Happy Mother's Day & Madeira Cake

One of my favourite treats as a child was being handed the wooden spoon after my mam had mixed up a cake and licking off the delicious batter that refused to shift and plop into the baking tin.  Once the spoon had been licked clean the bowl would be offered forward and the remnants diligently scraped and shovelled into my little mouth.  More often than not it was the dregs of a Madeira cake batter, thick, creamy and sweet, almost nicer than the baked cake.  It is such a versatile cake and I'm sure it appeared in many guises throughout the baking year but all that I remember are those delicious moments stood in the kitchen licking the spoon clean until my tongue felt like it would fall off its hinges. 

I made a Madeira cake yesterday for my husband to give to his mam for Mother's Day.  Without thinking when I had filled the cake tins I licked the spoon.  It was an involuntary action and one I am sure I do every time I make a cake but it stopped me in my tracks for a moment.  It tasted exactly the same.  Had I closed my eyes I could have been standing in our old scullery kitchen again 5, 6 or 7 years of age.  I have tried many times to recreate some recipes so that they taste exactly as they did when my mam made them.  I don't think I have ever managed it so perfectly as with this simple cake.  Without even consciously trying it always tastes exactly as it did then.  I love that food has that power over us, like a time machine it can transport us in an instant to a perfect moment forever etched on our minds and in our hearts.  Some of the happiest memories in my life have food at their centre.  Yes it nourishes our body, but more than that it nourishes our soul.  A life without food would be a sad and empty journey.  Next time you fancy a little time travel forget all of that quantum physics nonsense, just grab a spoon and close your eyes.  Bon voyage!

To all of the yummy mummy's out there I hope that you are enjoying a lovely day.  Sit down, put your feet up and leave all of the hard work to someone else for a change.  If you are really lucky maybe someone will make you a nice Madeira cake.  Either way, enjoy your day, you deserve it.

x

Madeira Cake

175g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
175g Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
225g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Whole Milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 170C/F/Gas Mark .  Grease an 8" spring for cake tin with butter and line the base with parchment paper, alternatively grease 2 x 8" sandwich tins and line the bases with parchment paper.

2.  Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and cream, alternatively place in a bowl and cream using a hand held electric whisk.
3.  Add the caster sugar and mix until combined and fluffy.
4.  Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix.

5.  Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to combine but do not overwork the mixture.
7.  Finally, add in the milk and mix until incorporated.
8.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin or divided evenly between the 2 prepared sandwich tins.

9.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour if baking 1 cake or half an hour if baking 2 to sandwich together.  I clean skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean when baked.
10.Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins before turning out.

Buttercream Icing

180g Unsalted Butter, softened and diced
500g Icing Sugar
3tbsp Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
Food colouring of your choice

1.  Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of and electric mixer and add the butter.  Alternatively sift the sugar into a bowl and add the butter and use a hand held electric whisk.
2.  Mix on a medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3.  Add the milk, vanilla extract and food colouring and mix on high speed for five minutes.
4.  Place a layer between the two cakes and then smooth over the top and down the sides.

Pancakes

Pancake with Nutella, topped with chopped nuts

& toasted mini marshmallows

I know, I know, I'm a day early for Shrove Tuesday but I thought you might like to plan ahead for tomorrows flipping feast.  Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Lent, is traditionally a period of sacrifice in the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday.  Prior to this period of sacrifice a feast of pancakes would be consumed on Shrove Tuesday to enjoy foods such as sugar, eggs and butter which would be restricted during the Lenten season.  While the tradition of sacrifice during Lent is not as prevalent today, Shrove or Pancake Tuesday as it is more commonly known now has not waned in it's popularity. 

Pancake with peanut butter, topped with banana

& a drizzle of honey

When I was younger my mam would make the customary pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.  I don't remember ever having them at any other time throughout the year.  She made the traditional Irish style pancakes, thin and crepe like.  Despite my propensity to consume vast quantities of chocolate and rich desserts in a single sitting these pancakes always lay a little heavy on my tummy and I stopped eating them quite young.  My mam would still make them for herself and my sisters though (my dad doesn't like them either).  She would flip them expertly and when they were ready she would smear them with butter, sprinkle with sugar and roll them up before slicing. 

Pancake with salted caramel sauce,

topped with sliced apple

The next day we would go to church to have our foreheads marked with black ash and start into the annual period of sacrifice.  Every year it was the same for me, chocolate and sweets.  We received a special dispensation every Sunday and of course on St. Patrick's Day, you know the unwritten rule about being allowed to break your fast on a holy day.  It's been a while now since I have given anything up for Lent, I think it is the same for a lot of people.  I don't really see how depriving myself of chocolate, that I will naturally eat on the sly when there is no one around to see me, will make a big difference to the world at large.  Instead I try to make a bigger effort to be a slightly better person, grumble less, lift my head to say hello how are you to that neighbour that I really don't like, help someone out.  This year will be the same, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference to the world at large either but it's got to be better than a grumpy chocolate deprived me, right?

As I have said, I'm not a fan of crepe style pancakes, preferring thicker and fluffier American style ones.  I have tried a few recipes over the years, some I didn't like, some that just didn't work and through trial and error have created the recipe that works best for my tastes.  It produces thick, fluffy panckes that provide the ideal base for any number of delicious toppings.  Enjoy!

Pancakes
(makes 8+ depending on how many tablespoons of batter you use for each pancake)

150g/5.5oz Self Raising Flour
3tbsp Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Large Egg
150ml Buttermilk
2tbsp Vanilla Extract

1.  Place the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix to combine.
2.  Place the egg, milk and vanilla extract into a separate bowl and whisk lightly.
3.  Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and pour in the wet ingredients.  Whisk just until all of the ingredients are combined.  Do not overmix as your pancakes will be tough instead of light and fluffy.

4.  Place the mixture into the fridge to rest for half an hour.
5.  Set a pan over a medium heat and allow to heat for 4-5 minutes.  Add in 2tsp of oil and allow the oil to heat.
6.  Drop 2tbsp of the pancake batter into the pan and cook until bubbles appear around the edge.  Flip the pancake and cook on the other side until golden brown on both sides and the centre feels firm.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  (If you are making these for children you could drop 1tbsp of the batter onto the pan instead to give smaller pancakes.)

7.  Dress the pancakes with toppings of your choice, traditional ones are butter and sugar or lemon juice.  I topped mine with nutella, mini marshmallows and chopped nuts.  I popped them under the grill until the marshmallows were golden brown and toasted.  I topped others with peanut butter, chopped banana and honey; or salted caramel sauce and sliced apple for my husband. 

Italian Lemon Trifle

So it has been FREEZING here in Dublin since time began.  Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it feels like that at this stage following the freezing temperatures of winter that seem to be dragging on into spring.  Over the last week, while the temperatures have remained more than chilly, the sky has turned the most beautiful shade of blue and a strange light has flooded the earth.  That light my dear friends is the sun.  I know, I had almost forgotten what it looked like too.  But it's back, and it is more than welcome.  I hope it is settling in for a bright and warm year ahead and doesn't plan on hiding behind the clouds too much. 

With sunny skies warming my skin I had a longing for some fresh tastes.  The cold and grey winter days called for heavy, warming, comforting foods but this change in the weather has brought a longing for lighter flavours to refresh both palate and mind.  Mr. Boo and myself had some guests for dinner on Saturday night and so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test out a recipe idea I had thought of last year.  It was very well received around the table so I think it will be a regular fixture for summer desserts in this house.

The recipe is a mixture of a couple I have already posted on the blog here with some additions and tweaks.  I decided to use Lemon Drizzle Cake as a base for an alternative trifle.  I doused it with Limoncello, then layered this with mascarpone mixed with some icing sugar to sweeten it a little and some tangy Lemon Posset.  I'm not sure the Italians eat trifle or have a fondness for a lemon one but I decided the use of Limoncello and mascarpone warranted the Italian description in the title.  Enjoy!

Italian Lemon Trifle

1 x 1lb loaf of Lemon Drizzle Cake
6floz Limoncello
500g Mascarpone
75g Icing Sugar
1 quantity of Lemon Posset

I made the lemon drizzle cake in a 1lb loaf tin so that it could easily be cut into even slices for layering.  Alternatively you could use a shop bought Madeira cake.  I made 6 individual trifles in tumbler glasses but you could make it in one large bowl if you prefer.

1,  Make the lemon drizzle cake and lemon posset as per the instructions here.
2.  Slice the lemon drizzle cake into 1cm slices.  Lay in one layer on a plate or baking sheet and pour over the Limoncello.  Leave for a few minutes to allow to soak in.
3.  Place the mascarpone in a bowl and add in the icing sugar.  Stir through until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

4.  Place a layer of cake in the bottom of the bowl/glass.  Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and then a layer of lemon posset.  Continue to layer until you have used all of the ingredients.  (If you are using individual glasses you might have to break the cake slices to make them fit.  This is fine, just press them down into an even layer.)

Cinnamon Bread

A few weeks ago Donal Skehan posted a picture of some scrummy looking baked eggs on twitter.  I'm not a big egg fan and only eat them scrambled but knew my husband would like them.  I resolved to make him a special breakfast of them the following Sunday.  It didn't happen that weekend, or the one after that or the one after that.  I finally got round to making them for him this weekend.  We've had a pretty hectic few weeks so I decided on a lazy weekend with lots of time to bake and cook and eat. 

On Saturday I came over all domestic goddess and after scrubbing the house donned my apron.  I started the process for a sourdough bread starter (more to follow on this).  I then toddled off with my pretty floral shopping bag and filled it with all manner of yumminess so that I could cook a special dinner followed by a delicious breakfast the next morning.  Another recipe I had been meaning to make for Mr. Boo is The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.  He is a fan of all things cinnamon and he enjoyed a similar bread in Ruby's Diner in Huntington Beach, L.A., so much that he hasn't stopped talking about it since.  He had that bread six years ago!

The following morning my sister text to say she had some cakes from Roly's Bistro for me so I told her to join us for our late breakfast.  Donal's eggs went down very well with all at the table and his Spanish potato and chorizo hash (without the fried eggs) that I made to accompany them was positively hoovered up by my sister and the recipe requested.  After breakfast we managed to squeeze in some cinnamon bread and even a little cake or two.  A perfect Sunday morning.

These are the Roly's cakes that we didn't quite manage to finish off

for breakfast so Mr. Boo & I had a nice dessert.

While the end result for this bread was totally scrummy toasted and smothered in butter I did find it required a bit of effort to make.  The dough requires mixing with a dough hook for 10-15 minutes, not an issue if you have a freestanding electric mixer, but I was using a hand held so it took a little arm power.  I also felt that the dough was very moist and sticky, so much so that it was impossible to handle without it sticking to hands and generally making life very messy.  There is a note on the original recipe to add 30g of extra flour if this is the case.  I had to do that 3 times to get it to a manageable consistency.  It was most definitely worth it though and I think next time I make it I will have a better understanding so can add extra flour as I am kneading with the dough hooks to avoid extra kneading time afterwards.   Don't be put off by this though, it is a delicious bread, almost cake like, so definitely worth it for a weekend breakfast treat.  I found it similar to a brioche with a delicious swirl of moist, sweet cinnamon running through it.  Enjoy!

I have linked to the original recipe above but have converted it to g/oz measurements below. 

The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Bread
(makes 1 x 1lb loaf)

240ml Milk
90g/3oz Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
7g Sachet Yeast
2 Large Eggs
75g/2.65oz Caster Sugar
420g/14.82oz Plain Flour
1tsp Salt
1 Egg and some milk to glaze

For the filling
2tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
75g/2.65oz Sugar
2tbsp Cinnamon

1.  Melt the butter and milk until very warm but do not allow them to boil.  Allow them to cool until still warm to the touch, but not too hot.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer until combined.  Add the milk mixture and mix until combined.  Sieve in half of the flour and salt and mix until combined, repeat with the remaining flour.  Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer.

3.  Switch to dough hook attachments and knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes.  If the dough is overly sticky at the end of this time add an additional 30g(a little over an oz) of flour and knead for a further 5 minutes.  Repeat this if necessary until you have a consistency that you can work with (I had to add 90g of additional flour in 3 stages as I found the dough very wet).
4.  Spray a bowl with a little oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss in the oil.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in a warm, draught free place( I use my hot press) for 2 hours.

5.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Melt 2tbsp of butter.  Grease a 1lb loaf tin.
6.  Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.  Flour your hands generously, then flatten with your hands and shape into a rectangle.  Measure the width against your loaf tin to ensure it will fit in.  When you are happy with the shape smear with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar on top in an even layer.

7.  Roll from one end of the dough to the other keeping it as tight as possible.,, pinch the seam to seal.  Place into the prepared loaf tin, seam side down,  and flatten slightly to fill any gaps.  Cover with clingfilm and return to a warm, draught free place to rise again.

8.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Mix 1 egg with a little milk in a small bowl.  Glaze the top of the loaf with the egg/milk mix and place into the preheated oven, below the centre, for 40 minutes.  Remove for the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Scones

In my mam's last few weeks of feeling well she became rather fond of high tea in the Westbury Hotel.  I'm not sure how we ended up there the first time but she liked it enough that we found ourselves back there every Friday morning.  I was lucky in that I was in college at the time and would return home an hour after leaving the house to say that my classes had been cancelled or that the pipes had frozen or that a dog had eaten the college and I had been sent home for the day.  I'm sure she knew that no such thing had happened but she would happily declare that sure wasn't it great that I could come for tea and scones with her. 

Friday had always been her morning to meet her sisters in town anyway so they would meet us too and more often than not a couple of friends and my sisters, if they could wangle some time off work.  We sat in the same place each week, at the window overlooking Harry St., and my mam would make herself comfortable in a big armchair.  The small table would heave with plates of scones, clotted cream, jam, pots of tea and a pot of hot chocolate just for me.  We were never in a rush; sitting, chatting, laughing and of course eating.  Sometimes we sat so long we had to order another round of scones or sandwiches before we had the energy to leave. 

They were wonderful mornings, all the girls together doing what girls do best, gossiping and laughing.  One of my favourite treats now is to indulge in afternoon tea in the Westbury (or anywhere for that matter).  If that same table is free I will sit there and savour the atmosphere, and the sweet treats, luxuriating in the decadence of those couple of hours.  While I don't treat myself to that often, I can treat myself to those lovely scones in the comfort of my own home.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.  Sit down in your most comfortable chair, fill a mug with steaming tea and dollop on some extra cream.  Why?  Well, why not?

Scones

(makes 12+)

450g/1lb Self Raising Flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4tsp Salt
100g/4oz Cold Unsalted Butter, diced
85g/3oz Caster Sugar, plus extra for dusting
280ml Buttermilk
2tsp Vanilla Extract
30ml Milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour.
2.  Pulse the flour, salt, butter and sugar in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Alternatively grate the butter into the dry ingredients and cut in with a knife until there are no lumps of butter left.

Apologies for the poor picture quality but I don't have natural light in this part of my kitchen.

3.  Place the buttermilk and vanilla into a small saucepan and warm gently.  (Be careful no to heat the milk too much as it will separate)
4.  Place a third of the flour mix into a large bowl with a third of the buttermilk.  Mix with a knife and repeat in two more stages, but be careful not to over mix. 
5.  Dust a work surface with flour and turn the mixture out onto it.  Lightly flour your hands and gently bring the mixture together to form a dough.  (If you find the mixture is very wet at this stage gradually add a little flour at a time until the consistency becomes manageable)

6.  Wrap the dough in some clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes - half an hour.  Place back onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten with your hands to a depth of approx 4cm.
7.  Using a floured scone cutter stamp out rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets.

  Brush with milk and dust with some caster sugar.

8.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden and risen.
9.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Flourless Brownies(GF) & Gluten Free Baking

During my blogging year(and a bit) I have become much more aware of the food I eat.  Whilst I always appreciated a good meal and loved to cook up a storm in the kitchen I didn't always think about the food I was eating and it's journey to my table.  Now I am more adventurous in my choices, willing to try flavours and textures I would have refused before.  I also choose my ingredients with a lot more care and with more curiosity as to where it has come from.  I ask my butcher lots of questions about cuts of meat and am happy to try those cuts that for a long time have been out of favour.  I'm not sure why they became unfashionable as they are so delicious.  I also check labels when buying fresh fruit and veg to see if items are locally grown and where Irish grown produce is available it beats imported items into my shopping basket.

Not only am I more aware of the food choices I make but also those of others.  I read so many inspiring Irish and also international food blogs, bursting full of fabulous ideas and each with it's own unique style.  Some embrace food in all it's guises but others focus on food governed by lifestyle choices or dietary restrictions.  Through my blog I have become more aware of coeliac disease, and am quite surprised that the number of people affected is much higher than I had previously thought.  As it is something that I am not faced with in my day to day baking for family and friends I never really gave it much thought, but having encountered queries and comments relating to the blog I decided to educate myself a little so that I could attempt to offer some gluten free recipes on the blog.

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which affects the gut and other parts of the body.  It causes the body to attack itself when gluten is eaten.  Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley & rye, is what gives elasticity to bread and spring to cakes.  Some people can also be affected by oats.  To treat coeliac disease people diagnosed must stick to a gluten free diet and avoid foods such as breads, cereals, flours, pastas, pizza bases, biscuits, cakes and pastry as these are the most obvious sources of gluten.  It is also advisable to avoid oats as they can become cross contaminated with other grains. 

As most baked goods require flour in some shape or form those with coeliac disease can find the choice of baked goods very limiting.  On the side bar of the blog I have added a new 'Gluten Free Treats' button, if you click on it it will link to a page that contains all of the gluten free recipes from the blog so far.  I have only started to explore the world of gluten free baking but will make an effort to post some more gluten free options and also some specifically gluten free recipes throughout the year.  I hope this is of interest to some of you and I would love your feedback on this in the comments. 

For more information please check out Coeliac Society of Ireland.  Also, if you would like to try some gluten free baking I have found Seriously Good! Gluten Free-Baking by Phil Vickery to be a really fantastic book.  It is full of information and has a great range of recipes to keep you very busy in the kitchen. 

IMPORTANT
It is very important for you to check that the brand of certain products eg. baking powder that you use is gluten free as products can become cross contaminated during production.  If you are a member of the Coeliac Society of Ireland you will receive an annual Food List with details of gluten free products and brands.  Also you can check all ingredient lists on food packaging and avoid anything that clearly states it contains wheat.  Some products also provide allergy information on their packaging which would state if the item is gluten free. 

Flourless Brownies

I was going to start off with something boring like a bread or scones but as I haven't made it to my local health food shop yet to stock up on specialist flours yet I decided to see what I could rustle up with the contents of my baking press.  Luckily for you and me I settled on brownies as I knew that as they are a flat tray bake substituting ground almonds for flour shouldn't cause too many problems.  I was pretty impressed with the results and when I asked Mr. Boo's opinion and he said they were the best brownie's he had ever tasted I knew I was onto a winner.  He is my harshest critic, especially when it comes to chocolate treats so his was high praise indeed.  He enjoyed his taster bite so much he polished off 2 whole brownies with his cup of tea.  I hope you enjoy them just as much.  Be warned though, they are extremely gooey and delicious.

(makes 12-15 depending on the size you cut the squares)

200g/7oz Unsalted butter, diced
250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Ground Almonds
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Preheat the oven to 160C/F/Gas Mark .  Line a brownie tray with foil.
2.  Place the butter into a pan and set over a medium heat until melted.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring occasionally until melted.

3.  In a separate bowl whisk the caster sugar and eggs using a hand held whisk until creamy.

4.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and mix gently until well combined.

5.  Sieve in the ground almonds and the cocoa powder(you may need to give the last of the almonds a helping hand through the sieve) and again gently mix through to combine.

6.  Pour into the prepared tray and smooth out.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

  There should be a thin crisp layer on the top and the brownie should still have some wobble. 

7.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from the tray and cutting into yummy scrummy gooey squares of heaven.  Enjoy.

Snowflake Cookies

My third offering for the Irish Foodies December Christmas themed cookalong(Jaysus, that's a bit of a mouth full) are these yummy Snowflake Cookies.  These cookies are deliciously buttery and sweet with a beautiful texture.  Don't just save them for Christmas time though, cut them into different shapes and enjoy them year round.

Snowflake Cookies
(makes 12+ depending on the shapes you cut)

225g/8oz Unsalted butter, softened
225g/8oz Caster Sugar
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
1tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
450g/1lb Plain Flour

1.  Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.
2.  Add the egg, vanilla and a pinch of salt and mix again.
3.  Gradually sift in the flour and continue to mix until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
4.  Form the dough into a round, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours until firm.
5.  Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
6.  Roll the dough out onto a floured work surface to a thickness of 5mm.  Dip cookie cutters into some flour and cut shapes out of the dough and place onto the lined baking sheets.
7.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
8.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
9.  Decorate with some white icing(175g/6oz icing sugar sifted into a bowl, add 1.5teaspoons of warm water and mix to a smooth paste.  Adjust the consistency with additional icing sugar or water if needed by adding a little at a time.  Spoon into an icing bag with a fine nozzle attached.) or leave plain if you wish.  

Eggnog

Ireland has been experiencing snowy weather these past few days.  On Friday night I was witness to a lightning storm, the like of which I have not witnessed before in Ireland.  The whole night sky was illuminated with each flash and they grew progressively more frequent as the night went on.  A quick check in with the lovely @yddib over on twitter to pick the brain of her very own personal weather man explained that it was the result of hail clouds colliding.  When I woke the next morning we had the lightest dusting of snow and sure I was only delighted with life, until I phoned my sister that is.  "Oh we have a few inches here, can't even see where the kerb ends and the road begins."  Show off!  That was me on snow watch for the rest of the day, willing the clouds to empty their load so I could concur, "oh we have inches here, won't be venturing outside the door in that".  Alas it was not to happen.  I toddled off to bed to dream of snow angels and snow ball fights.

There was still quite a nip in the air on Sunday morning and imagine my delight when I stumbled down the stairs & threw open the curtains to be greeted by a pure white blanket of snow, thick on the ground.  I was up the stairs in a jiffy and before the hubs knew what was happening I had burst through the bedroom door and decided there was nothing else for it other than to bounce on the bed and scream "snnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwww".  Needless to say at 8a.m. on a Sunday morning he wasn't too impressed.  We did have a little snow ball fight as we walked to the shop later that morning before we tucked ourselves up indoors for a cosy day.

I wandered into the kitchen in the afternoon with the intention of whipping up a batch of mince pies but instead emerged half an hour later with a glass of eggnog in hand much to the hubs amusement.  I'm not much of a drinker you see but the sight of the marshmallow world outside was screaming Christmas at me, so a glass of eggnog was the only man for the job.  I then spent a blissful afternoon on the sofa eggnog in one hand, large Toblerone in the other and Love Actually on the old telebox.  Bliss. 

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Enjoy! x

Eggnog
(serves 8-10)

6 Large Eggs, separated
180g/8oz Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
250ml/8floz Milk
500ml/16floz Cream
100ml/3.5floz Brandy
100ml/3.5floz Rum
Nutmeg, freshly grated to serve

1.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well combined, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickened slightly.  Gradually beat in the vanilla, milk, cream and alcohol.

2.  Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then thoroughly whisk into the cream mixture.  Pour into glasses and sprinkle each with a little grated nutmeg.

Double Chocolate Flower Pots

We had some people over for dinner last Sunday.  I have already posted about the tears & tantrums and the disasters but thankfully something went right on the day.  Despite the aul fellas at the table complaining that they don't eat dessert and me telling them in no uncertain terms that I didn't care just to take the thing and let it sit in front of them, this provided a very pleasant end to the meal.  These are another little gem that I found on Tasty Kitchen, the food blog on the Pioneer Woman.  When I saw a picture of them I knew instantly that my life would not be complete until I made them.

As it was a dessert for adults I decided to adapt the recipe.  The original recipe basically calls for an assembly of shop bought items.  I chose to make the various components, replacing pound cake with chocolate brownie and ice cream with white chocolate mousse.  I was slightly lazy and stuck with shop bought biscuits and given the success of Oreo Chocolate Creme's in my Mint Crisp Pie base I gave them another outing.

Feel free to stick with the original recipe and offer your guests a wow factor dessert for practically no work, or if you fancy something a little more decadent you can whip up the brownie and mousse with very little effort.

***Before you read the recipe be warned that it looks like a lot of work but the brownie and white choclate mousse recipes only take about 10 mins each to make and assembly of the finished pots take about another 10 mins, after that it is just a matter of popping them in the fridge to allow them to set.***

In addition to the recipes below you will also need:
75g/2.5oz Oreo Chocolate Creme's (crushed)
8 Drinking Straws
8 cut flowers (ensure the stems will fit into the drinking straws)
8 small terracota pots

Chocolate Brownie

(this recipe will make a tray of brownies, approx 15 depending on the size you cut.  You will have some brownies left over to enjoy later with a cup of tea)

250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate (I use 70% Cocoa Solids)
200g/7oz Unsalted Butter
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Plain Flour
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
2.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
3.  Break up the chocolate and dice the butter and place them in a heatproof bowl and place over the pan of simmering water.  Turn off the heat and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
4.  In a seperate bowl mix the sugar and the eggs using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
5.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder and again stir to combine.

7.  Pour into the lined baking sheet and smooth the top with a spatula.
8.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  A clean skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a little of the mixture smeared on it.  The brownie is best if still a little squishy and moist rather than completely firm.
9.  Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool on a wire rack.



White Chocolate Mousse
(makes enough to serve 4 as a dessert on it's own or 8 when added to this dessert)

175g/6.2oz White Chocolate
90ml/3floz Milk
2 Egg Whites
1/4tsp Lemon Juice
225ml/7.5floz Double Cream

1.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
2.  Break up the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.  Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water and turn off the heat.
3.  Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the milk and set aside.
4.  Whip the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form stiff peaks and then gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
5.  Transfer to a pouring jug.

To assemble the pots:

1.  Once the brownie has cooled cut out rounds that will fit into the bottom of the flower pots.  You can use a round cookie cutter if you have a suitable size, cut around the bottom of the flower pot or I used a 1floz measuring glass turned upside down.  Press the brownie into the bottom of the pots.  If they break or crumble slightly don't worry, just press it all down for a nice snug fit.

2.  Take a drinking straw and push it into the centre of the brownie base.  Once in place snip the straw below the rim of the flower pot.
3.  Carefully pour the white chocolate mousse mixture in, dividing evenly between the 8 pots.

4.  Place the pots into the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours to set.
5.  When you are ready to serve place the Oreo biscuits in a resealable bag, expel all of the air and seal.  Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle over the mousse layer.
6.  Finally place the stem of a cut flower into the straw.