan and gently fry the garlic and onion until transparent. 

2. Add the mince and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato puree for colour.

3. Add the tomatoes from the tin (but keep the juice separate for now) and red wine. Bring to the boil.

4. Add the chopped carrots, peas and sweetcorn. Place the lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 40mins.

5. Throw in the chopped mushrooms, stir and simmer for a further 10mins. 

***

Serve piping hot with grated cheese with either jacket potatoes, spaghetti, pasta or rice. (You may also find it necessary to finish off the bottle of red, with your meal!!) You will find that the bolognese is full of depth and flavour and is far superior to any of those ready made jars of rubbish, which are simply full of salt and have no texture or punch to them. This is one of my favourite 'cosey up infront of the telly with someone special' dinners. And you really can chuck any form of vegetable in with it. I dare say it is nothing like an Italian Mumma would make, but I've never been fortunate enough to go to Italy to experience the 'proper' version. (Plus, I think mine is simply delish anyway!!)

Bon Appetit!!

Sweet Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

When applying for Uni, there were many reasons why Sunderland swung the decision for me (one of them being to get as far away as possible from 'home') one of them being that I had some friends of a friend that lived pretty much in the city centre, that I know would be more than willing to help me out, if ever I needed to be. When I moved up here they invited me round for dinner and asked if there was anything in particular that I would like to eat I obviously suggested a roast!! (I feel like it is important to add here that these friends were American.) When I arrived I was greeted by a whole table FULL of food with lots of different vegetables. My favourite had to be their sweet roasted carrots and parsnips....a modern twist on a classic accompaniment to a roast, but something I find typically American - sweet and calorific!!

***

Ingredients

3 Parsnips

3 Carrots

1 tbsp Golden Syrup/Honey

2tbsp Sunflower Oil

Salt

1. Pre heat the oven to 200degrees C.

2. Pour the oil and syrup into a roasting tin and heat in the oven.

3. Chop the parsnips and carrots into thin slices/chunks. Boil in a pan of salted water until soft to the touch.

4. Stir the carrots and parsnips into the syrup and oil mixture, making sure all sides of each piece is coated in the sugary goodness. Cook for about 30mins or until roasted and crispy. The sugar will boil and burn so the veg will look dark and flipping gorgeous!! TUCK IN!!

***

Perfect if you are trying to impress, or just fancy something different with your roast. Plus, if you have these with your main, I tend to find that you don't really need/fancy a dessert afterwards.

Bon Appetit!!

Lamb Hotpot

When I did GCSE Food Technology, I decided to do my main project on potato based ready made products. I had to buy, taste and evaluate a range of ready made meals (gives me shivers now). We never really ate ready meals - even when Mum or Dad weren't there, my sister and I would still make something ourselves. It was only when I had to start food shopping for myself that I experimented with the ready made rubbish that is on sale now. One of the products I evaluated was a hotpot and it was horrid! Was basically mush. It really put me off hotpots, but I have decided to give a home made version a go. I have never tried a home made hotpot, so to me, this tastes fab!!

***

Ingredients

300g Lamb

Sunflower Oil

1 Onion

1 tbsp Plain Flour

250ml Hot Water

50ml Red Wine

Glugs of Worcestershire Sauce

Salt

Pepper

4 Medium Potatoes

Butter

1. Pre heat the oven to 170degrees C.

2. Gently fry the lamb in a large saucepan with the oil until all sides are lightly grey. Place the lamb into a casserole dish and leave on the side.

3. Fry the onion in the leftover oil and fat from the the lamb. When the onion starts to turn slightly brown at the edges, stir in the flour until combined. Pour in the wine, water and worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep on the heat until thickened and simmering. Pour on top of the lamb in the casserole dish.

4. Peel and slice the potatoes, layering them on top of the lamb. Add a few knobs of butter on the top and season with salt and pepper again. Place the lid on top and put in the oven. Allow to cook for 1hour.

5. Remove the lid and cook at 200degrees C for another 30mins or until the potatoes are golden and crisp.

***

Lamb really is a treat at the moment, it's far too expensive to make a regular meal, especially when it is as scrumptious and succulent as this! I tend to find that up until a certain point, the longer you cook lamb, the nicer it tastes. I was so proud with this dish, considering it was the first time I had baked it. Maybe a glug or two extra of the red wine would make it that bit nicer, but other than that, this is the perfect winter warmer and a great wholesome meal for the whole family. Presentation wise - looks fab in the casserole dish, but when I served up it all went everywhere...maybe a tsp or 2 more flour needed? Still, I don't care, it was flipping gorgeous!!

Bon Appetit!!