Devils food cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 75g spreadable butter
• 250g light soft brown sugar
• 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 175g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• 185ml milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting

• 150g chocolate chips (dark, milk or white will work well)
• 90g butter
• 160 ml condensed milk

Method

For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (165˚C Fan assisted), 350˚F, gas mark 4. Prepare two 20cm non-stick sandwich tins.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together and beat well. This will have a strange texture- not pale and fluffy like usual creaming – because of the high proportion of sugar to butter. Then gradually add the egg, beating well all the time.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water or in the microwave (about 2-21/2 minutes on full power). Let it cool a little, then stir gently into the creamed mixture.
4. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and add, gradually and gently, to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
5. Spoon into the sandwich tins, dividing it evenly, and smooth the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are springy and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes in the tins, then turn out on to a rack to cool completely.

For the frosting

1. Put everything into a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted and it becomes a smooth mixture. Remove from the heat and let it cool until it can be spread.

jane ashers devils food cake

Mrs Robins fruit cake

Mrs RObin's fruit cake:

4oz marg
6oz granulated sugar
6oz currants
6 oz sultanas
2oz chopped peel
1 cup (8 liq oz) water
1 level tsp bicarb
1 heaped tsp mixed spice
2 beaten eggs
4oz pl. flour
4 os SR flour
pinch of salt.

1. place marg, sugar, currants, sultanas, peel, water, bicarb and mixed spice into a pan, bring to boil and simmer 1 minute. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

2. line a 7 inch square (or 8 inch round) tin with greased, greaseproof paper.

3. add eggs, flours and slat to cooled mixture, mix well, pour into tin.

4. bake centre oven at gas 4/350F for 1 1/4 hours

Spiced cranberry vodka

100g/3.5oz dried cranberries.
50g/2oz prunes.
125g/4oz golden caster sugar.
1 cinamon stick, broken into pieces.
1tbsp juniper berries, roughly crushed.
zest 1 orange.
70cl bottle vodka.

1, put all ingredients into a clean steralised 1liter bottle.
2, leave for 2 weeks in a cool dark place, shaking bottle every now and then.

too serve strain into glasses and enjoy.

Fruity mincemeat with almonds

4 bramley apples, peeled, cored, and grated.
350g/12oz light muscovado sugar.
zest and juice 1 lemon
zest and juice 1 orange.
1 tsp ground cinnamon.
1/4 tsp each, ground nutmeg, cloves, and all spice.
100g/4oz dried cranberries
100g/4oz sultanas.
100g/4oz raisins.
100g/4oz currants.
100ml/3.5floz brandy
85g/3oz flaked almonds.
100g/4oz shredded suet or light shredded vegetable suet.

1,put the grated apple and any juices, sugar, and orange and lemon zests and juices into a large sauce pan.
2, bring gently too a simmer, stirring until the sugar has melted.
3, turn off heat and stir in the spices, dried fruit and brandy, set aside until cool.

4, once cool stir in the almonds and suet.
5, divide into steralised jars, or plastic containers for freezing.

will keep in the fridge unopened for 3 months, in freezer 6 months.

Salsicce con Lenticcie

Salsicce con lenticcie (sausages and lentils) recipe

1 T vegetable oil
130g cubed pancetta
2 packs lincolnshire sausages or other good quality sausies
2 onions, chopped
1 large carrot, diced finely
4 large garlic cloves chopped
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
300g puy lentils
850ml hot chicken stock
1T white wine vinegar
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in large casserole or sautee pan with lid. Add pancetta and sausages and sizzle for around 10 mins until they are nicely brown and sticky. Remove the sausies to a plate.

Add onions, carrot and garlic to the pan and cook for 3 - 4 mins until the onions soften. return the sausies to the pan and add the rosemary, lentils, stock, vinegar and tomatoes, then season. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly for 5 mins.

Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 mins, stirring every so often until the lentils are tender.

thanks too damsels

fish pie

Thanks too tims mum for this one.

peice of smoked haddock or cod
2 sliced carrots
2 boiled eggs, chopped
white sauce or cheese sauce, i much prefer the cheese
squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper

topping mash potato cheese and crisps

cook and flake the fish, removing any bones.

place into oven proof dish, with carrots eggs squeze lemon and seasoning

make cheese sauce from your own recipe or from packet ( the inlaws use packet) i use my own cheese sauce using basic milk, cornflour mustard and cheese.

mix the sauce into the fish.

top with mash potato cheese and final crushed ready salted crisps for crispyness

bung in oven till topping is brown ish

enjoy!!!

Cidered pork with sage dumplings

750g pork shoulder cubed
1 leek, keeping white and green parts seperate
2 tablespoons plain flour
300ml dry cider
300ml chicken stock
200g carrots, diced
1 desert apple cored and diced
2-3 stems sage
salt and pepper

dumplings
150g self-raising flour
75g suet
1 tablespoon chopped sage
2 table spoons parsley
5-7 tablespoons water


turn slow cooker on
heat frying pan, place pork in pan and fry till lightly brown, lift out with slotted spoon and place in slow cooker.

chop leek, putting only white bits in frying pan, fry till softened. add flour mix cider and stock and pour in pan.

chuck everything else and stock/cider in slow cokker

cook on low for 8-10 hours

1 hour befefore due too eat, make dumplings and stir in green part of leek, put dumplings in and finish cooking for 1 hour


very yummy mmmmmm

lazy dinner tonight

yesterday i slow cooked a gammon, but realised half way through cooking it i was having a tooth removed later in the day and wouldn't be able too eat it, so just cooked it and put it in fridge.

so i have chopped up the gammon mixed it with this pasta sauce pasta and topped with cheese and is currently baking in oven as i type.

smells lovely but will report back later on

pot roast chicken in white wine and redcurrant jelly

Ingredients

300ml white wine
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
6 garlic cloves, quartered lengthways
½ x 20g pack fresh rosemary
1 Large Chicken, about 1.7-2kg
Small knob of butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Place the wine, jelly, garlic and rosemary sprigs in a large casserole dish and mix well together.
2. Check the label of the chicken for the exact cooking time – it should be about 2 hours, but will vary depending on its weight. Place the chicken in the dish, cover and cook for 1 hour.
3. Remove the lid, rub the breast with the butter and season. Return to the oven, uncovered, for the remainder of the cooking time until cooked through and golden.
4. Lift out the chicken and place on a board to carve. Strain the juices into a small jug, and use for gravy. Serve with green beans and rosemary and garlic-roasted potatoes.

http://www.waitrose.com/recipes/index.aspx?recipeuid=cfc59f0a-4a6e-4ae5-91b6-a2076cedf359

pasta with garlicky greens

INGREDIENTS

1tbsp olive oil
3 leeks finely sliced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
250g leaf spinach
200ml crème fraiche
400g pasta
50g blue cheese crumbled.

METHOD

1, heat oil in pan add the leeks and garlic, let them soften for 15 mins. stir in spinach for final few mins allow too wilt. add crème fraiche stir and remove from heat.

2, Cook pasta in boiling water, drain put back in saucepan. stir leek sauce into pasta serve, with crumbled blue cheese into it.

Macaroni Cheese

INGREDIENTS

700ml milk
25g cornflour
1 heaped tsp english mustard
1 garlic clove finely chopped
generous pinch of chrushed dried chillies
140g extra mature cheese, i use davidstow
25g parmesan
25g fresh breadcrumbs
450g baby plum or cherry tomatoes
1 bunch spring onions
200g macaroni

METHOD.

1, mix 3tbsp of milk with cornflour and mustard and set aside, heat rest of milk with garlic untill just coming too the boil. remove from heat sprinkle in crushed chillies and leave to infuse.

2, grate the cheese, mix handful of cheese with breadcrumbs, keeping rest separate. slice spring onions finely and slice tomatoes. heat oven too 190c/fan170c/ gas 5

3, bring pan of water too boil, tip macaroni in, stir so it dont stick. cook for 6 mins, stirring sometimes. tip spring onions and cook for another 2 mins.

4, mean while make the sauce, add the cornflour mix too milk, return too heat, bring too boil till thick and smooth. remove from heat and stir in parmesan and most of the cheese.

5, drain macaroni, run under hot tap. pour into oven proof dish, add the sauce.

6, put chopped tomatoes on the top, along with breadcrumbs and then the left over cheese.

7, bake for 15 mins or till golden brown and bubbling.

Beef stew with dumplings, slow cooker

INGREDIENTS
2tbsps olive oil
750g braising beef cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves chopped
2 tbsps plain flour
300ml guinness
300ml beef stock
1 tbsps tomatoe purée
2 bay leaves
150g carrots, chopped
250g leeks, trimmed thinly sliced
salt and pepper.

1 heat oil in pan,
2, fry beef till brown, remove and drain.
3, fry onions garlic, then add flour
4, chuck everything but leeks in slow cooker, on high cook for min 7 hours, i just leave it all day

i am lazy n use frozen aunt bessies dumplings, so an hour before due too eat add leeks and dumplings and finish cooking.

serve mmmmm

cheeky spaghetti bolognese

this is taken from sam sterns real food, real fast cook book.

25g butter
1tbsp olive oil
1-2 rashers back bacon chopped small.
1 onion chopped small
2 cloves garlic crushed
450g beef mince
400g can chopped tomatoes
3 tbsps tomatoe purée
good pinch of sugar.
fresh parsley, oregano or thyme
1 bay leaf
150ml red wine
lemon juice
salt and black pepper
350g spaghetti

METHOD
1, melt butter and oil in large pan. add bacon, stir with wooden spoon for 1 min. Add onion garlic. Cook gently till soft but not brown.

2, Raise heat. add beef stir it till all browned.

3, Tip red wine too bubble for 1 min, Add tomatoes, purée, sugar, herbs, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

4, Bubble it, put lid on reduce heat, simmer.

5, SPAGGHETTI. cook it now.

6, squeeze lemon into sauce, taste, and add more if you like, adjust seasoning too your taste.

SERVE !!!