Bolognese Pizza! (quorn)

Ingredients:

Base
650gr Plain Flour
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Sugar
7gr Dried Yeast
20ml Olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon of Basil, 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano and a small squirt of garlic puree
400ml Warm Water

Method:

1: Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together in a bowl (again, I usually sift at least twice to mix all ingredients together)
2: Add the Basil, Oregano and a small squirt of garlic puree
3: Add the oil and the warm water and cut into the flour
4: Knead the dough until smooth and elastic
5: Cover and let it rise for an hour, Knock down and let rise for another hour
Divide in half, roll out into a circle and
6 Bake for about 10 mins at about 160degrees

Topping:

I kind of improvise this bit.

1 Bag Spinach
2 onions
Quorn mince - usually about 150grams ish
1 pack of Mozzarella
Garlic puree
Red Pesto
Tomato Puree
Basil, Rosemary, Mint, Oregano


Method:

1: Place some butter in a pan
2: Chop the onions, add to the butter and cook them gently with the herbs

I use rough proportions for the herbs with Mint being the least, then rosemary, then basil and Oregano being the most. No more than a teaspoon of Oregano.

3: Wilt the spinach in the pan and add some garlic puree and about 2 teaspoons of red pesto
I tend to add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of marmite, depending on the freshness of the herbs..sometimes the depth and balance of the flavour calls for it.

4: Add the Quorn mince and any more pesto or herbs if need be.

5: Cover the pizza bases with tomato puree then the mince and spinace mixture
sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for about 20 mins at 160degrees or until golden

Chocolate Orange Madeira Cake

Ingredients:


180gr Butter - salted
185gr Sugar - Pref soft brown
3 Eggs
165gr Self Raising Flour
100gr Dark Chocolate - Grated
Orange Zest
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
dash of vanilla essence


Method:

Preheat Oven to 160 Degrees C

1: Beat the butter and sugar together with the lemon juice and a dash of vanilla essence
2: Crack each egg into a cup and beat - add each egg to the sugar
3: Add the zest and grated chocolate and beat the whole mixture until pale and fluffy
4: Fold in the flour until its barely mixed and spoon into a cake tin
Bake for 1 hour

Note:
Again, I always recommend sifting flour from a good height and beating eggs individually so that there is as much air into the mix as possible
I recommend salted butter, depth of flavour is always better.

Chocoholics Brownies - Seriously, be warned!

Ingredients:

200gr  Dark Chocolate - Broken into chunks
175gr Butter - Chopped
2 Eggs
230gr Soft Brown Sugar
40gr Cocoa
125gr Plain Flour
100gr Chocolate type 1 - chopped
100gr Chocolate type 2 - chopped
* I found an awesome selection at Aldi, 100grams of Stracciatella Chocolate (White chocolate with dark chocolate nibs in) and 100gr Coffee chocolate or milk chocolate. Coffee tends to enhance chocolate flavours but isn't to everyones taste

Method:
preheat the oven to 160 Degrees C

1: Melt the 200gr Dark chocolate with the butter in a bowl suspended in a saucepan of hot water - stir until melted and remove from the heat
2: Put the sugar in another bowl with a drop of vanilla essence
3: Crack an egg into bowl/cup and beat, add the other egg and beat some more
4: Whisk the eggs into the sugar until pale and fluffy
5: Fold the egg/sugar mix into the chocolate, add type 1 chocolate and mix
6: Sift the flour and cocoa powder together with a pinch of salt
7: Sift the flour mix into the chocolate, add type 2 chocolate and fold the mix til just about mixed
8: Pour the mix into a tin and bake for 25-30 mins or so

These are intense but moreish -be warned:

Note: I always suggest cracking each egg into a cup or some receptacle first. For one thing, it shows you the condition of the egg (if there's been a little separation etc). It also allows you to fish out any shell if need be and to add more air to the mix.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:
      Pastry:
185gr Plain Flour
100gr Butter (Chilled and cubed)
2 Teaspoons grated Orange Zest
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
3 Tablespoons Icy water

     Filling:
40gr Crushed digestive biscuits OR Amaretti
60gr Plain flour
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
90gr Brown Sugar
500gr Blueberries
3 Pears
1 Apple or 1/2 a Tin of Apples
Pinch of nutmeg and Vanilla essence

1: Cut the pears in a bowl with the apples, add some vanilla essence and nutmeg and blend until smooth

2: Sift the flour (twice) into a large bowl add a pinch of salt and the Orange Zest
3: Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs
4: Add the sugar and a splash (less than 1/2 teaspoon) of cinnamon
5: Make a well and slowly add the water, cutting into the mix until it comes together as beads
6: Press together into a ball, cover with cling film and chill for 20 mins

Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees C

7: Crush the digestives with some vanilla essence
8: Combine with the flour, cinnamon and 1 1/2 Tablespoon of the sugar
9: Roll out the pastry and place in the dish
10: Cover the dough with the biscuit mix, add the blueberries and cover with the apple and pear puree
11: Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and
Bake for 30mins until brown

Note: With the apple puree on top, this wont win any beauty pageants - however the pear and nutmeg combo will win over pretty much everyone!

Spinach Pie

Ingredients:

450gr Spinach
1 Large sheet of puff pastry
3 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
275gr Mozzarella OR 150gr Mozzarella and 125gr Feta)
1 Tablespoon of Oregano
A pinch of basil
2 Stock cubes (vegetarian)
2 Eggs (beaten)
60Ml Double Cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 210 Degrees C

1: Wilt the spinach in a pan with some butter - Feel free to add some onions and courgette etc
2: Add the garlic
3: Beat the eggs with the cream, oregano and stock cubes
4: Lay the pastry on a baking tray, put the spinach on top
5: Tear the mozzarella over the spinach
6: Pour the egg/cream mix over the top
7: Sprinkle over some Basil and Black Pepper

Bake for 30-40 mins or until the pastry is golden

Caramelized Onion Braids

Ingredients:

310gr Plain Flour
130gr Bread Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
7gr Dried Yeast
315 Ml Warm Milk
30gr Butter
1 Tablespoon Oil
1Kg Onions (Chopped)
1 Egg (beaten)
(Optional, but Ace!!) 1/2 Teaspoon Basil, 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano and 1/4 Teaspoon of Garlic Puree




Method:

1: Melt the butter in a pan with the chopped onions, add a pinch of brown sugar - takes ages but tastes awesome!

2: Sift the flours together with the salt and sugar into a large bowl (add a pinch of Oregano, Basil and some garlic puree)
Sift again to mix all the ingredients together and to add more air to the mix
3: Dissolve the yeast in 125 Ml warm milk in a small bowl
4: Add the rest of the milk
5: Make a well in the centre of the flour, pour in the milk and knead until it comes together as a smooth, elastic ball
6: Cover for an hour or so - until doubled in size
7: Punch down, cover and leave to rise another hour
8: Punch down again and roll out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 mins
9: Grease a baking tray and divide the dough in half.


10: Working on one half of the dough at a time, divide into 3 pieces - Roll each of those into a long rectangle
11: Spoon some onion mix down the centre of each strip, brush the edges with beaten egg and seal lengthways.
12: Plat together the 3 rolled strips, pinch the ends together and brush with egg

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees C

13: Repeat for the remaining half and place on the baking tray
14: Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for 45 mins (until risen)
15: Bake for 35 mins or until brown - tap the bottom of the bread - a hollow sound will tell you that it's done

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Ingredients:

125gr Butter
50gr Caster Sugar
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
2 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Drinking Chocolate (one 40gram sachet of Options Brownie Chocolate Drink)
1 Tablespoon Cocoa
300gr Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
EITHER 100gram Chocolate Chips OR 100Grams Glace/cocktail Cherries

Icing:
125 gr Plain Choc
15gr Butter


Method:

1: Melt the butter in a pan
2: Stir ib the sugar, golden syrup and milk - Heat gently
3: Mix in the drinking chocolate and cocoa and half the biscuits
4: Mix in the remaining ingredients and stir till thoroughly mixed

5: Pour into an 8inch sandwich tin
6: Chill in the refrigerator until set

Once set:
7: Melt the 125gr chocolate and butter together in a double boiler (saucepan over a bowl of hot water)
8: Spread over the chilled cake

9: This tends to be eaten insanely quickly, eat quick and enjoy

Gooey, Chewy Toffee Crisp Cookie

Ingredients:

2 Cups Plain Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Melted butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla essence
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk

2 Cups of chosen filling (in this case; chopped up toffee crisp bars)

Method:

1: Cream together the melted butter and sugars
2: Crack the egg and the yolk in a separate cup and beat with the vanilla essence
3: Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda
4: Mix the egg and the sugar parts together
5: Stir in your 2 cups of filling
5: Sift the flour into the eggy, sugary mixture and LIGHTLY fold it in
6: Refrigerate for at least 30 mins (Preferably overnight)

Preheat Oven 165 Degrees C
7: Use a teaspoon or spoon to roll the dough in to balls, place well spaced on a baking tray and
8: Bake for 15 mins each batch

Notes:
Using brown sugar makes cookies chewy, whilst white sugar tends to add more crunch. Feel free to play with the ratio provided here - but I've found this to be the best.
Other things you can do to increase the chewy quality is to refrigerate longer and bake for less time.

Sifting adds more air to the recipe, more air will give you a better texture. Over working flour tends to make tougher textures as the heat makes the flour produce more gluten.

Enjoy