Shortbread

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz butter
• 55g/2oz caster sugar
• 180g/6oz plain flour

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½in thick.
4. Cut into rounds or fingers and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

So I'm going to try shortbread this year as well as the gingerbread . I have made this before but not since I was a teenager.

I'll let you know how it goes!!!

Sadie's Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 300g (10oz) self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 3 x 5ml spoon (3 tsp) ground ginger
• 100g (4oz) caster sugar
• 50g (2oz) margarine
• 3 x 15ml spoon (3 tbsp) golden syrup
• 4 x 15ml spoon (4 tbsp) milk
• glace icing

Method

1. Heat oven to 160°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Grease a baking tray.
2. Place flour, salt and ginger in a bowl.
3. Warm sugar, fat and syrup together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
4. Add milk and mix to a firm consistency. Knead lightly with hands.
5. Roll out and cut out shapes and place on the baking tray.
6. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Allow to cool slightly then carefully lift onto a wire rack. Decorate with coloured Glace Icing.

This isn't my recipe, but one that came from one of my best friend's cousin (tenuous, huh?). Here are her tips for great gingerbread:

"I used soft brown sugar…if you don’t use this make sure it is caster sugar and I use 6 teaspoons of ground ginger because we like things gingery!!!"

I have made this gingerbread every Christmas since I received the recipe in December 2007 and it is the best gingerbread ever. Be careful not to over bake as the gingerbread goes very hard!! It may not look golden enough when you take it out, but it will be done enough.

I

Churros

Ingredients for chocolate sauce

• 100g/3½oz good-quality dark chocolate
• 25g/1oz milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream

Ingredients for churros

• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g/4½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml/9fl oz freshly boiled water
• approx. 500ml/17fl oz corn (or vegetable) oil, for deep-frying

Method

• For the chocolate sauce, melt all the chocolate sauce ingredients, gently in a heavy-based saucepan Once chocolate starts to melt, stir everything together, take off the heat and leave in a warm place.
• For churros, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow dish: this is for shaking the cooked churros about in, to coat them later.
• To make churros, put the flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder, then beat in the olive oil and freshly boiled water from a kettle. Keep mixing until you have a warm, sticky dough, and leave to rest for about 10 minutes or for as long as it takes for the corn (or vegetable) oil to heat up.
• Heat the oil in a small-ish saucepan; it should come about one-third of the way up the sides of the pan. When you think it’s hot enough, toss in a cube of bread and if it sizzles and browns in about 30 seconds, the oil’s hot enough; or if you’re using an electric deep-fat fryer or otherwise have the means to check the temperature, it should be at 170C/325F.
• When you are ready, load up a piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle (8mm/½in) and fill with the churros dough. Squeeze short lengths (approx. 4–5cm/1½-2in) of dough into the hot oil, snipping them off with a pair of scissors as you go.
• Cook about 3 or 4 churros at a time and, once they turn a rich golden-brown, fish them out of the oil with a slotted spoon, spatula or tongs onto a baking sheet lined with some kitchen roll. To keep the cooked churros warm while you fry the remaining dough, blot with kitchen roll, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in a low oven (100C/220F/Gas ¼). Even if you want to eat them immediately, they do need 5–10 minutes to rest before you eat them, to allow them to set inside.
• Just before serving, toss all the hot churros in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and shake them about to get a good covering.
• Once you have finished making the churros, pour the chocolate sauce into individual pots.

Fairy Cakes

Method

• 175g Flour
• 115g Sugar
• 115g Butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk

Ingredients

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C
2. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients
4. Bind the mixture using the slowest setting on the electric whisk, when combined mix on a faster setting and beat until the mixture has turned pale and creamy.
5. Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 15 – 20 mins.

Makes 12

Ice with a little icing sugar mixed with water. Make chocolate fairy cakes by adding a little cocoa powder at the same time as the flour.

I use this recipe all the time. I have made these with my son and Brownies and Guides with great success. They always turn out great.

Quick Chocolate Steamed Pudding

This is a recipe I copied really quickly from one of those TV cooking game shows (Ready, Steady, Cook) and I found it written on an old Diary page from January 2001. I used to make it quite a lot and it is so easy and really quick.

Ingredients

• 110g (4oz) Butter
• 110g (4oz) Caster Sugar
• 110g (4oz) Self Raising Flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwavable bowl
2. Pop in Microwave for 4min on high
3. Eat!!! (Be careful! It's really hot straight out of the microwave but cools down quickly)

Shortcrust Pastry

This is the recipe for shortcrust pastry that my Mum uses. I think that it probably came from the BeRo cookbook she has. This book is older that me and my Mum. I think she got it from one of her Aunties when she first got married. The BeRo book is a baking bible in her house.

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz) Plain Flour
• pinch salt
• 50 g (2 oz) butter (I think you can use all of one type of fat if you want, ie all butter or all baking marg)
  
• 50 g (2 oz) margarine
• 30 ml (approx. 2 tbsp.) cold water to mix
  
• 25 g (1 oz) caster sugar if making sweet pastry
  

Method

1. Mix flour and salt in bowl, rub in fat
2. Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough
3. Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead lightly
4. Roll out and use as required
   

Easy Quiche

I've been really unorganised recently (school holidays), but we finally got the new windows put in. They look fantastic and I will post about them soon!

In the meantime, we are trying to work out how to redo the Kitchen - so many choices!! Part of this process is trying to use up everything in the cupboards - you know all those odd tins and packets that hide at the back, never to see the light of day!! Or the packages of things in the freezer that have a layer of 'snow' on the top!!

This was the result of this. I knew I had a packet of ready made shortcrust pastry in the freezer as I had been meaning to do this for a long time!!

Easy Quiche

Ingredients

• 375g (13oz) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (mine was ready made, but not rolled. Just rolled it to the right size)
• 100g (3 1/2 oz) lean ham, sliced medium-thick and cut into small pieces ( I used bacon as that is what I had in the fridge. I fried it off first)
  
• 4 spring onions, sliced into rounds
• 2 eggs
• 150ml (5 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
• 4 tbsp single or whipping cream (or use extra milk) (I just used a little extra milk as I didn't have any cream in the fridge)
  
• 100g (3 1/2oz) extra-mature Cheddar cheese, grated
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven), gas 6 and put a baking sheet inside to heat.
2. Lift the roll of pastry over a 20cm flan tin and gently unroll it. Carefully press the pastry onto the base and sides of the tin. Neatly trim the overhanging pastry with a sharp knife. Use a piece of baking parchment to line the pastry base roughly and cover it with baking beans or scrunched up foil. (I really need to get baking beans!! Miss this and your shortcrust pastry rises slightly!!)
   
3. Put on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans or foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.
4. While the pastry is baking, mix the ham with the onions. (Fry off your bacon if using)
   
5. Break the eggs into a wide jug with the milk and cream, or extra milk, and seasoning. Whisk lightly.
6. Sprinkle half the cheese over the base of the pastry case, then top with the onion and ham. Scatter the remaining cheese on top.
   
7. Return the flan to the baking sheet and pour the egg mixture over the filling.
   
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch.

This turned out so delicious. All the family enjoyed and it was so easy and quick to make that I will definitely be making it again. I may add in other ingredients like spinach - I would wilt, drain and chop first, mushrooms - I would fry off like the bacon, peppers - fry off, cooked chicken. I think you could pretty much add in anything that took your fancy!!
Next time I may even try to make my own pastry!!

Oatie Flapjacks

Ingredients

• 75g (2 3/4oz) butter or margarine
• 50 - 75g (1 3/4 - 2 3/4oz) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 175g (6oz) porridge oats

Method

1. Put the butter or margarine, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the fat and sugar have melted.
2. Add the porridge oats and mix thoroughly.
3. Press into a well greased 18cm square sandwich tin.
4. Bake in the centre of a moderate oven at 180°C or 350°F or gas mark 4 for 25 minutes or until evenly golden brown.
5. Mark into squares while still warm.
6. Allow to become almost cold in the tin before removing.

You can also add dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, small pieces of fudge or toffee to the recipe if you like.

Caramel Cream Toffees

Makes: 300g (10 1/2oz)

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) granulated sugar
• 250 ml (9fl oz) double cream
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 50g (1 3/4oz) runny honey

Method

1. Lightly oil a 20cm (8in) square cake tin.
2. Pop the sugar, cream, butter and honey into a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently till the sugar is dissolved, swirling the pan occasionally (don't stir).
3. Bring to the boil and boil until the mixture reaches 120°C on a sugar thermometer (hard ball stage).
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and leave to set.
5. Turn toffee out if the tin and cut into strips and then squares with oiled scissors.

This will keep for 2-3 days but best to wrap in cellophane to prevent from going sticky.

White Chocolate Coconut Ice

Makes: 20

Ingredients

• 150g (5 1/2oz) white chocolate
• 4tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• a few drops of vanilla essence
• 75g (2 1/2oz) desiccated coconut

Method

1. Place the chocolate and condensed milk in a small pan with a drop of the vanilla essence. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate is melted.
2. stir in 50g (1 3/4oz) of the coconut and roll into small balls. Roll in the remaining coconut and place in little paper cases.

These will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Snowy Marshmallows

Makes: 30 cubes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 450g (1lb) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp liquid glucose (buy from chemist)
• 12 sheets or 20g (1/2oz) leaf gelatine
• 2 egg whites
• 1tsp Vanilla essence

Method

1. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray (30 x 20cm, 12 x 8in). Dust with half the icing sugar and cornflour.
2. Pop the caster sugar, liquid glucose and 200ml (7fl oz) cold water in a medium, heavy bottomed pan and heat gently till the sugar has dissolved (swirl the pan occasionally).
3. Bring to the boil for about 15 mins until the mixture reaches 120° on a sugar thermometer (Hard Ball stage).
4. While the sugar is boiling, soften the gelatine in 150ml (5fl oz) cold water.
5. As soon as the sugar has reached the correct temperature, pour in the gelatine withe the soaking water and swirl the pan till it is dissolved. Pour the syrup into a heat proof jug so that it is easier to pour.
6. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until the hold stiff peaks, the gradually whisk in the sugar syrup and vanilla essence. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens enough to hold it's shape when the whisk is lifted (this will take about 10 mins with an electric whisk, be patient).
7. Spoon the mixture into the oiled tin and leave for 1 - 2 hours or until set.
8. Loosen the mixture from the edges of the tin with a hot knife and turn out onto a board dusted withe rest of the cornflour and icing sugar. Cut into 3cm (1 1/2in) cubes, rolling each in the sugar and cornflour.
9. These will store in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days.

Sugar Boiling

I found some really nice sweets (candy) recipes which call for boiling sugar. I know that lots of people (me include) don't have a sugar thermometer so here is a little info on boiling sugar without one.

Tests for Sugar Temperature

To water test, fill a small bowl with cold water, remove ½ teaspoon of sugar mixture from the saucepan and drop into water.
Leave for one minute, then test using thumb and forefinger.

• Thread 110 - 114°C (230 - 238°F) - The sugar mixture will form a fine thread if pressed together then pulled apart.
• Soft Ball 114 - 118°C (238 - 245°F) - The sugar mixture will form a soft ball which can be squashed flat.
• Hard Ball 118 - 138°C (245 - 280°F) - The sugar mixture will form a ball which will hold its shape when pressed.
• Small Crack 138 - 152°C (280 - 305°F) - The sugar mixture will separate into threads that will snap cleanly.
• Hard Crack 152 - 163°C (305 - 325°F) - The sugar mixture will separate into threads which are brittle and hard.
• Caramel 174°C (345°F) - The sugar mixture becomes golden in colour.

Chocolate Honeycomb Chunks (Cinder Toffee)

Makes: 12 chunks

Ingredients

• 300g (10 1/2oz) caster sugar
• 200g (7oz) golden syrup
• 2tbsp white vinegar
• 2 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300g (10 1/2oz) milk chocolate

Method

1. Line a medium sized roasting tin with foil and oil the foil well.
2. Place the sugar, 150ml (5fl oz) cold water, syrup and vinegar in a very large pan (the mixture will foam up). Place over a low heat and cook gently without stirring until the sugar has dissolved (swirl the pan gently from time to time).
3. Bring the pan to the boil until it reaches 150°C on a sugar thermometer (hard crack stage).
4. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove from heat.
5. Stir the bicarb of soda into 1 dessert spoon of cold water and add to the pan. Swirl the pan and the mixture will foam up. Let it bubble for a minute or so until it subsides a little, then pour into the tin and leave to set.
6. When cool enough to touch, score the top into squares if you want nice squares.
7. When set break up into the squares or random pieces if you prefer.
8. Melt the chocolate and dip the honeycomb into it and leave to set on parchment.

Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

Serves: 4
Prep: 30 min approx
Cook: 18 - 25 mins in total

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 medium sized ripe tomatoes
• 140g (5oz) semi dried tomatoes
• handful fresh basil (stalks removed)
• 12 black olives
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 175g (6oz) buffalo mozzarella (or feta or goat's cheese)
• Parmesan cheese
• black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Roll the pastry out until it is just under 1cm (1/2 in) thick. Cut into a circle that is about 25 - 30cm (10-12in) in diameter and pop onto a non-stick baking tray. With a knife score all the way round about 1cm in from the edge and prick the inner part all over with a fork.
3. Cut a piece of card the same size as the inner part of the pastry and cover it in foil. Place it on the pastry, leaving the edge uncovered.
4. Brush the edge with egg yolk and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 mins, until the edge is golden.
5. while the pastry is baking, bring a large pan of water to the boil and have a bowl of cold water ready.
6. Cut a cross on the top of each of the tomatoes and remove the eye with the point of a knife.
7. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove and plunge into the cold water. The skins will peel away easily (if not pop back into the boiling water again)
8. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds.
9. Pop the semi dried tomatoes, basil and 1/2 the slices into a blender and whizz until roughly blended.
10. Remove the cardboard from the pastry and spread the blended paste over the middle bit of the pastry. Arrange the tomatoes on top and scatter the rest of the olives.
11. Season lightly and drizzle with olive oil.
12. Bake for 8 - 10 min, then remove from oven and cover with roughly torn pieces of the cheese.
13. Scatter Parmesan and grind some black pepper over.

More Recipes

I am currently going through a pile of recipes that have sitting around for goodness knows how long, waiting to be filed!! So I am going to attempt to type up as many as I can before it is time to make dinner!

I'll pop each one into a new post so, hopefully, it'll make them easier to find at a later date.

The Weekend

So I tried the chicken and sausage cobbler tonight, only without the cobbler (scone) part and I have to say it turned out lovely! A success with all the family enjoying it! I did make a few changes to the recipe:

1. I didn't use the red wine, it's not something either of us drink so there is never any in the house. Plus with a 3 year old eating this too, I am a little funny about putting alcohol in food (I know that the alcohol is supposed to burn off, but....).
2. I also swapped the chicken for turkey breast as this is what my husband prefers.
3. And as I said before I left off the cobbler part as my oven is currently on the blink and I refuse to buy a new one until my kitchen is redecorated.

Apart from family time weekends in our house are mainly for catching up on housework and doing any odd jobs around the house. So today I tackled weeding the back garden. A job I detest!! I do not have green fingers at all, apart from when it comes to growing weeds. In fact weeds are the only thing that thrive in our garden! I managed to get most of the weeds pulled out, but I think I will have to spend another wee while in the garden tomorrow.

Despite me only being able to grow weeds, small boy and myself are trying to grow some strawberries and some onions in tubs. The strawberries are growing, but I am not sure that the onions are. I do have some more bulbs to plant is these don't work!!

Recipe - Chicken and Sausage Cobbler

Serves: 6
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 1/2 hrs

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onion, roughly chopped
• 6 sausages, skins removed
• 1 1/2 glasses red wine
• 4 chicken breasts, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 600ml (1 pint) hot veg stock

Scone Topping

• 200g (7oz) self raising flour
• 50g (2oz) butter
• handful parsley, chopped finely
• splash milk
• 1 egg beaten (for egg wash)

Method:

1. Heat oil and onions in a large ovenproof dish with lid. Cook for 5 minutes then add the sausage meat and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the 1/2 glass of red wine and simmer until wine disappears.
2. Turn heat up a little and add the chicken. Cook until white. Add the garlic and the rest of the wine and simmer till wine disappears. Add carrots and pour in the stock. Cook gently without the lid for about 1hr (or 1 1/2hrs is you are not topping with the scones).
3. For the scone topping: Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. In a large bowl rub the flour and butter together till the breadcrumb stage. Stir in the parsley. Add a few drops of milk and mix till the mixture comes together in a dough. Make into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and pop into fridge for 20mins. When you are ready to use, roll onto floured board and cut out scone rounds (about 4cm across). This should make approx 18 scone rounds. Pop these round the edge of the casserole and brush with the beaten egg. Pop into oven for approx 20 -30 mins until golden brown.

Disclaimer - I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it sounds great and have it earmarked for the weekend!! If I try this recipe and make any changes I'll amend the recipe.

Amendments: I omitted the wine and used turkey instead of chicken. Was truly delicious!!

Recipes

I love collecting recipes. Whenever I see a recipe in a magazine or a newspaper I always rip it out and store it. Trouble is I always just pop it in a pile to do something with later. Now I have a large pile of recipes with no idea what's in there without going through every scrap of paper!!

I also love recipe books but can never find that recipe that I fancied making when I saw it!! I need some way of keeping my recipes organised.

One of my good friends bought me a really nice recipe book that you can write the recipes in yourself but my handwriting is dreadful and I am much quicker at typing than I am writing with a pen.

So today I am going to start typing these recipes out and try and keep them organised on the PC, something I am quite good at.

Fundraising

I help to run a local Brownie Unit and a Guide Unit and we are going to have to start a little bit of fundraising so we can store our camp and holiday equipment. So my job for this week is to come up with an idea that will raise us some funds!

The fundraising idea that seems to raise the most with all girls participating and getting the community involved too seems to be a fundraising quiz. You know the sort I mean, a cryptic clue to the name of a sweet, a film or a band. The thing is, I don't want to use one that's out there already as it is so easy to get the answers from the internet. So I'm having to think up ideas for our own quiz. I need to think up a minimum of 50 clues all on one theme. That's no small task.

Oh well, off to think up some clues. I've got till next Thursday to get this done!

New Windows

Who would have thought that getting quotes for new windows would have been so stressful??

For the past week or so I have been phoning local companies to get them to come and give me quotes for new windows and doors throughout my house. Most of my windows are still single glazed and the 2 windows that are double glazed are about 30 years old!!! One company never turned up, 4 came out the same day that I phoned or the next afternoon!! And one company that I phoned wouldn't come out and give a quote unless both the home owners were there!! Very strange!! Anyway, the quotes came back this week and the range from reasonable to double the reasonable quote. What I don't understand is how the same style of windows and doors can vary so much in price???

I'll take pictures of the windows before and after they are installed and let you see my nice new shiny windows and my rather embarrassing old ones!!

Day One!!!!

Today is the day I start blogging and the day that I (try to) organise my house and my life!! Easier said than done, right???

Here's a little about me.... I am a married 30 something with a very active 3 year old who has no organisational house skills. At work I have to be organised and when I worked in an office my desk was always organised and neat, however my house is a different matter. Both my husband and I like 'stuff' and we horde this 'stuff'. So if we are going to do this, we have to become organised. This blog is our journey on the way to being super organised!!!

Wish me luck on this journey!