This is a request by my friend Rhona, looking to satisfy a sugar addict in her life.
5oz/125g plain flour
5oz/125g porridge oats
4oz/100g desiccated coconut
4oz/100g soft brown sugar
5oz/125g butter
2tbsp golden syrup/light agave nectar
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3
1 Mix the flour, oats, coconut and sugar together in a large bowl.
2 In a small pan, melt the butter and golden syrup/agave with 2 tablespoons of water over a low heat.
3 Stir the bicarb into the melty mixture - it will froth a little.
4 Make a well in the dry goods and pour the liquid mixture into it. Stir until all incorporated.
5 Roll mixture into balls using the palms of your hands (about a tablespoon of mixture) and place on a lined baking tray, about 5cm apart. Flatten slightly using the back of a spoon.
6 Bake for 10 mins or until golden - they will still be soft but will harden up as they cool.
I'm tempted to add sunflower seeds and maybe some maca or mesquite to these to make them that little bit more special, but they are delicious and chewy as they are.
Thursday 27 January 2011
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Almond and Cherry Flapjacks
About two years ago I discovered that flapjacks are the most wonderful, versatile and healthy sweet treats to be made. I always have a load of porridge oats in the cupboard, so when a sweet craving came over me the other day it was decided: a new batch of flapjacks.
Since the introduction of superfoods to my cupboard, I try to include some in all my baking. The most popular one for the workplace is maca. It gives everyone an energy boost like no other - the boys in logistics love anything laced with maca, they work twice as fast and feel good for it.
When deciding what to put in to the mix, I use whatever combinations work in the cupboard. For this mix I've made almond and cherry. In the past I've used anything from chopped apricots, sultanas, goji berries... any dried fruit is worth experimenting with. I always put in plenty of seeds for the extra healthy feel...
350g porridge oats
200g butter
125g light brown sugar
100g (or 6tblsp) golden syrup or agave syrup
100g flaked almonds
50g dried tart cherries
1 tblsp maca powder (optional)
50g sunflower seeds
50g brown or golden flax seeds
2 apples, chopped finely or grated
1, Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a medium size baking dish or cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2, Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a pan over a low heat.
3, Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
4, Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly. It will feel too dry at first but keep stiring and it should come together. If it is very dry and doesn't stick together after stiring, melt more butter and syrup in small portions and add a little at a time, stiring vigorously.
5, Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden brown on top.
6, When the flapjacks have almost fully cooled, cut to desired size. This can be done when cool but it is easier when they are slightly warm.
Share amongst friends or family, and if maca was involved stand back and be amazed!
Since the introduction of superfoods to my cupboard, I try to include some in all my baking. The most popular one for the workplace is maca. It gives everyone an energy boost like no other - the boys in logistics love anything laced with maca, they work twice as fast and feel good for it.
When deciding what to put in to the mix, I use whatever combinations work in the cupboard. For this mix I've made almond and cherry. In the past I've used anything from chopped apricots, sultanas, goji berries... any dried fruit is worth experimenting with. I always put in plenty of seeds for the extra healthy feel...
350g porridge oats
200g butter
125g light brown sugar
100g (or 6tblsp) golden syrup or agave syrup
100g flaked almonds
50g dried tart cherries
1 tblsp maca powder (optional)
50g sunflower seeds
50g brown or golden flax seeds
2 apples, chopped finely or grated
1, Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a medium size baking dish or cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2, Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a pan over a low heat.
3, Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
4, Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly. It will feel too dry at first but keep stiring and it should come together. If it is very dry and doesn't stick together after stiring, melt more butter and syrup in small portions and add a little at a time, stiring vigorously.
5, Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden brown on top.
6, When the flapjacks have almost fully cooled, cut to desired size. This can be done when cool but it is easier when they are slightly warm.
Share amongst friends or family, and if maca was involved stand back and be amazed!
Monday 3 January 2011
Baked Mushrooms with Stilton
New Year's day calls for celebration, especially in Scotland. It calls for extravagant and late breakfasts. In my case I had my friend staying and my brother scrounging for food - knowing I'd have plenty. The majority of shops close for the 1st and 2nd January in Scotland, and some even for the 3rd. I'd planned my food well in advance, knowing that if I was missing anything, it was too late.
Breakfast was based in something I'd seen Nigel Slater do on one of his Christmas shows. I bought the fattest portobello mushrooms I could find and a block of stilton. Portobello is a region of Edinburgh so it felt very local, even if the mushrooms were from England!
4 Portobello mushrooms
A splash of water
4 knobs of butter
2 cloves of garlic
100g or a wee bit more of stilton cheese
A good handful of parsley, chopped roughly
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1, Place the mushrooms in a baking dish.
2, Put the water in the bottom of the tray, this is there to cook the mushrooms tenderly.
3, Place a knob of butter, a generous sprinkling of parsley and a twist of the pepper grinder on the portobello mushrooms. Put the garlic in the water.
4, Cover with foil and bake at 180C for about 15mins.
5, Remove from the oven and crumble the stilton cheese over the mushrooms.
6, Leaving the foil off, return to the oven and cook for a further 5 mins.
7, Serve with a drizzle of the mushroom and garlic water on top, with crusty bread and good friends,
Wheatgrass Smoothie
As part of my new healthier phase (cliche New Year) I've started to try and take wheatgrass. Having failed taking is as is in water, I decided that a smoothie is the only way forward. Wheatgrass is super good for you - filled with every vitamin and mineral the body needs. Unfortunately I can't stomach taking it alone so here comes the easy wheatgrass taking recipe...
For two:
3 over ripe bananas
1 tsp wheatgrass
A generous amount of apple juice
Using a food processor or a hand blender mix the banana to a paste first.
Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
It's very very delicous and the funny texture that powdered wheatgrass gives is masked by the thickness of the banana. Bananas are packed full of potassium which should also give a happy boost, too :)
To a New Year!
Gammon gorgeous
Half boiled (cloves, bay leaves), half roasted
50 mins of each cooking for 2kg joint.
The last mince pies
Mince pies are one of my favourite Christmas flavours. Hailing from a large family, I'm used to making serious batches - taking an entire evening up - and then finding them all demolished by the next night Not having to feed all those mouths this festive period was a little strange but I had my best friend around to help and provide camera assistance.Two to three weeks ago I made my mincemeat up - something I've never done before.
Makes about 2kg
250g soft dark brown sugar
250ml organic dry cider
1 kg bramley apples, peeled, halved and quartered
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
250g currants
250g raisins
250g cranberries
75g glace cherries, roughly chopped
75g blanched almonds,
finely chopped rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
200g butter
6 tbsp brandy
In large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider over a gentle heat.
In large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider over a gentle heat.
Add all the ingredients, apart from brandy/rum and simmer for around 30 min until everything has a pulpy consistency. You need to stir this occasionally to make sure everything gets cooked evenly.
Remove from the heat and when it has cooled slightly stir in brandy.
If you're keeping the mixture for a while, sterilise some glass jars and spoon the mincemeat in whilst still hot. Stir it a little in the jar to get rid of any air bubbles and fill close to the top. When they've cooled slightly, top with a circle of greasproof paper.
If you're keeping the mixture for a while, sterilise some glass jars and spoon the mincemeat in whilst still hot. Stir it a little in the jar to get rid of any air bubbles and fill close to the top. When they've cooled slightly, top with a circle of greasproof paper.
My sweet pastry recipe never fails to impress and is so easy to do - I use a kitchenaid but have also done it by hand with not too much effort.
This quantity makes a lot of pastry - half if you are only making a small batch.
500g plain flour
200g butter200g icing sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
Mix the butter and flour together - if doing this by hand then rub between your thumb and fingers.
Add the icing sugar and the eggs alternately and mix until it comes together.
Cover with clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
I used a muffin tray to make my mince pies, but a smaller size would also be fine to use. Grease your tray lightly.
Dust your worksurface with icing sugar or flour, then half the pastry and roll out one half to 0.5cm thickness. Keep turning the pastry every few strokes so it is even in size and you know it's not sticking. Your strokes should have a gentle, even pressure.
Cut out bases for your pies and lay in the tray.
Put a couple of teaspoons of mincemeat in the pies, and top with another layer of pastry. This can be a cut pattern or you could cover the pie entirely. If you decide to cover the top, brush the edges of the base pastry with a little milk and press the edges of the top and bottom halves together. Make a couple of air holes in the top to let the hot air escape.
Put the pies in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins, or until slightly browned. This pastry doesn't colour much when cooked so don't wait for them to brown entirely.
Remove from the oven and dust the tops with icing sugar.
Share with family and friends, or just keep in an airtight container and devour over a few days alone!
Cover with clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
I used a muffin tray to make my mince pies, but a smaller size would also be fine to use. Grease your tray lightly.
Dust your worksurface with icing sugar or flour, then half the pastry and roll out one half to 0.5cm thickness. Keep turning the pastry every few strokes so it is even in size and you know it's not sticking. Your strokes should have a gentle, even pressure.
Cut out bases for your pies and lay in the tray.
Put a couple of teaspoons of mincemeat in the pies, and top with another layer of pastry. This can be a cut pattern or you could cover the pie entirely. If you decide to cover the top, brush the edges of the base pastry with a little milk and press the edges of the top and bottom halves together. Make a couple of air holes in the top to let the hot air escape.
Put the pies in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins, or until slightly browned. This pastry doesn't colour much when cooked so don't wait for them to brown entirely.
Remove from the oven and dust the tops with icing sugar.
Share with family and friends, or just keep in an airtight container and devour over a few days alone!
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