Clementinis

This was the drink I made for the ladies on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and it went down a storm.  Apparently it was very refreshing and hit the right spot, several times.  Its nice because you can make up the base and keep it in a jug in the fridge then use as needed.  You can buy clementine juice in Tesco in the fresh juice aisle.

CLEMENTINIS

 

 

 

 

• 200ml vodka
• 200ml Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 600ml clementine juice
• Prosecco or sparkling wine

Combine the spirits and juice in a jug and chill for at least an hour or longer if you can wait

Half fill a martini glass or champagne flute with the base and top up with chilled prosecco

Stand back and wait for the compliments

 

 





Eggnog Bundt Cake

No one in our house likes Christmas cake except my lovely wife but I found this to be an excellent alternative.  The cake is quite heavy in texture like a Christmas cake and full of spicy flavour but has no dried fruit in it or any of the dampness of the traditional cake.  I will be definitely be making this again next year.  One point to note though, you really do need a proper bundt tin because the quantities will overwhelm a standard ring tin.  Remember this is an American cake and they do love their bundts, this recipe has been translated from the version posted by the Brown Eyed Baker.  If you like American cooking please check out her Facebook page, she is worth following.
The tins are easy to find but not cheap, you can even buy Christmas themed ones.  They are also heavy so if you store it somewhere high up remember that when you drag it down to use it.  I'll add pictures of mine to the end of this post.  The first photo shows the density of the crumb with the spiced ripple visible.

EGGNOG BUNDT CAKE

 

• 600g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 180ml eggnog at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 250g butter, softened
• 500g granulated sugar
• 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. dark rum
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the icing

• 180g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp. dark rum

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas4

Generously butter and flour your bundt tin, making sure you get butter into every nook and cranny

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and bicarb and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the eggnog and vanilla and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs and extra yolk one at a time and beat till well combined. 
Reduce the speed of your mixer and add the flour mix in three portions alternating it with the eggnog in two portions.
Remove about 350ml ( 1 cup)of the cake batter and in a separate bowl mix it with the rum and spices.
Spread the larger part of the batter in your tin and level the top.  Spoon over the rum flavoured portion and swirl gently with a butter knife or the handle of a spoon.

Bake until your tester comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.  Mine took over an hour but you need to be certain or when you turn it out it will collapse from its own weight.
Leave to cool in the tin for half an hour then carefully turn out onto a rack to cool completely, about three hours.

To make the icing just combine the icing sugar and rum till you get a thick pouring consistency and pour it over the top to run down the sides.  As you can see I made mine too thick.  I had doubts about rum icing but it is actually delicious.  Keep it covered and this cake will last several days, we're still eating ours five days after I made it.  I also sprinkled some hazelnut cracknel over the top but it didn't add anything!

Eggnog

Like many Brits I have often seen this Christmas drink mentioned in American TV shows and assumed it was just like advocaat but having made it today for the first time I can assure you that it is so much better than the sickly yellow gloop your parents used to buy.  Why did I make it?  Well the Brown Eyed Baker posted a recipe for Eggnog Bundt Cake with rum icing that I fancy making for Christmas this year and of course it requires eggnog.  Tesco does a carton of ready made eggnog in the American aisle but it doesn't contain alcohol and costs £6.  It is so easy to make yourself and a lot cheaper if you have booze to hand and boy does it taste good.  Here is the recipe translated into English from the simplyrecipes.com website and tomorrow or boxing day you'll find out if the cake worked.

EGGNOG

 

• 4 egg yolks
• 3oz sugar
• 450ml milk
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 284/300ml single cream (depending on the carton size at your supermarket)
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp. each of bourbon and rum or brandy

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks till they combine and become lighter in colour
Slowly add the sugar, beating after each addition, then whisking till light and fluffy
In a heavy bottomed pan combine the milk, cloves and cinnamon and heat till it is steaming hot but not boiling
Add half the hot milk to the egg mixture whisking constantly then return the mixture to the rest of the milk in the pan
Cook on medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken slightly and coats the back of the spoon ( or reaches 160F on a sugar thermometer)
Add the cream then remove from the heat and strain into a jug to remove the cloves
Allow to cool for an hour
Mix in the vanilla, nutmeg and alcohol and chill till ready to serve.

(If like me you have vanilla bean paste just mix it well with the booze to dissolve it)



Sweet potato and chickpea chilli

I'm not a vegetarian but I find myself eating less meat through habit and laziness probably.  Vegetarian food has improved by leaps and bounds over the years and this recipe shows just how good food can be without meat.  On this occasion my lovely wife made the food because I was at work all day and proved once again that she can cook despite her protestations! The sweetness of the potato in this contrasts so well with the heat of the chilli and the chickpeas give bulk and texture.
I don't usually endorse recipes that use a product that can't be bought anywhere but I haven't found a general product for the Marks and Spencer paste so I'll just go with it because it was so delicious.  This recipe was published in the Marks and Spencer free Christmas magazine.

SWEET POTATO AND CHICKPEA CHILLI

 

 

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced
• 210g jar of Marks and Spencer chilli con carne paste
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp. tomato puree
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained
• 3 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm pieces
• juice of half a lemon

Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and cook the garlic, cumin, chilli and paste, stirring for 2 minutes

Add the stock, tomato puree, cayenne pepper, chickpeas an sweet potato

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes

Add the lemon juice and season to taste

How easy was that?

This can be prepared in advance and reheated, serve with sour cream or grated cheese and flatbreads





Pear frangipane tart

This is a very easy dessert to make, especially if you use ready made pastry.  I made this after twelve hours at work and felt like a celebrity chef as my lovely wife had prepared all the ingredients for me.  She could have made it too but baulked at making the frangipane.  The recipe I used; courtesy of Marks and Spencer magazine, uses the toffee poured over the tart but I wasn't impressed.  I'd keep it and pour it over if required.  I used Anchor ready made pastry for the first time and was quite impressed, two days later and its still retained its crunch.

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

 

• 50g butter
• 3tbsp soft brown butter
• 4 Conference pears peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
• 250g ready made pastry

For the frangipane

• 100g butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 30g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond essence

Preheat your oven for 190C/375F/Gas 5 and place a baking sheet or tray on the top shelf
Whilst it is heating up melt the butter and sugar together in a pan till the sugar has all melted.  Put the pear slices into the pan and cook for two minutes on each side
Sieve the pears into a bowl and reserve the toffee syrup
Roll out the pastry and line a 25cm loose bottomed tart tin.  Prick it all over with a fork.  Line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind on the sheet for 20 minutes.  Remove the paper and beans and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 189C/350F/Gas 4

To make the frangipane.
Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy
Beat in the egg and almond essence
Fold in the flour and ground almonds.
Spread the frangipane in the tart case then arrange the pear slices on top
Bake for about 30 minutes until golden and just set.
If the middle won't brown cut a circle in the middle of a sheet of baking paper and place it on top and the middle should brown nicely without burning the edges.
Remove from the oven and after ten minutes pop the tart out of the tin.  The pastry should be cooked and golden brown

If you like pour the toffee syrup over the tart or if you prefer put it in a jug and serve separately.  The tart is equally as nice warm or at room temperature.



Chocolate chip scones

This is another recipe poached from the Brown Eyed Baker that I have tested and translated into English.  Unlike cookies you don't want to eat these warm, scones need to be allowed to cool and solidify to be at their best and of course the chocolate needs to reset too.  Like cookies though these are quite nice to pick bits off every now and again.  Mine didn't rise as much as a I expected but they were delicious and at the end of the day that it was what matters the most.  I've put chocolate chips in the ingredients but I always prefer to take a large knife to a chocolate bar or two and make chunks.  Its cheaper and more effective.

CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

 

 

• 1lb of plain flour
• 4oz sugar
• 4tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12oz chocolate chips
• 600ml double cream (large pot)
• melted butter
• additional sugar

Preheat your oven to 375F/175C/Gas 5
Lightly grease two or three baking trays
Stir together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir in the cream until all the ingredients are moistened

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until a soft dough forms
Divide the dough into three equal balls and flatten each ball into a disc about 6" across

Cut the disc into six equal triangles and place them on the greased baking trays leaving a good inch between each one

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar, I used Demerara

Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool and enjoy.



Beef and bean chipotle chilli

This chilli uses chipotle paste rather than chilli powder.  It is readily available in supermarkets, Discovery have a 100g jar in their range.  It imparts a smoky taste to the chilli with just the right amount of bite.  Not enough for my son who thinks if you don't sweat its not chilli!  If the chilli is too runny for you at the end of cooking add a sprinkle of thickening granules which gives it a creamy feel as well as thickening.  Having made this last night I thought it would also be good with the addition of some chorizo or chunks of diced ham.  And what about adding coconut milk instead of water?  Now there's a thought. 
This recipe will comfortably feed six with rice.

BEEF AND BEAN CHIPOTLE CHILLI

 

• I tsp oil, chilli if you've got it
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 500g pack of lean beef mince
• 1/2 jar of chipotle paste, about 50g
• 1 tbsp. of Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 2 x 400g tins of mixed bean salad, drained
• 1 x 400g tin of kidney beans in chilli sauce
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 beef stock cubes ( I used Oxo)
• 4 squares od plain chocolate (or more)

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion till softened
Add the beef and cook with a little black pepper and salt till browned
Add the chipotle paste and Cajun seasoning and cook in for a minute
Tip in the beans and tomatoes then crumble over the stock cubes
Add a can of water, stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes till thickened
Add the chocolate and stir till melted then serve
Like most chilli this will keep for several days and improve with age.



Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Everywhere you go nowadays you are faced with the combination of chocolate and chilli but chilli isn't the only warming spice that works with chocolate, try it with cinnamon and you'll find an even nicer blend.  Cinnamon adds spice without heat and responds to the sweetness of the chocolate in a way that has no effect on chilli.
This is a great recipe to make if you want warm cookies in the morning as the dough needs to be chilled for a few hours and overnight is perfect.  Knock it up in the evening, pop it in the fridge then bake them in the morning.  The chilled dough is also easier to handle and doesn't stick to your hands.

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON COOKIES

 

• 40z butter at room temperature
• 4.5oz golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or paste
• 5oz plain flour
• 1oz cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 5oz (150g) milk chocolate, roughly chopped

Cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy
Add the egg and vanilla and beat together
Sift in the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and baking powder and fold in at the lowest speed to form a dough
Stir through the chocolate, remove to a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight
When you're ready preheat your oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5
Lightly grease a couple of baking tray
Roll your dough into balls about the size of a walnut (or 30g/1.25oz)

Place onto the trays and bake for 12-14 minutes until risen and cracked, they don't spread very much so do it all in one batch if you have room.  I did mine on two trays.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes then place on a wire rack to finish

Apparently these will keep in an air tight container for a few days but I have never known home made cookies to last that long!



Baked chicken and rice

I have been making this for many years and it is a definite family favourite.  It is one of those recipes that you can easily vary and stretch to feed as many as you like.  For that reason it has never been written down, I just made it up and continue to make it.  This recipe is more about relative quantities than exact amounts and it always works.  I prefer to use chicken thighs because they have more flavour and the bone keeps the meat moist as it cooks.

BAKED CHICKEN AND RICE

 

• Two chicken thighs per person
• 2-3 oz of easy cook long grain rice per person
• double the volume of hot chicken stock
• butter
• curry paste

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
Generously butter a big enough casserole dish
Pour your uncooked rice into a measuring jug and note the volume
Remove the rice and make double that volume of hot chicken stock
Put the rice into the buttered casserole and pour over the stock
Melt some more butter in a frying pan and add curry paste, I use one dessert spoon for six thighs
Seal the chicken thighs on the cut side then turn over and brown the skin
Place the chicken skin side up on top of the rice and stock mix
Place into the oven and ignore it for an hour
The skin will crisp up beautifully, the chicken will be moist and the rice will be light and fluffy and will have absorbed the colour and flavour of the butter and curry paste
None of this is ever thrown away, everyone loves the leftovers too especially the rice that gets crispy on the top edges



Apple Crumble Cake

I did this for lunch today and wasn't sure how it would turn out but it was a great success, everybody loved it including I hope my sister in law who has just taken the last bit for her boyfriend and herself for tea.  This is such an easy cake and the result is delicious and you will find that surprisingly it is not especially sweet either.  Serve it with custard, cream or ice cream

APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

 

FILLING

• 1kg Bramley cooking apples (four large ones)
• 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of dried cloves
• 75g light brown sugar
• 25g butter, diced
• 2 tbsp water

SHORTCAKE MIX

• 225g self raising flour
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 125g butter, chilled and diced
• 1 egg, beaten

Butter an 8" loose bottomed or spring tin
Peel, core and roughly dice the apples and place in a saucepan with the rest of the filling ingredients
Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, till you have a thick jammy consistency with a few lumps of apple in it (this took me 35 minutes)

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C/Gas 5
Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and blend to a crumb like texture
Add the egg and very briefly pulse to moisten the crumbs
Scatter half of the mixture over the bottom of the tin
Pour over the hot apple mixture then top with the rest of the crumb mix

Bake for 25-40 minutes until it is an even golden colour
Remove from the oven, run a knife round the edge and leave to cool in the tin
Dust with icing sugar before serving if you like



Kitchen Sink Cookies

My thanks to the Brown Eyed Baker who told all her followers about 'Compost Cookies' so called because everything goes into them.  I have tested and adapted her recipe for UK readers and prefer to call them 'Kitchen Sink Cookies' because they contain everything except ....
Its likely that you won't have all the ingredients but I promise you its worth getting them in because these cookies are great, chewy and crispy, salty and sweet. 
They don't last either, left on the table after dinner guests kept breaking off pieces and popping them into their mouths, they are pretty irresistible.
The recipe specifies chocolate chips but I preferred to buy a bar of chocolate and cut it into chunks, a far better result for a little effort.  I also couldn't lay my hands on butterscotch chips so used fudge chunks instead.  This is the sort of recipe you can do whatever you want with, try adding peanuts or desiccated coconut for example.

KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

 

Digestive mixture

• 30g digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 biscuits)
• 1 tsbp milk powder
• 1.5 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 15g butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. double cream

For the cookies

• 225g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 225g butter at room temperature
• 200g granulated sugar
• 125g soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup ( or try golden or maple)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g chocolate chips/chunks (see above)
• 75g butterscotch chips
• 40g rolled oats
• 2.5 tsp ground coffee
• 50g potato crisps
• 50g mini pretzels

Prepare the digestive mixture
In a small bowl stir together the crumbs, milk powder, sugar and salt
Whisk together the cream and melted butter then add to the dry ingredients
Toss with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened then set aside

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt
In the mixing bowl of a Kenwood or similar combine the butter, sugars and syrup and cream till soft and fluffy
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla then continue to beat for another 5 minutes
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mix till the dough just comes together
Still on low speed add the chocolate, butterscotch, digestive mixture, oats and coffee and mix until just incorporated
Add the crisps and pretzels and do the same again
Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure place scoops of dough onto baking sheets lined with baking paper
Pat the tops flat, cover with cling film and chill for at least an hour

After 45 minutes preheat your oven to 375F/180C/Gas 5
Remove the cling film
Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges are just turning brown
They will spread out and probably meet so as they cool just gently run a knife along the joins to separate them
Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets



Doughnut muffins

So what do you do at 6.30 on a Sunday morning when you're wide awake with no urge to roll over and go back to sleep?  You make muffins.  Doughnut muffins have been around since someone had the idea to put jam in the middle of a muffin and roll it in sugar.  It is not a new invention by Starbucks who have just copywrit the name 'Duffin' and caused a minor publicity spat with the London bakery that also sells them as Duffins.  Come on now, what a ridiculous name!  Cronuts I can just about accept as croissant doughnuts is a bit of a mouthful but doughnut muffins just rolls off the tongue.
This is one recipe where you do have to be precise when loading your muffin tins.  The mixture barley makes 36 tablespoons which is enough for twelve muffins but don't be generous when spooning it into the tin or you'll only get ten or eleven!  Who is going to miss out?

DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

 

• 150g caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100ml plain yoghurt (small pot)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g melted butter
• 12 tbsp. seedless raspberry jam

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
Generously butter your muffin tin
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the middle
In a separate jug or bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients
Add the wet to the dry and stir to combine till there is no flour visible.  Lumpy is fine but I found this to be quite a smooth batter
Spoon a scant 2 tbsp. of batter into each hole and top with a tsp of jam.  Give the jam a good stir first to make it smooth and more easily pourable.

Top each hole with another tbsp. of batter like so

Bake in the centre of your oven for 15-25 minutes till golden brown and cooked.  My oven required the full 25 minutes but check after 15. 
Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the tin to cool on a rack.  You may need to ease them from the tin with a knife, handle with care.
Cool on the rack for 5 minutes then roll each one in caster sugar for that doughnut effect.
Enjoy warm.

 

Buckeye brownies

It is no surprise that America has an obesity problem if they eat stuff like this.  I could only manage two mouthfuls and had to abandon ship.  My son and lovely wife enjoyed them however so there is obviously a market for these.  The brownie recipe is very easy but I found it would have been easier if I had read the recipe and prepared some of my ingredients before hand like melting the butter, well duh!

BUCKEYE BROWNIES

 

FOR THE BROWNIES

• 60g cocoa
• 1 tsp coffee powder
• 150ml boiling water
• 50g plain chocolate, finely chopped
• 50g butter, melted
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 565g granulated sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 3/4 tsp salt

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

• 200g smooth peanut butter
• 115g butter, softened
• pinch of salt
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

TOPPING

• 150g milk chocolate
• 75g smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas 4
Line a 9" x 13" baking tin with foil and grease it ( I used two smaller ones )
Whisk the cocoa, coffee powder and boiling water together in a large pan till smooth
Add the chocolate and stir till melted ( that's why you chop it! )
Whisk in the melted butter and oil
Add the eggs, yolks and vanilla and continue to whisk till smooth and combined
Whisk in the sugar till completely incorporated then fold in the flour and salt
Pour into your tin/s and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes
Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for and hour and a half

Beat together the butter, salt and peanut butter till smooth and creamy
Reduce your mixer speed to low and add the icing sugar alternately with the milk
Add the vanilla and beat on a higher speed till smooth and combined
If the mixture seems a little too stiff to spread easily add a little more milk
Spread the mixture over the brownie base ( back of a spoon was good ) and chill for 30 minutes

Melt together the peanut butter and milk chocolate ( I used the microwave ) and beat together.  Pour over the top of the peanut mixture and spread to an even layer with a spatula or similar and refrigerate again till set.
Using the foil lift your brownie from the tin and remove the foil.  Cut to the sixe of brownie you want.

Final note - they taste less sickly the next day straight from the fridge!



Sweet chilli chicken

Its getting harder to find opportunities to cook now that we only have one son at home and my wife is starting a strict diet.  Its all very well these celebrity cooks blathering on in the press about the importance of cooking family meals but when your family works shifts and everyone eats at different times the reality is that cooking from scratch has to suffer.
I found a recipe in the Daily Mail during the week that I liked the look of but I knew some of the elements wouldn't go down well with everyone so I have amended it to make my own recipe from their initial idea.  Hey guys, this is a Rankine original, almost!  This was a big hit and is definitely a keeper.  The best part, it is so easy and once the initial preparation is over it only takes an hour to cook.  In that way it would certainly satisfy those celebrity chefs and would make a great family meal.  The recipe serves four adults allowing two chicken thighs per person but would obviously stretch further when feeding children who might only eat one thigh each.

SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN

 

 

• 8 chicken thighs
• 3 peppers, deseeded and sliced large (try for the pack of different colours)
• 1 large onion, cut into thick slices
• 1 tbsp. oil (I used chilli oil but go with what you've got)
• 2 oz cashews
• tin of cherry tomatoes, strained and keep the juice
• 4 oz clear honey (5 fl oz)
• 4 tbsp. hot chilli sauce

Preheat your oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6

Toss the chicken, peppers and onions in the oil in a large shallow roasting tin and season

Make sure the chicken is skin side up and place in the oven for 30 minutes

 

Meanwhile pour the honey into a mixing jug, add the chill sauce ( I use Langhams ) and add about 6 tbsp. of the juice from the tomatoes.  Get a fork and whisk it all together.

After the 30 minutes pour the glaze over the chicken and return to the oven for another 15 minutes

 

Scatter over the cashews and cherry tomatoes, give it all a stir keeping the chicken skin side up and return to the oven for the final 15 minutes then voila, serve with white rice or we had easy flatbreads as detailed below.

EASY FLATBREAD

 

• 250g self raising flour
• 250g natural yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl to make a soft dough
Knead for a few minutes then divide into four
Preheat a griddle pan
Roll out each quarter to a couple of millimetres thick
Cook on the griddle pan for a few minutes each side until browned all over
You'll know when to turn it because bubbles start appearing on the top
You can keep these warm in the bottom of the oven in which you're cooking the chicken whilst you do the others.



 





Banana chocolate chip muffins

I knocked these up for my wife's friends for breakfast when they stayed over.  Its a good job I made them the night before because after having three drunken ladies singing and dancing in the lounge till 3.30am I might not have been feeling so generous.  You could easily make these for breakfast on the day and eat them warm which is of course the best way to eat all muffins.  I make mine in a buttered tin but feel free to use paper cases.  I prefer the clean edges of tin baked muffins and you don't have to pick them off the paper cases.  Just remember to butter your tin generously.  This recipe makes twelve muffins which should be enough for breakfast.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

 

• 225g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100g chocolate chunks or chips
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp. milk
• 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 250g mashed ripe banana ( about 3 small ones)

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate in a large bow, mix thoroughly and make a well in the centre
In another bowl beat together the egg, oil, milk and bananas
Add the wet to the dry and stir to combine till there is no dry flour left, the mixture will be lumpy
Divide between twelve muffin holes and bake for 20-25 minutes

I baked mine for 20 minutes and thought they were a little overdone on the outside so check after 15 minutes.  They were still delicious and moist because of the banana.

 

Salted caramel shortbread

I bet I'm not the only husband who reads his wife's magazines when he's bored, especially on holiday.  I found this recipe in a copy of Reveal sitting by the pool in Tenerife so I had to tear it out and bring it home as we always leave our magazines for other people to read.  Salted caramel is still very much in vogue and this is a salty variation on Millionaire's Shortbread.  use coarse sea salt for the best effect, this recipe made twelve pieces but as you can imagine it is very sweet so cut it down to twenty four if you want to share it.

SALTED CARAMEL SHORTBREAD

 

For the shortbread

• 175g butter
• 225 plain flour
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

For the caramel

• 225 butter
• 397g tin of condensed milk
• 4 tbsp. golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

For the topping

• 300g milk chocolate
• 100g white chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas 4
Grease and line a 20cm square brownie tin or similar
Now you can rub together the butter, flour and sugar in a bowl to make a rough dough or you can whizz it together in a food processor in about 3 minutes until it is just clumping together
Press the dough into the tin and smooth it out with the back of a spoon then prick it all over with a fork
Bake for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 150C/300F/gas 2 and bake for a further 35 minutes.  This was the right timing for me so its probably safe to leave it this long.  I did check it after 30 and put it back in for the final five minutes
Once cooked allow to cool in the tin and sprinkle with the sea salt.

Place all the caramel ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil.  It might be worth putting the butter in first to melt and help prevent the sugars from burning.  Simmer for ten minutes till it thickens.  I found that some of the mix did burn on the bottom of the pan.  My wife blames the Le Creuset pan and I had to sieve it.  Pour over the shortbread base and leave to set in the fridge.  Here's a pretty picture of the golden syrup before it sank through the condensed milk.

When the caramel is set enough melt the chocolates separately.  Pour the milk chocolate over the caramel then drizzle the white chocolate over that.  If you're feeling artistic feather the lines of white chocolate with a skewer then place back in the fridge to set.

Finally cut it up into as many pieces as you want.  Try not to leave it too long before you do this as the chocolate could get brittle in the fridge and then you'll never get a clean cut.