These are too cute and easy to make! Belle Amie sell them and they are so popular with the kids!
GINGERBREAD MEN
350 g plain flour
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100 g butter
175 g soft brown sugar
1 egg
4 Tblsp golden syrup
1. Preheat the oven to 180oC.
2. Sift the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda.
3. Rub in the butter and then add the sugar.
4. In a different bowl, mix the egg and syrup and add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Mix until it forms a dough. Then tip out on a floured surface and kneed for 2 minutes.
6. Roll out to approximately 5mm and cut shapes.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pumpkin, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Quiche
I made this for lunch today! It is totally delicious...
Pumpkin, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Quiche
Makes one 25cm (10-inch) quiche.
Short-crust pastry to line the quiche dish
Filling:
450 g pumpkin or squash
250 g spinach
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
250 ml double or whipping cream
50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
pinch nutmeg
100 g goat's cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
2. Cut your pumpkin in broad slices, remove the stringy insides and peel the slices. Chop into blocks, lay in a roasting tray and brush with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until just tender.
3. Wash and destalk the spinach (if necessary), and pour boiling water over. Allow it to stand for a few minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Squeeze out all the water and chop (I pour it through a colander and squeeze the spinach to remove as much water as possible, then cut it with scissors in the colander.)
4. To make the custard, mix together the eggs, egg yolk, cream, nutmeg and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Assemble and bake the tart as follows. Roll out the rested pastry and line a 25cm (10 inch) quiche dish. Chill for another 15 to 20 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides of the tart shell with a fork, line the shell with parchment or foil and fill with beans, and bake blind in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake another 4 minutes, until the bottom of the shell is dry but not coloured.
6. Spread the pumpkin and spinach over the bottom of the tart shell then dot with nuggets of goat's cheese. Pour the custard mixture over the top - it should come almost to the top of the tin but not quite.
7. Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top is brown and the pastry edges are golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes to finish setting.
Pumpkin, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Quiche
Makes one 25cm (10-inch) quiche.
Short-crust pastry to line the quiche dish
Filling:
450 g pumpkin or squash
250 g spinach
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
250 ml double or whipping cream
50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
pinch nutmeg
100 g goat's cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
2. Cut your pumpkin in broad slices, remove the stringy insides and peel the slices. Chop into blocks, lay in a roasting tray and brush with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until just tender.
3. Wash and destalk the spinach (if necessary), and pour boiling water over. Allow it to stand for a few minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Squeeze out all the water and chop (I pour it through a colander and squeeze the spinach to remove as much water as possible, then cut it with scissors in the colander.)
4. To make the custard, mix together the eggs, egg yolk, cream, nutmeg and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Assemble and bake the tart as follows. Roll out the rested pastry and line a 25cm (10 inch) quiche dish. Chill for another 15 to 20 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides of the tart shell with a fork, line the shell with parchment or foil and fill with beans, and bake blind in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake another 4 minutes, until the bottom of the shell is dry but not coloured.
6. Spread the pumpkin and spinach over the bottom of the tart shell then dot with nuggets of goat's cheese. Pour the custard mixture over the top - it should come almost to the top of the tin but not quite.
7. Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top is brown and the pastry edges are golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes to finish setting.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Delicious Roast Lamb
I have made this recipe so many times and we also do it in the Weber! All I can say is yum yum! It is a Delia Smith special.
Roast Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb weighing 1.8kg
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced into 24 slivers
2 large stems of fresh rosemary, cut into 24 sprigs
1 small onion, peeled
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Roasting tin about 28 cm X 23 cm and at least 5 cm deep
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
2. Make 24 small deep cuts in the skin of the lamb. Push a sliver of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each cut.
3. Season the meat generously with salt and freshly milled black pepper.
4. Cut the onion in half and place it in the bottom of the roasting tin. Put the lamb in the tin on top of the onion halves.
5. Cover the tin loosely with foil, then cook in the oven for 1½ hours. After this, take the foil off and let it cook for amount 30 minutes.
6. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil again and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Gravy
Ingredients:
Juices left in the roasting tin
1 rounded tsp plain flour
500-600ml lamb stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Spoon off some of the fat from the juices.
2. Add the flour and briskly mix or whisk.
3. Once you have a smooth paste, add the stock a little at a time, mixing as you go. (Add stock according to how thick you want your gravy i.e. less stock, less thick.)
4. Increase the heat and the gravy will begin to thicken.
Roast Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb weighing 1.8kg
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced into 24 slivers
2 large stems of fresh rosemary, cut into 24 sprigs
1 small onion, peeled
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Roasting tin about 28 cm X 23 cm and at least 5 cm deep
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
2. Make 24 small deep cuts in the skin of the lamb. Push a sliver of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each cut.
3. Season the meat generously with salt and freshly milled black pepper.
4. Cut the onion in half and place it in the bottom of the roasting tin. Put the lamb in the tin on top of the onion halves.
5. Cover the tin loosely with foil, then cook in the oven for 1½ hours. After this, take the foil off and let it cook for amount 30 minutes.
6. Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil again and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Gravy
Ingredients:
Juices left in the roasting tin
1 rounded tsp plain flour
500-600ml lamb stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Spoon off some of the fat from the juices.
2. Add the flour and briskly mix or whisk.
3. Once you have a smooth paste, add the stock a little at a time, mixing as you go. (Add stock according to how thick you want your gravy i.e. less stock, less thick.)
4. Increase the heat and the gravy will begin to thicken.
Chocolate Cloud Cake
This is one of the greatest deserts eva! It is an absolute hit with friends and it is really easy peasy... Nigella, thank you!
Chocolate Cloud Cake
Ingredients:
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids (I use milk chocolate as I find the dark chocolate too bitter)
125g unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
175g caster sugar
23cm springform cake tin
For the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Half teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate wither in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the cater sugar. Gently add the chocolate mixture.
5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites holding their shape but not too stiff.
6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites and then fold in the rest of the whites.
7. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake has risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack. The middle will sink as it cools.
8. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand/plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from the tin. Don’t worry about the cracks as we’re going for the crater look.
9. Whip the cream until it’s soft and then add the vanilla and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. Fill the crater on the cake with the whipped cream and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder by gently sifting it.
Suggestion: Turn this into an Easter Nest Cake by folding 200g of melted chocolate into the cream topping and top with mini chocolate eggs.
Chocolate Cloud Cake
Ingredients:
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids (I use milk chocolate as I find the dark chocolate too bitter)
125g unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
175g caster sugar
23cm springform cake tin
For the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Half teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate wither in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the cater sugar. Gently add the chocolate mixture.
5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites holding their shape but not too stiff.
6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites and then fold in the rest of the whites.
7. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake has risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack. The middle will sink as it cools.
8. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand/plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from the tin. Don’t worry about the cracks as we’re going for the crater look.
9. Whip the cream until it’s soft and then add the vanilla and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. Fill the crater on the cake with the whipped cream and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder by gently sifting it.
Suggestion: Turn this into an Easter Nest Cake by folding 200g of melted chocolate into the cream topping and top with mini chocolate eggs.
Banana Loaf
This is such a great recipe and it must be healthy with 6 bananas!!
BANANA LOAF
125 g butter
250 g castor sugar
250 g flour
2 extra large eggs
2 Tblsp yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
4 Tblsp chopped nuts (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 180oC.
2. Cream the butter and sugar.
3. Add the eggs.
4. Sift in the dry ingredients.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Scones
So I have started making delicious treats for a new coffee shop down the road from me. It is called Belle Amie and is on Garratt Lane in Earlsfield if you ever want to pop in for a coffee and potentially try some yummy food prepared by moi!
One popular item is the scones. I use an Ina Paarmen recipe and these scones are perfect!
SCONES
(Makes about 9 scones)
2 cups (500ml) plain flour
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) salt
1 Tblsp (15ml) baking powder
4 Tblsp (60ml) butter(at room temperature)
1/2 cup (125ml) yoghurt
1 egg
1. Heat the oven to 220oC.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder twice.
3. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips to form a crumbly mixture.
4. Mix the egg and yoghurt with a fork.
5. Add the egg and yoghurt to the flour mixture and mix in with a fork (no wooden spoon).
6. If necessary (th emixture is too dry), add a spoon or two of water. A soft dough should form.
7. Knead lightly and then pat out until about 1.5cm thick.
8. Cut into rounds and brush with a bit of milk.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes.
One popular item is the scones. I use an Ina Paarmen recipe and these scones are perfect!
SCONES
(Makes about 9 scones)
2 cups (500ml) plain flour
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) salt
1 Tblsp (15ml) baking powder
4 Tblsp (60ml) butter(at room temperature)
1/2 cup (125ml) yoghurt
1 egg
1. Heat the oven to 220oC.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder twice.
3. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips to form a crumbly mixture.
4. Mix the egg and yoghurt with a fork.
5. Add the egg and yoghurt to the flour mixture and mix in with a fork (no wooden spoon).
6. If necessary (th emixture is too dry), add a spoon or two of water. A soft dough should form.
7. Knead lightly and then pat out until about 1.5cm thick.
8. Cut into rounds and brush with a bit of milk.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Delicious.... Thanks Mr Oliver!
Serves 8
Ingredients:
200g milk chocolate
125g butter
120g soft brown sugar
100g blanched almonds
2Tblsp cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
4 large eggs
150g self-raising flour
100g fudge
creme fraiche/vanilla ice-cream
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius.
2. Break up the chocolate and blend with the butter, sugar, almonds, 1Tblsp of the cocoa powderand the salt until smooth.
3. Crack the eggs into the mixture and blend until smooth, then add the flour and mix.
4. Grease an oven dish and sprinkle the remaining cocoa powder around the dish.
5. Pour the cake mixture into the dish.
6. Break the fudge into pieces and sprinkle these over the top of the cake mix. Push larger pieces into the mixture.
7. Put the baking dish into the oven and cook for 18-20minutes. Poke the cake andif there's still a bit of cake mixture on the stick, then take it out. Otherwise put it back in the oven for 3-5minutes.
8. Serve the cake warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream.
Delicious.... Thanks Mr Oliver!
Serves 8
Ingredients:
200g milk chocolate
125g butter
120g soft brown sugar
100g blanched almonds
2Tblsp cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
4 large eggs
150g self-raising flour
100g fudge
creme fraiche/vanilla ice-cream
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius.
2. Break up the chocolate and blend with the butter, sugar, almonds, 1Tblsp of the cocoa powderand the salt until smooth.
3. Crack the eggs into the mixture and blend until smooth, then add the flour and mix.
4. Grease an oven dish and sprinkle the remaining cocoa powder around the dish.
5. Pour the cake mixture into the dish.
6. Break the fudge into pieces and sprinkle these over the top of the cake mix. Push larger pieces into the mixture.
7. Put the baking dish into the oven and cook for 18-20minutes. Poke the cake andif there's still a bit of cake mixture on the stick, then take it out. Otherwise put it back in the oven for 3-5minutes.
8. Serve the cake warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream.
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