cookery

Oreo & Caramel Cheesecake

February 11, 2014 by TheBoyAndMe 15 Comments

I tasted a delicious pudding on the weekend which I was desperate to recreate. However this is a slight cheat as it's not really a cheesecake in the traditional sense.

Oreo & Caramel Cheesecake

Makes: 8 inch cake serving 8-10 (depends how big a slice you want!)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: caramel – 2o minutes
Setting time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:
- 300g bourbon biscuits
- 70g butter
For the caramel:
- 200g condensed milk
- 100g light brown sugar
- 100g butter
For the filling:
- vanilla instant-whip dessert (i.e. Angel Delight)
- chocolate instant-whip dessert (i.e. Angel Delight)
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
- 4-5 Oreo cookies

Break up the bourbon biscuits into fine crumbs (I blitzed them in a food processor).
Melt the 70g butter in a saucepan and add the bourbon crumbs.
Transfer mixture into a 8inch flan tin (for ease I used one with a removable base and inserted a cake liner too) and press down firmly all over to compress the mixture.
Place in the fridge to cool and set for twenty minutes.
Melt 100g butter in a pan and add 100g light brown sugar to dissolve. Pour in the condensed milk and raise the temperature very gently until it starts to simmer. Keep the temperature low and stir continuously for around twenty minutes until brown.
Once thickened, pour over the set base and transfer to the fridge to set for twenty minutes.
Mix the two packets of instant-whip desserts separately, use two-thirds of the milk that it suggests on the packet (this will help with the firmness of the filling). Add one tablespoon of cream cheese to each mixture.
Spoon the two different mixtures over the base alternating into a pattern, then stir them through loosely to create a marbled effect. Place in the fridge to set for twenty minutes.
Sprinkle the crushed Oreo cookies over the top of the dessert and serve immediately.

Oreo & Caramel Cheesecake

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Linking to Recipe Of The Week, Share Your Stuff Tuesdays and Tasty Tuesdays

Cheese & Vegetable Puffs

January 28, 2014 by TheBoyAndMe 15 Comments

These little crackers are a perfect treat as a canape at a party or as a light snack.

Cheese & Vegetable Puffs

Makes: 1 roll of puff pastry makes 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

ready-made puff pastry
halloumi, diced
mixed vegetables to own taste: I used asparagus, carrots, baby sweetcorn, broccoli, red pepper
2 tbsp of crème fraîche
a knob of butter
grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Cut the puff pastry into six rectangles and lay them on a baking tray.
Prick the pastry over with a fork in the area where the filling will be placed.
Lightly stir-fry the vegetables and diced halloumi for five minutes in the knob of butter.
Stir in the crème fraîche to the mix and place a large spoonful onto the centre of the pastry rectangles.
Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of the vegetable mix.
Place in the over for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden.

Cheese & Vegetable Puff

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Linking to Recipe Of The Week and Tasty Tuesdays

Poached Pear Cupcakes

November 5, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 13 Comments

I'm a big fan of the delicate taste of pears, and while I don't particularly like the texture of a raw pear, I do enjoy seeing how creative I can be with them in my cooking.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

Makes: 12

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 litre/1¾ pints water
200g/7oz granulated sugar
3 small pears, peeled, quartered and cored
1 cinnamon stick
75g/2¾oz plain flour
70g/2½oz ground almonds
1tsp baking powder
¼tsp salt
115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz caster sugar
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1 eggs
4tbsp double cream

Frosting & Decoration:

150g/5½oz icing sugar
225g/8oz unsalted butter
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1tsp ground cinnamon

Bring the water and granulated sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pears and set aside to cool, do NOT dispose of the liquid. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluff, add the vanilla bean paste and eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add a little flour if the eggs start to curdle. Sift in half the flour and the cream, beat until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt and mix through well.
Spoon the batter into the paper cases and put a pear quarter into each. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl with the unsalted butter, and stir together. Add the vanilla bean paste and cinnamon, and beat until combined. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a star-shaped tip, and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Reduce the poaching liquid down until it produces a sticky and slightly runny syrup, drizzle over the top of the cupcakes.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

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This recipe comes from Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book, which is a wonderful recipe book full of imaginative cupcake ideas for bored bakers. My personal favourites are the White Russian, Mudslide, Limoncello, Caramel Appletini, and Salted Caramel cupcakes. With easy recipes, colourful photography, and cute illustrations throughout, the book is a joy to use. I particularly like the way that the chapters are easy to find with cut out cupcakes as the markers.

Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book is published by Parragon Books with an RRP £14.00 but is currently £5.00 on Amazon.

I was sent this product for the purpose of review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

Linked to Recipe Of The Week, Tasty Tuesdays and Share Your Stuff Tuesdays.

Espresso Cupcakes & Cappuccino Frosting

October 21, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 15 Comments

I am a big fan of coffee flavours, but not actually of the hot drink. I adore coffee ice-cream, frappuccinos and flavoured chocolates but have a real aversion to it as a warm liquid. However, there is always room for coffee cake!

Espresso Cupcakes with Cappuccino Frosting

Makes: 12
Preparation time: 10 minutes & 10 minutes for frosting
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

Cakes:
- 4oz/120g self-raising flour
- 4oz/120g caster sugar
- 4oz/120g butter
- 2 eggs
- 1tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1tbsp vanilla yoghurt
- 1 shot of espresso
- 1tsp espresso/coffee powder
buttercream:
- 5oz/140g butter, softened
- 10oz/280g icing sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 1tsp espresso powder
- chocolate spread
- cappuccino cream wafer rolls

Cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
Sift the flour in with and mix thoroughly.
Stir through the vanilla yoghurt and espresso shot gently.
Fold in the coffee powder.
Divide into cake cases and cook in a preheated oven (200°C/Gas Mask 6) for 12-15 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Mix the buttercream, but before transferring to a piping bag with a star nozzle, smear chocolate spread around the outside of the bag. When the buttercream is piped, there will be a gentle hint of chocolate in the topping.
Break a section of cappuccino cream wafer roll and place on the top of the buttercream.

Espresso Cupcakes with Cappuccino Frosting

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Mini Stuffed Pumpkins

October 15, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 11 Comments

When we went pumpkin picking recently, we may have been over enthusiastic in the amount of orange gourds that we returned with, particularly those described as 'munchkins'.

Munchkin Pumpkins

Straight away I knew what I wanted to do with them; far too perfect to not be enjoyed whole, they were crying out to be stuffed with a delicious vegetarian concoction.

Mini Stuffed Pumpkins

Makes: 1 pumpkin serves 1 person, multiply for the right amount of 'guests'
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes

Ingredients

munchkin pumpkins, 1 for each person
a knob of butter
3 blocks/pellets of frozen spinach
1tbsp mascarpone
small block of blue cheese (matchbox size), crumbled
black pepper for seasoning
basmati rice mixed with mediterranean vegetables (peppers, courgette, onions, etc)
grated parmesan

You'll also need:

a sharp knife
metal, circular (pastry) cutter

Press the cutter down into the top of the munchkin pumpkin to mark out the area to be cut, then carefully cut down into the hollow centre of the pumpkin all the way around the circle. I am a little clumsy with a knife, so actually hammered the cutter down to cut through the tough exterior, then used the knife to prise the lid off.
Remove the lid and scoop out all the pith and seeds. Slice the pith and seeds from the bottom of the lid.
Wilt the frozen spinach with butter in the microwave for one minute. Stir through the mascarpone cheese and season with black pepper.
Crumble in the blue cheese and fold in the rice mixture.
Divide the mixture between the pumpkins up to the bottom ledge of the lid area. (This will allow expansion space for the rice as it cooks).
Replace the lid loosely and place on a baking tray. Place this baking tray on a large and deep baking tray with water in, this will help keep the pumpkin moist as it is roasting.
Cook in the oven on 190°C/375°C/Gas Mark 5 for 35-45 minutes until the pumpkin's sides are soft to the touch.
Remove the lid and sprinkle on some grated parmesan. Replace the lid and return the over for a further two minutes for the cheese to melt.
Serve with salad for a light lunch, or with spring green vegetables and a chicken breast/grilled tofu.

Stuffed Pumpkins

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Ham & Cheese Muffins

September 30, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 6 Comments

I'm quite passionate about a balanced and nutritious packed lunch for school children, forget this nonsense that all children must have school dinners to ensure they are eating the right foods; have you seen how unappetising they are?

As The Boy started school recently, I've been keen to make sure he's interested and eager to open his lunchbox each day, but after a few weeks of varying the fillings of sandwiches and wraps, even I was getting bored of them! I decided to make him savoury muffins (with hidden vegetables) in place of sandwiches, and they went down a treat.

Ham & Cheese Muffins

Makes 12
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

250g/9oz plain flour
1tsp baking powder
50g/4oz grated cheese
50g/4oz ham. chopped
2 eggs
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium courgette, grated
1tsp salt
1 medium carrot, grated
pepper for seasoning

Grate the courgette, place in a sieve over a bowl, sprinkle on 1tsp salt and place a small plate on top. This will press all the excess water out of the courgette, the salt helps the liquid drain. Leave for around 10-15 minutes while preparing and mixing the remaining ingredients.
Whisk the two eggs, sunflower oil and milk together, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Slowly fold the mixture together until thoroughly combined.
Rinse the draining courgette to remove excess salt, press out the remaining liquid in kitchen towel.
Fold into the mixture the grated carrot, ham, cheese and courgette and add a small pinch of pepper for seasoning.
Divide between 12 muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven (190°C/170°C fan) for 20-25 minutes.
Use as an alternative to sandwiches in a lunchbox or serve warm with jacket potato, cheese and beans/vegetables for a light dinner.

Ham & Cheese Muffins

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Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes

September 23, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 18 Comments

I absolutely love the flavour of pears, especially lightly cooked, but am not a huge fan of them uncooked as the texture is often too gritty for me. As I had a batch that were 'on the turn', I decided to whip up some cupcakes which would make good use of them.

Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

4oz self-raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1tbsp vanilla yoghurt
1 pear, peeled and chopped
white chocolate drops
buttercream
chocolate spread
white chocolate

Cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
Sift the flour in and mix thoroughly.
Stir through the vanilla yoghurt gently.
Divide into cake cases and cook in a preheated oven (200°C/Gas Mask 6) for 12-15 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Mix the buttercream, but before transferring to a piping bag with a star nozzle, smear chocolate spread around the outside of the bag. When the buttercream is piped, there will be a gentle hint of chocolate in the topping.
Grate white chocolate and sprinkle over the top of the buttercream.

I'm sure that more than one is allowed, there is fruit in it after all?

Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes
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Christmas Cupcakes

December 24, 2011 by TheBoyAndMe 2 Comments

We haven't done any cooking together in a few weeks, and as I had some pretty cupcake cases and stencils that I wanted to try, we dutifully washed our hands, donned our aprons and got down to business this morning!

Adapting a basic fairy cake mix, I added nutmeg, cocoa powder and raisins to make it taste a little more Christmassy, along with a splosh of oil to keep it moist and a little espresso coffee powder to give tang against the sweetness.

The Boy loves mixing everything together and is getting very good at creaming the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs, a little flour, whisking and then adding the oil. It got a little stiff with the flour so I had to give him a hand. Bung in the raisins, cocoa etc and Bob's your mother's brother!

Then while they are cooking for 12 minutes at 200°C, of course what better excuse for a little bit of water play than doing the washing up?

I iced the cakes with white chocolate buttercream and then we used some nifty Christmas stencils from Asda and chocolate poweder to decorate them. Scrummilicious!

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I'm linking this up to the following fabulous linkies:

The Crazy Kitchen

Courgette and Chocolate Cake

September 25, 2011 by TheBoyAndMe 13 Comments

Last Summer I went to a picnic meet-up with my baby and toddler group. One of the mums had brought along a courgette cake which I wasn't at all keen on trying, but actually tasted really nice. I've had it at her house a few times since and it is really quite scrummy. The one thing that I noticed it is that although it's moist, it is actually quite bland. The courgette doesn't really come through and therefore the cake just tastes of, well, cake.

I decided to have a go at making this with The Boy this morning, and had the idea of adding chocolate to give a contrasting flavour. I knew I had the ingredients and there were courgettes waiting to be used up in the fridge. Only, they'd gone too far and had to go into the compost, which is when Mr. TheBoyandMe was despatched to pick up more!

Courgette & Chocolate Cake

Ingredients: 220g plain or wholewheat flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 250g sugar, 200ml vegetable oil, 60g of butter, 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 medium courgettes coarsely grated, 1 large handful raisins, half a bar of milk chocolate, handful of chocolate chips.

Prior to cooking sprinkle a teaspoon of salt into the courgette, place in a sieve over a bowl with a piece of kitchen towel and a plate on top to weigh it down. The excess juice from the courgette will be removed.

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the egg with a little flour to prevent curdling.

3. Add the remainder of the flour and whisk.

4. Add the oil and vanilla essence and mix together thoroughly, the mixture will be runny.

5. Stir in the remainder of the dry ingredients and the raisins.

6. Gently fold in the courgettes and chocolate chips, along with the melted chocolate.

7. Mix thoroughly and then divide between cake cases. This recipe made 20 individual cakes.

8. Place the cakes in a preheated oven at 150°C for 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

9. We drizzled white chocolate on ours to add some colour.

These cakes are moist and really tasty. The Boy and Me (ha!) made them before Chef Brother came over to see us, and I was nervous about giving him one. He said they were really tasty and would be perfect for Christmas time, he then ate two! Wahoo, thumbs up if ever there was one.

The irony is that The Boy doesn't like them!

Mango & Coconut Paneer

September 21, 2011 by TheBoyAndMe 19 Comments

Recently there seems to be cookery going on all around me. Not in real-life™ you understand, that would involve more effort than reheating something from the freezer.

Now I've resisted taking part too much because I am neither a Nigella or a Fanny (steady on), but I'm getting swept along with the tide. With the onset of Autumn and the swiftly arriving Winter, I feel the need for home-cooked goodness.

Without much further ado, I present to you (fitting into the theme of spices for the Recipe Shed):

Mango & Coconut Paneer

Ingredients:

2 tbspmango chutney
paneer – cut into cubes
baby carrots
broccoli
sweet potato
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each of paprika, chilli powder and coriander
coconut milk
basmati rice

1. Prep baby carrots, small florets of broccoli and cubes of sweet potato. Par-boil for 10 minutes.

2. Mix together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon each of paprika, chilli powder and coriander. Cube the paneer and marinade for ten-twenty minutes.

3. Pour the paneer mixture into a hot frying pan and cook on a medium heat until the paneer is brown and crispy on all sides.

4. Add the par-boiled vegetables and lightly fry. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of mango chutney and simmer on a low heat. Pour in half a can of coconut milk and reduce down.

5. Meanwhile, open a packet of Tilda Basmati rice (because I am incapable of cooking rice without it turning to sticky stodge!) and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. The rice will be light, fluffy and actually be separate grains of rice (as opposed to when I cook rice and it ends up in one mass). Why would go to all that effort when this is perfect?

6. Spoon the rice into a mould, press down and carefully remove. Serve the paneer immediately.

YUM!

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Recipe Shed

I was provided with the Tilda Basmati Rice for the purpose of review, my opinion is honest. I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and Keith didn't mind.