More Waffles

These waffles are the thicker Belgian variety and the lovely chef at Fisherton Mill
in Salisbury gave me this recipe from his handwritten book.He serves them with maple syrup
and clotted cream at their Jazz brunches.

The recipe uses yeast so the batter cannot be made too far in advance or saved for too long.

To stand

200ml warm water
21/4tspn dried yeast
Pinch sugar

Into bowl

3 cups (1lb 4oz) plain flour
1/4 tspn salt

Mix the following together then add to yeast

3 egg yolks
1/3 (4oz)cup sugar
155 ml water
236 ml milk
8 tbspn (8 oz) melted butter
2 tsp veg oil

Mix altogether
Whip 3 egg whites and fold in
Leave to stand for 1 hour.

Cook in the Belgian Waffle Maker
This is a thicker waffle than the previous recipe

Waffles

These waffles are delicious for brunch at the week end after the Bircher Muesli

8oz (225g)flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
2 eggs
12 fl oz (350ml) milk
3 oz (75 g) butter( melted)

Preheat the waffle iron

Sift together the dry ingredients.Beat the egg yolks with the milk and vanilla.
Stir in the melted fat and stir into the dry ingredients .
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and stir a heaped tablespoon into the batter
to lighten it,then scrape the batter on top of the egg whites and gently cut and fold together.
Bake in the waffle iron.

Best with maple syrup and strawberries and bananas or both!

Bircher Muesli

Summer must be around the corner and then Bircher Muesli makes a refreshing change from porridge. This recipe feeds 4 generously.

Juice of 1 lemon
4 apples,pears or a combination
1 cup apple or orange juice or a combination
2 cups low fat Greek yoghurt
11/2 cups muesli base
1/2 cup mixed seeds
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup sultanas/ raisins/cranberries
2or3chopped dried figs
2or3chopped dried prunes
2or3chopped dried unsulphured apricots
1tblsp cinnamon

Soak overnight in the fridge

Serve with a generous selection of fresh berries and fruit.
Strawberries,blueberries,blackberries,raspberries,banana,mango and kiwi fruit are all good.

Top with more yoghurt,passion fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Brown bread Ice cream

This makes 1 pint (570 ml)
3oz (75g)fresh brown  bread crumbs
3oz(75g) Demerara sugar
2eggs,separated
1tablespoon honey
3/4 pint (400 ml) double or whipping bread

Preheat oven to 190C/375F mark 5
Mix the breadcrumbs and the sugar together and spread them out on a baking sheet.
Bake until the sugar has melted and the breadcrumbs have caramelised.Cool.
Beat the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl.
Lightly whip the cream.
Whisk the egg whites until firm.
Fold the cream and egg whites together and fold them carefully into the egg yolk and honey mixture.
Stir in the caramelised bread crumbs and freeze the mixture until firm-a few hours.
Place in the fridge 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Crummy with the fruit crumble

Best Ever Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is Simon Hodginson's. Nigella's is good too.
She does a magic one where you pour on boiling water and the miracle sauce appears

175g(6oz dates chopped)
1 rounded tsp bicarbonate soda
50g/2oz melted butter
Pinch salt
75g/21/2oz Demerara sugar
75g/21/2oz molasses sugar
2eggs
175/6oz self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
Butter for greasing

For sticky toffee topping
250ml/9 fl oz double cream
80g/3oz butter
80g/3 oz molasses sugar

For the extra sauce
300/10fl oz whipping cream
50g/2oz molasses
50g/2oz butter
Double cream to serve

Preheat oven to 180C/350FGas 4
Pour 275ml/10 fl oz boiling water into a large mixing bowl and add the dates.
Stir and set aside until lukewarm
Add all the other ingredients and mix .
Blend until smooth and then bake in buttered dish for 40 minutes

Make topping and sauce by heating ingredients together in separate pans .
Pour the topping over the cooked pudding.
Serve the extra sauce separately

Apple and Summer Fruit Crumble

Apple and Summer Fruit Crumble

5 cooking apples
1pckt  frozen summer fruits
1lemon
1tblsp honey
1tbsp cinnamon
4oz oats
3oz whole meal flower
1oz ground almonds
3oz soft brown sugar
3 oz butter
1tblsp Demerara sugar and cinnamon for dusting on top

Peel apples add to frozen fruits in saucepan with the fruit juices honey and cinnamon until the apples are beginning to soften.
Blitz remaining ingredients  or mix and rub in butter.
Sprinkled dem sugar and cinnamon on top.
Bake for 30 mins at 200 C

Flaked almonds are good on top too

Serve with vanilla ice cream  cream or custard
Brown breadicecream is good too
Recipe for that later

Alex's Favourite Flapjacks

225g(8oz)soft brown sugar
110g(4oz)golden syrup
300g(12oz)butter
175g(6oz)dried and chopped dates
175g(6oz)dried and chopped unsulphured apricots
450g(1lb) rolled oats

Heat oven to 190C gas mark 5.
Line a baking tray 9x13 inches
Weigh the sugar,make a well in the centre and add the syrup.
Slide into a large saucepan,add butter and heat gently stirring until mixture becomes liquid.
Add the finely chopped dates and apricots and the rolled oats and mix well.
Spoon onto the prepared baking tray
Place into the hot oven for 20-30 minutes. Then score 4 or 5 lines each way.
Cool in tin.

Alternatives are dried cranberries and hazelnuts
                            dried figs and walnuts
                             dried mango and Brazil nuts
                             pumpkin seeds are good too instead of any nuts

Nigella Lawson's Millionaire's Shortbread

Millionaires Shortbread

It took me a while to master this because I was too impatient to let each layer set but with Nigella's help I have cracked it

225g plain flour(sometimes I use 1/3 rice flour)
75 g caster sugar
375 g butter
375 tin sweetened condensed milk
4 tbsp golden syrup
325 g plain chocolate

8 by8 inch tin lined and greased

Preheat oven to 170C  gasmark3 325F

Put flour and sugar into the bowl and rub in 175 g of butter,clumping the dough together to make a ball .Press the sandy shortbread mixture into the tin and smooth it down.Prickwith a fork and cook for5 minutes.Then lower the oven to 150C mark 2 325 F and cook for a further30-40 mins until golden brown and no longer doughy.Let it cool in the tin.

Melt the remaining 200g of butterin a large microwaveable bowl,then add condensed milk and golden syrup..Whisk the mixture well until the butter is thoroughly incorporated .Heat in microwave for 6-7 minutes and boiling stirring thoroughly every minuteIt is ready when it is thickened and a nice golden brown.Pour this molten toffee over the shortbread and leave to cool.Melt chocolate and pour over the fudge mixture  and leave to cool once set cut the caramel shortbread into pieces.makes about 24.

White chocolate biscotti with pistachios and cranberries

225 g plain flour plus extra to dust
1tsp ground mixed spice
1tsp baking powder
Pinch fine sea salt
170g golden caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
50 g good quality white chocolate chopped into small pieces
50g shelled unsealed pistachio nuts
50 g dried cranberries
1 egg white,to glaze

Preheat oven to 170C/Gas3
Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner.
Sift flour,mixed spice,baking powder and salt into large bowl
Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre

In another bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla extract
Pour into the wll in the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.
Then press together to form a ball and knead in the chopped chocolate,pistachios and cranberries.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces.
Roll each portion into a long log about 2-3 cm in diameter.
Then place on the lined baking sheet
Lightly whisk the egg white until just frothy and brush over the top of the dough.
Bake for 20 mins until risen and firm,but stil pale.
Set aside to cool for10-15 minutes and lower the oven to 120C

Using a serrated knife cut the logs into 1cm thick slices on the diagonal,lay the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 10 mins.Then turn over and bake for another 10 mins until dry and golden

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Everyone who I have given these biscotti to has asked for the recipe so thank you Gordan Ramsay

Dahl

Dahl

300 g red lentils
200g can chopped toms
200ml can coconut milk
1onion chopped
2cloves garlic chopped
2tspn cumin seeds toasted
1tspnturmeric
750g veg stick(marigold)
Lemon juice
1red chilli
2 tsp mustard seeds

Bring to the boil the lentils,toms,coconut milk,onion,garlic,cumin,turmeric and stock.
Simmer for 40 minutes. Add lemon juice
Cook mustard seeds and chilli in hot oil until they pop and dance.
Sprinkle over Dahl
Enjoy

Seriously good gingerbread

Gingerbread

125 g I salted butter chopped
75 g muscovado sugar
125 g golden syrup
125 g black treacle
280 g self-raising flour
2tspn ground ginger
1tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn bicarbonate soda
1/2 tspn salt
2eggs
125ml buttermilk
115 g stem ginger in syrup drained and chopped
      Plus 3tbsn of the syrup
2tsp fresh root ginger finely grated

Line a20by20 tin with non stick baking parchment.
Heat oven to160C 150 C fan 325 Ff gas mark 3
Melt the butter ,sugar, golden syrup and treacle together in a saucepan
overa low heat and then allow to cool.
Sift the flour,spices and salt into a bowl.
Add the melted butterand syrup mixture,eggs,buttermilk,stem ginger,stem ginger syrup
and fresh root ginger.
Mix thoroughly and pour into prepared tin.
Bake for 50 minutes until the cake is risen and springy
Cool in the tin
Wrap in cling film or foil for a few days and it will get darker but it is also great straight away.

Red onion marmalade

Red onion marmalade

This made for a delicious lunch with a Camembert (it was La Rustique)
studded  with garlic and rosemary and drizzled with white wine and baked
at 200 for 20 minutes a served with .Clive's bread and carrot and celery sticks
and a green salad.

4 onions sliced(red is good but white is fine)
Olive oil
4 tbsp Demerara sugar
4 tbsp white wine vinegar

Cook onions in the oil until soft
Add sugar and vinegar and cook uncovered for at least an hour.
 It is fun to experiment
I added a slug of sherry, a slug of port and I would have added a slug of
Red wine but we did not have any open.
I also added paprika and nutmeg.

Seafood curry

Seafood Curry

Paul cooked us this curry and it made a welcome change from our usual Thai curry.

Olive oil
1large onion finely chopped
3crushed cloves garlic
2tspn grated fresh ginger
1red and 1 yellow pepper chopped
2 Birdseye chillies finely sliced
3  tbsp Madras curry powder
600ml coconut milk
1tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp mango chutney
700 g white fish fillet (like monkfish or red snapper)chopped in bite sized pieces
450g tiger prawns
225 g scallops
Juice 2 limes and one for garnish
Coriander chopped for garnish

Heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft.
Then add garlic,ginger,peppers and chillies .
Cook for 5 mins and then add curry paste
Cook gently for another 5minutes.
Add coconut milk,simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add tomato purée and mango chutney
Add fish .prawn and scallops.
Simmer for about 7 or 8 mins until the fish I cooked.

Vegetarian Puy Lentil Lasagne

Vegetarian Puy Lentil Lasagne

I used to cook this a lot and haven't made it for ages.
I have to say it was good

Olive oil
200g Puy lentils
2 cloves garlic
1stick celery
1leek
2carrots
4ozmushrooms
Sprig rosemary
2bay leaves
200 ml red wine
1canchopped toms
500g veg stock (Marigold)
8 sheets lasagne

For the cheese sauce

4ozbutter
31/2 oz plain flour
11/2 pints milk
6tbsp double cream
4oz grated cheddar cheese
Parmesan salt and pepper to taste

Cover the Puy lentils with veg stock and cook about 20 mins until tender.
Sauté onions garlic celery leeks mushrooms and carrots in the oil.
Add the lentils red wine rosemary and bay leaves and tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
Season to taste

Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter,mixing in the flour,stirring until bubbling
And then adding the milk and cream gradually whisking all the time.
Stir in the cheese when the sauce begins to thicken.add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the lasagne with a layer of the lasagne sheets on the bottom of the baking dish
Which you have generously greased with butter. If you shook the sheets in cold water fo 20minutes
They are more malleable
Layer the lentil ragu and the cheese sauce and then repeat finishing with the sneeze sauce and topping
with the grated Parmesan and a little more cheddar

Bake for 40 mins at 180 degrees and then it will be bubbling ang golden
It only needs a green salad to go with it.