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