An epic birthday cake

I went home for my Popsy’s birthday and as usual I was put in charge of the puddings. I decided to cook an epic Triple Chocolate Caramel Cake from Olive Magazine. It was surprisingly easy to make. I had to do two batches as I only had two cake tins.

I will say make sure the ganache cools properly. I’m always too impatient and start layering it on and it all drips down the side of the cake.

I would also recommend making slightly smaller sponges- perhaps taking a quarter off each sponge in the ingredients list. The cake was enormous! It tasted really good though and went down well. People opted for having a half of the slices.







Ingredients:
Butter 500g, at room temperature
Golden Caster Sugar 400g
Dark muscovado sugar 100g
Eggs 10
Buttermilk 200ml
Plain flour 250g
Self raising flour 250g
Baking powder 2tsp
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Cocoa powder 3 ¾ tbsp
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Plain chocolate 400g
Milk chocolate 200g
Double cream 300ml
Whole milk 100ml
Golden syrup 1 tbsp
Butter 25g
Caramel ganache
White chocolate 150g chopped
Nestle Carnation Caramel 150g
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Milk chocolate 150g, chopped
Double cream 100ml
Heat the oven to 170C, fan 150C Gas 3 and a half. Butter and line four 20cm cake tins. Beat 250g butter and 250g of the golden caster sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat 5 eggs lightly with 100ml of the buttermilk and sift 125g of each flour with 1tsp baking powder. Fold the egg mixture and flour into the butter and sugar in alternate batches. Divide the mixture into two and add the ½ tsp vanilla to one batch and 3tbsp cocoa to the other.
Scoop the chocolate mixture into one tin and level the top. Scoop the vanilla mixture into another tin and level the top.
Beat the remaining butter and caster sugar with the muscovado. Combine the remaining eggs and buttermilk, sift the flours with the baking powder and add them in alternate batches. Divide the mixture in two. Add the remaining ½ tsp of vanilla to one and the remaining ¾ tbsp cocoa to the other. Scoop into the tins and level the top.
To make the dark chocolate ganache, heat the chocolate, cream, milk and syrup in a bowl over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth, shiny mixture. Stir in the butter. Cool until spreadable.
To make the caramel ganache, heat the white chocolate with the caramel in a bowl as above until melted. Cool until spreadable.
To make the milk chocolate ganache, heat the chocolate and cream in a separate bowl as above until melted.
To assemble put the dark chocolate cake on a plate or stand. Spread over the caramel ganache then top with the lighter chocolate cake. Spread over the milk chocolate ganache then top with the caramel cake. Spread a layer of the dark chocolate ganache then top with the vanilla cake. Cover the whole cake with the rest of the dark chocolate ganache. Chill for three to four hours or overnight if you like- this will help the ganaches to set and will give neater slices when you cut the cake. Take out of the fridge an hour before you want to serve.

The other desserts I made were bread and butter pudding- this always goes down well- the recipe is in the November section from last year.
And I also made a apple and oat crumble from Rachel Allen’s book , Bake. It was easy and tasted good. I would recommend.

Apple and Oat Crumble

Serves 6

Ingredients
3-4 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into big chunks
1 tbsp water
2-3 tbsp caster sugar

For the crumble
150g (5oz) plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
75g (3oz) butter, chilled and cubed
25g (1oz) porridge oats
75g (3oz) soft light brown sugar

1 litre (1 ¾ pint) pie dish or six ramekins

Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF), Gas mark 4.

Place the apples, water and sugar into a saucepan set over a gentle heat and cook, stirring every minute or so to prevent it sticking, for approximately 10 minutes or until the apples become a soft pulp. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Transfer into the pie dish or six ramekins and allow to cool slightly.

Next, make the crumble. Place the flour and cinnamon (if using) in a large bowl, add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. (Don’t rub in too much or the crumble will not be crunchy). Add the oats and sugar and mix to combine, and bake for 15 minutes for small crumbles or 30-40 minutes for a large one until cooked and golden. Serve warm with custard, whipped cream or ice cream.

German markets and lovely food in Edinburgh

ANOTHER glorious weekend away with my old uni pals, and this time we headed up to Edinburgh to visit out delightful pal, Jennie, who kindly let us stay in her parents’ flat. After a rather epic picnic on the train where we devoured pasties, crisps and falafel- we arrived in the beautiful Scottish city and had a mooch around.
In the evening we went to a lovely pub/ restaurant called The Salisbury Arms in Dalkeith Road. It’s got a great atmosphere and a really good menu. It was really busy- but yet it still felt relaxed and cosy.
We were all rather good and only had mains.
I went for the Slow-cooked Pork Belly and Seared Fresh King Scallops, sticky ginger beer glaze, crackling, black pudding, mashed potato, green beans, Bramley apple & vanilla purée (£17.50).

It was delicious and I would highly recommend- the sticky ginger beer glaze added a lovely sweetness to the pork which was well cooked- my only slight criticism was there was a bit too much fat on the pork belly- but that is neither here nor there.
The black pudding was divine as was the lovelyl apple and vanilla puree. A winning dish.

My pals opted for the specials of linguine with a plethora of seafood and the sea bass special which also looked great.

Check it out here http://www.thesalisburyarmsedinburgh.co.uk/

The next day after a lovely breakfast in we went to the Christmas Markets. Daisy was raving about these fried potatoes with bacon and garlic sauce- and they were amazing! Fully recommend if you get the chance to try them at any Christmas market in the country. They are lovely fried discs with the most delicious sauce- but make sure you have your polos to hand. We also tried the Bratwurst, which are pretty good but I prefer traditional English sausages.

That was it for the eating out- we had a lovely homemade chickpea stew in the evening followed by

bacon butties the next morning. Overall a great weekend of eating- made even better by great company.

Lovely place to have afternoon tea in Windsor

AH good old Groupon. My friend Lara and I took up the offer of afternoon tea for two for £13.75 at The Chocolate Theatre Cafe in Windsor. It is half the price it normally is.
We arrived on a dreary Friday to the bustling cafe. It is quite small and a bit cramped so at first I was a bit unsure. But once the glass of bubbling prosecco arrived with a strawberry in it my mood soon lightened.
You get to choose your sandwich from the menu. We were told they were smaller than usual but this just meant one round instead of a round and a half. We shared a bacon, brie and mushroom ciabatta and a Caesar chicken sandwich. Both were delicious and plentiful.
Then onto the scones- two thick fruit scones were served with strawberry jam and thick clotted cream, which were delicious. They also kept the tea flowing.
The staff were really friendly and I really enjoyed the food. It’s not a luxurious affair but the food is too good to pass it by. And for £13.75 for two it was a bargain.

Pesto and chorizo scones

AS featured before in this blog I went to a demonstration from All’Scone- a company set up by a couple called Liam and Grace. They love scones and baking and have released a cook book dedicated to the humble scone. I tried some of their lovely pesto and chorizo scone at the demo and it was delicious served with cream cheese and onion chutney. I decided to give them a go. It was harder than it looked. The chorizo was really hard to crumble up so I ended up chopping it. The good thing was I actually cut them thick enough so they actually looked like scones. Normally I cut them too thin and they look rubbish. They tasted really good straight out of the oven, but they weren’t so good when they were warmed up.

Ingredients
• FOR THE BOWL
• 450g/32/3 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 175g/1½ sticks of butter
• 40g/2 tbsp + 1 tsp golden caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 large pinches of salt
• 2 large pinches of black pepper
• 100g/3½oz Spanish chorizo, skinned
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• FOR THE JUG
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
• 3 heaped tsp of basil pesto, plus extra for brushing
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed in a garlic press
• FOR FLAIR
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional), for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / gas mark 5.
In a bowl, rub the flour and butter together gently through your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or, if you want to get the job done, give them a quick whizz in the food processor. Add the sugar, salt and pepper.
Next whip out the chorizo. Our tip is to finely chop, grate or blend it in a food processor - this works better than adding large chunks as it helps to distribute the flavour through the whole scone. Go for a ring of chorizo rather than slices as it packs more flavour. In a small bowl mix the smoked paprika into the chorizo (this helps to elevate the smokiness of the chorizo) and then add this to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, along with 1 teaspoon of garlic salt. Mix thoroughly to combine. You will start to see the mixture taking on a red tinge.
In a jug, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until light and airy. Add the Pesto and garlic to this mix and whisk again to combine. Next the smell test. If you don’t get bowled over by a garlicky Pesto basil burst then sneak a bit more in the jug, but 3 heaped teaspoons usually does the job. Pour this mixture into the bowl and gently mix together with the dry ingredients.
Work the dough in the bowl with a wooden spoon or a spatula until it starts to come together, and then finish with your fingers until the dough comes away clean from the edges of the bowl. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and work through with the base of your palm 3 or 4 times, each time folding the sides in and turning over until the dough becomes smooth. We love this bit as you start to see the paprika and chorizo spread into the dough.
Pat and shape the dough into a ball and roll out the dough until it is approximately 3cm/1¼inches thick then, using a floured round cutter, cut out your scones. For posh nosh scones use the smooth side of the ring cutter and not the serrated edge as this will give them a more professional finish.
Place your scones on a lightly floured baking tray, leaving enough space between each one for them to spread. Brush each one with buttermilk and dust with flour. Top each scone with a small dollop of Pesto smoothed out over the top with the back of a spoon. For extra flair and wow factor add a sprinkle of cheese - we recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano - to give your scones a crisp golden top.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. To serve you can have it the All’Scone way, which is a nice helping of crème cheese and caramelized red onion chutney or our favourite: an old skool spread of butter and pâté to make it a mighty meaty bite.

A lovely winter warmer: reminiscent of my Granny's cooking

I WAS given a herb kit from Schwartz to make Beer and Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings. I love a good stew, especially now the nights are drawing in and we all turn to a good deal of stodge to warm our little tums. I also love dumplings- my lovely Granny used to make the best ones and reminds me of coming home on a Tuesday night from school and smelling my Gran’s lovely home cooking as she always used to look after us on a Tuesday. I loved her cooking as it was simple yet delicious. I don’t think Granny used beer in her stews but this was very tasty and I think she would have approved.

The herb kit costs about 69p I think, but you obviously don’t really need it as you may have all the herbs in your cupboard. But it is a good idea if you don’t usually buy herbs as it isn’t overpriced and gives you just what you need.

I used Budweiser beer which seemed to work well. I also froze one portion of the meal and I was surprised how well the dumplings took to the freezing process.
I served it with potatoes and broccoli. This is a great winter warmer and fairly cheap too.

YOU WILL NEED
1 pack Schwartz Herbs & Spices for Beef & Beer Stew with Herb Dumplings (Garlic Granules, Paprika, Marjoram, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme)
2 tbs oil
450g (1lb) lean stewing beef, cubed
1 onion, sliced
175g (6oz) carrots, sliced
1 tbs plain flour
225ml (8fl oz) beer

350ml (12fl oz) beef stock

2 tbs tomato purée

100g (4oz) self-raising flour

50g (2oz) beef or vegetable suet

Pinch Schwartz Sea Salt
75ml (3fl oz) water

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish, add the beef and brown all over for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to ensure the oil and juices remain in the pan. Set the beef to one side, then add the onion, carrots and Garlic Granules (1 tsp). Fry gently for 5 minutes until the onions are brown, return beef to the pan, then add the plain flour and stir through.

2. Add the beer, beef stock, tomato purée, Paprika (1 tsp), Marjoram (1 tsp) and Sage (1 tsp). Stir through and cover with a lid. Cook in the oven for 1½ hours.

3. Meanwhile, combine the self-raising flour, suet, a pinch of salt, Rosemary (½ tsp), Thyme (1 tsp) and water in a bowl and mix to form a dough. Roughly shape into 8 equal sized balls.

4. Remove the stew from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Place the dumplings on top of the stew, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes. Delicious served with creamy mash.

Sweet potato and chorizo hash- great weekday supper

ALTHOUGH this does involve grating sweet potato, which is a bit of a chore, it is a pretty tasty weekday supper. And doesn't need lots of ingredients.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

Sweet potato, 1 large, peeled and coarsely greated
Onion, 1 chopped
Olive oil
Hot cooking chorizo, 1 large or 2 small, skins removed and crumbled or chopped
Creme fraice 4 tbsp mixed with the zest and juice of 1 lemon
Rocket 1 small bag

Method:

*Mix the sweet potato and onion. Put a good slug of olive oil in a frying pan and add the chorizo and cook until it releases some oil and crisps up. Add the potato, mix and season. Fry, turning the mixture over for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Press it down with your spatula and leave for a few minutes to get crunchy on the base. Divide between two plates and spoon some creme fraiche onto each, serve with rocket.

Peanut butter and caramel brownies

THESE are perhaps the most unhealthy brownies I have ever made and they also require a lot of washing up afterwards. So are the extra calories and the half a dozen bowls worth it? I'm not so sure really. They are really delicious but I still don't think you can beat a properly cooked slightly gooey plain chocolate brownie.
However, I do love peanut butter and caramel so they were good for a change and delicious. One big tip is make sure they are properly chilled as otherwise they are just too soft.
I also had a big problem making the caramel. It took me three goes as the sugar just would not brown and kept crystalising. I added lemon juice on the third attempt as it worked!
This recipe is from Olive magazine.

Ingredients:
Dark chocolate 200g
Unsalted butter 125g
Gold caster sugar 200g
Eggs 3 large beaten
Vanilla extract 1tsp
Plain flour 125g
Cocoa 1 tbsp
Salted roasted peanuts 100g

Caramel

White caster sugar 100g
Double Cream 100ml
Unsalted butter 15g
Vanilla bean paste or extract 1/2 tsp
Sea salt flakes 1/2 tsp

Peanut cheesecake
Full fat soft cheese 150g
Golden caster sugar 50g
Chunky peanut butter 75g (preferably unsweetened)
Egg 1 large
Vanilla extract 1tsp

Method:
*Butter a 23cm square baking tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
*Make the caramel first. Tip the caster sugar into a small pan with 1tbsp of water and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook until a deep amber-coloured caramel. Slowly and gradually add the double cream, stirring constantly. Add the butter and vanilla, stir to combine and return the pan to a medium heat and continue to cook for another couple of minutes until the caramel is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour into a bowl, stir in the sea salt and cool. Chill for an hour until thickened. Pour into a disposable piping bag. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
*To make the peanut cheesecake, beat the cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
*To make the brownie, met the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl above a pan of barely simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave. Stir until smooth and leave to cool slightly. Add the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until silky smooth. Sift the flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt into the bowl and mix again until combined.
*Spread half of the brownie mixture into the tin, drizzle with all but 1tbsp of the salted caranel and scatter with two thirds of the peanuts. Carefully spoon over the remaining brownie mixture. Spoon the peanut cheesecake mixture into random dollops over the top of the brownie and ligthly swirl through the brownie mix with a knife or the handle of a spoon. Scatter with the remaining peanuts and drizzle over the rest of the caramel.
*Bake for 30 minutes until the brownie has set and slightly risen at the edges. It will still be slightly soft in the middle. Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge and cutting into small squares to serve.

Those Schwartz flavour shots

YOU may have noticed the Schwartz Flavour Shots appearing in the supermarkets. I tried the Red Thai Curry one and it is worth buying! I can never get a curry paste from scratch right, and the jar ones just do not live up to expectations.
But this one is brilliant and tastes really authentic. It's also cheap too. A great weekday meal.

Burger love

I've had a bit of a craving for burgers recently and I have had two really good ones of late- both of which I would recommend.
The first was at Baroosh- a trendy bar in Marlow, where I went for Sunday lunch. It had a great feel about it with cool stain glass windows and leather couches.
There is a small nibbles section, which you can mix and match, and a fairly basic mains menu. I went for the chargrilled beef burger in a toasted brioche bun
with sliced tomato, dill pickle, burger sauce & gem lettuce, served with a mug of skinny fries. It was £8.75. The meat was really good quality and seasoned perfectly. The dill pickle really added a good punch to the burger and the chips were nicely salted.

I still had room for dessert and went for a belgian waffle with dulce de leche fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream (£4). It seemed really good value as the quality was great.

Just a week later I had to pick a burger once more in Bristol to Grounded in St George's. It is a great little cafe with a nice relaxed feel to it and it's hard to get a table. The menu is pretty extensive and everything looked good.
In the end I went for the beef burger s/w cheese, mayo, mixed leaves, beef tomato, gherkins, red onion, onion rings and chips £8.50. It was pretty hard to get my teeth around but was worth the slightly dislocated jaw!
The meat was juicy and perfectly cooked. The cheese was mild, which suited me, and I loved the toppings. A great cafe.

Butternut squash cupcakes with vanilla and orange icing

I WAS intrigued by this recipe, which came from the food festival in Abergavenny, from the LittlePod company (www.littlepod.com) and supplied by the Hills and Parkes Delicatessen.
And the picture did not disappoint. I loved the mixed spice in both the icing and the cake and was really pleased with the final look. They also tasted really good- quite rich with the amount of icing on top- and the physalis adds the final touch.

Ingredients:
235g unsalted butter at room temp
240g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon LittlePod vanilla extract (you can just use a vanilla paste)
100g of pureed butternut squash
125g self raising flour
1 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
125ml soured cream
175g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon LittlePod vanilla paste
450g icing sugar
Grated zest of two oranges
Physalis and a dusting of icing sugar

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160c (fan), 180c, 350F, gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with tall cupcake cases.
2. Steam the squash over a pan of boiling water for 30 minutes. Once it is soft, place in a wide bowl and mash with a fork until it becomes a soft pulp. Pass through a sieve to remove lumps and form a lovely rich puree. Let it stand to get rid of excess water.
3. Cream 110g of butter and 240g of brown sugar until pale and smooth, then add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract then combine with the pureed squash using a folding technique. Combine the sieved flours, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice in a bowl. Slowly add the flour mix to the butter and sugar mix then add the soured cream until combined.
4. When thoroughly combined, carefully spoon the mixture into cup cakes, approx 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Check the cakes are done by inserting a skewer into the centre of a cake- the skewer should come out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the cream cheese icing:

1. Warm the remaining butter until soft, add the cream cheese and whisk the two ingredients together thoroughly. Add the LittlePod vanilla paste and mix. Add the sieved icing sugar and mix until it is a smooth delicious cream; then slowly fold through 1tsp mixed spice and the orange zest.
2. Decorate the cakes with the creamed icing, either using a palate knife or piping bag, and top with an open Physalis and a light dusting of icing sugar.

Another day another food festival: Thame

Feeling in a festive mood, a week after the food festival in Abergavenny, Penny, Lara and I went across to Thame Food Festival. It is a huge event and the whole town is closed for one day. It is great as it is all free.
By the time we arrived at 12pm it was pretty packed and it was quite hard to see all the stalls. We did manage to stop for a Thai for lunch from a Thai stall, whose restaurant is based in Thame itself.

There were a great selection of chefs doing demos throughout the day including Tom Kerridge from The Hand and Flowers, Adam Simmonds (from Danesfield House), Lotte Duncan, who is off the tele, and Raymond Blanc, who is the festival patron.

We went to a scone demo with a couple called Grace and Liam. They have just published a book called The Little Book of Scones. They bake and sell scones every Saturday under the company name, All'Scone. They have day jobs during the week in London then get home on a Friday night and bake in the kitchen, which has just one oven, until 2am. They live in a shared house!

In the morning they traipse across London carrying the scones on trollies on the bus, before flogging them.
They made Pesto and Chorizo scones, which they served warm with butter, cream cheese and onion chutney. It was the most delicious, salty and moist scone I have ever had. I was in love!
We also sampled their Nutella and Pistachio samples, which again were delicious. They had cream sandwiched between them, were smothered in nutella then covered in pisatchio nuts!
I was fascinated by their story and bought their book and hope to try out some of the recipes soon.

I didn't really buy much else besides a Rooibos Strawberry and Vanilla tea from the Rutland Tea Company, which is a beautiful fruit tea.

Thame Food Festival is certainly worth going to- but arrive early as it all sells pretty quickly.

The joys of Abergavenny Food Festival

Abergavenny Food Festival is one of the best there is. There is so much to see and do with loads of stalls, talks and I love how it is dotted all over the town, with the beautiful countryside surrounding it.
I went with my friend, Kaylee, this year and it was absolutely packed! We arrived at 10am and it was a bit quieter but by lunch time the town was brimming with people. There is a really good atmosphere.
We went to a goat talk called The Whole Goat with chef James Whetlor. Lynn Beard was meant to go but she didn't come due to ill health. Instead there was Charlie Westhead of Neal's Yard Creamery and Bob Granleese, food editor at the Saturday Guardian.
James was really charasmatic. He told us about 35,000 male goats are shot and thrown in the bin every year, because they do not make any milk. He is trying to get kid back on the menu and selling it to top London restaurants. He would love to see more people eating goat.
We tried some goat ham, which was a tad strong, and then some goat loin. It was quite nice but quite chewy. Probably take a bit of getting used to.

We also tried some of the Neal's Yard Creamery goat's cheese, which was delicious. I am not a big cheese fan but it tasted really zesty.
Later on we went to another talk with Valentine Warner and Magnus Nilsson, who is the owner of Fäviken, which is on the edge of the Arctic circle. It seats just 12 people. 95% of the menu is grown or caught locally. Summer and winter.
He was quite an inspirational guy. He stores vegetables in his cold store, so you could be eating a six month old cabbage! It also sounds an amazing place to visit.
For lunch Kay and I had a pulled pork roll (Glamorgan Vale Specialist Hog Roast), which was amazing, and a Bubble Tea Iced Tea, which was pretty awesome. They are from Bristol and in the ice tea you have bubbles of flavour bursts! I had strawberry, with lychee bubbles which pop when you crush them. It was great.
For dessert I had a salted caramel tart, which again was fabulous! A wonderful mix of sweet and savoury, with the perfect pastry. THis was from Love Patisserie.
I bought some lovely produce, including Wye Valley Honey, Vanilla Paste from Littlepod (which was £9.99 but is packed with vanilla pods and is really good for bakers!), Salted Caramel Popcorn from Joe and Sephs (www.joeandsephs.co.uk), who have an amazing selection of pop corn, garlic pork scratchings from The Garlic Farm in the Isle of Wight, which were absolutely delicious- think pork scratchings but somehow even better, two pies including venison and chicken from the Poachers Pantry (www.poacherspantry.com), some delicious chocolate buttons from www.chocolate-house.co.uk and finally a rather tasty scotch egg from the Handmade Scotch Egg Company.
A pretty good stash from a really good event. I would definitely recommend going.

Another Mary Berry recipe: Chocolate Brownies!

Inspired by the success of the last Mary Berry recipe I used I decided to have a stab at another. Unfortunately this wasn't as successful as the result was more of a cakey brownie. I really like gooey brownies- and these weren't. However for a good chocolate cake style brownie they are good. And also fairly easy to make.
I had a helping hand from my boyfriend, Tom, on the decorating side, with a rather innovative topping of Kit Kat Chunky, fudge pieces and raspberry sugar.
When making the frosting be careful on the amount of water you use.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
225g butter
350g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
50g cocoa powder, sifted
250g self-raising flour
85g walnut pieces (optional) I didn't use these

For the frosting:
25g unsalted butter (room temp), cubed
3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
225g icing sugar, sifted

1.Preheat the own to 180 degrees C (fan 160/350 F/ Gas 4). Grease a traybake tin measuring 30cm x 25cm and 4cm deep and line the base of the tin with baking parchment.
2. Place the butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder and flour in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on a low speed for about 3 minutes, or with a wooden spoon for a little longer, until smooth. Stir in the walnut pieces, if using.
3. Spoon the mixture into the tin, spread evenly, then bake for 40-45 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes.

4. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the centre- if it comes out clean then the brownies are ready. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Make the frosting in a bowl, soften the butter and add the cocoa powder. Gradually stir in 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth, then stir in the icing sugar. Leave the frosting to cool before icing the brownies.

6. Spread the frosting evenly over the brownie base with a palette knife. Leave to set then cut into squares.

James Martin's White Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle

I love this trifle recipe. It's great after a Sunday roast and always goes down a treat. It makes a nice change to the usual trifle. And it's also pretty easy.
It says it serves 4 but it's more like 8-10
Ingredients
175g white chocolate
2 medium egg yolks
25g caster sugar
300ml milk
700ml double cream
8 x4cm slices Swiss roll
600g raspberries
Optional: 2 tbsp kirsch

Put a 55g piece of white chocolate in the fridge. Break the remainder into small pieces.

Cream the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and creamy and leaves a trail.

Pour the milk and 175ml of the cream into a small, heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour this on to the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then pour it back into the pan and place over a moderate heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken and coats the back of the spoon. Add the broken up chocolate and stir in until completely incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover the custard with cling film to stop a skin forming.

Place half the Swiss roll slices in a large glass bowl and sprinkle with half the kirsch. I don't usually use this. Scatter over a third of the raspberries, then repeat. Pour the white chocolate custard over the top and leave to set in the fridge.

To serve whip the remaining double cream. Top the custard with the whipped cream, scatter over the remaining raspberries, grate over the chilled white chocolate and place mint sprigs on.

Lovely!!!!

The Ferry in Cookham

My parents came to visit me in High Wycombe and we went out for Sunday lunch with my boyfriend Tom. I sent them a list of places we could eat and pops went for this one.

It has great views over The Thames and has quite a rustic, yet modern feel to it. It was a busy Sunday lunch and the ceilings are high so it was a bit too noisy and was hard to hear each other.

The menu is pretty varied and on Sundays they do a good roast menu where starters and desserts are only £3 extra each.

I went for the roast pork, which was £12. It had great crackling which is always a must with pork. The veggies were good too- a nice buttery selection.

For starters I had a really good fish cake packed with fish and lovely fluffy potato. It was served with a good tartare sauce.

For dessert I had Spanish churros with chocolate sauce. The churros were hot and sugary and tasted divine. I wasn't a huge fan of the chocolate sauce which was a bit artificial but still good.

Tom went for the prawn linguine which was a good portion and mum had mushroom brioche and fish pie, which was good.

Dad had chicken wings, which weren't saucey enough for him, but he said the roast lamb was good and he loved the creme brûlée.

We shared a nice bottle of Chilean merlot, which was reasonably priced.

Overall a lovely meal in an excellent setting.

Fast one-pan fish

This is a great supper dish- very quick and easy. It's from Prima magazine.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 courgettes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 red pepper, halved, de seeded and cut into strips
6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
Handful of mixed black and green olives, pitted, large ones halved
3 preserved lemons, halved and flesh removed (or use zest of 1 lemon)
4 cod or haddock fillets (150g each)

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add courgettes and garlic and season. Cook for 1 min until pale golden, sprinkle in paprika and serve.
2. Add pepper, tomatoes, olives and lemons. Bring to the boil and simmer with a lid on pan for 10 mins. Top up with a little hot water, if needed.
3. Add fish, cover and cook for 1 min. Remove from heat and leave lid on for 3-4 mins- fish will continue to cook until ready to serve. Season again if needed.

Tom Kerridge's Fish and Chips with pea puree and tartare sauce

THIS is a rather delightful Tom Kerridge recipe which is really tasty. It is quite a lot of work but it is worth it in the long run. The batter is really crispy and the pea puree is the best I have ever tasted, even if I do say so myself!

His pub is just down the road from me and is called The Hand and Flowers. He is the only pub chef in the UK to have two Michelin Stars. This recipe is from his Proper Pub Food series and book.

The tartare sauce wasn't an enormous success. I felt it was too much oil so just be careful what you add. Also although the chips look very dark in the picture- they tasted good! I used the wrong type of potatoes, I think. I also didn't have a thermometer so it was a bit of guess work! The book is really good- I would recommend!



Serves 4

4 halibut fillets, about 180g each. I used haddock as I couldn't find halibut.
sea salt flakes, to taste lemon wedges- to serve
For the chips
4 large potatoes for chipping, such as Maris Piper
vegetable oil for deep fat frying

For the tartare sauce
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
500ml vegetable oil
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and grated
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped gherkins
2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves

For the beer batter
2 egg whites
240ml beer or sparkling water
350g self raising white flour
large pinch of bicarbonate of soda

For the pea puree
25g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
100ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
350g frozen peas, defrosted
4 teaspoons caster sugar

Instructions

To make thick chips, top and tail each potato, then use an apple corer, if you have one to cut out the centres. They are meant to be round chips. I didn't have a corer so I cut them into rectangles. Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for about 5 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto wire rack to allow to dry fully. When the potatoes are completely dry, heat enough oil for deep frying in a deep fat fryer, or in my case a heavy based saucepan until it is 140 degrees. Add the potatoes and rfy for 8 to 10 minutes until the oil stops bubbling. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil, return them to the wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile make the tartare sauce. Place the egg yolks, mustard and white wine vinegar in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor still running, slowly add the oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season. Cover and keep in the fridge until needed. To make the pea purée, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallot and sea salt and fry, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes until softened, but not coloured.

Add the chicken stock and mint and bring to the boil. Add the peas and sugar, return the stock to the boil and boil for five to six minutes until the peas are tender. Strain the peas over a bowl to catch the liquid then put into a blender. Add two tablespoons of the liquid and blend until smooth, but not too thin. Season with salt if necessary. Keep hot.

To make the batter mix the egg whites and beer together until fluffy. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl and add the egg-white mix. Just before you are ready to fry the fish, fry the potatoes for a second time. Reheat the oil to 180 degrees C. Add the potatoes to the fryer again and fry for two to three minutes until crispy and golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt and keep hot in a low oven. Reheat the oil to 180 degrees C. Dip the fish into the batter, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then add to the oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Serve it all together!

A good sofa supper: Chorizo, prawn and fish stew

THIS is a great recipe I got out of a magazine. It is simple, quick and healthy and is really good with a few slices of chunky bread.
The fish and rich tomato sauce work really well together.
The ingredients (serves 4) are:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g chorizo sausage, sliced
1 garlic clove
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
200ml passata
200ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 200g peeled raw king prawns (I used defrosted ones)
300g pollack fillets, cut into cubes (I used cod)
2 tbsp fresh basil (I used dried)

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion for a few mins to soften. Add chorizo and pan fry until crispy.
2. Add the garlic, canned tomatoes, passata and vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 mins.
3. Add the red wine vinegar, cannellini beans, prawns, cod and basil. Simmmer together for 5 mins intil the fish and prawns are tender.
4. Pour the stew into bowls an serve.

Mary Berry's Divine Double Chocolate Cake

HAVING met and spoken to Mary a few times I realised with shame that I hadn’t cooked any of her recipes. So feeling in a baking mood I made her Double Divine Chocolate Cake.
It is so easy to make- what I loved about it is there is no butter- just oil- so it is easier to mix. The icing was a bit more tricky.
I prefer my usual method of heating the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water as I find it then mixes better with the cream. That is my one tip.
The way it is described below I ended up having to add more cream cheese to make it thicker. The end result is really impressive. It serves a lot more than six people though as it is rich!
 Here’s the recipe:
 • 190g self-raising flour
• 2 level tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 level teaspoon baking powder
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 150ml milk

Icing
• 200g Belgian white chocolate
• 150ml double cream
• 1 x 125g tub full-fat cream cheese

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line with greased greaseproof paper the bases of 2 x 20cm (8in) straight-sided loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the syrup, eggs, oil and milk, mix with an electric hand whisk and pour into the tins. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Turn out on to a wire rack, remove the paper and leave to cool. For the icing, break the white chocolate into a bowl. Heat the double cream in a pan until hot and pour the hot cream over the white chocolate to melt it. Stir until melted, then set aside to cool. Spoon the cream cheese into a bowl, gradually add the white chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Set aside to cool a little until thick enough to ice. Spread half the icing on one cake, sit the other cake on top and spread the remaining icing on top to give a pretty finish.

Eating out in Liverpool

A WEEKEND in Liverpool. What does the city of culture, fake tan and two Premier League football clubs have to offer in terms of food. Rather a lot actually! Staying in a Premier Inn with five of my friends, we decided to head out for breakfast.

It helps to have a friend already in Liverpool so when I looked up Leaf in Bold Street on the internet I asked her advice and she said it was a very good choice. It doesn’t look great from the outside but go through the doors and you are met with a homely lay out with a laid back atmosphere with mismatched wooden chairs. Grab a menu, then order at the bar.

There are lots of good breakfast choices. I went for the Full English (£6.50), which was lovely, with thick, bloomer toast nicely buttered, flat tasty field mushrooms and a well seasonsed sausage. The bacon, potato croquet, tomato, eggs and beans were also good. Other options on the table were Eggs Benedict, which looked delicious, and was served with shredded ham hock. There is also a good selection of tea (I went for ginger). Feeling comfortably full we didn’t stop for food again until the evening.

 

We went for Mexican at Lucha Libre in Wood Street. It sells street food and is very much a sharing experience. There is a great atmosphere with friendly staff. I shared Chorizo and Potato Quesadillas (£4), Chargrilled Chicken Quesadillas (£4) and Rib Enchilada (£8.50).

There are also burritos, tacos and chilli. The Quesadillas were delightful little morsels of creamy mild cheese. The fillings were a bit lacking though, especially the potato. The enchilada was divine with soft, flavoursome meat and chilli sauce and sour cream. I would also recommend the lovely refried beans and the pil bil tacos.

The next morning we felt a little jaded but did manage to wander down to the docks, where there is a large selection of places to eat.

We went for the PanAm Bar and Restaurant. It was a Sunday, but as only one of us wanted roast she couldn’t have this as you had to sit upstairs to eat this, which seemed a bit unfair. It is quite a simple bar menu.

PanAm Burger

I went for the PanAm Burger (£8.95), which was bacon, jalapenos, gherkins (I asked for no cheese) and a beef burger. There was a shocking lack of gherkins on my burger but once I asked for more a small pot of the vinegary bites were brought to me. The chips were good, the burger tasty- a satisfactory lunch time treat. Liverpool is a great place to go for the weekend and you won’t be disappointed by the food.

Afternoon tea at a beautiful hotel in Evesham

I went to The Wood Norton Hotel in Evesham, where my brother works, with my mum and dad for afternoon tea.
It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and we sat outside in the splendid grounds, with lovely gardens.
Mum and I enjoyed a refreshing glass of champagne, before tucking into the main event. The finger sandwiches were ham, salmon and cucumber, which were all tasty with substantial fillings.
There was a fruit and plain scone each with strawberry jam and thick clotted cream. The scone was huge! And I could only manage one but they were very well done.
Unfortunately the lemon drizzle cake was a bit dry and the carrot cake missed a cream topping- however the carrot cake was very tasty. It was a lovely afternoon in the sunshine and one I would recommend.

Salt and Pepper cafe in Monmouth: a summer treat

SALT and Pepper in Monmouth is a delightful cafe with fresh, home cooked food.

I would highly recommend it if you find yourself in this pretty Welsh town. I met my friends, Kat and Rach, there for a sunny lunch.

There is some outdoor seating but there is plenty indoors too. They have a varied menu of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, snacks and hot food. And they also have about eight daily specials.

I went for one of these- a fish cake with tartar sauce. I was advised it would be a 15 minute wait as it was freshly cooked. It was worth the wait. The fish cake was thick and bursting with chunks of white fish and salmon, covered in a crispy breadcrumb coating and great seasoning, which made sure the fish wasn’t overbearing.

 The tartar sauce alongside it was beautifully thick and creamy with salty capers to round it off a treat. It was all just so fresh and tasty and at £6.50 a bargain.

Rach went for a bowl of nachos, with creamy guacamole, tomato and quite a strong cheese- a huge bowl. And Kat had the goat’s cheese and pear Panini with a generous portion of crisps. Both went down a treat.

A few little recommendations....

Just a few quick recommendations.... The £12.95 set menu at Pizza Express is really good. The choice is quite limited for starters and mains but it is still good. I had dough balls for starters, and then the American Hot Pizza Leggara, which I thought was really good. I wouldn't normally go for a pizza with a hole, which is then filled with salad, but I need to be a bit more careful with what I eat and this was really good actually. The pudding choice is chocolate fudge cake or icecream. I had the strawberry and vanilla icecream, which was really nice. An all round good meal. The Rose and Crown in Severn Stoke in Worcestershire is also a good pub, which a nice outside area. I went for the Seafood Linguine (£9.95). It was quite simple but it had a nice lot of fish and there was a side of garlic bread. The sauce was a little bit thick, but still nice. There is a huge selection of puddings. I went for the Key Lime Pie, which is about £5. It was nice but not as good as the one I make. I think of this dessert as a cheesecake style dish but this was more like lemon meringue. All in all reasonable pub grub though. And I have also had a few Marks and Spencers picnics. I have to recommend the Make Today Delicious- the amazing Vietnamese rolls are lovely crunchy fresh bites, the sweet potato and barley salad is fresh yet really tasty, the antipasti meat platter is also beautiful. The chicken and asparagus quiche is a great combination and I really like the Moroccon lamb bites. The chocolate sundae from the chilled area is really saucey and not too rich. The only disappointment I had was the flat bread sandwich, it was the Moroccan chicken and it was quite dry and not something I would recommend. The White Grape fizzy drink is also beautiful- it tastes like a light wine but it is alocohol free- perfect for drivers.

Jamie's Dinners Chicken Tikka Masala

I love this recipe- it tastes like proper curry and is really tasty. You have to use quite a few pans but it is easy to make otherwise.
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
7.5cm/ 3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
2-3 fresh red chillies
Olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons garam masala
200g natural yoghurt
4 medium chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon of butter
2 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tablespoons tomato purée
A small handful of ground almonds
Sea salt
115ml double cream
A handful of fresh coriander
Juice of one to two limes

What to do
Grate the garlic and ginger on the finest side of the cheese grater and put in a bowl. Chop the chillies as finely as possible and add to the garlic and ginger. Heat a splash of oil and add the mustard seeds, cook until they pop. Add them to the mix too and the spices but only 2 tablespoons of the garam masala. Put half of this in a bowl and add the yoghurt. Add the chicken and marinate for half an hour or so or overnight.
Melt the butter and add the onions and the rest of the spice mix. Cook gently for 15 minutes without browning too much. Add the purée, the ground nuts, 500ml water and half a teaspoon of salt. Reduce until it thickens.
Meanwhile cook the marinated chicken on a hot griddle pan and cook through, or you can do it under a grill.
Add the cream to the sauce and the rest of the garam masala. As soon as it boils,  add the chicken and  the coriander leaves and a splash of lime. Serve with rice.

Good pub grub in Berks and Bucks

I have been to a few good pubs within the last month or two. I went to The Potters Arms in Winchmore Hill in Bucks, which has a small pub garden for the sunny weather and has a good menu. The landlord, Richard, is lovely and will make you feel really welcome.
Before it got hot I went there for a pork roast. The best thing about it, by far, was the long piece of crackling across it, which was perfectly crisp and salty. The pork was also good. The veggies were a little bit plain but all well cooked and tasty.
The pudding was amazing. I had the Profiterole Cheesecake, which

was so calorific! The creamy cheesecake sat underneath three cream filled profiteroles and was covered in caramel and even had cream on the side. Having a sweet tooth I finished it off no problem.

A few weeks later I went to The Cunning Man in Burghfield Bridge, near Reading. It has a huge pub garden and it was really hot and lovely. I went for the Wild Boar and Chorizo burger, which was delicious. It was a thick, well seasoned burger which made a change to the usual beef. It was served with crispy chips and was a good price at £10.95.
I also had the Eton Mess for pudding. This was a bit different as it had a strawberry mousse and icecream- I have to say I prefer the classic mix of cream, fruit and meringue. Otherwise a good spot.

I went a bit mad that weekend on the burgers and the day before I ate in Kick in Hoxton, London. It has a simple menu and I went for their homemade burger- which I have to say was surpisingly delicious. Well recommended.

Time to do some sit ups....

The joy of National Trust food

IF you have never eaten at a National Trust property- you really should try it. The food is normally fantastic. They use vegetables and fruit from their estates and source food as locally as possible. It is the best part of any National Trust visit!

I went to Hanbury Hall and Gardens next to Droitwich Spa with my friend, Rachel. This is a great house built in 1701. It was owned by the Vernon family until the middle of the last century, and it has a rich history. The rooms are beautifully kept and the grounds even more so. There are also lots of walks surrounding it.

For lunch I went for the sausage casserole with a range of vegetables from the garden. There were two tasty sausages with a really colourful display of veg- ranging from beetroot to sweet potato to carrots and celery. The potato wedges were well seasoned and thick and fluffy- a wholesome dish- reasonably priced at £6.95.

Later on we treated ourselves to a cake and I went for the Chocolate Fudge Cake. This was really well done as sometimes I find chocolate cake a little dry but it kept its moisture.

A few weeks late I went to Tyntesfield near Bristol with my other friend, Kaylee. It is a gothic Victorian mansion, which was bought by the public in 2002. It still needs a lot of work doing to it and has a ridiculous amount of objects which need to be looked after by The National Trust.

It has very dramatic furnishings and is huge! The grounds are also very big.

We went to the cafe afterwards and both of us had the same! We went for the home made pork with basil and sundried tomato and home made coleslaw (£3). The pie was delicious- with well seasoned meat and the pastry wasn’t too thick. The coleslaw was also fresh and crispy and went well with the pie.

We then treated ourself to a Cream Tea (£3.95)! It was divine- with beautiful large scones, thick raspberry jam and lovely clotted cream. My tummy felt full until bed time!

Burgers galore

If you love a good burger then The Harrow in Hughenden Valley is the place to go. It has a lovely big beer garden so on a sunny Monday afternoon my friend, Lara and I skipped down to the pub which overlooks fields and generally lovely countryside.
The menu is pretty extensive with your usual pub grub options. The burger menu is pretty big- aptly titled Burgers Galore! Love it :)
I went for the Canadian Burger (£8.75), which is locally Reared Seasons Farm Shop Pure Beef Burger with melted Monterey Jack Cheese, crispy maple cured bacon, rocky maple sauce and a caesar side salad. What a good choice this was. The beef was thick and succulent and the sweetness of the maple sauce and bacon was just divine- not too sickly sweet now- with the creamy cheese. Perfecto. The salad had huge croutons on it with a moreish dressing. Being a little piggy I also had the chips to go with it.
Lara went for the Piggy Burger (£8.00) which is home Made Seasons Farm Shop Pork Sausages with

crispy bacon. This is essentially a sausage sandwich but Lara really enjoyed it. She had the skinny fries with it, which looked better than my fat ones (food envy) and some crispy onion rings.
Excellent food at reasonable prices- I would recommmend.

The delights of Munch Street Food

ON the Bank Holiday Saturday I had the pleasure of sampling some street food in London. It was called Munch Street Food and was at The Scoop near Tower Bridge.  It was a small festival with about ten suppliers, but I still had big problems deciding what to have. In the end I went for the Chorizo Sandwich, from Azafran. It was delicious with two chorizos, and tomato salsa in a soft roll. Daisy went for Big Apple Hot Dogs. I had a bite and they were delicious. Other options were Mamas Jerk Station and toasties from Buen Provecho. For dessert I went for a delicious honeycomb cupake from the Sweet Tooth Factory. As usual with cupcakes the butter icing on top was ridiculously thick and rich and had a large piece of honeycomb. There was also some good live music to listen to with a pint.

The Hairy Bikers' best-ever banoffee pie

Being a big banoffee pie fan I was getting a bit fed up of using the same old recipe, so after seeing The

Hairy Bikers make it on their show I decided to go for this one. I personally preferred this recipe to the one I usually use, but my brother preferred the other one. This one has a good biscuit base.

Toffee filling:
115g butter
397g condensed milk

Topping:
5 ripe but firm medium bananas
450ml double cream
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
25g plain dark chocolate, coarsely grated

Biscuit base:
75g butter
300g chocolate oaty biscuits, such as Hobnobs

A 23cm loose based tart tin is needed.

Serves 12

To make the base melt the butter in a pan. Break the biscuits into chunky pieces and add to the melted butter. (I put the biscuits into a plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin).

Tip the mixture into the centre of your tin and press it firmly into the base and sides. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed, especially where the base meets the sides. Chill for 30 minutes until set.

To make the toffee filling, melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan and stir in the sugar. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter and sugar looks smooth with no oil floating to the surface. Add the condensed milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Cook for three minutes, stirring, until the mixture turns a deep, creamy caramel brown. Pour over the toffee gently onto the biscuit base and quickly smooth over the surface. Leave to chill for at least one house and up to eight hours before topping.

Just before serving, lightly whip the cream. It should stand in very soft peaks- any thicker and it will look over-whipped when mixed with the bananes. Diagonally slice four of the bananes and scatter half of them over the toffee. Fold the rest lightly into the cream and spoon gently on top.

Slice the remaining banana and put it in a bowl with the lemon juice. Toss very gently- this will stop the banan turning brown. Decorate the top with lemony banana slices, poking them into the cream randomly, then sprinkle the pie with grated chocolate or decorate with chocolate curls. Serve the pie in fairly think slices as it is very rich.

The Hairy Bikers' Everyday Fish Pie

I seem to love the Hairy Bikers recipes. They are simple and accessible, so perhaps that is why. I made this lovely fish pie for Kat and Kay when they came to stay and served it with vegetables.

The recipe is:

400ml whole milk
1 small onion, thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
500g skinned thick white fish fillets (I used a mixture of cod and smoked river cobbler)
40g butter
40g plain flour
150g frozen peas
200g large peeled prawns (I used some marinated in garlic and herb)
flaked sea salt
ground pepper

Mash topping
800g medium potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces
50g butter, cubed
3 to 5 tbsp
sea salt and pepper

For the filling, pour the milk into the pan and add the onion and bay leaves. Season. Place the fish fillets in the pan and bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand and infuse for 20 minutes. Drain the fish through a colander into a bowl, then pour the milk into a jug.

For the mash fill half a saucepan with cold water. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan to mash with the butter and milk. Season to taste. Preheat the oven to 200c, fan 180c, gas mark 6.

Now finish the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for a few seconds then gradually add the infused milk, stirring over a medium heat for three to four minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick. Stir in the peas and season with salt and pepper.

Spread a third of the sauce into the base of an ovenproof dish. Scatter half the fish fillets over the sauce, breaking them into chunky pieces and discard the onion and bay leaves. Drop half the prawns over the top and pour over another third of the sauce. Continue with the layers and finishe with the final third of the sauce.

Spoon the potato over the fish mixture and rough up the surface with a fork. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling.

This is a really tasty pie, which although produces a lot of washing up, is easy to make. Serves about 5.

For the love of lobster

FOR Sunday lunch I went to Burger and Lobster in Soho with six of my lovely pals. I had heard a lot about it so I was *excited*. There are only three options on the menu which are Lobster Roll, which is cold and served in a brioche, Lobster (grilled or steamed) and a Beef Burger with Cheese and Bacon. It was £20 for a small and £30 for a large. We mostly went for the grilled lobster option, which is served with French Fries and salad and a lemon and garlic butter.


When I was given mine I only got half a body! But once I pointed it out to the waitress it was soon replaced. It is very messy but the lobster meat was lovely, especially with the delicious butter. The fries are beautifully salted and thin and crispy and the salad was fresh and complete with croutons.

Penny went for the burger, which also looked delicious, and the burger was really thick.

The drinks are quite pricey (about £4.50 for a soft drink) but with lobster for £20 you can’t go too wrong. A discretionary 12.5% was added onto the bill which was over £20, so beware of this. We didn’t pay it all and the waitress came back to query it which was a bit embarrassing but other than that it is good value.

Afterwards we went to Patisserie Valerie and I had a double chocolate gateux with a profiterole on top. Unsurprisingly it beat me – it was delicious though. So I took it home in a cute little box for a snack later.

A pleasant end to a week of eating!