Wimbledon Inspired Cake

Wimbledon Inspired Cake
6oz self raising flour
6oz softened butter
6oz caster sugar
3 eggs
vanilla extract
200ml double cream (whipped)
Strawberry jam
Strawberries
mint leaves

METHOD
Mix butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract together in a food processor.

Spoon into a lined swiss roll tin, bake at 170 for 25-30 mins. Cool on wire rack divide into 3 equal pieces, spread bottom layer with Jam, then a layer of whipped cream.

Top with next sponge, spread a layer of whipped cream , top with sliced strawberries, then the last layer of sponge, finish with a thin layer of whipped cream, strawberry slices and mini mint leaves.

'Be How You Should Be'

My brother has been so unwell, so today (to cheer him up) I made him a quiche and a Wimbledon inspired cake. A 3 layers of vanilla sponge, a layer of homemade strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and copious amounts of freshly whipped double cream.

Well, on my way round it got me thinking how sometimes life isn't fair, my brother hasn't moaned and just got on with it, a real inspiration.

Then, that got me thinking about life in general, it's a lot like cooking, a good attitude, some love, care and thought, you can't go far wrong really. Its like sometimes, you really can't be bothered to go the extra mile with doing the dinner,  it's ok, but it could have been amazing.

I recently discovered Jamie Oliver burgers in the supermarket, they are really good but by adding some homemade salsa, some little onion rings (let's be fair just a swish of fizzy water, a stir into plain flour, makes a fab tempura batter) that with some great bread either ciabatta or focaccia, a few nice salad leaves and you can have something really quite wonderful.

Its like relationships if you make the effort, treat people how you'd really like to be treated, smile often, and REALLY listen, then what you get back is something so special.

This afternoon I was at my son's sports day. A young boy came running up to his very glamorously dressed mum, she was obviously totally disinterested in her child's achievements in the events and he obviously really wanted her attention. I over heard him say "mummy I dropped the baton". She kissed him on the head, looking towards the horizon or possible somebody more 'important' and said 'well done darling thats great'.

Quiche Recipe
Shortcrust pastry
9oz plain flour
41/2 oz chilled diced butter
2 egg yolks
iced water
pinch of salt

In a food processor blend flour and butter until breadcrumb like,add salt, then egg yolks, if still a little dry add a little water, turn out and chill in fridge for half an hour. Once chilled roll out and line either a 8inch loose bottomed flan tin and 6 small muffin tins or a 9 inch loose bottomed flan tin. Blind bake for 20 mins at 200 then remove beans and parchment and bake for 10 more mins. Turn oven down to 150

Filling
240 g diced good bacon
2 shallots chopped finely
400 ml double cream
splash of lemon juice
4 eggs
50g cheddar
black pepper

Slowly cook shallots until translucent, could take 10 mins, ad splashes of water when pan dries, put to one side, cook diced bacon, mix Lemon juice, cream, pepper, cheese and eggs in a bowl,put half the bacon in bottom of pastry cases, pour in cream mix, best done on a baking tray in the oven, sprinkle over rest of the bacon, cook for 35 mins.

Creamy King Prawn Pasta

Another really, really easy dinner

For each person you will need:

200g Raw king prawns
1/2 a shallot finely chopped
olive oil
splash of double cream
splash of white wine (only stuff you'd drink)
2 pats of garlic butter
chopped parsley
100g of linguine cooked to instructions

Put water on to boil and start to cook pasta

In a frying pan heat some olive oil, add the finely chopped shallot and cook gently until translucent.

Add garlic butter, then throw in the prawns and parsley.

When they start to turn pink, splash in white wine, add cream and reduce down.

Season with black pepper and sea salt. Drain pasta, add to sauce with a little pasta water if needed.

Enjoy with the rest of white wine.

Macaroons: Tricky Little Blighters

Today i've tried making some more macaroons, to be fair they were by no means perfect, these aren't the actual ones, as you all know by now i'm having trouble with this damn apple, i photos. So anyhow the ones in the pic are made by me but are blueberry, today i've made pistachio and raspberry ones.

Pistachio and raspberry macaroons
75g shelled pistachios
25 g ground almonds
175g icing sugar
2 egg whites
Raspberries blended with 2 tbsp of icing sugar and sieved
Buttercream icing ( 250g icing sugar whipped with 65g softened butter)

Method
heat oven to 170

Put pistachios in food processor and blitz, add half the icing sugar and almonds give another quick blitz.

Whisk egg whites till firm, fold in remaining icing sugar.

Combine pistachio and egg whites  together using large metal spoon.

Spoon into piping bag, pipe onto 2 prepare baking trays, hold above a surface and drop to release air 2 or 3 times. Leave for up to an hour, (a very wise man told me macaroons should be left for an hour ) to form a skin, bake in a pre heat oven for about 15 mins until firm but not coloured, leave to cool on trays.

Once cooled mix a little raspberry puree with the buttercream and sandwich together.

Peanutbutter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yesterday was even more manic than normal. I was up at 5:20, showered, hung a load of washing up, made Dylan's pack lunch, fed Ellie the dog, quick clean round, emptied the dishwasher and out of the house by 5:50.

Did all I had to do, got back home by 1, cleared up, tried again to sort out my i-photo to no avail it's driving me Crazy. I wish I was more technically minded, anyway Dylan's friend Charlie who is a whiz on computers kindly said he'd have a look for me (unfortunately even he couldn't fathom the blimin thing).

I collected the boys and Megan (Charlie's girlfriend) from school they jump in the car and ask what i've baked? to which I couldn't reply, so quick as a flash (which is very unusual for me) I remembered these little Gems that you can knock up and have on the table within 25 -30 mins..........

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

150g crunchy peanut butter

150g butter (Softened)

100g demerera sugar

100g caster sugar

75g chopped or chips chocolate

1 large egg

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix butter, peanut butter and sugars together until nice and fluffy, stir in egg then flour, chocolate chips, bicarb and baking powder, mixture should be nice and loose, now you can either use a teaspoon (for very small) a tablespoon for medium or for big whoppers an ice cream scoop, to transfer onto a lined baking tray or 2, I cook in the top oven of my Aga*, the smallest I will cook for about 8-10 mins getting out half way and slamming onto a folded tea towel on the side, this disperses any air and you get that lovely chewy cookie, the medium size a couple of minutes more and the giant a couple minutes more than the medium.

If you really want to indulge you can add a square of the posher chocolate onto the top gives a really lovely finish.  

*Ps if not using an Aga i'd say at about 180 in a fan oven

Sunny Sunday Lunch (Mini Victoria Sandwich Cakes)

Today I had 2 of my oldest & dearest friends over for lunch, Frances and Michelle and Michelle's 2 lovely girls Gab & Lib. Well my boys decided to fill up one of those huge pools and basically frazzle while waiting for it to fill. It still isn't full now and i've had to turn it off because they didn't set it up properly, being impatient boys, so the whole mess has been left for me to clear up!!!!!!!!!

Anyway at least they were quiet while I was cooking dinner and kept out of my hair, almost. I made us antipasto to start by just assembling some stuff.

Some nice olives, sun dried tomatoes, peppers, artichokes and cured meats. All very lovely with a big jug of pimms, Then onto the main, I'd decided it was far to hot for a big roast so I would bung a couple of nice free range Chocks (chickens) in the top oven of the aga, with a lemon stuffed up their bottoms and a nice bunch of thyme an addition of an olive oil rub, a little sea salt and Bobs your uncle, actually his my father and brother in law but no uncle as far as I know.

To go with this i'd peeled a 100 weight of potatoes chopped into small pieces and quartered them parboiled ready for roasting, made a big caesar salad and thought lovely, but no, just then one of the boys wander round for the 268th visit to the fridge since I got back from Sainsbury and demanded a roast, so now i'm measuring a cup of flour, plain, a cup of milk, whole, a cup of eggs beat it all up, whack a big baking tray in the oven with oil, olive, then i think veggies so i'm now chopping a red pepper a yellow one a couple of red onions and some garlic, rub with more olive oil and put in the oven (electric one @ 220) put  the batter into baking tray, make a gravy, so now one table, 8 people and 2 dinners, seemed everyone had a bit of each except me, caesar salad and gravy is not my thing although Michelle seemed to enjoy !!!!!!

For dessert I made a choice but unfortunately my Mac won't let me open iphoto so we have only 1 to see.

Mini victoria sandwich.
I was up early so I made strawberry Jam, it's just so so easy all I do is de-stalk some strawberries chop in half put in a saucepan mash with a masher then add a little less weight in jam sugar, bring to boil, boil for 10 mins spoon frothy stuff from the top discard  then pour  into a bowl done.

Mini victoria sandwich are so simple in either a food processor, bowl and hand-whisk, or free standing mixer whisk together

150g S/R flour
150g stork,
150g caster sugar
a little vanilla extract
3 eggs + 1 yolk

Until a dropping consistency, pour into a lined baking tin, mine was a little roasting tin,

Cook @ 170 for about 20-25 mins,

Leave to cool, cut out little circles,

Brush with the jam,

Pipe in either fresh whipped cream or buttercream,

Sandwich 2 halves together and dust with icing sugar.

The next dessert I made was one i'd seen on a tv program where Nadia Sawalha had to cook a celebrity chef his favourite dinner of all time.

Anyway I couldn't remember exactly but it was this trifle thingy and this was my take.

I used the off cuts from the victoria sandwich sponge for the base.

Then some of the jam spooned over, then softly whipped cream, topped with raspberries and the tiniest of meringues, about as small as the tip of your little finger, to make baby meringues, just whisk 2 egg whites  then slowly add a tsp lemon juice and 100g caster sugar, spoon into piping bag and pipe dots  onto parchment bake at either 100 or like me in bottom oven of aga for 2 hours.

It's a really yummy dessert, I promise.

Bakewell Baby.

Today I had my father-in-law and his wife over to see our gorgeous Harley (my grandson).  I'd offered cake and coffee with the delight of seeing his great grandson although I swear just a smile from that gorgeous bubba is more than a treat enough for anyone.

Also as some of you may have seen my lovely step-mum had commented not only on my poor spelling and that she'd like me to bring cake when I pop in this evening, so I decided to make some bakewells mini ones and a tart. I'm guessing that they must be good as my father-in-law ate 5, so I'll share they recipe with you.

Bakewell Tart

Sweetcrust pastry
250g plain flour
 125gbutter
1 egg yolk
3tsp cream
2tbsp icing sugar

Blend flour, butter, sugar and egg yolk if still dry add cream blend till comes into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill in fridge for 30 mins.

Fillings
Strawberry jam
100g flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
150g caster sugar
150g butter
3 eggs
2oz flaked almonds

Mix flour, butter, sugar, ground almonds & eggs in food processor. Add a teaspoon of almond extract to taste.

Roll out pastry and line  tart tins, (I used brioche bun tins)  Spoon 1 tbsp of jam, then cover with frangipane batter top with flaked almonds and bake at 180˚c for 20-25 mins if begins to brown too quickly cover with foil.

I dust with icing sugar but equally as nice make up a little icing with water and pipe lines over top, then sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Quadruple Choc Cuppies

Dylan's fav's. My take on the Hummingbirds

1 teaspoon of baking powder
100g plain flour
20g cocoa
140g caster sugar
40g butter
spot of vanilla paste or drop of extract
1 lovely free range egg
120 ml of milk

Preheat oven @ 170

Measure flour, baking powder, cocoa and caster sugar into either food processor or free standing mixer bowl. 

Add in butter, blend until you get a sandy  consistency. 

Mix egg in a jug with milk and vanilla add slowly to the dry ingredients mixing as you pour, make sure all mixture is well combined, then spoon or ice cream scoop into muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tin. 

Cook for 20-25 mins press gently after 20mins to see if they feel firm and springy to touch. Cool on wire rack.

Buttercream
500 g of icing sugar
125 g of unsalted butter (i always use lurpak)
50 g melted cooled dark chocolate
15g cocoa
2 tbsp milk
Vanilla paste to taste (i'm a poet and didn't know it :) )

Mix softened butter, icing sugar, milk, vanilla and cocoa together slowly in free standing mixer or by electric hand whisk once combined add melted chocolate and whisk for up to 10 mins, spoon into piping bag and pipe lovely swirls onto top.

Toppings
White chocolate
Milk chocolate

All I do is get the whole bar of chocolate then with my heaviest knife drag across the back smooth side towards me very carefully and voila you have lovely shavings. 

The abstract leftovers make nice toppers too.

HOPE YOU ENJOY

Iced Buns

Today I made some iced buns but I thought how could I improve on them. So, I decided to add some cream and apricot jam in the centre then top with icing and some homemade almond brittle The results were delish if i do say so myself and the secretaries at Dylan's school agreed (made far too many). This recipe makes 20 mini ones or 10 huge ones. I like the mini kind, you could always half the recipe.

400g strong white flour
100g plain flour
11/2 teaspoons salt
50g caster sugar
60g soft butter
10g easy blend yeast
300ml full fat milk

Toppings and fillings
300ml of double cream whipped
Apricot jam heated and sieved
Icing sugar mixed with a little water into firm paste.

Mix all ingredients except for the butter into large bowl of free standing mixer,mix slowly to start then increase speed as it comes together. Now add the butter a little at a time.

Continue knead on bread hook for 6 mins. Oil the bowl, cover and leave for an hour until doubled in size. turn out and knock back and then shape into either 20 equal pieces or 10, shape into sausage shapes leave to prove for another hour on a couple of baking trays well spaced out as they will double then double almost again in the oven.

Bake @ 200 for about 20 mins for small buns check after 15 and 30 for bigger ones check after 25.
Leave to cool on wire trays,once cooled split and fill, either piping or spooning in jam and whipped double cream. Top buns with a little line of icing and nut brittle.

Almond brittle
4oz caster sugar
4 tablespoons of water
4oz almonds (toasted in a dry pan)

Put caster sugar and water in a pan heat gently until sugar dissolves.

Cook until sugar turns to a light nut brown, watch carefully or it will burn, put almonds onto baking sheet pour over sugar, leave to cool,blitz in processor or bash in a freezer bag with a rolling pin.

ENJOY x

24 Hour Pork (pulled pork)

I really love an easy dinner and I promise they don't get much easier than this. You need a biggish piece of belly, shoulder or leg (fat is the key). A nice roomy baking tray lined with a large piece of foil.

Lay in the pork and any flavourings you may like. I love some thyme, sometimes garlic (I leave whole) sometimes shallots it's all about the gravy to be honest. Then I whack it in the top of the Aga, in its foil blanket. I have mine at about 220˚c for about 20-30 mins then into the bottom oven it goes (mine is a 2 oven sort) about 100˚c in a normal oven.

And basically that's it for anything from 18-24 hours.

I serve this either with dauphinoise or roast potatoes and its gorgeous as a hog roast in white baps with apple sauce and stuffing fantastic for a party.

If i'm doing it as a roast I take out pork to rest, take off the fat and put back in hot oven on a tray for fab crackling. I then  mix in a little gravy granules and some water into baking tray with meat juices, bring to the boil on the top, strain and its yum, for the pork I use 2 forks to pull apart.

Also its good to add in some apples for the last 3 hrs you can whiz up with a little strained meat and herby juice for gorgeous apple sauce. ENJOY

*For Hog roast add two thirds of a bottle of good  BBQ sauce to the pulled pork when pulling apart with the forks.

Let Them Eat Cake (chocolate of course)

 Today I made the boys and Daisie (Jesse my middle sons girlfriend) 24 hour pork for dinner, then realised that they would complain if the presences of dessert was absent.

So, a quick look in the cupboard and fridge proved to be quite fruitful. Lots of eggs, flour, cocoa, stork and sugar with the addition of some double cream and a couple of oranges I could see a nice cake on the horizon. Anyway here goes with my 1st recipe.

Yummy Easy Chocolate Orange Cake
250g self raising flour
250g margarine
250g caster sugar
5 eggs
2oz cocoa
vanilla paste 1 tsp
Juice and zest of a large orange
To Finish
200ml double cream whipped with orange zest (save a little zest for topping)
3 large tablespoons chocolate nutella spread
juice and zest of a large orange
120g icing sugar
20g cocoa
Chocolate shavings

preheat oven to 170˚c

Mix all of the ingredients together in a freestanding mixer (I use my kitchen aid) or with hand held whisk until nice and fluffy

Spoon into 2 prepared tins (7inch sandwich)

Cook for about 25/30 mins depending on oven.

Leave to cool on wire racks


Spread one of the cooled sponges with chocolate spread, cover with two thirds of the orange cream. Sandwich with the second sponge.

Mix juice of half of the orange, cocoa and icing to make a thickish but pliable icing, spread on over the top of cake.

Spoon the remaining cream into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and pipe rosettes, finish with the remaining orange zest and chocolate shavings.

AND LASTLY ENJOY