Chocolate butterfly buns

I have read on a couple of occasions about baking using the method of weighing eggs then weighing the same amount of sugar, margarine and flour. This weekend I decided to give it ago. I did not want to make a large quantity of mixture in case it did not work out so I started by breaking two eggs into a bowl which I set on scales. The two eggs weighed 102g. I added to this 102g sugar and 102g margarine. I wanted to make chocolate buns so needed to substitute some of the flour for cocoa powder. I added a heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder into the bowl and topped it up to 102g with SR flour. For good measure I added 1/2 tsp baking powder. I whisked this all together then popped the mixture into 9 muffin cases and baked. 

They came out really well and were lovely and moist. After cooling I whisked some double cream and a little vanilla extract until soft peaks then piped into my butterflied buns. Finished off with a grating of dark chocolate.

Will definitely try this method again. Think I will double the eggs next time and try a cake. Not a good idea baking when I'm trying to watch my weight. I want to taste food I bake to see if they taste right  and if not decide where to change a recipe so I just HAD to try one for quality control. Only thing is, I think I've eaten 3 altogether, oops!

Bit of grub stuff

Well we're having a lovely sunny day here in Yorkshire. Been out with Sherlock for our second walk of the day and I was actually too hot in my jacket but just as I was returning back home we had a short shower so was glad I took my jacket in the end.

Had a morning of quick bakes and soup making. I made a batch of fruit scones and a batch of cheese scones for the girls to nibble on and to take to school in pack up.

I used the Be-Ro cookbook recipe. I don't know why, but I can never make lovely deep scones no matter what recipe I use. Anyway, they taste lovely as I tried a small  one made with the remains of the mixture. Tried to resist because I'm on a diet and it's weigh-in tomorrow but I could hear it calling me from the kitchen. I was good  though and had it plain. I resisted the cheese scones though far too many calories with the cheese. Scones are so cheap and quick to make.

I made a large pan of soup for my lunches. No recipe really. It's one I make often and mainly consists of chopping carrots, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, usually a green pepper that's floating around the fridge but didn't have one this week. A tin of tomatoes, veg stock and a good dollop of tomato puree then I add 2-3 tbsp of paprika. Boil until cooked then blend until smooth.

I've set myself a challenge to use up bits and pieces in packets floating around my cupboards that never seem to get used. Today I finished a packet of oatbran that I have been having each morning for my breakfast over the last 4 days. I can't even remember what I bought it for but the use by date was July 2012. It tasted lovely made with water and drizzled with a little syrup.

The next packets to use up are a packet of pumpkin seeds and a packet of sunflower seeds. Think I shall lightly toast them in a frying pan then store them in a little pot and have a tablespoon on my salads for a bit of crunch. Shouldn't take me long to use them up because I'm eating a lot of salads lately.

Might tackle a tin of anchovies I've got lurking at the back of the cupboard that have been sat there for the last two years. I know they are not a packet but I'm sick of seeing them every time I open the cupboard door. Haven't a clue what to do with then. I don't even like anchovies. Mother-in-law gave them to me one year in a food hamper. Come to think of it, I think she bought them along with other stuff to do one of the Jamie Oliver recipes in a cookbook she included in the hamper. Shall go and have a rummage through my book collection and dig it out. Watch this space...for a Jamie anchovies recipe

Lemons - use it up

I have had 3 manky lemons sitting in my fruit bowl, leftover from Christmas. Today I decided to take action and get them used. I also have a biscuit tin with lots of odds and ends of biscuits, so I came up with a concoction of a lemon meringue with a cheese cake biscuit base.

My base was made up of 200g of digestive biscuits and a few shortbread biscuits whizzed up in the food processor into crumbs. These were added to 75g of melted butter then pressed into a loose base tin.

The filling was 4 egg yolks, 150g sugar, juice of 3 lemons, 300mls boiling water and a little lemon zest. I would have added a lot more zest but the lemons were a bit old and soft so made it difficult to zest them. I whisked all this together then added 2 tbsp of cornflour mixed with a little water. Brought this to the boil then poured it onto the biscuit base.

The 4 egg whites were whisked until stiff then I added 100g of sugar. I topped the tart with the meringue and baked for 25 minutes.

I baked it at fan oven 170C. I was impressed how high the meringue rose in the oven but it did settle on cooling.

It was a lovely lemon meringue but I would have preferred it a little bit tarter.  I would have been able to achieve this if the lemons had been a lot fresher. Anyway, the lemons got used and the old biscuits got used. Nothing was wasted so I'm happy.

Happy Halloween

Daughter's carved pumpkin

It's that time of year again when ghosts and ghouls tread the streets once night falls and there are constant knocks on the door for a trick or treat. I really don't like Halloween. I'm an old grump at having to answer the door all the time and would rather draw the curtains and ignore it all. They always come a knocking when we are trying to eat our evening meal too. I do know the kids love it though and I enjoy taking the dog for his walk and watching all the kids dressed up in their costumes having fun running around the streets. It's just the knocking on my door! Daughter No3 was supposed to go to a Halloween party tonight but has decided she doesn't want to go now so she wants to answer the door all evening. Fine by me, job's your. So all you halloweeners out there, have fun tonight and you can call at my door this year cos I don't have to answer it all night : )

Both daughter's carved a pumpkin last night (pictured above) and scooped out the inside for me to make a pumpkin pie. I didn't fancy making a pie this year so I made some pumpkin muffins instead. Here's my recipe

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

400g pumpkin
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
pinch salt
125g sugar
1egg, beaten
5 tbsp milk
4 tbsp oil

Cook the pumpkin until tender then blend until smooth then place in a sieve to allow excess water to drain off and allow to cool.
Mix all dry ingredients together
Mix all wet ingredients together with the pumpkin in another bowl
Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients
Fill 12 muffin cases and bake on a tray for 20-25 minutes at Gas 5/ 190C

They would be nice with some frosting on top but I'm going to leave them plain because I'm watching the calories. I had no muffin cases so had to use bun cases so ended up with 18 muffins. Also, I only added 1/2 tsp mixed spice but I think the flavour would have been better with 1 tsp.

Enjoy your Halloween night x

Menu Plan 24/09/12

MONDAY - Homemade lamb burgers, homemade coleslaw and chips. Rice pudding

TUESDAY - Roast chicken, mash, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, cabbage, broccoli & stuffing

WEDNESDAY - Chicken kiev, salad, homemade coleslaw & jacket potatoes

THURSDAY - Spaghetti bolognese & homemade garlic bread

FRIDAY - Pork chops, roasted vegetables and wedges

SATURDAY - Chicken korma, rice and naan bread

SUNDAY - Freezer leftovers. Freezer needs defrosting so it's grab whatever to clear it out

Back in my wellies for dog walks now. Days like today I just want to potter around the house and cook hearty warming food. So this morning I made a lovely big pot of spicy butternut squash soup which I had a bowl of for lunch and it was lovely and spicy due to me chucking in an extra chilli. Homemade lamb burgers for tea and a good old rib sticking rice pudding with homemade plum jam, sooo good. I made a batch of cheese and bacon scones for daughter No3 to have for lunches at school.

CHEESE & SMOKEY BACON SCONES

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon
150g SR flour
sprinkle salt & pepper
25g marg
75g cheddar cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp milk

Set oven 220C or Gas7
Grill the bacon until just starting to crisp, cool.
In a bowl mix flour & seasonings then rub in marg.
Stir in bacon & cheese, saving some cheese to sprinkle on top.
Mix in egg & milk and form into a dough.
Form into a circle flatten to about 3/4 inch in thickness and cut into quarters.


Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.

She creeps quietly back...

... and hopes she's still got a follower or two left. Three and a half months of silence from me; why? I don't know really. I just felt like I had nothing interesting or exciting to blog about to keep anyone interested, so I had a break from blogland for a while. I kept having a look each week at all my fave blogs and even added some new ones to follow. Then after a day of reading others blogs I got the urge to do mine again. So here I am, hoping to get back into blogging and reading your blogs on a regular basis.

What have I been up to in my absence then? Not a lot really. No summer holiday this year which was a bummer as we had nothing to look forward to and it did make the summer drag. Summer! What's that? My veg garden has done terrible this year with the awful summer we have had. The only thing that grew well this year is the runner beans. Lettuces, courgettes, chillies, tomatoes and lots of other stuff were a big let down this year. We'll try again next year.

So now the nights are drawing in and days outside will become  days snuggling in the house and I will need things to do to occupy me. We went to B&Q last weekend to get paint for me to decorate the living room over the autumn and I spotted a fleece blanket for £2.00 and thought it would be perfect to start another Christmas project I blogged about here.

The fleece came in a variety of colours but I chose cream. You can't go wrong with cream when your not sure of someone else's colour preference. So this is my project to keep me busy through the dark autumn nights. Making an embroidered throw for my mother-in-law for Christmas.

Enjoyed making a lovely sponge cake this afternoon. It is a tried and tested recipe we have used for years. The recipe was given to us by my husbands aunt and never fails to rise and is a lovely moist cake.

AUNTIE JOAN'S SPONGE CAKE

8oz butter or margarine
8oz sugar
8oz SR flour
4 eggs

So simple this cake, just put everything into a large mixing bowl then whisk until everything is well mixed. Divide the mixture between two lined cake tins and bake in oven at 160C for about 20-25 mins.

I filled the sponge with homemade 2009 plum jam and sprinkled icing sugar on the top. So yummy.
Time to watch Downton Abbey now, can't wait.