EASY EASTER & EASTER NESTS

Oh my goodness, I just love these.  They are the easiest treat to make for Easter, and perfect for making with children.  They take no time at all so can be made and eaten within 1/2 an hour.

The only tricky bit is getting hold of the kataifi pastry.  It's a Greek pastry made from shredded filo pastry and looks like shredded wheat.  I usually find it in Mediterranean supermarkets in the freezer section but you can also buy it on line.

150g Kataifi Pastry

20g Butter

20g Sugar

Pinch Mixed Spice

Nutella

Chocolate Mini Eggs

Melt the butter and sugar in a pan and stir in the mixed spice.  Pull apart the pastry and stir it into the melted butter to coat as much as you can.

Now use the pastry to form nests in a muffin tray.  Make sure you push them firmly against the sides and leave a dip for your eggs in the centre.

Bake for 10 minutes at 180C Fan.  They will be crisp and golden.  Leave them to cool slightly in the tray then remove to a cooling rack.

Now put a teaspoon of Nutella in the centre and finish with mini eggs.

HAPPY EASTER

CHOCOLATE HUFF PUFFS

When I was at primary school, or 'in juniors' as we called it, the meals were all very traditional. Roast chicken, meat pie and mash, boiled ham and peas pudding (never really took to this), lots of cabbage and all puddings came with custard.

There was one exception to this however.  On the very odd occasion the school cook would lose all sense of propriety, throw caution to the wind and serve us up the gastronomic banquet  of Spam Fritters, Chips and Beans!  Of course, news of this veritable feast would spread through the school playground like wildfire causing a stampede to be first in line.

There were two possible puddings accompany this meal of the gods, both of which in my humble opinion were in fact the true highlight.  Both of them include ice-cream which to this day features in my   still not complete 'Top 10 Foods I could not live without' - Ice Cream.

The first was a portion of ice cream served floating like a utopia island in a bowl of hot chocolate custard, I know, you want that right now don't you?  The second was a large chocolate cereal biscuit with a portion of ice cream on the side.  The ice cream was inevitably squished onto the top of the biscuit then snuck out into the playground and used to taunt the kids that hadn't made it into the dinner hall yet.

Since leaving school I often thought of that biscuit but it was only a couple of years ago that I realised that what made it different from the humble crispy cake and far more superior was in fact Sugar Puffs. Now here is the recipe in all it's glory to share.  Whilst you read the recipe I shall go and get the ice cream for squishing.

CHOCOLATE HUFF PUFFS

175g Milk Chocolate
50g Butter
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
125g Sugar Puffs

In a large pan slowly melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together.  Once they have melted add the sugar puffs and stir, making sure all the cereal is well coated.

Tip the mixture onto a large piece of baking parchment and use it to form a fat sausage.  Roll it up and twist the ends to keep it all compacted together.

Put the sausage in the fridge and leave to set over night before slicing into biscuits.

Delicious with or without the squished ice cream

CHOCOLATE BUTTONS - A Few Of My Favourite Things

I've decided that sharing recipes is not enough - for too long I have kept some of my favourite kitchen utensils / gadgets / stuff secret because I didn't want everyone else having them too, they are my special things, but that's just selfish really and quite frankly the world needs to know about these brilliant items.  They make me go weak and compel me to stroke them in a loving way while I say 'Precious'  in a slightly sinister way.  It's not healthy is it, so in the name of self help I'm going to share.

I'm starting with my chocolate button moulds. You can't not love these.  I saw them on the first series of GBBO when Miranda Gore Brown used them on her tiered cake chocolate cake.  I trawled the internet and bought a mould but now there are two sizes!  You can have giant buttons which look like they should be worn on a coat by Kirsty Allsopp.  They are silicone so the buttons just pop out and they are easy to clean.








Two of my favourite things combined, chocolate and buttons, can't go wrong really.  They are great to decorate cakes like this Black Forest cup cake - one big button finishing it off, there's nothing cuter.

Or you can just have them as chocolate.  I always like to take a gift when I'm invited round for supper and these do the job nicely. I have made this selection for my lovely friend Elaine, she's very funky and will squeal with delight when she sees them.












If you want to get your hands on the moulds for yourself, I got them from Sew White but beware when you visit their web site - you will want to buy lots of other beautiful things.

Next week A Few of My Favourite Things will be - Pie Funnels

VENISON STEW WITH CHILI & CHOCOLATE

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

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF - WEEK TWO

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

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!