Make It, Bake It

Peanut Butter and Jam Filled Heart Shaped Biscuits

2012-02-09T16:20:00.004Z

I did a little bit of experimenting this week and made my own large jammy dodgers. As its Valentines next week I decided to make heart shaped ones.

I was just going to just fill them with jam but my daughter who is 3 thought they would be better with Peanut Butter as well and she was right!

I made 4 large biscuits and because my daughter was helping we baked the cut out hearts and use the remainder dough to make mini heart biscuits but if you want to make just the large ones I reckon you could get 5-6 out of this dough.

Ingredients

225g of plain flour
150g of cold butter cut into cubes
125g of caster sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle)
1tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
Peanut Butter
Jam

If you are making the mini ones then you may want some icing sugar, food colouring, decorations.

To Make

Preheat your oven to 180/160 fan/gas mark 4

Line a baking tray with baking paper

Sift the flour into a large bowl and then add the butter

Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs

Add the sugar and vanilla and stir and then form a ball of dough

Roll to 1cm thick and cut out your large hearts. You will need 2 per heart.

Using a smaller heart cutter cut out a heart in half of the larger ones.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15 mins or until they are golden brown.

The smaller ones will take about 8 mins

Leave on a wire rack to cool

Once cool you can fill you hearts.

Spoon a small amount of peanut butter of the base heart and then top with jam

Place the heart with the cut out on top

For the smaller hearts decorate in anyway you like. I make a lemon icing for mine I just
added a few drops of lemon juice to the icing.

My daughter went for pink icing, silver balls and hearts!

I have entered this biscuits in English Mums Baked With Love Bakeoff.

The In Season Challenge - February

2012-02-08T19:15:00.001Z

Are you ready for your next In Season Challenge? I had a great response to first one using Savoy Cabbage.

If you are not sure what the In Season Challenge is, I explain all bellow.

Each month I choose an In Season ingredient and your challenge is come up with a recipe that includes it.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Post a recipe on your blog that uses the chosen ingredient.

2. Email the link to me at makeitbakeit@hotmail.com (you can send links to recipes you already have your blog) by the deadline.

3. Add the badge to your post or blog (optional).

I will create a post with links to all of the recipes and then choose my favourite as the challenge winner. (We may not always have a prize)

This month’s In Season ingredient is….

Apples

I love apples but I don’t cook with them very often. I am looking forward to some great recipes.

Please send links to me by 6pm Sunday 4^th March and I will post links to the recipes on Monday 5^th.

Happy cooking!

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The In Season Challenge - Savoy Cabbage

2012-02-06T17:51:00.003Z

I am very excited about my first In Season Challenge! I have some great recipes to share with you.

Each month I will choose an In Season Ingredient and the challenge is to come up with a recipe using that ingredient.

The In Season ingredient for January/February was Savoy Cabbage and I wasn’t let down!

So without further ado here they are:

The very first entry comes from Aly at Plus 2.4 and she has made a Shepardless Pie in the slow cooker.

Tasha at WAHM BAM has come up with this great Three Cabbage and Chick Pea Soup.

We have two Sausage and Cabbage Bakes! The first one is from Vanesther at Bangers and

Mash is looks great with sliced potatoes on top. Howard at Gifts from Nature has a very simple Winter Warmer Cabbage and Sausage bake.

Last but not least is Ali from Over a Cuppa with a fantastic recipe for Savoy Cabbage Stir Fry.

This month we have a prize for two of my favourite recipes (a really hard choice)

The lucky winners of a Dairy Diary are:

Ali and her Stir Fry and Aly with her Shepardless Pie. Ladies if you can email me your address please.

A huge thank you to everyone that submitted a recipe I look forward to trying them out.

Come back on Wednesday for the next In Season Challenge.

Recipe - Quick, easy & super delicious: Quinoa, Fish and Capers

2012-01-27T13:59:00.000Z

This recipe was a result of indecision on what to cook one evening. However it turned out so delicious and is set to become a firm family favourite. It takes about 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Quinoa

Stock Cube

Medium Onion

2 Large Cloves of Garlic

4-5 Fillets White Fish

Tin of Chopped Tomatoes

3 heaped tablespoons of drained capers

Cook a pint of quinoa with a stock cube (as per instructions on the packaging- mine cooked in 12 minutes). Fluff up when ready so it’s not a lump.

Chop a medium-sized onion and 2 large cloves of garlic.

Sauté onion & garlic on a generous splash of olive oil on a medium heat. When onion turn glassy, put in 4-5 fillets of white fish. (I used frozen white fish fillets, didn’t bother to defrost). Cover and let them slightly fry on both sides. Turn gently so they don’t fall to bits.

In the meantime, take a can of chopped tomatoes, you can leave these as they are, or blend it down, like I did. Add 3 heaped tablespoons of drained capers.

Pour this tomato mixture to the saucepan with the fish. Cover, bring to boil and let it simmer for another 5 mins (or till fish cooked through). Mill some pepper when serving.

You can serve hot the fish over the quinoa or mix the quinoa and fish together, breaking up the fish as you stir, then let it cool. It will make a lovely cold lunch, especially on a hot summer’s day. (I discovered this as I was putting it away into the fridge and licked the spoon…only to end up eating half of the left-overs cold.)

Bon appetite! Let me know how it turns out for you and how you modify it.

I’m a mum of 2, soon to be 3 and blog on http://mumonthebrink.com about family, pregnancy, parenting dilemmas thrown in my path and about keeping my sanity as a SAHM with my love for technology, travel and smaller and bigger adventures.

Wild Mushroom Lasagne

2012-01-20T11:22:00.002Z

Sports Relief starts on Friday 23^rd March and to help raise money for both Sports Relief and Comic Relief Gordan Ramsey created the Seriously Good cook in sauces.

At least 10p from every jar of Seriously Good sold will contribute to the Sport Relief 2012 total, and as usual Gordon doesn’t get a penny from the range.

Seriously Good sauces are available in selected major retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and The Co-operative.

The Seriously Good cooking sauce range is priced from RRP £1.89 for a 350g jar.

I posted some recipes last year to make using the sauces and today I have another one for you.

Wild Mushroom Lasagne

Preparation time: 15mins

Baking time: 40mins

1 jar Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine Sauce
400g mixed mushrooms (such as ceps, girolles, chestnut mushrooms), cleaned
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of Marsala or dry white wine
Small handful of flat-lead parsley, chopped
Small handful of chives, chopped
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
8 sheets of dried lasagne
250g fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan

1. Trim off the hard ends of the mushrooms and chop any large ones into smaller pieces.

2. Heat a wide frying pan with the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sweat over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft.

3. Add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. Fry over a high heat until any liquid released from the mushrooms has cooked off and they are lightly browned.

4. Add a splash of Marsala or dry white wine and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it has almost all evaporated.

5. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the Seriously Good Bolognese & Red Wine sauce and stir in the chopped herbs.

6. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4. Spread about a third of the mushroom and sauce mixture over the base of a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the mushroom mixture, and then add a layer of mozzarella. Repeat layering process twice, finishing with a layer of sauce.

7. Top with any remaining cheese, and sprinkle over the grated parmesan. Cover the dish with a piece of foil and bake for 30 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling. Let the lasagne stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving with a green salad.

The In Season Challenge

2012-01-16T20:23:00.000Z

Are you up for a challenge? Fantastic because I have decided to start a monthly In Season Challenge and for the first one I have even have a prize from Dairy Diary.

Each month I am going to choose an In Season ingredient and your challenge is come up with a recipe that includes it.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Post a recipe on your blog that uses the chosen ingredient.

2. Email the link to me at makeitbakeit@hotmail.com (you can send links to recipes you already have your blog) by the deadline.

3. Add the badge to your post or blog (optional).

I will create a post with links to all of the recipes and then choose my favourite as the challenge winner. (We may not always have a prize)

This month’s In Season ingredient is….

Savoy Cabbage

I am always stuck with what to do with it, so I'm looking for some inspiration.

Please send links to me by Sunday 5th February and I post all the recipes and let you know who has won on the 6^th February.

This month I have two Dairy Diary’s to giveaway.

The Dairy Diary is a week to date diary packed full of recipes, lots of writing space, budgeting and planners. Visit their website www.dairydiary.co.uk to see full details. They also have a blog!

Good luck I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Great Kitchen Sale Items

2012-01-05T13:50:00.000Z

There are a lot of sales on at the moment and bargains to be had.

Here are my top kitchen finds:

My Kitchen Electric Mini Chopper from Lakeland £9.99 from £19.99

Kenwood Hand blender from Sainsbury's £26.99 from £59.99

Le Vrai Gourmet 20cm Stainless Steel Multi Level Steamer from Debenhams £22.50 from £45

Le Creuset 4 Piece Set Cerise from Selfridge's £179 from £300

Tasty Stocking Fillers

2011-12-13T11:00:00.000Z

Grandma Wild'sBotanical Biscuit Tubes Choc Chip & Orange from Lakeland £2.99

Spelt Oatcakes from Sharpham Park £2.25

Handmade Chocolate Stars from Choc on Choc £6.95

Raspberry Vinaigrette from Adesso £5

Friendship Cake from Real Food Direct £5.65

Bella di Cerignola olives from Fifteen Cornwall £8.50

Chocolate Marshmallow Lolly from Choccywoccydoodah £10

Divine Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Discs £4.50

Mrs Crimble’s Cranberry Macaroons £1.49

Green & Blacks Mint Conversations £4.49

Recipe Book Review: The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando

2011-12-12T11:00:00.000Z

The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando

Price: rrp £11.99 available at £8.39 on Amazon

Available from: Bookshops or Amazon

Initial Reaction: The Cookiepedia is very stylish. The cover and pages have a heavy, matt feel, with a large ring binder which means it stays open with ease as you bake. The primary colour scheme and silhouette illustrations have a vintage feel without being twee or flowery; it’s a fresh, modern look that’s a world away from baking classics such as Mary Berry and Delia. Each section features a spread of photos at the start so it’s easy to browse and choose something to make.
Pros: The Cookiepedia is very comprehensive. (I was about to say “there must be over 100 cookie recipes”, but a check of the blurb reveals there are 50. It certainly feels like more!) There’s probably a recipe here for every sort of cookie (or biscuit!) you can think of. Lots of recipes have ideas for variations at the end, which I loved, especially as I’m kind of a ‘chuck in whatever’s to hand’ kind of cook. There are lots of classics (macarons, amaretti biscuits, brownies, oatmeal cookies) as well as some inventive new ideas. There’s even a recipe for real homemade fig rolls, which we haven’t tried yet, but I’d like to. This is a book with loads of personality.

My favourite cooking writers are Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater, because their enthusiasm and love of food jumps right off the page. Stacy Adimando is clearly passionate about cookies. I can see her baking these cookies in her New York loft apartment, sharing them with her hipster, geek-chic pals. A bit like Nigella and Nigel, the effusive affection for the subject could be very irritating in real life, but makes for a great reading experience.

Cons: This book is American, without any modifications for the British market. Measurements are mostly in cups (which it’s difficult to convert to UK measurements, as obviously a cup of flour, butter and sugar will all have different weights). We managed ok as I have a set of measuring cups, but as I’m unused to baking this way I wasn’t sure whether tablespoons should be heaped or even, or how much you’re supposed to pack and smooth butter into a cup. I think this might have contributed to our Dried-Fruit Cookies turning out not quite right – the dough seemed way too sticky, although it firmed up enough in the fridge to roll into balls and the cookies came out ok with a bit more cooking time.

Some of the American recipes are also a bit much for my taste: pretzels or crushed up Cool Ranch Doritos in a cookie? No thanks. The recipes are arranged by category (buttery, chocolaty, fancy, fruity…) and there are easier and more complex cookies in each category. It would have been easier for me to choose where to start if the book moved from simple to complicated throughout – but I can definitely see the logic of the way it’s arranged. We attempted the Chocolate Sprtiz Cookies, which went great until we tried to pipe them out – it became apparent that my piping nozzle was way too narrow to do biscuits (either that or we’d made the dough too thick).

There’s an explanation of equipment at the start of the book, but it didn’t mention different sizes of piping nozzle – maybe if I was a more experienced baker I’d have figured this out. But we rolled the dough into circular biscuits instead and they came out fine.

Value for money? Yes, I think The Cookiepedia is good value for money. There are loads of recipes and variations, and it’s a lovely quality book that would make a great gift.

Overall Reaction: I’d say this is a grown-up cookie book. Some of the recipes are great for kids (Animal Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Thumbprints) but there are lots of more sophisticated and complicated biscuits too. There are plenty of recipes for the girl who wants to spend a leisurely weekend afternoon in the kitchen, then turn up to a party with a plate of perfect biscuits, saying “What, these old things? They took me five minutes to rustle up” with a self-deprecating giggle. I really liked this book, and I think it’ll get a lot of use in this house.

By Kirsty

Recipe Book Review: Hungry?

2011-12-08T11:00:00.000Z

Hungry? The innocent recipe book for filling your family with good stuff

Price: £20, or £9.20 on Amazon
Available from: Bookshops, real and online

Initial Reaction: Wow. Hungry? is a gorgeous and very stylish book. If you know innocent smoothies then you’ll be familiar with their quirky sense of humour and great design, and the book really builds on that distinctive feel. It’s a visual feast – which is odd considering that it isn’t dominated by images of the actual food, but the illustrations, bold design and ‘real’ photography are a delight.
Pros: My favourite thing about Hungry? is all the extra bits. There are funky illustrations scattered through the book, which will entertain children from preschool to teens. The lists of how to fill time when you’re waiting for things to happen (a sauce to simmer, a roast to roast) are hilarious. Where recipes are brief (like the many variations on cake toppings), they’re illustrated and organised to make them really appealing. Throughout the book, ideas just jump off the page.

This isn’t just a recipe book – it’s a book all about food. It encourages the reader to eat seasonally, to learn about the ‘why’ of cooking and not just the ‘how’ – but it does it in an informal, accessible way. Some cookbooks can be off-putting and make proper food seem difficult, or beyond the aspirations of the average reader – Hungry? is the exact opposite.

The mix of healthy, quality food and everyday fun and games (popcorn-eating games to play while you’re watching a film, a strange and totally random story about a boy and an army of prawns…) means that kids will pick this book off the shelf and be drawn in. It’s a book for all the family, and drives home loads of excellent food messages without being patronising or preachy. The ‘fruit-n-veg-o-meter’ in the back of the book is just fantastic. There’s space to draw the portions of fruit and veg you’ve eaten each day together with some useful information on how much makes up a portion. The best charts sent back to innocent even have the chance of winning a t-shirt.

The baking section is massive and full of interesting new recipes – quite a few are healthier than your average cake too. The ‘Alternative Contents’ is genius – some of the best recipes, but organised a differently from the other contents so that it’s really easy to find what you need.

Cons: As I mentioned above, there aren’t as many images of food as you would expect. When I’m cooking, I like to see what I’m aiming for (have I got the colour and texture right?) and while some of the recipes have a picture of the final dish, lots have shots of people instead. This adds a lot of character to the book, but it’s not ideal if you like to follow rules and recipes strictly.

A couple of the things we made didn't turn out quite right – my veggie burgers were delicious but really soggy (I think maybe my courgette was too big and my carrot too small?) and the Tiny banana and chocolate cookies were full of healthy ingredients but unfortunately tasted a bit too healthy (my kids loved making them, but generally refused to eat them) – next time I might sneak a couple of tablespoons of sugar in the mix.

Quite a few of the recipes here (especially, I thought, in the Meat section) are classics modern family dishes: spag bol, cottage pie, beef stew – I have a family, I already have recipes for these things that I’ve tweaked and perfected over the years. But given that the other sections are full of interesting, innovative and tempting dishes, I’m happy to move on from the meat.

Value for money? At the current price on Amazon, absolutely! Definitely yes. Go and buy it now!

Overall Reaction: Despite being able to pick some faults with this book, I do absolutely love it. It makes food and cooking fun and non-threatening and it would be absolutely perfect for getting the whole family involved in cooking and eating together. My kids really enjoyed cooking from it (although they’re a bit little to properly appreciate it) and my husband thought the food was really tasty.

Hungry? is both beautiful and functional and would make a fantastic gift to be used and treasured for years to come.

By Kirsty

Homemade Christmas: Tomato and Chilli Chutney

2011-12-07T16:17:00.001Z

Ingredients:

§ 1 kg ripe tomatoes, quartered

§ 2-3 chillies, roughly chopped

§ 5 cloves garlic, sliced

§ 1 onion, cut into wedges

§ 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

§ 100g brown sugar

§ Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c

2. Put the tomatoes, chilli, garlic, onion, vinegar and sugar into a large, shallow roasting dish. Pour on a large glug of olive oil and mix everything together with your hands.

3. Roast in the oven for around an hour until everything is soft and the onions have caramelised.

4. Allow to cool a little and transfer to sterilised storage jars.

By Emma

Lamb Moussaka

2011-06-16T10:00:00.000+01:00

As aubergines are in season from now until around October, here's an easy recipe for lamb moussaka. I cheat and use ready made white sauce but if you fancy making your own then that's fine too!

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g lamb mince
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 large aubergines, sliced
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
oil for frying
1 jar white sauce
Handful of grated cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 190c, 375f.

Place onion, garlic and mince in a pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned.

Add the tomatoes and herbs, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine slices in batches for 3-4 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.

Place a layer of aubergines in an ovenproof dish, followed by a layer of the mince mixture and repeat.

Pour the white sauce over the top and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown

By Emma

Fish Cookbook Review

2011-06-10T15:31:00.000+01:00

We all really enjoy eating fish in our house but often don't know what to cook so it ends up being plain fish with vegetables. The Fish Cookbook has really come to my aid over the past few weeks as it has recipes for all types of fish ranging from the regular prawns and cod to the more exotic lobster and octopus.

It has many different types of dish; starters, curries and pastas to name a few.

I recently cooked monkfish in a spicy sauce, which was quite like a fish curry, which was very well received and I have lots more plans. I could spend hours going through the book deciding which meals to try, the photography in the book is wonderful too.

The book is much more than just a recipe book though. It has around 50 pages dedicated to the techniques you may need to know when dealing with fish, including which tools to use, preparation of different types of fish, preserving and cooking. At the back of the book there is also a fish gallery so you'll never be left guessing what type of fish you're about to chop up again.

The book has an RRP of £20.00 but is available at the moment on Amazon for £12.20.

By Emma

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup.

2011-05-12T10:00:00.002+01:00

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

sprig of rosemary

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves crushed

1/2 medium chilli

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (I roasted mine but you don’t have to)

2 carrots chopped

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

2 celery sticks

1 medium onion, chopped

pinch cumin seed

1/2 tsp chilli powder

pinch paprika

2 pints chicken stock

What I did …

I heated the oil in a large saucepan and added the garlic, chilli, paprika, bay, rosemary and cumin seeds.

After 30 seconds I added the remaining ingredients apart from the stock.

Next I sauted the vegetables for 2 minutes until they were fully coated in the spices.

Then I added the stock, turned down the heat and let the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Once the time was up I turned the heat off and allowed the soup to cool before blending with a hand whisk.

I reheated it later and we ate is with a big crusty chunks of bread!

By Laura

Royal Wedding Inspired Food and Recipes Part 2

2011-04-28T11:00:00.000+01:00

There were so many recipes to share with you I have to do this is two part!!

Please note these posts are not sponsored, I just through the recipes were worth sharing with you.

Bottlegreen have invented some cocktails using their cordials -

Royal Wedding Elderflower Cocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

6 Mint leaves
50ml Gin
15ml bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial
15ml Lemon Juice
5ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

Muddle Mint with Lemon Juice and Sugar Syrup.

Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice, fine strain into chilled 5oz martini glass.

Garnish with mint leaf on surface of drink.

Royal Wedding Cox’s Apple & Plum Cocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

30ml Rose Vodka

20ml Gin

15ml bottlegreen Cox’s Apple & Plum Cordial

10ml Lime Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

Shake ingredients with ice, fine strain into 5oz martini glass.

Garnish with rose petal on surface of drink.

Pampered Chef have this great recipe to share!

RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRY TRIFLE

This patriotic red, white and blueberry trifle is easy to make, delicious to eat and is perfect for feeding a crowd!

500 g all-butter Madeira cake

700 g fresh strawberries, divided

500 g fresh blueberries, divided

200 ml berry five fruit blend fruit juice

500 ml double cream, divided

1 pot (450 g) strawberry yogurt

1. Place Madeira cake on a board; cut cake into 2.5-cm cubes. Set aside. Hull strawberries and cut into quarters. Set aside 85 g of the strawberries and 55 g of the blueberries for decoration. In a bowl, combine remaining strawberries and the fruit juice; stir gently using a scraper.

2. Pour cream into a bowl; whip until cream forms medium-firm peaks. Spoon some of the whipped cream (about 125 g) into a decorator fitted with open star tip (so decorator is about two-thirds full); set aside. Add strawberry yogurt to remaining cream and fold together until combined using a scraper.

3. To assemble trifle, place one-third of the cake cubes into a trifle bowl. Top with one-third of the strawberry and juice mixture and one-third of the remaining blueberries, pressing down lightly. Top with one-third of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layers twice, spreading last layer evenly.

4. Decoratively pipe reserved whipped cream over top of trifle; decorate with reserved berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve (see Chef’s Corner).

Serves 16

Chef’s Corner

This trifle is best served on the day it is made. It can be served immediately or it can be refrigerated until you are ready to serve. If making the trifle in advance, once made, refrigerate the trifle for a maximum of 4–6 hours for best results.

Before a Kitchen Show commences, you may like to whip the cream in advance. Once whipped, keep the cream refrigerated until you are ready to use it. The strawberries can also be hulled in advance, if desired.

Suggested Pampered Chef tools:

Large Grooved Cutting Board
Small Mix ‘N Scraper®

Trifle bowl

Royal Wedding Inspired Food & Recipes Part 1

2011-04-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

The Royal Wedding is just around the corner and it seems everyone is doing something for the big day.

Brands have gone Wedding Crazy all with their own take on recipes, so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you.

This part 1

The British Cheese Board inspired by Kate and Williams upcoming wedding have put together a William and Kate themed cheese board -

British cheddar is the best in the world (in fact we invented it!) so a tasty cheddar is a must for the Royal cheeseboard. We’d suggest Denhay West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, which is produced for the Prince of Wales’ Duchy Originals line - a fitting tribute to the father of the groom. Did you know that West Country Cheddar is also reputed to be a favourite of Tudor Monarchs?
For the mother and father of the bride, Wensleydale with cranberry is a fruity blended cheese hailing from Yorkshire, just like Miss Middleton’s father. Made in the Yorkshire Dales this cheese will bring a taste of the North to the London nuptials.
Not forgetting the Duchess of Cornwall, St Endellion Luxury Cornish Brie seems a fitting contribution from Camilla’s title county. Made with added cream, this cheese will add some luxury to the day, an indulgent cheese fit for two future queens.
No cheeseboard (no less a royal one!) would be complete without a fine slab of the ‘king’ of English cheese: Blue Stilton. Queen Victoria was once so impressed with a model of Cleopatra’s needle made from over 1,300 Stilton cheeses and exhibited at the 1878 Islington Dairy Show, that she bought the lot!
To complete the red, white and blue theme, is Leicestershire Red. Not to be confused with the more common Red Leicester, this is a traditionally made cheese with a beautiful strong colour and sweet nutty taste.

To find out more, please visit the British Cheese Board website at www.britishcheese.com or find us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/britishcheeseboard.

Union Jack Celebration Cake

Ingredients:

1 x 20cm (8inch) deep round Madeira or fruit cake, covered in Dr Oetker Natural Marzipan

1 x 20cm (8inch) thin round cake board

Icing sugar to dust

1.5kg (3lb 5oz) Dr Oetker White Ready to Roll Icing

1 x 25cm (10inch) deep round Madeira or fruit cake, covered in Dr Oetker Natural Marzipan

4 short pieces plastic dowling

100g pack Dr Oetker red coloured Ready to Roll Icing

100g pack Dr Oetker blue coloured Ready to Roll Icing

Red ribbon to decorate

Method

1. Position the marzipaned 20cm (8inch) cake to fit on the thin cake board. On a lightly dusted work surface roll out one third of the white ready to roll icing and cover the cake as instructed on the pack. Reserve the trimmings.

2. Roll out the remaining white ready to roll icing along with the trimmings and cover the 25cm (10inch) cake in the same way. Trim as necessary and carefully transfer the large cake to a serving plate or board.

3. Cut the dowling pieces to the exact depth of the iced large cake. Carefully push them into the centre of the cake in a 12cm (5inch) square arrangement – these will act as supports for the top cake.

4. Carefully sit the smaller cake on top of the large one, making sure it is in the middle.

5. Knead the red icing until smooth and pliable and roll out thinly to make a rectangle approx. 30cm (12inch) x 6cm (2 1/2inch) - to make the red stripes of the flag, you will need 2 x 2cm wide strips of icing and 2 x 1/2cm (1/4inch) wide strips.

6. Secure one of the 2cm (1/2inch) wide strips down the centre of the top cake with a light brushing of water. Cut the other 2cm (1/2inch) strip in half and arrange pieces either side of the secured central strip to make a cross. Cut the thin strips in half and arrange on the cake to make up the 4 remaining flag stripes. Trim the red strips as necessary.

7. Knead the blue icing until smooth and pliable and roll out very thinly to make a rectangle approx. 32cm (12 3/4inch) x 15cm (6inch). Using the templates shown, cut out 4 of each size of “flashes”.

8. Secure the blue flashes on the cake with a light brushing of water to make up the Union Jack design. Trim as necessary then secure red ribbon round the bottom of both cakes before serving.

British Nostalgia – Dr. Oetker Lemon Polenta Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes using Dr. Oetker Muffin Cases

Oven 170ºC

Ingredients:

240g gluten free plain flour (or ordinary plain flour works too)

1tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder

½ tsp salt

200g unsalted butter, softened

250g caster sugar

3 medium free range eggs

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp Dr. Oetker Natural Lemon Extract

180g quick cook polenta

Smooth Strawberry Jam

Dr. Oetker Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing White

Dr. Oetker Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Coloured Icing (Includes Red and Blue)

Method

Sieve and combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Using an electric hand mixer or a wooden spoon, cream together the butter and sugar.
Gradually add the eggs to the mixture, along with 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture per egg. This will prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the lemon juice, zest and Dr. Oetker Natural Lemon Extract.
Finally stir in the polenta.
Divide the mixture among the Dr. Oetker Muffin cases, they should be about 2/3 full and level on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, and they are golden on top.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes in their tin, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.

To Decorate

Warm six tbsp of strawberry jam in the microwave or a small pan until it thins.
Brush the thinned jam onto the sides and top of each small cake.
Roll out the Dr. Oetker Blue Regal-Ice on a worktop and then cut a circular piece to cover the top of the cupcake and trim it to fit.
Roll out the Dr. Oetker White Regal-Ice and cut into even sized strips about 4mm wide, then place on the cake following the photo design.
Roll out the Dr. Oetker Red Regal-Ice and cut into 2mm wide strips, place on the cake following the photo design.

Country Life Butter are launching a limited edition pack for the Royal Wedding, they have shared some recipes with me for the day.

Individual Victoria Sponge

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 6

Ingredients

For the cake:

200g caster sugar

200g Country Life Unsalted butter, softened plus a little for greasing

4 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g self-raising flour, sieved

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

For the filling:

100g Country Life Unsalted butter, softened

150g icing sugar, sifted

A drop of vanilla extract

340g jar good-quality British strawberry jam

Caster sugar, to decorate

Method

Heat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F, gas 5.
Butter and lightly dust with flour 6 individual tins measuring about 7.5 cm in diameter and 5.5 cm in height.
Beat together the Country Life Unsalted butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or preferably an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. This can take up to 10 minutes.
Break the eggs into small bowl and add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture lightly with a fork.
Add the egg very gradually to the mixture. Do this slowly to avoid curdling. If the mix does curdle add a tablespoon of the flour. Once all the eggs are in, fold in the flour with a large metal spoon. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency, if not add a little milk.

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the butter icing: beat the Country Life Unsalted butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract.
Split the cakes in half. Spread the butter cream over the bottom half and top it with jam. Sandwich with the top. Dust with a little caster sugar before serving.
Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

Cook’s tips

For chocolate lovers – remove two tablespoon of flour and replace with cocoa powder
For a traditional coffee and walnut – add 2 tbsp coffee powder dissolved in 2 tbsp water and 50g finely chopped walnuts

STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE SCONES

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Makes: approx. 10

Ingredients

300g (12oz) self- raising flour

5ml (1tsp) baking powder

75g (3oz) Country Life block butter, cut into small squares

50g (2oz) caster sugar

Finely grated zest 1 orange

75g (3oz) fresh British strawberries, chopped into small pieces

50g (2oz) sultanas

150ml (¼pt) milk

milk for brushing

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400ºF, gas mark 6. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl then rub in the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, orange zest, strawberries and sultanas and mix well. Gently stir in the milk with a rounded knife until the mixture is soft dough and comes together in a ball.
Gently knead on a lightly floured surface to remove any cracks. Roll out to 2cm (¾") thickness, then using a 6cm (2½") pastry cutter, cut into rounds. Gather up any spare bits of dough and knead lightly, roll out and make more scones.
Place on a baking tray, spacing them a little apart, brush the tops with milk and cook for 10-12 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Delicious served warm or cold, spread with extra Country Life butter (Country Life Spreadable or Lighter Spreadable will spread straight from the fridge).

Cook’s tip- handle the dough as little as possible or it will become tough. Dip the cutter in a little flour to stop the dough sticking. Any remaining scones can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days or frozen for up to a month - just reheat in the oven.

14 Royal Wedding Mugs

2011-04-26T14:00:00.000+01:00

Royal Wedding Twin Mugs £2.99 from Aldi

Will Loves Kate Mug £1.99 from TJ Hughes

Fabulous Right Royal Mug £10 from W2

Royal Commemorative Mug - Thanks For The Day Off £12 from John Lewis

Royal Mug £1 from Poundland

English Fine Bone China Loving Cup £11.95 from House of Bath

Burnished Gold and Platinum Mug from £29.99 from Halcyon Days

Royal Wedding Mug, £16.95 from Alison Gardener

Emma Bridgewater Royal Mug, £20 from the National Gallery

Royal Wedding Commemorative Mug, £15 from Burleigh Pottery

Hand-painted and Drawn Kate & William bone-china Mugs, £10 from Cole of London

The Royal Collection Memorabilia Mug, £7.99 from Studio 24

Springfield Mug with Lid, £9.99 from The UK Gift Company

Kate and Wills Royal Wedding Mug, £14 from Sweet Williams Designs

7 Royal Wedding Tea Towels

2011-04-26T11:00:00.000+01:00

Britannia 3 Pack Tea Towels £2.99 from Aldi

Royal Wedding Tea Towel £3.50 from Oswaldstwistle Mill

Wills ‘n’ Kate Tea Towel £9.95 from New House Textiles

Union Jack Tea Towel, £5 from The National Gallery

Royal Wedding Tea Towel - Will and Kate, £7.99 from Glorious Britain

Royal Wedding Tea Towel, £12.50 from Helena Carrington

Royal Wedding Souvenir Tea Towel, £10 from Cath Kidston

My Easter Egg Wish List

2011-04-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

I thought I would share what is on my Easter Egg wish list, not that I will get an egg this year but a girl can dream and chocolate dreams are the best!!

My favourite chocolate is Maya Gold by Green & Blacks and this Dark & Maya Easter Egg Gift Set (£18) looks right up my street.

I do like a bit of dark chocolate and this Deliciously Dark Egg (£9.99) from Thorntons looks divine!

I actually drooled when I read the description of this egg from Hotel Chocolat.

Two slices of caramel and white chocolate, sprinkled with caramel pieces and sandwiched between mellow caramel chocolate shells.

I give you the Creamed Caramel Club (£8)...

This Bunnies, Ducks n Eggs (£22.95) from Amelie Chocolat is to die for, the chocolate egg looks so thick and its packed full of goodies.

When I was younger I would always get an Easter egg that came with a mug and my favourite had to be the Flake one! I have found it one the Cadbury site for £8 (gosh they used to be so much cheaper)

What's on your wish list?

7 Excellent Egg Cups

2011-04-19T14:36:00.000+01:00

Spray Flowers Set of Two Egg Cups, £5 from Cath Kidston

Set of Two Blomus Tito Egg Cup, £12 from Omlet

Illustrated Egg Cup, £4.50 from Not on The Highstreet

Jo!e Egghead Set of 4 Egg Cups and Spoons, £7.14 from Argos

Black Glazed Egg Cups Set of 4, £5 from John Lewis

Egg Cup Toast Rack, £7 from Lakeland

Dolly Girl Children's Egg Cup, £2.95 from Dot Com Gift Shop

Pizza Twists & Oat Raisin Cookies

2011-04-15T11:00:00.000+01:00

I'm a busy working mum of two boys and although I would love to say I cook like Nigella Lawson, the truth is in fact that even McDonald's would struggle to hire me. So I like to keep me meal times very simple. I thought I'd share two easy recipes, that are family favourites in our house and are suitable for all of the family not just the kids or mum and dad.

I came across pizza twist while buying my groceries online. I was quite surprised by how easy it was as I had expected dough making and all sorts. Let me know how you get on with it.

to feed a family of four you'll need:

Four plain or garlic naans (whichever your family prefer)
*Loose tomatoes
*Italian Mozzarella
*Red Leicester cheese
*Coriander (not absolutely vital if kids don't like it)

OK, here comes the really hard bit:
1. Preheat oven on to 200c or gas mark 6.
2. Place your naan breads on a baking tray.
3. add mozzarella slices and tomatoes to the top of each.
4. grate red Leicester over the whole thing.
5. Cook for 10 minutes.
6. sprinkle a little chopped coriander over the top and serve.

Another favourite in our house are Oat raisin cookies.

My boys don't like "those shrivelled up things" so I putting chocolate chips in theirs instead.

To make 36 cookies you will need:
*175g butter (and a little extra to grease the tray)
*175g of plain flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*175g soft light brown sugar
*1 tsp vanilla essence
*2 eggs beaten
*175g porridge oats
*100g raisins/ choc chips

then you need to:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c or gas mark 4. Grease 3 baking sheets.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
3. then in a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla essence to the butter mixture.
5. using a wooden spoon, gradually add in the flour until both are mixed well.
6. Add the oats and raisins/ choc chips and beat until blended.
7. Drop round spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for rising.
8. use a fork to flatten slightly.
9. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden.

10.Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

Cookies keep for 4/5 days in an airtight container.

By Sara

Chocolate Review - Nibblatron Nibbling Kit from Hotel Chocolat

2011-04-13T21:23:00.000+01:00

Chocolate is one of my 3 C’s along with coffee and cupcakes they are my obsessions which is probably why I am a size 20! So obviously with the run up to Easter there is a lot of temptation for me and I have been pretty good. That was until Hotel Chocolat sent me a little gift!

I was sent a Nibblatron Nibbling Kit (£11), it contained Nibblatron Milk Chocolate Slab, Liquid Caramels, Milk Chocolate Nibblatron Lick. I had never had chocolate from Hotel Chocolat and I was in for a treat.

All the chocolates were lovely, really good quality. My favourite was the Liquid Caramels which are slightly salty and didn’t last very long at all!

The Nibblatron Lick is in the shape of a robot which is fabulous and the slab is a mixture of white and milk chocolate.

An adult set with a children’s twist. I really loved the set and it would make a great Easter Gift especially for a proper chocolate fan!

Hotel Chocolat have a huge range of chocolates including Easter Eggs

Get ordering now in time for Easter!!

Food Review - DeviliShh Puds

2011-04-08T14:05:00.000+01:00

I’m not one to turn done food especially desserts, so was really intrigued when I was offered some samples of DevilShh puds to try.

They come in cartons, you pour into a saucepan, bring to boil, pour into serving dishes and leave for a minimum of 2 hours to set! Job done.

We tried the Pot au Chocolat and the Crème Brulee. Both where really nice, though the Pot au Chocolate tastes a bit like chocolate pudding which I wasn’t expecting I imagined a thick chocolate pot.

They were really easy to do. Don’t make the mistake I made thinking that one carton can split between two people they are fair to rich for that!!

You can add liqueurs, fruits and nuts to them to personalise your taste a bit. You can even decorate for Easter!

The Pot au Chocolat serves 6 people and the Crème Brulee serves 4 and at £2.99 each that’s a bargain! Great for last minute dinner parties, BBQ’s or just when you are in the mood for dessert.

They are available from Booths, Lakeland and the DevilShh website and they also made Crème Caramel and Panna Cotta as well as sauces.

Edam & Sundried Tomato Muffins

2011-04-05T14:30:00.001+01:00

We eat cheese a lot in our house but if we're using it in cooking we tend to stick to cheddar or mozzarella. What I didn't know was that edam cheese has 25% less fat than cheddar and 14% more calcium, so great for healthy bones for children and adults.

Here's a recipe for some cheese muffins, perfect for lunchboxes and snacks.

Ingredients:

275g (10oz) plain flour
15ml (1tbsp) baking powder
5ml (1tsp) caster sugar
5ml (1tsp) salt
125g (4oz) Edam wedge, grated
75g (2¾oz) sundried tomatoes, chopped
30ml (2tbsp) freshly snipped chives
2 eggs
200ml (7floz) semi- skimmed milk
75g (2¾oz) butter, melted

Method

Preheat the oven to 375ºF, 190ºC, gas mark 5. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper muffin cases. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
Stir the sugar, salt, three quarters of the cheese, sundried tomatoes and chives into the flour mixture and mix well.
In another bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and melted butter and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, the batter will be lumpy. Fill the muffin cases and sprinkle the tops with the reserved Edam. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and firm.

Delicious eaten warm or cold.

By Emma

The world’s first Seriously Good scratch ‘n’ sniff app

2011-04-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

Comic Relief and Gordon Ramsay, creators of Seriously Good cooking sauces, have teamed up with leading olfactory and technological experts to create the world’s first scratch ‘n’ sniff smartphone app. This announcement follows the release of last year’s Seriously Good app which allows buyers to spin, shake, turn and flip Gordon Ramsay until he reacts with frustration.

This new, groundbreaking app, named iScratchiSniff, has been developed in conjunction with Dr Mal Odorous, professor at the Royal College of Otorhinolaryngology, who specialises in scents and the effect these have on the human body. The iScratchiSniff features a series of Britain’s favourite dishes which, when you scratch, release realistic odours to make your mouth water and tantalise your taste buds. Not sure what you fancy for dinner tonight? Spaghetti Bolognese, Lamb Korma, Herby Chicken and Tomato Stew...use iScratchiSniff for inspiration then pick up a jar of Seriously Good sauce and recreate it at home.

Following the purchase of the iScratchiSniff app, a previously dormant chip in compatible smartphones is activated. The chip contains a miniscule cartridge of food odours which have been indexed, coded, digitized and embedded to replicate Britain’s favourite culinary aromas. These are then released when the dishes on the app are ‘scratched’ on the screen, and released through the holes in the phone’s speaker.

Dr Odorous commented, “Research shows that when pleasant food odours are inhaled before mealtimes, the body responds with a physiological desire for that very meal – it’s fascinating! This new app combines cutting edge technology with the findings of my research to deliver a simple solution to the age-old problem of ‘what’s for dinner tonight?’ Wonder no more shoppers, because now there’s an app for that!”

The Seriously Good range includes both Italian and Indian cooking sauces. Each one is bursting with rich, intense flavours and is delicious served with meat, fish or vegetables.. All ingredients have been selected by Gordon Ramsay to ensure high quality, authentic tasting recipes. Seriously Good is available to buy all year round with at least 10p from the sale of every jar going to Comic Relief. Gordon Ramsay does not get a penny from the range.

For more information on Seriously Good products and recipe ideas and to download Seriously Good apps go to www.seriouslygood.com