Heavenly Vanilla Cupcakes

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful time over the festive season with lots to eat and drink and lots and lots of presents. I for one had a great Christmas. It was the first year N and I had hosted and for some reason I thought hosting Christmas Day and Boxing Day would be a good idea! I enjoyed every minute of it and made some great food but by the end I told N that I didn't want to cook anything again for another week! The look of horror on N's face was priceless! I did assure him I was only joking but I'm not sure he was convinced as I have somehow managed to avoid cooking dinner since Boxing Day. I think N is very concerned about where his next meal is coming from!

Although I haven't cooked anything for the last few days yesterday I did do some baking. One of my presents from a friend at work was The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days recipe book. It is definitely one of the most beautiful recipe books I own. Every single page is full of the most exquisite cakes. Unfortunately most of them require a little planning as they use ingredients I don't really keep at home. But I did manage to find a recipe for some vanilla cupcakes that didn't require me to head out to the shops. I vowed to myself that I would follow the recipe to the letter as I wanted to see what all the fuss was about but I just couldn't bring myself to do it! Firstly, the recipe indicated the use of full fat milk, which I never keep at home and if I did buy it specially the rest would just go to waste. So I took the risk of substituting it for semi-skimmed. Secondly, was the huge amount of sugar the recipe required. As I started to pour it in to my mixing bowl I just couldn't do it. I reduced it by about a qaurter in the end and it tasted just fine. For the frosting, I made only half the quantity suggested and it was plenty. The cupcakes were still covered well and the ratio of cake to frosting was perfect.

When I started out baking the cakes I wondered what all the fuss could be about. Why are Hummingbird cakes so famous. After tasting it I know why. These are probably the best cakes I have ever eaten and I felt so chuffed that I had made them myself. I distributed a few to friends and family and when you get a text back saying 'Oh my god the cupcakes are absolute heaven! I have just eaten two!' you know they must be pretty good!

Heavenly Vanilla Cupcakes

(makes 12 | Total prep and cooking time 1 hour + 30 mins cooling time)

Ingredients for the sponge

- 80g unsalted butter, softened

- 210g caster sugar

- 230g plain flour (sifted)

- 1 tablespoon baking powder (sifted)

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 240ml semi-skimmed milk

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder

- 2 large eggs

Ingredients for the frosting

- 225g icing sugar

- 80g unsalted butter, softened

- 25ml semi-skimmed milk

- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder

- chocolate sprinkles

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan and line a deep muffin tin with muffin cases

- Using a hand-held electric whisk or fresstanding electric mixer slowly beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until all the ingredients are well mixed and resemble fine breadcrumbs

- Mix together the milk, eggs and vanilla by hand in a jug. With the whisk still on a low speed, pour three-quarters of the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the rest of the mixture and beat again on a medium setting until the batter is smooth.

- Spoon the batter into the muffin cases up to about two-thirds full. Put the in oven for 20 minutes. Check they are springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean, if not put in for a bit longer. Do not be tempted to open the oven door within the first 20 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack

- While the cakes are in the oven make th frosting. Whisk the icing sugar and butter on a low speed using the electric whisk until fully combined and sandy in consistency. Add the vanilla to the milk and pour into the butter and icing sugar while still mixing on a low speed. Increase the speed to high and whisk the frosting until light and fluffy

- Once the cupcakes are cool, add the frosting, smoothing with a palette knife. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles





Melt-in-the-middle chocolate pudding

How many of you have dessert after a weekday dinner? I've never really had a sweet tooth but N has and his bad influence has definitely rubbed off on me. We don't have a formal dessert every evening but we do tend to have something sweet after dinner. It might just be a fruit yoghurt or some ice cream or perhaps just a little piece of chocolate. It's still 5 days till Christmas and we've already run out of chocolates on our Christmas tree!

Once in a while though, I do like to have a real dessert in the evening. Sometimes I buy some profiteroles or a mousse from Marks and Spencers but I'd really love to make one myself more often, if only I had the time. This recipe solves all those problems. Not only is it a chocoholics delight but it's super quick to prepare (approx 10 mins) and takes only 20 mins to cook so as soon you sit down to eat dinner just pop it in to the oven. It's also perfect for a dinner party as it can be made earlier in the day and then just cooked when you need it. It looks best if you make them in individual ramekins but as I now realise that's the one thing my kitchen is lacking. It's probably a bit late to put that on my Christmas list but if anyone who's planning to buy me a gift is stuck for ideas....

Melt-in-the-middle chocolate pudding

(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time approx 30 mins)

 

 

Ingredients 

•  50g unsalted butter + extra to grease
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 40g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 50g chocolate (min 70% cocoa)

Method

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees fan
• Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bain marie
• Take off the heat and leave to cool
• Whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar
• Butter the ramekin(s) and dust with cocoa powder. Shake of any excess
• Whisk the cooled chocolate into the eggs and sugar mixture
• Sift the flour and stir in to the mixture
• Transfer into the ramekin(s)
• Bake for 20 mins

 



Chicken and Chorizo Parcels

I always have the dilemma of whether to cook with chicken breasts or thighs. Breast meat is better for you as on average it contains about a third of the saturated fat content of thigh meat and a lot more protein. But the problem is it's no way near as tender. In reality I use both depending on what I am cooking. For soups, casseroles, paellas and stir frys I use breast meat as I end up shredding or chopping the chicken making it taste less dry. Thigh meat works better for roast chicken, coq au vin or chicken curry (skin left on for the first two and off for the last). But finally I have found a great way of cooking chicken breast meat that keeps it moist and tender. My inspiration came from a recipe in Stylist magazine a few months back. Of course the end result had a fair few Accidental Cook signature variations! By cooking the chicken in baking paper it locks in the moisture and takes up the flavour of whatever you accompany it with. With this last thought in mind there could be no better pairing than my favourite ingredient, chorizo!

I served this dish with a mixture of sweet potato and regular potato wedges (another way to hide the sweet potato from N!) and some steamed asparagus.

Chicken and Chorizo Parcels

(serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 35-40 mins)

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast fillets
• 3 tablespoons chopped chorizo
• 1 tomato - chopped
• 1/2 onion - diced
• 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
• 2 tablesoons chopped herbs e.g. parsley, thyme or basil

Method

• Preheat the oven to 108 degrees fan
• Heat the oil in a frying pan
• Add the chorizo and fry for a few minutes until the oil starts to release from the chorizo
• Add the tomato, onion and garlic and stir until the chorizo is cooked
• Stir through the herbs
• Place the chicken breast on a piece of baking paper and season
• Spoon over the chorizo mixture
• Wrap the paper into a parcel
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through



Sausage and Bean Cassoulet

Oh the humble sausage, it has saved many a meal time for me. It's quick and tasty and although I am a little sceptical about its nutritional value once in a while I think it is fine. I'm pretty sure N has 'forgotten' how to cook since we got married but if he ever does have to fend for himself it usually involves some form of sausages.

But this dish makes the humble sausage into something beautiful. I've tried a few sausage and bean cassoulet recipes in the past and they've always been fine, but never great. This is one of those dishes where every mouthful is an explosion of taste and no matter how full you are you really don't want it to end. And it tastes even better every time I remember that I invented the recipe myself!

Cook's tip: for a vegetarian version substitute the pork sausages for vegetarian ones such as Quorn or Linda McCartney.

The Accidental Cook's Sausage and Bean Cassoulet

(serves 4 | approx prep and cooking time 1 hour)



Ingredients

6 good quality pork sausages

2-3 tablespoons chopped cooking chorizo

1 onion - diced

4 cloves garlic - finely chopped

2 dried bay leaves

1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

1 can (400g) butter beans

1 can (400g) mixed beans (e.g pinto, canellini, kidney)

2 leeks - sliced

500ml vegetable stock

1 level teaspoon paprika

1 generous teaspoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Method

• Brown the sausages in a non-stick frying pan. They do not have to be cooked through.
• Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan or stock pot
• Fry the onions for a few minutes
• Add the garlic and bay leaves and fennel seeds. Cook for a minute or two
• Add the chorizo and mix well. Cook on a low heat until the chorizo starts to release some oil. Mix well so the onion is coated in the chorizo oil
• Drain the beans and rinse thoroughly with water
• Add the beans and the leeks to the stock pot and mix well
• Add the chopped tomatoes and all the juices
• Add the paprika and stir well
• Cut the sausages into pieces (approx 1 inch) and add to the bean sauce
• Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for approx 20 minutes. If there is too much water increase the heat to evaporate, or if it is too dry add some boiling water
• Just before it has finished cooking still through the parsley and mustard
• Serve with crusty bread



Good Food Day

What an amazing day I had at the BBC Good Food Show yesterday. For any 'foodie' it really is heaven in an exhibition centre. If you've never been I urge you to go next year. Whether you like cooking at home or prefer eating out there's something for everyone. My friend Shamli and I started our day watching a live performance by the talented James Martin. With his brash Yorkshire mannerisms he makes elegant food unpretentious. He did a mini version of Saturday Kitchen Live with the help of the excellent Theo Randall and with guest star radio presenter Chris Evans. I know they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but Evans had me in fits of giggles yesterday.

We followed Martin through to a question and answer session and then on to a book signing. I did feel like we were stalking him slightly but it was worth it to have my photo taken with him. Shamli's very helpful comment to interrupt my glee was that Martin's head looked twice the size of mine! On looking at it I agree. I'm not sure if he has a particularly large head or me a small one. I suppose it's because he is over a foot taller than me, it's a good thing he was sitting down or we may have looked like we were at a photo event promoting The Hobbit!

Our little circuit of following Martin was repeated with a similar one for Michel Roux Jnr. What a superb chef and actually a lot less scary in real life! The rest of the day was as you can imagine. Some great food, a wander round the stalls and some souvenir shopping...a bit of cheese, some kitchen gadgets and a very fun replica Masterchef apron. I don't think I'm quite at the Masterchef level (yet!) but a girl can dream...

A Bonfire Hotpot

All I could think about today was lamb hotpot. From the moment I took the diced lamb out of the freezer this morning it was constantly on my mind. I've been planning the recipe all day, perfecting it in my mind. I could almost taste it before I even made it. November the 5th. It just felt like the right dish for bonfire night. Dark, rich and comforting. Perfect for a cold night. And trust me it didn't disappoint.

I didn't even have a base recipe for this one, it was invented by what I thought worked together. Lamb and aubergine belong together. The taste, colour and texture just work really well. And rosemary and thyme are the natural choice to go with them. I've been experimenting with knorr stock pots recently and have found they're a bit heavy for pastas and risottos but perfect for soups and casseroles. It gave the lamb base a great depth and flavour. As for the topping, I've read that sweet potato is better for you than regular potato but N has been very sceptical to try it. A combination of the two worked very well as a topping.

I know it takes a while to make this one so a weekday may not be practical, but I definitely recommend you try it at a weekend. The best thing about it is once it's in the oven you're free to have a well deserved break. A cup of tea, a glass of red wine or a peak out of the window to watch the fireworks!

  Lamb and Aubergine Hotpot

(seves 2 | total prep and cooking time 1 hour 30 minutes)

Ingredients

400g diced lamb

1 small aubergine - cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 red onion - diced

3 garlic cloves - finely chopped

2 totmatoes - chopped

200ml hot water - finely chopped

1 vegetable stock pot

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

A few sprigs of thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 potato - sliced

1 sweet potato - sliced

Dry Italian herbs

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

- Lightly grease an oven proof dish

- Remove any excess fat from the lamb

- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and brown the lamb. Set aside

- Heat some oil in a saucepan and fry the oinions

- Add the garlic and cook for a few mins

- Add the chopped tomatoes and aubergine and mix well. Cook for a few minutes

- Add the paprika, rosemary and thyme leave

- Add the stock pot and boiling water

- Mix well and cook on a high heat until a lot of the water has evaporated. It should be moist but mot watery

- Transfer the lamb mixture to the oven proof dish

- Layer the potato and sweet potato slices on top of the lamb and sprinkle with a little olive oil and dry herbs

- Cover and cook for 40 minutes

- Remove the cover and increase the temperature to 200 degrees. Cool for a further 20 minutes



The only kind of drizzle I actually like

I can't believe I missed the Great British Bake-Off this year. It's like I'd been asleep for the last 3 months. I only actually came to realise it had been on when my work colleague said 'I can't believe I missed the Bake-Off final this week'! Missed the final, I'd missed the whole ten weeks. Well thank god for iPlayer. Especially now I can watch it on my new smart TV rather than on the tiny iPad screen. It's changed my life (a very dramatic statement and probably a slight exaggeration). And it's almost as good as watching it on TV except when it decides to start buffering for 5 minutes.

So, back to the Bake-Off. Those contestants are amazing. They can bake everything. I mean I'm ok at a cake or biscuits or perhaps a crumble or two but if anyone asks me to make a strudel I'd fall to pieces like flaky pastry. But these guys are stars, even the poor contestant that gets kicked out in week one! And the winner, what a guy. An amazing baker and what a great soldier. The amount of blood there was the week he cut his hand, I honestly had to look away and I work in a hospital!

But, for me the Bake-Off isn't just about entertainment, it's about inspiration. Most people can make a cake, but it's making a really good cake that I aspire to. The one where everyone fights over the last piece. And this lemon drizzle cake is the one. I am generally quite critical about my own food but I loved this one. So much so that I made sure it was me that ate the last piece!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

(makes 9-12 pieces | total prep and cooking time approx 1 hour 15 mins)





Ingredients
2 eggs
140g caster sugar
150g soft margarine, plus extra for greasing
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
175g self raising flour (sieved)
125ml milk
Icing sugar for dusting
For the syrup: 110g icing sugar, 50ml of fresh lemon juice

Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
- Grease a 7 inch square cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper
- Place the eggs, caster sugar and margarine in a a mixing bowl and beat hard until smooth and fluffy. It is best to use an electric hand mixer to do this
- Stir in the lemon rind
- Fold in the sieved flour lightly and evenly
- Stir in the milk and mix - Pour mixture into the cake tin and spread evenly so the top is level
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown, firm to touch and a skewer comes out clean
- Remove from the oven and stand the tin on a wire rack to cool
- Just before the cake is cool make the syrup. Place the icing sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir until sugar dissolves, do not boil!
- Prick the cake all over with a skewer and spoon the hot syrup evenly over the top, allowing it to be absorbed
- Leave to cool in the tin and then turn the cake out and cut into even pieces
- Dust with a little icing sugar before serving

(original recipe taken from the Big Book of Baking, amendments by yours truly!)