Mint Chocolate Brownies

It's official. Our home has started the traditional English pursuit of making cakes for good causes and it all starts with the classic chocolate and mint brownies.



Every year, Osborne House Community Nursery, a non-profit day care provider where Isaac goes three times a week holds fund-raising events to fund new equipment for the establishment. This year, it was the slides, our little boy's favourite outdoor pursuit. He went down five times, I reckon he would have done more if he wasn't stopped but the main purpose of putting them to nursery at such young age is to learn to share. I'm sure he didn't mind taking turns. Like he didn't mind helping me out with the brownies last Sunday so that Daddy can peddle it off work for his sponsorship money.

This recipe is pretty straight-forward and can be enjoyed within 2 hours.

Ingredients:
200g Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
200g butter, softened
3 large eggs
150g soft brown sugar (the original recipe called for 250g but I've always used less than required)
100g plain flour (we used gluten-free although this doesn't really make any difference in terms of calorie intake)
1 level tsp baking powder
4 tbsp chopped mint leaves (straight from our herb garden or about 1/2x28g pack, stems removed)


Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a square tin with baking paper.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, then set it over a pan of simmering water - make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Leave until almost melted, then remove from the heat.



3. Get the little boy to stir until completely melted.


4. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until foamy.


5. Stir in the chocolate mixture until just evenly blended.


6. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Stir into the chocolate mixture with the mint.


7. Pour into the tin and bake for 50-6-mins, then cool on a wire rack.


8. Cut into pieces and get Daddy to take it to work to raise money for the nursery.

We had so much fun I'm sure it won't be long before another baking session at home will take place! We will keep you posted.xoxo

Gluten-free Pizza

This one is for the foodies. A lovely recipe I found from the pages of the free Asda magazine (who would have thought?). I am a collector of all kinds of freebies, that's how it ended up in the house. I hoard them thinking I would be reading them later which could mean days or weeks or even months until John puts them in the pile of recycling for me to sort out (otherwise he will be in trouble for throwing stuff 'I might need').

That's how I ended up making this potato crust pizza in July when it was featured in the May issue. But I did manage to make it and that was the important bit. Because it's a lovely recipe that will surely make a regular appearance in our dining table.

Ingredients:
500g baking potatoes, skin on, cut into cubes [I made half with sweet potatoes just because I like them sweet]
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large egg, beaten
75g cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp tomato puree
75g mozzrella
8 baby plum tomatoes
basil leaves, to garnish

Extras:
pineapple chunk leftovers

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray.
2. Put the potatoes in a pan with cold water, bring to boil and simmer for 5mins until tender. Drain and put in a large bowl, leave to cool for 10mins.
3. Add the oil, egg and 50g of cheddar to the potato. Season with pepper and mix together.
4. Put the mixture on the baking tray. Shape into a rectangle, then press lightly with a fork to get a level surface.
5. Bake in the oven for 15mins.
6. Remove from the oven and cover with tomato puree. Add the mozzarella and the rest of the cheddar. Top with halved plum tomatoes.
7. Return to the oven for another 10-15mins. Season and garnish with the basil.

Enjoy!

From our Own Garden: Lavender Cake

Lavender season may be over but I didn't need to find an excuse to make this delicately flavoured cake, subtly scented with lavender and tangy lemon. I just had to get hold of the perfect recipe and find the time to make it, which happened to fall today, on August Bank Holiday when the weather begged us to stay at home.

I used the flowers from our lavender pot in the garden that John planted for my 30th birthday, they have already dried and I've collected them in a tin which I occasionally take out to inhale the sweet aromatic fragrance that's supposed to evoke a feeling of calm and tranquility.

This recipe is from a baking magazine I borrowed from my friend Louise and I followed it to the tee, except that instead of using glaze icing, I topped it with sugar paste, the alternative way to decorate.

Ingredients:
75ml milk
1 tsp dried lavender
175g unsalted butter, softened
finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
3 eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
200g white sugar paste icing to decorate
violet tint

Instructions: 

I decorated one of the cakes for John's dad's birthday present and we took it to his place where we had it with a cup of tea this afternoon. It certainly had the smell of lavender and tastes delicious too!

Almond and Raisin Cake

Every other week, mostly on Tuesdays, a male colleague of mine leaves a very succulent raisin cake in the kitchen at work, which as if by spot of luck, happens to be right in my line of vision. It has become quite popular it came to a point where he no longer sends an e-mail around for everyone to know about it but most people can smell sweets from a distance that my prime location means I am always in the know. This wonderful act of sharing, the reason for which I never really knew, has been borne from the unspoken tradition of bringing sweets on our birthdays or when coming back from an exciting holiday. So when it was my turn, I decided it was just fair to bring homemade goodies instead of the usual Sainsbury's packs that is rather favoured by our heavily male-dominated IT workplace. 

This recipe is a spin-off of my favourite Banana and Orange Cake as I didn't have very ripe bananas available and I wasn't sure whether everyone was a fan of the fruit. It turned out moist and was well-liked, not just because it was a freebie I hope! And because someone asked for the recipe so I've decided to make a blog out of it. 

Ingredients:
100g raisins
2 eggs, beaten (preferably free range)
1 tsp vanilla extract
125 ml olive oil (This is a healthier option as this is lower in saturated fat but you can also use 125g butter)
125 g brown sugar (although other recipes call for 150g but this lesser amount works for us)
190 g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g ground almond
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp mixed spice
60 ml milk
demerara sugar
almond flakes, to decorate

Baking equipment:
1 20cm x 12cm loaf pan
baking paper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celcius (Fan 150/Gas 3/325 degrees Fahrenheight).
2. Line the base and sides of the loaf pan with baking paper using butter or olive oil.
3. In a bowl, mix raisins, eggs and vanilla. Soak for at least 20 minutes, it makes the raisins plump and juicy.
4. Add olive oil to the mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Make a well in the middle and pour the egg mixture. Add the milk.
7. Pour the cake batter into the loaf pan, sprinkle with a tbsp of demerara sugar to give a crunchy topping if desired.
8. Sprinkle almond flakes on top.
9. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil at around 20 minutes or when the top starts to darken too quickly.
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before removing from the baking pan.

Note: If using butter, use electric mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy before adding other dry ingredients. 

Black Banana and Orange Cake

Bananas were never my favourite fruits, I'm not sure if it's the texture or whether somewhere in my brains, I was wired to think that it would make my stomach turn, and it usually does. But this curved yellow fruit is a storehouse of essential nutrients whose health benefits are widely known that when I fell pregnant, I made it a resolve to eat one every day, usually around 11am when pangs of hunger start to kick in just before lunchtime. It became a symbol of self-restraint, a sort of sacrifice for the growing life inside me who would benefit from its nutrients rather than the empty calories of the more desirable sweets that I long for (which I occasionally give in to!). Once it became a habit, it stuck.

So we always keep a stock of bananas at home but I always prefer the ones that are just barely ripe and not too soft. As soon as the skin turns black, I refuse to touch them that they would usually end up in the bin. But during a recent awareness drive at Sheffield's Food Festival, I realised how this behaviour is unacceptable and that I was contributing to the 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink being wasted in this country every year. So I decided to be more responsible and creative with unwanted food, turning the black bananas into a cake (a less healthier option this might be). This recipe is just perfect for them and easy to make too!

Ingredients:
130 ml sunflower oil (This is a healthier option as this is lower in saturated fat but you can also use 125g butter)
2 eggs, beaten (preferably free range)
1 tsp vanilla extract
125 g brown sugar (although other recipes call for 150g but this lesser amount works for us)
190 g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 zest of orange
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp mixed spice
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
60 ml milk
orange slices, to decorate

Baking equipment:
1 20cm x 12cm loaf pan
baking paper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celcius (Fan 150/Gas 3/325 degrees Fahrenheight).
2. Line the base and sides of the loaf pan with baking paper using butter or oil.
3. Mix sunflower oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl.
4. Sift the sugar, flour, baking power, orange zest, ginger powder and mixed spice.
5. Stir in the mashed banana and add milk. Mix well.
6. Pour the cake batter into the loaf pan, sprinkle with a tbsp of demerara sugar to give a crunchy topping if liked.
7. Arrange the orange slices on top.
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean, cover with foil if the top starts to darken too quickly.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before removing from the baking pan.

Note: If using butter, use electric mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

A Cupcake for Easter

The Easter celebrations is not an excuse for making an Easter-themed cake but I was hoping that my indulgence will not be unforgivable, after all, any useful pursuit of talent could be a form of worship. So this Saturday, I made some cupcakes and because we incidentally have some chocolate mini eggs in the pantry and some Weetabix breakfast cereals, decorated them into Easter nests!

The recipe is from my reliable cupcake book by Ann Nicol I bought from the now closed The Works discount bookshop at the Sheffield Moor. It is made of a basic chocolate cupcake similar to these Cadbury cupcakes topped with basic buttercream frosting. The egg nest is made as follows: 

Ingredients: 
50g wheat cereal
125g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
25g unsalted butter
chocolate mini eggs

Steps: 
1. Place the chocolate with the butter on a mixing bowl over a simmering pan of water until melted. 
2. Stir the wheat cereal and let cool slightly. Line a plate with cling film. 
3. Mould the mixture into tiny nest shapes using your fingers, then rest them on the lined plate. 
4. Freeze the nests for a few minutes until hardened. 
5. Set the nests on top of each cupcake that's already covered with buttercream frosting. 
6. Fill with mini eggs.