Chicken and mushroom pie

This pie is a classic winter warmer, good old comfort food made even more delicious with lashings of gravy.

I kept mine really simple with just mushrooms added, but you could add sweetcorn, peas or even all three if you feel like it.

For the lid i went with my short crust pastry but you could swap for puff pastry or even hot water crust pasties.

The amount below will serve 4-6 people easily.. I served mine with garlic butter runner beans & grddled asparagus

For the short crust pastry lid you will need

275g plain flour

1 medium egg

2 tbsp cold water

135g cold cubed unsalted butter

A good pinch of salt

For the filling:

1kg chicken thighs off the bone & cut into small chunks

2 medium onions choppec

300g mushrooms sliced- I used a mix of button & chesnut

2tsp garlic granules

A few sprigs of thyme

1 chicken/vegetable stock cube

2 tbsps plain flour

A good pinch cracked black pepper

• Start by making your pastry.  Place the flour and salt in a bowl and mix together. Add in the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour until you get a  breadcrumb consistency. 
• Make a well in the centre and add the egg along with the water. 
• Incorporate the mixture together using your hand, if you find it's a little sticky, add in 1 tbsp flour, if it's too dry, another tbsp of water 
• When the dough clumps all  together, form into a ball, slightly flatten and cover with clingfilm - leave in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes 
• Make  start on the filling. In a pan, cook the onions on a high heatuntil soft and just beginning to brown - you don't have to cook them until they are completely golden.
• Lower the heat slightly and add in the garlic granules, cook the granules for a couple of minutes
• Add in the chicken, cook until the chicken is white all over- there should be no pinkness and any water released has completely evaporated.
• Break up the stock cube, add this to the chicken along with the black pepper, mushrooms and tyme leaves.
• The mushrooms will slowly reduce in size and the chicken will begin to slightyly break up, at this point, sprinkle in the plain flour, add a splash of water and stir through. 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat till the mixture has slightly thickened - the water should reduce leaving a gravy like texture from the addition of the flour. Take a peice of  chicken and check it is completley cooked. Take the filling off the heat and leave to completely cool
• Take your cooled filling, pour into an ovenproof dish and set aside.
• Preheat your oven 200c fan. . Lightly flour your work surface and  roll out the chilled pastry to about an inch thick.
• Carefully take the rolled out pastry, place it over the cooled filling. Cutting off any excess then tucking the edges in
• Use a knife to make a few small holes in the lid - this helps the steam escape. Brush the lid all over with egg wash.
• Bake for 25

Jam roly poly

This dessert is a proper old school classic & it's the perfect dessert not only at this time of year when it's cold and grey, but also when you want something that's easy to make up & you don't need to wait for it to cool - piping hot staright out the oven with lashings of custard - perfect

I also love the fact that you can pretty much use whatever jam takes your fancy- raspberry, strawberry, apricot or even cherry. I have have even once used chocolate spread with orange zest for the filling  .. No surprise it was a hit with the kids

To make my jam roly poly you will need:

250g self raising flour

50g unsalted butter - plus a little extra for greasing

50g vegetable suet

145-150 ml milk

150g jam 

• Preheat your oven to 160c fan. 
• Place a large sheet of foil on your work surface, then a peice of greaseproof paper the same size. Lightly grease the greaseproof paper with butter all over.    
• Place your flour, butter and suet into a bowl and rub together until you get a breadcrumb like mixture. 
• Slowly add in the milk and mix together and mix together  to form a soft dough. 
• Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out to a square measuring about 25x25cm Spread the jam all over the square leaving a 1 inch border all around the edge
• With the longest side facing you, tightly roll the sqaure up into swiss roll. Cut off 1cm of pastry off either ends.Place the rolled up pastry onto the greaseproof paper, and roll it up encasing it in the paper and foil loosely- the roly poly will expand as it cooks which is the reason for rolling loosley
• Twist the ends tightly, like the ends of a cracker. Place onto a baking tray and bake for an hour.Remove from the oven and leave to stand just for a couple of minutes just to let any excess steam escape, serve whilst still hot with custard 

ginger & salted carmel cake

This is a cake that is guaranteed to make an appearance towards the end of the year since it has such Christmassy flavours.. The warming spike of ground ginger, with crystallized and stem ginger balamced with the sweetness of ginger syrup & delicious Salted caramel is the perfect flavour combination especially at Christmas time


To make a 9 inch square cake you will need

12 oz butter
12 oz soft light brown sugar
12 oz self rasing flour
6 eggs
1 heaped tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp crystallized ginger
1 small jar of stem ginger chopped up

For the syrup 

Syrup from the jar of stem ginger
2 tbsps golden syrup
2 tbsps of Salted caramel
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp hot boiled water

Salted caramel to finish


• Preheat your oven to 160c fan

• Grease and line a square 9 inch tin, set aside

• In a freestanding mixer,  beat the sugar and butter till light and fluffy

• Add in the flour eggs and ground ginger, mix together until combined well - but dont over mix it

• Fold in the stem and crystallized ginger. Pour into the tin and bake for 45 -50 mins or until the edges of the cake slightly come away from the tin and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake and set aside

• Make up the syrup by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl - I just used my cereal bowl

• Use a tooth pick to make tiny holes all over the top of the cake and slowly pour or brush the syrup all over the top whilst the cake is still warm and in the tin.

• Leave the cake to completely cool otherwise it will fall apart - just before serving drizzle a load of salted caramel all over the top of the cake

Salted caramel sauce

Now if you've never tried salted caramel you have no idea what you are missing out on .. and if you don't like it .. how are we even really friends ?!

For me its the perfect balance of sheer sweet indulgence with an edge of savouriness from the addition of sea salt.. SO delicious i could just eat it with a spoon


To make a batch of my salted caramel you will need

300g caster sugar
80ml water
300ml double cream
1/2 - 1 tsp sea salt
60g unsalted butter at room temperature

• Place the sugar and water in a pan.

• Leave on a medium heat for the sugar to melt - DO NOT STIR as this will cause the sugar to crystallize

• Use a wet pastry brush to brush any sugar crystals around the side of the pan.

• Add the vanilla extract to the cream and set aside.

• When the sugar begins to turn a pale straw colour, this is when you need to carefully swirl your pan in smooth clockwise motions

• You need to look for the sugar to turn to a nice deep amber - the colour of golden syrup

• Remove from the heat immediately and carefully but quickly pour in the cream whisking at the same time. You might find some hardened caramel stuck to the bottom of your whisk but dont worry about that.

• Keep stirring until all the cream has been incorporated and you should have your caramel. Whisk in the butter, then sir in the salt. Pour the caramel into sterilised jars, leave to cool & refrigerate.. it will thicken as it sets in the fridge.

• Use as desired - within a month

Lemon curd

Quite simply this is a simple super easy method for making your own lemon curd. It really is so simple and absolutely delicious, you wont want to buy it again.

I made it and gifted it to 2 friends for christmas in cute little jars, and I think it will definitely make regular appearances at Christmas now that I know how delicious it actually is


To make my version of lemon curd you will need:

250ml fresh lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
170g cubed butter at room temperature
6 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
4 level tbsp cornflour
200g caster sugar

• Start by mixing the cornflour and sugar together
• Add in the lemon juice & zest, stir well together
• Crack in all the eggs and the separated yolks
• Place over a ban marie on a low heat, and keep gently                whisking till its thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
• Remove  from the heat and stir in the butter until                        incorporated well.
• Pour into sterilised jars, refrigerate once cool, will keep for      upto a month

lemon meringue pie

Anyone that knows me well will tell you I am a sucker for meringue based desserts, especially when it's paired with sharp citrus flavours.. and my absolute favourite has to be the classic lemon meringue topped with fluffy swiss meringue that's lightly torched giving it a slight crisp finish.

Making my own lemon meringue pie has been on my baking bucket list for such a long while, and since I made some Lemon curd to gift at Christmas this year, it was the perfect chance to make one whilst I actually had every ingredient at hand.

To make a 9 inch round pie you will need

1 batch of my Sweet short crust pastry

Lemon curd*

For the swiss meringue topping:

300g caster sugar

6 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

• Preheat your oven to 180c ( fan)

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 1/2       an inch thick

• Line a 9"/23cm loose bottom tart tin with the pastry, and place in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes

• Line the pastry case with baking paper, and fill with baking    beans/ dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the        oven, remove the paper and beans.

• Place back in the oven for about 5- 8 minutes or until the          case is lightly golden all over. Remove from the oven and set    aside

• To make the swiss meringue topping, place all the            ingredients in a bowl, and place the bowl over a ban marie      ( a bowl of simmering water)  and stir together until the sugar has completely melted, and the temperature reaches 71c.

• Remove from the heat and with an electric whisk or free standing mixer, whisk the egg whites until thick and fluffy, they should hold their shape and form stiff peaks.

• Pour the lemon curd into the cooled pastry case* making sure it's level and smooth.

• Spread the swiss meringue all over the top of the curd, ensuring it is all covered, use the back of a spoon to make peaks all over.

• Use a blowtorch to lighlty torch the meringue all over, alternativley, place under your grill - but stay close as it will brown quite quickly.

• Carefully remove from the tart tin and serve.

* For the lemon curd i used my home made curd, but you can always use shop bought, i filled the tart with the curd almost to the top of the case- i left about 1/2 gap for the merigue topping

To make mini lemon pies, cut out 12 circles using a cookie cutter just slightly larger than the holes .. line each hole with with a pastry circle,  add 2 tsp of curd into each case .. pop in the fridge for 15 mins 

Bake for 8-10 mins until the pastry is lightly golden. Leave to completely cool before finishing off with the meringue topping 

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is probably the most asked for dish amongst my friends and even a few family members. It is a curry classic, and an ultimate crowd pleaser with the combination of richness & subtle heat.

I have lost count the amount of times I've made it, and completely forgotten to note the steps down and end up mentally kicking myself because I know as soon as i mention it to anyone there will be that 1 person that wants the recipe.

FINALLY I remebered to write it all down so here you have it... There are so many recipes out there, anyone that's ever made a tikka has their own spin on it and mine obviously has my own little twists for example mine isn't the traditional bright red colour you'd get if you were to order it from a takeaway but it doesn't affect the overall flavour of the dish at all

I've used low fat ingredients for anyone that's a bit concious of overdosing in full fatness.. but if you're  treating yourself or just dont mind a few extra calories then just do the whole hog and use full fat stuff

To serve 4-6 people you will need

1kg boneless chicken thigh meat
4 meduim onions chopped
3 tsp garlic puree
3 tsp ginger puree
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 green chillies
1 tsp hot curry powder/ 1 1/2 medium curry powder
2 tins chopped tomato
200ml single cream/ double cream
150ml creme fraiche
50 ml fat free yoghurt/ full fat yoghurt
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tsp cumin seeds
Red food coloring ( optional )


Marinade for the chicken:
7-8 tbsp tandoori masala
2 tbsp tomato puree
4-6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp fat free yoghurt/ full fat yoghurt


• Start by putting all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, stir together till its all combined well. Add in all the chicken and again mix everything together until all the chicken peices are fully coated. Set aside to marinate*

•  In a heavy based pan, on a medium heat saute your onions, garlic and ginger in a little oil until soft and beginning to turn a dark golden colour. Add in the salt, cumin seeds and green chillies. Cook until the chillies begin to slightly soften

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) and cook the marinated chicken for 35-40 mins or until cooked through and the outside of the chicken just begins to crisp up - I let mine char very slightly. Once cooked,  set aside.

• Add in the curry powder, tomato puree, sugar and tinned tomatoes to the cooked onion base, simmer on a medium heat to cook the curry powder through, then using a hand blender,  blend the mixture to a smooth sauce.**

• Once you have a smooth sauce, add in the cream, creme fraiche, yogurt and red food colouring*** if using. Stir everything through.

• Add in the chicken, stir through then leave to simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the curry sauce is to your desired thickness. Serve with rice or naan







* For marinating, I marinate my chicken the night before. If you're in abit of a rush then marinate at least  for an hour before you start on the curry sauce

** If  you dont have a hand blender  you could use a masher or even a freestanding blender - i have used my nutri ninja blender in the past 

*** For the red food colouring you can add as little or as much as you like. I personally havent used it yet but it really wont affect the dishes flavour without it 

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Following on from my Mince meat recipe, here is my recipe for my quick, easy but delicious mince pies ..

The amount for the pastry will make a batch of 12, so of you're wanting to make more just double up on the pastry ingredients.

With the mincemeat you'll have plenty left over from just 12 pies but you can always store any left over in the fridge

 For the pastry bases you will need 1 batch of my Sweet short crust pastry and a batch of my mince meat


• Start by lightly flouring your work surface, roll out the pastry to about the thickness of a £1 coin

• Using a pastry cutter slightly bigger than the holes in the cupcake tin, cut ot 12 rounds. Gently press each round into the tin holes

• Fill each case with 1 - 1 1/2 tsp with the mincemeat

• Use any left over pastry to either cut out shapes and place them on top of each pie, or make cut out lids to place on top.

• If you top your mince pies with lids, brush the edges with a little water and seal together  by pressing together  with a fork and poke a small hole in the top to help the steam escape.

• Brush the lids/shapes with a little egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 200c/180c fan for 18- 20 minutes or until golden brown

• Leave to cool slightly  before transferring to a wire rack to cool, and and lightly dust with icing sugar before serving

Thanks Sharon

Now i know i don't celebrate christmas but it doesnt mean i can't indulge in all the foods that are a classic and guaranteed to make an appearance at this time of year.

Growing up I always thought that mince pies had actual mince in them - please tell me i am not alone in this - and because we never ate them at home or knew anyone in my family or friends that liked them, i never bothered to investigate what they actually were.


Fast forward to the first time trying  mince pie in school after discovering the actual contents, I found that i didn't like them at all. Every year since then I've tried to force myself into liking them and it just made me dislike them more ever time.

Thank the lord for my amazing friend Sharon who brought her home made mince pies to work last year, i geared myself up to try one since she promised they tasted nothing like shop bought ones, and boy was I amazed at how delicious they were.

So from trying a home made one I knew i had to make my own version. I wasted no time whatsoever and found myself indulging in making as many mince pies as possible and handing them out left right and centre.

So to make my home made mincemeat for mince pies you will need:

170g currants,
          raisins
          sultanas
          dried cranberries
100g mixed peel
1 small cooking apple, peeled and chopped
100g butter
25g vegetable suet
115g soft light brown muscavado sugar
95g soft dark brown muscavado sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice

          ground Nutmeg
100ml orange juice

             apple juice
Zest of 1 lemon

• Start by placing all the dried fruit into a bowl along with the cinnamon, mixed spice and both fruit juices. Stir till well incorprated and leave to soak over night - i normally mix mine up early evening and leave till the next evening before cooking

• When ready to cook, take your soaked fruit along with the rest of the ingredients into a heavy based pan, and on a medium heat stir everything together until the butter and sugar completely melt

• Bring the mixture to boiling point on a high heat, then lower the heat completely and leave to simmer until the mixture has thickened slighty, and the fruit juices have reduced.

• Leave to completley cool, and use to make up mince pies using a batch of my Sweet short crust pastry You'll need about 250g of mince meat to make 12 mince pies.

Store any left over mince meat in sterilised jars and keep in the fridge for up to 6 months

Chicken tonight

For a quick but taste bud satisfying mid week meal, this chow mein is a winner. It's slighty sweet, with a hint of spice and a delicious crunch of the mixed vegetables and a hit of protein with the chicken.


The best thing about this is you can swap the veg elements around, for example I've often added in some sugar snap peas, sliced tenderstem broccoli or even baby corn on the cob. If your a vegetarian or vegan, just bulk up on the veg


This will serve 4-6 people easily, you'll need the following

1kg chicken thighs - off the bone sliced up
4 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 cloves garlic crushed
2cm peice ginger crushed
4 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsp siracha sauce
2 meduim onions sliced
800g cooked egg noodles
600g mixed stir fry vegetables
50g salted peanuts roughly chopped
Lime wedges to serve

• Put the chicken in a bowl along with the honey, mustard, soy sauce, siracha sauce, garlic, ginger and salt. Set aside to marinate.
• Place a non stick pan on to a high heat, add a little oil, and when its fairly hot add in the onions.
• When they are golden brown and crisp, add in the chicken with all the marinade and cook through fully through
• When the chicken is fully cooked, add in all your veg, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 5-8 minutes - the vegetables should still have a slight bite. 
• Add in the noodles, stir through ensuring everything is incorporated  evenly, and the noodles have heated through.
• Take off the heat, sprinkle the peanuts and serve - serve with prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce along with the lime wedges

Pan fried tandoori cod fillet

This is another one of those recipes that I've made with  a few shortcuts, but is still packed full of flavour whilst being super quick to prepare.

Lightly pan fried fish coated in tandoori masala for a bit of a spicy hit, paired with griddled asparagus, steamed baby potatoes and a side of Mexican rice.

For a bit of a treat, you could always swap the steamed potatoes for chunky chips and leave out the asparagus & potatoes.

To serve 4 people you will need

4 peices of cod*  fillet

6 tbsp tandoori masala

5 tbsp plain flour 

3 x packs of Uncle Ben's spicy Mexican rice
20 asparagus spears ( 4-6 per person )
700g herb baby potatoes**


• Preheat your oven to 100c, ( fan ) in a large flat plate, mix your plain flour & tandoori masala together. 

• Line a large baking tray/dish with greaseproof paper and set aside.

• Set your frying pan on a medium heat, add enough oil to just cover the base of the pan.

• Whilst the oil is heating up, dip each fillet of fish into the flour mix ensuring each peice is thoroughly coated.

• Place 2 pieces of fillet into the frying pan at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, and transfer to the lined tray once cooked.

• Put the cooked fillets into the oven - this is to keep them warm just while you make up the side accompaniments 

• Cook the rice and potatoes as instructed on the packaging. For the asparagus, add a drizzle of olive oil to a griddle /frying pan, add in the asparagus and cook on a high heat until they are slightly charred but still have a bit of a bite. Season with sea salt & black pepper 

• Serve the fish with the accompaniments straight away once cooked

* for the fish i often swap it around. I use cod, haddock and basa 

** I love the prepacked butter and herb potatoes thar are microwaveable- so quick and easy but just as delicious 

Lamb & cauliflower curry

It's been a while since I posted a curry recipe, purely because I try and be varied and adventurous with our family meals as possible so curries don't make as much of an appearance during the week.

I try and keep the weekends for curries as i can make them last to see us through the weekend, and don't have to rush around trying to get it all cooked at a decent time for dinner on a school night.

So this weekend I made lamb & cauliflower curry & served it with chappatis. I have to be careful when it comes to red meat as my poor husband suffers with gout if he eats it too much, so this was a real treat as I've not cooked a red meat based curry in about 6 months.

So to serve 4-6 people you will need:

3 large onions chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
3 green chilies
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic crushed
Thumb size peice grated ginger
Tin of tomatoes
3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp garam masala
1kg lamb on the bone
1 1/2 kg cauliflower chopped ( i used frozen)

• Add all the ingredients except the cauliflower, fenugreek leaves & garam masala to a heavy based pan

• Pour in enough water to just cover the meat. Pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 45 minutes or until about 3/4 of the water has absorbed.

• Turn up the heat to high and cook ( stirring intermittently) until all the moisture has evaporated. Add in the fenugreek leaves & garam masala & stir through.. continue to cook on a high heat until the lamb is just beginning to tenderise.

• Add in the cauliflower, pop the lid back on and leave to steam on a low heat to soften the cauliflower

• Turn the heat back up and cook the lamb & cauliflower on a high heat until all the moisture has completely evaporated, the oil should begin to separate.

• The cauliflower should begin to break down and the lamb should be fully cooked & tender - this is what is referred to bhun the dish - cooking rapidly on a high heat whilst intermittently stirring

• Take a piece of the lamb and a little of the cauliflower to check the tenderness of them both.. once the cauliflower is soft with a very slight bite & the lamb is tender the dish is ready.

• Just before serving, garnish with fresh coriander & serve alongside chappatis

Vegetable chow mein

This is a firm favourite in our house - even with both my children as they love the slightly chilli but sticky & sweet combination, and the smokiness from the siracha sauce added to it.

The chow mein will easily serve a family of 4. You will need

1 medium onion chopped

4 tbsp runny honey

4 tbsp wholegrain mustard

4-5 cloves of garlic crushed/ 1 tbsp garlic granules

5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp siracha sauce

650g stir fry vegetables

800g egg noodles

6 baby corn on the cob- sliced in half

80g sugar snap peas - snap in half

2 tbsp sesame seeds

• Place a large pan or wok with a little oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic granules, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chopped onion & salt.

• Cook the onions till soft and a light golden colour, add in the honey, mustard, soy sauce & siracha sauce, stir together and cook for another 2 minutes

• Add in the baby corn and the sugar snap peas, cook them on a high heat till they are just soft but still have a bit of a bite.

• Add in all the rest of the stir fry veg, and continue to cook on a high heat - you want them to retain a a slight crunch and the high heat helps not only to cook quickly but to keep the crispness 

• Add in the noodles, stir them through so all the vegetables are distributed evenly, and the marinade coats everything

• Sprinkle on the seasame seeds just before serving - serve with a side of prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce .. along with extra siracha sauce if any one likes a bit of extra spice & heat 

Guacamole

This is a really quick and easy recipe for guacamole as a friend's daughter asked me to post it.

For my version of guacamole, I  dont really measure the ingredients, i eyeball it as I go but the amounts listed below should be about right as I've gotten the hang of measuring small amounts by eye

For my guacamole you will need

1 small red onion
1 red chilli ( de seeded if you're not keen on spice)
3 ripe avacados
Small handful chopped coriander
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cherry tomatoes

• Peel and chop your onion into small chunks, pop into a bowl

• Cut the chilli in  half width ways ( deseed if you wish ) chop      up one half and add to the onion, slice the remaining half          and set aside

• Chop the corinader, and add this to the onions along with         the lime zest

• Destone the avacadoes, scoop out all the flesh and roughly chop it, add to the bowl and squeeze over the juice of the limes. You can have the avacadoes in mostly chunks and slighty smooth or completly mash it up with a fork if you prefer it smooth

• Add a drizzle of olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Check the seasoning and adjust if need be with more salt and pepper or lime juice. 

• Chop the tomatoes into  chunks, stir through the guacamole, garnish with a little more fresh coriander and finish with a little drizzle of olive oil just before serving

Tear and share garlic bread

Garlic butter has to be one of my all time favourite paring when it comes to combinations of seasonings & flavours, especially when its the form of some type of garlic bread.

Whilst doing the weekly shop last week, I forgot to pick up a tear and share garlic bread at the request of the husband and kids to go with our friday night veg lasagne for dinner, so it was the perfect excuse to make my own. The aroma in the kitchen was just delicious and as soon as I served it, it was gone in seconds.

The recipe below made up 10 dough balls, presented as a tear and share ring, and the dough balls were quite generous size wise so i would actually divide the dough into 12 pieces the next time i make it. I've adjusted the recipe stating 12 but you could stick to 10 if you wish to

To make a 12 ball tear and share ring you will need

For the dough

400g bread flour
1tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp of mixed italian herbs
270 ml water
2 tbsp olive oil

For the garlic butter

3tsp garlic granules
110g salted butter
2 tsp dried parsley
2tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp grated parmesan/vegetarian hard cheese

• Start by placing the flour in a bowl, along with the salt & yeast at opposite sides of each other, then the oil, garlic granules, dried herbs in the middle of the bowl.

• Slowly add the water to the bowl, and mix everything together to form a soft, slightly sticky - but not wet- dough.

• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth & elastic - this can take between 8-10 minutes. You can knead it in a free standing mixer with the dough hook attachment if you prefer, it will also be much quicker.

• Place the dough into a lighlty oiled bowl and leave to prove until doubled in size.

• Whilst the dough is proving make the garlic butter by mixing all the ingredients togther then melting for a few seconds in the microwave

• Once the dough is ready, take an 9 inch round tin, and brush some of the melted butter all over the inside of the tin

• Divide the dough into 12 equal peices, form them into 12 balls, and place in the buttered tin. Leave to prove till doubled in size.

• Brush the top of the bread, once its doubled in size, with some of the garlic butter and bake for 20 mins at 180c

• Brush the top of the bread again generously with the garlic butter, sprinkle on the parmesan & place back in the oven for another 10 -12 minutes until golden brown. Give it a final brushing of butter once more when out of the oven just before serving.

Toad in the hole

When it's been a cold, wet, windy typically British winter day and evening and all you want is some comfort food to warm your insides up, toad in the hole is definitely one of my all time favourites to  make.

It's  so simple, but so so delicious, and an added bonus is that it all cooks in one pan  which means less to wash up - win win

I served it with my red onion gravy and some buttery mash- and it definitely hot the spot.

To serve 4 people you will need :
8 sausages ( i used shezan halal lamb ones )
30g butter
50ml oil
125g plain flour
A good pinch of salt and pepper
2 large eggs
80ml milk
40 ml cold water

• Start by preheating your oven to 210c ( fan)

• Put  the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into the well

• Whisk the eggs with the flour to form a thick batter. Slowly add in the milk & continue to whisk and you should have a smooth pourable batter. Place in the fridge to rest

• Place the sausages along with the butter and oil into a roasting dish - mine was about 25x30cm , cook for about 15 minutes till just cooked.

• Take the batter out of the fridge, pour in the cold water, and whisk together.

• Remove the sausages from the oven & pour in all the batter quickly but carefully

• Place back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the yorkshire pudding is crisp and golden, and serve

Red onion gravy

Home made gravy ... not as much as a faff as some might think, I made this due to not having any gravy granules at home, as I knew there was no way we could have toad in the hole for dinner and no gravy- that would have been a cardinal sin

It was definitely one of those 'chuck it in and lets see' moments, but when the husband and both kids declared ' right no more bisto for us' I knew it was worth the last minute throw together



For my red onion gravy you will need

1 large red onion sliced
A knob of butter
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Good pinch black pepper
1 vegetable stock cube
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp garlic granules
2 level tbsp plain flour
A tbsp Worcester /brown sauce
400ml water

• In a heavy based pan, put your onions in along with the oil and saute them until they are soft and begining to caramelise
• Add in the butter, pepper, onion salt, garlic granules and cook through for a couple of minutes 
• Crumble in the stock cube, and sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook together for another couple of minutes - the flour will clump the onions together- this is fine as it will become smooth as you add in the liquid.
• Slowly add in the flour a little at a time, whisking as you go, keep whisking till all the flour has incorporated into the liquid and there are no lumps.
• Bring the gravy to boiling point, then lower the heat and leave to simmer until the gravy is at your preffered thickness. At this point you can blend the gravy for a smooth gravy or leave the onions in as they are.
• Taste the gravy at this point, adjust if need be and serve.. I served it with my Toad in the hole for our sunday dinner and it went down a treat

Cheese and Marmite scones

When it comes to Marmite, Im a rather late comer to the party, I only dared try it a couple of months ago for brekfast on my toast and I was instantly converted, and left wondering what took me so long to actually try the stuff.


This now meant that I began wondering instantly what else I could use it for, I began trawling through pinterest for ideas. The first thing that caught my eye was a recipe for cheese scones with marmite added into the dough along with a drizzle on top once baked, so cheese and marmite scones it was.

I didn't even need to go out and buy any of the ingredients, luckily i had just about enough to make one batch and so I did and they did not disappoint


To make 12-14 scones you will need

250g plain flour
250g strong bread flour
5 tsp baking powder
100g grated cheese
2 tsp marmite
1 medium egg whisked
80g butter
250ml milk
3tsp marmite to drizzle (optional)

• Preheat your oven to 180c (fan) Place both flours and the baking powder into a bowl and mix together. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour to make a breadcrumb like consistency.
• Add in the cheese, stir through. Then add in the marmite to the whisked egg and add this to the bow, of flour, along with the milk, a little at a time, mix together to form a soft , slightly sticky dough. You may not need all the milk 
• Flour your work surface and turn out the dough onto your work surface. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes till soft. Flatten the dough out using your hands to 1 - 1 1/2 inch thick.
• Use the fluted edge of a round cookie cutter to cut out the scones, place the cut out rounds onto a baking tray and brush the tops with beaten egg. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
• Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until double in size and golden on top
• Melt the 3 tsp of marmite for a few seconds in your microwave then liberally drizzle all over the tops of the still hot scones and tuck in. You can also eat them the next day toasted, with butter for brakfast

Luscious lemon drizzle

My luscious lemon drizzle is really one of my easiest cakes to make, yet its just as delicious. The sponge itself is light and fluffy, amd made even lighter with the optinal addition of buttermilk.

I decided to add in buttermilk on this occasion to  coincide with dairy week on GBBO. You can leave it out if you wish to as it will still be just as delicious.

 To make an 8 inch round of my luscious lemon drizzle you will need

8 inch round cake tin

225g self raising flour

225g caster sugar

225g margarine - at room temp 

5 meduim eggs - at room temp

Zest of 2 lemons 

50ml buttermilk ( optional)

For the drizzle

Juice of 2 lemons

100g caster sugar

For the drip icing 

200g icing sugar

4-5 tbsp water

Zest of 1 lemon

• Preheat your oven to 160c (fan assisted) lightly grease and line your tin and set aside.
• Cream your sugar and margarine,using an electric whisk or in your free standing mixer, until pale and fluffy
• Add in one egg at a time ensuring each egg is fully combined.
• Fold in the flour, buttermilk and zest with a spatula or metal spoon
• Pour the prepared batter into the tin, bake for 40-45 mimutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, set the cake aside still in its tin.
• To make the drizzle , put the lemon juice and caster sugar into a saucepan and heat very gently and stir together until the sugar melts - and remove from the heat immediately. You don't need to boil it at all, just warm enough so the sugar melts
• Take a tooth pick anc poke holes all over the top of the still warm cake, then pour the dizzle all over the top so the drizzle seeps into the cake - I used a small jug to make the pouring easier. Leave the cake in the tin to completley cool, as it will most likely fall apart if you try to remove it at this point
• Once the sponge has completely cooled, place onto your choice of serving plate.
• Make the topping by adding the water a little at a time to the icing sugar, mixing together to form a semi thick paste - you want it to be spreadable without being runny.
• Spread the preapared icing straight on to the top of the cake with a palette knife or butter knife. If you want to have it drip over the edge, spread the icing all the way to the edge and give it a gentle push so it falls down the sides of the cake. Finish off with a sprinkling of lemon zest and serve 

Bread week

It's bread week on bake off which for me means having a go at something bread related or even making something from the episode itself as bread and I started off as definite frenemies when I first dived into the world of bread. 

Slowly over the past year or so I have gotten much more confident and relaxed thankfully, and am not filled with sheer dread at just the thought of bread. With that in mind i decided rather last minute, to recreate Michael Chakraverty's Keralan star bread. 

Because the decison was so last minute, at 8.30pm i had to improvise a little and make do with  what i had in the cupboards for the fillimg and I'm super pleased to say it was a hit.

My filling ended up consisting of caramelised red onions with roasted red peppers & a little bit of heat with the additon of chilli flakes & cayenne pepper

To make my tear and sheare star bread you will need:

For the dough

500g strong bread flour

3tsp dry active yeast

2 tsp salt

2 tsp paprika

300ml room temp water 

3tbsp olive oil

For the filling 

2 meduim red onions - chopped

280g roasted peppers - chopped (jarred in olive oil)

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

1/2tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt

To garnish

2 tsp nigella seeds 

• Start by making the filling. Take the oil from the jar of roasted peppers & add to your frying pan. Add to the oil, cook them on a medium heat until soft & beginning to caramelised.
• When the onions are almost cooked, add in the the rest of the ingredients and cook the spices for a couple of minutes on a low heat- This will stop the spices from burning. Once cooked, set aside and leave to cool 
• Whilst the filling cools, prepare the dough. Place the flour in a bowl, add in the paprika and stir through ensuring its mixed in well with tne flour.
• Add the yeast to one side, salt to the other, and olive oil into the middle.
• Slowly pour in the water, mixing the flour to form a soft dough.
• Drizzle a little olive oil onto your work surface, and then knead your dough on your work suface until smooth and elastic- this will take about 6-8 minutes. If you prefer you can use a freestanding mixer using the dough hook - this should take 3-4 minutes
• Place your dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove till doubled in size- about an hour
• When the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knock the dough back and divide into 4 equal portions and leave for a couple of minutes - this helps the gluten to relax and makes rolling the dough easier.
• Take one ball of dough, and roll out to the size of a dinner plate, and place onto a baking tray lined with greasproof paper.
• Mark the centre of the rolled out dough using a small cookie cutter, then take one third of the filling and spread all over the rolled out dough being careful to avoid the centre, and to not go too close to the edge as you dont want the filling spilling out.
• Take the second ball of dough, again roll out the same size as the first ball, carefully place ontop of the filling and again mark the centre with the cookie cutter. Take another 3rd of the mixture and again spread all around the second circle avoiding the middle as befrore
• Repeat this process with the remaining 2 balls of dough. The 4th layer of dough should be plain - no filling should be used.
• Carefully seal the layers together by going around the edge and pressing together with your fingers and finally mark the centre of the circle again 
• Cut the circle into quarters ( as if you were cutting a pizza) nut do not go over or through the middle of the circle - cut from the centre down to the edge.
• Cut the 4 quarters into half, to make 8ths, then cut the 8ths in half to make a total of 16 pieces
• Take 2 strands of dough, 1 in each hand,  and twist 3 times away from each other and pinch the ends together to seal them
• Repeat this with all the remaining strands, carefully brush the top with water then sprinkle over the nigella seeds and leave to prove for 35-40 minutes.
• Preaheat the oven to 200c fan and bake for 20-25 minutes
• 
  

Sweet short crust pastry

I thought I would share the recipe for my go to short crust pastry as it is the easiest of all the pastries there are and it works so well for savoury and sweet dishes.

You can easily elevate the flavours wether you're doing sweet or savoury, for example for my sweet short crust for my recent attempts at mince pies, i added in grated orange zest.

For my go to sweet short crust pastry you will need:

175g plain flour
75g  cold unsalted butter
25g icing sugar*
1 medium egg

• Place the butter and flour into a food processor and blitz together until you get a breadcrumb consistency. Alternatively you can rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips if you don't have a food processor

• Stir in the icing sugar, then whisk the egg and add straight it. Use your hands to bring the mixture into a soft dough. If yiu find it's a little dry, you can add a tsp of water.

• Once the dough forms, flatten it out slightly on a lightly floured work surface, and wrap in cling film. Chill the wrapped dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before using as required.

* if you are making savoury short crust, use salted butter, leave out the icing sugar and follow the steps in the same way.

Well it is national cream tea day

I never knew that national cream tea day was such a thing, (please tell me I am not the only one) until I saw a Facebook post just a couple of days before the said day.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect as I was just sat pondering what to bake for my weekly treat for the troops at work - I try and take something in on a Friday for work colleagues at the end of the week- and it just so happened that last Friday fell on national cream tea day so I knew straight away it would have to be some lemon and blueberry scones.

I have been wanting to make them for a while but never got round to them, so this really was the perfect chance.

I made mine with a slight twist. These scones are made with buttermilk, rather than just regular milk and they are filled with a mix of light mascarpone cream & low fat Greek yogurt and then finished with  drizzle of lemon curd. 

You can of course stick with the traditional clotted cream, but do give the mascarpone filling a go - it works a treat with the sharp lemon curd. I promise you won't be dissapointed. 

To make 12-15 scones you will need

250g bread flour

250g plain flour

Zest of a whole lemon

5 tsp baking powder

80g caster sugar

80g soft butter 

2 medium eggs

100g blueberries

240- 250 ml buttermilk*

150g low fat marscapone

4 tbsp low fat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp icing sugar

12-15 tsp lemon curd

• Preheat your oven to 200c, ( fan ) line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside

• Place both flours in a bowl, along with the sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and stir together. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the bluberries

• Whisk the eggs, add them to the flour, slowly incorporate the buttermilk and mix together carefully until you get a soft dough.

• Lighty dust your work surface with a little flour and use your hands to flatter out the dough to about 1-2 cm thick. Cut out your scones with a 5cm cutter.

• Transfer the cut out scones to the tray and brush with beaten egg over the tops. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to completely cool.

• Whilst the scones are cooling, make the filing by mixing together the marscapone, yogurt and icing sugar. Split the scones and fill with this mixture, top eachwith a teaspoon  of lemon  curd, dust the scones  with icing sugar on top just before serving

* buttermilk is readily available from most of the branded supermarkets. You can easily make your own by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to every 100ml of milk and leave it to sit for about 20 mins - then just use as above.

Killing 2 birds with one stone

For this recipe post I thought I would kill the proverbial 2 birds with my proverbial stone - in this case, 2 recipes in one post as the main ingredients and the basic steps are identical

The 2 recipes are pizza dough and naan. Both of these use the basic method of a simple bread dough, left to rise long and slow giving you an almost over fermented dough producing lots of lovely air pockets which results in a delicious deep pan style pizza base or fluffy beans perfect with whatever curry you desire


To make 3 pizza bases OR 4 naan you will need:

530g bread flour
7g dry quick active yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 12 fl oz lukewarm water

• Start by placing your flour in a bowl ,then to one side add your salt and sugar. To the opposite side add your yeast, and pour the oil into the middle

• Slowly begin to add in the water, mixing with your hand. When the dough comes together you should have a soft and slightly sticky dough. Ensure all the flour has been incorporated, use a spatula or bread scraper to bring the dough together as it may be difficult to handle, and place in a large clean lightly oiled bowl.

• Cover  the dough with cling film, and leave to rise for at least 4 hours. Ideally you can prep this the night before, leave covered in the fridge and then remove 4 hours before you need it. If you are short on time, leave the dough for a minimum of 2 hours.

• Once the dough has proved, it will have almost tripled in volume and it will have lots of lovely air pockets ready to turn into delicious naan  or perfect pizza






To make the naan:

• Start by lightly flouring your work surface, and as gently as possible put the dough from the bowl onto the work surface.

• Divide the dough into 4 equal peices, and gently roll each peice into a smooth ball and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

 • Place a large non stick pan on a medium heat and turn your grill on full.

• Take one of balls of dough and carefully with a rolling pin roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick circle, then carefully lift the rolled out dough  & onto the pan to cook the bottom of the naan.  You'll know the bottom is cooked when the top begins to form bubbles on top.*

• Transfer the naan to a baking tray and place under the grill and leave until the top begins to turn light - golden brown and very slightly crisps up. Remove from the grill, brush lightly with butter.

• Repeat the process with the remaining dough, and keep the cooked naan warm by covering with foil & serve as needed.


To make the pizza bases:

• Start by preheating your oven to 200c ( fan assisted )

• Divide the dough into 3 peices, take one of the balls of dough and roll out to your desired thickness - I rolled mine out to about 8 inches wide, placed it onto a lightly floured baking tray then used my finger tips to press out the edges of the dough till the base was about 10 inches wide.

• Once you have your base rolled out to your desired thickness it is just a case of adding whatever toppings you like - whether you want to keep it classic and stick to a margherita or mix it all up it's up to you

• Place your pizza in the oven for 12- 14 minutes or until the pizza has risen, almost doubled in size and th crust is lightly golden and tuck in immediately*










*  I use a fish slice to check the bases. They should be light in colour and not soggy 

Peri peri chicken stir fry

This is a really quick dish that really requires minimum effort but is full on flavour with the seasoning & seriously filling with the addition of pre preppared stir fry veg & noodles. You can serve this as a main which will on it's own or as a side. My kids love it with prawn crackers & a good drizzle of sweet chilli sauce

For the peri peri seasoning that is listed in the ingredients, i buy mine from my local Asian grocery store, the brand is by a company called east end, as it's got a bit of a kick to it. Alternatively you can use the Nando's version which is readily available in most of the large supermarkets.

To serve 4 -6 people you will need

1 kg chicken breast/ thigh meat cut into strips
250g lemon peri peri seasoning
1 large pack stir fry vegetables
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chilli flakes ( if your your using the nando's seasoning )
1/4 tsp salt
1 250g pack pre cooked egg noodles
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tsp garlic paste/3 cloves crushed
1 tsp ginger paste/ small fresh peice crushed or finely grated

• In a bowl, start by mixing together the chicken, peri peri seasoning, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, salt & the lemon juice. If you can, marinate this the night before for maximum flavour, if not, leave to marinate for at least an hour.

• In a large pan heat up a little oil, add in the garlic & ginger and cook on a medium heat until they turn a light golden brown colour.

• Add in the chicken peices and cook on a high heat till the chicken is fully cooked through and begins to slightly break down.

• Add in your stir fry veg, turn up the heat to almost full and stir fry everything together till the vegetables are cooked but have a slight bite to them

• Add in the noodles, stir them through until they are heated all the way through, as the noodles are cooked, heating them should only take a couple of minutes.

• Once the noodles have warmed through, serve immediately

Channa chaat

Channa chaat is a popular Asian street food very similar to a potato salad, but with the additions of chickpeas, spices and condiments. It is often served as a starter to accompany a main meal and is traditionally made during Ramadan or on Eid. 

A slightly more upgraded version is samosa chat which basically involves piping hot samosas topped with the channa chaat. The combination of cooling yogurt colliding with crispy filled samosa is a real treat for your tastebuds 

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need

4 large potatoes 

2 tins of chick peas ( drained )
1 medium red onion
2 medium size tomatoes
1 level tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 level tsp of chilli flakes
2 small green chillies
Squeeze lemon juice
2 tbsp chaat masala
1/2 a cucumber
6 tbsp imli ( i buy the ready made type in the squeezy bottles )
Chopped coriander

2 1/2 500g tubs of yogurt

Cayenne pepper paprika - to garnish

• Start by chopping the potatoes into meduim size chunks & par boil them. Drain and let them cool

• Chop the red onion finely, then cut the cucumber and tomato into small chunks. Place them all in a bowl along with the chick peas.

• Finely chop the green chilli, add to the bowl along with the cumin, salt, lemon juice, imli, chaat masala and small handful of chopped coriander. Mix everything together until combined well.

• Add in the cooled potato chunks and give it one final stir.
Put the chick pea & potato masala into a serving dish, spreading out evenly.

• Add a splash of milk to the yogurt to loosen it slightly, mix togther till smooth & pour the yougurt over the chaat ensuring all top is evenly covered, sprinkle with a mix of cayenne pepper and paprika,

• Drizzle over a little more imli and finish with a little bit of chopped coriander. Refrigerate until ready to serve

• For samosa chaat, you can either pour the channa chaat over freshly made samosas then finish off with the yogurt and garnishes or make up the chaat fully, then let your guests pour the made up chaat onto the their samosa portion themselves

Whole egg omelette

This is a recipe that takes me down memory lane, it's something that my mum would whip up in the school holidays for breakfast or if we had guests staying over this was guaranteed to make an appearance at the table for a hearty filling breakfast. Mum would traditionally serve this with paranthas - crispy buttery chapatis - and steaming cups of chai.


With this omelette as the eggs are left whole, you can leave the yolks runny or fully cooked through to your preference, either way this is definitely a tastebud pleaser. 

For this omelette it's super handy if you've got a frying pan with a lid as in the last step the use of the lid helps to cook the yolks with the help of the steam, if not you can place the pan under the grill until the yolks are cooked to your preference 

To make my whole egg omelette to serve 4 /5 people you will need:

5-7 medium eggs* ( depending on the size of your pan you may be able to fit in more or need less )
1 chopped red onion  
1/4 each of red, yellow and green bell pepper sliced 
A large handful chopped mushrooms
1 green chilli finely chopped 
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Handful fresh chopped coriander 
1 tsp cumin seeds 

• Start by cracking the eggs carefully into a bowl ensuring the yolks stay whole and don't split. Set the bowl aside.

• In a frying pan, add a little olive oil and on a medium heat, add in the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften.

• Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook on a medium heat, when they are almost fully cooked, add in the peppers, along with the chilli, chilli flakes, salt and smoked paprika and continue to cook until the peppers are just soft but not mushy. Spread the vegetables evenly over the base of your pan.

• Slightly lower the heat, then carefully pour the eggs into the pan. The eggs may end up all on one side, carefully tilt the pan to help spread the eggs out. 

• When the whites just begin to cook, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and if your pan has a lid, place the lid on and totally lower the heat ( alternatively place under the grill on the lowest setting ) and leave to cook till the whites are completely cooked and the yolks have set to how you like them. 

• Once cooked, sprinkle over some smoked paprika, garnish with the chopped coriander and drizzle over some of your favourite sauce - I went with sweet chilli and garlic but even good old ketchup or brown sauce will go well 

• Serve with toast and any extras as you wish



* I managed to fit 8 eggs in my pan as it is rather big, if your pan is small, adjust the amounts of the ingredients accordingly 

Crispy basa with roasted vegetables & chilli yogurt

This recipe is a combination of wanting something for dinner that's quick, isn't anything curry like as you've had nothing but curry for almost a whole week, but also something that's got a punch flavour wise and isn't heavy and stodgy and likely to make you feel bloated.

Delicious basa fillets , with roasted veg spiked with cumin, coriander & finished off with a chilli yogurt .. all in 30 minutes

For 2 people you will need:

80g natural yogurt
1 tablespoon siracha chilli sauce
Handful chopped coriander
1 medium small potato
1 red pepper
2 spring onions
1 large aubergine
4 fillets bassa ( about 100g each in weight)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• Start by preheating your oven to 200c / 180c ( fan ). Chop the potato aubergine & pepper into small  chunks

• Put the veg into a baking tray, drizzle     with olive oil, add the cumin seeds & season with some salt & pepper, place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes ensuring everything is cooked through.

• While the veg is roasting, trim the spring onions, and chop up along with the coriander & set aside

• In a plate, mix the plain flour along with  the smoked paprika, half a tsp of chilli flakes, a good pinch of salt and mix it all together.
Carefully dip each fillet into the seasoned flour ensuring each fillet is coated all over

• In a large non stick pan, drizzle with olive oil & cook the fillets on a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or until it crisps up lightly all over

• Whilst the fish is frying, mix together the yogurt and siracha sauce and a 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• Mix the chopped spring onion & coriander with your cooked veg, serve the fish ontop of the veg & finish off with the yogurt drizzled on top

Vanilla latte macarons

Macarons have got to be one of the trickiest, fiddliest but oh so pretty little looking things in the world of baking. I have to be honest and admit that these have been my absolute most testing bake so far.. from failing to perfect the batter itself to having the patience in letting them rest for the required time so that they end up with their smooth outer casing and their defining characteristic- the feet

I have lost count of how many attempts it has taken me but I think I have finally *touch wood* got them worked out.

For the flavours for this batch I decided to go with a vanilla latte filling and I kept the shells white to contrast with the ganache filling

To make my vanilla latte macarons you will need

For the macarons:
175g icing sugar
175g ground almonds
150g egg whites
200g caster sugar

For the ganache:
300g dark chocolate
150ml double cream
1 tsp coffee powder

• Start by making your ganache as you want it to cool and thicken to a pipeable consistency to fill your shells with. Break up your chocolate and place into a bowl. Heat up your double cream in a saucepan with the coffee powder over a low heat till it just about starts to simmer, and pour all over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir the mixture together until you have a smooth chocolate sauce. Set it aside covered with cling film to firm up.

• Place the ground almonds and icing sugar into a food processor and blitz together for a minute. Take out of the food processor and then sieve them into a separate bowl. Discard any large bits left in the seive, and set aside (these lumps are what will prevent the smooth shell for the macarons)

• Pour the egg whites into a bowl, and using a freestanding mixer or a hand held electric whisk, whisk the whites on a medium speed. When the whites start to form a few bubbles, turn up the speed very slightly and whisk till the mixture has soft peaks,  ( it will look like cotton wool ) and then start to add in the sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time

• Once all the sugar has been added, turn the speed up to full and mix the egg whites for 7-8 minutes until you get stiff peaks - the meringue should hold its shape if you turn the bowl upside down. At this point, add any food colouring and give the mixture one last whisk to ensure the colour is incorporated fully*

•Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Add the sifted almond mixture to the meringue, using a spatula to gently fold until combined. Continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons when you hold the spatula up or you can make a figure 8 with the spatula without it breaking. Do not stir any more at this point

• Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round      tip. Pipe 4 dots of the batter in each corner of ths        baking paper and flip it over, gently pressing the paper down, this will help the baking paper stay in place whilst you pipe the meringue mixture

•Pipe the meringue mixture onto the baking tray , in 3-cm blobs, spacing at least an inch apart. Tap the  baking sheet on your work surface a couple of times to release   any air bubbles.

•Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes     to 1 hour, until dry to the touch. They will form a skin whilst resting and this skin is what you need for the smooth crisp shell, and as they rise, the feet will then form whilst baking

•Preheat the oven to 150˚C, and bake the macarons for 12-13 minutes. You'll know that they are done when they have their 'feet' and peel away from the baking paper without sticking. If they still stick a little, give them another minute and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling

• To fill the macarons, take one shell, and pipe a little blob of ganache into the middle of the shell, almost to the edges and carefully place another shell ontop. Repeat this process until you have used all the shells and have your completed macarons


* For the food colouring, gel colours work best, and the colour will lighten once the macarons are baking so add a little more than the shade you like for a vibrant colour

* I like to match up the shells size wise before filling them that way tou know which ones fit together as they won't all be the same size unless you are using a macaron mat or draw the circles onto the paper using a cookie cutter