Banana loaf with M&M’s and chocolate chips.

baking

This is a really easy, really tasty banana loaf. It has a beautiful dense composition, keeps moist for a long time in the tin and the chocolate chips just take it to a whole new level. Try it out, you don’t have to have the chocolate in, I like hazelnuts with it, maybe some dates in there, totally up to you, but if you don’t like the chocolate in, why are you here??

Ingredients

  • 350g seriously ripe bananas (about 6/7)
  • 180g plain flour
  • 2 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 160g muscavado sugar plus more to sprinkle on top
  • 2 eggs
  • 40g melted butter
  • 200g chocolate chips, M&M’s or whatever you want in

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan, 180C for a gas. Next, in a mixing bowl whisk up your butter, sugar and eggs til pale and doubled in size. If you’re doing this by hand it might take a while, so get your muscles ready. In a separate bowl give your bananas a good mash and in another bowl have all of your remaining ingredients together, ready to go in. When the egg mix is ready, fold in your dry ingredients til you can no longer see any flour. Then fold in your bananas. Next transfer the mix into a greased tin mould (or any mould, mine was in a heart tin!) sprinkle over some extra sugar and get it into your oven for about 45 mins, check it at 30 and make sure it’s on the lowest shelf in the oven! Keeping it low will ensure you don’t burn the top before the rest of it is cooked, and the sugar just gives it an extra crunch. Leave to cool a little, don’t share it and enjoy!

The most perfect dippy hard-boiled eggs.

Breakfast

Hard-boiled eggs are my favourite type of egg. They’re quick to do, easy to do and you’re getting the all the flavour from the gorgeously runny yolk and firm white. Totally untouched.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs (I used Burford Browns, they have an amazingly orange yolk)
  • 2 slices of crusty bread
  • butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Get a pan of water on the hob and heat it to a rolling boil. Toast your bread before you put the eggs in the water. Set a timer for 4 and a half minutes and get you plate, cutlery and cup of tea ready. Lower your eggs into the water, set your timer and sort your soldiers out. Butter your bread, i like to twist the salt and pepper onto my soldiers, it’s easier than seasoning your eggs, and cut into 1cm think fingers. When your timer is done, quickly run the cold tap into the pan to prevent the eggs from cooking further. Even if there’s no water in the pan, if the eggs still feel warm they’re still cooking, so the cold water is a must! Pick out of the water, crack open and enjoy!

Malt Chocolate Bourbon Biscuits

baking

Biscuits. A staple of the British diet. Everyone’s got a half open packet in the cupboard sitting there and getting soggy. Why not try making these? The classic chocolate bourbon biscuit with a beautiful malty twist.

Ingredients

For the biscuits

  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g chilled salted butter (cubed)
  • 125g muscavado sugar
  • 2 tbsp malt extract
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 tbsp milk

For the buttercream

  • 200g icing sugar
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 150g salted butter
  • 1 tbsp malt extract
  • 2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 160C for a fan oven, 170C for a gas. Get all of your biscuit ingredients into a mixer, food processor or big bowl. If you’re using a bowl, be prepared to put in a few minutes work! Keep going til the mixture is clumpy, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead til you have a smooth dough. Next roll out and cut into fingers about 1inch by 3 inches. Put them onto a baking tray and pierce with a down each side. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. In the meantime make your buttercream filling by placing all the ingredients in the mixer/food processor/bowl and mix until you’ve got a smooth creamy spread. If you want to be neat, use a piping bag. If you just want them in your mouth, use a knife and spread like your life depends on it! When your buttercream’s ready, get your biscuits in the oven for about 13-14 minutes. Just keep your eye on them, they can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. When the biscuits are ready, leave them to cool completely before filling with the buttercream and you’re ready to go!

Maple-soaked pancakes with sweet smoked crispy bacon.

Breakfast, Brinner

This has to be, without a doubt, the best pancake recipe i’ve ever tried. I’ve added enough milk for them to be thicker than your average pancake, but not as thick an American pancake, they can be a bit too rich for me. But these babies hit the spot. And with gallons of Maple syrup, butter and that crispy bacon, these are just what you need, right now. Now. No seriously, get started!

Ingredients.

  • 225g plain flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1tbsp brown soft sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 350ml milk
  • 30g melted butter
  • a few rashers of bacon
  • maple syrup
  • olive oil for greasing

Preheat your oven to about 200C for a gas oven, 210C for a fan. Lay the bacon out onto a lined baking tray. Drizzle over maple syrup and stick it in the oven for about 20mins, but check after 10, the maple syrup with start to burn, but just be sure your bacon’s doing okay. Mix all your dry ingredients together in a bowl and make a well in the middle. This will make it easier to incorporate the wet ingredients. Give your eggs a whisk in a separate jug, then add your vanilla extract, milk and butter. Give it another whisk then begin to mix into your dry ingredients a little at a time. Next, if you want to make things easier, clean out an old ketchup bottle and pour in your mixture. If you can’t be bothered to make life easier, use a ladle, you lazy bugger. Next, get a big non-stick pan on a high heat on the hob. Get a bit of olive oil in there and let it heat up for a few seconds. Next squeeze out a blob the size of however big you want your pancakes to be, mine here are about the size of an orange. The pancakes are ready to be flipped when the top is no longer shiny and is developing bubbles. Flip when ready and let them colour on the other side. This should take about a minute and a half in total. Stack up your pancakes, get a knob of butter on top, lather them with maple syrup and top with that delicious bacon. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy!

Panettone & Galaxy pudding.

baking, pudding

So this is essentially a bread and butter pudding, just pimped. I had a leftover panettone loaf from Christmas that no-one’s touched so this was the perfect remedy. And Galaxy chocolate is just the best to cook with. It has the silkiest texture when it’s hot, the richest taste, and is just a good all rounder with everyone. Do not settle for anything less!

Ingredients

  • 1 large panettone loaf (but it would be delicious with a fruit loaf or similar too)
  • 1 250g bar of Galaxy chocolate (or use more…yeah, use more…)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 250ml double cream
  • 500ml milk
  • a little butter to spread onto the top layer of bread.
  • 1 tbsp demerera sugar

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan oven and 180C for a gas oven. Next, slice your loaf into 1cm-ish slices. Chop your chocolate into small squares. Eat a few. Now start assembling. Layer bread then chocolate, then bread then chocolate. Don’t butter these slices, the bread is rich enough to not need it. Then cut some smaller slices for the top and butter them (we want to sugar crust to caramelise in the oven, and that butter will help). Arrange them prettily on top but remember, the more angles you have, the more crunchy, sugary lusciousness you’re going to have, so layer the slices so they’re not flat (just like mine). Next make the custard mix. Just crack your eggs into a jug and give them a good whisk. Next add your vanilla extract, cream and milk. Give it another whisk and pour it over your bread, making sure you cover all of the top layer. When all of the custard mix is in, push the whole lot down with your hands, this’ll just make sure the bread is fully saturated and you don’t have any dry parts. When you’re ready to go, sprinkle over the sugar and chuck it in the oven for a good 45 minutes, checking it at 30. It’s ready to go when there’s no more wobble in the middle. I’d love to say the same for myself. Enjoy, anyhow!

Brown sugar porridge with cinnamon-berry compote.

Breakfast

This morning was screaming out for a piping-hot bowl of this sweet but sharp porridge, just like Nanny used to make. The brown sugar adds more depth to the flavour and the cinnamon warms your belly just a little bit more. Go on, before you brave the ice!

Ingredients

  • 200g porridge oats
  • 250ml milk (I like my porridge stodgy, if you don’t add a little more milk!)
  • pinch of salt
  • 3tsp brown sugar
  • mixture of berries (i used a handful of each of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
  • 1tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon

In a non-stick frying pan, chuck in your berries, granulated sugar and cinnamon with about 100ml water. Put the heat on high and let the berries bubble and burst, stirring now and again so they don’t burn. When the berries have mostly turned to a mushy mess, remove from the heat. Next in a saucepan, lightly toast your oats before adding your milk, it’ll give you a better flavour than if you don’t, but that’s your call. When the oats are ready, pour in a third of the milk, stir and let it thicken before adding the rest of the milk. When the porridge has thickened to your liking add in the salt, stir and pour into a bowl. I like to pour a bit of extra milk onto mine before scattering over your brown sugar and a generous spoonful of your compote. Wolf it down and don’t forget your scarf!

Choc-a-block Brownies

baking

You need to make these brownies. Now. I’m not even kidding, these are the things missing in your life. You might not think there IS anything missing from your life, but i guarantee you, once the smell of these gooey chocolate-marshmallow squares fills your kitchen, you’ll understand.

Ingredients.

  • 250g soft butter
  • 115g soft brown sugar
  • 175g dark muscavado sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla flavouring
  • 4 eggs
  • 175g plain flour
  • 115g cocoa powder
  • 200g chopped galaxy chocolate
  • 100g mini marshmallows
  • 100g white chocolate chips
  • white chocolate stars to decorate (if you want to be fancy)

First thing you need to do is preheat your oven to 170C for a fan and 180C for a gas oven. Now, get your butter, sugars and vanilla flavouring into a food mixer, or into a big bowl ready for either a hand mixer or a big ole spoon and elbow grease if you’re feeling old-school. Get the mix really light and fluffy, this’ll make it easier to incorporate the eggs. Add your eggs one by one, then mix your flour, cocoa powder and extras by hand, it’s a really thick mix, so this last bit needs to be done with a spoon, just so you don’t over-mix. When the mixture’s ready, use a spatula to flatten it into a square tin lined with baking paper. Cook these babies for 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into it comes out clean. I know this next bit’s hard, but you’ve gotta let them cool for about 15-20 minutes before portioning, or it’ll just be a gooey mess! Put a picture on Instagram and enjoy!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

chicken, dinner

This fried chicken recipe is the absolute best. My boyfriend’s favourite ‘cheat day’ meal. It’s a simple dinner to put together, gorgeous with a celeriac and apple coleslaw (post to follow) and some baked sweet potatoes. Now i get that marinating the chicken sounds like a drag, but once you’ve done it and you’ve got it in the fridge ready, the flour will start doing beautiful things to that chicken, really injecting the flavours into the drumsticks. The use of the buttermilk as opposed to normal milk just gives you a wonderfully crispy outside and more depth of flavour. Trust me on this, you need to buttermilk.

Ingredients.

  • a pack of chicken drumsticks (6/7 is about right)
  • 400g plain flour
  • 4 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 carton of buttermilk
  • a deep fat fryer or a deep pan filled with vegetable oil.

First of all, in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, herbs and seasonings. Then add your chicken and give it a really good coating of the flour. Cover the whole bowl and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer you leave it, the better it’ll taste. Next up, preheat your fryer or oil to 190C, and preheat your oven to 170C. You will need a thermometer if you don’t have a fryer, it’s just to make sure you don’t burn the chicken before you’ve cooked it! Next take your chicken out of the fridge and get your buttermilk in a separate bowl. Carefully place the drumsticks into the buttermilk, give them a good dip and return them back to the flour for a final coating. When you’ve made sure they’re all fully floured, carefully place them in the hot oil, moving them around so you don’t catch the coating on the basket or bottom of the pan. After a few seconds of moving the chicken around, set a timer for 7 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time to give you that golden, crispy skin. When all of the drumsticks have been fried, transfer them onto a greaseproof-paper covered baking tray. Cook them for a further 30 minutes on the middle shelf in a fan oven (180C for a gas oven). The additional cooking in the oven will not only ensure the chicken is fully cooked, it’ll make it seriously juicy and luscious inside. This goes really well with the homemade mayonnaise….just saying!

Nice and easy, old-fashioned Mayonnaise.

eggs, sauces

Mayonnaise. There’s a jar in every home, half full, nearly empty, enough left for that last BLT. But it’s so easy to make, trust me. You need a bit of elbow grease but it takes less than 5 minutes, from cracking your eggs to smoothing a big dollop onto your sarnie. The ingredients are already in your cupboards, so there’s no excuse!

Ingredients.

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 500ml oil, preferably vegetable or sunflower, olive tends to have too strong a taste
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp french mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

All you need for this is a standard mixing bowl, a whisk, and elbow grease at the ready. Begin with your yolks in the bowl and give them a good whisk until lighter in colour and slightly foamy, this’ll make it easier to incorporate your oil. Next pour a steady, constant stream of oil into the bowl, whisking all the while. It’ll thicken the yolks gradually, but don’t add too much oil in one go or the mixture will split. When you’ve added half the oil, add your mustard and vinegar and give your mayo another good mix. Continue adding the rest of the oil in the same fashion as before. Once all the oil is mixed add your seasoning, taste, tweak if necessary with extra salt and pepper, and you’re good to go!

This recipe does make a lot, but it’ll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for around two weeks. Plenty to keep you going.

Breakfast. Oozy scrambled eggs with watercress and spring onions.

Breakfast

When I woke up this morning I fancied eggs. In all honesty I always fancy eggs. They’re one of the most versatile, tasty and (occasionally) healthiest foods on the planet. So here is recipe number one, my oozy scrambled eggs on malty wholegrain toast with fresh watercress and spring onions, just for a bit of a kick.

Ingredients.

  • 3 eggs
  • 50ml double cream
  • a pinch of salt
  • a pinch of pepper
  • a pinch of sweet smoked paprika
  • a splash of olive oil
  • a little butter for the pan
  • a slice of buttered wholegrain toast
  • a handful of watercress
  • and a big pinch of chopped spring onions.

Let’s get cracking, shall we?

First off, make sure your plate, toast, cup of tea and newspaper are ready to go, cause as soon as the eggs go into the searing hot pan, they take a matter of seconds, you guys don’t have time to be messing around after the eggs start their magic.

Next, we need to get the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and paprika into a bowl, but don’t whisk them in any way and be careful not to break the yolks. Have your saucepan heating on the hob with your olive oil and butter, The oil is there to stop the butter burning, the fat content is so high it’ll take a matter of minutes for it to become a bubbling brown mess. Once your butter has dissolved and is starting to bubble, pour in the egg mix carefully. Let the eggs sit for a few seconds to form a skin around the side and bottom of the pan. Next, start to carefully and slowly stir the eggs in a figure of 8, avoiding the yolks and scraping round the sides to make sure the eggs don’t catch. When they are almost done, turn off the heat. They’ll continue to cook, but you don’t want to end up with dry eggs falling off your fork. Carefully scrape the eggs onto your toast, making sure the yolks are intact. I know I say ‘carefully’ a lot, but trust me, the extra care now means beautiful orange yolk all over the plate later. Top your eggs with a twist of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then your watercress and finally your onions. Now take a picture for Instagram if you have to, and enjoy!