Bonfire Toffee

INGREDIENTS
1 lb or 500g sugar, preferably Demerara
1/3 pint water
1 ¼ or 35g ozs butter
2 level tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
PREPARATION:
• Put all the ingredients into a strong saucepan, adding the sugar and syrup gradually to avoid burning, and stir over a steady heat until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to the boil and cook slowly.
• To test for consistency stage drop about half a teaspoon of the mixture into a cup of cold water, if it sets hard then it is done, if still soft and chewy cook for a little longer and test again.
• Pour into oiled or buttered tin and either allow to set as a slab or mark in squared as toffee becomes partially set.
• Break when completely set then store in the fridge to keep hard and cool.
For variety use black treacle instead of golden syrup or add peanuts or chopped mixed nuts.
*Side note from me: Use a thick deep pan and remember to be careful, this stuff is literally like boiling oil, and it stays boiling hot for hours after it's poured into the tin. Also it took about 30-40 minutes when it was boiling on a low heat until it as reading but you just have to check it and test it in water, if it goes rock hard as soon as it touches the water it's done, if it's still a little gooey give it 3 more minutes and check it again (continue this until it is hard when it touches the water)

Chocolate brownies

Ingredients:

*275g/10oz Dark chocolate 70% cocoa

*275g/10oz Unsalted butter

*85g/3oz Chopped nuts

*85g/3oz Chocolate chips

*85g/3oz White chocolate chips

*175g/6oz Plain flour

*1 tsp Baking powder

*4 large eggs slightly beaten

*1 tsp Vanilla essence

*325g/12oz Caster sugar/light brown sugar

How to make:

*Prehead oven to 170 or Gas mark 3, line tin with baking paper, put butter on tin first.

*Place butter and 70% chocoalte into bowl to melt together on the stove, remember not to let the bowl touch the water and the water can only be simmering not boiling, or chocolate gets burnt.

*Sieve baking powder and flour into a bowl ready to use.

*Remove melted chocolate and butter from stove and mix in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla essence
fold in flour, nuts and chocolate chips.

*Pour mixture into tin and cook for 20-25 minutes checking throughout if cooked. Leave to cool for 15 minutes after cooked.

From BBC website - Antony Worrall Thompson recipe.

Chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

*125g - Dark chocolate 70% cocoa

*150g - Flour
*30g - Cocoa (sieved)
*1 tsp Bicarb
*Half tsp salt
*125g - Soft butter
*75g - Light brown sugar

*50g - White sugar

*1 tsp Vanilla extract

*1 egg (cold from fridge)

*350g (2 bags) of chocolate chips dark or milk/white

How to make:

*Prehead oven to 170 Gas mark 3, melt chocolate in bowl above water slowely (make sure water is not touching bowl chocolate is in and only simmers not boils, don't want to burn the chocolate)
*Put flour, bicarb, salt and cocoa into a bowl ready.

*Cream butter and sugars inot a bowl and add melted chocolate from bowl, mix everything together.

*Beat in egg, vanilla extract and then dry ingredients, finally stir in chocolate chips.

*Scoop out 12 equal scoops (icecream scoop size is perfect) DO NOT FLATTERN THESE or they come out hard as nails. Keep scoops 6cm apart or they will bleed into eachother making one massive super cookie, if this is indented don't keep them apart. Make sure to use baking paper so they don't stick and can be easily taken off the tray.

*Cook for 18 minutes, make sure batter inside cookis is not gooey but rather clean and steaming.

*Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then take off tray.

This was a Nigella recipe from her website.

Chocolat cake

Ingrediants:

*125g dark chocolate

*3 tbsp of milk

*150g butter (room temp)

*150g caster sugar

*3 eggs

*200g plain flour

*1 tbsp good quality cocoa powder

*1 tbsp baking powder

*1/4 table spoon of bicarbonate of soda

*Betty Crocker chocolate fudge icing was used for this cake

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180 degreesC/ Gas Mark 4 Butter and flour the sides and base of two 20cm cake tins.

-Melt the chocolate with the milk over a saucepan of gently simmering water, set to cool slightly

- Beat the butter until soft then add the caster sugar and eggs (whisk well and fold in the chocolate)

-Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarb of soda and fold in gently to mix

-Separate the mixture into the two cake tins and bake for 25 min

-leave to cool then add the chocolate fudge icing on one of the cake layers and place the other layer on top to create a sandwhich. Add more chocolate fudge icing to the top and sides

-To decorate sift a small amount of cocoa powder on top of the cake and sprinkle mixed nuts

Sloppy Seconds

Lamb steak seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper baked in the oven for 35 minutes on 180c

Bubble and Squeak - (mash, cabbage and onion) baked in oven for 45 minutes 180c

Broc and col and carrots boiled for 12 minutes on a medium heat

Savoy cabbage boiled for 12 minutes with salt on medium heat

A quick hunger fix after a long day - EFFIN LUSH

Fatty Blueberry Cheese Cake August 2010

75g Butter

200g Digestive biscuits (crushed)

500g Soft cheese

1 Can of condensed milk

1 Tsp vanilla extract

3 Eggs beaten

Zest of 1 lemon

150g Blueberries

*Melt butter in large saucepan making sure that it doesn't get too hot

*Remove butter from heat and stir in biscuit crumbs - mash together

*Tip into the base of a 19cm cake tin and push down with fingers to create the base, please note it's best to use a tin with a push up base

*Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes

*Preheat oven to 170 degrees c (fan oven 150 degrees c or gas mark 3)

*To make the filling beat the soft cheese until softened then whisk in the condensed milk, vanilla extract, zest of lemon then 3 eggs - whisk together

* Pour the filling on to the biscuit crumb base, then drop or place in the blueberries evenly

*Put into oven for 1 hour (checking throughout as some ovens are hotter than others)

*Take out of oven when ready leave to cool in tin for 1 hour, remove from tin (as it's more stable then) and chill in fridge for 2 hours for the cake to solidify or it tastes like flan.

*Serves 6 or 1 with a broken heart

Simple Sexy Lunch June 2010

Fish sticks

Prawns

Cous Cous with seasoning

Lettuce, plum tomatoo, cucumber

Red onion

Pepper and salt