Date Bread & Butter Pudding

This week I made some homemade walnut and maple bread. To avoid eating the whole loaf myself, I thought I better convert it into a dessert that I could palm off onto my lovely sister-in-law, Helen. Any bread is fine for this pudding.

Ingredients

10 thick slices of bread (white or brown)

butter 

175g dates (pitted and chopped) 

4 eggs

50g golden caster sugar

600ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract 

½ tsp grated nutmeg

2 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Butter the slices of bread and cut each slice into four triangles. Arrange half of the bread into the bottom of an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with the dates. Arrange the rest of the bread on the top. To make the custard, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl, and beat well. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it reaches boiling point. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture and whisk until incorperated. Leave to cool slightly before pouring over the bread slices. Leave this to soak into the bread for about 10 minutes. Cover the top of the pudding with the grated nutmeg and demerara sugar. Then pop it in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the custard has set and the top is golden and crunchy. Comfort food at it's very best. 

butter me up

Chocolate Crackles

This recipe is from 'The Great British Bake Off' cook book. I can't stop eating these little treats. 

Ingredients

100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

100g unsalted butter

150g light brown muscavado sugar 

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla extract 

175g self raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2-3 tbsp icing sugar 

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a glass bowl, over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, take the bowl from the heat and stir in the butter. When the butter is smoothly incorporated, stir in the sugar. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Then, sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover the mixture with cling film and chill for 1 hour. After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 200°C and grease two baking trays. Divide the biscuit mixture into 30 pieces and roll each piece into a little ball. Place the icing sugar in a shallow dish and roll each biscuit dough ball into the icing sugar until well coated. Place the balls on the baking trays. Pop in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Put some in your tummy. 

C is for Catriona Chocolate Crackles & Coffee 

Blueberry & Maple Syrup Porridge

Believe it or not, this is a weight watchers breakfast recipe. 

Ingredients

50g porridge oats

300ml water

a pinch of salt

50g blueberries 

2 tbsp low fat greek yoghurt

2 tsp maple syrup 

Place the oats, water and salt in a pan and bring to the boil. Cook the porridge oats for 5 minutes until creamy. Add the blueberries and cook for 1 minute, until they begin to pop and bleed their colour into the porridge. Pour the porridge into a bowl. Top with the yoghurt and maple syrup. Such a simple breakfast treat.

oats so simple

Cheese & Rosemary Scones

I do have a massive sweet tooth. But I can't resist these super delicious savoury bakes straight from the oven with a little butter. This recipe makes eight scones. 

Ingredients 

200g self raising flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp mustard powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

40g butter

60g strong cheddar cheese

100ml milk 

1 tbsp fresh rosemary 

a little extra grated cheese for sprinkling 

a little extra milk for brushing

Heat the oven to 220°C and lightly grease one baking tray. Sift the flour, salt, mustard powder and cayenne pepper into a bowl. Add the butter in small pieces and rub it into the flour with your fingertips to make a mixture that resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheese. Add the milk and stir with a knife until the mixture starts to come together as a dough. You can use your hands to bring the dough together. Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface and flatten or roll the scone dough out until it is about 2cm thick. I used a 3cm cutter, to get about eight scones from this mix. Place the cut scones onto the baking tray. Brush with some milk and sprinkle with a little cheese and the rosemary. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack before devouring. 

perfect elevenses 

Focaccia Bread

Despite being given a bread machine this week (which I can't wait to use), my Mum and I decided to try our hand at some home made Italian bread. It got a bit messy and bread making is a long process. But it tasted damn good. This recipe makes 2 loaves. 

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour

10g sea salt flakes

2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

400ml water

more olive oil and sea salt for sprinkling

Grease and line two 30cmx20cm baking trays with baking paper. Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil and 300ml of the water. Use your hands to gradually mix the flour into the liquid. It is a very wet dough so expect some mess. Gently knead the dough for five minutes, adding the remainder of the water (100ml). Once all the water has been incorporated, knead the dough in the bowl for another five minutes, pulling and stretching the dough as you go. After this, tip the dough onto a well oiled work surface and continue to knead for a further five minutes. Oil the bowl and return the dough. Cover with cling film and leave to rise at room temperature for 1½ hours. After this time it will have quadrupled in size! After the rising time, split the dough in half and place each half on the prepared baking trays. Using your fingers, press the dough to fit the baking trays, stretching it towards the edges. Leave to rise again for 1 hour at room temperature. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 200°C and drizzle a little more olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake the loaves for 20-25 minutes until cooked. The underside of the bread should be browned. Best served warm from the oven dipped in more olive oil. 

anti atkins

Apple & Almond Cake

My beautiful friend Sarah is coming to see me later. I'm going to fatten her up with this scrummy apple cake. 

Ingredients

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

225g golden caster sugar

150g butter (melted)

2 eggs

1 tsp almond essence

1 tbsp milk

2 bramley cooking apples

juice of ½ a lemon 

25g whole almonds (roughly sliced) 

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line an 8" loose bottomed cake tin. 

Peel, quarter and core the apples. Slice into thin pieces and place in a bowl with the lemon juice. This will stop them from discolouring. Next, place the flour, baking powder, sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond essence and milk in a big bowl and beat into a thick, smooth batter. Place half of the mixture in the bottom of the cake tin. Top with the apple pieces and cover with the rest of the cake batter. Press the chopped almonds on to the top. Pop in the oven for 1¼ -1½ hours until golden cooked through. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool a little more. Share with special friends, like Sarah. 

golden delicious 

Chilli Pineapple Fool

In South-East Asia, acidic fruits such as pineapple and sour mango are always served with sugar, salt and chilli. This is a wonderfully easy low-fat healthy dessert you can whip up super fast. 

Ingredients

a piece of fresh pineapple (cut into small pieces) 

3 tbsp greek yoghurt

2 tsp honey

juice of half a lime

pinch of salt

pinch of chilli powder 

small handful of mixed seeds

Mix all of the ingredients (except the seeds) in a bowl. I like mine in a sundae glass. Top with the seeds. Eat. 

i'm a fool for you