Busy Weekend

Afternoon all,

Well I have a busy weekend ahead with two lots of visitors scheduled in for tomorrow and then dinner in someone elses house on Sunday (thank God, 'cos I imagine I will need a bit of a break). I have some baking scheduled in for a dinner party on Saturday night and hopefully if I find the time some home made chocs. Will also try to whip up a little sweet confection for tomorrow afternoons visitors. Probably won't get time to post results and recipes until next week so keep an eye out. Enjoy your weekend and to all of the yummy mummys out there Happy Mothers Day. Mwah.

xxx

The Cookie Monster

Ok, quick post today as I am a little short on time and have a lot to do so for a change I am gonna cut to the chase and just post the recipe for some yummy, scrummy cookies. I am still on my Hummingbird Bakery book addiction so here is the recipe. Also have a little look after the recipe for a suggestion on how to adapt these to suit all tastes. Enjoy.

Double Chocolate Cookies
(Makes 12)

50g Unsalted Butter
450g Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped)
2 Eggs
170g Soft Light Brown Sugar or Light Muscovado Sugar
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
85g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Optional - 1 tube of Smarties

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.

Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

Put the butter, and half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water(be careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Allow to melt until smooth in consistency.

In a separate bowl use an electric whisk to beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour in the chocolate mixture and beat on a slow speed until well combined.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl. Stir into the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing well after each.

Stir in the remaining chocolate until evenly dispersed throughout. *

Place 6 equal quantities of cookie dough on each prepared baking sheet and be sure to leave space between each one to allow for spreading when cooking.

If using Smarties place a few on the top of each cookie before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, check regularly after 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when the top starts to crack and look glossy.

Allow to cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to wire cooling rack.

* If baking these for children I would recommend replacing 225g of plain chocolate to be used here in the recipe with 225g of milk chocolate.

Muffin Tops, Muffin Tops Everywhere

Having a love of baking and limiting muffin tops to the oven can be pretty tough work, do yiz know what I mean? It's February, which is kinda still the start of the year, meaning I am still in the 'I should be eating healthily and trying to lose a bit of weight' frame of mind. I am trying very hard to stick to this so I have to decide to either fore go baking until at least October when I can wrap up in winter clothes again (although at the rate the weather is going this year spring/summer clothing may not see the light of day), or I can try to incorporate some more waist friendly baking into my life.

When it comes to indulgent food I tend to not do low fat versions. If I am going to bake a chocolate cake I do a chocolate cake, not your half arsed version, sure what's the point in that. When I go out to eat in a restaurant I don't order salad to start, steamed fish and veg for my entree and sorbet for dessert. Again, what's the frickin' point? I can count calories when I eat at home so I'm damned if I am going to do it when dining out. But for the greater good of my health and the seam of my waistband I think I can substitute some of my double cream, full fat butter for a some slightly healthier options.

Tonight I baked some delicious savoury muffins. I adapted the recipe marginally from one featured in the Hummingbird Bakery book. I am hoping they will be a nice healthy lunch option to accompany some homemade soup or just a quick snack to stop me reaching for some chocolate. Next time I may adapt the recipe further by making them with wholewheat flour as opposed to plain flour and then I think I could be on to a low fat, low calorie, high fibre gem. And sure since I am being so healthy and wholesome munching on these little babies I have probably earned a nice slice of chocolate cake as a little treat.

Ham & Cheese Muffins(makes 12)

50g Butter
1/2 Small Onion Finely Chopped
360g Plain Flour
2 & 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
200g Grated Cheddar Cheese
220ml Whole Milk
1 Egg
80g Smoked Ham (finely chopped)
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour, baking power and cheese in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the egg and milk together. Slowly pour this into the flour mixture and beat with a handheld electric whisk until well combined.
Stir in the onion and ham and mix until evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full.
Bake in the pre heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden in colour. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Where have all the Fairy Cakes gone???

The weeks leading up to my birthday are always filled with much anticipation and excitement, just like those weeks in December leading up to Christmas Eve are for a small child. When it comes to my birthday I suppose I revert back to being a small child inside. I have always loved birthdays - mine, yours, the dog or cats - it doesn't really matter because they are all birthdays and as such should be treated with the reverence the day deserves.

Strip back all the wrapping, presents and candles and think about what that day symbolises. It is the anniversary of the day that a person entered the world, such a wonderful occurrence that should always be celebrated and never forgotten or overlooked. I know that there are certain belief systems that do not celebrate birthdays, and some people see them only as a reminder of the fact that they are getting older. I even have an aunt who would forget it was her birthday until she opened post on the day and pulled out a birthday card. This to me is unthinkable, if you want a reminder that you are getting older just have a look in the mirror and your laughter lines should serve that purpose. Embrace your birthday and celebrate a day that is all about you and has the added bonus of presents and cake!

I have always been made to feel special on my birthday as have all of my family. From as far back as I can remember I would wake up on my birthday and come to the living room to find it decorated with 'Happy Birthday' banners and balloons, my mam would be waiting there with a pile of presents for me on the sofa. The presents would always be wrapped in beautiful paper that was chosen with the same amount of thought as the gifts within, and when all of the family had gathered around they would be handed to me one by one for me to open and declare my love for each one equally. My mam was an expert present buyer and knew each of her girls inside out meaning she never missed the mark, not once, and so every present be it a beautiful dress, those boots you secretly wanted or a teeny tiny lip balm was always exactly what you would buy yourself had you just been tasked with buying your own presents. There was also always the exact right amount of presents to convey the special mood of the day, never too little to make you feel you hadn't been spoiled adequately for your annual day of treats and never too many that the quality of any of them were compromised in favour of quantity.

The thing that made my birthday extra special though was that I shared my birthday with my mam. Imagine that, my poor mam was enjoying her birthday one year and then party hats and cake had to be abandoned in favour of a trip to the maternity ward. I am sure once all of the hoopla and fuss had died down and she was sat with a cup of tea in one hand and me in the other(obviously I have not yet had a child of my own painting this rosy picture of the hours after agonising child birth) she forgave me and for the next twenty years we revelled in this special connection, always blowing out our birthday candles side by side.

So, once paper had been viciously ripped from presents and some of the excitement had been tamed just long enough to get me ready I would be dispatched to the school gates for a day of fun and laughter and not too much learning(there was the little matter of cake to be dreamed about to keep me from absorbing anything hedumacational, you see). Once home from school the preparations would begin for a tea party and I of course would be the guest of honour. They were simpler times back then (again, I am not ancient) but really, 80's birthday parties were quite tame. There were no bouncy castles, clowns, play centres, limousines or other such extravagances back then, no sirree Bob. We had some jellies, a couple of bowls of Tayto cheese and onion, if you were lucky a box of Tea Cakes or Snow Balls, popcorn, rice krispie cakes, maybe some fun size smarties and in later years you were very fancy altogether if you had an ice cream cake decorated with a flake!

The treat I remember most and probably my favourite of all was the humble homemade fairy cake, do you remember them? I can still taste my mam's ones now if I close my eyes and transport myself back to my 5 year old self. Deliciously sweet and fluffy with a slightly crisp outer shell, nothing fancy, just a simple Madeira mix spooned into tiny hand size cases. And so I come to the point of this blog post, where have all of the fairy cakes gone? It's all American cupcakes these days with there multi coloured frosting and edible glitter. Now, I'm not complaining, I LOVE cupcakes and would happily live on them if it weren't for the risks of obesity and heart disease but sometimes it would be nice to see the humble fairy cake championed in bakeries instead of them being confined to the bottom shelf of the supermarket, vacuum packed and drizzled with a bit of pink and lemon icing.

This past birthday I was gifted with a copy of The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook which is just jam packed with delicious American inspired baked delights. Pies, cookies and naturally, cupcakes. So while I sat drooling over the pictures I decided the first treat I would bake from it would just have to be the chocolate cupcakes. I think there is my answer, when faced with the choice of what to bake - fairy cakes or chocolate cupcakes - I am afraid I would always choose the frosted gorgeousness of a cupcake over the humble fairy cake. So that is where all of the fairy cakes have gone, to the back of the line. The competition form their fancy schmanzy American cousins has proven to stiff to beat and the cake of choice for every 80's Irish tea party is sadly out of vogue.

Chocolate Cupcakes

(Makes 12)

• 100g Plain Flour
• 20g Cocoa Powder
• 140g Caster Sugar
• 1&1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 40g Unsalted Butter (room temp)
• 120ml Whole Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1/4tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas 3.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug. Pour half into the flour mixture and beat to combine. Turn the mixer up to a high speed to get rid of any lumps.
Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth but do not over mix.
Line a twelve hole muffin tin with paper cases and spoon the mixture into the cases until two thirds full.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They are done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the sponge has a slight bounce when touched.
Place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

• 300g Icing Sugar (sieved)
• 100g Unsalted Butter (room temp)
• 40g Cocoa Powder
• 40ml Whole Milk

Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together with an electric whisk on a medium-low speed until the mixture comes together is well mixed.

Turn the whisk down to a slow speed and add the milk a couple of tablespoons at a time.

When all of the milk has been added turn the whisk up to a high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy (approx 5 mins, the longer you whisk for the lighter the frosting will be)

Spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles of your choice.

Fantastico Rinnucini's!

There was no time for baking last weekend as my gorgeous hubby whisked me down* the country for a couple of days r&r. We were due to go a couple of weeks back but the Big Freeze of 2010 hit and sure don't you know it the whole place ground to a halt. So, we pushed it out by a week and sure wouldn't you know it the feckin' snow decided to hang around and with the salt and grit scarcer than a tan on an Irish farmers belly we had to once again postpone. We had plans for the two weekends that followed meaning last weekend was the earliest we could slip away for some time together. I swear to God, you'd mobilise a military invasion quicker than you'd get the pair of us down the road to Kilkenny! Saturday morning arrived and I jumped (crawled) out of the bed, pulled open the blinds and what did I see outside only a nice thick layer of frickin' frost on the road. Now at this stage someone up above is having a bit of a giraffe with us.

Off we set on our precarious way happily singing along to my hubby's new 'weekend away' play list thinking that we were no longer going to let the weather stand in our way, I mean this time it was just a little bit of frost and the occasional random ice patch, right. Wrong!!! When we hit the M50 it would appear the heavens were falling down around our ears as the thickest fog I can remember engulfed the car, and so we drove from Dublin to Kilkenny in a thick white cloud not able to see 6ft in front of us at any given time. We made it to the hotel in one piece despite the non existent visibility and deposited our bags pronto before heading back out (into the thick fog, fun) to do a spot of shopping and perhaps have a little bite to eat.

Kilkenny is a very lovely place, and with the construction of some new by pass roads is no distance from Dublin making it a good weekend destination. We have been at least a couple of times a year for the past few years and at this stage must have seen everything it has to offer, so you are probably wondering why bother going back now, why not try somewhere new? The answer to this is simple, Rinnucini's restaurant, that's why.

I can't remember when we first dined here but it was a few years ago now. We stumbled across it on one visit coming out of the castle and ever since it is our sole reason for visiting Kilkenny and never overlook it when down there. I think it is probably my favourite restaurant in Ireland for its combination of fantastic service, perfect bustling atmosphere and always faultless food. I have been to many restaurants with stunning decor, Michelin star food, celebrity chefs and waiting lists as long as your arm, none of which tick all of the boxes in the manner that Rinnucini's does. I have never once walked away form the restaurant with a complaint or a but which is more than I can say for any other Irish restaurant I have visited.

Saturday was no different. Instantly on entering the din of animated conversation hit us smack on the face, the glow of the table lamps melted away the cold from the fog outside and the aroma of delicious creations immediately reminded my tummy that I was STARVING. As we left the hotel too late to have a drink we arrived about 5 minutes early and were shown to our table which I wasn't very happy with. Now I know, I know that I just said I have never had a complaint with this place so bare with me. We addressed our problem with our waiter who explained that as we were slightly early our allocated table was not yet ready but if we were happy to wait he would move us asap. He did move us, and to a very nice table in one of the main areas just perfect for soaking up the lovely atmosphere.

The hubby ordered a bottle of bubbles which was only fabilis, lovely and fruity, I think moreish would be the word for this one. Then we munched away on the lovely bread brought to us while we waited for our food. I ordered Antipasto Rinnucini to start and Tortelloni al Gorgonzola for my main, both were gorgeous. Hubby ordered Capesante de Giacomo (scallops) to start and Pasta del Giorno Frutti de Mare (seafood pasta to you and me) as his main, and it pains me to say it but the bugger made better choices. Whilst all of the dishes were delicious his just had the X factor, gorgeous.

Now he may well have won rounds 1 and 2 but round 3 will always be taken by me. Rinnucini's is the place to go if you want expertly made fresh pasta but for me my visits are motivated by one thing and one thing only, dessert. Always on the dessert menu (thankfully) is the most delicious chocolate mousse. It is smooth, rich, dense, chocolatey heaven on a plate, topped off with a scrumptious dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream cradled in a brandy snap basket. I have sampled many a chocolate mousse in my time (my absolute favourite is that served up in Town Bar & Grill in Dublin) but this one is right up there and this alone makes the 3 hour round trip, the cost of a new guna and shoes and the added expense of a hotel for the night sooooooo worth it.

For that reason I think it shall remain that myself and my hubby make an excuse a couple of times a year for that trip to Kilkenny and the obligatory visit to Rinnucini's to stuff ourselves full of the truly delicious offerings of the wonderful chef and kitchen staff. (I would post some nice pics of all of the lovely things we ate but alas we were so busy scoffing and quaffing that I forgot to take some, soz!)

So Many Cakes, So Little Time!

OK, so I kinda predicted this at the start, that any grand aspirations to bake deliciously sweet delights every week, photograph and blog about them would possibly become derailed quite easily. Funnily enough I was right. Life can be a bit of a bugger though can't it, and just get in the way of all those things that we love to do. I generally have grand plans to bake some mouth watering delight on a Friday to be enjoyed over the course of the weekend. Then, the phone rings. Yep, the phone, such a wonderful invention, but by Jaysus is it incessant in our home and usually involves plans being made that put paid to my determination to don the apron.

Some of these plans are made with oodles of advance notice. But, more often than not they involve a moments notice and taking into account my inability to say no to anybody there are quite a lot of things left to balance precariously on my long finger. Now don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than spending time with family and friends and if someone is in need I will bend over backwards (not literally, I'm not that nimble) to lend a hand, so that's the chocolate brownies out the feckin' window for another week, and so the cycle begins. At this time of year I also find myself faced with the guilt of New Years resolutions and my determination to be healthy and that little voice in my head telling me I do not NEED that slice of caca milis. I knnooow I don't need it, but I feckin' well want it, right!!!

What I can try to do though, is commit to jotting down a few lines more often, even if they are not baking related. I sometimes amaze myself with the amount of random rubbish that floats into my head, most of which would be of absolutely no interest to anybody. But every now and then I am invaded by lovely thoughts that bring a smile to my face, make me chuckle out loud(these usually occur in public, when I am alone and therefore deemed crazy lady by passers by) or fill me with that lovely warm fuzzy feeling we are blessed with every now and then. So for now I shall endeavour to fill in the long lonely gaps between baking experiments with a bit of random blathering about anything and everything that happens to grab my attention.

I do hope to make some yummy cupcakes next week and am determined to follow through on this as these are my absolute favourite scrummy delight. I also wish to follow up on a cake I enjoyed in one of my favourite cafes but am struggling to perfect the base. I felt what could be a rather moreish delight was somewhat marred by a rather lacklustre Digestive base and so am on a one woman crusade to perfect this offering before I share it with others.

Let it snow, let it snow.....alright enough already!

My childhood memories of snow are few and far between an quite frankly a little hazy. I could most probably count on both hands the amount of truly snowy days that I have experienced in my whole lifetime, that is up until now. We would very occasionally be blessed with a day off school because the pipes had frozen and when I did build a snowman it was generally of the anorexic variety because if you had an inch of snow be God there must have been an all out blizzard.

Having lived only in Ireland I have only once before experienced weather similar to that of the last two weeks. My very first trip to New York was in January of 2003 and the temperatures there were a crisp -15C. Now this was my first trip stateside and New York is very obviously used to these Baltic temperatures, life functions unhindered with safe roads and pavements, the weather was seen through very romantic eyes.

Their were nine of us in total on that trip, seven of us travelled together and two more joined us a day later. We all came prepared with warm coats, hats, scarves and gloves, and sensible shoes. All apart from my sister in law who walked the snowy streets of Manhattan in 6 inch stilettos. We all grinned like Cheshire cats as we huddled in a group to have our photo taken in front of the Empire State Building, walked around the city in sub zero temperatures without complaint, marvelled at the sight of Central Park with its thick blanket of snow, giggled at the the amateur skaters on the ice in Rockefeller Centre and braved the temperatures at night in order to dress in our finery for dinner and cocktails.

On our first night we phoned home to our late arrivals to advise them of the extreme temperatures and advise them to pack for the North Pole. They took our warnings as nothing more than the Irish abroad exaggerating as we have a tendency to do and each packed a heavy 'Irish winter' coat and no accessories. They snickered when we met for pre dinner drinks the evening of their arrival and layered ourselves up before departure to the restaurant. I would say approximately 2 minutes later when we hit the streets in hunt of taxis it was the rest of us snickering as they could barely speak with the cold and looked up and down the block frantically for a street vendor from whom to purchase hats, scarves and gloves. Very stylish 'I Love NY' hats et al were soon secure on their person and remained so for the rest of the holiday without any remarks of our exaggerating prior to their arrival.

And so it was that for the remainder of the holiday we layered ourselves up like the Michelin man, tramped around the streets of New York and stopped when necessary for an alcoholic beverage to warm our cockles without a second thought and more importantly without a grumble. Fast forward 7 years and to Ireland and non holiday mindsets and it would seem that our bodies have somehow forgotten how to cope with this weather phenomenon we are faced with. I personally have not left the house except when necessary for the past two weeks, engagements have been cancelled, daily walks have been abandoned and the cupboards are almost bare.

I think some of it is rooted in our biological make up. We live in what is probably best described as a tepid climate, never too hot, never too cold just somewhere nicely balanced in the middle. For this reason our natural thermostat is thrown into a tizzy on the rare occasions that we experience a heatwave or a cold snap. Our natural response to this cold weather is therefore to slow down, eat plenty of hearty, warming comfort food and to cocoon ourselves in layers of clothing and blankets and basically hibernate. In a heatwave our bodies slow down (any excuse it would seem) we strip back the layers (hence our poor eyes are assaulted by the sight of lily white beer bellies wobbling unabashedly in public), graze on our food in an attempt to shed some unnecessary insulation and wait for the rain to return.

The common denominator of these two extremes in weather is the love that Irish people have for a good old moan. By God if moaning was an Olympic sport we'd take home gold, silver and bronze every time. At the moment everybody is moaning about being trapped inside for fear of breaking a limb stepping foot outside the door onto the icy surfaces that the government haven't bothered to grit. In hot conditions we complain that there isn't a breath to be had and that we can't function properly in the heat. And when there are no extremes but just bog standard Irish rain we complain that were sick of the cold and the wet and would love to live in a Mediterranean climate.

So there you have it, there is absolutely no pleasing us and while we may be thwarted by the weather at present it suits us just grand cos we can have a good old moan and a right go at the government for their ineptness in dealing with the situation at hand and plunging us into a state of natural emergency.

Why is it that the entire country has ground to a very frosty halt? It is fair to say that we rarely have weather so cold for longer than 2 or 3 days and snow rarely sticks to the ground for long and for this reason national and local contingency plans while effective initially have well and truly been stretched to there limits and beyond. Our belief that we had had our 3 days worth until next Christmas I'm sure delayed the ordering of fresh supplies until eventually someone in a council office somewhere probably said, 'actually lads I don't think this is actually gonna blow over in a couple of days so maybe (just maybe) we should order in a bit more salt'. Said supplies are supposedly en route and it's a good thing they are as we are said to have another 10 days of snow and frost stretched out ahead of us, this is the third consecutive day that I have heard news reports state 10 days as the duration!

To ride this out I have opted for hibernation. Apart form necessary tasks and travel I have taken to lounging on my sofa with a warm blanket, plenty of chocolate and the remote control. I am quite enjoying the excuse to divulge myself in so much guilt free inactivity. When I settle down each evening basking in the soft glow of lamplight, the flickering of deliciously fragrant candles and look out at the moon illuminating the snowy blanket, I wrap my hands around a steaming mug of hot chocolate and I must admit that I am completely and utterly intoxicated by the beauty of this fluffy, marshmallow like weather phenomenon. It has rendered my brain all but useless and for this reason I have not ventured into the kitchen to indulge in my favourite pass time of baking, but if you would like something delicious to warm you on these wintry nights I suggest one of my favourite indulgences - a Bailey's hot chocolate. The creamy liqueur transforms a humble hot chocolate into a silky, internal hot water bottle that will melt away any post Christmas blues. So enjoy (obviously in moderation, you don't want to wake up face down in the snow now do you?) and stay safe when out and about on the ice.

Bailey's Hot Chocolate

• 1 Mug of steaming hot chocolate
• 1oz Bailey's or similar cream liqueur
• Whipped Cream (optional)
• Flaked Chocolate (optional)

1. Simply make a mug of your chosen hot chocolate according to instructions.
2. Add 1 oz of Bailey's and stir to combine.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of whipped cream to the top if desired and crumble some flaked chocolate over the cream.

The Night Before Christmas

Well, the big day has come and gone and sadly we must wait a whole year now for the revelry and goodwill to envelope us all once again. The build up this year seems to me to have been a mammoth task and bar the last two days I have not had a minute to myself. Exhaustion has set in, but it is a happy kind of exhaustion coupled with backache from basting the glorious bird and paper cuts from endless gift wrapping.

I must admit that Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the season. I find that this is the day when excitement reaches its most heightened point. Santa Claus is so close that you can almost smell him and yet you are still wondering what delights he may have safely stowed away on his sleigh for you. And then the children around you are positively beside themselves with anticipation of the whole situation, not knowing what to do with their little selves. Their faces tense with a mixture of emotions, hoping that they have indeed been good enough to receive the gifts they have been dreaming of for so long now.

This Christmas Eve was no exception and did not disappoint in any way. I did panic slightly when I woke up late having slept through my alarm but a little rushing around got me back on track. First we visited my parents in law who were also playing host to my husbands sister's and their families. This was manic of course with children opening presents, children fighting over presents, children fighting over empty boxes and fifty different conversations taking place all at once.

From there it was down to my Dads local to have a drink with him and my sister, and have a look at the decorations. The landlord turns what could be viewed as a somewhat dreary, lacklustre bar into a magical Christmas Grotto each year and my Dad insists we all meet up to admire them. This was a fairly sedate hour spent colouring with my niece and watching her do ballet up and down the pub regardless of who was in her way (man in wheelchair included). Then it was a quick stop off at my Dad's to collect a pot of his mouthwatering stuffing. This batch also proved a little eye watering as he had plied it with so many chillies!

Then the hunt was on for a suitable bath for Dustin who was to be brined as per Nigella's instructions. An eleventh hour dash to the shopping centre proved fruitful and so we could relax and make our final port of call of the day. And so to the pub to meet my brother in law and his wife before we headed for our traditional Christmas Eve Indian. After stuffing our gills with food and bubbles and laughing ourselves sick it was time to head home and get to bed before the big man arrived.

At this stage my bed was calling but unfortunately there was a ham to cook, a spa bath to prepare for the turkey and last minute presents to be wrapped before I dressed in my new Christmas p.j.'s and slippers, gave the house a final once over and headed to bed for visions of sugar plums to dance round in my head.

For once I jumped out of bed as soon as the alarm sounded on Christmas morning. I was expecting my whole family for dinner and had both the dinner and dessert to prepare before making myself beautiful. With all of my rushing around over the previous few days I was unfortunately not as prepared as I would have liked to be and so had not made my desserts in advance. This called for either a miracle or some quick thinking and having prepared all of the meat and veg for the main event I had to think on my feet and so I made a 5 minute trifle and adapted an ice cream bomb to turn it into a rather delicious cake. So, if you have any further entertaining to do over this festive season and like me find you are running dangerously short on time give these a try and I am sure that neither you or your guests will be disappointed. Enjoy and may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

5 Minute Trifle

1 Packet of Niece Fingers/Trifle Sponge
1 Tin of Ready Made Custard
2 Punnets of Raspberries(reserve some for decorations)
4oz of Sherry
100ml of Whipped Cream

1. In a glass bowl place a layer of Niece Biscuits/Trifle Sponge on the bottom and around the sides. Overlap where necessary to ensure there are no gaps.
2. Pour over 3oz of sherry ensuring you soak all biscuits/sponge.
3. Place a layer of raspberries onto the sponge layer.
4. Place a layer of custard on top of the raspberries.
5. Place another layer of Niece Biscuits/Trifle sponge on top of the custard.
6. Pour the remaining sherry on to the sponge layer and then repeat the raspberry and custard layers.
7. Finish of by pouring the whipped cream over the top and decorate with the reserved raspberries.
8. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Bailey's Bomb Cake
1 Litre Vanilla Ice Cream
3 Chocolate Covered Honeycomb Bars
2oz Baileys Irish Cream
100g good quality Plain Chocolate
100g Rice Krispies
50g Milk Chocolate Buttons (optional)

1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer to allow to soften.
2. Melt the plain chocolate over a pan of gently simmering water.
3. Crush the Honeycomb bars to large crumbs.
4. Once the plain chocolate has melted add the Rice Krispies and stir to coat. Place into the bottom of a silicone* baking tin and place in the freezer for 5 minutes to set.
5. When the ice cream has softened stir in the Baileys and crushed honeycomb bars.
6. Pour the ice cream mixture on top of the chocolate Krispie base. Decorate with the chocolate buttons and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

*If you do not have a silicone baking tin simply line a standard tin with grease proof paper. A silicone one works well in this recipe as the cake just peels away from the sides and stops the ice cream does not stick.

Ho Ho Ho

OK, I know it is still only mid November but I really can't wait any longer so, today we are talking Christmas Cake and Pudding. Wohohohohoooooo!!! These are the things I remember best from my childhood. Religiously each year these would be made at the beginning of December, without fail. I don't remember ever seeing a shop bought version in the house. No matter how busy my Mam was she would never decide she just didn't have the time to bake these treasures. Like me, my Mam was not a big lover of fruit cake and like me I don't really remember ever seeing her eat either of these creations. She would on occasion have a slice of German Pound Cake, the only fruit cake I tend to eat, and so always made one of these as a lighter alternative to the richness of the festive cake and pudding. Regardless of this fact she made them each and every year for my Dad and visitors to enjoy, and likewise since moving into my own home I have done the same for my husband and our guests.

This was the Christmas task that seemed to fill my mam with dread. She would always say "I suppose I'd better get the cakes done this weekend". I think the use of the word "suppose" indicates it wasn't her favourite task and one that she embarked upon with a feeling of some dread. Having made them for the past 3 or 4 years now I can kind of understand why. It can seem quite a daunting task with lots of ingredients to organise, mammoth stirring to ensure everything is mixed, lining tins, resting periods and then baking. Mam used to bake at least 2 or 3 of each to give to others as well as for our family which for one woman, 2 small children and a scullery kitchen is no mean feat! The key to a stress free Christmas baking fest is to be organised with your ingredients and have everything measured before you start, ready to be thrown into the mixing bowl as you need it.

I have come over with a lovely warm, fuzzy feeling as I sit and draw up memories of the Sunday afternoons myself and my sister sat cramped around the table in our small scullery kitchen helping my mam with her most arduous Christmas task. Back in the day you couldn't just pop to your local supermarket and buy bags of prepared dried fruit. No sirree Bob. That's where the child labour came into play. Our little fingers were the perfect size to pluck those wizened, shrunken stalks from the variety of fruit needed to bejewel the creations in question. So, there we sat perched on the edge of our seats, our teeny legs swinging happily below us plucking out the stalks for dumping and depositing the fruit into a bowl. Then there were the Glace cherries to be halved, slippery little beggars that leave an industrial layer of goo on you fingers. Whilst we were doing this Mam would be expertly lining baking tins with grease proof paper at a speed I have only just this year mastered and measuring out flour and margarine.

It was always lovely and cozy, all three of us sitting there with the electric fire from the sitting room sending some lovely heat our way with the day outside falling darker and darker as we worked. Mam was a great one for singing and humming away as she worked. No matter what she busied herself with she always brightened it up with a little tune as she lost herself in her task, another trait I have picked up. Even if I don't realise I am doing it I find that when some disturbance brings me back to reality I am singing something or other to myself and whomever else might be within earshot. God help them, because as my Dad would say, the only notes I carry are in my pocket.

Once we had worn our fingers raw with the minuscule stalk plucking and Mam had mixed all of the ingredients together and intoxicated us all with the smell of the booze added to the concoction the mixtures were lovingly covered and left to sit over night or poured into there baking tins and placed in the oven. It was tradition in our house that the pudding mixture could not be placed into pudding bowls and cooked until everyone had made a wish on it. We would take it in turns to swirl the wooden spoon three times in the mixture towards our heart and then make a wish. If someone was missing from the house at wishing hour the pudding would be left sitting until they made their wish and only then would it be placed into its bowl and steamed on the hob until beautifully dark in colour. As they baked or boiled every last corner of the house would be filled with magical winter aromas of Cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg. Smells that for me truly mean Christmas is coming.

And so it is that I hope to continue to carry this tradition down through the years and create deliciously fragrant Christmas memories for others as my Mam created for me. Memories to be savoured each year when the cold winter days leave me longing for the warmth and comfort that can only be found in looking at the magic of Christmas through the eyes of my child self.

These recipes have been tried and tested over many years so I hope that you, your family and friends enjoy them this Christmas.

Mam's Christmas Cake

• 12oz/350g Margarine (@ room temp)
• 12oz/350g Dark Brown Sugar
• 1lb/450g Currants
• 12oz/350g Sultanas
• 12oz/350g Raisins
• 5oz/150g Glace Cherries (halved)
• 5oz/150g Mixed Candied Peel
• 5oz/150g Almonds (blanched & chopped)
• Grated rind of 2 Lemons
• Grated rind of 1 Orange
• 15oz/425g Plain Flour*
• 1 1/2 level tsp Mixed Spice *
• 1/2 level tsp Ground Nutmeg*
• 3oz/75g Ground Almonds
• 7 Eggs (large)
• 3fl oz Whiskey

* Sieve these ingredients together

Optional Ingredients

• 6fl oz Whiskey
• Apricot Jam
• 1 450g pack of Ready Made Marzipan/Almond Paste
• 1 450g pack of Ready Made Icing
• (I think we've done enough hard work so unless you have oodles of time Christmas week give yourself a break and cheat a little)

1. Brush the baking tin with melted margarine and line the bottom and sides with double grease proof paper.
2. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 2/300°F/150°C
3. Place all of the ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed. (at least 3-4 minutes)
4. Place the mixture in the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon.
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 3 hours. Check at this stage as ovens vary. A warm, clean skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean when the cake is cooked. Also the top centre of the cake should feel firm to the touch.
6. If the cake is not ready after 3 hours return to the oven and check after intervals of 1/2 an hour
7. To prevent the top of the cake becoming to brown a double layer of parchment or foil can be placed on the top at this stage.
8. Once removed from the oven leave the cake to cool in the tin overnight. (at this stage I pour an additional 3fl oz of whiskey over the cake)
9. The next morning when the cake has cooled and before removing it from the tin I pour another 3fl oz of whiskey over the cake and leave in the tin until it has soaked in.
10. Once the whiskey has soaked in remove the cake from the tin and wrap in a layer of parchment paper. Turn the wrapped cake upside down and rotate by 45° and wrap in another layer of parchment. Repeat this with foil. Rotating by 45° ensures that all joins in parchment and foil are covered to ensure the cake is sealed. Place in a cake tin and store n a cool place. If you do not have a cake tin to hand store in a cool dry place.
11. I store the cake in this manner until Christmas week at which stage I ice the cake. This prevents any damage occurring to icing or decorations whilst the cake is being stored.
12. To ice the cake, place onto a cake board.
13. Heat some apricot jam in a saucepan to make it easier to spread. Spoon some onto the top of the cake and spread around to cover. Use a pastry brush to spread around the side of the cake.
14. Roll the marzipan into a thin layer (approx 5mm) and place over the cake. Smooth over the cake and trim any excess from the cake board. Repeat this step with the icing.
15. Decorate the cake as you wish with miniature Christmas ornaments, ribbon. Alternatively cut shapes from icing using cookie cutters, brush the back with some water and place on the cake. use edible sugar decorations, glitter or lustre to add some glitz or colour.

Mam's Christmas Pudding

This recipe makes 2 puddings that will serve at least 12

• 6oz/175g Self Raising Flour
• 1 level tsp Mixed Spice
• 1 level tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 level tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 8oz/225g White Breadcrumbs
• 12oz/350g Dark Brown Sugar
• 1lb/450g Currants
• 8oz/225g Raisins
• 8oz/225g Sultanas
• 4oz/125g Mixed Candied Peel
• 4oz/125g Glace Cherries (halved)
• 2oz/50g Almonds (blanched & chopped)
• Finely grated rind of 1 Orange
• Finely grated rind of 1 Lemon
• 8oz/225g Margarine (melted)
• 3 Large Eggs*
• 2tbsp Brandy, Rum or Whiskey*
• 1/2 Pint/275ml Guinness*

*Beat these ingredients together

1. Grease 2 1.1lt/2 pint pudding bowls.
2. Cut large circles of double grease proof paper for the tops of the bowls and grease well. Make pleats crosswise in the paper.
3. Cut a large circle of foil for each bowl and make pleats as with the grease proof paper.
4. Sieve the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add the breadcrumbs*, sugar, fruit, nuts, lemon and orange rind and mix thoroughly.
6. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the melted margarine and the beaten egg mixture. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
7. Cover and leave to stand overnight to thicken.
8. The next day add the Guinness and mix thoroughly again. (It's at this stage you can make a wish of you like, it won't make any difference to the end result, but you never know it may just come true)
9. Place the mixture into the prepared bowls.
10. Place the grease proof paper over the top of the bowl and secure just under the rim of the bowl with a large elastic band (my Mam used twine which she tied in a really tight knot, the bowl must be airtight, this is a bit fiddly and when I was unable to get twine in my local store this year my hubby brought me home a pack of elastic bands which were a doddle to place on). Repeat this step with the foil. Place lid on bowl securely.
11. Place a large pot on the hob. Put an up turned saucer in the bottom of the pot. Place the pudding bowl on the saucer in the pot and pour in boiling water to come half way up the sides of the bowl. Cover with a tight fitting lid and boil for 4 1/2 - 5 hours.
12. Ensure the level of the water remains the same at all times.
13. When the pudding is ready carefully remove from the pot and allow to cool completely.
14. When cool remove the damp papers and recover with fresh double grease proof paper (not greased), replace the lid of the bowl and store in a cool dry place.

* The breadcrumbs need to be a little stale. A few hours before you start remove the bread from its pack and remove the crusts. Lay the slices down on a work surface and leave in the air to go slightly hard, turn over after a couple of hours to repeat on the other side. Once the bread is a little stale place in a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs.

Traditional Halloween Barm Brack

Halloween can be fun. Little kids dressed in the most ridiculous outfits by their parents. Yep, they look really cute now but boy are they gonna need some major therapy in years to come! This unfortunately is not what comes to mind when I think about Halloween. No, the images I conjure up are those of me having to literally RUN from the bus stop to my house when I had finished work on Halloween night.

Why, you may ask was I running home? It wasn't with anticipation and excitement of changing into my costume to go out trick or treating. No, it was mainly to do with the little feckers lying in wait for an unsuspecting innocent like my good self to walk by so they could throw a banger at me. Not a fun task for most people, probably viewed as dangerous in the majority of minds. But for a gang of teenage boys what could be more fun than throwing a lit firework at someone and watching with amusement as it goes off almost causing a coronary, not to mention 3rd degree burns. Oh how they would chuckle at the memories the next day. Hilarious, not! Hence the Nike air max were firmly strapped to my feet and the four minute mile relived every year on the 31st of October.

As I have matured a little, bought a house of my very own and am surrounded by lots of young children the day in question has taken on a slightly sunnier glow for me. I look forward now to seeing my nieces and nephews in the cutest of costumes filling there faces full of e-number packed sweets and candy. Yesterday I was greeted by a very cute 2 year old pussy cat and 1 year old spider complete with all eight legs and googly eyes. Then there is the incessant ringing of the door bell which when answered you are greeted by chants of "Trick or treat, trick or treat, give us something nice to eat, if you don't we don't care, we'll pull down your underwear!" Charming, but when the chanters are ensconced in lady bug, padded super hero or princess costumes you can't help but smile all gooey eyed and load there bags full of scrummy treats.

So while it is fair to say that Halloween is not my favourite holiday of the year it is fast growing on me, and, as it has it's very own cake here in Ireland it is the perfect excuse for me to indulge in my favourite pass time and break out the baking tins and apron. Below you will find a recipe for a delicious Barm Brack which my husband devoured single handed in 2 days flat. The little bite I managed to prise from his hand was deliciously moist and full of flavour, so enjoy, and don't forget to hide a ring inside for someone to find! But don't worry if you don't find the ring inside, I never once got the slice containing that fateful piece of plastic but I am none the less happily married to the most wonderful of men. Awwwwww. Now go get baking. Go on, be off with you!

Barm Brack
Should serve approx 8, serves 1 in this house!

200ml/7floz Strong Tea
150g/5oz Muscovado or Soft Brown Sugar
50ml/2floz Whiskey
300g/10 1/2oz Dried Fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants, candied peel)
1 egg
150g/5oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2tsp Mixed Spice
1tbsp Honey

1. When the tea is warm stir in the sugar. Add the whiskey and the dried fruit and allow to sit overnight.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
3. Line a 20cm/8in round baking tin with greaseproof paper.
4. Beat the egg and add it into the fruit and tea mixture.
5. Fold in the sieved flour, baking powder and mixed spice.
6. Pour it into the prepared tin and bake for 60-70 minutes. It is cooked when a clean skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. While still hot brush with the honey to form a nice glaze and leave to cool in the tin.
8. Serve warm or cold with lashings of butter.