Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
1/2 tsp butter, for greasing pan
8 ounces 'McVities' rich tea or 'Digestive' biscuits (I used Digestives)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used just 1/4 and grinded it to a powder)
4 ounces good dark chocolate 113g
1 egg, beaten
8 ounces good dark chocolate, for icing
1 ounce good white chocolate, for decoration (I omitted this and use some dessicated coconut n nuts instead)
Optional (my suggestion):
4 oz or half a cup of crushed pistachios, hazelnuts, cashewnuts and almonds
Lightly grease a small 6" x 2 1/2" cake ring with 1/2 teaspoon butter, and place on a parchment-lined tray.
TIP: A cake ring is like a cake pan but without the bottom, so its just the circle. This will make it easier to remove the cake once it sets, so try and use something similar but if you don't have one, then line a bowl with aluminium, enough that the edges of foil extend outside the bowl so you can later lift the cake out of the bowl without destroying its' shape.
Break each of the biscuits into almond-sized pieces by hand and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is a light lemon colour.
Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate in a double boiler. Add the butter and sugar mixture to the chocolate, stirring constantly. Add the egg and continue stirring. Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.
Add the crushed nuts for a fuller flavoured cake, if you desire.
Spoon the chocolate biscuit mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring, because this will be the top when it is unmolded. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours or until it sets firmly.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator, and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate for icing. Slide the ring off the cake and turn the cake upside down onto a cooling rack.
Pour 8 ounces of melted dark chocolate over the cake, and smooth the tops and sides using a butter knife or offset spatula. Allow the chocolate icing to set at room temperature. Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where it has stuck to the cooling rack, and transfer the cake to a cake dish. Melt the white chocolate and drizzle on top of the cake in a decorative pattern or garnish with nuts and dessicated coconut.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Spiced potato cake with mint raita
Ingredients:
Ingredients
1.3kg medium potatoes , peeled and halved
125g butter
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds (onion seeds)
2 thumb-size pieces of fresh ginger , peeled and finely shredded
2 onions , halved and thinly sliced
1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
4-5 fresh green chilli , deseeded and sliced
2 x 15g packs fresh coriander
200g frozen peas
juice of 1 large lime
200g filo pastry
200g pack baby spinach
500g Greek yogurt
4 tbsp coconut cream
2 tbsp mint sauce
Method:
1.Put half the potatoes in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Add the remaining potatoes and simmer for 12 mins until just tender (boiling the potatoes like this will mean that some will be more cooked than others). Drain, then dice.
2. Meanwhile, melt 85g/3oz of the butter in a large pan and fry the cumin, fennel and nigella seeds until they start to crackle. Stir in the ginger and onions, then cook for 10 mins, stirring frequently until the onions are tender.
3. Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and chillies, cook for a min, then add the potatoes and cook, turning them in the from the turmeric. Take off the heat. Chop half the coriander leaves and add to the potatoes, along with a heaped tsp salt, the peas and lime juice. Stir well and set aside.
4. Melt the remaining butter. Line the base and sides of a greased 23cm clip-sided or loose-based cake tin with filo pastry, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter as you lay them, butter-side down, in the tin - build up several layers so that the pastry is an even thickness all over. Allow plenty of excess pastry to hang over the tin. Put the spinach in the microwave and cook according to the pack instructions. Squeeze out all the excess juice and season.
5. Tip half the potato filling into the tin, pack down, then cover with the spinach. Top with the remaining filling, then fold over the excess pastry to cover the filling, brush with more butter and scatter with nigella seeds. You can now chill the pie overnight if you want to get ahead.
6. To serve: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and crispy. Meanwhile, tip the yogurt, coconut cream and remaining coriander into a food processor with the mint sauce and some seasoning, and whizz until smooth. Serve with a green salad tossed with chopped bananas coated in lime juice, finely chopped red onion and a handful of sugar-coated cashews.
Filo pastry
Some brands of filo pastry can be quite heavily dusted with flour, which makes it quite dry when baked. It's simple to avoid this - just brush it off with a soft bristle pastry brush before buttering.
Per serving
611 kcalories, protein 17g, carbohydrate 70g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 19g, fibre 6g, sugar 10g, salt 1.5 g
Ingredients
1.3kg medium potatoes , peeled and halved
125g butter
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds (onion seeds)
2 thumb-size pieces of fresh ginger , peeled and finely shredded
2 onions , halved and thinly sliced
1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
4-5 fresh green chilli , deseeded and sliced
2 x 15g packs fresh coriander
200g frozen peas
juice of 1 large lime
200g filo pastry
200g pack baby spinach
500g Greek yogurt
4 tbsp coconut cream
2 tbsp mint sauce
Method:
1.Put half the potatoes in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Add the remaining potatoes and simmer for 12 mins until just tender (boiling the potatoes like this will mean that some will be more cooked than others). Drain, then dice.
2. Meanwhile, melt 85g/3oz of the butter in a large pan and fry the cumin, fennel and nigella seeds until they start to crackle. Stir in the ginger and onions, then cook for 10 mins, stirring frequently until the onions are tender.
3. Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and chillies, cook for a min, then add the potatoes and cook, turning them in the from the turmeric. Take off the heat. Chop half the coriander leaves and add to the potatoes, along with a heaped tsp salt, the peas and lime juice. Stir well and set aside.
4. Melt the remaining butter. Line the base and sides of a greased 23cm clip-sided or loose-based cake tin with filo pastry, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter as you lay them, butter-side down, in the tin - build up several layers so that the pastry is an even thickness all over. Allow plenty of excess pastry to hang over the tin. Put the spinach in the microwave and cook according to the pack instructions. Squeeze out all the excess juice and season.
5. Tip half the potato filling into the tin, pack down, then cover with the spinach. Top with the remaining filling, then fold over the excess pastry to cover the filling, brush with more butter and scatter with nigella seeds. You can now chill the pie overnight if you want to get ahead.
6. To serve: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and crispy. Meanwhile, tip the yogurt, coconut cream and remaining coriander into a food processor with the mint sauce and some seasoning, and whizz until smooth. Serve with a green salad tossed with chopped bananas coated in lime juice, finely chopped red onion and a handful of sugar-coated cashews.
Filo pastry
Some brands of filo pastry can be quite heavily dusted with flour, which makes it quite dry when baked. It's simple to avoid this - just brush it off with a soft bristle pastry brush before buttering.
Per serving
611 kcalories, protein 17g, carbohydrate 70g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 19g, fibre 6g, sugar 10g, salt 1.5 g
Minced Beef Wellington
Ingredients:
Ingredients
1.0kg minced beef
100.0g tomato ketchup
4 eggs
3 onions , finely chopped
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
small handful sage , chopped
handful parsley , chopped
25.0g butter
200.0g mushrooms , finely chopped
500.0g pack puff pastry
Method:
1.Mix the beef with the ketchup, 3 eggs, seasoning and 100ml water in a table-top mixer for 5 mins - or squeeze and squelch with your hands in a bowl. Mix in the onions, half the garlic and herbs.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Press the meat into a sausage shape about 30cm x 10cm on a baking tray. Cook for 20 mins then remove and leave to cool.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 3 mins. Add remaining garlic and cook for a further 2 mins, pouring off the excess water from the mushrooms.
4. Roll pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap up the beef. Beat remaining egg with a little water and brush over pastry.
5. Spread the mushroom mix into a meatloaf-size strip along the middle of the pastry. Sit the meat on top then cut pastry either side into strips from the meat outwards. Criss-cross these over the meat to enclose and tuck under ends. Brush with more egg, then place on a tray and cook for 40 mins, covering after 30 mins if going too brown.
Creamy mash
Boil 2kg chunked potatoes for 10 mins until cooked then drain and leave to steam dry. While still piping hot mash with 100g butter, 100ml full-fat milk and season to taste. Serve with a touch more butter melting over the top.
PER SERVING
640 kcalories, protein 33.0g, carbohydrate 27.0g, fat 45.0 g, saturated fat 20.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 7.0g, salt 1.42 g
Ingredients
1.0kg minced beef
100.0g tomato ketchup
4 eggs
3 onions , finely chopped
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
small handful sage , chopped
handful parsley , chopped
25.0g butter
200.0g mushrooms , finely chopped
500.0g pack puff pastry
Method:
1.Mix the beef with the ketchup, 3 eggs, seasoning and 100ml water in a table-top mixer for 5 mins - or squeeze and squelch with your hands in a bowl. Mix in the onions, half the garlic and herbs.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Press the meat into a sausage shape about 30cm x 10cm on a baking tray. Cook for 20 mins then remove and leave to cool.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 3 mins. Add remaining garlic and cook for a further 2 mins, pouring off the excess water from the mushrooms.
4. Roll pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap up the beef. Beat remaining egg with a little water and brush over pastry.
5. Spread the mushroom mix into a meatloaf-size strip along the middle of the pastry. Sit the meat on top then cut pastry either side into strips from the meat outwards. Criss-cross these over the meat to enclose and tuck under ends. Brush with more egg, then place on a tray and cook for 40 mins, covering after 30 mins if going too brown.
Creamy mash
Boil 2kg chunked potatoes for 10 mins until cooked then drain and leave to steam dry. While still piping hot mash with 100g butter, 100ml full-fat milk and season to taste. Serve with a touch more butter melting over the top.
PER SERVING
640 kcalories, protein 33.0g, carbohydrate 27.0g, fat 45.0 g, saturated fat 20.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 7.0g, salt 1.42 g
Cheese Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet/1.5 tsp fast-action yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp clear honey
2 garlic cloves , crushed
25g soft butter
100g mature cheddar , grated
handful thyme leaves
Method:
1.Measure the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Mix 300ml hand-hot water with the oil and honey in a jug, then pour into the dry mix, stirring all the time to make a soft dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead for 5 mins until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour as you need it. Now stretch it to fit the Swiss roll tin.
3. Mix the garlic with the butter, then dot over the dough. Sprinkle over the cheese and snip over the thyme. Cover the bread with lightly oiled cling film, then leave in a warm place to rise for 40 mins.
4. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Remove the cling film, then bake the bread for 30 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Tip
You can even turn this into pizza by adding ham or tuna with some sliced tomatoes before adding the cheese.
PER SQUARE
215 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 0.61 g
Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet/1.5 tsp fast-action yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp clear honey
2 garlic cloves , crushed
25g soft butter
100g mature cheddar , grated
handful thyme leaves
Method:
1.Measure the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Mix 300ml hand-hot water with the oil and honey in a jug, then pour into the dry mix, stirring all the time to make a soft dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead for 5 mins until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour as you need it. Now stretch it to fit the Swiss roll tin.
3. Mix the garlic with the butter, then dot over the dough. Sprinkle over the cheese and snip over the thyme. Cover the bread with lightly oiled cling film, then leave in a warm place to rise for 40 mins.
4. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Remove the cling film, then bake the bread for 30 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Tip
You can even turn this into pizza by adding ham or tuna with some sliced tomatoes before adding the cheese.
PER SQUARE
215 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 0.61 g
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon 2% milk
BATTER:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FROSTING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
Directions
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thin).
Fill paper-lined jumbo muffin cups half full with batter. Drop scant tablespoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into center of each; cover with remaining batter.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients until smooth; frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen jumbo cupcakes.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 509 calories, 22 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 394 mg sodium, 75 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein.
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon 2% milk
BATTER:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FROSTING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
Directions
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thin).
Fill paper-lined jumbo muffin cups half full with batter. Drop scant tablespoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into center of each; cover with remaining batter.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients until smooth; frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen jumbo cupcakes.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 509 calories, 22 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 394 mg sodium, 75 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein.
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