Breakfast Club - Croissants with Warm Blackberry and Apple

This is only our second Breakfast Club - last weekend the concept was given a very wide berth thanks to over indulging in beverages on Saturday night at K's barbie. But, we're back with vengence this weekend! Today's breakie included the left over pikelets from yesterday, with Peach and Apricot jam, Summerberry Jam or Passionfruit Curd for slathering over the top ... mmmmm! But the star dish is one of our favourites for this time of year, Croissants with Warm Blackberry and Apple. This version is made the WW way but for maximum enjoyment use full fat croissants and whatever fruit is on hand, blueberries and raspberries added in work really well.

Croissants with Warm Blackberry and Apple

2 eating apples (3 if on the small side), peeled, cored and chopped roughly

150g blackberries

2 reduced fat croissants, halved

2 tsp low fat spread

2 tsp caster sugar (I use vanilla suger)

Place the apples and blackberries in a small pan with 2 tbsp water. Bring gently to the boil and simmer for 3-4 mins until softened.

Preheat the grill to medium. Spread the croissant halves with the spread and arrange in an ovenproof dish. Spoon over the blackberry and apple, so that some of each piece of croissant is exposed. Sprinkle with the sugar and grill for 2-3 mins until the croissant is beginning to brown.

Serve warm, divided between two plates.

Serves 2

Think this one came from a WW magazine!

Effervescent Pimm's and Apple Cocktail

Combine this cocktail with the Buck's Fizz on Christmas morning and the Passionate Affair that followed and it really was a very Merry Christmas on our wee home. I highly recommend this cocktail, technically one for the warmer summer months but sometimes it's nice to bring the summer to you ;0)

Effervescent Pimm's and Apple

90ml Pimms

3/4 cup pure apple juice

Champagne or sparkling white wine

1 green apple, sliced

Pour the Pimms and apple juice into 6 champagne glasses. Top with the champagne and a few apple slices.

Serves 6

Donna Hay Wedding Magazine

In all honesty we don;t usually have such a boozy Christmas. This year though we had lots and lots of bottles of bubbles left over after our wedding and we decided to save them for Christmas and Hogmanay. This does of course mean that there will be more cocktails on the way!

Anti Mince Pies (AKA Nigella's Mini Apple Pies)

I know there will be a fair few of you out there who will consider me a pure heathen for making 'Anti Mince Pies'.  Sorry!  But ... and in my defence ... booze sodden candied peel just isn't my thing ... apples on the other hand are always my thing, especially when they are wrapped in pastry and come to me courtesy of Nigella!  So if any of the Anti Mince Pie brigade should come to call sometime in the next week or so then having a sneaky batch of these at the ready can only be a good thing!

Nigella's Mini Apple Pies
1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry
1 large egg, mixed with 1 tbsp water, to glaze, optional
For the Filling
2 cox's apples (375g total weight)
1 tbsp caster sugar
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange plus 1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice
15g butter

Peel, core and finely chop the apple.  Put them into a saucepan with all of the other filling ingredients and cook over a medium heat with the lid on for 5 mins or until soft.

Transfer to a bowl and let the mixture cool.

Use the sweet shortcrust pastry to line the tins and fill them with a teaspoon of the apple mixture.  Use the same cutter to make lids with small stars cut from the centres.  Paint with glaze, if using, and bake in a 220C oven for 10-15 mins or until golden and bubbling.

Makes 36 mini pies or 24 regular pies
Taken from Nigella's Feast

For a bit of added 'yum' I also sprinkled the tops with some demerara sugar after painting the glaze on.

We Should Cocoa ~ The Date Challenge

I have to admit that this months challenge was a toughie!  When Choclette announced that we all need to make something with chocolate and dates I had no clue what to do.  Hubby and I could not be considered fine connoisseurs in this department.  For me it is the texture of dates, my Granny used to make date scones when I was younger and I vividly remember the day I bit into one thinking it was full of sultanas, not quite scared for life but it has had an everlasting effect on me all the same.  For Hubby it is the flavour, so I knew that whatever I ended up making both the texture and flavour were going to have to be cleverly concealed.  This was no easy feat!

I scoured the Internet and blogs for ideas and recipes but nothing appealed.  Sticky Toffee pudding is nice but its Christmas time and I wanted to incorporate this into the challenge ... as if things weren't tricky enough!  So I ended up consulting my book shelf and this is what I found;

Christmas Pudding Cupcakes
110g sultanas
110g currants
120g chocolate drops
6 dates, stoned and chopped
170g unsalted butter, room temp
255g dark muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
170g SR flour
1 medium apple, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp mixed spice
4 tbsp rum
1 quantity White Chocolate Truffle Frosting

Preheat the oven to 170C.  Line two 12 hole non stick muffin tins with paper cases.

Place the sultanas, currants and dates in a pan.  Cover with water and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 mins so the fruits are soft and swollen.

Beat the butter and sugar together until the colour begins to lighten.  add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the flour.  Stir in the grated apple, spice, rum and the drained fruit.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases.  Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 25 mins.  Insert a skewer or knife in the centre to check that the mixture is cooked.  Remove and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool.

Make the icing and pipe onto the centre of the cooled cupcakes using a large star shaped nozzle.  Decorate as desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes
Adapted from Eat Me!

But of course there were just one or two hiccups along the way.  Firstly, I ran out of sultanas so had to make the quantity up with currants.  Then I ran out of the dark muscovado sugar but thankfully had some dark soft brown sugar left in a canister ... I ran out of that too and had to make the rest up with light brown soft sugar.  Turned out all for the best though, these cupcakes are delicious even if I do say so myself.  Sis In Law and Mum In Law were here today and munch away on them happily even when, like me, they aren't big Christmas Pudding fans. 

To decorate them I made use of some fondant I had left over from a cake order and made holly leaves and berries.  On some of them I painted some edible glue and then used wilton's white cake sprinkles to make them look as though they've been touched with frost ... this is not out of place for these parts at the moment!

To see all the other creations for this months challenge please head over to the Chocolate Log Blog after then 25th.  Don't forget to head back here on the 1st January to find out what the next challenge will be ;0)

Spicy Apple and Cranberry Bruschetta ...

... or maybe I should have called this post 'Not Yo Mama's Cheese on Toast'!!  I was flicking through an old magazine last week when this recipe jumped off the page to me.  Apple and Cranberry Bruschetta sounded like something I wanted to try and as luck would have it (this is happening to me an awful lot lately!) I had all the ingredients on hand so headed straight into the kitchen.

Spicy Apple and Cranberry Bruschetta
2 tbsp veg oil
1 red onion, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
350g bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp light brown sugar
3 tbsp cranberry sauce
Loaf of walnut bread, sliced into 8 pieces
120g goat’s cheese log, sliced into thin rounds

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and chilli for 8-10 mins until softened.

Add the apples. Vinegar, sugar and cranberry sauce. Season well, then cook for 8-10 mins or until the apples are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool.

Toast the walnut bread on both sides until golden. Divide the apple and onion relish equally between the bread slices, then top each with a couple of goat’s cheese slices. Grill for 3-5 mins until the cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
Good To Know Recipes, Sept 10

• Store this spicy relish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

I made the relish on Monday night and used it to make the bruschetta for dinner on the Tuesday night (this did allow me to pop to the shops to get the bread - alas not that required walnut bread though - and the goat's cheese) and makes a great weeknight meal, quick to make and very easy to eat, sweet, tart and spicy all at the same time ... and even better than that there is hardly any washing up at the end of the meal too ;0)

Stir Up Sunday Comes Early

Did you know that Stir Up Sunday is this coming Sunday?  That's only 6 sleeps away ... not sure if this helping you or not, sorry if it's not!  The thing is that I'm not going to be anywhere near the close and comfy confines of my wee kitchen on Sunday, I'll be in the Lake District instead for a nice long weekend, so I decided that I had better get ahead of the game and start to get myself organised. 

We are not huge mince pie fans in this house, although it just doesn't seem to be Christmas without the little blighters.  Every year I try to find new recipes to try out for alternative mince pie filling, Rhubarb and Vanilla is my all time favourite but owing to a particularly bad rhubarb season for me this year I'm having to go without ... sigh.  Then when I was flicking through the December issue of Delicious I spotted a recipe that, with a few tweaks, I could make my own and hopefully find a new alternative.  This is what I came up with;

Buttery Apple, Hazelnut and Chocolate Mincemeat
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large oranges
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons
1 large (about 300g) bramley apple
100g butter
50ml frangelico
200g raisins
150g sultanas
150g currants
150g chocolate, grated (I used Willie's Supreme Cacao - Indonesian Black)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
175g light brown sugar
50g lightly toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Put the orange and lemon zest and juices into a medium pan.  Peel, quarter and core the apple, then grate ot, stirring it into the juices as you go so it doesn't discolour.

Add the butter, frangelico, dried fruits, vanilla extract and spices, then cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for 1 hour until the apple has broken down, the dried fruits have plumped up and all the liquid has evaporated.  Leave to cool, then mix in the sugar, chocolate and toasted hazelnuts.

Spoon into cool, sterilised jars, press a waxed disc onto the surface of the mixture and seal.  Refrigerate and use within 1 month.

Makes about 1.2kg mincemeat

Adapted from Delicious, Dec 10

* Because this mincemeat is made with butter instead of suet, it keeps in the fridge for no more than a month.  However, it freezes well for up to 6 months.  For a mincemeat with a longer shelf life, omit the butter and stir in 100g shredded suet at the end, along with the sugar, chocolate and nuts.  This will keep for up to a year in a cool dark place.

The smell from this mixture bubbling away on the stove for an hour was so Christmassy and comforting.  The mincemeat is now sitting happily in the freezer at the moment, can't wait to sample it in pie form! 

Toffee Apple and Pecan Muffins

Must be quick - Hubby needs the laptop!

This recipe has been hanging around in my 'To Be Tried' recipe pile for a while now, except I never wrote down where I originally came across it! I made them yesterday out of pure boredom (I love it when the clocks go back - makes Sunday seem to last an eternity even if it is really only and extra hour longer!) so had to make do with the supplies I had. I substituted Fudge out of the Roses Tin ~ which we've actually bought for Christmas. Oops!

Toffee Apple and Pecan Muffins

100g butter, melted and cooled

2 duck eggs, beaten

100ml milk

150ml soured cream

300g plain flour

100g vanilla caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb of soda

3 small apples (about 300g), peeled, cored and diced

50g pecans. roughly chopped

100g soft toffee's, chopped

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 180C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix the wet ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients with the apples, pecans and toffee (don't over mix - it should be a bit lumpy).

Divide between the cases and bake for 25 mins until risen, golden and cooked through.

Makes 12

These muffins went down a treat! Although I kept expecting each mouthful to be banana flavoured for some reason, I think it was the inclusion of the fudge. Highly recommend these ;0)

Spiced Pecan, Apple and Cranberry Cake

Autumn = Apples!  The only thing better than eating a nice crisp apple is eating a nice warm slice of apple cake ... or pie ... or crumble ... or danish ... you get the idea!

Spiced Pecan, Apple and Cranberry Cake
175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
50g fresh or frozen cranberries, defrosted if frozen (I've learnt that dried cranberries are not a reasonable substitute for fresh or frozen in this recipe!)
75g pecans, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp apricot jam

Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C.  Grease and line a 20.5cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Using a a free standing mixer or electric hand whisk, beat 150g of the butter with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk until pale and fluffy - about 5 mins.  Spoon into prepared tin and level the surface.  Bake for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a large frying pan until foaming.  Stir in the cinnamon and apples and cook for 3 mins until almost tender.  Take off the heat and stir int he cranberries and pecans.

Carefully take the part baked cake out of the oven and sprinkle over the apple mixture.  Return to the oven and bake for a further 40-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove from tin and peel off paper.  Transfer to a serving plate.  Gently warm the jam in a small pan to loosen, then brush over the top of the cake.  Serve cake warm or at room temp.

Cuts into 8 slices
I tore this recipe out of a magazine and I can't rightly remember which one it was now!

* This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

I found this really nice warm from the oven (despite the dried cranberry mishap!) or just as nice served cold with a cuppa on the side!

Old Mother Hubbard

A whole week has slipped by since my last post and I have no real excuse for my lack of dedication. Work has been insane, I spent Monday on a mini bus travelling from Edinburgh to Stockport and back again all for an hour long meeting (just between you and me my backside was flatter than a pancake by the end of it!) The rest of the week was spent sorting out different presentation packs for all the teams and also sifting through 100 files for an audit that was supposed to be held tomorrow and has now been moved to next Monday. Of course we only found out about our extension after 5pm on Thursday!

I think too that my lack of kitchen activity is also down to a bit of a dent in my confidence after the spectacular failure of the Triple Chocolate Cake for the team meeting. I was being serious when I said it was my worst cooking disaster since Mum's ill fated birthday cake all those years ago. But then Hubby's Dad called this morning to say he was on his way over and I realised, just like Old Mother Hubbard, that the cupboards were bare! Oh the shame of it! Action was required and quickly. The only problem with impromptu baking is that ingredients are limited, my selection pretty much consisted of basic store cupboard stuff and 2 bramely apples. I quick flick through the internet and the Bramley Apple Website came to my rescue with this tea cake. Phew!

Easy Bramley Apple and Sultana Teabread
25g porridge oats
50g Muscovado sugar
2 medium Bramley apples, cored, peeled and grated
6 tbsp apple juice
4 tbsp olive oil
115g self raising flour
115g sultanas
½ tsp baking powder
1tsp mixed spice
1 medium egg, beaten

Pre heat the oven to 180°C.

Place the oats and sugar into a bowl, add the grated apple, juice and oil, mix well and then leave for 15 minutes.

Add the flour, sultanas, baking powder, mixed spice and egg and mix well, but carefully.
Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 1lb loaf tin.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool slightly.

When cool, slice and serve with a smidgeon of olive oil spread.

Serves 6-8

From Phil Vickery on the Bramley Apple Website

This produces a very moist tea cake, so moist in fact that all three of us had a debate about if it was actually cooked or not. I felt it wasn't. Hubby and his Dad thought it 'might be' but that the grated apple made it look as though it wasn't. Hmmmmmm. The skewer test said it was cooked as well but I think next time I'll bake it an extra 10 mins or so just to be on the safe side, my oven does seem to be on the cooler side of the temp range - really most get a thermometer for it one of these days.

Now for some exciting news! Tomorrow sees the start of Chocolate Week. A whole week dedicated to my all time favourite food stuff, one might say that I am about as happy as a pig in chocolate (what did you think I was going to say?!?!?!) To mark this truly wonderful week in [my] history books I've thought long and hard about what to do. It was a short list. A very short list! So I'm sticking with my original idea which is to extend my Chocolate recipe file and create something new everyday for the whole week, the only rule is that I can't make something I have already made before. I'm hoping to be able to post everyday but in case you need more of a chocolate fix check out one of my fave blogs the Chocolate Log Blog.

Raspberry and Apple Cake

This is my 100th post ~ who knew I had it in me ;0)

In my mind a 'birthday' requires a cake but as we are still trying to be faithful to our new year's resolutions I knew it would had to be a low fat option. Rest assured though that in this case low fat does not mean low taste. We often enjoy a slice of this cake for dessert, served with some light ice cream!! I never thought Hubby and I would like the light version but there are actually some brands out there that are really quite nice, shocking but true!

Anyway, enough of this virtuous guff ... grab a fork and have some cake!

Raspberry and Apple Cake

Low fat cooking spray

225g SR flour

A pinch of salt

150g low fat polyunsaturated margarine

75g caster sugar

225g eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp skimmed milk

225g fresh or frozen raspberries

25g flaked almonds (I didn't have any so omitted them this time round)

1 tsp icing sugar, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180C / fan 160C. Spray a 20cm round spring form cake tin with low fat cooking spray and line it with non stick baking parchment.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and apples, then beat in the eggs and milk. Finally, gently fold in half the raspberries.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface, then sprinkle over the remaining raspberries and the flaked almonds. Bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours or until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch in the centre.

Remove from the tin and cool on a rack, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

Serves 12

WW Cook Smart Baking Cookbook

Apple and Cinnamon Scrolls

Continuing with the 'healthy' baking theme, these Apple and Cinnamon Scrolls are a tasty treat and actually started life as a weight watchers recipe.  One or two minor tweaks from me though means they aren't quite as low in points as they should be!

Apple and Cinnamon Scrolls
2 1/2 cups SR flour
7g sachet yeast
2 tbsp caster sugar
50g low fat spread, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk, warm
1/2 cup skim milk, warm
2 medium apples, cored and finely chopped
A large handful sultanas
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
Fry light spray

Combine flour, yeast and caster sugar in a bowl.  Stir to combine, then make a well in the centre.  Combine spread, buttermilk and milk in a jug and pour into the well.  Use a wooden spoon to mix together until combined.  use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins, or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary.  Place the dough in a clean bowl sprayed with oil.  Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to prove for 1 hour, or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 220C/fan 200C.  Spray a 18cm x 25cm deep tin with oil and set aside.  Knead dough again for a further 2-3 mins, or until smooth and elastic.  Place dough on a sheet of baking paper and roll out to a 26cm x 36cm rectangle.

Combine apple, sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar together in a bowl.  sprinkle mixture evenly over the dough.  Roll up firmly to enclose filling and form a log.

Cut the dough log into 8 even slices and place side by side in the prepared tray.  Cover with a tea towel and set aside to prove for a further 20 mins.  Bake in the preheated oven for approx 20 mins, or until golden and cooked through.  Best served warm.

Makes 8
WW Australia

The scrolls are best eaten on the day they are made but they can be frozen for up to 3 months.  These scrolls taste so good that nobody will know they are good for you ... unless you tell them ;0)

Breakfast Club - Puffed Apple Pancake (and setting the record straight!)

Hubby bought me Bill Granger's book 'Holiday' for Christmas last year and I am ashamed to say that I have never made anything from it. To further add to this shame when the series to accompany the book was on TV not that long ago I never watched it. I did record it though and with a spare few minutes to myself on Friday night (before going to see Julie and Julia!) I manged to watch some of them.

This recipe appeared on the show when Bill went to Tassie (Tasmania), which is my home state. Firstly I would like to correct the misrepresentation that seems to always occur when you get 'Mainlanders' (people from the rest of Australia) visiting our small island and I'm afraid to say that Bill was no different, shame on you Bill! Contrary to popular belief it is not always winter in Tasmania. We get 4 very distinct season's, Autumn, Winter, Spring AND Summer. It just so happens that our winter's are a tad on the cooler side because we are further south and therefore closer to Antarctica but Summer temperatures can push the mercury through the roof too, for some reason Mainlanders never want to advertise that bit though.

I was feeling a wee bit miffed with Bill by the time he actually got around to making this recipe and I wanted to pay very little interest to it. Unfortunately it used two of my favourite things - apples and pancakes - but its not the recipes fault so I decided to bury the hatchet and make this for breakfast. It's not the prettiest looking breakfast in the world, and I was pleased to note that it isn't just down to my photography skills. The TV show and Bill's book haven't really done it any justice either but it needs to be tried to be believed - totally scrummy!

Bill's Puffed Apple Pancake

50g butter

4 tart green apples, such as Granny Smith's, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

90g plain flour

A pinch of salt

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tbsp vanilla caster sugar

4 eggs

185ml milk

Preheat the oven to 200C (220C for conventional ovens). Melt the butter in a 25cm frying pan with an ovenproof handle. Add the apples and cook for 5 mins over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter has dissolved.

Mix the flour, salt, lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and slowly add the eggs and milk, whisking lightly to combine (don't worry too much about the lumps). Pour the batter evenly over the apples (it's fine if the apples show through). Put the pan in the oven and cook for 15 mins until puffed and golden. If your pan is shallow, place a baking tray underneath to catch any drips. Serve absolutely immediately with either yogurt, honey or maple syrup.

Serves 4

Bill Granger's 'Holiday'

Hubby has asked for this one again when we have visitors over, when making it the next time I will cut back on the butter and the sugar as it was quite sweet. The lemon gave it a really nice zesty hit too. I didn't have any Granny Smith's in the fruit bowl so I used one bramley in their place, just remember to cut the wedges on the thick side or they disintegrate before the batter is even added. I'd also serve it with the yogurt rather than the maple syrup, just to cut back on the sweetness.

Vanilla and Apple Tart Tatin

They say that the devil finds work for idle hands ... and after today I am inclined to agree with them (whoever "they" and "them" may be)!

Today was the day that I should have started back on my diet.  The diet that I should be sticking to steadfastly thanks to all the weight this little ol' blog of mine has helped me add on in the last year and a half.  But then boredom got the better of me and what was I to do?  My mind kept returning to the half a packet of puff pastry in the fridge that really should be used up, otherwise it would be headed for the bin and I couldn't have that ... I'm on a reduced waste campaign after all.  I could make another Mincemeat and Apple Tart, they supplies are all available ... but nah ... been there, done that.  Maybe I could make a pie for dinner?  Nope, Hubby isn't a fan of savory pies.  Those apples really needed using up though ...

The toing and froing continued for quite some time in my head before it all got the better of me.  I'd make a Tart Tatin.  I've always wanted to make one but I've usually shied away fearing that the combination of puff pastry, molten caramel, blistering hot apples and myself would end in tears.  But today I threw caution to the wind and decided to give this very simple recipe a whirl.
Vanilla and Apple Tart Tatin
50g butter 50g vanilla caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 medium Cox's apples or Egremont Russet apples, peeled, quartered and cored
fresh puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C. Melt the butter in a 20cm tart tatin tin over a medium heat on top of the hob, then stir in the sugar and heat until starting to caramelise. Stir in the vanilla. Pile in the apples and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to coat them in the caramelised juices - the apple juices will ooze out at first but will soon thicken and make a sauce. Remove from the heat.

Unroll the pastry and prick it all over with a fork. Quickly lay the pastry over the apples. Trim away any excess with scissors, allowing a rim of about 2cm, then tuck the pastry snugly round the apples down the inside of the tin.

Bake the tin in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is risen, firm and golden. When the tart is cooked, leave it to settle in the tin for 5 minutes or so before running the blade of a knife round the edge to dislodge any pastry that has stuck. Invert a plate over the top and turn out the tart, with any juices left in the tin. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Serves 4

Adapted from BBC Good Food Website

The original recipe calls for cinnamon and golden caster sugar, but being the vanilla fiend that I am I omitted these things and replaced them vanilla extract (homemade may I add!) and vanilla infused caster sugar (also homemade but not that exciting)!  It would appear that the devil also makes idle hands selfish!  I think the change in sugar may have altered the finished colour in the caramel, it doesn't seem to be a very dark colour but it tastes pretty wonderful, especially when served with a scoop of Pomegranate Ice Cream.  A real treat and one I'll certainly be making again, although I might wait for visitors and then it won't ruin my diet so much!!!

Blackberry and Apple Crumble Top Muffins with White Chocolate

The plan was to make some Blackberry and White Chocolate muffins when I got in from work tonight, but I discovered that I didn't have any buttermilk. Then I thought I'd make a nice Apple and Blackberry Crumble for dessert, not enough apples. Then I thought 'why not combine the two' and taadaa - Blackberry and Apple Crumble Top Muffins with White Chocolate was born.

The basic Muffin recipe came from the Goddess's Kitchen Blog, the crumble topping came from the '500 Cupcakes and Muffins' cookbook by Fergal Connolly and a few tweaks came from my favourite recipe website. The mixture made slightly more than I expected but there are no complaints on that score. They turned out really moist and light, so delish with a cuppa after dinner (or for anytime!)

Blackberry and Apple Topped Muffins with White Chocolate

220g blackberries
3 apples
2 duck eggs
250ml milk
120ml vegetable oil
200g vanilla caster sugar
375g plain flour (sifted)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (see note below)

100g white chocolate, chopped

Crumble Topping

50g unsalted butter, melted

4 tbsp plain flour

3 tbsp light brown sugar

4 tbsp porridge oats

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Place the eggs, oil, sugar and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat together.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small pieces. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir. Do not over mix. Gently stir the apples, blackberries and white chocolate into the mixture with the last few strokes, the mixture should still be lumpy.

Fill a muffin tray with paper muffin cases, and then fill each case to about two thirds full with the muffin mixture.

To make the crumble; stir all crumble ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the mixture and bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 22

Adapted from a lot of different recipes!

Chief taste tester (that would be Hubby) suggests more chocolate should be added next time, and I agree, the chunks of chocolate did seem to be few and far between in the muffin I sampled too. Also, the original recipe for the muffins said to put ground cinnamon in, I cut it back from the full teaspoon to just a half and then worried that I maybe shouldn't have added any at all with the white chocolate being an added touch, but I couldn't taste any at all in the finished muffin. Next time I'll leave it out but might put some vanilla extract in its place.

Strawberry, Grand Marnier and Blueberry Jam

Jam making seems to have developed into a bit of an obsession with me at the moment. I've scoured my book collection, blog sites and the web in general to source as many recipes and variations as I can, we're even running low on glass jars to store the finished product in, something Hubby never thought would happen!

While flicking through my bookshelf yesterday this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's new book just begged to be made, and as I had all the ingredients already, I set about making it tonight after work. I wasn't quite so sure about the booze, would it over power the over flavours, would the jam set? It seems to have worked quite well, shame on me for ever doubting the Contessa herself!

Strawberry, Grand Marnier and Blueberry Jam

2 punnets fresh strawberries

3 cups caster sugar (you'll be pleased to know I didn't reach for the vanilla sugar on this occasion!)

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into a small dice

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain and hull the strawberries. Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole. Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy bottom pot (I used my Le Creuset) and toss them in the sugar and Grand Marnier.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220F, this should take 25-35 mins (I used my chocolate thermometer for this stage and sure to her words, it took me exactly 25 minutes to reach temp). Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temp and then store covered in the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes 3 cups (I managed to fill a large jar and a small jar)

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's 'Back to Basics'

The only changes I made came from necessity really. I'm not 100% sure what 3 pints of strawberries looks like and measuring them in my measuring jug wasn't very successful, so I just used what I had which was 2 punnets. The Granny Smith's are kind of on the small side at the moment so I added a whole one and I'm pretty sure I added more than 1/2 cup of blueberries too, not quite the whole punnet though. The recipe seems to be quite flexible though and is setting up nicely and it tastes pretty good too ;0)

A Mincemeat and Apple Tart for First Footing

Let me start this first second post for 2011 by saying that I've never been a fan of New Year, I guess I could be called the "Christmas-Bah-Humbug" equivalent for Hogmanay .  I don't know why but its just never really floated my boat at all (note to self:  this is the Eeyore coming out in me, really must try harder to be more like Tigger).  You'll find no posts wrapping up 2010 and none containing my New Year resolutions either ... although I dare say that the resolutions I do manage to adhere to will trickle through at some point! 

And as if any of this weren't bad enough then there are the traditions!  Over here there are many traditions that can be followed at this time of the year, one of them is called the First Footing.  First Footing is when somebody calls on the household ~ preferably a tall and dark male, women allegedly bring bad luck (!!!!) and the male needed to be tall and dark as this is the polar opposite of vikings who were invading the country at the time this tradition dates back to.  Traditionally the tall, dark male would call unexpectedly carrying a bottle, a lump of coal, some shortbread and a silver coin. 

According to this tradition, my Father In Law lucked out when we went to visit yesterday!  I am tall and dark but very definitely a female, I did bring food but it was in the shape of this Mincemeat and Apple Tart and not shortbread, there was no booze except for that in the mincemeat, no lump of coal either (the man has brand spanking new gas central heating system after all!) but the tart was still warm from the oven and no silver coin either, although the tart was carried in on a silver tray.  Do you think the tradition will be fooled?

This recipe comes from Nigel Slater's latest book Tender Volume II which Santa very kindly left behind for me on Christmas Day.  He left me quite a few cook books actually (must have been that Rum and Raisin Pudding lol), but this was the only book I managed to smuggle in my overnight bag as we hurried off to Sis In Laws for Christmas.  As soon as I saw this recipe I immediately thought of the two large bottles of Rhubarb and Vanilla Mincemeat sitting in the fridge, rhubarb and apple is a match made in heaven so I knew I had to give it a try!

A Tart Of Mincemeat and Apples
400g cooking apples
2 heaped tbsp caster sugar
500g puff pastry
400g mincemeat
Beaten egg

Peel the apples, core them and cut them into small, thin slices.  Put into a wet saucepan with the sugar and leave to simmer gently till the sugar has melted and the apples are tender but not quite collapsed.  Set the oven at 200C.

Cut the pastry in half and roll out each piece to measure 36 x 16cm.  Place one half on a non stick baking sheet, or one lined with baking paper, then place the mincemeat in a wide line down the centre of the pastry, leaving a margin around the rim.  Place the apples on top (any juice should be left in the pan), then brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg.  Lay the second piece of pastry on top, pressing the edges firmly to seal.  Trim any ragged edges, crimp them with a fork, then decorate with any trimmings of pastry.  Brush with more of the beaten egg, cut 4 or 5 small slits in the top of the pastry and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and crisp.  Serve warm with cream.

Serves 6
Taken from Tender, Volume II

Nigel never fails, this was delicious!  We had it without cream (cause I forgot to pack any!) and it was still lovely, the Rhubarb and Vanilla mincemeat worked a treat.  This one is being filed away for future use ... and in some perverse way I've managed to stick to one of my resolutions before the first firework is even lit ... the cook books will once again be getting more of a work out this year (as will my backside)!

And now my Grinch like ranting is done all that is left is to wish you all a very happy New Year!  I hope 2011 sends all your hopes and dreams your way ;0)