Millionaire Shortbread (V)

So caramel week last week and only managed to get this recipe up because I have been busy but you will be getting 3 recipes in a week, you lucky, lucky people. 

I have loved Millionaire Shortbread and would sometimes get those tubs with 20 bites of them. Thought during caramel week, why not give it a go.

Makes:24-28 Bites

Shortbread

225g Plain Flour

125g Butter

75g Caster Sugar

Caramel

150g Butter, cubed

100g Golden Syrup

1 Can of 379g condensed milk

Chocolate

200g Dark Chocolate

100g Milk Chocolate

50g White Chocolate

1. The Shortbread - Preheat the oven to 150c/140c fan assisted. Cover a 20cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Mix the plain flour and butter together. Either use a food processor or by hand. Should look like crumbs. Then add the sugar. Combine. Place in the cake tin and press down. I used my second cake tin's removable bottom to press down so it was more compact. Bake the shortbread for 30 minutes or until light golden brown colour. Leave to cool in the cake tin. 

2. The Caramel - Melt the butter in the pan and mix in the golden syrup and heat through on a medium heat. Then add the condensed and stir (don't stop stirring throughout). When combined. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. It should thicken up. Leave to boil for about 5 minutes. To see if it will set, get a bowl of cold water and take a bit of mixture in the pan and drop in bowl. If it hardens up then its finished. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly then pour on top of the shortbread. Leave to cool. 

3. The Chocolate - Set up two Bain Maries (This is a pan of boiling water with a bowl on top). Place the milk and dark chocolate in one bowl. Then in another bowl melt the white chocolate. Melt both chocolates until they are runny. Take off heat and pour the dark/milk chocolate mixture first. Make sure the caramel has solidified first. Then add drops of the white chocolate. Take a toothpick and swirl the white chocolate back and forth across the pan. To make a swirl effect. Leave to cool completely.








4. The Finale - Push the Millionaire Shortbread out using the removable bottom. Them remove the greaseproof paper. You should get defined layers and begin to cut into pieces. Use a sharp knife to minimise breakage. Enjoy!

Sticky Toffee Pudding (V)

You should know this one. As soon as you mention the name it makes your mouth water. Follow this simple recipe and enjoy something sticky, sweet and incredibly naughty.

Serves 6- 8

250g Dates, chopped

250ml Boiling Water

200g Self Raising Flour, plus extra for greasing

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Large Eggs

100ml Whole Milk

125g Unsalted Butter, cubed at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

150g Dark Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Black Treacle

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/Essence/Extract

Toffee Sauce

50g Unsalted Butter

175g Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Black Treacle

250ml Double Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Grease a 2lb Loaf tin with the butter and flour so the sticky toffee pudding comes out easier. Soak the dates in the boiling water for 30 minutes so the fruit plumps up.

2. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl mix the flour and bicarb of soda. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and milk, mix until combined.

3. In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the treacle and combine. Add the treacle mixture to the flour mixture and mix until fully combined. 

4. Drain the dates and add the vanilla and mash them up. Add these to the pudding mixture. It should give a light brown colour. Tip into loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Should be cooked through. 

4. While the pudding is baking in the oven, make the toffee sauce. In a small pan. Melt the butter over a medium heat. Then once melted, add the sugar and black treacle and stir. Gradually add the cream while stirring. Allow it to bubble away for a couple of minutes and take off the heat. 

Tips:

- Make in advance and warm the sauce in the pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes and the pudding in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.

- OR cheat by taking a slice and drizzling the toffee sauce and putting in microwave for about 30 seconds.

Toffee Sauce

Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

Days are getting shorter and colder. We need to warm our bellies and this dish delivers.

Serves 6

Before cooking

1 tbsp Plain Flour
1 Onion, chopped
1 Red Pepper, Chopped
2 Red Chillies, de seeded and roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
500g Mince Beef
400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
600ml Beef Stock
1 tsp Smoked Paprike
1 tsp Chilli Powder (strength your own choice, I used Hot)
1 tsp Cumin
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
400g Can Red Kidney Beans
50g Dark Chocolate
Olive Oil

1. Turn your slow cooker on. If you want to cook for longer put on low. If you want a quicker cook turn to high. If there is a removeable hob safe dish take out and put on hob with a bit of olive oil over a medium heat. If not use a frying pan. Add the onion and mince beef. Leave in til the meat begins to brown and the onion soften. Put the pan back in the slow cooker or add the frying pan contents to the slow cooker.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the chocolate and season. Give a stir. And leave for the following

-Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. 30 Minutes before end add the dark chocolate and stir. Leave for 30 minutes. Serve with rice or other side you would like. Can be stored and eaten later. Allow time to cool before putting in containers and storing in Fridge or Freezer.

After Cooking

Serving Suggestion

Salted Caramel (V)

It was caramel week on the bake off so I tried my hand at salted caramel. Plus this was used in another recipe.

200g Granulated Sugar
100g Salted Butter
150ml Double Cream
1 tsp Salt

1. Get a pan and put over a high heat on the hob add the granulated sugar and stir (never leave it and don't stop stirring, otherwise it will burn). Use a heat resistant spatula.

2. The sugar should begin to go golden brown and then eventually turn into a liquid. This will take some time and effort.  Once it does add the butter and keep stirring. It will spit so be careful. Reduce to a medium high heat. And stir until combined.

3. Then gradually introduce the cream. When all the cream has been added allow to boil for a minute. Then add the salt and give a final stir. Leave to cool before putting in a container.

Serving Suggestions

: Ice Cream, Apple Pie, Cookies. Literally anything you want.

Cider Battered Fish, Wedges and Mushy Peas

Enjoy this on a Friday! Or a Saturday or even Sunday if you don't want to cook a roast. It's up to you. If you want to cook for more people increase everything apart from the Sunflower oil.

Serves 1

Fish

175g Self Raising Flour

25g Cornflour

150ml Cider

1 Fillet of Sustainable White Fish (I used Plaice)

Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp Self Raising Flour
600ml Sunflower Oil

Wedges

1 Large Potato

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ tsp Dry Mint

½ tsp Dry Rosemary

Salt and Pepper

Mushy Peas

Mug of Frozen

2 New potatoes, cut in half

Hanful of Fresh Mint, chopped

Knob of Butter

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted. To make the batter, sift the 175g Self Raising Flour and cornflour into a mixing bowl. Then gradually introduce the cider while whisking. You should have a thick consistency. Leave to prepare the rest of the meal.

2. Cut the potato into wedges. Par boil in a pan for 5 minutes. Then drain, add the oil, herbs and salt and pepper and shake in the pan. Then tip onto a baking tray. Cook for 40 minutes in the oven. Turn after 20 minutes.

3. For the peas. Boil the new potatoes and peas in a pan until cooked. In a deep pan add the sunflower oil and heat up to 200c. If you haven't got a thermometer drop a bit of batter in the pan and it should start to cook when dropped in the pan.

4. Put 2 tbsp of Self Raising Flour on a plate and cover the fish with the flour. Give the batter another stir. Then dip the fish in batter. Add to the pan with the sunflower oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the fish is golden brown all over. Place (Plaice get it) on paper towel so the excess oil comes off.

5. Mash the peas with mint, butter and bit of salt and pepper. Plate all parts of the meal on the plate and enjoy with a good cider.

Banana and Chocolate Loaf (V)

I have been experimenting to get this bread right for soooo long and think I have it. The Banana isn't overpowering and compliments the chocolate well. Light and such a delight to have with a cup of tea.

Makes 1 Loaf

You can smell the banana and chocolate

2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
100g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

100g Milk Chocolate Chips

200g Plain Flour

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 tbsp Whole Milk

150g Caster Sugar

Topping

2 tbsp Cocoa powder

125g Icing Sugar

45g Butter, softened at room temperature

5-6 tbsp Whole Milk
Handful of Banana chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/150c fan assisted. Line a 2lb Loaf tin with greaseproof paper. 

2. Cream butter and sugar, then add the eggs, bananas and milk and give a mix until combined. 

3. Then mix the bicarbonate of soda, flour, and baking powder. Mix then add the chocolate chips. Then add the 2 tbsp of cocoa powder.

4, Once combined pour into loaf tin. Bake for 55 min to 1 hour.

5 While that is in the oven, make the topping of the loaf. First sift the cocoa powder, icing sugar into a bowl. Then add the butter and 1 tbsp of milk. Whisk (manual or electric) and gradually add the milk until you get a smooth spreadable mixture. If too thin add icing or cocoa powder and it too thick add milk.

6. Blitz the banana chips in a blender until a powder.

7. Once the loaf is finished allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes then move onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled spread the cocoa icing on top. Then top with banana chip powder. Then put in container and put in fridge to allow icing to thicken slightly. Take to bake sale or enjoy a slice with a cup of tea.

Great for bake sales!

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup (V)

Days are getting colder and we need to keep warm. This is a very good recipe to take to work and it's simple to make. Make it on the Sunday and it can last you for the month.  Or maybe have as a starter.

Serves: 5/6 Servings of Soup

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 celery stalked, roughly chopped

20g Basil, roughly chopped

1kg Tomatoes

1 Carrot, chopped

100ml Single Cream
Knob of Butter

Salt and Pepper

2 Pints Vegetable Stock

1, In a deep large pan melt the butter and soften the onions, garlic, celery and carrot. This should take a couple of minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir and heat through for a minute. Then add the stock to the pan, increase the heat so it boils. Once it begins to boil reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on and leave for 10-15 minutes, until everything is softened.

3. Take a hand blender and blend until everything is smooth. Add the cream and blend. Taste and season if needed.

Work: If having for lunch leave to cool completely and put in microwave containers. At work, put in a microwave to warm for a minute stir then heat for a further minute. Take a crusty roll into work to dip.

Starter: Serve immediately, drizzle with single cream and top with basil leaves. Have with some crusty bread

If you need something to take soup into work I would recommend these:

Dark Chocolate, Orange and Ginger Biscuits

As the seasons change so does my baking. These are three different flavours but work well together. Give them a go and share them with your friends

Makes 36-40 Biscuits

150g Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes

175g Golden Caster Sugar

Juice and Zest of 1 Large Orange

2 tsp Ground Ginger

2 level tsp of Baking Powder

350g Plain flour shifted

100g Dark Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper. 

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until combined. Then add the juice and zest of an orange and ginger and mix. 

3. Add the flour and baking powder and mix. Before all the flour is combined and add the dark chocolate and mix till combined. If too wet add more flour. 

4. Form into a ball and wrap in cling film. Then put in the fridge for up to an hour. 

5. Take out of the fridge and roll on a floured surface with a rolling pin. The mixture should have a thickness of just under 0.5 cm (similar to a £1 coin). Another way to tell you have the correct thickness is you can feel the bumps of the chocolate chips when you roll the dough. I used a 6 cm circular cutter and place on the tray with space between each biscuit. Then put in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 minutes on the tray. Then move to a wire rack until cooled fully and put in an airtight container. Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Apple and Plum Tarte Tatin

A quick and easy dessert that's full of flavour. Great way to end a dinner party.



Serves 6

100g Butter, cut into cubes
100g Golden Caster Sugar
6 Apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
6 Plums, de-stoned and halved
1 tsp Cinnamon
Ready Rolled Pastry






1. Preheat the oven to 220/200c fan assisted. There are two ways to do this. Slightly easier if you have a skillet but can be done in a frying pan too.  Put the pan on the hob over a medium heat and add the butter and sugar. Melt and combine the butter and sugar. Then add the fruit and cinnamon and cover with the butter mixture. They should be covered and cook for about 10 minutes (they should be softened).

2. Skillet: Roll the puff pastry over the pan and trim the excess pastry and leave about 2cm over the skillet. Then put in the oven for 25 minutes. Then allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Quickly flip onto a plate so the pastry doesn't tear.

Frying Pan: Tip the contents on a pyrex plate or circular shallow pyrex dish. Then cover with the puff pastry. Still leave 2cm over the edge. Cook for 25 minutes and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Quickly flip onto a plate.

3. Serve warm with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream.