Cherry and White Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate

These fudgy brownies incite frenzied eating in my house; they barely saw the light of day when I made them last and half my family were out… It’s hardly surprising they are so addictive though- white chocolate matches brilliantly with fresh cherry compote (particularly when accompanied by a very generous glug of slightly unseasonal brandy).

Ingredients:

For the compote:

300g cherries (stones removed)
2tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp water
large glug brandy (this amount is totally down to your taste)

For the brownies:

300g dark chocolate
200g butter
2 eggs
caster sugar
225g plain flour
200g white chocolate chunks

Method:

Start by making the compote. Roughly chop the cherries. Place in a pan along with the sugar, water and brandy. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the cherries become soft and the syrupy liquid starts to thicken (about 10 minutes). Once the consistency is somewhat jam-like, taste and add more brandy if you like (you can leave out the brandy entirely if it’s not your jam- ha.). Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and line a brownie tin (around 22x22cm is perfect).
Place the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl). Stir occasionally and remove from the heat once melted together.
Place the eggs and caster sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and beat together until well combined.
Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl and fold in followed by the flour and 2/3 of the white chocolate chunks. Tip into the lined baking tin and level out.
Dollop the compote all over the surface of the brownie and finish by sprinkling on the remaining white chocolate. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the top is set but the inside is moist and a little gooey.
Allow the brownie to cool completely in the tin then slice up and serve.

Enjoy!

Pistachio Meringues with Strawberry and Black Pepper Compote

Cooking, Uncategorized

Shake up the classic British pavlova by combining seasonal strawberries with black pepper, tangy creme fraiche and pistachio meringues; the combination of sweet, spicy and savoury balances beautifully and is a great dessert option for casual summer evenings.

Ingredients (makes 12):

300g caster sugar
6 egg whites
pinch salt
125g chopped pistachios
400g strawberries
2tbsp caster sugar
splash water
cracked black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c. Line 2 trays with greaseproof paper (you can secure this down with a little meringue once it’s made).
Put the sugar on a baking tray and heat for 10 minutes in the oven until hot to the touch (not melting), then set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 120c.
Place the egg whites in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until you reach medium peak. Add one third of the hot sugar and increase the whisking speed until well incorporated. Add the remaining sugar in 2 additions, whisking well between each. You should eventually have a thick glossy meringue with no grains of sugar. Tip the chopped pistachios onto the meringue and fold in gently. Spoon the meringue into piles on the prepared trays and smooth into your desired shapes.
Bake for 1-1/2 hours until the meringues can be peeled from the paper with ease. Once baked, turn the oven off and leave to cool with the door closed (to prevent cracking).
Now make the strawberry compote; place the strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and the strawberries release some juices. Now just cook until your desired consistency is achieved (I like to keep the fruit whole where possible but you can break down the strawberries by cooking for longer if a smoother result is what you’re after).
Cool the compote and serve up with a generous spoonful of creme fraiche (or lightly whipped chantilly cream) and a crisp but chewy pistachio meringue.

Enjoy!

Carrot, Apple and Walnut Loaf with Maple Icing

Cakes

Looking at the photographs of this cake, you could be fooled into thinking it’s mid Autumn and the trees are turning. They’re not, but given the weather here in the UK (it’s pretty miserable; grey skies and that fluffy rain which get’s you far more wet than you’d think) it might as well be. With this in mind I thought I’d bake something spiced, nutty, simple and comforting to combat the bad weather blues: enter this moist carrot and apple loaf cake laced with cinnamon, ginger and walnuts topped with maple cream cheese frosting…

Ingredients:

225ml vegetable oil
225g soft light brown sugar
4 eggs
125g grated carrot
125g grated apple
225g self raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
2tsp ginger
2tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
100g chopped walnuts
zest 1 lemon

For the icing;

5tbsp maple syrup
2 heaped tbsp icing sugar
250g cream cheese (full fat)
100ml double cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and line a large loaf tin with baking paper.
Place the oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment) and, using electric beaters, beat together until voluminous and well combined. Now add the grated carrot and apple and briefly beat again to evenly distribute.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt over the wet ingredients and beat in until just combined. Lastly, fold in the walnuts and lemon zest. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool in the tin.
While the cake is cooling, make the maple cream cheese icing. Simply whisk together all the ingredients until thick and spreadable.
Once the cake is completely cool, top with the cream cheese icing and some walnuts, edible flowers or apple crisps, if you’re feeling fancy.

Enjoy!

Orange, Dark Chocolate, Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies

Biscuits, Uncategorized

This recipe takes the classic chewy chocolate cookie and turns it into something altogether more grown up with a little help from crushed pistachios, orange zest, dark chocolate chunks and ground cardamom. Stash them away from kids (and other adults- let’s be honest) and enjoy when you’ve got a quiet moment to yourself, preferably with a strong coffee.

Ingredients (makes 20-24 large cookies)

225g butter
125g caster sugar
150g dark brown soft sugar
zest 1 orange
1tsp ground cardamom (or 8-10 cardamom pods, crushed)
2 eggs
100g pistachios, roughly chopped
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g plain flour
pinch sea salt
300g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Method:

Place the butter, sugars, zest and ground cardamom in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment) and cream together until light and fluffy using electric beaters (or a wooden spoon if you’re slightly mad/ less lazy than me).
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, tip in the pistachios and stir. Now sift the bicarbonate of soda, flour and salt into the batter and beat briefly to form a soft dough.
Finally, add the chocolate chunks and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute. The dough won’t be firm and to make cooking easier I like to freeze it before baking. To do this simply lay a long rectangle of cling film across your work surface, spoon on the dough in a long line and roll up, shaping into a log. Chill for half an hour and at this stage preheat the oven to 180c and line some baking trays.
Once your cookie dough logs have firmed up a bit, unwrap them and cut into slices (about 1.5 cm thick). Place the slices on the prepared baking trays with generous spaces between them for spreading (I usually put about 4 on each tray).
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden but still soft and chewy in the middle. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Spring Lemon and Courgette Cake

Cakes, Uncategorized

This deliciously fresh tasting cake made up of homemade lemon curd, tangy cream cheese frosting and moist courgette sponge makes for the a great Easter treat, and the recipe will serve you well over the coming months when you’re looking for a simple and zesty summer bake too.

Ingredients:

zest 3 lemons
200g butter
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
375g grated courgette (2-3)
75g sultanas
300g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4-5tbsp milk

For the lemon curd filling:

4 lemons (juice and zest)
200g caster sugar
100g butter, cubed
3 eggs, 1 egg yolk

For the cream cheese icing:

300g cream cheese
100ml double cream
100g icing sugar

To decorate: edible flowers, courgette ribbons, chocolate eggs

Method:

Make the lemon curd first; put the lemon zest and juice, caster sugar and eggs in a saucepan and briefly whisk. Set over a gentle heat and gradually add the butter cubes, whisking constantly. After a few minutes the curd will start to thicken- keep whisking until you have used up the butter and stop when the lemon curd coats the back of the spoon (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside for later and cover the surface with cling film to prevent a thick skin from forming.
Preheat the oven to 160c. Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins.
Place the butter, lemon zest and caster sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and cream together until light, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Squeeze any excess moisture out of the grated courgette then fold into the batter along with the sultanas.
Sift over the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Carefully fold in followed by the milk. The batter will be very thick- don’t be alarmed!
Split the batter between the two tins and level off. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, well risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
Leave the cakes to cool in their tins while you make the cream cheese icing. Place the cream cheese and cream in a bowl and beat together until thick, then sift in the icing sugar and beat to combine.
Now it’s time to assemble your bake. Take your first cake and level off the top (if necessary) then pipe a circle of cream cheese icing around the edge. Fill the middle with your lemon curd (using the cream cheese line as a barrier) and place the other cake on top. Cover the complete cake with the remaining cream cheese icing and decorate as you wish.

Coffee and Cardamom Cakes with Pistachio Praline

Cakes

Coffee cake is one of my all time favourites, but this spin on a classic is perhaps even better (I know, big claim). The cardamom hum in the sponge goes really well with the simple coffee buttercream, and the crunch of earthy pistachio praline rounds off the overall flavour and prevents it from being overly sweet. Make these for any occasion (you can fool people into thinking they’re fancy with the help of a piping bag and edible flowers) and they are sure to go down a storm.

Ingredients:

200g softened butter
200g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
200g self raising flour
pinch salt
8 cardamom pods, emptied and ground
3tbsp coffee granules mixed with 3tbsp boiling water
3tbsp milk

For the buttercream:

200g softened butter
400g icing sugar
2tbsp coffee granules mixed with 2tbsp boiling water

For the praline:

100g pistachios
100g caster sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and line a brownie tin (around 20x20cm).
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the flour, salt and ground cardamom and fold in until well combined. Do the same with the coffee and milk.
Once your straightforward batter is ready, spoon into the tin and level off. Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool in the tin.
While the cake is cooling, make the praline. Place the sugar and pistachios in a heavy bottom pan and allow the sugar to melt (don’t stir, just tip the pan to move the sugar around). Once it’s melted and golden, swirl the pan to coat the nuts in the caramel then tip onto some greaseproof paper and leave to set hard.
Now make your buttercream. Beat the butter until light then gradually add the icing sugar, whisking until very light. Add in the coffee and whisk again to combine. Once it’s streak free and smooth, pile into a piping bag ready to decorate.
Slice the cooled cake into nine squares (or larger/smaller pieces depending on your appetite!). Pipe the coffee buttercream on top in little kisses (or freestyle with rosettes/patterns using different nozzles). Break up the praline and roughly crush then sprinkle a generous helping on top of the buttercream.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb & Mixed Nut Flapjacks (Vegan/ Dairy Free)

Biscuits

These bars are the perfect grab and go treat to keep you going on a hectic day- I love my rhubarb and ginger jam sandwiched between the peanut butter flapjack and nutty topping, but you could choose any marmalade or jam in your version.

Ingredients:

Flapjack base:

75g coconut oil
175g peanut butter (or another nut butter ie. almond, cashew)
150g dark brown soft sugar
4tbsp golden syrup
300g porridge oats

Filling and topping:

200g rhubarb and ginger jam (or your favourite jam- fig or raspberry would work well)
200g flaked almonds
75g pecans
75g brazil nuts
100g caster sugar
2tbsp water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line a brownie tray.
For the base place the coconut oil, peanut butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Melt together over a medium heat. Tip the oats into a large bowl and add the melted liquid. Stir together until well combined then pack down into the prepared baking tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
For the topping, heat the caster sugar and water together over a medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve then pour into a bowl along with all the nuts. Stir together to coat.
Now you can assemble the next layers. Spread the jam all over the flapjack base and spoon on the nuts in an even layer. Press down the top then bake for 15-20 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown.
Cool then slice into bars.

Enjoy!

One For the Kids: Easter Tiffin Nests

Chocolate

I’m sure lots of you could make these little treats with your eyes closed, but that’s not to say the end result isn’t absolutely delicious and for me, very nostalgic. Calling for only a few ingredients and with barely any skill required, these are the perfect thing to make with children over Easter- they (and you, be real) will love mixing together the melted chocolate with their favourite biscuits, and who doesn’t get worked up into a frenzy over mini eggs?!

Ingredients (makes 12):

For the tiffin base: 200g dark chocolate, 100g butter, 1tbsp golden syrup, pinch salt, 200g your favourite crushed biscuits (I used ginger snaps)

For the nest topping: 200g crumbled up shredded wheat, 150g milk chocolate (melted), mini eggs

Method:

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. Place the dark chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted then remove from the heat and add the biscuits and salt. Stir to coat then distribute the mix between the cupcake cases. Smooth down and chill for half an hour.
While the tiffin bases are firming up, stir together the melted milk chocolate and crumbled shredded wheat until it resembles little twigs.
Take the chilled bases and top with a spoonful of the chocolate coated shredded wheat. Make a little dip in the centre and press in three mini eggs.
Chill the complete nests for a further half an hour then remove the cupcake cases and serve!

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate and Ginger Cookies

Biscuits, Chocolate

These cookies are big, chewy and packed full of dark chocolate chunks and stem ginger pieces; better still, they’re so easy to make and you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it for future use!

Ingredients (makes 15-20):

200g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
150g caster sugar
150g dark brown soft sugar
2tbsp ginger syrup
175g butter, melted
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
300g dark chocolate chunks
100g chopped stem ginger

Method:

Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl. In a jug, mix together the dark brown soft sugar, melted butter, ginger syrup, egg and egg yolk.
Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry. Beat with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth cookie dough.
Add the chocolate chunks and chopped stem ginger and knead briefly into the dough.
Take a tablespoon of the cookie dough and roll into a ball. Repeat until you have used it all up then line onto trays and press down with the palm of your hand. Chill for 20 minutes and preheat the oven to 190c.
Once the cookies have firmed up a bit, bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool on the trays (they will be soft when you take them out of the oven but will become chewy after cooling) then display on a platter and serve!

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Meringues with Rum Caramel and Bananas

Cooking, Uncategorized

Meringue is a guaranteed crowd pleaser throughout the year, whether you enjoy it torched on top of lemon meringue pie or piled high with summer fruits as the base of a retro pavlova. Though these classic forms of meringue are delicious, I thought I’d try out a brown sugar variation for a richer flavour; they worked brilliantly and the brown sugar adds a deep molasses kick which pairs really well with rum caramel sauce, caramelised bananas, peanuts and creme fraiche.

Ingredients (makes 6-8 large meringues):

For the meringues:

225g dark brown soft sugar
50g caster sugar
4 large egg whites
pinch salt

For the rum sauce:

200g granulated sugar
50ml water
40g butter
75ml double cream
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp dark rum

For the caramelised banana:

100g caster sugar
25g butter
2 bananas

For the toppings:

chopped peanuts
some creme fraiche

Method:

Preheat the oven to 120c. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and add the brown sugar and egg whites. Whisk with electric beaters until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is voluminous and hot to the touch.
Remove the bowl from the heat and keep whisking. Add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time and increase the speed on your beaters. Whisk until you have stiff peaks.
Pile the meringue into nests on the prepared baking trays. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Switch the oven off when you can easily peel the meringues off the paper and they are crisp. Leave in the oven to cool for an hour.
While the meringues are cooling make the caramel. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved bring to a boil and allow to turn into a deep caramel colour. Remove from the heat and add the cream, butter and salt. Whisk until smooth (it will spit). Allow the sauce to cool slightly then add the rum. Taste and add more if you feel it needs it (hardcore). Set aside.
For the bananas, place the sugar in a heavy bottom pan. Heat, allowing the sugar to melt. Swirl occasionally but do not stir. Take the sugar to a golden colour and add the butter (it will spit). Stir together then add the banana pieces. Cook for a few minutes then turn over and remove from the pan.
To assemble top the meringues with creme fraiche, followed by the bananas, sauce and peanuts.

Enjoy!