December 2011
18 posts
8 tags
'Which came first' pie
This is my chicken and egg pie. It goes down well with my friends whenever I do it, and so I thought I would share my recipe with you. It is perfect for cold winter evenings, and is as heartwarmingly delicious as it is simple to make.
ingredients (serves 6 - 8)
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
1kg diced chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp...
4 tags
Christmas Toffee Pudding
As much as I love a sticky toffee pudding made with just dates, I like mine to be a little more festive and a little more spiced. So I developed this Xmas spiced version. It isn’t drastically different from its straightforward sibling, but it is definitely much tastier.
ingredients
100g dried, pitted dates
100g dried figs
55g dried apricots
250ml boiling Lady Grey tea (made from water...
Gingery Cocktail Sausages
Cocktail sausages, no matter how twee, should always be found on a cocktail party buffet. To omit them, would be like having christmas without a turkey (don’t get me started!)
These also add a little Asian flavour to any table.
ingredients
80 mini sausages
1 jar ginger preserve
1/4 of that same jar of light soy sauce
Juice of one lemon
a handful of freshly chopped coriander
...
6 tags
fig, fennel seed and goats cheese tartlets
Another perfect cocktail party snack are these tartlets. They can be eaten in one albeit considerable bite, yet the flavours are sophisticated enough for any party; swarve or simple.
ingredients
320g ready rolled short crust pastry
12 dried figs, each chopped into 4
150g goats cheese
A little olive oil for drizzling
2 tbsp fennel seeds
pinch salt and pepper
method
Preheat the oven to...
3 tags
Mushroom and Parmesan Palmiers
When having a cocktail party, I don’t necessarily want my guests to have big plates of food that they have to balance on their laps or the shoulder of their partner, so nibbles are a must. These tasty swirls are perfectly vegetarian, but the mixture of mushroom, onion and cheese seems to transform the veggie ingredients, into a meaty stuffing. Simply lovely.
ingredients (makes between 25...
strawberry jam doughnut muffins
Sometimes the simplest of recipes are the most delicious, and these muffins are just the perfect treat for a Christmas morning breakfast (though I could eat them every Sunday breakfast). There is a lot of vanilla in these, but that is what gives the doughnut like flavour.
ingredients (makes about 12 large muffins)
250g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarb of soda
125g caster sugar
250ml whole...
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coffee and walnut tea-party cake
Sometimes coffee alone isn’t quite enough to give us that ‘pick me up’ in the afternoon when we often get fatigued from the day’s slog. Panic not, with your coffee you can indulge in a slice of this cake. That having been said, it does contain quite a bit of coffee in its own right, so best not to give it to hyperactive children. You could, though, just use decaffeinated...
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One mix carrot cake & orange cream cheese frosting
This was supposed to be a birthday cake for my flatmate, but when I arrived home I couldn’t help but steal a slice, so the celebrations will have to wait (sorry Holly). If you like carrot cakes, then I am sure you will love this. There is something festive about the orangey flavours, but it is a perfect cake at any time. Even better, this is an all-in-one carrot cake.
If you really are...
Marshmallow topped brownie
Last night I had friends over for dinner, and one of them just loves brownie, so obviously I made it. I wanted to glitz it up a little bit so I though of adding marshmallows to the mix, but then forgot. So what I did was add the marshmallows after the brownie had cooked. I covered the brownie with mini marshmallows and then grilled it for a minute or so until the marshmallows began to burn.
It...
2 tags
cracked black pepper farfalle
ingredients (serves two)
150g plain flour
2 large eggs
25g cracked black pepper
method
Simply place the flour and pepper into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs to this well and with a fork, whisk the eggs pulling the flour into them a little at a time. When all is mixed, place the dough onto a well floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Leave to...
5 tags
Pasta ai funghi con vodka e crema
This is literally pasta with mushrooms in a cream and vodka sauce, but I tell you something: it is delicious whatever its title. The woodiness of the porcini and chestnut mushrooms complements the distant sharpness of the vodka, whilst the peppercorns add a little extra kick to lift the dish into a celestial realm.
In other words, it’s tasty and is set to impress! I served this with my...
3 tags
Chocolate Marshmallow Toffee Cookies
I agree, this is a rather childish recipe, but just because I’m technically an adult doesn’t mean that I can’t revel in a little nostalgia every once in a while. These cookies are the perfect hit.
When mixing the dough together you will find it is rather smooth - almost like a cake batter - but that’s simply because the three main ingredients are in equal ratio. Anyhow,...
6 tags
