Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've been bored laid up at home recovering and frustrated as I'm starting a new diet this week to shed these unwanted pounds! I've stumbled across the fabulous Brown Eyed Baker and had to make her Red Velvet Cupcakes. She's adapted the recipe from the Humming Bird Bakery and they totally hit the spot. I didn't have any buttermilk and can't get out to the shops to collect so I used natural yogurt to fantastic results! They are topped with a simple butter cream and are a beautiful colour. Simple and perfectly formed. These will definitely be going on our menu when we open up our dream Cafe/deli. Enjoy!!

Makes 12 cupcakes prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 20 minutes total time: 35 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup caster sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup natural yogurt / buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 200c and line a cupcake pan with cases.

2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets colour.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk or yogurt (if using). Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining yogurt and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.

7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

*Note: This recipe can be doubled to make an 8 or 9-inch layer cake.

Credits: (Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)

Chubby Hubby truffles

Oh my god!!! You have got to make these! I found them on my favourite website the Brown Eyed Baker and this has got to be the best recipe I have ever made! The fact I'm going on a massive weight loss diet means I can't make these for myself but I have friends over in a few weeks and I'll be making these for them! I cannot WAIT!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups pretzel pieces
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup milk chocolate broken up and melted.

DIRECTIONS:
1. Put the pretzel pieces into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this).

2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.

3. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips. Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

4. When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate in a small bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.

5. Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, ensuring that it is completely coated with chocolate. Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet. Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.

6. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Red Pepper Soup

Another gem from Sandra to grace the pages of my lonely blog. This is healthy and delicious and as always super fast!

Three red peppers deseeded and chopped into 6
Six tomatoes quartered
One red onion peeled and quartered
1tbsp Garlic oil
Water
Vegetable stock cube

Place all veg in a roasting tin and toss in the garlic oil and pop into a hot oven at 200c and roast for 30 mins.

Once roasted pop into a saucepan and cover with water and add the stock cube. Bring to boil and blitz with a hand blender.

Eat it whilst its yummy and hot! Really delish and another winner from the kitchen of the beautiful and talented Mrs F! Love you xxx

Dilly Campbell's infamous Tex-Mex Dip

I've mentioned my obsession with this divine dip before and Dilly and I met up just before Christmas and she was as always fabulous enough to have written it down for me again! I've now carved this recipe in every place possible so I never lose it again! I can't wait to make this for movie night and munch through a large bag of tortillas.

Ingredients
2 avocados
2tbsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper
Chop the avocados and mix in a bowl with the lemon juice. Set to one side

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 packet of Fajita seasoning
Mix all together in a separate bowl and set to one side.

1 tin refried beans
1 jar Hot Tomato salsa
1/2 bunch of spring onions chopped finely.
3 fresh tomatoes diced small
1 jar black sliced pitted olives, drained
100g grated cheddar

Layer all the above ingredients in an ovenproof dish as below:

1. Refried beans
2. Avocados
3. Sour cream, Mayo mix
4. Fresh tomatoes
5. Spring onions
6. Salsa
7. Black sliced olives
8. Cheese

Pop in the oven and back until the cheese is crusty and melted. Serve with Nachos, Tortilla chips or Tacos.

Chocolate mess

I've just eaten the most delicious dessert and its so quick and simple you won't believe the results! It's from a favourite cook of mine Lotte Duncan of Lotte's Kitchen.

It makes quite a big dessert so I've halved it for a more reasonably sized family Pud.

500g fresh vanilla custard (shop bought)
100g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
250g crushed amarreti biscuits
A shot of amaretto or Tia Maria or Rum
300ml softly whipped cream

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. Best in ready made custard until combined.

Crumble amaretti biscuits into your large glass serving bowl and douse with half the booze. Top with half the chocolate custard and repeat the layers again with the biscuit, the custard and the booze and top with lightly whipped cream. Mmmmmmnnm scrummy yummy in my tummy!!! Please make it to believe it! Lotte is amazing and her recipes are so easy and delicious and make me feel totally at ease and accomplished in the kitchen.

Alison's Turkey Divan

I popped over to see my lovely family on Thursday and had this delicious supper cooked for me by Doreen. Its such a lovely way to make leftover christmas dinner turkey taste scrumptious and I love the name as well 'Turkey Divan'

Ingredients
225g Cooked broccoli and green beans or sugar snap peas
3tbsp Parmesan grated
350g cooked turkey cubed cooked easily use chicken etc.

Creamy Sauce
3tbsp butter
3tbsp flour
1/2pt milk
1 chicken stock cube
Black pepper
1/4pt single cream
2-3tbsp sherry
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp thick cream
1tsp dijon mustard


Drain cooked broccoli and arrange over base of heat proof dish and sprinkle with some of the cheese. Make the sauce starting with a roux from the butter and flour add the milk and then the stock cube and the rest of the sauce ingredients. Keep stirring until you have a thickened unctuous sauce. Spoon cooked sauce over broccoli and beans, then layer turkey and top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in a hot oven.

Jamie Oliver's Get Ahead Ultimate Gravy

Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Gravy

I think Jamie Oliver is fantastic and I have a culinary crush on him and his kitchen. His ultimate get ahead gravy is amazing for Christmas and I am making my batch right now ahead of the game for Christmas dinner! Really can't recommend this recipe enough its fabulous!
Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Gravy

. 2 celery sticks, trimmed and roughly chopped
. 2 carrots, roughly sliced
. 2 onions, peeled and quartered
. 5 fresh bay leaves
. 5 fresh sage leaves
. 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
. 2 star anise
. 2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford
. 8 chicken wings
. olive oil
. sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
. 4 tablespoons plain flour
. optional: 60ml sherry or port
. 2 heaped dessertspoons cranberry sauce, for finishing
method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Put the veg, herbs and star anise into a sturdy bottomed roasting tray. Scatter the bacon on top. Break the chicken wings open then put them onto a board and bash the bones up with the end of a rolling pin; this will release more of their flavour. Put them in the pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over a few pinches of salt and pepper then toss everything together and put the tray in the oven to cook for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Take the pan out of the oven, and put it on a hob over a low heat and use a potato masher to really grind and mash everything up. Keep mashing, moving and scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the pan as you go. Gradually mix in the flour to thicken the mixture. The longer you let everything fry, the darker your gravy will be. When the flour is combined pour in 2 litres of hot water, turn the heat up and bring to the boil for 10 minutes, till thickened, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want to add 60ml sherry or port for flavour, do that now.

When it’s reached the consistency you’re looking for, check the seasoning then push it through a sieve into a large bowl. Really push and mash everything through so you get as much flavour as possible. Discard anything left behind. Once it has cooled down to room temperature put it into containers or freezer bags and pop it in your freezer. You’ll finish it off on Christmas Day.

Finishing the gravy
To finish the gravy, take your it out of the freezer when you’re ready to cook your turkey. That way, it will defrost as your turkey cooks. When the turkey is perfectly cooked, put a carving fork inside the cavity and use that to pick the bird up and tilt it over the pan so all of the juices inside run out.

Spoon away as much of the fat as possible, then pour your pre-made gravy into the pan with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring it to the boil over the hob and scrape all those flavourful bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan. Have a taste then add the cranberry sauce. It won’t taste sweet but it will add a wicked background flavour.

Once your gravy is piping hot, strain it through a sieve and into a pan. Leave that on the lowest heat to tick away until you’re ready to serve. Skim away any fat that rises to the top and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.