Sesame and Maple Syrup Flapjacks: traybake heaven

Most kids love a spot of cooking so when I asked my son shall we get stuck in and do some flapjacks, he jumped at the chance! This time we thought we'd try a specifically children's cook book: Children's book of baking (2007) by Sara Lewis  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Childrens-Book-Baking-Sara-Lewis/dp/0753715503/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352731252&sr=8-2  The book is a lovely collection of recipes divided in to sections such as little cakes, cookies, cut-and-come-again cakes and traybakes. Every recipe is beautifully documented with instructional photographs and has a list of the required equipment making it an ideal book to give to a ten or eleven year old to follow independently, but equally it is suitable to use with your younger ones. Over the last couple of years we have made a few of the recipes and all can be said to be reliable and enjoyable to make. For example, the chunky chocolate and oat cookies on page 56 are rather moreish as are the chocolate kisses on page 54. If you don't do a lot of baking and sometimes lack confidence,  this book is also good on advice and tips, from outlining cook's terms to detailing cake-making techniques; you don't have to have children to appreciate this book!

A perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

Sesame and maple syrup flapjacks (copyright: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 2006)

Makes 9
200g butter
200g soft light brown sugar
5 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup
50g sesame seeds, plus 1 extra tbsp for sprinkling
250g oats
20cm square tin

Measuring out the ingredients

Melting the butter, sugar and syrup

Melted mixture

Pressing the mixture into the tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cut a square of baking parchment and line the tin.
2. Put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring from time to time using a wooden spoon until completely melted.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the sesame seeds and oats. Spoon the mixture into the tin and press flat with the back of a metal spoon. Sprinkle with the extra 1 tbsp of sesame seeds.
4. Bake the flapjack for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and just beginning to darken around the edges of the tin. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Mark the flapjack into squares (9 in total) and leave to harden and cool completely



Divided into 9 squares.

5. Lift the paper and flapjack out of the tin and cut into 9 pieces. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!)

Two pieces in one day - how extravagant is that?!

Next time: A quick after-work supper and chocolate mousse for everyone!

Thai-style Chicken with Chillies and Basil: after-work yumminess!

Thai-style Chicken with Chillies and Basil served on a bed of egg-fried rice

You can't beat a Ken Hom recipe for its freshness, tastiness and simplicity. Everyone should give him a go! This recipe caught my eye because of the use of basil. I was determined not to let my basil plant wither away on the window sill while I tried to get myself organised during a particularly busy week. My natural instincts were to look for an Italian recipe using basil, and this time I wanted to avoid using up the whole plant to make homemade pesto which I'd put in the freezer and use later, as it seemed too convenient and not very challenging! However there is nothing challenging about this recipe, it is so simple and delicious that I've made it several times since the first time I took the photos! Another brilliant aspect to the recipe is that it uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs - such underrated parts of the chicken but far more tasty and succulent than  chicken breasts, oh and cheaper of course!

I'm afraid again, this is a book that I've never cooked from before and have only owned for a couple of months after buying it at the Ingham village fete in the summer. My other trusty Ken Hom book I've used loads of times and no doubt that will be making an appearance in the coming year. This book though is called Ken Hom Cooks Thai (1999) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ken-Hom-Cooks-Thai/dp/0747276099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351464978&sr=1-1

The recipe can be found on page 118. Flicking through the rest of the book there does seem to be a a lot of ingredients in many of the recipes, however, don't let that put you off. Once you stock your store cupboard with essentials like soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, Shaoxing rice wine (or as I use dry sherry), sesame oil, there isn't often  too much else that you need to hunt out. Hom's recipes are so reliable and tasty, it is so worth cooking from scratch and not reaching for a jar of ready-made sauce! In case you are wondering what other delights there are in this book, I'm already planning to make the Delectable Duck and Pineapple Curry on page 135 and the Hot and Sour Prawns on page 109 and incidentally both recipes require basil leaves, so lets hope there's some life in that plant yet!

My vibrant basil plant

Thai-style Chicken with Chillies and Basil (copyright 1999 Promo Group Limited)

Serves 4

450g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1 tbsp groundnut oil (peanut oil)
3 tbsp finely sliced shallots
2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp lime zest
3 large fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely sliced
2 tsp sugar
large handful basil leaves

Stir-fry marinade

Some of the key ingredients

1. Cut the chicken in to 2.5cm chunks and combine it in the bowl with the light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and cornflour. Allow it to marinate for about 20 minutes.
2. Peel the lemongrass to reveal the tender whitish centre and cut into 5cm pieces. Smash with the flat of a knife.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot, then add the groundnut oil. When the oil is hot, add the lemongrass and chicken. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, until the chicken is brown.
4. Pour the contents of the wok into a steel colander and drain. After a minute or so, reheat the wok and return the drained chicken and lemongrass to it

Stir-frying the chicken 

5. Add the rest of the ingredients except the basil and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Sliced chillies.

6. When the chicken is cooked, add the basil leaves and give the mixture a good stir. You can remove the lemongrass stalks before serving.

Finally adding the basil

Very handy for cheating!

Tips: I used Bart's lemongrass as I couldn't get hold of any of the fresh stuff so therefore just let it melt in to the rest of the ingredients. My handful of basil wasn't enough. If you've got a plant like mine, don't skimp! It soon wilts to not very much at all! I also chopped up onion instead of the shallots as I've got a glut of them too.

Cooking up those tasty dishes

I either serve it with homemade egg-fried rice (as pictured) or with sesame noodles (delicious peanut and sesame dressed noodles). If we are feeling extra hungry, I'll stir-fry separately some baby corn, carrots, broccoli and mushrooms.

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding - veggies: swap your stroganoff for this

It's that time of year that when walking the dog you cannot help but notice the proliferation of fungi in the woods and fields and if you know what you are doing you can literally have a field day with some of the wonderful wild varieties growing out there. But, I always err on the side of caution and never pick wild mushrooms for fear of a potential poisoning! Anyway, this recipe uses the good old dried porcini variety and a few shiitake and button mushrooms - all types that are readily available in your supermarket or grocery shop. There is something about the texture and flavour of mushrooms that provide a 'meaty -satisfying' substitution for meat that non-vegetarians will often appreciate.

The recipe for Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding can be found in Susan Spaull's Ideal Home Entertaining (1999) page102  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ideal-Home-Entertaining-Susan-Spaull/dp/075221750X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350386646&sr=8-1. I love this book. I've had it for years and I often turn to it when I want inspiration for a dinner party menu. Some of my favourite recipes are the Sweet Chilli Sea Bass page 96 - an elegant and simple main course; Grilled Goat's Cheese With Gooseberry Chutney page 25 - my favourite starter ever!!! What about the exceedingly tasty Dill Blinis With Mustard Creme Fraiche page39. A nice touch to this book is that many of the recipes come with wine recommendations, so why not try serving a Sancerre with the goat's cheese or an Australian Chardonnay with the sea bass? Surprisingly for me, I've never made any of the puddings or cakes and tarts in this book. That's not to say they don't look very exciting as there are definitely contenders in there waiting to be created! For example the White Chocolate and Mint Cheesecake on page 132 looks incredibly light and refreshing; Strawberry Tiramisu, page 138 is making me yearn for summer likewise the Sanguinello Sorbet page 164. Anyway, enough of my drooling, here's my next recipe:

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding on a bed of wild rocket

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding (copyright 1999 Susan Spaull)

Serves 8 as an accompaniment or starter

15g dried porcini mushrooms
55g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
110g shiitake mushrooms
110g button mushrooms
Butter for greasing
140g slightly stale white bread
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
55g walnuts, chopped
4 medium eggs, beaten
290ml single cream
290ml milk
salt and ground black pepper

Porcini soaking in boiling water

Sweating the veg

Cooking the mushrooms

1. Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour over 100ml of boiling water. Place to one side.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the onion and celery. Place a piece of damp greaseproof paper on the vegetables and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove lid an d paper.
3. Slice the fresh mushrooms then add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until tender, then set aside.
4. Butter a 1 litre flan dish. Discard crusts from the bread, then cut into small cubes. Place in flan dish and sprinkle with the herbs and walnuts.

Cubed bread

Chopped herbs and walnuts

5. Combine the eggs, cream and milk. Remove the porcini from the water and add to the vegetables. Add the procini water to the cream mixture, ensuring you leave any grit in the bowl. Season well.

6. Stir the vegetables in to the bread, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Leave to stand for 30 minutes or cover with cling film and chill for up to 24 hours.

Ready to bake

7. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees centigrade and bake for 30 minutes or until the eggs are set. Brown under the grill for 2 minutes if desired.

Ready to be served as our starter

Noteworthy points: I found it took more like 45 minutes in my oven rather than 30 minutes. Also there seemed to be rather a lot of liquid so I ended up leaving some in the bowl as the flan dish would have overflowed. In terms of serving this as a starter, there was rather a lot! It would certainly make an ideal lunch or after-work supper. The flavours were good and this should satisfy veggies and meat-eaters alike.

In the pipe-line: as promised some more kids' cookery but very soon a tasty Thai chicken stir fry courtesy of the great Ken Hom.

Mini Eve's puddings and blackberry ice cream...seasonal heaven!

These cute little puddings were a must what with the glut of apples and all those lovely free blackberries waiting to be picked from the hedgerows. So, one Tuesday I peddled round the lanes of Norfolk scanning for the juiciest blackberries I could get my hands on, already having in mind a recipe for blackberry ice cream! The apples were picked from the garden so it would be criminal not to include a seasonal recipe making use of them.

A really good combination: mini Eve's pudding with blackberry ice cream

The blackberry ice cream recipe was so simple it was literally a case of quick preparation and then chucking it all in to the ice cream maker. Last year I had made a blackberry custard ice cream which was a creamy concoction of blackberries and yes, you've guessed it custard. But in the spirit of my challenge I thought I better not replicate it and chose a different recipe. So the one I selected was from another book I had not yet had the pleasure of cooking from: Rosemary Moon's Ice cream machine book (1997) Page 36 http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ice-Cream-Machine-Book/dp/1840923172/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349035760&sr=8-2  I bought this book from a charity shop in Rochester, Kent whilst on holiday there ( and certainly didn't pay anywhere near the price a new copy is on this link!) The book is pleasing on the eye with lovely colour photography and doesn't seem that dated despite being first published in 1997. Other recipes that have caught my eye are the mint chocolate chip on page 34, Tangerine Sherbet page 62 and Cafe Con Leche (made using evaporated milk so slightly less fattening) page 90. In fact, there are so many others too, (including a section on tofu ice creams), I feel I'm going to have to try something else soon and post it on here!

The Eve's puddings took a little more thought as I had decided to adapt the recipe from one large pudding to make 4 - 6 smaller versions. I used a recipe from Great British Menu (2006) page 83 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-British-Menu-traditional-recipes/dp/1405316500/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349036914&sr=1-2, some of you may have seen the different series on the BBC featuring a whole host of celebrity chefs pitting their culinary wits against each other. Again, this is another fantastic book and it seems a shame to adapt the Eve's pudding recipe and not showcase something else as well, so I might yet return to this book as I've spied a Sea Bass in coconut milk recipe...

Eve's pudding (copyright 2006 Dorling Kindersley Limited)

Serves 4, you'll need 4 buttered ramekins

6 Bramley's apples, peeled.cored,sliced
100g sultanas (optional)
50g brown sugar
Sponge mix
100g caster sugar
100g margarine
2 large eggs

Deciding on how many ramekins to use,  don't need any more than four

100g self-raising flour

Sliced apples

Mixing up the sponge ingredients

Ensure ramekins are well buttered to assist in easy removal!

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.
2. Place the apples in the buttered ramekins, scatter on sultanas. Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
3. To make the sponge mix, cream together sugar and margarine. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour.
4. Spoon the sponge mix over the fruit. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes until the sponge is golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the blackberry ice cream - see below!

Blackberry ice cream (copyright 1997 Quintet Publishing Limited

450g blackberries
juice of 1 lemon
150g sieved icing sugar, or to taste
3 tbsp blackberry liqueur (optional)

Sieving the blackberries to remove the seeds

300ml double cream

Blackberry puree

1. Blend the blackberries with the lemon juice, then stir in the sugar until dissolved.
2. Sieve the fruit to remove any seeds. Add the blackberry liqueur if using.
3. Stir in the cream and chill for a few hours before churning in your ice cream maker*

Stirring in the cream

Ready to chill for a few hours

Churning in the maker

Ready to be stored in the freezer

*If you haven't got an ice cream maker, there is no reason why you can't make this by hand. It does mean stirring every few hours about three or four times whilst freezing in order to prevent ice crystals forming.

Yum, yum - half way through eating after lunch on Sunday!

This was another winner in our house! It made a change from your bog-standard blackberry and apple crumble and custard. The sponge on the Eve's puddings was light and the apple shone through nicely. The contrast of hot pudding and cold ice cream is always a treat in my eyes too. So give it a go if you've managed to get out there blackberry picking before it's too late!

Next time: I've already made the promised veggie recipe so hopefully I'll get that written up soon. Some kid's cookery is in the pipeline and I'm also in the process of sourcing some important ingredients for some Greek cookery - watch this space...

Quite simply Cheese and Nut Balls!

Cheese and Nut Balls I hear you cry? Don't let the rather inelegant  name for this recipe detract from it's tastiness as either a vegetarian main course or as I've adapted it, as a stylish starter. It comes from a book I've had sitting on my shelf for a number of years that I purchased as part of a whole box of cookery books  at an auction in Aylsham circa 2001! The book, Leith's Vegetarian Cookery (1993) by Prue Leith and Caroline Waldegrave http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leiths-Vegetarian-Cookery-Prue-Leith/dp/0747512337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348310949&sr=8-1(wife of the former Conservative MP William Waldegrave, remember him?), certainly does have a rather dated look to it, well it would if it was published nearly twenty years ago wouldn't it?!

A tasty starter served on a bed of leaves with figs and walnut drizzle dressing

The book, published in 1993

However, once you start reading through it you notice there are some recipes which are definitely worthy of reproduction and many of them seem straightforward and fairly low on the faff factor. I must confess this is another book I've never cooked from before, but after doing said balls I think I will be reaching for it again. The Cauliflower and Stilton Pudding looks rather delicious on page 41 as does the Courgette Souffle page 39. On page 84 the Wild Mushrooms in a Cage looks like an ideal dinner party dish for vegetarian guests and meat eaters alike.


Cheese and Nut Balls (Copyright 1993 by Prue Leith and Caroline Waldegrave)

Serves 6
110g fresh brown breadcrumbs
85g chopped mixed nuts, toasted
1 tbsp chopped mixed herbs e.g. parsley, mint thyme
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
110g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Seasoned flour
oil for frying

1. Mix together all the ingredients except the flour. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients prepared and weighed out

Mixing everything together

2.   Using wet hands shape the mixture into balls the size of a ping pong ball, roll in seasoned flour and deep-fry in oil until brown.

The balls rolled in flour

Deep frying in my wok - I used sunflower oil

I quickly made up a dressing for the leaves with 4tbsp of walnut oil, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and some seasoning. Also, instead of cheddar I used Parmesan which gave it a slightly more grown-up feel and a bit more glamour to serve as a starter.

Walnut drizzle dressing. Just chuck it all together in a jar and shake!

I sliced up a couple of figs and placed them on the plates to complement the walnuts and Parmesan, which I think they did well.

So overall, great as a starter and can be made as a main course - just serve with a nice bottle of light red!

Next time: Another vegetarian recipe that I've got up my sleeve plus more kid's cooking and  then hopefully something with blackberries and apples...

Surprisingly scrumptious custard creams

After doing a mini road trip around the Midlands, North Wales and parts of northern England for our hols and getting settled back in to school, I've finally got back to cooking  and as promised have made some rather lovely custard cream biscuits with the help of my delightful son (well, he was behaving particularly delightful on this occasion anyway!)

This recipe is from Kate Shirazi's Baking Magic (2010) page 198 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baking-Magic-Kate-Shirazi/dp/186205889X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347786492&sr=1-1 which was mentioned in my last post. My sister also happens to own a copy of this book and has enjoyed making a number of the cup cake recipes for various parties and dos. In fact it was tasting some of the Lemonylicious cupcakes on page 32 that inspired me to get my own copy of this book - gorgeous little cakes filled with lemon curd and creme fraiche. Other recipes I have tried are the Chocolate Maltesers cupcakes page 35 (always a winner with the children),  Lemon and almond crumbles page 128 (moreish and irresistible) and the Carrot cupcakes with honey orange cream cheese frosting page 30 (satisfying morsels of subtle carrot and cream cheese).

Homemade custard creams

Custard Creams (Copyright Kate Shirazi, 2010, Susannah Blake 2009)

Makes about 15 -18 biscuits
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
3 tbsp proper custard powder

Weighing out the ingredients

1 tsp baking powder
60g white vegetable fat (eg. Trex)
60g butter 
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp milk

Filling:
50g butter, softened
1 tbsp custard powder
100g icing sugar, sifted

Chopped butter and vegetable fat

Rubbing in the fats

Having fun mixing it all up!

Ready for the oven

Creaming the butter and icing sugar

Sandwiching together the biscuits

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and line a couple of baking sheets.
2. Place the flour, custard powder and baking powder into a large bowl.
3. Chop the butter and vegetable fat in to little pieces and rub in to the mixture until you have a consistency of sand.
4. Add the sugar and milk until well combined.
5. In another bowl, beat eggs and milk together lightly and then pour on to the flour mixture and get your hands in to form it in to a ball.
6. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes or freeze it at this stage to use another day.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until its about 3mm thick. Cut the sheet of dough into long strips about 3cm wide and 4cm in length. Lay on baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Transfer the biscuits to a rack to cool and then make the filling.
9. Cream the butter, custard powder and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, adding a few drops of hot water if the mixture seems stiff and not quite the consistency you would like.
10. Sandwich two biscuits together and try not to eat the whole batch in one afternoon!

Out of the two types of biscuits we made we actually thought these were the best in terms of taste and moreishness! Next time we would try and find a pattern we could imprint on the biscuits to give them that extra flair but overall a recipe that's great to do with the kids.

Next time: I'm going to be scouring the books for something nice and veggie