Chocolate Brownies

I know, I know, I said I wouldn't post anything until the New Year, but I couldn't resist (and technically it already is in Oz and New Zealand). Plus, I'm not sure if my head will be in the right frame of mind for posting tomorrow!

I made these delicious chocolate brownies to take over to our friends house tonight. They are everything a brownie should be - meltingly moist in the middle and slightly crisp on top! Well done Mr Oliver! (they make these brownies at Fifteen). You could serve these as a dessert if you wished with a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

Ingredients:

250g Butter

200g Plain Chocolate

80g Cocoa Powder, sifted

65g Plain Flour, sifted

1 Tsp Baking Powder

350g Caster Sugar

4 Large Eggs

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c.

Step 2: Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave.

Step 3: In another bowl sift flour, cocoa and baking powder together and stir in the sugar. Add this dry mixture to the melted chocolate and stir well.

Step 4: Beat in the eggs

Step 5: Pour into lined baking dish (30cm rectangular one) and bake for 25 minutes.

Step 6: Leave to cool in tin before turning onto board and slicing in into squares.

Cheddar Cheese Risotto

I was a little bit dubious about this Nigella recipe - but as ever, it was delicious. A quick and comforting meal any day of the week. Use a strong cheddar if you can - I used Davidstow Extra Mature!

I'm going to take a short break from blogging over the Christmas break but I will be back early in the new year year, bright eyed and bushy tailed!!!

Merry Christmas everyone x

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1tbsp butter
1 leek, sliced finely
300g Risotto Rice
125 ml dry white wine
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 litre hot vegetable stock
125g Cheddar, cubed
Chives, chopped.

Method:
Step 1: Melt butter and oil and soften leek for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Add rice and fry for 1 minute, add wine and mustard and stir until wine evaporated.
Step 3: Gradually add stock, ladleful at a time, until rice is cooked and liquid absorbed.
Step 4: Take off heat and stir through cheddar and chives.

Christmas Cupcakes

Some festive cupcakes for you to try. Not much time to write anything else - I've got too much to do! I thought I was really organised...!

Ingredients:
350g plain flour
85g golden caster sugar
85g light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
zest 2 small oranges
2 eggs
284ml carton soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g butter , melted

Method:

Step 1: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Step 2: Mix the flour, sugars, baking powder and zest.

Step 3: In another bowl, beat the eggs, then stir in the cream, vanilla and butter and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir to mix but don't overbeat. Spoon into cases.

Step 4: Bake for 25 minutes

Step 5: Cool and decorate with butter icing and festive sprinkles

Banana, Cranberry and Pecan Loaf

What do you do with 2 over ripe banana's and two half empty packets of dried cranberries and pecan nuts .....make this gorgeous loaf, that's what!

This was very much an experiment, based loosely on a recipe for Banana Bread I had seen on The Times Online. I didn't expect the dark golden centre that greeted me when I cut into it, nor did I expect the wonderful intense fruity flavour. This is one experiment I will be writing down and repeating.

Ingredients:

125g Butter

175g Soft Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

280g Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Pinch of Salt

125 ml milk

2 Banana's, mashed

100g Dried Cranberries

100g Pecan Nuts, chopped

Method:

Step 1: Grease a 2lb loaf tin and preheat oven to 180c

Step 2: Cream butter and sugar together, until smooth. Beat in eggs then sieve in half of the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

Step 3: Add in the milk and mix, before finally adding the rest of the flour.

Step 4: Stir in banana's, cranberries and pecan nuts and tip into prepared tin

Step 5: Bake for 1 hr 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

This will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Smoked Cod and Cannellini Beans ~ 100th post

Wow, my 100th post!! I can't quite believe it has come around so quickly. No cake I'm afraid though (Christmas is just around the corner after all)..... just this wonderful quick supper dish from Nigella Express.

I stuck to Nigella's recipe pretty much to the letter (which you can see here on the new and improved Nigella website), apart from shock horror, I didn't add the wine! Why you ask, this is not like me after all. Well, I was feeling a little bit under the weather and Lowen had not been sleeping well - so I thought better of it, good job too as she was up again twice in the night and I'm not sure how well I would have coped after a bottle of wine (hubby was away on business, hence no-one to share it with!). Despite the lack of wine, the flavours were delicious and it was on the table in under 10 minutes - a winner in my book.

p.s. next time I'll add the wine - just to see if it does make a difference!!

Blue Cheese, Pecan and Cranberry Penne

A festive pasta dish for you all to enjoy. I had to wait for hubby to go away on business to enjoy this - I know he would he turned his nose up - no meat for starters!!!

Ingredients:
1 red onion sliced
1 garlic clove ,sliced
1 tsp dried sage
150g Stilton
50g toasted pecan nuts
small handful of dried cranberries
200g Dried Penne
Fresh Parsley

Method:
Step 1: Cook penne according to instructions
Step 2: Meanwhile fry onion, garlic and sage in a little butter.
Step 3: When penne is cooked, toss in with onions and add rest of ingredients and a sprinkling of parsley if you have it.

Sticky Gingerbread

I must learn patience! I cut the gingerbread before it was completely cool and it didn't come out as cleanly as I'd hoped. No worries though - its rather rustic appearance was made up for by the taste. It was all things a gingerbread should be - sticky, warming, dense and moreish, plus it made the house smell divine!

Ingredients:

150g Butter

200g Golden Syrup

200g Treacle

125g Dark Muscavado Sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

2tsp freshly grated ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 eggs, beaten

250ml full fat milk

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 2 tbsp of warm water

300g Plain Flour

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 170c and line a roasting dish (30 x 20 x 5)

Step 2: Melt butter, syrup, treacle, sugar, and spices in a pan over medium heat.

Step 3: Take of heat and add bicarbonate of soda solution, eggs and milk.

Step 4: Pour liquid mixture into flour and mix - it should be a batter like mixture.

Step 5: Pour into roasting tin and bake for 45-60 minutes - should be firm on top but still gooey underneath.

Step 6: Leave to cool COMPLETELY in tin before cutting into squares

It will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen

Curried Mince and Peas

Cheap, easy and with only a handful of ingredients this is a perfect midweek meal to satisfy the whole family! I may try making it with Madras curry paste next time to satisfy Hubby, who thought it wasn't quite hot enough - no pleasing some people!

Off to wrap the last of the Christmas presents now - I can't believe how quickly it has come around!!

Ingredients:
1 Onion, chopped
Sprinkle of dried chili flakes
500g Minced Beef
3 tbsp Tikka Masala Paste
1 tin Chopped Tomatoes
150ml Beef Stock
Serve with Basmati Rice
Handful of Peas

Method:
Step 1: Fry onion for 5 minutes, add chili flakes and minced beef and cook until beef is brown
Step 2: Add tikka paste and fry for a further minute before adding tomatoes and stock.
Step 3: Simmer for 15 minutes, adding peas 5 minutes before end of cooking
Step 4: Serve with Basmati Rice - or perhaps with a jacket potato?!

Chocolate Yule Log

This 'Nigella' inspired Yule Log has gone straight in the freezer ready to be pulled out on Christmas Eve, sprinkled with some icing sugar, and maybe, just maybe 2 little robins on top (as my Nan used to do).

I feel like I'm really on top of my Christmas preparations this year. Last Christmas was way toooo hectic - I got married on the 29th December so Christmas went by as a bit of a blur. This year I just want to relax with the family, eat what I want (I had to be a bit careful last year) and be 'merry'(and you all know what that constitutes in my book). Bring it on!!!!!!

Ingredients:
For the cake;
6 Eggs separated
150g Caster Sugar
50 g Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Icing:
175g Dark Chocolate
250g Icing Sugar
225g Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven 180c and line a swiss roll tin with baking parchment (let it overhang the edges)
Step 2: Whisk the egg whites until the form stiff peaks and continue to whisk while you add 50g of the sugar.
Step 3: Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until it becomes thick, pale and moussy, sieve in cocoa and fold in with vanilla extract.
Step 4: Combine with the egg whites by folding in gently then tip into tin and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 5: To make the icing, melt the chocolate, beat together the butter and sieved icing sugar then combine with the now cooled chocolate and vanilla extract.
Step 6: When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes before turing out onto another piece of parchment paper.
Step 7: Spread a thin layer of the icing on top of the cake then roll up to form a roll.
Step 8: Place on a presentation plate and smother the icing over it.
Step 9: At this point you can put it in the freezer or serve sprinkled with icing sugar if you wish.

Nigella's Christmas Spiced Chocolate Cake

Sorry, no pictures of this one sliced up! I've stashed it away in the freezer - just like Nigella told me to do - ready for Christmas Eve when I will be serving it with some Cointreau Cream.

The smell of this cake was amazing, with the orange zest, espresso and cinnamon. I was little bit worried about adding the cinnamon as I am not a huge fan - but I've given it a go and if the smell is anything to go by it will taste just fine.

Ingredients:
150g Dark Chocolate
150g Butter
6 Eggs
250g Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
100g Ground almonds
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves (I didn't have any so didn't add this)
Zest of 1 Orange (Nigella uses a clementine)
4 tsp Instant Espresso powder

Method:
Step 1: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 180c. Butter sides and line base of 23cm springform tin.
Step 3: Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave and set aside to cool
Step 4: Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick, pale and moussy. They should have doubled in size.
Step 5: Fold in ground almonds, cinnamon, orange zest and espresso powder.
Step 6: Fold in Chocolate mixture.
Step 7: Pour into tin and bake for 35-40 minutes
Step 8: Place tin on cooling rack and don't unlock tin until cooled completely.

You can freeze it for up to 1 month or it will last for 3 days.