Valentines

Mussels in Garlic and White Wine

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Raspberry Souffle

Thank you Dilly

Jalousie

Ingredients

• 75g Green Lentils
• Vegetable Stock
• 2 Leeks
• 2 Garlic
• 200g Mushrooms
• Dried mixed herbs (e.g. oregano, thyme, marjoram)
• Mixed nuts (e.g. pine nut, walnut, chestnut)
• 75g Prunes
• 25g Breadcrumbs
• 2 Eggs
• Puff Pastry

Method

1. Boil Lentils in Vegetable Stock until soft
2. Fry Leeks, Garlic, Mushrooms and Herbs (10 mins)
3. Stir in chopped Nuts, pitted Prunes, Breadcrumbs and the Lentils
4. Add ¾ of the beaten Eggs and mix then leave to cool
5. Roll out 2 sheets of Puff Pastry
6. Spoon the mixture into the centre of one sheet leaving a border
7. Egg wash the border and lay the other sheet on top, press down the border with a folk
8. Egg wash the top
9. Bake @200C (30 mins)

Raspberry & Lemon Madeleine

Ingredients

• 3 Eggs
• 130g Sugar
• 200g Plain Flour
• 10g Baking Powder
• 1 Lemon Zest
• 20g Honey
• 4 tbsp. Milk
• 200g Butter
• Raspberries
• Icing Sugar
• Lemon Curd

Method

1. Beat Eggs and Sugar until pale
2. Melt Butter, mix in Milk and Honey and add to Eggs
3. In separate bowl mix together Flour, Baking Powder and Lemon Zest
4. Gradually fold the Flour mixture into the Egg mixture
5. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours
6. Butter a madeleine tray and spoon the batter into each mould
7. Place a Raspberry on top of each
8. Bake @190C (5 mins)
9. Then reduce heat to 160C (5 mins)
10. Cool on wire rack
11. Pipe a little Lemon Curd into each Madeleine

Stollen

Ingredients

Fruit & Spice:

• 100g Sultanas
• 50g Candid Peel
• 50g Currants
• 1 Lemon Zest
• 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
• Pinch Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbsp. Rum

Dough:

• 7g Yeast
• 1tsp Sugar
• 500g Strong Flour
• 150ml Milk
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
• 50g Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 300g Marzipan
• Icing Sugar

Method

1. Mix all Fruit & Spice in a bowl and cover for 1 hour
2. Mix Yeast, Sugar, 125g Flour, and Milk to make a wet dough
3. Leave to go frothy (1 hour)
4. Mix in the rest of Flour (375g), Salt, Brown Sugar, diced Butter and beaten Eggs
5. Once the dough comes together, knead (5 mins)
6. Leave to double in size (1 hour)
7. Divide dough and Marzipan in half to make 2 loafs
8. Roll out dough into and oval
9. Roll marzipan into a log, place in the middle of dough and wrap the dough around the marzipan
10. Repeat for other halves and place on a well flour baking try
11. Leave to rise (30 mins)
12. Bake @180C for 30 mins
13. Dust over plenty of Icing Sugar when cool
14. One loaf is for you, then other is to give away!

Cinnamon Bavarois

Ingredients

• 315ml Milk
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 60g Caster Sugar
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 1 ½ tsp Gelatine
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• 170ml Whipping Cream

Method

1. For  custard, bring Milk, Cinnamon and half the Sugar to the boil
2. Whist Egg Yolks until light, pour over Milk mixture and continue to whisk
3. Return mixture to pan over low heat and stir until thick then cool (don’t let it boil)
4. Soak Gelatine in cold water, drain then add to custard with Vanilla
5. Whip cream then fold into custard
6. Pour into moulds and chill
7. When set, dip the mould in hot water to loosen, then tip out onto plate

Trout Grenobloise

Ingredients

• New Potatoes
• Trout
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Parsley
• Capers
• Bread
• Lemon

Method

1. Boil Potatoes (10 mins)
2. Cube Bread and fry gently in Oil until brown all over
3. Fry Trout on both sides in Oil and Butter (5 mins each side)
4. Remove Trout to rest, in same pan add a little Water, Lemon (segmented), Capers and chopped Parsley (3 mins)
5. Add fried bread (1 min)
6. To Serve Trout with sauce, Salad and Potatoes on the side

Fireworks

Playing around with long exposures and my new ND filter while photographing fireworks night over the harbour.

Beetroot Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 250g Dark Chocolate
• 3 Eggs
• 250g Light Muscovado Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Pod
• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 40g Self-Raising Flour
• 40g Plain Flour
• 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 25g Coco Powder
• 40g Ground Almonds
• 250g Raw Beetroot
• 100ml Black Coffee
• 30ml Sunflower Oil

Topping:

• 150g Dark Chocolate
• 3 tbsp Black Coffee
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 3 tbsp Honey

Method

1. Greece a 20cm x 8cm loose bottomed tin and pre-heat oven to 160C
2. For cake, melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water then allow to cool a little
3. Beat Eggs with Sugar, Vanilla, Syrup and Honey (3 mins)
4. Fold in Flours, Bicarbonate of Soda, Salt, Coco Powder and Ground Almonds
5. Finley grate the Beetroot, dab with kitchen towel to remove excess moisture
6. Mix Beetroot, cooled Chocolate, Coffee and Oil into the mixture until well combined
7. Tip into tin and Bake (1 hour 30 mins)
8. Cover cake with foil and return to oven (30 mins)
9. Tip out and cool on wire rack
10. For Topping, melt Chocolate in a bowl over simmering water
11. Remove and stir in Coffee, Vanilla and Honey
12. Slice the cake horizontally in two, spread some of the topping in the middle, then all around the sides
13. Decorate with whatever you fancy…

Chelsea Buns

Ingredients

Dough

• 450g Strong White Bread Flour
• 1tsp Salt
• 7g Fast action Yeast
• 30g Caster Sugar
• 25g Butter
• 225ml Milk
• 1 Egg

Filling

• 125g Dried mixed fruit
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 60g Muscovado Sugar

Method

1. Sift Flour into a bowl and stir in Salt, Sugar and Yeast
2. Rub in cubed Butter
3. Warm the milk up in a pan
4. In a mixer gradually beaten Eggs, then Milk
5. Tip out and knead (10 mins)
6. Place in a covered bowl in a warm place and allow to rise (1 hour)
7. Meanwhile mix togther Dried Fruit, Mixed Spice and Sugar for filling
8. Roll out dough into 35 x 25 cm rectangle
9. Brush dough with melted butter and scatter filling evenly over
10. Roll up (from the long edge)
11. Cut into 9 pieces
12. Place in greased 20cm tin
13. Cover and allow to rise in warm place (1 hour)
14. Bake @200C (20 mins)
15. When still warm sift Icing Sugar over the top

Tomato, Thyme & Goats Cheese Slice

Ingredients

• Puff Pastry
• Tomatoes
• Garlic Clove
• Goats Cheese
• Sprigs of Thyme

Method

1. Roll out pastry
2. Layer sliced Tomatoes
3. Bake @190C (15 mins)
4. Take out of the oven and sprinkle over chopped Garlic and Thyme
5. Layer sliced Goats Cheese over the top
6. Return to oven (10 mins)
7. Couldn’t be simpler (especially if you buy ready made Puff Pastry!)