Author: Notnick

Choc Chip Cookies I

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (for pure convection, adjust accordingly; I used 310 F on convection). Grease cookie sheets, or line them with parchment paper or use a Silpat (which is what I did).
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
Mix the sugars and butter just until thoroughly mixed, then add egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until creamy. Add the sifted ingredients and mix until just blended.
Stir in the chocolate chips/chunks, then drop dough 1/4 cup at a time on a cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart, and bake for 15-17 minutes. Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool a bit when removed from the oven (this is important… they fall apart if you move them too quickly). Once they cool a few minutes, remove the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Simple Madeleines

(makes 18 – 20 mini madeleines) based on a recipe from Joy of Baking
75g Butter – melted and cool
100g Plain Flour
½ Tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
90g Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence / Orange Flower Water – to taste
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until they have doubled in size and are light and fluffy. Slowly fold in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the vanilla or orange flower water. Slowly add in the melted butter, gently folding all the time. When mixed cover the bowl and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins, the batter should be foamy and full of air. Put a dollop of the mixture into a well buttered Madeleine tray, each mould should be about 2/3 full. Place in an oven at 375F/ 190C/ GM 5 for around 7 minutes until risen, golden and shrinking away from the edges of the mould.
Leave for a few minutes and then turn out.

The Madeleines are best enjoyed when still warm and crisp on the outside. They can be stored for a day but will lose that just cooked crisp outside.

Spiced Butternut squash Soup

Spiced Butternut squash Soup

 
2 squash
1 garlic clove
1/4 pt double cream
1pt Chicken stock
1tsp ground ginger
1/2tsp cumin seed
1tsp garam masala
salt to taste
 
Slice squash into wedges oil and add cumin seeds and roast till browning and soft. Peal from skin.
Slice & fry garlic in saucepan
Add stock, and squash to pan & boil for 10 mins
Blend
Add spices & salt to taste
Add cream & serve

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This recipe is nearly fool-proof, and an absolute favourite. This, still just warm (not hot), with a dollop of icecream

The Cake bit

175g dates
175g sugar
175g SR flour
50g butter
2 eggs
1tsp bicarb soda
1/2dps vanilla essence
 

Chop dates & boil with 1/2pt water
Add bicarb & cool
Mix butter & sugar, add eggs & fold in flour.
add dates & vanilla
bake 20-25min @ 180c

Toffee sauce
200g soft brown sugar
125g butter
6tbl double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
All ingredients in a pan and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over sponge

Banana Nut muffins

These are Deird’s favourite muffin on here. They’re best made with really ripe bananas- ripe to the point of heading for the bin. If you have old bananas like that, make these, don’t bin the bananas!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1  teaspoons baking soda
big pinch of salt
2 overripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup veg oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (can replace with choc chips if you’re avoiding nuts)

Preheat oven to 200C.

Mash the 2 bananas with a fork. Add the mashed bananas with the other ingredients in to a bowl and mix together. (Add the nuts last). Put into muffin papers- filling nearly to the top of the paper, and sprinkle a little sugar on the top.They should rise well during cooking, so that they are doubled in hight, with a nice dome-top to them.

Should make about 6 or 7 muffins.

Gingernuts

50g/2oz Butter

4 tbsp Golden Syrup

50g/2oz Soft Brown Sugar

175g/6oz Self Raising Flour

1 teasp Ground Ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5 and lightly grease two baking sheets

2. Melt the butter, syrup and sugar together in a large saucepan, cool slightly then sift flour and ginger into the sugar mixture.  Mix well.

3. Place walnut size balls of the mixture well apart onto the baking sheet, flatten with the palm of your hand, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Poppy’s Cottage Pie

1 Large Onion
2-3 large carrots, diced.
500g Mince Beef
Worcestershire sauce
2 tbl tomato puree
1tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
corn-flour to thicken
2-3 large potatoes (bakers, or something floury)

Fry 1 large onion, medium diced. (whilst frying onions, peel the potatoes.) once softened and browned,
Add 500g minced beef. keep the beef and onions moving whilst the beef cooks (it helps break up the bigger bits of beef). Once all cooked through, and browned a little, add enough water to nearly cover the beef and onion. Add the carrots.
Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree 6-8 glugs of Worcestershire sauce (loads), 1 tsp white pepper,  1 tsp sugar, 1tsp salt.
Let it simmer for a few minutes, and taste for seasoning- add salt, sugar, worcestershire sauce or pasata to taste. Simmer for 15-30 minutes, until the carrots are well cooked and thicken with cornflour to make gravy.  (Add a little water when cooking if it looks like it’s getting too dry and sticky)
Boil and mash the potatoes
Make the pie, and brush with butter.
If the pie is still warm, then bake it in the hottest oven you can until the potato crisps
If making ahead, cook from cold at 180c for 30 mins