The Lady's choice cupcakes

The Lady's choice cupcakes 

Ingredients:

250g butter
300g castor sugar
2ml raspberry essence
1/2ml rose essence
4eggs
450g self raising flour
2ml salt
250ml milk

250g butter
500g icing sugar
2m vanilla essence
60g cocoa
250g of caramel chocolate

Method:

• Heat oven to 180°C.

• Grease 2 muffin trays or place cupcake holders in 24 muffin pans

• In a bowl cream together butter and castor sugar until fluffy and pale. 

• Then mix in the rose and raspberry essence .

• Add the eggs one at a time (beating well after each addition)

• Sift in the salt and flour and fold in gently

• Add the milk and continue folding.

• Spoon equal amounts of mixture in each muffin pan/case (I used an ice cream scoop to get equal amounts), and bake for 13-14 minutes.

• Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the tray, then allow them to cool on a rack for a further 15 - 20 minutes

For the icing:

• Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until it is pale and twice the volume.

• Add in the icing sugar a little at a time (beating well after each addition.)

• Add in the cocoa and mix until the cocoa is fully combined into the icing mixture. 

• (If your icing is too stif, mix in 30ml of milk)

• Transfer the icing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes

• Melt caramel in the microwave at 30 second bursts until the chocolate is completely melted. 

• Dollop a bit onto some plain cupcakes and guide it to the edge, either by using a spoon or turning it with your hand.

• You can also use a thin nozel to pipe caramel lines over the chocolate iced cupcakes.

Gran's Homemade Chicken Pie

Gran's Homemade Chicken Pie.

Ingredients:

 4 chicken breast diced into small pieces. 

1 Tsp oil.  

Juice of 1/2 a lemon, 

1 large onion also diced. 

1 punit of mushrooms wiped & sliced.  

2 cloves of crushed garlic

 2 Tsp of fresh cream or yoghurt. 

1/2 cup chicken stock. 

 Pepper & salt.

 2 sprigs fresh basil.

 2 medium puff pastry.                                                          

Method:                                                  

• Heat oil in heavy saucepan add chicken & onions sautée till light brown.
• Season with pepper, salt & garlic.
• Add mushrooms & stir in for 2 minutes then drizzle with lemon juice . 
• Add the chicken stock then simmer for 2mins. 
• Stir in the cream & switch heat off. 
• Place 1 pastry in a greased baking dish. 
• Add the filling and sprinkle with the chopped basil. Cover with the 2nd pastry & brush with beaten egg.
• Bake in moderate oven until pastry is puffed & light brown.

* Serve with tossed green salad using chunky pieces of avocado, lettuce  & berry tomatoes   

Serves 4 -6 persons.

The Ultimate Breakfast Stack!!!

The Ultimate Breakfast Stack!!!

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar,
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons
1 Large Russet Potato, peeled
1 Tbsp of All Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp of Grated Onion
1 Egg White
Salt and Pepper
Oil as needed
90ml baked beans
1 onion
2-3 tomatoes
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 eggs 

Method:

For the Pancakes:

• Heat your pan over medium-low heat. 
• In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 
• Beat the 2 eggs into the milk, along with the 2 tablespoons of melted and cooled butter. 
• Spray some non stick spray onto your pan. 
• Ladle dollops of the pancake batter onto the pan, making pancakes of a small to medium size. 
• Flip pancakes after some bubbles occur in surface and edges and bottoms turn slightly brown

Hashbrown:

• In a large bowl pour in a glug of cold water and set aside. 
• Grate the potatoes and immediately place them into the water. 
• Leave the potatoes to sit in the water for about 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Then remove the potatoes from the water and using a dish cloth add the shredded potatoes in it and squeeze out all the excess liquid. Place them on a seperate cloth/towel to dry them up a bit more.
• In a large bowl mix the potatoes, flour, egg white, onion, salt and pepper. Make sure it is well combined.
• Add enough oil to coat the bottom to the of a large non stick pan. Heat the pan over a medium to high heat.
• When the pan hot, add dollops of the potato mixture at a time, using a spatula to flatten the mixture as much as possible, 
• Cook them for about 5 -6 minutes on each side or until brown and crispy. 

Cheese tomatoes:

• Preheat over to 180°C 
• Cut your tomatoes into circles (leave on for the beans)  and season with salt and pepper and place on non stick baking tray. 
• Sprinkle cheese over the tops of the tomatoes and bake for 15 minutes.

Beans:

• In a pan fry the onions until they turn slightly brown then add the diced tomatoes.
• Allow the tomatoes to soften slightly the add the beans and a chilli (if desired) 
• Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 

For the plating:

• Using a circlular cookie cutter, cut out the equal size pieces of pancakes and hashbrowns. (Save one ring of pancake)
• Stack the a tower of Hashbrown, cheese tomato, pancake, fried onions (optional) and pancake.
• Place the bake bean mixture around the tower leaving a little space for the egg and pancake ring.

Egg:

• In a pot of simmering water poach 4 eggs ( one at a time)
• Plate the poach eggs on the side of the tower and then border it with the left over pancake ring.

Mama's sweet and sticky chicken wings.

There's nothing in the world that beats a family favourite. In my house one of our famous family favourites is mama's super sticky chicken wings. This recipe is a hit at family functions or a relaxed night with friends. It's also an ideal and easy snack to prepare for a Saturday night football game aw well as the perfect starter for a date night. 

Ingredients:

500g Chicken wings 

The juice of half an orange

honey (2 Tbsp)

3 Tbsp apricot jam

1 Tsp crushed ginger 

1 Tsp crushed garlic 

Salt and pepper (seasoning)

Method:

-Place the chicken wings in a large bowl.

-In a separate bowl, mix together the orange juice, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over the chicken wings.

-Place the bowl of marinated wings in the fridge for 4 or more hours to marinate.

-After the wings have marinated take them out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 180°C 

-Place the wings on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes 

-After 15 minutes remove the wings from the oven and coat them with jam and honey.

-Return the wings to the oven and grill them for a further 15min or until golden brown.

This wings are best served hot and sticky, straight out of the oven.

Summer's berry and cream clotted meringue

This dessert is the perfect combination of a sweet, light, crispy yet chewy and decadent treat. This is my beautiful berry and cream clotted meringue - an ideal dessert for a light summer lunch. 

Ingredients

4 free-range eggs, whites only

225g/7oz white caster sugar 

5ml lemon juice

1 Tsp cornflour

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400ml double cream

3 Tbsp icing sugar

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200g raspberries

100g recurrents

100g strawberries

100g blueberries

(removed from stems)

100g  caster sugar

*Alternatively you can use a pack of frozen mixed berries.

squeeze of lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C, Draw circles according to the size you want your meringues (I usually draw 10 medium size circles) on 2 sheets of baking parchment. Place them face down onto 2 large baking trays and set aside.
2. Meringues: In a clean and fairly large bowl pour the egg whites into the bowl and squeeze in the lemon juice.
3. Whisk them to a medium peak.
4. Gradually add spoonfuls of the sugar to the meringue and whisk it until all of the sugar has dissolved. The mixture should become shiny and very stiff.
5. Whisk in the cornflour for about 2 seconds until smooth. 
6. Dollop four tiny dots of the meringue on the corners of the baking sheets to stick the baking parchment to tray. You can then dollop spoonfuls of the mixture into each of the circles on the paper until the circle is full. If you want to go for a neater finish use a plain or a star nozzle in a piping bag and fill it with the meringue mixture. Then, starting in the centre of each circle, hold the piping bag vertically and squeeze gently as you go round 
7. Repeat with the rest of the mix 
8. Bake in the oven for about for 30–40 minutes.
9. Once the meringues are ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. (If your meringues crack or weep, just turn the oven down by 10°C)
10. Whilst the meringues cool, pour the cream into a mixing bowl and beat until the cream becomes thick and stiff, then gently fold in the icing sugar 
11. For the berry coulis, place the berries into a saucepan with sugar (if you are using frozen berries, make sure the have defrosted) . Set it over a medium heat, crushing with the back of a fork until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have become saucy then add the lemon juice. Taste and add a little more sugar if desired. Allow the mixture to chill before placing over the meringues.
12. After the berries have cooled, place the meringues on a serving plater and dollop a blob of the cream mixture onto the meringues and then drizzle with the sauce from the berry coulis. Finally place a few berries on top of the meringue and cream. Then add a spring of mint for presentation purposes. 

Perfect Side Bread Rolls :)

Perfect Side Bread Rolls

These bread rolls are the perfect side to any dish. Be it a creamy tomato soup or simple roast with gravy and salad. These rolls have a hard, shiny and crunchy outside with a soft, doughy inside. These are without a doubt the perfect side to any family meal.

Ingredients:

450g wholewheat flour
7g fast action yeast
teaspoon of salt
275ml of warm water
150g baking powder
2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Method:

-Preheat the oven to 200c.

-In a large bowl mix flour, yeast and salt together with a wooden spoon.

-Add the warm water and mix it together with the dry ingredients. (If you are using an electric mixer, fit the dough hook and mix it for approximately 5 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes until the dough is nice and taught. (To test if the dough is ready, press the dough lightly and the dough should spring back) 

-Divide the dough into equal size pieces. 

-Roll out one of the pieces of dough (keep the thickness of the rolled out dough even). 

-Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut into equal size rolls. -Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with wax parchment. *Repeat with the rest of the dough.

-Spray/brush the dough with oil and cover them with cling film ensuring that they are air tight (make sure that the cover is not too tight.)

-Place this in a warm (not in too hot a place) for 30 minutes+_.

-10 minutes before the dough is ready, boil a large pot of water water, the pot should only be 2/3 full. As soon as the rolls are ready 

-Turn the heat of the boiling water down and add baking powder to it. (The water and baking powder mix should start to bubble up to the surface)

-Turn the heat up a slightly.

-Carefully place the rolls in the water, then (I do 3 to 4 at a time).

-Let the rolls cook for 35 - 45 seconds and then remove the rolls spatula and place back on to the baking sheet. *Repeat until al the rolls have been cooked and re-placed onto the tray. ( I cut slits on the top of my rolls for presentation purposes)

-Turn off the heat of the bubbling water, and brush the pretzels with the egg 

-Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until therolls are going a mid brown colour. Once cooked remove from the oven and serve.

My name is Kiara and I love food. I love eating food, talking about food, trying new foods and experimenting with simple, classic dishes.

I've been baking since I was about 8 years old, with my mum's help of course. These days I find myself in the kitchen more and more each day, trying out new recipes. So here are a few of my favourite recipes ranging from chocolatey desserts to tantalising meals, as wells as the perfect midday snacks to share with friends and family.

Xxx