Milky Way Cookies

Makes 4 medium cookies

50g butter
80 sugar (light muscovado best)
1/3 beaten egg
pinch salt
80g plain flour
chopped up mini milky way (or anything else)

Preheat oven to 170°.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Beat in flour and salt. Add chocolate of choice.

Spoon onto baking tray and cooke for 10-12 minutes.

Caramel Dobos Torte

Image & recipe taken from the BBC

Makes 1 large cake

For the caramel buttercream

800g (1lb 12oz) granulated sugar

100ml (3½fl oz) water

400ml (14fl oz) double cream

450g (1lb) unsalted butter, softened

For the sponge layers

8 large free-range eggs

350g (12oz) caster sugar

300g (10½oz) sifted self-raising flour

For the almond praline and caramel-coated hazelnuts

75g (2¾oz) flaked almonds

16 blanched (skinned) hazelnuts

300g (10½oz) granulated sugar

6tbsp water

For the caramel topping

100g (3½oz) granulated sugar

2tbsp water

First make the caramel buttercream to cover the cake. Put the sugar and water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. 

Once there is no grittiness left, turn up the heat and boil to a golden caramel. Take off the heat, add the cream and give it a quick stir, then pour into a bowl. Leave to cool, then chill until set.

Put the soft butter in the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the cooled caramel mixture a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition and scraping down the bowl regularly. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Heat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Draw 6 x 20cm (8in) circles and 6 x 15cm (6in) circles on sheets of baking paper cut to fit a flat baking tray or trays (you’ll probably need to bake the sponges in batches).

To make the sponge layers, break the eggs into a large bowl, add the sugar and whisk until the mixture is foamy and the whisk just leaves a trail when lifted out. Lightly fold in the flour, a little at a time. Divide the mixture among the 12 circles on the baking paper, spreading it out evenly. Bake in batches on the trays in the heated oven for 8-10 minutes until pale golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and set on a heatproof surface. With a sharp knife, trim the sponge to neaten it, then peel off the parchment and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Now make the almond praline and caramel-coated hazelnuts. Spread the flaked almonds over a silicone mat or sheet of baking paper on the worktop. Stick a wooden cocktail stick into each of the 16 hazelnuts. Have ready an orange or piece of foam on the worktop. 

Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan over low heat, then increase the heat and boil the syrup until it turns a deep golden colour. Allow the caramel to cool slightly, then pour three-quarters of it over the flaked almonds to make the praline. Dip the hazelnuts in the remaining caramel, twisting the sticks so they are coated. Invert and push the sticks into the orange or foam. Leave to cool and set.

Take one of the 15cm sponge layers and place it on a sheet of baking paper, ready to be topped with caramel. To make this, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan over low heat, then increase the heat and boil until it turns a deep golden colour. 

Allow to cool slightly, then pour it over the sponge layer to cover. When the caramel is just beginning to set, mark it and then cut into 8 wedges using an oiled knife. These will be used for the top layer of the cake.

Sandwich the 20cm sponges with some of the caramel buttercream. Spread buttercream over the top and side of this cake stack. Sandwich the remaining 5 x 15cm sponges with buttercream. Spread it around the side and top of the stack, then place it on top of the 20cm cake stack to form a second tier. Spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle. 

Break the almond praline into small pieces and press into the side of both tiers of the cake. Remove the caramel-coated hazelnuts from the cocktail sticks. Pipe 16 rosettes of buttercream around the top edge of the 20cm cake. Top each rosette with a hazelnut. Pipe 8 buttercream rosettes on top of the 15cm cake. 

Place a caramel-topped wedge of cake at an angle leaning against each rosette to form the top layer. This is best eaten on the day, but it can be chilled for up to 3 days – however, the caramel will melt when kept in the fridge. 

Spice Rubbed Pork with Peach Salsa

Ingredients

Salsa

tomatoes, diced
peach, diced
red onion, diced
lime juice
fresh chilli
salt & pepper

Rice

7oz rice
600ml chicken stock
1 clove garlic
1 spring onion
8 mushrooms
nob butter

Melt butter in pan & fry off the garlic, onion & mushrooms until cooked.  Ass the rice & add 400ml of stock.

Bring to the boil & reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, top up with remaining stock and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season & serve.

Sweet Pastry Case

8 oz plain flour

4 oz butter

3 oz sugar

1 large egg

drop milk

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C.

Crumb together the butter & flour, either by hand or with a mixer.  Add the sugar.

Mix in the egg & enough milk to form soft dough.

Roll to correct size and line a 9” tin.  Fill with parchment and baking beans and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Pecan Pie

Image & recipe taken from www.bbc.co.uk

4oz unslated butter

4 oz golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla exctract

8 oz soft brown sugar (dark is best)

3 free-range eggs, beaten

1 pie crust (see other recipe)

10 oz pecan nuts

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees celcius

Place butter, surym, sugar & vanilla in a pan and slowly melt together.  When melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes

Add the beaten eggs into the mixture and stir well

Arrange the pecan nuts in the pie crust & pour the syrup mixture on top

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes.

Salted Caramel Lava Cake

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperatire & devided
6 ounces dark chocolate
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspooon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon large sea salt flakes + more for sprinkling
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 1 inch square caramels

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees C)  Line the bottoms of two 6-ounce remekins with parchment paper & better the sides with 1 tbsp of the butter.

In a bowl set over boiling water, melt together the butter & remaining sugar until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before adding sugar, salt, vanilla & eggs.  Fold in the flour & combine until smooth.

Equally divide the batter between the two remekins.  next, gentry nuzzle two caramels into the center of each.  transfer the remekind to a baking sheet and place in the oven for 13 minutes.  Invert onto plates and serve!

** I used 4oz milk choc as its all I had, I changed ½ tbsp of the flour with cocoa to intensify the chocolate.  I also used margarine instead of butter and only a sprinkle of sea salt instead of the fill teaspoon.  I served with graham crackers and whipped cream. They were good!

Creamy Mushroom & Mustard Pork

4 pork chops, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1  tbsp wholegrain mustard
50ml stock
100g low fat creme fraiche
handful green beens/mange tout/sugarsnap peas
spaghetti/noodles/rice to serve


Pan fry the pork in fry lite for about 2 minuted until browned.  Add the onion & garlic and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

Add the vinegar, mustard & stock to the pan and reduce slightly.  Test the flavour of the sauce and if happy remove from heat and stir in the creme fraiche.  Season and serve with fresh veg & noodles.