Chocolate fudge cookies

Some days only one thing will hit the spot and if thats not on offer, these certainly help...

Be under no illusion though these are certainly not healthy but if you can handle the temptation and eat in moderation, the amount of mental well being these bring, out weighs the calorific content :)

180g / 60z plain chocolate chips

180g / 6oz plain flour

3tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

120g / 4oz butter

240g / 8oz dark sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla essence

Makes approx 25 biscuits.

Method

1) Set the oven to 180C, melt the plain chocolate

2) Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder

3) Beat the butter adb sugar together in a large bowl until creamy and add the eggs and vanilla essence. (if starts to curdle add a heap tablespoon of the flour mixture)

4) Add the melted chocolate and the flour mixure. (Can also add a few white chocolate chips at this point too)

5) Drop a tablespoon of mixture onto a non-stick try about 2" apart abd bake for about 5-10mins.

These have almost a cake like consistency so resist the temptation to overcook them.

Adventures in breadland- part 1

Ok what kind of fool buys a machine to that makes their favourite food? Yep you guessed it.

Well the first attempt with the machine was a hit and I bought it home, eager to test out many recipes and to my disapointment, failed on the next few attempts, producing stodgey, inedible substances, which infact resembled my mum's dreaded bread pudding!

Not to be detered (and out to prove a point that it wasn't a waste of money that will end up in the back of the cupboard), I trawled the internet for failure reasons and a recipe for malt loaf!



Well having sorted out the failure reasons most likely being due to my slap dash additions and not the carefully ordered approach that seems to be required. I measured and waited and waited and added and waited and breathed deeply. The heavenly smell of freshly baked malt loaf was rising from the kitchen.



I used this recipe and added extra raisins and mixed fruit and needless to say didn't wait for it to cool completely before cutting and and smoothering a slice in flora. True heaven. This was why I bought the bloodly thing!



My next exploration was some bread to have with the Jalfrezi I was making (recipe to follow)


Chilli, Coriander and Garlic Bread

150ml (1/4 pt) coconut milk

150ml (1/4 pt) water

3/4 tsp salt

500g (1Ib )strong white bread flour

2 mild green chillies

handful of chopped fresh coriander

large squirt of lazy garlic

Method

If using a bread machine

Add all the ingredients in the order listed to the bread pan, with the exception of the chillies, garlic and coriander.

Fit the pan to the bread machine and close the lid.

Select the BASIC WHITE setting and this will beep after the second mixing for you to add ingredients such as the chillies and coriander. Select a MEDIUM crust .

When the program has finished remove the bread and turn out on a cooling rack. Allow to cool if you can resist temptation.

This has to be the most perfect loaf to date, such a great texture and incredibly tasty!

Look out shops next size up in clothes required!

Bread Maker

Ok, so I've given in to temptation and bought a bread maker and am strangely excited by it. I have to wait until the weekend to try it because its at my mums, but be sure I'll post some recipes on here as I try them out.
Here's hoping it doesn't end up in the back of the cupboard with the toasted sandwich maker !

The (toy) story so far...

So what cake would a three year old boy want?
Well it bl***y better be this one is all I can say!

So at first glance you could be forgiven for thinking I'd spent hours carefully moulding icing into intricate figures but this is a bit of a cheats cake this year, in that I bought the Toy Story mini figures ,

So i decided to take a break from force feeding my kids various vegetables in their cakes and went with an old faithful recipe from Nigella Lawson, Buttermilk Birthday Cake.

This cake is ideal for any birthday cake you want to make in a special mould as it holds its shape brilliantly, or if you need a firm cake which will hold its shaped.
But you don't have to wait for someone's birthday - it's a great recipe to cook with the kids at any time …
Recipe

Serves 10
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt

200ml buttermilk (or 75g yogurt mixed with 125ml semi-skinned milk)

125g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
3 large free-range eggs
icing sugar and ready-to-roll icing to decorate

(I used double this quantity as I wanted to be sure there was plenty of cake.)
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt together. Mix the buttermilk (or yogurt mixture).
Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the flour with the last one. Gradually add the rest of the flour with the buttermilk, one after the other, until thoroughly mixed.

Pour into the tin and bake for about 30 minutes or until well risen and pale golden brown. Loosen the sides of the cake with a round-bladed knife and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

When cold, drizzle with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice – get the kids to help - and decorate with ready to roll icing.

I bought pre-colour icing too to make the toy blocks.

For the floor I made a fairly thick fondant icing and added food colouring to make a light brown floor colour. I spread it thinly on the cake board and when almost set, scored the lined to make floor boards. After some drying time I painted in-between the floor boards with black food colouring and added some nails.
It was then just a case of assembling the pieces of cake and covering with icing sheets and a duvet.

The head board was made of ginger bread (see below) and cut out using a handmade cardboard template.
Ingredients
350g plain flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g butter
175g soft brown sugar

1 egg

4 tbsp Golden Syrup

Method: How to make gingerbread

1. Mix together the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda.
2. Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Add the sugar.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the egg and golden syrup then add to the dry ingredients.
5. Mix together until it forms a dough. Tip out onto a clean, floured work surface and knead for a minute or two until it is smooth.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
7. Roll out the dough to the depth of a pencil (approx 5mm) and cut out around the cardboard template.
8. Lay the biscuits on a greased baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
If the holes in your cut out have joined together during baking, you can cut them out again using a sharp knife before the gingerbread cools completely.
Store the gingerbread in an airtight container to avoid softening and add to the cake just prior to serving.

Chocolate beetroot muffins

Discovered this recipe a few years back, as I'm not a huge fan of beetroot and was looking for palatable ways of using it up when we got it our veg box. The muffins are surprisingly light and using the beetroot makes such sense as, like carrots, they're a high-sugar root vegetable. It's from Jill Dupleix originally, but I've made a few minor adjustments but I'll give the more standard recipe here.

Preheat the over 180C (or 160C fan). Put 12 paper cases in a muffin tin.

Sift together:
75g cocoa powder
180g plain flour
2 t baking powder
Stir in:
200g caster sugar

With a food processor, blend 250g cooked beetroot until as smooth as possible.
Add:
3 eggs, one at a time
1 t vanilla essence
200ml corn oil

Pour the wet beetroot mix into the dry mix. Mix until smooth and combined.

Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 30 mins.

Cool on a rack, then dust with icing sugar for serving.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/default.aspx?page=11876&sc_cid=00077&utm_source=Frontpage&utm_medium=Promobox+3&utm_campaign=Beetroot+benefits+40358

American Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
2 medium eggs
160g caster sugar
300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgette
180g white rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1) Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350F/ gas mark 4. Arrange paper cases in muffin tray
2) Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and light – this should take about 5 mins and beaters should leave a trail across the mixture add the courgette
3) Sprinkle over half the flour, along with the baking powder and salt and whisk for 30 seconds. Add remaining flour and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
4) Ladle the mixture into the cases so it comes 4/5 of the way up the cases. Place in the middle of the oven for approx. 30mins.

Turkey Burgers & Red Coleslaw

Preparation time = 15 minutes

Cooking time = 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
100g British turkey mince
1 slice of bread - fresh white bread crumbs
1 Granary bread rolls
Mixed spinach , onion slices and tomato wedges to serve
Salt and black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onion for a few minutes until softened. Transfer to a bowl, add the herbs and stir well.
Make bread crumbs by grating the slice of bread.
Add the minced turkey, breadcrumbs and seasoning. Mix well to form a soft mixture, an egg can be added to bind if required.
Divide into burger sized portions and chill until required.
Cook in frying pan / griddle pan if available for 25 minutes, turning occasionally.

Split the granary roll. Fill the roll with salad of your choice, e.g. spinach, tomato and onion slices and then the cooked burger. Serve immediately.
Tip
Once cooled any spare burgers can be placed in the refrigerator for consumption the next day or in the freezer for another day.

Red Coleslaw

1/4 red cabbage finely shredded

1 small red onion finely sliced
2 carrots grated
10 radish finely sliced or grated
(1 red apple - optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp low fat fromage frais


Combine all the ingredients and serve on the side.

Melanzana parmigiana

Ok so this week has already turned out decidedly Italian but this is one of my favourites in our local Italian so I 'm giving it a go before the aubergines walk out of the fridge themselves.

Not too sure how this will fair with my favourite critics but hey ho, I'll be full and happy even if they are starving!

Ingredients

Olive oil

3 large aubergines (eggplant if you are that way inclined)

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes (or a jar of passata with basil (680g) if you're short on time)

2 cloves of garlic (or a good squirt of my new bast friend - garlic puree in a tube)

Handful of basil leaves (if not using passata)

2 mozzarella balls (sliced)

grated parmesan (or cheaper alternative)

Method

1) Preheat the oven 180C/160C fan assisted / Gas Mark 4. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic for about 2 mins, add a pinch of cinnamon and the tomatoes and simmer until thickens - approx. 15 mins. Stir in the basil if using seperately.

2) Slice the aubergine length ways , about 1/2 cm thick and chargrill until cooked through (you can also do this in a non stick pan). (This is the most time consuming part of the recipe as you can only cook the slices in fairly small batches but is worthwhile in the end).
3) Layer the sauce mix, aubergine and mozzeralla slices in an oven proof dish, starting with the sauce. You should have enough for about 3 or 4 layers ending in a layer of sauce.

4) Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and bake until bubling and golden (approx. 30-40 mins)

Serve with cristy bread and a salad.

Approximate Nutrition per serving (recipe serves 4)

Energy 416 kcal

Protein 18.5g

Carbohydrate 10.5g

Fat 33.7g of which saturates 11.7g

Fibre 5.5g

Salt 1.0g

Approximate price £4.10

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Not quite 'The Good Life'

but hey I'm no Felicity Kendal either....



Having grown up surrounded by fields and with a huge garden and a father who is the king of allotments, I have decided that the restrictions of city dwelling are not going to prevent the fruit of my loins from knowing where all these lovely nutritious fruit and veg. come from (and I am clinging to the hope that growing it may encourage some of it to pass their pursed lips).

We did make an enthusiastic start last year ,only to be quickly thworted by the resident slugs inviting all their mates over for a gourmet dinner.

So we made a new start last weekend by planting our freebie seeds (thanks BBC). Now all I have to hope is that my plant recognition is up to scratch because our youngest gardener was a little too enthusiastic with the seed scattering. So everything is indoors keeping warm and getting the best start.



I am under no illusion that this will replace our supermarket shop but even if we get the odd pea pod or salad leaf, then I can smile smuggly to myself before loading the children into the car and heading home to get grandad to show them how its really done...

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SDC10616,
originally uploaded by littlehunts.

So what better ingredient in a Bunny cake than a bowl full of carrots!
But the test will be in sampling, will it get past the real critics, the party guests?

Every Bunny loves chocolate cake

So with the usual amount of fuss and panic, the party preparations began. Just as every year the same repetion was followed, drastically searching for a different party provider that can do entertainment, food and fun all for a reasonable price for the amount of 'best' friends on the list this year and take the pressure of us parents. As always the prices were just too much and to meet the ever growing guest list, it was just more straight forward to do it ourselves!! (But 10x as tiring but as i'm a secret control freak its the only way really!)

Ok so the request this year was for another bunny cake and to make it different I decided that this year it shoud be chocolate. Time to fill the chocolate bunny cake with carrots. 'What?' I hear you shriek, 'what kind of idiot puts carrots in chocolate cake?'
Well this one does and so does Harry Eastwood author of Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache.
(as reviewed in my previous blog)

the recipe can be found here Bunny cake recipe.

This recipe didn't rise as well as others I have used in this mould, however, the cake was light moist and tasty, not a hint of a carrot and although not completely fat free because of the chocolate chips is considerably lower in fat. I also like the fact that the recipe can be gluten free, if rice flour and ground almond are used, which is always a useful option to have.

No complaints were received from any of the party guests and I was quietly content knowing they were getting a few additional nutrients along with their chocolate cake.

Have your cake and eat it

You don't get a waistline like mine through not eating cake, so imagine my glee when an old school friend recommended a recipe book which had virtually fat free cakes. Well as I have learnt, you don't get something for nothing in this life now do you - so what was the catch? Vegetables thats what. So needless to say I was more than slightly skeptical but intrigued enough to want to experiment.

With Mother's Day on the horizon, I put in a subtle request and low and behold the book miraculously appeared on my bed. So what is this incredible book?


Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache by Harry Eastwood (1/4 of the Channel 4 Cook Yourself Thin team).






The book itself is truly beautiful, if a little gooey and girly, however the layout and photographs are clear and attractive. The author is a self confessed cake lover and believes that cake should be part of everyday life.

Her theory is that by replacing the butter with a combination of ground almonds (for natural fat content and texture) and by adding vegetables (for moisture and light fluffiness) no taste compromise will occur. This is a truly remarkable claim to live up to and a challenge i decided to take head on. (well it would be rude not to!)

My first trial had to be a chocolate cake, after all I needed the kids to be on board. So I set about grating the 250g of carrots required! (This could also be a great form of exercise and I could end up with one very large bulging bicep)

The recipe and method can be found in the Every Bunny Loves a Birthday and the quantities made 12 generous sized cupcakes, which I promptly smothered in chocolate butter icing , in case they tasted awful. Nervously, I drew back the paper case and peered at its contents, fully expecting to see a series of orange flecks, instantly recognisable to the discerning eye of a fully trained veg phobic (or child under 7), but nothing. No, nothing, no hint of a vegetable, no orange tint.

But what about taste? They couldn't possibly taste ok, could they? There would surely be a bit of an earthy taste and textural differences. Well, it has to be said I was truly astonished, but only speechless because I had soft moist chocolate cake stuffed in my mouth. These cakes were in fact some of the best cupcakes I'd made in ages.

Ok, so I could no accept that this recipe was fine and in fact grudgingly might say good, but we've all heard of carrot cake, so no news here, nothing to see. Lets move on to courgettes, after all that's just insane surely, they are green for a start, and no-one's going to eat green cake, are they? (not unless truly desperate).American Vanilla Cupcakes - well they sound fairly normal don't they - that is apart from the 300g of finely grated courgette it asks you to whisk in!

All I could think of was how on earth was I going to get this past the trainee mealtime micro-surgeons that regularly frequent my dining table. Its green, oh so green and the mixture's stringy and slimy!

In a vague attempt to hide the greenness I decided that pale green glace icing was the solution (that was bound to fool them).

However, after baking I was pleasantly surprised at the shade, they looked fairly normal with just a pale green hue, which I wasn't sure if I was imagining just because I knew the content. On close scrutiny I could see very tiny green flecks, barely visible to the human eye. (Note to self at this point to peel the courgette more carefully next time).

I ran these past the resident household quality control and they passed the test, in fact to quote one QA technician (age 5) 'you can't even taste the green bits with this lovely icing'. Obviously my eye sight is failing.

Recipe trial number three was a Victoria Sponge containing potato - sounds very strange and my immediate preconceptions were that it would have a very starchy flavour and would stick unpalatable to the roof of your mouth. So 200g of King Edwards later and I have a whisked sponge cake, with stringy potato evenly distributed through it. 20 minutes later and the results are in a seemingly perfect sponge! After filling with jam and butter cream and decorating with candles, it was served up as a 6th Birthday cake, with fingers crossed behind my back.

Luckily it was brilliant, moist and tasty, no signs of extra starch flavour.

So if you can get past the vomit inducing style in which this book has been written, to the recipes at the core you can encounter its true brilliance, an inspired book with real purpose and recipes that work.

I have yet to trial recipes containing ; butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato and beetroot but will keep you updated with my findings..

A kick up the arse and a large injection of confidence

So as a complete blogging newbie I am going to attempt to stumble my way through this technology riddled world in vague hope that by producing this I provide some kind of interest in health, nutrition and mainly in the love of food.

So in 38 years of searching I still haven't found that ideal that is the job that I love which means I never have to work again, but what I do know is that some of the happiest times of my life have involved food and cooking. That said, one of the hardest questions to answer each day is 'what shall we have for tea?' Like most people , my weekly recipe reportoire consists of a few simple recipes that are repeated week after week. With this in mind I will be sharing my experiences of trialling new recipes and the success rate as voted for by the most critical people in my life - my children!

So lets hope as the title suggests this provides me with a kick up the arse and a large injection of confidence to carry this through and provide the inspiration for you to give it a try.