CHOCOLATE OREO BROWNIES

CHOCOLATE OREO BROWNIES

Sometimes you have just got to go for it, forget the thighs and the tummy, and indulge yourself - especially as it's still half term and there's time for the kids to eat the crumbs from your table - I had to box up a load and send them off to Hugo, as I knew there would be trouble ahead if I kept the whole batch at home.  He's keeping them under lock and key.

INGREDIENTS

275g soft unsalted butter (cut into little pieces)
375g caster sugar
4 large eggs (beaten)
75g cocoa
100g self raising flour
200g milk/dark/white chocolate - broken or bashed into little pieces
2 packs of oreo cookies
100g pecans (roughly chopped)

Put the oven on at 180 degrees.
In a bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa and soft butter, and mix all together.  Add the beaten egg slowly (use a food mixer to make life easier) or one of those hand held whizzers.  Once it is all mixed together and tastes and looks beautiful, then mix in all your chocolate chunks (no need for melting in this recipe) - you could add Terry's choc orange or anything with a different flavour to add a bit of craziness or extra crunch to it.  Crush one packet of your Oreo's - with a rolling pin, and then add this to your mixture too.  Don't crush too much, you don't want a whole load of tiny crumbs.  Then add the nuts (you don't have to use Pecans, but they are my favourite.)


How good does that look?

Pour the mixture into a well greased and baking sheeted lined tin, make sure it is spread nice and evenly, and then break up the other packet of oreos and randomly press them into the top of the mixture before baking.

Cook for about 45 minutes, and when you think they are just about done, take the tin out of the oven, but keep it in there for at least half an hour.  If you think they are really too soft before you take them out of the oven - cover with tin foil and cook for a further 10 minutes.

I only have pictures of them before they went into the oven, because they were attacked before I had managed to take them out of the tin.

I wanted to do a pumpkin and choc chip loaf recipe for you.... but feel that you've already probably binned your pumpkin flesh - but if you haven't, do not throw it away and I will post it later anyway - perfect accompaniment (spell check please) for your soup - or toasted with butter for your halloween tea.

SMOKED HADDOCK AND CHIVE OMELETTE

SMOKED HADDOCK AND CHIVE OMELETTE

Yes, yes I know Tom Kerridge did do a version on the telly last night - but I promise I made it first - (and mine definitely looked better) so he must have been round the corner inhaling the aroma of my kitchen (I really must have a word).

This is a perfect Sunday night delight, and nothing better after a full feast during the day.  Something to do while all about you are obsessed with Downton, and the nights are drawing in....

So, the easiness of an omelette, when you're not sure how many you're feeding is a joy..

I seem to have them coming and going at irregular intervals at the moment  -  one child off camping for 4 days on some hideous Duke of Edinburgh scheme, in the thick of a storm  (I did help him pack, and feel mildly guilty that I packed him a coat by mistake instead of a sleeping bag - I am guessing he can stick his legs in the arm holes - right?) Anyway.. moving on... at least Holly is back from swanning around Barcelona looking at the most expensive Art College's she can find (she's managing incredibly well).. and Hugo, we haven't seen since he vanished into the thick of Fresher's week, about a month ago.... so, basically the omelette was just for us... so this is a recipe for TWO (hurray!!)

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs (I need the strength for the week ahead)
1 red onion
2 or 3 smoked haddock fillets
A big bunch of chives
Half a pot of creme fraiche
Half a handful of strong grated cheese
Tsp paprika
Tsp cayenne pepper
Salt/Pepper
Sprinkle of parmesan

Generally it's 3 eggs per person (and if you can't finish it, fine, but best to have more rather than less... don't you think?)
Pop the haddock fillet in a bowl with a little milk, salt and pepper; and cook in the oven for about 10-15 mins, until a little flaky.  Meanwhile, chop the onion, and fry in a pan until fairly soft.  Beat the eggs, and add the salt/pepper and creme fraiche in a bowl, and then pour this mix all over the onion (making sure this is done on a medium heat).  Add the flaky haddock (remove the skin first, and drain the milk), and then add the grated cheese and the chives and the spices.
Turn the grill on!
When you think the bottom has cooked (and not burnt)... then remove from the top and add the parmesan... then place the pan under the grill to finish it off  - and serve with a lovely fresh green salad.
You can't beat this for an easy light supper, and you've still got room to scoff plenty of chocolate, as I'm sure you deserve! (Actually, I had a spare moment on Sunday afternoon, and it was a choice between making Christmas pudding or CHOCOLATE OREO BROWNIES - which I will be posting next, as they are ridiculously delicious and I think I may have eaten all of them).
This little beauty, though,  literally takes minutes and is truly delicious, and not a bad idea to break away from the meat feast that the men in my life are constantly demanding..

I now have to wait till next Sunday for a repeat performance.

I didn't properly see the way Tom cooked his, but bound not to be a patch on this little gem..

I DO KNOW THIS PHOTO DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE - BUT HAVE SOME FAITH!

AUBERGINE WITH TAHINI AND YOGHURT

AUBERGINE WITH YOGHURT, TAHINI AND GARLIC

So... Am not sure if you read my yesterday's recipe with the 3 green bean salad... but if you did, you would know that some sort of cook off occurred last night at the P's house...
We bought a fillet and ribeye steak from our local 3 butchers.... Moens, Ginger Pig and Dove's (I know - some would say too much meat for 4 of us, but we would disagree..)  We couldn't actually choose a winner from our two favourites - so the top 2 were unanimously the ribeye from Moens (but slightly heavier on the price) and the fillet from Ginger Pig (definitely my best - god it was good, and cooked to perfection - you clever man, I do love you!)

But every good piece of meat needs a rather tasty side dish to compliment it - and I LOVE aubergine... so I rustled this little number up.  It is a really old recipe of mine, and I haven't made it for ages, but it's definitely making a well deserved comeback.....

INGREDIENTS - for 4

2 large aubergines
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbsp tahini paste
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Half a pot of yoghurt (about 250g)
A couple of tsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
Sesame seeds
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
salt/pepper
Coriander for garnish

Slice the aubergines and put in a preheated oven (around 180 deg) with some olive oil, check on them after about 10 mins and stir them around.  They will need about 25 minutes, maybe half an hour - you want them really soft and slightly mushy.  Before you take them out, scatter the finely chopped garlic over them, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more.

Once out, put them in a serving dish. In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt, tahini, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice, lemon zest, ginger, salt and pepper - and once mixed, add it to the slightly cooled aubergine ..
Fry the sesame seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes and then sprinkle on the top - and then add the fresh coriander for garnish.  Voila!

Easy and tasty.... exactly how I like it , but just so you know, I didn't have any coriander yesterday, so the photo isn't 100% true to the recipe -

You can eat this warm or cold the next day...

Always leave a little space for choc later- or not if you have some late night surprise guests who relieved me of my entire chocolate drawer...
Thanks Bron, you both are more than welcome anytime!

AUTUMNAL GREEN BEAN SALAD

AUTUMNAL 3 GREEN BEAN SALAD - FOR 4

So... my idea of an autumnal (spell check please) salad, is one that you could eat cold in the summer, hot in the winter, and sort of somewhere inbetween for the autumn, just to ease you in gently to those looming months ahead - when eating cold food is just not an option.

I thought I would go salad today, as I seem to have a MASSIVE meat feast ahead of me tonight... we are buying steaks from Ginger Pig, and Mr and Mrs P are buying theirs from Moens - and we are having a cook off - who will win?  I shall report back with results of where you can purchase the best steaks from Clapham.

But quite honestly, after last night at The Dairy, when I think we had to order the whole menu just to satisfy my insatiable hunger, I probably don't need to eat for a week.

So with this salad, I thee wed - it is delicious, can be knocked up in seconds, you don't need any dressing, just a little toss will do the job .... (to combine all the flavours of the seeds, herbs, spices).

INGREDIENTS

250g French beans
250g mangetout
250g broad beans (or in my case - peas)
2tsp coriander seeds (crushed with pestle and mortar)
2 tsp mustard seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
Small red onion - finely chopped
1 mild fresh chilli - deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
grated zest of large lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
A scattering of chard/lettuce leaves (optional)
sea salt


Boil some salted water.. and add the french beans/mange tout - for no longer than 3-4 minutes.  You want them still crunchy. Once drained, dab them with kitchen roll so they aren't damp, but keep the boiling water and add the peas for about 1 minute (no more!).  Add the peas to the other beans and put in a nice salad bowl/plate.

Put the crushed up coriander seeds, mustard and oil in a small saucepan and heat up. Once they start popping, pour them over the beans in the bowl.  Toss together, and then add the nigella seeds, red onion, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and tarragon, and a little salt to taste.

Just before you serve, you can gently fold in the extra leaves if you so wish.

See! So quick, and a real little pleasure on a plate!

Ps....

my little must see of the week - Sunshine On Leith - a joy (but only if you're not sitting next to Clapham's No1 nutcase)

LAMB AND SPINACH WELLINGTONS

LAMB AND SPINACH WELLINGTONS

So, I kind of thought I had baked enough cakes for a bit, (although Reece's peanut butter cheesecake is sounding so ridiculously tempting - or Twix tray bake kind of tickles my fancy too), but I have to wait until I have some more people round before I commit culinary suicide, so I am concentrating on a fine savoury dish instead...

We are only allowed to eat lamb when Holly is not in the house; for some reason she's taken a huge disliking to it, although with hunger pans and her eyes shut, it generally slips down a treat...
She would have been a vegetarian in her younger years, but realised she didn't like vegetables, so the whole thing became rather awkward.  Anyway, back to the lamb...

They are a little special these, so no need to knock them up on a quiet Monday night (unless of course, you are hoping for a new dress, and then a bit of spoiling goes a long way).  But whatever the occasion, they are a bit of an effort, but look and taste totally delicious...

I use lean lamb neck fillets, because it is tasty AND cheap, but if you are feeling flash, then go for tenderloin as it is slightly more flavoursome , and some may say a bit more tender...

INGREDIENTS  (FOR 4)

150g chestnut mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion
4 anchovy fillets
3 tbsp olive oil
2 x 300g tenderloin lamb (or equivalent in neck fillet)
1 tbsp English mustard
A bag of VERY LARGE spinach leaves
500g block puff pastry (or make your own)
1  beaten egg
plain flour for dusting - so your pastry doesn't stick to the damn table

Put the oven on at about 200 degrees.

Whizz the mushrooms, garlic, onion and anchovies in a food processor to make a rough paste, then put a couple of tbsp olive oil in a pan and add the mushroom paste, and cook it over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Once it's cooked, then pop it in a sieve, and leave over a bowl while you are doing everything else.

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a pan over a high heat, and fry the lamb (season it first with salt and pepper) for a couple of minutes on each side until it's browned.  Leave to rest for 10 minutes.  Then, cut the lamb in half (widthways), and brush each side with english mustard.

Place a sheet of baking paper on the table, and lay 3 or so large spinach leaves to form a square (around 15cm) - This recipe does get a bit mathsy, so if you always sat in the back of the maths class in Div 4, then you may need your small child to help you out.


Spread a quarter of the mushroom paste over the spinach, and pop the mustard covered, browned lamb on the top.  Use the baking paper to roll and wrap the lamb in the spinach, and then repeat until they have all been done, and you've used up all the paste.

Now for the pastry, and all the technical mathsy stuff...

Dust the surface with flour, and roll out the pastry to around a 25cm x 50cm rectangle. Cut in half widthways so you have 2 x 25cm squares (I did warn you)... then cut each square into quarters (okay all done).

Put each wrapped lamb piece on a pastry square, and brush the edges with the egg, so when you put another pastry square on top of it, you can press down the sides together so they stick, and all the edges are sealed.  Then cover the top with the beaten egg too, and sprinkle a little pepper on the top.


Pop the parcels on the baking sheet, and bake for about 17 minutes until they are golden.  Remove from the oven and serve to your very favourite people..... best with peas and glugs of red wine ...

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY BAKED CHEESECAKE

BAKED WHITE CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

So... with Hugo returning from the Far East last week, and then packed off to begin a whole new chapter of his life on Sunday, I wanted to make him something that I know he loves... so I nicked the recipe from right under my mother-in-laws nose.  Doesn't it annoy you, that as a parent, you can try and try and try, but when the chips are down, all they actually want are Granny's cheesecake, Grandma's roast potatoes, and other Grandma's chocolate puddings? (I know - we are greedy, they have 3 grandmothers)....THEY ARE SPOILT FOR CHOICE, and I have tough competition.

This is simply delicious and it can stay in the fridge for at least 4 days winking at you, and giving you that come-hither look, as it does just get better and better, so best eat it all at once probably, and then you can't be tempted for the rest of the week...

It's also good to know, that if a load of your daughter's unexpected friends descend on your house at 3am on a Sunday morning, it is far better for them to tuck into cheesecake than an array of unheard of cocktails - so always be prepared I say!

INGREDIENTS

900g philadelphia cream cheese (I use the light, just to make me feel better)

2 large eggs

200g melted butter

250g crushed digestives (or chocolate ones if you fancy)

350g raspberries

300g white chocolate chips/buttons

3 tsp vanilla extract

115g caster sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

115ml double cream

Turn on the oven to 180 degrees, then the music and get cooking..

Mix the melted butter and crushed digestive biscuits in a pan, sometimes I add a little golden syrup, just to make sure that the biscuit base doesn't crumble when you cut into it later.  Once it's all mixed, press down in a spring form cake tin (one with a bottom that you can remove... wouldn't that be good), and when you have pressed it down, and it's all compact, then put in the oven for about 10 mins and take out to cool... then turn oven up to 200 degrees.

Mix the sugar, cornflour and philadelphia with a spoon, then if you have one of those hand electric mixers, now's the time to put it to use.  Beat the ingredients on high speed until it's properly mixed, then add the beaten eggs and the vanilla extract.  Now, really slowly, add the double cream until it has become a rather tasty, thick vanilla cream.  If you're not finding it is thick enough, and you are worried, you can add a little more cornflour, but it should be completely fine. So, when you are happy, you can then stir in the choccie chips and the raspberries.  If you like it a little fruitier, you can add a few more raspberries (not too many though!).

Pour onto the base, which should be ready for you on the side, and then put into the oven for around 1 hour.  If it's looking too brown on the top, cover with tin foil for a bit - but just check every now and again, it should be fine.  The way you can tell if it's done, is give it a little wobble - too much wobble means more time.  Or, you could stick a skewer/cocktail stick inside and if it comes out covered with runny hot stuff, get it back in quick..

When you are kind of convinced it's ready, then take it out of the oven, but LEAVE in the tin for hours before you take it out - otherwise it will collapse.  So, make it in the morning, let it cool, put it in the fridge (still in it's tin for the rest of the day), and then just before you serve the perfect cheesecake at supper time, wriggle it out of it's tin, dust it with icing sugar (if you have any), pop a few raspberries on the top and tuck right in.

My pictures are again a bit rubbish, but only because I had 5 people shouting at me to get the bloody thing on the table - it was delicious, but was it as good as the way Granny cooked it? Hmmm, let's just say, that in order not to cause a huge stink, they stayed very quiet.

PS:  MY FAVOURITE THING AT THE MOMENT IS FENNEL -  I know that it doesn't go with cheesecake, but I will surprise you with a really tasty twist on it later on in the week...



PPS: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST EVER STREET FOOD - THEN LOOK NO FURTHER - I have literally chased him round the country for the last few years, and eventually tracked him down at Kerb's first street food birthday in Kings Cross last Friday - YEAH... I can't find his link but he is called Jahl Muri - Calcutta street food at its most brilliant, star of Rick Stein in India, and at last, I am at peace

CINNAMON PECAN STICKY BUNS

HOT STICKY DELICIOUSLY SWEET PECAN BUNS 

AT LAST - I have thrown away the bathers, summer is well and truly behind us ... the lazy days of eating freshly caught fish from the sea, sipping chilled rose while watching the kids wrestle with sharks will have to wait for another year... but more importantly, we can all forget the hideous idea of squeezing ourselves in and out of that teeny weeny itsy bitsy bit of clothing, we can cover ourselves up in massive coats and jumpers and FEAST on anything we desire - and no one will ever know what is lurking beneath -  there has to be some advantage living here surely?

So, with that in mind, I made these delicious hot sticky, incredibly bad for you creations (and actually missed out on a mystery date because of them... but that's a whole nother story).  I made them for Rachel's Macmillan coffee morning last Friday, which by the time I had arrived at 8.30am , she had already gathered a cool 2 grand - brilliant.  I made a rather tasty coffee and walnut cake too, so shall put that one up later if it tickles the taste buds..

Anyway, I am delighted to be back writing my blog, I have missed it, and have sooo many recipes from the summer to share and loads more in my head to get us through the lead up to the C word... plus Hugo gets back from his travels on Thursday before he leaves to Uni on Sunday - so the banquets shall begin...


One last quick note - a few local excitements ... The Ginger Pig Butcher has just opened on Abbeville Road _ I have been in there at least 8 times already, and if my hair colour was any different, then there would be a picture of me on the window...

Plus.. and far more importantly - CHECK OUT THE VERY VERY HOT NEW BARISTA AT LE BOULANGER (Abbeville Road)  I mean, seriously, how much coffee can a girl drink...
Definitely hot buns that would compete with these!


CINNAMON PECAN STICKY BUNS

DOUGH
450g strong white strong flour
50g caster sugar
85g butter, cut into small pieces
7g sachet dried yeast
2 eggs, beaten
150ml full-fat milk
Olive oil (just for greasing tin)

FILLING
2 tsp ground cinnamon
85g light brown sugar
100g pecans

TOPPING
125g melted butter, plus a little extra
150ml maple syrup
75g light brown sugar
100g pecans

Place the flour, sugar and 1tsp salt in a mixing bowl, and rub the pieces of butter together until it is like breadcrumbs.  Pop in the yeast and beaten eggs, and then pour in the milk, and mix until you get a soft dough.  You might need to add a little more milk (I did).  If you have a food mixer, throw it all in there, and attach a dough hook and then you can leave it for about 7-8 minutes, but if you don't, it's a little more of a bore, and you have to knead it for about 15 or so minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and springy.  Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film (or tea towel) and leave to rise in a warmish place for about an hour (or go to a party, forget about it for a while, and deal with it after a few glasses of wine)... Anyway, make sure it's at least doubled in size before you resume play.

Make filling, by placing the cinnamon, sugar and pecans in a food whizzer until the nuts are finely ground. Punch down the dough to knock out the air and then split it in two.  Roll and stretch out two rectangles (about 30 x 40 cm each).

Melt the butter (for the topping), brush over each rectangle, then sprinkle half the filling nutty mixture over each half and press it deeply into the dough - use a rolling pin to roll it over just so it's not loose on the top.  Tightly roll each rectangle (from the long side) to a long sausage shape - then pinch the ends together to seal them.  Cut each sausage into about 10 pieces (you can actually freeze these at this stage for up to a month)..

Cue instagram photo...

Now, brush two or three baking trays, (depending how vast your oven is), with melted butter.  Mix the maple syrup and sugar into the remaining butter and then pour this over the bottom of each baking tray (at this point I think I had had a few glasses - so I was just pouring huge amounts of sloppy sticky stuff everywhere I could see).  Swirl the mixture around the bottom of the trays so it is all covered, and then sprinkle with the pecans.  Put the rolls on the tray, with at least a 2cm gap between each, ready for expansion of the buns (something that will happen to you after you've scoffed the lot),  Cover with clingfilm again, and leave in a warm place for about another 30 minutes (patience!).

Heat oven to 180 degrees, take the cling film off and bake for around 30 mins until the buns are lightly browned and feel firm... serve warm with the sticky side up .....

YUM!!