Yasmin Limbert

JUNIOR COOKS - PANCAKES

2012-02-21T05:15:00.000-08:00

As it's Pancake Day today it seemed only right to kick off my Junior Cooks Classes with the pre-Lent delights. There were certainly no complaints from my young students and everyone got stuck in making both sweet and savoury varieties.

MINI BANANA PANCAKES WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

100g Self Raising Flour

35g Sugar

1 Egg

1 Banana Mashed

50ml Milk

Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and mashed banana and mix into the flour with a fork. Next beat in the milk to make a fairly thick batter.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and drop a dessert spoon of the mixture on. Cook until bubbles appear on top of the pancakes and the undersides are golden. Turn them over and cook the other side - about 3-4 minutes in all.

TOFFEE SAUCE

Melt 75g Butter along with 75g Soft Brown

Sugar in a pan. when the sugar has dissolved

pour in 100ml Double Cream. Heat until it

starts to bubble.

Serve the warm sauce with the pancakes, a few extra slices of banana and ice cream if you really want to push the boat out.

IRISH BOXTY PANCAKES

450g Mashed Potato

4 Spring Onions Chopped

100g Sweet Corn

75g Ham

100g Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 Egg

100ml Natural Yoghurt

S&P

A little oil for frying

Stir the flour and bicarb in to the mashed potato then add the chopped spring onion, ham and sweet corn and combine well.

Separate the egg and add the yolk and yoghurt to the potato, season well and stir everything together. In another bowl whisk the egg white till light and fluffy then fold it in using a metal spoon.

Once all the white is incorporated heat 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan and cook a spoon of pancake mix until golden on both sides.

Just in case you want traditional bog standard pancakes with lemon and sugar, you need: 100g Plain Flour, 250ml Milk 1 Egg

HAPPY PANCAKE DAY!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2012-02-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

There is something very comforting about this soup and I always feel a bit righteous when I make it. It feels really healthy and cleansing so I eat loads without guilt even if it has no health benefits what so ever.

I have used Matzo Crackers which most supermarkets have but you could use cream crackers instead if you like. My electric mini chopper was perfect for crushing them and gave me a roughly fine crumb. Egg noodles is usually what I have in so that's what I added but vermicelli noodles work really well too.

2 Chicken Quarters Skin Removed

4 1/2 Pints Veg Stock

1 1/2 Onions Roughly Chopped

2 Sticks Celery Roughly Chopped

2 Carrots Roughly Chopped

2 Tomatoes Peeled and Roughly Chopped

2 Sprigs Flat Parsley

55g Medium Egg Noodles

Parsley to Garnish

Matzo Balls

55g Butter

1/2 Onion Grated

1 Egg

1 Egg Yolk

1 tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley

1 tbsp Water

115g Matzo Crackers Crushed

S&P

Get your matzo balls ready first. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and soften the onion. In a free standing mixer beat the remaining butter till it's fluffy then beat in the egg and egg yolk. Add the parsley and cooled onion, season and mix well. Next add the water and crushed crackers. Combine everything and leave it to rest while you prepare the soup.

Put the chicken into a large pan and pour over the stock. Bring it to the boil removing any scum with a slotted spoon. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes and parsley. season and simmer for 1 hour till the chicken is cooked through and tender. While this is cooking you can shape your matzo mixture into balls.

Remove the chicken from the pan and strain the soup into a clean pan. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite size pieces. Add the chicken, noodles and matzo balls to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Serve immediately with a little chopped parsley.

I couldn't bare to discard the lovely flavoursome veg from this recipe so I cooked it with a tin of tomatoes and a little veg stock then liquidised it to make a tomato soup - waste not want not

SHORTBREAD

2012-02-16T04:40:00.001-08:00

So this is the last installment of my scottish inspired menu. I'm finishing with two sweet treats to go with coffee or for your guests to take home, shortbread and tablet.

Short bread I think is quintessentially scottish with it's buttery crispness. I've added some different flavours to these more because I can't stop myself rather than it needs it.

BASIC SHORT BREAD

170g Plain Flour
30g Semolina
50g Sugar
125g Butter

Caster Sugar for dusting

Combine the flour, semolina and sugar. The semolina helps make you shortbread short. Next rub in your butter. Due to the quantity of butter it get very sticky so it will be easier to do this in a freestanding mixer.

It should now be coming together so remove it from the bowl and form it into a dough by hand.

Roll the dough out to the thickness you want your biscuits, they will not change during the bake, and cut out your shapes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with caster sugar. Prick the tops with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes at 170C

When they are baked to a light golden colour remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle with caster sugar again.

Womersley Foods are producers of the most delicious vinegars, jellies and dressings made from home grown fruit and herbs inYorkshire since 1979. I am totally in love with their products and actively seek out recipes I can add them to.

My round shortbread has 1 tbsp of Orange & Mace Dressing from Womersley along with 30g of Dark Chocolate Chips added to it.

The shortbread fingers have 1 tsp of Lavender Extract and 1 tbsp of Lavender Honey added to them.

You can add any of your favourite flavours, 1 tsp of Caraway seeds and Chocolate also work well or 1 tsp Almond Essence with a few chopped Glace Cherries always goes down well.

Tablet is a scottish version of fudge, crumblier than fudge but just as sugary and sweet. My mother always made it for bonfire night and called it Helensburgh Candy.

2lbs Sugar
1/4lb Butter
1 Cup Milk
400g Tin Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Melt the sugar, butter and milk slowly in a heavy based pan. If you melt it too quickly you will have a grainy texture. When it begins to boil add the condensed milk. slowly bring it back to the boil stirring all the time. Continue stirring while it boils till it starts to colour and the temperature reaches 240F. It you don't have a sugar thermometer it takes about 15-20 minutes and you can test it by dropping a small amount into iced water. If it sets immediately it's ready.

Remove the pan from the heat add the vanilla and beat till it cools. You can do this in a freestanding mixer to save your arms. Once it becomes thick and your mixer starts to struggle pour it into a 23cm x 17cm baking tray lined with parchment. Be careful not to over beat as this will make it too crumbly.

Leave it to cool completely then cut into bite sized cubes. I know it sounds like a bit of a faff but it's not really and so worth it.

DEEP FRIED MARS BARS

2012-02-16T04:04:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'm coming to the end of my scottish inspired menu with dessert. Sorry, but it had to be done, mainly because they're absolutely delicious. Deep fried Mars Bars! I know what you're thinking but don't knock it till you've tried it.

I have used mini sized bars and wrapped them in spring roll pastry - available from chinese supermarkets in the frozen section. Use a large sized sheet folded in half then wrap the chocolate as you would a spring roll. I believe this to be better than using batter, the pastry becomes beautifully crisp without letting the oil reach the chocolate and the chocolate gets hot enough to become warm and oozy - what a great word, oozy, Mmm oozy.

Anyway, I highly recommend you give it a go - oozy! sorry!

This also works really well with Bounty Bars and Snickers

The Alan Titchmarsh Show- CHRYSANTHEMUM CUP CAKES

2012-02-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

As seen on todays:

The Alan Titchmarsh Show

Full Blog page here - CHRYSANTHEMUM CUP CAKE

VENISON STEW WITH CHILI & CHOCOLATE

2012-01-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

To continue with my scottish menu I have chosen this gorgeous dish which has been adapted from a Thomasina Miers recipe and is guaranteed to melt any heart along with the chocolate that goes in it. There are a lot of ingredients but that doesn't mean it's difficult to put together. Juniper berries are always good with venison and there is just enough chocolate to give it an earthy richness without it tasting like chocolate sauce.

Once you've marinated the meat it is more or less a case of slow cooking and it can be made a couple of days in advance to make your life even easier. There's nothing like bung it in the oven cooking. We went out for a bracing and invigorating walk then came back to this hearty warming stew - proper comfort food. This should serve 4 people.

MARINADE
1/2 Bottle Red Wine
2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1 Sprig Rosemary
2 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Red Chili Deseeded and finely chopped
5 Juniper Berries Crushed
1 tbsp Olive Oil
S&P

700g Venison
1 Onion Chopped
1 Carrot Diced
1 Parsnip Diced
2 Celery Stalks finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves
Pinch of Dried Chillies
300ml Stock
1/2 Bottle Red Wine
1 tbsp Redcurrant Jelly
50g Chocolate in small pieces

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add the meat. Leave it over night if you can or as long as possible.

Next remove the venison from the marinade but reserve the marinade for later. In a casserole, brown all the meat in a little oil and put to one side. Next soften your onions, when they become translucent add the carrot, parsnip and celery. Cook for a further 10 minutes allowing them to brown. Lastly add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Now return the meat to the casserole along with the reserved marinade. Bring everything to the boil and once it's bubbling turn off the heat, add the redcurrant and chocolate and stir till melted. Put the whole casserole in the oven at 190C for 1 1/2 hours. That wasn't complicated was it.

SAVOY MASH

Even my children don't mind eating cabbage when it's done like this. While you're boiling 250g Spuds, blanch 4 leaves from a Medium Savoy Cabbage. You don't want the first outside leaves but the next ones in. Blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes then immediately put them into cold water to stop them cooking further. Finely shred the remaining cabbage and saute in a little Butter till tender.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them along with 40g of Cheddar. Stir in your shredded cabbage and season with Salt and White Pepper.

Now divide the potato between the cabbage leaves and gather each leaf to form a parcel. To help them keep their shape, I have rested them in a deep muffin tray ready for the oven. Sprinkle over a little more cheese and cook at 190C for 10-15 minutes till the cheese is bubbling and brown.

Stay tuned for the pudding! x

HAGGIS NEEPS & TATTIES

2012-01-28T01:36:00.000-08:00

It was Burns Night this week so I decided to come up with a scottish inspired menu. Some of the recipes are traditional and some not so traditional. I'm kicking off with Haggis for my starter.

Haggis is sheeps heart, liver and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices. It's encased in the sheeps stomach and boiled. Doesn't sound particularly appetising really but in fact it's quite delicious.

I didn't cook mine in the traditional way but instead split the haggis open and cooked it like mince.

Haggis in Filo Pastry on Neeps & Tatties with redcurrant & Marsala Jus (serves 6)

1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Haggis
6 Filo Sheets
Butter/Oil to brush

Half a small Swede (Neeps)
6 New Potatoes
Olive Oil
Thyme
S&P

500ml Stock
1 Glass Marsala
1 tbsp Redcurrant Jelly

Finely chop the onion and soften with a little oil in a large frying pan, when it becomes translucent add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. Now split open the haggis and add to the pan. You will need to crumble it a little with a fork to start with. Cook for 10-15 minutes until it has browned.

To assemble your parcels, cut each filo sheet in half horizontally then vertically so you have 4 equally sized pieces. Spray them with oil or brush with butter then arrange them crossing over each other like a star - am I making sense here? I hope so. Put a tablespoon of the haggis mixture in the centre and gather up the pastry to make the parcel.

Bake at 160C for 15 minutes.

Cut the swede and potatoes into small cubes and saute them to brown, season with S&P and some thyme then put them in the oven to finish cooking along with the haggis.

Tip your stock into a frying pan and heat, when it starts to simmer add the marsala and bring to the boil, cook for 2-3 minutes then add the redcurrant jelly stirring till it melts - Done

Scottish Scotch Eggs

I used a large haggis so I had extra to play around with. I came up with a Scottish Scotch Egg. It was basically the raw haggis wrapped around a quails egg, dipped in egg and bread crumbs then deep fried. It made a good appetiser and I think a few ended up in my son's lunch box too Xx

NEW YEAR - NEW ADVENTURES

2012-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

This year I am going on a new adventure that could be bigger than last years, if that's possible. I have wanted to pass on the word about baking and cooking for a long while and always thought that not having a teaching degree was stopping me, but no, the only thing stopping me was in fact me!

In February I start after school sessions with children. I have been working with children for over 15 years and I love it, they have so much imagination and are full of fun and fresh ideas. I'm sure I may learn a thing or two myself.

I am also expanding my baking empire (!) I shall continue to supply The Aubergine Cafe and Toast in West Kirby and Dafna's Cheesecake Factory in Liverpool. But I am now creating Dessert Towers for special occasions or just because it's Dessert Tower Tuesday.

They are a collection of all you favourite tea time treats such as Cupcakes, Brownies, Lemon Meringue Pies, Pavlovas, Fruit Tarts and more

PANETTONE FRUIT PUDDING

2012-01-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I'm not a great fan of panettone, it's the bits of peel I'm not keen on but I love getting them at christmas because they usually come in such beautiful tins. In past years I've made them into bread and butter pudding but this year I wanted to come up with something different.

This is my version of a summer pudding with a hint of winter. I've added mulling spice I had left from a hamper and star anise to the fruit in an attempt to make christmas last just a little longer.

Over a medium heat warm 900g Soft Fruit with 200g Sugar. I used a bag of cherries and a bag of mixed berries that included blackberries, strawberries and redcurrants, both were frozen but you can use fresh. Blackberry and Apple are also a good combination. To this add 2 Star Anise and 1 Mulled Wine Spice bag.

Gently cook for 5 minutes till the sugar has dissolved and the juices begin to run. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly while you line your basin or ramekins.

You will need 2/3 of a Large Panettone to make 6 individual ramekins or a 1 1/2 pint pudding basin. I lined mine with cling film to make them easy to store remove. Cut a circle to line the base then add slices slightly overlapping around the sides. Fill each one with fruit and juices, reserving about half the juice, then cover with a panettone lid.

Place each pudding on a baking sheet, bring your cling film over the tops of the ramekins to cover then place another baking sheet on top. Next use a heavy weight on top and place in the fridge. I used a 3 litre water bottle. Leave it over night for the juices to soak in.

To serve, turn your puddings out and pour over the reserved sauce to cover any white patches then just add cream x

CHRISTMAS CATCH-UP

2012-01-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

One of the favourite things I made this christmas were Gingerbread Cupcakes with a Mascarpone Buttercream top and finished with a mini Gingerbread Biscuit. Unfortunately they were so delicious I didn't manage to get a photos before they were scoffed - every time! The only evidence I have is the picture above of the biscuits so you'll just have to imagine them, make it good though x

I think this year was the most un-organised christmas I've ever had, but judging by the amount of baking I did for others, everyone else was sorted. Friends ordered mini pies for christmas eve and large pies for boxing day. Cafe's were getting an array of festive cupcukes and there was a lot of edible glitter involved.

Can't believe I made 2000 Mince Pies for
Dafna's Cheescake Factory in Liverpool

And a few more for The Aubergine Cafe
in West Kirby

My Birthday is December 9th which is not great just 2 weeks before christmas but I have a very dear friend Merry Phillips who's birthday is just 2 days before christmas. It was a very special one this year and I was so honoured and touched to be invited to her 21st celebration. Cake was always going to be on the cards and I came up with this small selection

Amy at Weekly Bake Off had the genius idea of having an online Secret Santa. Everyone taking part exchanged home made gifts by post. I have to thank you Amy for organising it all, I had such fun putting my gift together and was unbelievably excited to take delivery of the one sent to me.

I made a Retro Hand Bag and a Felt Needle Case along with a jar of Quince Jelly, Egyptian Dukkah spice mix and a Bake-Your-Own Cookie Jar

I do hope it was liked by Jan. I have to say I was overwhelmed by the gift I received. It was so beautifully wrapped and as I unpacked it I could not stop squealing with joy as I discovered more delights. Cranberry and Brandy Fudge, Millionaires Shortbread with Dates & Pecans and 2 lovely decorations. Thank you so much but please let me know who you are, I need the recipe for those squares x

Edible gifts were the way forward for me this year. Gingerbread Wreaths were so much fun to do and got me feeling very festive and Gingerbread Snowflakes were a good by-product with the scraps.

Lastly, my gift hampers. They included Peri Spiced Olives, Mini Christmas Puddings, Quince Jelly, Dukkah Spice Mix and Lemon Infused Olive Oil

I hope you all had a great Christmas and still have a few goodies tucked away to enjoy - I do but don't tell anyone cos I'm not sharing Xx

CHRISTMAS MINCEMEAT WREATH

2011-12-08T02:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm really getting into christmas now and I love love love this recipe! It's got it all - quick and easy to make, tastes delish and looks fabulous. Apart from the final bake, there's no cooking, just assembling and all the ingredients you can just have in, brilliant if great aunt Beryl drops by unexpectedly.

2 Pkts Croissant Dough

1 Apple thinly sliced

1/2 Jar Mincemeat

200g Full Fat Cream Cheese

60g Icing Sugar

Icing Sugar & Cinnamon to dust

Mix together the cream cheese and icing sugar.

Arrange the dough on your baking sheet in a ring with the short sides joining together and the long sides pointing out like a sun. Press the joining edges together slightly.

Spread half the mincemeat on the dough topped with the sliced apple then the cream cheese mixture. Finish it off with the remaining mincemeat. Don't worry too much if you use a little more than half the jar, it will just be a little richer.

Now bring the points of your dough over the top of the filling into the centre tucking the ends under to form a wreath. It sounds more complicated than it actually is.

Cook for 25 minutes at 180C. Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.

As it's christmas I also added a bit of edible glitter and some snowflake sprinkles. You could also try it with some icing sugar mixed with a little lemon juice drizzled over the top.

FOOD FAIRS

2011-12-05T01:29:00.000-08:00

I've just had a lovely start to Christmas at the Ashton Park Christmas Fair and shall be doing it all again this weekend at Hoylake Chapel Christmas Market

Dec 10th 11.00am to 5.00pm Christmas Market
Arts & Crafts, Food Stalls, Charity Stalls & a Winter Barbecue

I shall have Pies Scones Cakes & Samosas

and if anyone still wants me to sign their 'Bake Off' books in time for christmas, I'm happy to do so

See you all there x

PASTY PIE

2011-12-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

I always find making pie's a rather satisfying. It's such a homely comforting thing to do and I get a real sense of achievement from doing it. This recipe is not a particularly christmassy one but it's good to have in reserve over the festive season. You can make it ahead and have it in the freezer for those days when you've been too busy because you're out christmas shopping or hung over from the works doo and can't face having to think about what to cook. It's great hot or cold so you could also have it as part of your boxing day splatter or in the summer on a picnic.

I've made one giant one here, in fact, I doubled up the recipe and made two so I'd have another in reserve. You could of course make the more traditional individual pasties if you wanted.

Heat the oven to 160c fan. Make your pastry with 300g Plain Flour. Rub in 100g Butter/Margarine and 50g white fat like Cookeen. This gives you a shorter more crisp pastry. When you have the bread crumb finish, add enough cold water to bring it together to a dough. Tip in onto a floured surface and knead slightly till it's smooth.

Now line am 8/9" cake tin with the pastry leaving a bit of an over hanging edge. When you add your filling the pastry will draw in slightly so leaving an overhang ensures you have enough for your crimping.

Next prepare your filling. Thinly slice 3 medium potatoes and 200g swede. Slicing them thinly means they will cook with ease. Season 500g steak mince with 1 tbsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp mace 1/2 tsp salt and add 1 large onion finely chopped. Now layer your filling into the lined tin starting with 1/3 of the potato and swede then 1/3 of the meat. Repeat the layers till all your filling is in. To finish your pie, trim the overhanging edge and brush it with a little water. Top the pie with a pastry lid, pressing the edges together. Give it a lovely crimp and any other embellishments you like, personally I can't resist a bit of lettering, then brush with beaten egg and make a couple of steam holes with a knife.

The pie should take about 1hr 30 mins to bake, individual pasties will be around 45mins.

CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY - ENDED

2011-12-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

OK, it is officially the start of the count down to Christmas, we have opened No.1 on the advent calendar and I am panicking even more about the lack of christmas shopping I have done.

What better way to kick off the festivities that a giveaway. To help you with your shopping I have the perfect gift CHOCOLATE!

Thanks to the extremely generous Bala Croman from The Chocolate Cellar in Liverpool I have a very chocolatey give away for you all.

I have 1Kg of 70% Belgian Chocolate and if that's not enough there is also a bottle of Rubis Chocolate Velvet Ruby wine. This wine has the most sumptuous and decadent taste, rather like a dessert wine with a touch of caramel and rich chocolate.

I was very excited to get my hands on the chocolate wine and thought long and hard about a suitably luxurious recipe that would do justice to such an extravagant ingredient. In the end I decided it would have to be poached pears. Pears lend themselves brilliantly to chocolate and poaching them in red wine

is a classic. I've also added a bit more christmas with some star anise and it worked big time.

First peel 6 Pears but keep them whole with the stalk intact. I used fat juicy ripe ready to eat pears. Using hard pears means they will need to cook for longer. If you can be bothered you could core them too but it's not crucial. Put the whole bottle of chocolate wine (minus that sip you had) in a saucepan with 230g Sugar and 2 Whole Star Anise. Warm this through till the sugar has melted then gently lower in the pears ensuring they are covered in the wine. Cover the pan with a lid and poach for 30 minutes. Once the pears are tender and cooked through, remove them from the pan and simmer the wine till it has reduced by half. Leave it to cool and it will become thick and syrupy.

Serve the pears with a little syrup poured over them and whipped cream or ice-cream.

To Enter this giveaway simply take a photograph of yourself covered in chocolate....oh no, that's not right, sorry!

You need to do one or more of the following:

a) Follow this Blog and leave a comment telling me what you would make with the chocolate and or wine.

b) For another chance of winning, LIKE my Facebook page - Yasmin Limbert - Pieces of Rainbow and let me know you are entering this giveaway.

c) And just incase you want to enter 3 times, Follow Yasmin Limbert on Twitter and leave me a tweet letting me know you've entered.

Good luck to you all.

I shall be drawing the winner at random on Friday 9th December.

COURSES END FOR 2011

2011-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

I've been having a great time the last couple of months teaching things that I love. I was asked to teach a four week course in beginners cake decorating at Neston Youth & Community Centre. I met 12 great people who by the end of the course new the basics in using fondant, frosting, icing and sugar. We piped, flooded, feathered, crystalised, coloured, and stamped. They went away with some new ideas, hints and tips and enough confidence to do it all again at home.

That was followed with four weeks of cooking for Christmas where I was joined by some ladies from the cake decorating and some new faces. We had a week of canapes & nibbles, then christmas dinner for meat eaters and veggies. Next was puddings and we finished off with edible gifts. It was a great way to kick off the up coming festivities and I now have most of my christmas dinner prepared and in the freezer so it's done me a huge favour

I really loved spending time with people that have the same interest and enthusiasm for home cooking, baking, and eating - there was a lot of sampling! We all swapped ideas and learned new things, including me. Now I can't wait to carry on next year with more classes.

W.K.F.C - West Kirby Fried Chicken

2011-11-29T04:54:00.000-08:00

Oh my word, who can resist a bit of southern fried chicken or North West fried chicken as it would have to be in my house. No! not deep frying I hear you call but there's nothing wrong with it every now and then or on special occasions like it's Tuesday perhaps.

To make it as authentic as the popular take away I also made coleslaw and added barbecue sauce to baked beans. All that was missing was the cardboard bucket.

Just to help reduce the possible high calorific values of this meal, I removed the skin and the chicken was pre-cooked to reduce frying time, this also ensures it's cooked all the way through. It was poached in milk which help it keep it's moisture and makes the meat more tender.

4 Chicken Portions - Thighs and Drumsticks
1 Litre Milk
1 tsp Salt

150g Flour
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Pinch Smoked Paprika
1 Egg Beaten
Oil For Deep Frying

Put the chicken in a large pan and cover with the milk and salt. Bring the milk to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer till the chicken is cooked through. This will take about 20 minutes. The milk and pan will look quite disgusting and become a skummy mess but this will all be discarded so don't worry. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the milk and let it cool so you can handle it.

Next mix the flour with the seasoning. It you prefer, you could add a ready made chicken seasoning and select your own flavour. Once the chicken is cool, coat all the chicken pieces in the flour mix. Now dip each piece in egg and then back in the flour. this double dip gives it a lovely thick crispy coating.

Once all the chicken has been double dipped, Deep fry in hot oil till beautifully golden. It should just take a minute or so. Then serve with your barbecue beans, coleslaw and a handy wipe.

The coleslaw could not be easier. In a large bowl mix 5 large tbsp mayonnaise with 5 tbsp greek yoghurt, 2 tsp honey and 1 tsp wholegrain mustard. To this add 1/2 small white cabbage, 1 small red onion thinly sliced and 2 large grated carrots combine everything well.

I'm sure it's not crucial but watching I'm a celebrity seemed to go rather well with this. Other forms of junk tv are available x

LET'S GET READY TO SCRUMBLE!

2011-11-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to learn to crochet for a couple of years now, I even started buying one of those fortnightly magazines that teaches you step-by-step. Unfortunately all I was left with was a pile of magazines, several binders and a big whole in my bank balance.

Finally my sister went to a set of classes at her local wool shop then spent a weekend with me passing on her newly found knowledge. It made all the difference being shown what to do and even more being shown what not to do.

I recently went to the same wool shop The Crochet Chain in Waltham Abbey, along with my sister (an early birthday present) to learn to make a 'Scrumble'. You use 'Freeform Crochet' or as I re-named it - 'Jazz Crochet'. which is a random collection of different pieces in different textures, colours and stitches which results in an abstract design. They can be made into items just like any crochet or you can use small pieces as an embellishment.

This is perfect for me as there is no pattern - I can't read a pattern yet! and you just keep adding whatever and wherever you like, there are no restrictions. It means every scrumble is unique, a piece of art like no other. I think it looks really organic like a beautiful coral.

I don't know what I'm going to do with my scrumble yet but you'll be the first to know when I do x

SEW EASY

2011-11-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of summers ago I managed to retrieve an old deck chair from the dump which I re-covered with rather more vibrant fabric. I still liked the stripy canvas that came with it though and made a satchel style bag with it. Unfortunately, as the fabric was old to start with, it has become a little worn and I'm now loosing small items from it on a regular basis - there's only so much patching you can do.

Luckily my dear friend Emma bought me the Cath Kidston 'Sew' book for a birthday present and I've finally got around to making the bag that comes with it. It's such a great book that comes with loads of projects to do along with all the patterns and templates you might need.

Now I just need to get some new stripy fabric, adapt the pattern slightly and I'll be away. I can see a few people getting these as christmas presents this year!

HOLLY'S STILTON, POTATO & CARAMELISED ONION PIE

2011-11-15T03:43:00.000-08:00

It's not always easy to come up with a good meat free dinner that all the family will enjoy, especially when you have three children with varying views on vegetables.

I remember on pie week of GBBO Holly made a vegetarian pie which she said always went down well with her meat loving husband. So I decided on her version of a cheese and potato pie.

It uses 3 different cheeses and is topped with puff pastry - which I have to admit I bought from the supermarket. I still maintain life is too short to make puff pastry when you can get perfectly good stuff ready made. (It's important to know when to cheat!)

It was a dream to put together, just adding layers of the various ingredients it was assembled in a jiffy then in the oven for 30 minutes. It went very well with baked beans and no-one missed the meat. Cheers Holly.

The recipe calls for weights of ingredients that would leave me with oddments of stuff left over so I just made a little extra to use everything up and made a small one for another day. I didn't have any of the onion left for this one though so used Branston Pickle as a substitute making it a sort of Ploughmans Pie.

You can find the full recipe in the pie section of The Great British Bake Off How to Bake Book.

DOUBLE COMPETITION - ENDED

2011-11-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

This week I'm running a competition giveaway in conjunction with the fabulous Betty Bee Vintage. I love this blog, Betty writes about her love of everything 40's and 50's. It's full of recipes, craft ideas, beauty tips and inspirational chat so well worth a visit. Betty also writes for Guardian Life and Style and for Vintage Life Magazine.

This unique retro cake stand, hand crafted by Betty herself and a must have for displaying your french fancies, bettenburg or scones could be yours.

SIGNED 'GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF' BOOK

Betty is also running a competition. You could win a copy of 'The Great British Bake Off Book' which I can highly recommend! It's full of all the best recipes from the series and step by step master classes for the technical challenges featured on the programme. It has also been signed by yours truly so pop over to her blog and take a look , I'll see you there x

If you fancy making the Christmas inspired Scones on the cake stand, here's the recipe.

Rub 100g Sunflower Margarine into 400g Self Raising Flour. Stir in 50g Sugar, 1 tsp Mixed Spice, Zest of 1 Orange and 100g Dried Cranberries. Now measure Juice of half an Orange and make it up to 200ml with milk.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently to form a smooth dough. Roll out your dough to about 1" thick and cut out rounds. Brush with an egg wash. Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes.

MINI BLT

2011-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Now then, I know I'm not the only one out there who is enjoying the current TV scheduling. In fact, there's so much good tv at the moment I'm having problems with things clashing. Added to this dilemma of what to watch is the what to eat issue.

They say it is better for you if you eat earlier in the day rather than late at night so I do this but truth be told it's so I can have a little smakeral of something whilst settling infront of Downton, Spooks, XFactor, Strictly......the list goes on. I'm at the point now that I'm planning my snacks for next weeks episode at the end of this weeks!

The chosen treat for Downton this week was something I'm sure Mrs Patmore would have approved of. Mini BLT's. It's pretty obvious really, it's just what it say's on the tin - Bread brushed with olive oil and griddled, pinned together with Parma Ham, L & T There was also some mayo going on in there or even - a real guilty pleasure salad cream but ssh, don't tell anyone x

PUMPKIN BREAD

2011-10-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm loving Halloween and Autumn and crunchy leaves and orange and gold and soup and snuggling in my dressing gown. Autumn was always my mothers favourite time of year and I never really got it, but it was the colours she loved and the low sun you get now makes them look spectacular.

Soon we shall have the aroma of bonfires, I love that smell, like incense filling the air but first we have halloween and all the excitement that comes with it.

We all enjoy carving pumpkins in our house so with 5 of us we end up with a lot of pumpkin to eat. There is the usual pie and soup, then we have it fried with shrimps and spices and now we have bread.

I have to admit that the flavour wasn't particularly strong but it does give it a warm yellow ochre colour.

Pumpkin has a very high water content so you need to avoid adding anymore to it. I steam mine to cook

it before I puree it in the blender.

Wash the seeds, dry them and use them on your bread or stick them on a baking tray sprinkled with a little peri peri seasoning and roast at 180 C for 20 minutes. Once they are cool they will be crisp and a good snack.

BREAD

600g Strong Bread Flour

30g Butter

10g Salt

15g Yeast

200g Pumpkin Puree

100g Water

100g Milk

Add the Butter to the flour and rub it in as you would with pastry, once it has disappeared into the flour stir in the salt and yeast.

Next add the wet ingredients. You can do this by hand or in a mixer. I tend to start it off in the mixer and once it's all combined I knead it by hand. You should have a fairly wet but manageable dough. To help it stop sticking when kneading, drizzle a little oil onto the surface. Try not to add flour as this will give you a tougher dough. The softer your dough, the softer your bread will be.

Dust your hands with flour and knead, stretching the dough, for a good ten minutes. You will feel it become more elastic as you work.

Leave your dough to prove in a large bowl covered with a t-towel for 1-1 1/2 hours somewhere warm and draft free. It will double in size, I always get so excited when I go back to it and it has grown to fill the bowl.

Now knock the dough back by punching the air out or kneading it back to it's original size. Form the dough into the shape you want your loaf on a baking sheet or stone. I made a small loaf with half and 10 rolls in a brioche tin. Leave it to rise again for another hour. Use a sharp knife to score a pattern on your loaf then bake at 200 C for 30-40 minutes.

To check if it's cooked, you can tap the underneath of your bread, if it sounds hollow it is done.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN X

PUMPKIN PINATA

2011-10-25T02:04:00.000-07:00

This baking malarky has taken over my life somewhat of late so with HALLOWEEEEEN just around the corner it's been nice to get back to being a bit crafty.

Here is my Pumpkin Pinata made using an extra large balloon and good old papier mache. I've stuck on 5 layers of news paper using a flour and water paste. The paste should be the consistency of thick double cream (can't get away from food here). Leave the knot of the balloon poking out and once the pumpkin has dried - over night, and is hard, pop the balloon and remove it from the middle.

Fill your pumpkin with lots of goodies then seal the hole with more papier mache. Add fringed strips of tissue paper on the outside. Finish it off with a classic pumpkin face and Jack's your uncle!

CHOCOLATE & VANILLA SLICE

2011-10-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

I made these slices for Aubergine Cafe - West Kirby this week. I've used a recipe with oil rather than butter or margarine and it gives it a soft light sponge. But it's the feathered chocolate top that makes it something I'd choose to have with my milk shake.

SAUSAGE & LEEK TART WITH HONEY GLAZE

2011-10-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

We love sausages in our house but sometimes I want something more than just bangers and mash but just as simple to make.

This tart always goes down well and can be eaten hot or cold. It's good for lunch or supper and is easy to transport for picnics. It freezes well too. I have used cumberland sausages because that's what I like but you could use which ever you prefer. Fancy it up a bit if you want and use toulouse or wild boar sausages. I do suggest that you use good quality sausages though as others can be very fatty and although the bread crumbs soak up some fat, you could end up with an oil slick on top.

You don't have to make your own pastry but you really should. It's not hard and much cheaper than the bought stuff.

PASTRY
200g Plain Flour
75g Sunflower Margarine
25g White Fat (Cookeen)
Cold Water to Combine

FILLING
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Leek
8 Fresh Sage Leaves
454g Cumberland Sausages (1 Pack of 8)
100g Fresh White Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
Honey to Drizzle
Sesame Seeds

First make your pastry by rubbing the 2 fats into the flour. You can do this by hand or in a food processor. I use a little white fat in my pastry because I find it gives a crisper bake. Once you have the 'bread crumb' finish, add your cold water slowly while mixing till you have a soft slightly wet dough. If it's still a little wet it's easier to not overwork when adding flour to the surface and rolling out.

Roll your pastry and line a 8/9" flan tin. Trim the edges and pop in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. This helps stop it shrinking when baking. When it's chilled, line with parchment and fill with baking beans (dried pulses, rice, whatever you have to hand). Bake for 15 minutes at 160C Fan. Next remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to cook the centre. Because of the fat in the sausages it's important that the pastry is cooked to avoid the dreaded 'Soggy Bottom'.

While the pastry is cooking, slice your leeks thinly. I slice it into quarters horizontally then slice the four sections, you don't want big chunks of leek. Put the leeks in a pan with the oil and cook till soft and translucent. Now snip in the sage and cook for 2 minutes more.

Let the leeks cool slightly while you remove the skins from your sausages. Now add the leeks, breadcrumbs and egg and combine well. You could use your hands for this but if you're a bit squeamish, use a mixer. When it's all mixed, fill your pastry shell and Bake for 20 minutes at 160C Fan.

Drizzle over some honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for a further 10 minutes to get a nice sticky golden finish.

QUINCE JELLY

2011-10-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I was very lucky to be the recipient of a bag of quince. The donor was Mary-Ann Time To Cook, one of the 3 finalists from The Great British Bake Off GBBO. We had lunch together and when I arrived Mary-Ann handed me my bounty and I left it in the boot of my car while we ate. On returning to the car I was met with the most glorious perfume. Quince has a sweet honey like scent like nothing else, it is neither apple nor pear but something in between and when made into a jelly is the colour of rose tinted amber.

My recipe is not very precise for this. I did not weigh the fruit but measured the liquid it produced. You need 500g of sugar for every 600ml of liquid. Quince has a high pectin content so should set easily but if you have the fear of not setting you could use a jam sugar which has pectin added to be on the safe side.

Fill your largest pan with the fruit cut into chunks and add a lemon cut in half. Next add enough water to just cover the fruit and bring it to the boil. Once it's boiling, leave it to simmer until the fruit is soft and mushy. This should take about an hour but don't worry if it takes longer. Give it a stir from time to time to stop it sticking and burning on the bottom.

Now you need to strain the liquid from the mush. If you have a jelly bag - lucky you. I have no such thing so used a pillow case hooked on an upturned stool with the cleaned pan underneath. Leave it to strain over night to ensure you get every last drop.

My carrier bag gave me just under 1200 ml so I used 1kg of sugar. Add the sugar to the pan and boil till you reach setting point. You can use either a jam thermometer for this or test a teaspoon of the jelly on a chilled saucer. I usually put one in the freezer before I start boiling. Leave it on the saucer for a minute then run your finger through it, if it forms a skin which then wrinkles, it's ready.

Pour your jelly into sterilised jars and feel very smug that you have just made something very tasty indeed while you listen for the pop pop popping of your lids.

I sterilise my jars by washing them in warm soapy water then put them into an oven at 100C till they're dry. Use them straight away once they're out of the oven. I put the lids in a pan and boil them in water for 5 minutes.

Thanks Mary-Ann Time To Cook Now, where's the cheese?

GLUTEN FREE COCONUT & COFFEE CAKES

2011-10-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I've been making these gluten free coffee cakes and coconut cakes for Dafna's Cheescake Factory in Liverpool for a while now and they've proved to be a hit. Gluten free cakes can be a little dry I think but I've used potato and sweet potato along with rice flour and ground almonds. Adding vegetables to the mixture makes them soft and light. Both are topped with buttercream to finish.

Everyone knows I like to save money where I can and these mini cakes were baked in sponge pudding tins, the ones you get in the supermarket and boil in the can. They're a 4" tin and perfect for a gift size cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MO

2011-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Mo's not keen on cake so I made this flower pot of pink meringue roses instead.

Hope you had a lovely day Mo x

A HUGE THANK YOU!

2011-10-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to start with thanking all of you for your amazing support throughout this extraordinary chapter in my life. I've been overwhelmed with the love and encouragement that's been sent my way and it means the world to me, you have no idea.

I never imaged when I started on this road how much it would change my life, I think I was a little naive really. Getting on the show was a huge confidence boost but you have all tipped that over the edge.

I've had the most exciting, exhilarating and exhausting time that I would not have missed for the world. It has given me so much and I'm a far better cook now because of it and my enthusiasm for cooking, baking and sharing that has increased by having this blog, something I would not have done were it not for the show and my fellow contestants encouraging me to do so.

I have so many highlights; acquiring new friends in the other bakers - a diverse group of people who under different circumstances would never have met. Being crowned Star Baker for my bread and giving as good as I got from Paul over my basket. Laughing hysterically on the train with Janet, a more adorable and hilarious person you'll never meet. Being invited to go on BBC Radio Merseyside and being talked about, in a positive light by Chris Evans on his breakfast show. Mary Portas tweeting about me, having my recipes published and being on the BBC Food website and finding old friends that I should never have lost contact with. But best of all has been the warmth people have shown, friends, family and strangers.

So, if you have sent me a text, messaged me on Face Book, the blog or Twitter, stopped me in the street, emailed me or mentioned me on the radio, I THANK YOU, You have no idea how much it means Xx

WHOPPING MERINGUES

2011-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Phwoar....Lovely great whopping Meringues!

These always go down well, I like them with a bit of chew in the middle and with a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of pistachios. You can add all sorts of colours and flavours, rose syrup added to the whipped egg whites then sprinkled with dried rose petals are another favourite in this house. Try adding cocoa or milkshake powders for banana or strawberry flavours. You could also use golden caster sugar for a more toffee taste.

Quantities are easy to remember, for each egg white you need 60g of sugar.

Heat your oven to 140C.

Whisk the egg whites till stiff with an electric mixer, next add your sugar a tablespoon at a time, pouring it in slowly whilst still mixing. When it's all incorporated and looks beautifully glossy your done.

Pile or pipe your meringue onto baking parchment and bake for about an hour, depending on whether you want them dry or chewy.

Leave them in the oven till it has cooled, about 15-20 minutes then remove them to cool completely.

MacMillan Coffee Morning

2011-10-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Wirral Partnership Homes held a coffee morning for residents and staff on Friday to raise funds for Macmillan Nurses and I was pleased to help out by bringing along some cakes to sell.

Wirral Partnership Homes is the largest registered provider of affordable housing on the Wirral, they formed in 2005 and work as a not profit organisation aiming to to work in partnership with residents and other organisations to build sustainable communities.

Macmillan Cancer Support help people affected by cancer, patients, families, carers and communities with practical, emotional and financial support. They are such a worthy charity with the aim of reaching every person diagnosed with cancer no matter who they are, where they live or the type of cancer they have. My Mother and closest friend were both affected by cancer so this is a charity very close to my heart and one I am always willing to support.

It was a great day and well attended by residents and staff who raised over £200 for the charity. I really enjoyed meeting everyone talking cake and getting to eat other peoples bakes for a change. It's a brilliant way to raise money, everyone loves cake so who could resist. Thanks for asking me WPH. I wouldn't have missed it for the world x

Posh Fish Finger Sarnie

2011-09-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I gave my children fish finger sandwiches for dinner and felt a slight tinge of guilt for not giving them something 'proper'. The problem was, they were quite delicious and I found myself craving one for myself. A definite guilty pleasure.

It got me to thinking though, perhaps I could compensate for my lapse as a good mother by creating the perfect fish finger sandwich from scratch rather than a frozen packet, I even made the tartar sauce and some accompanying mushy peas. It worked and by golly it was heavenly, guilt gone and I am a good mother again.

I used cod to be in keeping with the traditional fish digit and to get that customary orange crumb I've dry fried some chorizo then whizzed it with the bread to make the bread crumbs. There is enough oil in the chorizo to then just bake them in the oven - simples!

350g Cod Fillet
Flour for dusting
1 Egg Beaten
50g Chorizo
50g Bread for Crumbs

First make your bread crumbs. Cut the chorizo into slices then each slice in half. Dry fry them in a pan and allow to cool a little. Put your bread in a processor along with the chorizo and whizz them into crumbs. The chorizo will excrete a lovely orange tainted oil into the pan, stir the crumbs into this till combined.

Wash and pat dry the fish in some kitchen roll then cut them into fingers. Dust each one in flour then dip in the egg. Now coat the fish finger in the bread crumbs.

Place them on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes at 180c

Tartar Sauce

4 tbsp Mayonnaise

1 tbsp Capers Chopped

2 tbsp Tiny Gherkins Chopped

1 Shallot Chopped

Lemon Juice to taste

S+P

Chop everything finely and mix it all together. I have to admit that capers are on my very short list of foods I can't bring myself to eat so I didn't put them in and I could tell it wasn't quite right. So if you don't have the same aversion, keep em in.

Mushy Peas

250g Frozen Peas

1 tbsp Sour Cream

1 tsp Mint Sauce

S+P

Boil the peas in hot water, drain and whizz them in a processor with the remaining ingredients. I didn't process them too much so there was some texture and not baby food

BATTER BUTTY

2011-09-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

Oh my word, I've just discovered the Batter Butty! It's something so bad and so good at the same time. When you read the recipe everything will scream blocked arteries and high cholesterol but I'm a firm believer that you can have the bad things as long as that's not all you're eating - everything in moderation.

So, basically the Batter butter is a jam sandwich deep fried in batter - I told you it was bad. I've tried to posh mine up a bit and used brioche rolls and added slices of fresh strawberry.

The picture says it all really, it's pretty simple. Make your sandwich, don't butter it and put jam on both sides to help it stick together. Add a layer of thinly sliced strawberry and sandwich it together.

Dip the whole think in batter and deep fry. I made my batter with one egg and 5 tbsp of plain flour. Stir them both together till the egg is incorporated then gradually add milk till you get the consistency you're happy with. I used about 1/2 pt. You want it to be the thickness of pancake batter.

It takes only a minute to cook, once it is, sit it briefly on kitchen paper then serve still warm with a sprinkle of icing sugar. It's like a lovely fresh doughnut.

I can hear Elvis saying "thank you very much"

FAGGOTS!

2011-09-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

What is it about Faggots that you can't actually say them without an exclamation mark! I first had them when I left home and had to fend for myself. 'Brains' Faggots they were and I thought they were made from brains hence the name, I'm not entirely convinced they didn't mind you. Anyhoo, my love of offal has not waned and I recently saw faggots selling in a butchers in Bath. I'd not thought of making them myself before but I'm glad I did, they're de-lish, like a meatball only softer but not mushy like to aforementioned faggot of the cerebral variety.

Now, you have 3 choices when it comes to mincing your offal (not very often you get to use that sentence!) Get your butcher to do it, if you have a mincer do it yourself or just stick it in your food processor but be careful not to get it too mushy, you still want a bit of texture.

We had ours with onion gravy and squashed potatoes. Squashed potatoes if you're interested are new or salad spuds, boiled then put in a roasting tin and 'squashed' slightly with a fork or masher. You just want to crack them open a little. drizzle a little oil on and sprinkle with salt flakes and caraway seeds. Roast these at the same time as the faggots.

1 Onion chopped finely
220g Minced Pigs Liver
3 Lambs Hearts Trimmed of fat and chopped into chunks
400g Belly Pork Trimmed of fat and rind and chopped into chunks
1/2 tsp Mace
1 tsp Allspice
30g Fresh Chives snipped
15g Fresh Sage snipped
1 egg
130g Fresh Bread Crumbs
Salt & Pepper

GRAVY
2 Red Onions
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 tbsp Oil
3 tbsp Flour
1 Glass Red Wine
1 1/2 pt Fresh Stock
1 tbsp Red Currant Jelly

Basically everything goes in together and gets a good mix either in your mixer or by hand. When it's all combined form it into balls, I made 24 using an ice cream scoop to measure even quantities. Roll them lightly in your hand to form the shape and chill in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up a little.

Once chilled, roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 170C.

I made the gravy by roasting the onions chopped into chunks with the fresh thyme drizzled with oil. Cook for about 30 minutes then sprinkle with flour and stir it in till it coats the onion. Put your pan on the hob and add a glass of red wine (I keep left overs in the freezer for things like this) heat it through till it starts to bubble, you want to cook off the alcohol but keep the flavour. Now add your stock and the red currant jelly and stir till it thickens.

Once the faggots are cooked, pour the gravy over them and return them to the oven for 10 minutes before serving..

Enough for another day and in a foil tray just like 'Mr Brains'

NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK

2011-09-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's National Cupcake Week! - there's a week for everything isn't there. Personally I don't need an official week, any excuse to get the piping bag out.

These are Raspberry Cupcakes. Pink vanilla sponge, scoop out a little hole once cooked and fill with a teaspoon of raspberry jam then top with italian meringue. Yum.

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK FIVE

2011-09-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, week four was pie week, one I looked forward to but with slight trepidation. I do like to make pies but not puff or flakey pastry. I remember being asked at one of the interviews for GBBO2 if I made puff pastry. I was honest and said that I had made it (at school in Home Economics) but I don't because basically life is too short when you can buy perfectly good stuff in the supermarket. I have to say, Mary agreed!

Don't get me wrong, I make my own short crust and sweet pastry but puff takes a lot of time and effort which I just don't really have.

I made a fish pie which was one of the few recipes I didn't develop for the show - it is something I make regularly for my family and have done for years. I think what makes it special is the addition of saffron and substituting boiled eggs for quails eggs. Quails eggs taste just the same but look really cute. You can put them in whole as well which means the yolk doesn't become separate.

This is enough to feed my family of five or 7 children

Get the recipe here

I still get a kick out of having my recipes on the BBC Food website, how cool is that!?

Meringue pie is also a favourite with us but for the show it had to be made in a 12" tin and trying to get that amount of liquid to set was never going to be easy. I think everyone had issues with it apart from Mary-Ann who always goes large and in fact I seem to remember hers was even bigger, you go girl!

I'm sure the nation was questioning why no-one did good old Lemon Meringue, I agree, you can't improve on perfection, unfortunately the programme makers requested an alternative flavour. I chose a peach and raspberry meringue pie. Peaches and raspberries are a classic combination and I thought the colours would stand out.

Remember this recipe is for a 12" pie!

PEACH AND RASPBERRY MERINGUE PIE

Pastry

200g Plain Flour

50g Sugar

100g Butter

Ice Water

1 Egg

Filling

4 x Tins Peach Halves in Juice

8 Egg Yolks

4 tblsp Corn flour

240g Sugar

450g Raspberries

100g Sugar

Meringue

4 Egg whites

600g Sugar

8 tblsp Water

Make your pastry. Mix the flour, sugar and butter in an electric mixer till you have a crumb then combine with water to form the dough.

Roll out the pastry on parchment and line your baking tin. Chill for 30 minutes. Next bake the pastry blind for 15 minutes at 160c. Remove the baking beans, brush the pastry with egg white and bake for a further 10 minutes at 140c

In a saucepan melt 100g sugar with 150g Raspberries. Pass through a sieve to remove seeds and leave liquid to chill in fridge.

Whizz the peaches in a processor till smooth then pass through a sieve. Now warm them in a saucepan.

Combine the egg yolks, corn flour and sugar and add to the peaches in the saucepan. Stir the peach mixture till it thickens and pour into your pastry shell.

Scatter remaining raspberries over the peach custard.

Whisk the eggs whites, sugar and water over boiling water with an electric mixer till thick and glossy.

Fold some of the raspberry syrup through the meringue. Top pie with meringue and stir through more of the raspberry syrup. Bake at 140c for 30 minutes.

I have enjoyed re-creating the recipes from the show but I'm enjoying baking things just because I want to. I made enough pastry for extra pies - always make more that you need if you're going to all that effort, it can be frozen for another day.

I made these Turkey, Bacon & Leek Pot Pies. My children love having a pie all to themselves, they feel very grown up, I just don't put as much filling in for them.

I used 375g Turkey Steaks cooked in a little oil. I then added 6 rashers of Streaky Bacon. Remove them from the pan and cook 1 large leek. I cut it down the middle then cut each one down the middle again and sliced it thinly. Once the leeks are soft add them to the turkey and bacon.

Now use the same pan to make a roux with 75g Butter and 75g Plain Flour. Melt the butter then stir in the flour, once they form a doughy ball slowly add 1 pint of Chicken Stock. Add it a little at a time continuously stirring to form a gravy. Make this as thick or thin as you like, you may not need all the stock. Next return the meat, leeks and any juices to the pan and combine them all. You can season it now with Salt and Pepper but be careful with the salt as even good stocks can sometimes be quite salty

Fill your ramekins or pie dish and top with the pastry, brush with an egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes at 200C.

You can make the filling ahead and freeze it if you like. I make the pot pies, put the lids on and freeze them ready for the oven.

The Perfect Weekend

2011-09-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've just had the loveliest weekend, baking, seeing friends and being out and about with my family. It almost sounds too perfect doesn't it. I'm not saying this happens every weeekend so when it does I feel compelled to tell everyone.

My eldest son is a keen cook and for his birthday I got him a 'proper' cook book. He's 11 now and outgrown those children's ones that teach you to make smiley face pizza and fish shaped fish cakes although I am rather partial to both. He has decided to make dinner at least once a week (fine by me) and started this week with a goats cheese frittata and a chocolate mousse cake. Both were a success and I can't wait for his next culinary achievement

Chocolate Mousse Cake with a shortbread base

We spent Sunday in Formby, just north of Liverpool and had a grand time searching for Red Squirrels at the National Trust Squirrel Reserve. Then I met with my pal Janet from GBBO 2. She's as lovely as ever, just like old times. It's such a shame that the friendship and comradery between all the contestants does not really come across on the show, but we're all still in touch and still laughing together.

Now, it's Sunday and what happens today? - cake and Little House on the Prarie. It's been a tradition since I made a new years resolution a couple of years ago that we should all sit down together to have tea and cake on a Sunday. Last year for christmas I got a box set of Little H' on the P' and it has become an integral part of this ritual.

Todays cake was a bit retro purely because it included glace cherries. I'm not that enamoured with them but onced chopped and added to ground almonds they're not half bad. Glace cherries have a tendency to sink to the bottom of cakes when baking. The trick is to give them a good rinse under a tap, pat them dry, coat in a little flour then add them to your mix.

CHERRY & ALMOND SLICE

150g Glace Cherries chopped, washed and floured

250g Self Raising Flour

200g Sunflower Margarine

180g Sugar

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Almond Essence

100g Ground Almonds

4 tbsp Milk

Heat the oven to 160C Fan.

Put everything apart from the cherries in a free standing mixer and mix well. If you're doing it by hand, cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour, eggs and almond essence. Next add the ground almonds then when it's all combined add the cherries. If you've used a mixer fold the cherries in by had as they can get a little smooshed by the whisk.

Pour into a lined baking tin. Mine measured 25cm x 19cm, then bake for 35-40 minutes, turning round after the first 20 minutes to get a nice even bake.

I've covered mine with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice then topped with cherries for that proper 70's cake shop look but you could also have it warm with a bit of custard (or evap Sean say's)

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK FOUR

2011-09-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure by now that most of you will have seen the car crash that were my Macarons on week four of 'The Bake Off' If you haven't, just move along, nothing to see here, keep going.

I was always dreading getting as far as week four because of Macarons, what's wrong with good old fashioned coconut macaroons with rice paper on the bottom, I like those and the image they conjur up of Mrs Overall from 'Acorn Antiques' carrying a wonky tray laden with said delights.

No it had to be the french one's for 'The Great British Bake Off!' I must have made thousands of them I kid you not, but could I get the hang of the darn things. Perhaps I'm not precise or literal enough and my Macarons got a little lost in translation. I've never claimed to have any finess when it came to fiddly things and they're not something you can freestyle with, alter something slightly and you're stuffed. I like to be able to add a little of my personality to by baking, a little heart but maybe my heart was just not in it, I don't know but what ever the reason, it was never going to happen for me.

My flavours however, did win them over, Paul really liked the coconut and pineapple and Sue thought that the chocolate and lime were in her top 3 favourite bakes from both series, so I did get something right.

Coconut & Pineapple

Coffee & Walnut

Chocolate & Lime

The Pistachio & Chocolate Biscotti also went down well, Paul said he would have liked more nuts (I'm saying nothing!) but the bake was perfect and Mary said I'd been very clever for getting it so right. They have also now given me my first ever credit on the BBC Food website, Woohoo, it's like having my name in lights and makes me grin broadly.

90G Plain Flour

½ tsp Baking Powder

55g Sugar

35g Pistachios

20g Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Egg

½ tsp Vanilla paste

Preheat oven to 160C. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well to form a dough.

Knead dough on a floured surface till smooth.

Shape into a log on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool. Cut into thin slices. Place slices onto baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes till crisp.

In these I've used half pistachios and half hazelnuts along with chocolate chips. You can add all sorts to change the flavours. Use different nuts, macadamia, pecan, almond or dried fruits such as cherries, blueberries and cranberries. If you want add flavours like coffee, orange or cinnamon there are no limits.

I'm off to make some coconut macaroons now, where's the rice paper?

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK THREE

2011-08-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

It was bread this week and we were all very nervous about what Paul would have to say about our efforts. I do like to make bread, of all the things to bake it gives me the most sense of achievement when I produce something nice - For me, It's easy to get wrong and hard to get right.

In the past I have shied away from loaves and made less temperamental breads like stromboli and fougasse. Bread does scare me a little so I had to really get to grips with my reservations and work hard on coming up with original recipes that I could guarantee would work, have lots of flavour and offer something different.

We started with our signature free form loaf. I have issues with adding ingredients to my bread, I just don't seem to get good results once I add any extras so I new I had to find something that would add lots of flavour but not affect the structure of the dough

Dukkah is a middle eastern spice mix traditionally used as a side dish eaten with olive oil and bread. The name Dukkah is derived from the Arabic for 'to pound' as the mixture of spices and nuts are pounded together after being dry roasted. I also use it on roasted meats , in stews and on pizzas and now in bread.

50g Blanched Almonds or Hazelnuts

50g Sesame Seeds

25g Coriander Seeds

5g Cumin Seeds

1/2tsp Salt Flakes

1/4tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Dried Thyme

Put the corriander seeds, cumin seeds, hazelnuts and sesame seeds in a pan and dry roast them till they start to brown and pop. The aroma is fantastic. Remove them from the pan immediately as they will continue to toast and they may burn. Add the remaining ingredients and either use a pestle and mortar to grind them together or whizz them in a mini chopper. I like it a little chunky and to have texture but you can make it as fine as you like.

Dough

500g Strong White Bread Flour

15g Yeast

10g Salt

40g Butter

300g Water

50g Dukkah

A little Olive Oil

Rub the butter into the flour, add the yeast, salt and dukkah and combine. Add the water and mix till it all comes together, I find it easier to use a knife for this. You want to start with quite a wet dough. Put a little olive oil on the surface, this will help it to not stick when kneading. Knead for 10 minutes - if you can manage it, till smooth. If it does start to stick, add a little more oil to the surface or dust yout hands lightly with flour. Try not to add too much flour to your dough though as it will become tough and you will achieve hard bread.

Form the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Rest for 1 hour to double in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and 'knock it back' to it's original size. Now shape it into a ball and rest for a further hour on a baking stone covered with a tea towel. After the hour the dough will have doubled again, cut marks into the loaf and bake at 200C for 40 minutes.

PESTO BREAD

Because I'd used a normal bread dough for the signature loaf I wanted something different for the first of my two rolls. This pesto bread is made with an olive oil dough but rather than use just olive oil, I have used the oil to make the pesto and added that.

Olive oil dough has a lovely soft stretchy texture, I actually prefer to use it for most of my bread, it's good for pizza bases too.

Pesto

50g Basil 30g Pinenuts

30g Pecorino 1 clove Garlic

85ml Olive Oil Salt & Pepper to Season

Whizz all the ingredients together in a mini chopper or processor till you have a lovely sloppy green paste.

Dough

500g Strong White Bread Flour

15g Yeast

10g Salt

320g Water

3 Tblsp Pesto

Mix the flour, yeast and salt. Combine the water with the pesto and mix into the flour with a knife to form a dough. Knead it on a lightly oiled surface for 10 minutes till smooth. Now return the dough to the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Rest for 1 hour till doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and 'knock back' to original size. Divide it into 12 pieces, they should weigh about 80g each. Roll each one into a sausage then tie them into knots. Rest them on the baking sheet or stone and cover with a tea towel. Rest for a further hour to double again.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200C

SWEET COCONUT ROLLS

So, I've used a regular dough and an olive oil dough, now for a sweet dough. This was the bread that made Mary like coconut. It reminds me of my mum's chelsea buns, she replaced the usual sultanas with a mixture of toasted coconut, butter and sugar, every time I taste it I'm transported back to my childhood.

You can eat this bread as it is, still warm from the oven is best but it also goes great with a really hot curry, the sweetness helps combat the heat from the chilli, a bit like peshwari naan.

Coconut Filling

100g Dessicated Coconut

50g Demerara Sugar

50g Butter

500g Strong White Bread Flour

15g Yeast

60g Butter

40g Sugar

10g Salt

2 Eggs

200g Milk

25g Dessicated Coconut

1 tsp Icing Sugar

Make the coconut filling. Toast all the coconut in a dry pan till it browns. Remove it from the pan as it will continue to toast and burn. Remove 25g and set aside for the dough. Now put the butter and sugar in the pan and heat till the butter has melted. Once they have both melted add the remaining coconut and stir to combine.

Now make the dough. Stir the icing sugar into the 25g of coconut and set aside. Warm the milk slightly in a pan. Rub the butter into the flour. Add the yeast, sugar, salt and coconut with icing sugar and stir to combine. Mix in the eggs and milk with a knife and knead for 10 minutes on a slightly oiled surface till smooth. Return the dough to the bowl and cover. Leave to prove for an hour till doubled in size.

The Faffy Bit

Remove from bowl and 'knock back' to original size. Divide the dough into 12 neat balls, they should weigh about 80g each. This is where it gets tricky but only slightly, To form each one, roll each into a disc about 5mm thick and cover with a spoon of coconut filling. Cut from the centre to the edge of the disc then roll it up from the cut edge to form a cone shape. Tuck the dough at the larger end in on itself to make a base, sit the base in the surface and use your thumb to push the point of the cone into the centre and form a dimple. Rest for a further hour on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with a tea towel.

Because it is a sweet dough it can burn if the temperature is too high so bake it at 160C for 20-30 minutes.

BREAD BASKET

If that wasn't enough we had to make a display basket for our rolls. 15 years in child care teaches you something about play dough along with cutting and sticking so that's just what I did!

My friend Ann always buys the most perfect presents and she gave me these fantastic leaf cutters. The whole thing was simple and effective but it was the cutters that made it - with a little help from me!

Salt Dough

2 Cups Plain Flour and Extra for Rolling

1 Cup Salt

1 Cup Warm Water

1 tsp Oil

1 Egg White to glaze and stick extra leaves on

I baked mine for 30 minutes at 140C on the outside then removed the bowl and did it for a further 30 minutes.

Once it's baked glaze the whole thing with egg white and glue on the extra baked leaves also with egg white. Bake for a further 10 minutes.

CHRYSANTHEMUM CUP CAKES

2011-08-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, how excited was I to discover how to make these. I think the effect is so stunning yet it's really easy to do. You'll want to try it to see for yourself I'm sure.

I've made cup cakes using a basic victoria sponge. Actually they were chocolate & banana swirled together.

Next top with butter cream ready for the petals.

To make each petal you'll need coloured sugar and mini marshmallows, you know the kind they pile on top of your hot chocolate in cafes. I coloured my own sugar by mixing it with colour paste. Use colour paste rather than liquid as it would make it too wet. I mix it in a sieve and it gets any lumps out. Keep any left over in a jar ready for next time, and there will be a next time. Already I can't wait to do them again.

Now for the clever bit. Use scissors to snip each marshmallow in half diagonally. This gives you a sticky edge on the cut, dip this edge into the sugar and voila, you have a petal. You will see that it already has a flat edge, use this side to stick it onto the cake. Start with the outside edge and complete 3 rings. Finish with one in the centre. You will need about 16 marshmallows for each cake.

How easy is that, I told you!

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK TWO

2011-08-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

Tarts were on the menu this week and it was all about not having a soggy bottom, sloppy middle or a burnt top. My quiche came very close to all three due to having my oven set for me at the wrong function. It was on bottom heat only which meant that when I put my filling in all that liquid was sitting on my pastry for a good 30 minutes not cooking and possible making it wetter and wetter.

Quelle horreur! All was not lost though. Once I realised, I adjusted the setting and whacked up the temperature then hoped for the best. It worked! hoorah! and they liked it, not a soggy bottom in sight but due to the lack of time it was slightly unset in the very centre. Still, it past muster and was gobbled up by the crew.

I have to say I do like quiche. I think they have a bit of a bad reputation and can be seen as a little retro but not in a good way. However, depending on your filling it can be bang on. I recently made quiches with samphire & bacon and halloumi & sweet potato (see older posts).

For the show I didn't want to go too off the chart so chose a classic with a slight twist, Smoked Haddock & Watercress with a Pecorino pastry. I used dyed haddock because the yellow and green together are so beautiful and make me think of sitting outside on a sunny day. It's a good idea to use watercress sprigs and pick off the larger stalky bits so you're not chewing through woody bits.

You could use Parmesan instead of Pecorino if you like. Pecorino is made from ewes milk instead of cows milk and has a milder but more salty taste. Because of this and the haddock being quite salty I have not added any more salt but lots of white pepper.

The pastry has half marg and half white vegetable fat, this gives it a more short and crisp bake. I have no qualms about using machinery to help with making pastry and use my beloved launderette yellow freestanding mixer for this, I have very hot hands which are not good for pastry so it helps not having to handle it too much, I know Paul is disapproving of this but I'm still making my own pastry and if he wants to challenge me to a 'Pastry Off' I'm sure our school fair could accommodate him.

SMOKED HADDOCK & WATERCRESS QUICHE

Pastry
200g Plain Flour
40g Sunflower Margarine
40g Cookeen
20g Pecorino

Filling
1 Onion chopped
1 Stick of Celery finely chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil
375g Dyed Skinless Boneless Smoked Haddock Fillet
2 Bay Leaves
3/4 Pint Full Fat Milk
75g Watercress
3 Eggs
White Pepper
Pecorino to finish

Preheat the oven to 160c fan. (Not Bottom Cook)

Make your pastry. Rub all the ingredients together till they resemble fine bread crumbs. Grating the white fat helps as it can be quite hard. Add a little cold water to form it into a soft dough. Knead it slightly on a lightly floured surface till it becomes smooth.

Roll out the pastry and line a deep flan tin. I use a 24cm / 9.5" tin. Line it with parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans then bake for a further 8-10 minutes to finish off.

While the pastry is cooking, poach the fish in the milk and bay leaves till it's just starting to come apart, about 10 minutes. Break the bay leaves in half to help it release the flavour. Once the haddock is poached, discard the bay leaves, separate the fish and milk and allow them to cool.

Use the olive oil to fry the onion and celery then line your cooked pastry shell with them. Add 2/3 of the watercress then gently flake the fish in. Top with the remaining watercress.

Mix the eggs and white pepper into the milk and pour over the filling. Finish with grated Pecorino. Cook for 30-35 minutes turning half way to get an even browning.

The 'Show Stopper Challenge' was 2 different miniature tarts, 12 of each. I was very pleased with the results of mine but unfortunately they did not get the television debut they so rightly deserved. Paul thought they were absolutely delicious and the pastry was the thinnest there! So, here is what you missed.

CHOCOLATE & ORANGE

WITH

CINNAMON & ORANGE PASTRY

BLUEBERRY & HAZELNUT
WITH
HAZELNUT PASTRY

It's a bit like a Bakewell tart but not.

For the programme I made a blueberry compote by covering bluberries with sugar in a pan then heating till you get a thick syrupy mush but St Dalfour and Bonne Maman both do lovely blueberry jams if you can't be doing with that.

Ground hazelnuts are not readily available in the supermarket so I get whole ones and grind them myself in my mini chopper. The pastry is enough for 24 but you could freeze half if you like or, as I did for these photos, make a large pastry shell and freeze that ready for another bake.

The tart tin I used is from , Lakeland. I love it and Mary was very taken with it too saying it was very different and clever. It's non stick and each square has a loose bottom so the tarts just slide out. I use a round cutter and miraculously they fit in the square hole, is it magic? I don't know but it works. That's my top tip done!

Pastry
125g Sunflower Margarine
100g Plain Flour
100g Ground Hazelnuts
25g Icing Sugar
1 Egg

Filling
65g Sunflower Margarine
65g Sugar
1 Egg
75g Ground Hazelnuts
15g Plain Flour
2 tbsp of Blueberry Jam
1 Punnet of Blueberries
Icing Sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 160c

Make the pastry, Rub all the ingredients together then add the egg to form the dough. Knead a little on a lightly floured surface. You may have to add a little more flour, the oil from the nuts makes it very soft and difficult to use. Fill each tart case and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes. This helps to prevent shrinkage when it's baking.

Now mix together the Marg, sugar, egg, hazelnuts and flour. Give it a good beating till it's all combined.

You now need 1/2 tsp of the blueberry jam in each case. If you put too much in it will bubble out at the sides. Top the jam with a good tsp of the hazelnut mixture then pop 3 blueberries on top.

Bake for 20 minutes then leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Once they have cooled dust with icing sugar.

Next week it's bread and the most stressful technical challenge!

Chocolate & Pistachio Battenburg

2011-08-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

It's now been well documented that I don't like marzipan. This could be the reason I'm not keen on fruit cake either as it quite often comes encased in the stuff.

So, is Battenburg worth the effort when you consider the marzipan factor. I've tried too alternatives, Coffee & Walnut with Walnut Marzipan and Chocolate & Pistachio with Chocolate Fondant. I have to say the walnut marzipan was a good alternative but although they were both enjoyed greatly by all who ate them, I've come to the conclusion that no, they're not. I'd much rather use the time and effort on a cake that looks just as nice but not necessarily like a chess board....sorry Dot!

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK ONE

2011-08-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Great Brisitsh Bake Off has to have been one of the most exhausting and emotional experiences of my life. Seven years ago I gave birth to my second son, moved house 250 miles and had Christmas all within 2 weeks, it was a walk in the park compared to 'The Bake Off'.

That said, I would not change a thing, actually, I might alter a few recipes, lose some weight and maybe try not to cry so much, but apart from that, Oh yes perhaps sleep more and stress less. I wouldn’t change a thing.

The whole experience has definitely made me a better baker and given me the confidence to have a go at anything but better still, create my own recipes. I used to say I could cook because I could follow a recipe but I didn’t have the expertise to devise my own, I can’t stop myself now and I LOVE IT.

When you watch the programme I really hope it comes across how much fun we all had and how well we all got along, I’ve made some great friends from my fellow bakers, we all clicked from day one, infact on the first day of filming someone asked us if we’d all been away together on a team building exercise when in fact we all met in the pub the night before.

We are all from different walks of life but like minded when it comes to baking. It was so weird for me to be talking to a 19 years old student about puff pastry and meringue with the same enthusiasm

Week one began with our signature cup cakes. We had 2 hours to produce 24 cup cakes using two different flavours. I love cardamom and was determinded to get it in somewhere so my first was a Shrikhand Cup Cake. Shrikhand is an Indian dessert made from strained yoghurt and flavoured with cardamom. My version used cream cheese and fresh tropical fruit which makes it light and refreshing.

My second was a lemon meringue cupcake. On the show I pushed the boat out and made lemon curd from scratch, something I’d never done before. You could of course use a jar from the supermarket instead, sometimes being a good cook is just a matter of knowing when to cheat.

50g Sunflower Margarine

2 tblsp Lemon Curd

1 Egg

125ml Milk

175g Plain Flour

1 1/2tsp Baking Powder

70g Sugar

Zest of 2 Unwaxed Lemons

MERINGUE

2 Egg Whites

300g Sugar

4 tblsp Water

LEMON SYRUP

75g Sugar

Juice of 2 Lemons

LEMON CURD

Zest & Juice of 4 un-waxed Lemons

200g Sugar

100g Butter

3 Eggs

1 Egg Yolk

If you’re making the lemon curd, start with that to allow it time to cool. Put the zest, juice, sugar and cubed butter in a double boiler and whisk till the butter melts.

In a jug mix the eggs with a fork then stir them into the lemon. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes stirring till thick and heavy, remove it from double boiler and leave to cool.

Make the cakes. Melt the butter in a pan and allow to cool

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. In a jug measure the milk and add the eggs, butter and lemon curd.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. You can use an electric mixer for this. Divide between 12 cupcake cases and cook for 20-25 mins at 160C. Once cakes are cooked increase oven to 200C.

Make a lemon syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar together till just beginning to boil.

When the cakes are cooked, pierce each one with a toothpick a few times and pour over a dessert spoon of lemon syrup. Top each with a tsp of lemon curd.

Make the meringue topping. I’ve used a method similar to Italian meringue which uses sugar syrup but with this you put all the ingredients into a heat proof bowl and whisk over boiling water with electric hand whisk for 8 minutes till thick.

Pipe the meringue onto each cake and return to the hot oven till browned. This can take just a minute so keep an eye on them.

The Show Stopper Challenge.

We were asked to create a tiered celebration cake in 4 ½ hours. It was to be an impressive and elaborate creation that showed our talent and skill as a baker and cake decorator.

Making fiddly fussy pretty little things is really not me so I decided to go with something that 15 years in child care has taught me - cutting and sticking.

To practice making this for the show I made one for a Royal Wedding street party. I was scared that the original colours might be too bold for Mary and Paul so went for pastels on the day.

Another cheat tip – buy the roll out icing, it’s really not necessary to make it unless you have a camera crew lurking over your shoulder. This recipe makes 1x4", 1x6" and 2x8" cakes

PASSION CAKE

375ml Sunflower Oil

210g Sugar

375g Plain Flour

150g Coconut

3 tsp Mixed Spice

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Bicarb

75g Pecans Chopped

6 eggs

3 tsp Vanilla Paste

375g Carrots grated

1 1/2 x 432g Tins Crushed Pineapple drained

FROSTING

600g Icing Sugar

100g Sunflower Margarine

250g Cream Cheese

ICING

4 Ibs Icing Sugar

4 Egg Whites

200g Liquid Glucose

Colour Pastes

Coloured Balls to decorate

Corn Flour for rolling out

Heat Oven to 160c.

Drain the pineapple in a sieve and discard the juice or drink it with lots of ice (and some Malibu!)

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, coconut, mixed spice, baking powder, bicarb and pecans.

In a jug whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla paste,

Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the grated carrot, pineapple and lime zest and give it a thorough mix till everything is combined.

Divide between lined tins and bake till cooked through. Times will depend on the sizes of cake tins you use. On average a 10” tin will take about 30-40 minutes.

Next make the frosting. In an electric mixer combine the margarine with the sugar then add the cream cheese and vanilla and mix. Keep in fridge till ready to use.

If you’re making the icing, combine the icing sugar with egg white and liquid glucose in an electric mixer. Once it comes together remove it to a surface dusted with corn flour and knead by hand to finish. You can keep this in the fridge to firm up a little till you’re ready to use.

Once the cakes are cooled use the frosting to sandwich them together and to stick the icing to them. I used cutters to make fondant flowers to finish mine but you could just use the frosting, how you decorate it is up to you.

SMOKED SALMON FISH CAKES

2011-08-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Fish cakes can be as fancy or simple as you want them, don't be afraid of swapping flavours like Wasabi or Thai Green Curry Paste. You can leave things out too, I tend not to use the horseradish for children as this can make them "a bit spicy".

I've used 2 packets of smoked salmon trimmings that most supermarkets have now. They're great for something like this, already chopped and cheap as chips at 98p per packet you can't go wrong and no-one will ever know you've used the cheap stuff. I use it mixed with cream cheese for sandwiches and in sushi for people too scared to eat raw fish, you'd be surprised how many people don't realise that technically smoked salmon is raw.

Assembling them can be easy or a phaff depending on how much time you have. I used a round pastry cutter to shape them. Fill it with the mixture then press them out. You could just roll them in a ball and flatten them but wait till the potato has cooled to do this. Cold mash is easier to handle and doesn't burn.

You can use fresh or dried breadcrumbs. I keep breadcrumbs in the freezer made from the end crusts which no-one in our house favours unless it's straight out of the oven.

I've served them here with Hollandaise and Samphire, my ingredient of the month - sorry Sean, I'll lay off it for a bit now. Alternatively spinach tossed in a little butter for 3 minutes over a low heat, fine green beans and of course good old peas go well.

It's worth making a big batch of these and freeze them once they are assembled before you cook them and you've got a meal ready and waiting .

600g Mashing Spuds (You want King Edwards or Maris Pipers ideally)
240g Smoked Salmon Trimmings
5 Spring Onions Chopped
3 Good Tbsp Creme Fraiche
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Creamed Horseradish
Salt & White Pepper
Flour for coating
1 Egg Beaten
Fresh or Dried Breadcrumbs for coating.
2 tsp Dried Dill
Oil for frying

Boil the spuds till soft and beginning to fall apart. Drain and leave them to dry out for 5 minutes, you don't want any excess water. Once they have dried mash them and stir in the smoked salmon, onions, creme fraiche, lemon juice and horseradish and season. Mix it all thoroughly together.

Add the dill to the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and put the egg in another ready for assembling. Sprinkle some flour onto the surface and fill a 3" pastry cutter with your mixture. Sprinkle the top with flour then push it out with a fork. Dip the fishcake into the egg then the breadcrumbs.

I fry them briefly in a little oil now to get them nice and golden and finish them off in the oven at 180c for 15 minutes. You could spray them with a little oil and cook them in the oven completely if you like, it's probably slightly healthier, only slightly though but every little bit helps.

These could just beat Sean's Smash and Savers Tuna Uni' specials....Only just mind!

Double Cheese Muffins

2011-08-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's the holidays which means lots of packed lunches and picnic food. These cheese muffins are so quick and easy to put together and the kids can help too. They're great warm from the oven while the cheese is still melty or cold the next day if they last that long. This recipe uses one of my favourite store cupboard ingredients - Crispy Onions! I love em. You know the ones in a tub, usually in the salad dressing section of the supermarket next to the soya bacon bits. Both are good to have in as an emergency ingredient when you want to supe up your savoury scones or bread.

250g Self Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Bicarb

1/2 tsp Mustard Powder

100g Strong Cheese (1/2 cubed 1/2 grated)

6 tbsp Vegetable Oil

150g Onion & Chives Cottage Cheese

125ml Milk

1 Egg

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Crispy Fried onions

Heat the oven to 180C

Combine all the dry ingredients, apart from the onions in a large bowl. In another bowl or jug, mix all the wet ingredients. Stir the wet into the dry but don't mix too thoroughly, you should have lumps. It's important with muffins that the mixture isn't over worked.

Divide the mixture between your muffin cases and sprinkle on the crispy onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I makes 12-15 depending on the size of your cases and how generously you fill them.

Real Men Do Eat Quiche

2011-08-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

We love quiche in this house. You can have it hot or cold, it's easily transportable for picnics and packed lunches and you can stick anything in it, great for using up left over bits from the bottom of the fridge.

These two were exactly that, I had some bacon, halloumi and sweet potato's in the fridge and came up with these two: Bacon & Samphire and Sweet Potato & Halloumi.

SAMPHIRE & BACON

200g Plain Flour

100g Margarine

Iced Water to mix

250g Bacon
90g Samphire

Knob of Butter

1 Clove Garlic

3 Eggs

3/4 pt Milk

Black Pepper

Samphire is a vegetable that grows wild in marshy areas or close to the sea. It's a bit like very fine asparagus and very salty. I love the flavour and vibrant colour which it doesn't lose when you cook it. If you're not lucky enough the be able to pick it fresh yourself, Asda sell it as one of their 'Extra Special' ingredients.

Make the pastry. Rub the margarine into the flour, you can use a food processor or a free standing mixer for this. When it looks like fine bread crumbs add enough water to form a dough. Line your quiche tin and pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 160 C.

You need to bake the pastry shell blind so line it with some parchment and fill it with baking beans. You can use rice or dried pulses instead if you don't have ceramic beans, they work just as well.

Bake it for 15 minutes then remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 minutes till it's cooked and lightly browned.

While this is finishing snip your bacon into bite size pieces and cook till browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and tip in the samphire with the butter and garlic. Cook this for 2-3 minutes to soften it.

When your shell is baked put the bacon into the base and top with the samphire. Add some freshly ground black pepper, I like lots especially with this, both the bacon and samphire are very salty so don't add any more salt.

Mix your eggs and milk together and pour over your filling. Bake for 30-40 minutes till it's set and browned.

SWEET POTATO & HALLOUMI

200g Plain Flour

100g Margarine

Iced Water to mix

300g Sweet Potato

1 tblsp Oil

250g Block of Halloumi

3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

3 Eggs

3/4 pt Milk

Black Pepper

Make your pastry shell as before. While it's baking cook your sweet potato. Peel and cut it into small cubes about 1cm square. Put them in a pan, coat with the oil and add the thyme leaves. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat till soft and lightly browned. It should take about 20-25 minutes and you'll need to stir it from time to time to stop it sticking.

When the potato is cooked, remove it from the pan. Cut the halloumi the same size as the potato and cook in the same pan. It will only take about 5 minutes for the cheese to brown so keep your eye on it.

Add the potato and halloumi to the shell and pour over your egg and milk mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

There was even a little pastry left over to make a couple of mini quiches with some salami and manchego I found, see what I mean about leftovers!

The Great British Bake Off Book

2011-08-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

How weird is this, I've only gone and got myself in a book and what a good one it is.

This is the book of the show and there are a few familiar faces and recipes too.

Meet my new baking buddies

The programme starts on 16th August at 8pm on BBC2

http://www.bakeoffbook.co.uk/

Strawberry Chocolate Brownie Cheescake

2011-07-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is a variation on a slice from The Hummingbird Bakery. It's lovely on a sunny day with a cold glass of something. The strawberry's really help cut through the rich chocolate base so it's not too sickly sweet and means it's easier to have that second slice. The Hummingbird Bakery use raspberries I think which are possibly a little sharper but just as good.

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIE BASE

100g Dark Chocolate

100g Margarine

130g Icing Sugar

2 Eggs

60g Plain Flour

CHEESECAKE
200g Cream Cheese
80g Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Paste
1 Egg

STRAWBERRY TOPPING
150ml Double Cream
50g Icing Sugar
80g Chopped Strawberry's plus more to decorate

Heat the oven to 170 C

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and leave to cool slightly. Mix the remaining brownie ingredients till well combined, I use my freestanding mixer - my beloved Kitchen Aid in launderette yellow. Now add the melted chocolate, resisting the urge to stick your head under the flow.

Pour the mixture into your lined baking tin. Mine measured 25cm x 19cm.

Next mix your cheesecake ingredients in a clean bowl, I'm not lucky enough to have extra bowls for my mixer but they are on my birthday/christmas list if anyone is interested oh and a splatter guard please.

Pour this onto the brownie base and bake for 25-30 minutes. It might rise and crack slightly but once cooled it shrinks back down and any cracks disappear, plus you'll be smothering it in cream.

It's best to leave it over night in the fridge before you put the topping on. Put the cream, icing sugar and strawberry's in the mixer and whip till thick but still a little loose. It will firm up further on it's own. Decorate with sliced strawberry's.

It doesn't last long in our house but I did manage to hide a slice and it was still good after 3 days.

West Kirby Primary School Fair

2011-07-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things to love about our school fair. The great live jazz played by two of our parents, chicken poo lotto - will it ever poo on my number?! The Pimms stall and my children buying back the toys that I donated saying "I used to have one of these, they're great" to name but a few.

These were simple to make and really effective.

I cut these owls out of a t-towel and sewed them onto t-shirts.

I also love being part of it and having my own stall selling home produce. But the very best part is having returning customers each year. I unfortunately disappointed a small boy this year by not having his favourite sausage & apple pie - sorry Joe

The pies always go down well, Saturdays included:

Chicken & Stuffing
Ham & Egg
Cheese & Potato
Goats Cheese & Onion

I also had scotch eggs, meat samosas, chocolate brownies and fruit scones. There was also a good selection of jams which included strawberry, mango, mixed fruit (a collection of the last of the home grown berries from the freezer) blueberry & strawberry and a marrow & ginger jam which generated a lot of discussion. Marrow jam is something I remember my mother making and I've pimped this a little and added ginger and lemon. Don't be scared of the marrow, it really has no taste but gives it a similar texture to pineapple.

Marrow & Ginger Jam
1kg Marrow, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 Lemons, Juice & Zest
1kg Jam Sugar (with added pectin)
50g Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated

Put the marrow in a large pan with half the lemon juice and cook on a low heat till the marrow becomes soft but not mushy, it should look translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir till the sugar dissolves. Bring it to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes till it reaches setting point. You could use a jam thermometer but if you don't have one pop a saucer in the freezer before you start the jam then when you're ready take it out and put a small spoon of jam onto it. Leave it a minute to cool then run your finger through the jam, if it has a skin and wrinkles it's ready.

Pour you jam into sterilised jars and leave to cool.

Birthday Cup Cakes 'Gluten Free'

2011-06-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

I discovered the best book on baking gluten free cakes last summer, 'Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache' by Harry Eastwood. She uses rice flour, ground almonds and vegetables like swede and butternut squash to substitute wheat flours.

Usually gluten free cakes can be either a bit stodgy and don't rise or just very dry - these are not! They are beautifully soft and light.

These cup cakes were baked with a little help from my daughter as a birthday gift for my mother-in-law. Luckily there were a few extra for us.

We baked Cappuccino Cup Cakes with sweet potato and Lavender Cup Cakes with courgette. Both have a mascarpone frosting.

Saturday Lunch

2011-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

My Dad is visiting this weekend so I want to make a bit of effort with the food but he's also having to fit in around all the comings and goings and general busyness of the household. The morning was taken up taxi-ing children to various classes or parties followed in the afternoon with a trip to Port Sunlight for a spot of culture at the LadyLever Gallery

Something quick for lunch was needed and these cheese scones are perfect. 10 minutes to make and 20 minutes to cook they are delicious straight from the oven and topped with some butter.

I've adapted this recipe from my McDougalls Better Baking book which was given to me when I was about 10 from a friend of my mothers who saved tokens from flour bags. It's very dog eared and has a lot of cellotape keeping it together but I refer to it all the time.

This recipes makes about 6 depending on the size of your cutter but they're not going to go very far so I tend to multiply it by 4 and if there are any left they go in the freezer for another day or a lunch box. I've also added some crispy onions, you know the sort you get in a tub to sprinkle on salads, soya bacon bits are good too.

200g Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Wholegrain Mustard
Pinch of White Pepper & Salt
35g Butter
75g Grated Cheese
30g Crispy Onions
100ml Milk

Start off with the flour, mustard, S&P and butter in your processor or mixer and mix till butter is all rubbed in. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the milk and combine everything. Slowly add the milk while mixing until it forms a dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead till smooth. Roll it out to about an inch thick and cut them out using a 3" cutter. Lay the scones onto a baking tray and brush with milk. Grate a little pecorino on top and bake at 220C for 15-20 minutes.

Teacup Pin Cushion for the Cheshire Show

2011-06-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Cheshire WI have a huge marquee at the annual Cheshire Show held in Knutsford and for many it's the main even of the year. WI members are asked to compete in different categories, ie Baking, Craft, Flower Arranging, Preservation etc. You can enter as an individual or as a group. I decided to enter into the spirit and have a go at craft and baking. This years theme is 'Books Books Books'

My Craft entry is this pin cushion which took for ever but I found I had lots of time recently traveling up and down to london on the train so that helped. The title of this category was 'A Modern Classic' and hopefully I've interpreted the title well. I shall find out tomorrow how I've done, let's hope they're not too critical!

Here's how I did it.........

First I had to make the flower layers. I drew each flower onto 'Bondaweb' from a template then ironed it onto felt. Next each flower was cut out and the "Bondaweb backing removed, I used nail scissors to cut them out as they were so small and fiddly. Then began sewing each flower together.

Once the flowers were complete I made a cushion from wadding and muslin to fit inside the tea cup.

I then had to sew the flowers onto the cushion and fixed the cushion into the cup with hot glue. I also used hot glue to fasten the cup to the saucer

UPDATE - I scored 14 out of 20 and they made the comment that I should have used "More technique, more points"........Well I love it.

Baking for The Cheshire Show

The baking categorie was titled 'Sugar, Spice & All Things Nice' and I made my friend Katrina's apple cake. I've been looking for a good apple cake recipe for about a year and then whilst at Katrina's one evening she appeared with just what I 'd been searching for. It's so moist and has big chunks of apple running through it with a few sultanas thrown in for good measure.

I'm sure the WI experts will have something to say about it not being very neat or the fact that they can see marks from the parchment lining the tin but I'm happy with it and like it's rustic-ness. Everyone who eats it loves it too, including a couple of people I met in London recently!

APPLE CAKE RECIPE

150g Butter

150g Sugar

3 Eggs

250g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp Mixed Spice

4floz Milk

100g Sultanas

2 Bramley Apples peeled, cored and chopped into chunks

Cinnamon

Demerara Sugar

Throw everything apart from the apples, cinnamon and demerara sugar into a mixer and combine. Fold the apples through and transfer to a 10" x 8" roasting tin lined with parchment. Sprinkle over some cinnamon and enough demerara sugar to cover it. You want a nice crust when it's cooked. Bake for about 45-55 minutes @ 180C or 160 fan oven / 350F / Gas 5.

I've drizzled over a little lemon icing but it's also great left plain and eaten with custard

UPDATE - I scored 15 1/2 out of 20 for the cake. They don't explain how they score unfortunately, it would be helpful.

Wirral Belles at The Cheshire Show

My WI, Wirral Belles also entered two group categories. The first was titled 'A Travelers Tale' and it's the largest category you can enter needing six different items to display. Everyone thinks we've been "very brave" as first timers to enter such a comprehensive class but it's a bit all or nothing with us and we thought if we were going to do it we may as well do it big time.

Our chosen book was 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe' and We are all so pleased with what we came up with, especially for first timers. We had The Snow Queens tiara, A chocolate log, forest fruits jam and a knitted lion

My contribution was a box of turkish delight - what a nightmare to make, I shan't be doing that again in a hurry and some meringue snowballs. Oh, I also made those papier mache rocks that will be featuring in Archie's school play on Thursday.

The second category was smaller with just three items to display and was titled 'Holiday Guide'. We of course chose Wirral and had a mini beach to exhibit everything. I made the ice-cream cupcakes and we also had a shell charm bracelet and a fabric picture.

UPDATE - We did so well and are very proud with the results. The Narnia piece scored 120 1/2 out of 160 and the Wirral piece scored 52 out of 80. They really loved the staging and interpretation and we got full marks for both, infact we were in contention with another WI for the special staging award.

Can't wait till next year, we'll be more sussed about it all and they won't be able to stop us.

Picnic Lunch [in a loaf]

2011-06-14T12:29:00.001-07:00

This was lunch for Lorraine, Louise and myself when we went to the WI AGM at the Echo Arena in Liverpool this month. I made the middle into bread crumbs and mixed it with pesto then layered it back in with ham, mozzarella, tomatoes, rocket, chicken, boiled egg and roasted peppers. You could also try it with tuna instead of the meat, that goes really well.

It's best made the day before and tied up tightly with a napkin to compact it all together. It was rather a lot for 3 but we coped and even managed to squeeze in a bit of rocky road....or 2!

Archies Red Nose Day Biscuits :)

2011-06-14T12:19:00.001-07:00

WOW! look at Archie's 'Red Nose Day' biscuits. He made these fondant icing faces on digestive biscuits for his class.

Pink And Rosy!

2011-06-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've made this cake a few times now and it's always received with gasps of amazement yet it's really simple to put together. Each cupcake is pushed into a block of oasis using cocktail sticks and the gaps are filled with ivy done in the same way.

It makes a good mothers day or birthday cake. It was once used as a centre piece at an afternoon tea and went untouched for quite a while until guests realised it was edible.

Face

2011-06-14T11:54:00.001-07:00

More multi-culoured Cupcakes

2011-06-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

White Loaf

2011-06-14T11:39:00.001-07:00

Chelsea Buns

2011-06-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

First attempt at chelsea buns with my new love of bread making. It was 2 hours in the making and 10 minutes in the eating. I had to make one row without raisins for Archie, just not the same though. Next time I'm going to try it with coconut like my mother used to, that should stir up some memories.

Ishihara Plate- Painting

2011-06-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it took me to paint this but I love the finished piece. I had to draw each circle individually in 3 different sizes then painted each one making sure that there were no 2 colours the same next to each other the same size....does that make sense?

Most people get the number straight away but there have been a couple who can't see it and my Father thought he could see a rabbit! Some have asked why 45, I just liked the shape.

Take the ishihara color vision test HERE

Lemon Cake [gluten free]

2011-06-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Blues

2011-06-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake

2011-06-14T11:28:00.000-07:00