A traditional Flapjack

This is such a quick and simple recipe, very minimum effort and also low cost. Perfect for a bake sale, which is good timing as my son has one at his school tomorrow!

Everyone loves flapjack and you can adulterate them as you wish. I have left these plain (which is sometimes best) but feel free to throw in some chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, seeds or drizzle chocolate one them!

If you search for flapjacks online, the choice is endless. They all have the same ingredients, but some have more butter, less sugar, more golden syrup etc...

I have tried lots of recipes. Some are too hard, others too sweet and others fall apart. But this was my favourite. So I thought I would post a recipe of what I consider to be a very traditional flapjack.
They are rich, crumbly, soft and chewy, which is exactly how a flapjack should be!

You can cook them for the full 25 mins and they will have a nice crunch too. Or reduce cooking time slightly if you prefer them softer.

Ingredients:

To fit a oblong tin 23cm by 30cm (makes approx 20-24)

450g Rolled Porridge Oats
3 tbsp Golden Syrup
225g Demerara Sugar
225g Unsalted Butter

To fit a 20 cm square tin: (makes 12-16)

350g Rolled Porridge Oats
2 tbsp Golden Sugar
125  Demerara Sugar
125g Unsalted Butter

Method: (This all takes about 10 minutes!)

Pre heat your oven to 160c (fan)
Line your tin with baking parchment.

Weigh out the butter and sugar into a large saucepan. 

Add the golden syrup and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved.
Take off the heat and stir in the oats.
Scrap into the prepared tin.

Flatten with a wooden spoon/spatula making sure it is nice and evenly distributed.

Bake in your oven for approx 25 mins until they are a lovely golden brown. Let them cool in the tin before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb and Ginger Biscuit Crumble Cake

I love Rhubarb and now is the season for it. We have a great patch of Rhubarb growing in the garden and if you have never grown it before I highly recommend it. It seems to get better each year with low maintenance!

I often make a Rhubarb crumble, but fancied trying something different. I have tried 'apple crumble cakes' so thought I would try a Rhubarb one.

I was really pleased with the end result of this and it is particularly delicious served warm from the oven as a pudding. But just as nice served cold with a cup of tea.

You can omit the Ginger from the crumble topping if not your cup of tea, but the flavour is subtle but complimentary to the Rhubarb. So I recommend giving it a try. Another variation that I have tried and tested is Rhubarb and Strawberry. The flavours work beautifully together and the colour of the Strawberries makes the cake look appealing too.

Ingredients:

To fit a 2lb loaf tin or 8 inch round tin.

3 sticks of Rhubarb
3 Free Range Eggs
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Caster Sugar
110g Light Brown Sugar
225g soft unsalted butter or stork margarine
1/2 tsp baking powder

Ginger biscuit crumble topping:

100g plain flour
50g soft brown sugar
50g unsalted butter
1 heaped tsp ground ginger

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160 C (fan) 180 (non fan) and line your tin.

Firstly prepare your crumble topping. Weigh the ingredients into a bowl and slowly, with your fingers, rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Next chop your rhubarb into large chunks, not too small about 3-5cm a piece is perfect.
Set aside in a bowl for later.

Now for your all in one sponge:

Weigh the flour and sieve into a nice roomy mixing bowl followed by the baking powder.
Then weigh the sugar and butter and add to the bowl. Finally crack in the eggs. Use an electric whisk (or an old fashioned wooden spoon) to combine.

Add the sponge mixture to your prepared tin.

Slowly place the rhubarb evenly on top of the sponge (in case you were wondering, there is no need to stew it first - tried and tested!).

Lastly sprinkle the crumble topping evenly until all of the rhubarb is covered.

Place in the the oven for 50 mins to an hour. The cake should be nicely risen and golden brown and crunchy on top.

Enjoy! I love the sweet crunchy biscuity topping combined with the sharp Rhubarb. This is my flavour heaven.

The Ultimate 'never fails' Pizza dough

Homemade Pizza is a weekly treat in our house. It might seem like a hassle to make your dough from scratch, but as long as you have an hour to leave it to rise, the actual dough making aspect is the quick bit. The more you make it the easier it gets. Now I really enjoy the process of kneading the dough and look forward to Pizza night in our house.

I am a big fan of recipes that my children can help out with and also meals we can eat together as a family. Pizza is ideal for this. I often make pizza dough when my 4 year old has a friend coming over for dinner as children love to choose their own toppings. My eldest son is very fussy and I lose track with which topping he likes/doesn't like. So I find homemade pizza works well as he is in control of the flavours!

When you make your own dough, the results are always great, this particular dough has a lovely flavour. Plus you can stretch out super thin if you like your base to be crispy. Or have a more doughy base if you prefer. If you want a inexpensive way of feeding a family this is the ultimate, I often use 'Pizza night' as a way of using up left overs from the fridge. Ham, salami, mushrooms, bacon, rocket etc... Or be more indulgent and buy some delicious Parma Ham or Prosciutto from the deli! The below recipe will make 4 large pizzas or 4 medium pizzas and dough left to make garlic pizza bread or dough balls (which my kids LOVE).

If you have never made pizza before, or have tried other recipes but not got on well with it, please try this. You will never look back! As all my recipes, it is fool proof and minimum effort, maximum output. Enjoy and please tweet me pictures or let me know how you get on! 

Recipe:

500g Strong white bread flour

1 level dessert spoon salt

1 level dessert spoon caster sugar

1 sachet (7.5g) fast action yeast

325ml luke warm water

2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil (if you haven't got extra virgin, olive oil works just fine as I found out last week!)

Toppings of your choice.

Tomato sauce: There are lots of options here. You can use passata straight from a jar, or tomato puree spread on the base if strapped for time.

 

Alternatively:

The ultimate pizza base sauce: Finely chop an onion and garlic. Fry in a pan with a little olive oil. When the onions are nicely caramelised, add a 500 can/jar of passatta. Bring to the boil and then reduce down to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper and add fresh basil. 

Method:

Wash your hands and remove any rings as this will get messy!

Pre heat your oven to 220c. The hotter the better! 

Put your pizza tray/oven tray(s) in the oven, as the pizza needs to go onto a hot tray for a nice crispy base.

Add the water, yeast, oil and sugar to a measuring jug and give a good stir. Leave for a couple of mins to settle whilst you do the next bit.

Weigh out the flour, sieve into a large roomy mixing bowl and add the salt.

Use a fork to make a well in the middle of the bowl of flour for the water/yeast mixture. 

Slowly pour in the water mixture into the middle of the 'well' stirring with a fork as you go. Once all the liquid is incorporated, use your hands to knead together for about 3 mins until you have a nice smooth dough in a ball. 

Cover the bowl with a tea towel to leave to rise for an hour. It will be ready when the dough has doubled in size.

Once risen, wash your hands and lightly flour them. Now, knock the air out of the dough with your hands until you have a nice smooth ball again. If you are using the dough straight away, separate the dough into portions. If you have made it in advance, you can put the dough into a sandwich bag and put in the fridge until you need it? Incidentally it also freezes well.

Use your hands to stretch into pizza bases, or a rolling pin if you prefer? 

I tend to put the bases onto a piece of foil, as you can then put the toppings on and transfer them to the hot baking trays when they are ready to cook. 

Add your tomato sauce and then toppings of your choice. I recommend putting the cheese on last. 

Bake in the oven for 6-10 mins as ovens vary. Try and put in the middle of the oven, so you can watch the pizza cooking through the oven door. 

Enjoy!

Fruit Scones

I think fruit scones are seriously under rated.
They are always quicker to make than I remember, they smell delicious as they are cooking and then eaten warm from the oven, they really are just the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

For me, this is one of my super quick and simple 'go to recipes' when I have friends popping in and nothing to offer in the house.

You don't need any eggs, just flour, a small amount of butter and sugar and some milk. They take about 10-15 mins to make and 12 mins to bake. They are quick and inexpensive to make, which beats a trip to the shops to buy some biscuits.

You can serve with butter and jam, or go all out with clotted cream.
My children absolutely love them and they are great as an after school snack. They are quite filling and have far less sugar than most other sweet treats.

Use this recipe as a guide but you can use wholemeal flour if you prefer. Or even make them plain without the fruit.

Recipe:

Makes 6 (double the recipe if you need to)

225g self raising flour
60g butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
150ml full fat milk
150g sultanas * raisins work well too or try chopped cherries.

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 220C or 200C fan oven. Place some non stick paper on a baking sheet.

Weigh out the flour and sieve into a bowl. Add the butter and gently rub the butter into your fingertips into the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar and dried fruit and stir until incorporated evenly, then slowly add the milk whilst stirring to form a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. The less you handle the dough, the lighter the scone (I was once told as a child). So once the dough is on the board flatten gently with your finger tips. No need to use a rolling pin. I like the uneven rustic look anyway!

Cut out rounds and place on your baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk.

Bake for approx 12 mins. They should be nicely risen and golden brown on top.

Put the kettle on and enjoy!

A recipe for Easter. Mini Egg Brownies

Wishing all my lovely blog readers a Happy Easter! 

These Mini Egg brownies really are a minimum effort, maximum output Easter treat.

Easter to me has always been about the food. A delicious leg of Lamb on Easter Sunday. Easter Eggs galore and any Easter themed dessert of some sort. If you are not in a chocolate coma by Easter Monday, you haven't really celebrated in my opinion.

I also believe it is essential to have 'Mini Egg' themed treats at home. Either chocolate nests, cupcakes or brownies just like these. These Brownies have MiniEggs both inside and on top. Plus a layer of melted chocolate on top! Deliciously rich and a real chocolate explosion! 


Ingredients:

250g soft unsalted butter
250g good quality dark chocolate (off the shelf chocolate not cooking chocolate)
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g caster sugar
150g plain flour
2 bags of Mini Eggs (90g per bag) 1 bag for decoration and 1 bag to go inside the brownies.
PLEASE NOTE: PUT ONE BAG OF MINI EGGS IN THE FREEZER. THIS ALLOWS THEM TO KEEP THEIR COLOUR WHEN BAKED IN THE OVEN.

Makes approx 20 large brownies. Or a minimum of 30 little ones. 

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180c fan. Line your brownie tin, greaseproof paper is best. 
(I use a tin measuring 13 x 9 inches. So if your tin is smaller increase baking time slightly as your brownies will be deeper)
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan on a very low heat. 

Whilst the butter/choc is melting find a large measuring jug or mixing bowl and beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract.

When the chocolate mixture has melted, leave to cool slightly to avoid scrambled eggs. 

Then beat in the eggs/sugar. When all combined, mix in the flour and 1 bag of mini eggs (taken from the freezer).
Either put them in whole, or use a rolling pin to bash them into small pieces if you prefer?

Mix to combine smoothly and then scrape mix out of the saucepan into your lined tin.

Bake for approx 16 -18 mins. It doesn't seem very long, but the difference between dry and gooey brownies is minutes. You will know when it is ready as the top will seem paler but the middle still gooey. 

Keep them in the tin to cool as they continue to cook whilst in the tin. 

Once cool, turn the brownies out onto a chopping board ready for decorating.

Melt some chocolate in a bowl above boiling water. Drizzle this chocolate over the brownies and use the remaining bag of mini eggs to decorate however you fancy.

To serve, trim the edges off (devourer secretly).

Then use a very sharp knife to cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Slow cooked Beef, Chilli and Ginger Stew

Seeing as the weather is still positively chilly, I thought I had better continue with the theme of slow cooker recipes.

I am always experimenting with new casserole recipes. There is nothing quite like a wet and warming stew in the winter months and this is a real favourite in my house. It is something I can rustle up quickly with ingredients I tend to have at home anyway. It takes less than 20 mins to prepare. You can then leave in the slow cooker to cook itself for a few hours in the afternoon.

The combination of ginger, chilli and plenty of coriander makes this stew fragrant and spicy. Yet the beef is meltingly tender and delicious. It is perfect served with rice and steamed green veg and it feels slightly more healthy than a more traditional stew served with mash.

I am useless at photography, so the photos don't do this stew justice. Please give it a try. It is foolproof, minimum effort and so tasty.

To serve 2:

300-400g of diced casserole/braising beef steak.

2 medium onions chopped

fresh ginger (tip * I always buy frozen and it has just the flavour in my opinion)

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 red chilli (use more or less depending on your chilli tolerance!)

Plenty of fresh coriander (again I buy frozen - such a cheat, but it is cost effective and saves waste)

A dash of light soy sauce

1 pint of beef stock

1 tsp chinese 5 spice

I dessert spoon of plain flour

salt and pepper

Method:

Add a good glug of olive oil to your casserole dish and heat.

Place the beef in a shallow bowl. Add the flour, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and the 5 spice. Ensure the beef is evenly coated in the seasoning. You can do this in a sandwich bag if you prefer.

By now, the oil should be sizzling hot. Slowly add the beef pieces to the dish to brown, turning frequently. You want to cook for only a few minutes until nicely browned. Remove the meat and place in a clean bowl.

Now add your chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli to the same casserole dish. Add a little extra oil if needed. Stir until the onions translucent and beginning to caramelise.

Return the beef to the casserole dish, add a dash of light soy sauce. Slowly add the beef stock, letting the liquid thicken slowly. Bring to the boil, then simmer to reduce.

Then season well. Add a good sprinkling of chopped coriander (saving some for later) and add the casserole dish to your preheated oven. Cook on low 140 degrees C. Or transfer to your slow cooker.

This needs a good 4 hours to cook. Stirring occasionally. 

Serve with plenty of chopped coriander. I find rice and plenty of steamed green veg go well with this dish.

Enjoy!

Just to say, as this dish is slow cooked. I am sending it to March's slow cooked challenge. Which is a

blogging event hosted by Lucy from Baking Queen 74. If you haven't checked out her food blog. I highly recommend. Especially if you like slow cooked recipes. You can find a link to her blog here:

http://bakingqueen74.co.uk

She jointly hosts the event with Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen. Another fab and inspiring blog. A link to her site is here: http://farmersgirl.blogspot.com

Slow cooked Beef and Parsnip Stew

So many of you have asked me to post slow cooked recipes and I think beef stews are often the best.

Nothing quite beats the flavour of beautifully tender beef, plus I love how versatile the meat is. I have so many variations of a 'Beef Stew' and this is one of my favourites. So I have to share it.

It is a very classic Beef Stew, almost like a Beef Bourguignon, as you fry the onions/shallots with garlic and lardons. However the difference is, I don't add red wine with this recipe. The parsnips add a delicious sweetness and flavour and I don't think you need wine.

You can of course add wine if you like. However, if you don't have any to hand to cook with, or any to spare, this recipe works really well without it.

You can choose to cook this on low in your oven. Or your slow cooker. Both work well.

To serve 2 people (generously)

330g of British Beef diced casserole steak
2 large onions or 4/5 shallots
2 rashers or streaky bacon chopped finely. Or one of those little pots of pancetta already diced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 large parsnip chopped - large pieces work well.
1 carrot chopped as you wish
1 pint of beef stock
Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Firstly add a glug of olive oil to your casserole dish and heat gently.

Coat your beef with a light dusting of flour (a dessert spoon is fine) and a generous helping of salt and pepper.
* Mary Berry recommends adding the beef, flour and seasoning to a freezer bag and shaking to avoid any mess. Very good idea! I tend to just put it all in a bowl and then let the dishwasher get to work afterwards.

When the oil is hot. Add the beef and cook for a few mins, turning to get each piece nice and browned. Set aside in a bowl.

Add the onions, pancetta and garlic and fry gently until all cooked nicely. By now your casserole dish will have lots of very brown bits from the beef/flour earlier. Do not worry about this. As when you add your stock it will dissolve and add plenty of flavour.

Return the beef to the casserole dish and mix with the onions/pancetta and garlic. Slowly add the stock. Stirring as you go. Scrape all the burnt bits into the liquid as you go. At the end you should have a lovely consistency of stock.

Add the parsnip and carrots and give a final stir.

Add to your slow cooker (on low) or in your pre heated oven on about 100 degrees C.

Cook for at least 4 hours. But up to about 8 is fine! Check it occasionally making sure you give it a nice stir. If you know it is cooked perfectly and the meat is beginning to fall apart. Just turn off and heat up again when it is ready to heat.

When ready to serve. Add some black pepper and salt to taste. Plus a generous sprinkling of fresh parsley.

This is perfect with mash potato, jacket potato, a puff pastry top, rice, or even some lovely warm crusty bread.

Enjoy!