Chunky Vegetable Soup

Serves 4-6

Prep Time - 15mins

Cooking Time - 30mins

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion (Chopped)

2 Medium Carrots (Peeled and Diced)

2 Medium Parsnips (Peeled and Diced)

2 Small Leeks (Trimmed and Sliced)

50g Red Lentils

400ml Vegetable Stock

100g Green Beans (Trimmed and Cut into short pieces)

1 tbsp Corn Flour

750ml Dariy Free Milk

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, carrots, parsnips and leeks and cook gently for 5minutes.

Add the lentails, stock and simmer for 20 minutes, then add the green beans

Bleand the corn flour with a little of the milk then add to the soup with the remaining milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes

Season to taste and serve with crusty bread

Asparagus Soup

Make the most of the short asparagus season with this simple yet delicious soup

 

Prep Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-30 minutes

 

Ingredients

 

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Onion (Finely Chopped)

400g Asparagus (Finely Chopped)

500ml Hot Chicken Stock

Salt and Pepper

4 tbsp. Double Cream

 

 

Method

 

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and fry for four minutes until softened

Add the asparagus and cook for two minutes

Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to simmer for  5-7 minutes

Add the cream and blend with a hand blender until smooth

 

Reindeer Christmas Cupcakes

These super-cute Christmas Cupcakes are perfect for baking with children.

 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-30minutes

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

125g Butter (Softened)

175g Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

200g Self Raising Flour

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

100ml Milk

100g 70% Cocoa Chocolate (Melted)

 

For the Chocolate Icing

 

50g Dark Chocolate

3 tbsp Double Cream

 

To Decorate

 

Giant Chocolate Buttons

M&M's or Smarties

Mini Pretzels

Black Writing Icing

Mini Marshmallows (Sliced)

 

Method

 

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

Line a 12 Hole Muffin Tray with paper cases

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.

Gradually beat in the eggs until well combined.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined.

Fold in the milk, and melted chocolate.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25minutes, or until well risen and lightly firm to touch.

Remove the cakes from the tin and set aside to cool slightly.

For the icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate has melted.

Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside to cool slightly

To decorate the cupcakes, spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes.

Spoon the remaining icing into a bag fitted with a small nozzle

Press the chocolate button onto the cake as a nose,

Then stick a crisp coated chocolate on top using a little icing.

Stick on two slices of marshmallows as the eyes and use the black icing for the pupils

Stick on the pretzals as the ears.

 

 

Gooey Chocolate Cherry Cookies

If you like American Style Cookies, you'll love these pale, chewy delights, plus they can be baked from frozen.

 

Prep Time: 15minutes

Cook Time: 14minutes

 

Ingredients

 

200g Unsalted Butter (At room temperature)

85g Light Muscovado Sugar

85g Golden Caster Sugar

1 Egg

225g Self Raising Flour

50g Plain Chocolate (50-70% Cocoa Roughly Chopped)

50g White Chocolate  (Roughly Chopped)

85g Natural Colour Glace Cherries (Roughly Chopped)

1/2 tsp Salt

 

Method

 

Heat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C or Gas Mark 5.

Beat the butter, Sugars and Egg until smooth, then mix in the flour, chocolates and cherry pieces and 1/2 tsp salt.

Spoon onto non-stick baking sheets in large rough blobs - you'll get about 20 out of this mix.

Make sure they are well spaced as the cookies grow substantially as they bake.

The raw dough can be frozen at this time if needed.

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until just golden, but still quite pale and soft in the middle.

If baking from frozen, give them a dew more minutes to be able to defrost.

Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then lift them on to racks and leave to completely cool.

 



Snowman Biscuits

Prep Time: 30 minutes to 1 Hour

Cooking Time: 10-30 minutes

Ingredients

 

200g Self Raising Flour

100g Caster Sugar

100g Butter

1 Large Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

 

For Decorations

 

White and Blue Fondant Icing

White and Black Writing Icing

Sprinkles

48 Small Chocolate Balls

 

Method

 

Pre Heat the oven to 180C/350F or Gas Mark 4

Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs

Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix to form a soft dough

Roll out onto a well floured work surface and cut into rounds.

Place on greased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack. When completely cool decorate.

 

Roll out the white fondant icing and cut out circles the same size as the biscuits, brush the backs of the circles with a little cooled boiled water and stick them to the biscuits smoothing down the icing as you stick it on.

Roll out the blue icing and cut out more circles, then cut these in half and using a little more water and stick on top of the white icing for the hats.

Brush the hats with water in places where you want the sprinkles to stick and then sprinkle!!

Pipe decorations on the hat with white writing icing, then pipe a small blob for the hat boble and another for the nose.

Stick on the Chocolate balls, pipe balck eyes and a mouth then leave to set.



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Raspberry & White Chocolate Traybake

The perfect pudding for a lunch party or just a general treat

 

Prep Time: 10minutes

Cook Time: 30minutes

 

Ingredients

 

375g Ready Rolled Shortcrust Pastry

500g Mascarpone

100g Golden Caster Sugar

100g Ground Almonds

2 Large Eggs

250g Fresh Raspberries

100g White Chocolate (Roughly Chopped)

 

Method

 

Heat the oven to 160C/Fan 140/ Gas Mark 4.

Roll out the pastry a little more on a floured surface and use to line a 30 x 20cm tin, or a Swiss roll tin.

Line with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and cook for 10 minutes. Take out the beans and paper, then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Whisk together the mascarpone, sugar, almonds and the eggs until well blended.

Fold in the raspberries and chocolate, then pour into the tin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until just set and lightly golden.

Turn off the oven, open the door and leave the tray to cool gradually.

For the best results, chill for at least 1 hour before slicing.

 

 

 

Christmas Cake with Pecan Marzipan and Brandy Butter Icing

Try something different this year with this rich fruit cake recipe topped with homemade pecan marzipan.

 

 

Prep Time: 30minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours +

 

Ingredients

 

For the Cake

 

80g Golden Syrup

80g Black Treacle

50g Honey

250g Dark Brown Sugar

200ml Double Cream

15g Mixed Spice

250g Unsalted Butter

1 tsp Orange Extract

1 tsp Lemon Extract

6 Medium Eggs

350g Currents

350g Raisins

350g Chopped Pitted Prunes

350g Glace Cherries

500g White Flour

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Brandy, Whisk or Orange Juice (for feeding the cake)

2 tbsp Apricot Jam (Boiled and Sieved)

 

For the Pecan Marzipan

 

200g Finely Ground Pecans

100g Icing Sugar

125g Soft Brown Sugar

3 Egg Yolks

2 tsp Liquid Glucose

1 tbsp Honey

1 tsp Glycine

1-2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

For the Brandy Butter Frosting

 

300g Icing Sugar

50g Butter

25ml Double Cream

25ml Brandy

 

Method

 

Preheat the oven to 170C/335F or Gas Mark 3 and line a 25cm/10in round deep cake tin with non-stick paper

Place the syrup, treacle, honey, sugar, cream and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Pour the mixture in to a large mixing bowl, add the butter in pieces and stir until melted, then add the orange and lemon extract.

Beat in the eggs until smooth, then stir in the fruit. Mix the flour and soda together, then stir this through evenly.

Spoon into the tin and bake for about 2-2 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then carefully remove from the tin.

When cold, spoon the top liberally with brandy, whisky or boiled orange juice, wrap well and leave in a cool, dark place for 3-4 days before icing. The cake will keep for up to 3 months and should be fed every 4-5 days.

For the pecan marzipan, combine the ground pecans and icing sugar in a bowl and mix together.

In a saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, egg yolks, glucose, honey, glycine, cinnamon and vanilla and then cook over a low heat whisking constantly until pale, light and piping hot.

Pour this over the pecan mixture and stir well to make a smooth paste.

Leave to cool, then wrap in cling film.

To cover the cake in marzipan, first lightly knead the marzipan so it's smooth then roll it out on a worktop dusted with icing sugar.

Roll the marzipan in to a disc about 1cm thick and 1-2cm wider than the diameter of your cake.

Brush the top of the cake with the sieved jam then leave for a few minutes for it to set. Turn the cake upside down on to the marzipan and wiggle it gently so the tip is stuck firmly.

Trim any excess marzipan leaving a 2 cm border.

Using a knife, gently press up into the gap caused by the curve of the cake, then scrape it up smoothly so it is level with the side of the cake.

Carefully turn the cake the right way up and you should be left with a perfectly flat top surface and straight sides.

Wrap the cake in cling film and leave to dry for 4-5days.

For the brandy butter icing, measure the icing sugar into a bowl, then melt the butter for a few seconds in the microwave.

Pour the melted butter with the cream and brandy into the sugar and mix until smooth.

Spread the icing onto the top of the cake and make small peaks using a knife. Set aside for a few hours or until the icing has set.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

 

 

Apple & Walnut Cake with Treacle Icing

This is an all in one easy cake and is perfect if you've got friends coming for coffee or afternoon tea

 

Prep Time - 20minutes

Cooking Time - 45minutes

 

 

Ingredients

 

300g Plain Flour

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

140g Dark Brown Soft Sugar

50g Golden Caster Sugar

250ml Rapeseed or Sunflower Oil

4 Eggs

3 Unpeeled Apples (Coarsley Grated)

100g Walnuts (Roughly Chopped)

 

For the Icing

 

100g Butter (Softened)

50g Dark Soft Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Black Treacle

200g Tub Full Fat Soft Cheese

 

Method

 

Heat the oven to 150C/130C Fan or Gas Mark 2. Line two 20cm Cake Tins.

Put the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a bog bowl, then stir in the sugars, making sure there are no lumps or sugar.

Add the oil, eggs and apples, and beat everything together.

Fold in the walnuts then divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

 

For the icing, beat all the ingredients together then chill until the mixture is thick but spreadable.

Spread half the icing on top of one of the cakes, sandwich together with the other and spread the remaining icing on top