PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

SO.... my obsession with peanut butter continues - not a good thing obviously in large doses, but if you can control yourself in the food department, you are definitely on to a surefire winner here, and doing better than me.

I did make extra for the neighbours - but they've literally vanished - I knock on their door at all hours, so either they are on holiday, or they are definitely avoiding me ... hmmm.

Holly phoned me from school last week, and her obsession with peanut butter is developing nicely.  This was totally her idea, so you only have her to blame when you see the Hayes family featuring on "Too Fat to Fly" (my new favourite programme - something quite comforting eating vasts amount of cake and chocolate whilst watching someone on telly considerably larger than you - the joy!)

We are now on soft food at the moment - Max had his braces put on today, so I must embrace it, as the next time we shall be eating soft food is when my children are watching some underpaid slave in the local nursing home, chuck it at my mouth in the hope that I don't eat into their non-existent inheritance for too much longer..... (They have warned me!)

Anyway, back to the peanut butter cupcakes - TOO RIDICULOULSY GOOD -so here we go.....!

INGREDIENTS

00g unsalted butter - soft
100g crunchy peanut butter
60g smooth peanut butter
220g brown soft sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
150g plain flour
large teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3 fluid ounces milk

ICING
120g smooth peanut butter
120g crunchy peanut butter
100g cocoa powder
60g unsalted soft butter
400g icing sugar
Add milk to get to right consistency
(I added a little cooled melted dark chocolate into my piping bag - but only because it was greedy - you don't have to!)

Turn oven on to 180 degrees, and then using your hand mixer whizz the sugar, peanut butter and butter together until it's all light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and once all mixed (smell that peanut butter!), then add the vanilla essence. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl and then fold half of it in to the nutty nectar... then add the milk and the rest of the flour.

Pop them into pretty cupcake cases (or in my case cheap supermarket ones, and fill them 2/3rds full... Put the cupcake cases into baking trays with holes in them.  Then, bake in the centre of the oven for about 10 or so minutes (they may need 15 mins, but just keep a beady eye on them)..

Meanwhile, whizz up all the icing ingredients, and try not to eat too much, as trust me, it makes you want to reach for maternity wear.  If you have a piping bag, then you can do magic things on the top of your cooled cupcakes, but if you don't possess one, then just spread it on thickly.

Holly and Mike also made almond and chocolate macaroon's yesterday (the result of too many late nights and too many lazy afternoon's..) I will post them tomorrow .... but didn't want them to outdo me tonight..



Have a good Monday ...

I did do a double take at Tesco's tonight - this should spice up your night!

xxx

PUMPKIN AND CHOC CHIP LOAF

PUMPKIN AND CHOC CHIP LOAF

I know, I know, you are all done with Halloween... and I'm way too late with this recipe - but if you don't have any pumpkin flesh left over for for your seasonal soup, then you can substitute a cup of pumpkin for some variety of squash, and it will taste just as delicious..
Although, for all you Americano's - there is always Thanksgiving to prepare for...
Couldn't post a pumpkin recipe without showing you the carving we did for Max (he's about to have braces next week, so we just thought we'd show him how best to wear them)..

This is a sort of breakfast loaf, but can be eaten as cake for tea, or pudding for after supps, or just snacking in general... (even at 4.30am on a Saturday morning, when you find yourself still talking nonsense).

I made two - one for the neighbours, (kind of wanting it back now), and one for us... thank god that my brilliant cousin and her man, who are eating for 3, appeared impromptu on Sunday morning, along with a  whole host of terribly hungover guests, and finished the remaining crumbs as a pre-amble to bacon, eggs, black pud (all courtesy of the Ginger Pig) - cooked up by THE Mikey Hayes himself.

Being a Halloweeny, Thanksgivingy sort of recipe.. I have measured out the ingredients in cups - so all very easy if you have no scales to hand..

INGREDIENTS

Half a pack of butter (Half a cup)
1 1/4 cup caster sugar
3 large eggs (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pureed pumpkin flesh (or if not - you can buy canned - or use squash)
1 3/4 plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
Half tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin spice (impossible to find - but just mix equal quantities of cinammon, ginger, nutmeg and all spice)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup choc chips (dark or milk)
3/4 cup bashed up walnuts and pecans

Grease a loaf tin (actually this makes two - so obviously one at a time if you only have one).  I put baking paper on the bottom, but if you grease it well, it should be fine..
Turn oven on to 180 deg.
Mix the butter and sugar until all creamy (best with a hand mixer) and then add the eggs slowly, and then the vanilla extract and the pumpkin.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and spices.

Blend both bowls of ingredients together, I add the dry to the wet.. but do it slowly, then you can add the milk, the choc chips and the nuts.

If you think it may be a little too runny, I add a bit extra of self raising flour, but I have played about with the quantities, and I think it should be okay.

I mean, seriously, how easy is that? Definitely worth a go..

Pour evenly into both loaf tins, and cook in the centre of the oven for about 50- 60 mins.  Check with a skewer - and if it comes out clean, you know it's done.

Cool for 10 or so mins, and then remove loaf from pan - THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST EATEN HOT STRAIGHT FROM THE OVEN - it's all in the timing I say.

Eaten with or without lashings of butter.

Anyway, I've had a slightly exhausting weekend, half term has come to an end (I mean, it's been weeks) - and I'm thinking of pouring myself an extra large glass of vino to celebrate normality resuming.  If only I had more cake... I must send Mike over to have a serious word with the neighbours,

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)

GRILLED COURGETTE SALAD - WITH LEMON, GARLIC, CHILLI AND MINT

GRILLED COURGETTE SALAD - WITH LEMON, GARLIC, CHILLI AND MINT..

This is a super healthy and really beautiful looking salad - I've been eating far too much meat lately, and last night was no different, but if I can pile my plate full of salad first, then at least that makes me feel a bit healthier - Last night, Annika and Tim were staying again (always a joy obviously, apart from the police helicopter trying to catch a lunatic hovering over our house ALL night).. We were all downstairs again by 4 am, and quite tempted to open another bottle - but luckily good sense prevailed...)

INGREDIENTS (for 6)

4 courgettes (sliced lengthways - about 4 slices per courgette)
Juice of 2 lemons, and zest of 1
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
Roughly chopped mint
Extra virgin olive oil

Optional Extras - raw broad beans/peas/goats cheese/parma ham

I went for the broad bean option, as they were the only thing I had in the freezer.

So, when all else is nearly ready, it will take about 5 minutes to prepare this... Once you've sliced the courgettes, then heat a griddle with some olive oil on (no worries if you don't have one, it's only to get the fancy markings on them).  Be really careful not to overcook them, as we don't like limp things in our house, and they will go limp and soggy if you leave them too long...
So just a few minutes on either side is all you need to do... they barely need to cook...
and then lay them as pretty as you like on a platter.
If you are adding raw broad beans or peas etc, then add them to the courgettes now before you drizzle anything on top..
Then you can scatter the chopped garlic and chilli over the courgettes etc... don't panic about raw garlic and chilli - because once you add the lemon juice and the mint, this lessens the impact of the garlic and chilli.
Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and then sprinkle with roughly chopped mint.
Then a little lemon zest, salt and pepper and you are good to go...

THE SUN IS OUT AND WE NEED TO CELEBRATE... So, once you've eaten a nice healthy salad - we had it with slow cooked roast lamb, rhubarb compote (hmmmm - I was rhubarb crazy yesterday) and new potatoes... I highly recommend eating an entire family pack of Revels and a box of Ferrero Roche, washed down with gallons of wine and rhubarb crumble and custard - literally....

SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPER - RATATOUILLE WITH A TWIST

RATATATOUILLE - BUT NOT REALLY

It is actually really difficult to describe this dish... all I know is that I have now made it twice in 4 days, as it is just delicious.  Ratatouille doesn't do it justice... and you can basically use what's left in your fridge after a busy week... but the ingredients below work a treat, so good to follow them.  I've been a little quiet on the blog front... it's been birthday madness (which I also share with my father and cousin, so we need at least a week to celebrate), and I can safely say I think I need a holiday very very soon....

INGREDIENTS
100 ml olive oil
2 small red onions - chopped
5 garlic cloves - chopped
2 small red peppers - chopped
3/4 butternut squash - peeled and chopped (approx 3cm squares)
1 aubergine - peeled, chopped (approx 3cm squares)
1 parsnip - peeled and chopped (approx 3cm square)
200g green beans
1 courgette - chopped (3cm square)
1 potato - peeled and chopped (3cm)
packet of small tomatoes
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tbsp tomato puree
salt/pepper
chopped coriander (for garnish)

Put half of oil in pan, and cook onions and peppers for 5 mins, then add butternut squash and parsnip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Once that's done, then take them out and put aside in a bowl.  Add the rest of the oil back in the pan, wait till it is hot and then cook the green beans, courgette and aubergine for 5 minutes - stir every now and again.

Put the onions, squash and parsnip back into the pan, along with the garlic.  Then add the potato, tomatoes, sugar, tomato puree, and loads of salt and pepper.  Stir well and then add  boiling water to the pan to half cover the veg.

Put a lid on it (something Mike tells me regularly!) and leave to simmer for half an hour over a low/medium heat. Taste it to check you have enough salt and pepper in it.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, and then transfer it all into an ovenproof dish (or, like me, you can put your frying pan in the oven - saves on the washing up).

Cook for another half an hour in the oven... (I added chilli to my first attempt, but both Mike and Max went bright red, and I had to eat it alone - so that is up to you)  On my second attempt, I left out the chilli, and everyone got stuck in...

When out of the oven, garnish with coriander - and serve with rice if you fancy - or noodles... or nothing..

Ana (my very very good friend and partner... (that always leaves people guessing!) cooked this the other day, so I should be honest and say that it is her recipe - but she poached a few eggs on the top a few minutes before serving... and that was amazing - a perfect sunday night supps,

I am about to make salted caramel brownies (ready for the onslaught of 2 speech days this Saturday) so get your healthy stuff in now, because it's about to get messy...
Plus, little bit nervous about Hugo's leavers ball on Saturday night - I've never thought children and adults should be at the same party, my kids never seem to approve - (should it be the other way round?)

Anyway.... eat and be merry...