Rudolph Cupcakes

 

Ingredients

• 200g butter, cubed
• 200g plain chocolate, broken into squares
• 200g light soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g self-raising flour

For the icing

• 200g plain chocolate, broken into squares
• 100ml double cream, not fridge-cold
• 50g icing sugar

For the reindeers

• 12 large milk chocolate buttons (we used Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons)
• 24 white chocolate buttons
• 12 red Smarties
• black icing pens
• mini pretzels, carefully cut in half horizontally

1. Get started: Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Gently melt the butter, chocolate, sugar and 100ml hot water together in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool a little while you weigh the other ingredients.
2. Make your cakes: Stir the eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Spoon into the cases until just over three-quarters full. Bake on a low shelf in the oven for 20-22 mins. Leave to cool.
3. Ice the tops: To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, turn off the heat, stir in the double cream, sift in the icing sugar and mix well. When spreadable, top each cake with some icing.
4. Have fun decorating: Position a milk chocolate button on top of each cake, then 2 white chocolate buttons above it. Use a little icing as glue to stick a red Smartie onto the milk chocolate button for a nose. Then use your icing pens to draw black dots on the white buttons for eyes. Stick 2 pretzel top halves into the top of each cake for antlers, and stick the bottom half of a pretzel under the Smartie for a mouth. These cakes will keep in a sealed container for up to 3 days, but we doubt they’ll last that long!

Graveyard Cake

Ingredients

To decorate

• 1 egg white
• 50g icing sugar
• 200ml single cream
• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 125g rich tea finger biscuits
• 100g double chocolate cookies
• 25g white chocolate
• silver balls, to decorate

For the cake

• 85g cocoa powder
• 200g self-raising flour
• 375g light brown muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200ml milk
• 175ml vegetable oil

Method

1. To make the ghosts, heat oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼. Whip the egg white in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the sugar a tbsp at a time and keep whisking for a couple of mins until the mixture is thick and resembles shaving foam. Gently spoon the mixture into a large freezer bag, then cut a 1.5cm hole in one of the corners. Cover a baking sheet with some baking parchment. Carefully squeeze a small circle of whipped egg white out of the bag, pulling upwards as you do to make a ghost shape. Repeat until the mixture is used up – you should get about 15 ghosts. Bake for 1½ hrs until crisp. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
2. Now make the cake. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the cocoa powder, self-raising flour and sugar into a large bowl, breaking up any clumps of sugar. Mix together the eggs, milk and oil in a measuring cup or bowl, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir everything together until smooth. Grease and line a deep baking dish (20 x 30 x 5cm) with baking parchment. Pour in the cake mixture and bake for 30 mins. Leave to cool, then turn out onto a serving plate. Alternatively, wrap well and store for up to 2 days.
3. Finish decorating the cake: heat cream in a saucepan until just boiling. Place the dark chocolate in a large bowl and pour over the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate melts. Use a clean brush to paint a layer of chocolate over 7 rich tea finger biscuits, then set aside to cool. Pour the rest of the chocolate mixture over the cake and smooth over with a knife. Whizz the chocolate cookies, or bash in a freezer bag with a rolling pin, until small crumbs form. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.
4. Place the white chocolate in a small bowl, set over a pan of simmering water. Leave for 5 mins or until melted, then spoon into a small freezer bag. Wait for 10 mins so the mixture is not too runny, then cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe out 2 small blobs onto each ghost, place a silver ball on each to make eyes, then pipe out suitable words and shapes on the gravestones. Leave for 30 mins to set, then push the biscuit gravestones into the cake and arrange the ghosts around. To get the ghosts to ‘fly’, push a thin wire (you can get these from a florist shop – remember to remove before eating) into the bottom of the ghost, then place in the cake, hiding the wire behind a gravestone.
   
   
   Enjoy!

An Ode to Seville

I decided a well deserved trip with old friends was on the cards. With milestone birthdays and time moving too fast there was lots to celebrate. My love of everything Spanish from the wine, food, sunshine and dancing is well known amongst my circle. So it was no surprise when I said Seville would be the place I'd most love to visit.

It didn’t take much persuading and I soon found myself Spain bound strapped into a plane seat with a Rioja in hand.
The thought of stepping to the door of the plane and feeling the heat on my face as I looked skyward was all consuming during the flight. We talked about that distinctive aroma that washes over you as you disembark in sunny climates.
So you can imagine our surprise and disappointment when we arrived into torrential rain and had to run through it in flip flops and summer tops. But, not dissuaded, and being Irish, we can deal with the rain, we decided surely life wasn’t so cruel and the rain could only last a short while?
Once ensconced in our apartment in the old Seville district of Santa Cruz our gracious host assured us the rain would soon stop so we decided to walk and find a tapas bar for some authentic cuisine and perhaps a tipple of wine.
Our stroll took us through the meandering cobbled streets peppered with orange trees, reminding us where Seville Oranges come from, and we found ourselves admiring the magnificent Cathedral de Sevilla that dominates this part of the city. Our quest was short lived and soon we were tucking into chorizo, iberico jamon and croquettes. As we munched and chatted the sun shone and dried the streets, the locals and tourists alike came out to play and we strolled the city for the afternoon taking in the sights and sounds. The stunning Plaza De Espana which was built for the Latin American Expo in 1929 quite literally takes your breath away as it comes into view.
Wanting a view of the city we headed towards The Metropol Parasol which locals refer to as the mushroom (las setes) due to its unusual shape. It affords a viewing deck like no other with a walkway constructed around the outside of the building. Archeologically protected Roman ruins in the basement add intrigue to this unusual building and a libation break afforded us a Sangria served with a star fruit garnish. Don’t you just love holidays!
The ease of getting around the city was not lost on us and by renting bikes or taking the tram you can rest weary legs for a moment. It was a wonderful city filled with families and friends enjoying a relaxed, cosmopolitan life and I look forward to returning with my son soon to once again bask in the glorious sunshine, sip a cafe con leche and enjoy the many parks on offer. Forget leaving my heart in San Francisco, mine is in Seville.

BBQ Chicken with slaw

 

 

I got this fab recipe from Jane Hornby's Fresh and Easy recipes.  I love that you can pre-prepare the chicken and the slaw to make BBQ day even easier!

Ingredients

12 chicken pieces, thighs and drumsticks are best2 tbsp paprika1 handful fresh thyme2 tsp sea salt½ tsp freshly ground black pepper1 tsp chilli powder(120g) ½ cup dark brown sugar(150ml) 2/3 cup tomato ketchup1 tsp Tabasco sauce2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce1 small red cabbage2 crisp, tangy apples1 onion(150g) 2/3 cup mayonnaise2 tbsp cider vinegar1 tsp black onion (kalonji) seedsSea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Method:

1. Slash the chicken straight down to the bone2. Mix the paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, chilli powder and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a food storage bag, add the chicken and toss3. Preheat oven to 180⁰C (350⁰F) Gas Mark 4, and make the barbecue sauce4. Mix the remaining sugar, ketchup, Tabasco and Worcester sauce until smooth.
(This will keep in the fridge for at least a week)
5. Spread the chicken in a large roasting dish and roast for approx 30 minutes.
(This can be done several hrs ahead and stored in the fridge)6. For the slaw, cut the cabbage into wedges, remove any very hard bits from the central core, then thinly slice. 7. Thinly slice the onion and apples, no need to peel the apples first, and add the cabbage to a large bowl.
8. Mix the mayonnaise and vinegar together to make the dressing.
9. Toss the dressing into the slaw, season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the onion seeds. This can also be made a day ahead, keep the dressing and slaw ingredients separate and just toss before serving.

To cook on BBQ, make sure your grill is very hot - 200⁰C (400⁰F) and cook for 10 mins, turning regularly, until charred and sizzling and hot through the middle. Brush some sauce over it and serve with the coleslaw and rest of the sauce.
If it rains: Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 220⁰C (425⁰F) Gas Mark 7 for about 10 minutes, until heated through, then finish with the sauce as above.

 

Enjoy!

Ideas for Kids Lunch Boxes

 

We all know how difficult it can be to come up with healthy, tasty and different ideas for school lunchboxes.

Lunch is a very important meal, particularly for school going children. So it is important that we make it as interesting and appealing as possible.

Here are some simple ideas that may help you provide a satisfying lunchbox for your school going little ones.

·         Kids get bored having the same thing, day in day out.

·         Letting the kids cut their sandwiches into shapes using cookie cutters  will soon see them have a keener interest in their lunch!

·         Something as simple as changing the type of bread you use can help to alleviate the boredom. Try wholemeal pitta breads, bagels, tortilla wraps, baps, and wholemeal baguettes.

·         Crackers and cubed pieces of cheese are a great snack, particularly if you have younger kids who may only eat a bite out of a sandwich before discarding.

·         Add in some grapes, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks and lengths of red pepper (it’s sweeter) to make a smorgasbord of flavours and textures. Hummus is a great protein packed dip if you can get them to eat it!

·         Cold pasta or rice salads are great when tossed with ham and vegetables, like cucumbers, carrots and sweetcorn. Pasta can be mixed with a little olive oil or mayonnaise for added flavour.

·         Keep sweet treats, crisps, high sugar drinks out of lunch boxes, even if your child’s school doesn’t have a healthy eating policy. These foods and drinks should not be a part of your child’s daily diet due to the high sugar & salt content.

·         Yogurts, rice cakes, unsweetened juice, water and fruit all have a part to play in lunch boxes.

Pain d'epi

I used Lorraine Pascale’s recipe and method for the kids classes.
It is certainly the quickest method, and although some puritans may find fault, the result was great and very enjoyable!

275g strong bread flour
175ml warm water (I boil it and let it cool)
1 sachet (7g) fast acting dried yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine using a wooden spoon.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
Do not use too much flour for kneading as this will change the structure of the bread.
The kneading is important to activate the gluten in the flour.
Roll out into a sausage shape, about the length of a baking sheet.
Lightly flour a baking sheet and place the dough at an angle on it.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Before cooking snip the bread with a kitchen scissors at ¾ inch intervals, and turn each piece sideways on the pan. You are not cutting all the way through the dough, just about ¾ way through.
(see picture)

  
Spray the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and dust lightly with flour.
Cook in a preheated oven at 200⁰C/Gas 5 for 30 minutes.
Place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven during the cooking process. This will add steam to the oven which will give the bread a lovely brown crust.

Enjoy!

Chicken liver Pate

If you want a hassle free appetizer then you can't go wrong with this pate.
I've always used Delias Pate recipe with modifications based on what I had in my pantry.
So here goes.






Serves 6

Ingredients

225g (8oz) chicken livers
225g (8oz) butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
2 cloves garlic (1 works fine also)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Melt 25g (1oz) of the butter in a frying pan and add the chicken liver to it.
Fry them for approx. 5 minutes, keeping them on the move.
Remove from the pan and transfer to a food processor or blender.
Melt 150g (5oz) of butter and add this to the blender.
Deglaze the pan using the brandy and add this to the liver.
Then add the garlic, thyme and seasoning.
Blend this until you have a smooth puree.
Transfer to an appropriate container or individual ramekins.
Melt the remaining butter and pour over the pate to form a ‘lid’.
Leave to set and get cold.
Can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 1 month.
Serve with toasted baguette slices and red onion jam or any sweet relish.

 Enjoy!