Lemon drizzle muffins

Lemon drizzle muffins

These are a great treat for anyone who loves an afternoon cake with a refreshing background flavour. It’s a simple recipe for anyone to follow, and the sugar syrup isn’t as difficult as you think.

The two different toppings, add texture and different lemon aspects to the muffins.

You will need a muffin tray (not a cake tray) the muffin trays are much deeper.

Makes 4-5 big muffins.

Ingredients

For the muffins

4oz/ 100g unsalted butter (at room temperature) plus extra for greasing

4oz/ 100g self-raising flour

4oz/ 100g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs

a very small pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tblsp lemon juice

For the lemon syrup

50g caster sugar

1 tblsp of lemon juice

½ tblsp butter

For the frosting

25g unsalted butter

100g confectioners sugar (icing sugar)

½ tblsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven 10 170-degrees/ 325 degrees F/ gas mark 4. To make the mixing process easier, the butter needs to be at room temperature, if it still hasn’t softened enough, squash with your hands.

In a mixing bowl cream together the sugar and butter with a fork, continue to do so until the colour of the mixture has become paler. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. (If you ever use fresh vanilla pods, keep vanilla pod remains and in a sealed container with caster sugar for future recipes). In a separate whisk the eggs until frothy and light. Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar whilst constantly whisking to avoid the mixture splitting, (looking like scrambled eggs). If the mixture does split simply add a spoonful of the flour and mix in. Once the eggs, butter and sugar are combined sift in the flour. Fold the flour into the mixture, quickly, but try not to work the mixture otherwise the gluten in the flour causes the muffins to be dense.

Grease the muffin trays tins (4-5).

Add the mixture to 4-5 tins, 1cm below the top of the tins. Using the handle of a dinner knife, scrape round the inside of each mixture tin, this allows the muffins the rise easily.

Bake for 20-25, slide a knife into a muffin (when it comes out clean they are ready). The muffins should still be slightly too soft when removed from the oven, as the residual heat continues to cook the muffin.

Gently ease the muffins away from the side of the tins, until they can be tipped out.

Place the muffins relatively close together, on a layer of greaseproof paper on chopping board.

Add the syrup ingredients to a heavy based saucepan, on a moderate to high heat and leave until it is bubbling and turning golden yellow in colour, and slightly golden brown at the edges, and allow to cool. The mixture should be syrup and beginning to be thick when scooped/ stirred with a spoon. Lightly run a spoon, or fork into the now thick mixture and lift above the pan to see if it drizzles slowly are quite rapidly. When it slowly drizzles, allow the first thicker syrup to fall over the pan then quickly whip you wrist back and fourth over the muffins, creating very fine spun sugar strains. ( see picture). Leave for a few minutes to harden. Cut the excess strands around the edges of the muffins with scissors.

Mixture the butter cream frosting, by adding sugar to butter in small amounts and mixing with a fork, when the consistently is good, add the lemon juice. Taste the mixture to adjust the sharpness to your personal preference. With a knife spread a very small amount of icing onto the muffins, they aren’t supposed to be as rich as cupcakes.

Any questions please ask.

Chocolate chip muffins

Chocolate chip muffins

These are a great treat for anyone who loves an afternoon cake or a chocolate muffin. It’s a simple recipe for anyone to follow, even with the kids.

You will need a muffin tray (not a cake tray) the muffin trays are much deeper.

Makes 4-5 big muffins.

Ingredients

4oz/ 100g unsalted butter (at room temperature) plus extra for greasing

4oz/ 100g self-raising flour

4oz/ 100g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs

a very small pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 X 45g bar of milk chocolate

1 X 45g bar of dark chocolate

Preheat the oven 10 170-degrees/ 325 degrees F/ gas mark 4. To make the mixing process easier, the butter needs to be at room temperature, if it still hasn’t softened enough, squash with your hands.

In a mixing bowl cream together the sugar and butter with a fork, continue to do so until the colour of the mixture has become paler. Add the vanilla extract. (If you ever use fresh vanilla pods, keep vanilla pod remains and in a sealed container with caster sugar for future recipes). In a separate whisk the eggs until frothy and light. Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar whilst constantly whisking to avoid the mixture splitting, (looking like scrambled eggs). If the mixture does split simply add a spoonful of the flour and mix in. Once the eggs, butter and sugar are combined sift in the flour. Fold the flour into the mixture, quickly, but try not to work the mixture otherwise the gluten in the flour causes the muffins to be dense.

Grease the muffin trays tins (4-5).

Break the all the chocolate into pieces and chop and add to the mixture. If you like the chocolate chunky, I recommend adding a little mixture (without chunks) to each muffin tray tin, to prevent all the chunks sinking to the bottom.

Add the mixture to 4-5 tins, 1cm below the top of the tins. Using the handle of a dinner knife, scrape round the inside of each mixture tin, this allows the muffins the rise easily.

Bake for 20-25, slide a knife into a muffin (when it comes out clean they are ready). The muffins should still be slightly too soft when removed from the oven, as the residual heat continues to cook the muffin.

Gently ease the muffins away from the side of the tins, until they are able to be tipped out.

Any questions please ask.

Beef stew with parsley dumplings

Beef stew with parsley dumplings

This is a simple, homely recipe, which is great for sharing. You will need an ovenproof dish approx. 7 inches in width and 4 inches in depth, with a lid. Serves 3-4.

Ingredients

For the stew

• 400g diced beef (for stewing or braising)
• 1-2 tblsp flour (plain/ self-raising)
• 2-3 tsp mustard powder
• 1 large carrot/ 2 small carrots
• 1 large leek
• 1 large white onion
• 250ml stock (preferably beef)
• 200ml red wine
• 2 tblsp worcestershire sauce
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 3 rosemary sprigs

For the dumplings

• suet
• self-raising flour
• salt
• small handful of chopped parsley
• cold water

For the garnish

• chopped fresh parsley

Preparation time 30 mins

Cooking time 2hrs 30 mins

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C/ 325 degrees F/ gas mark 4. Before cooking your meet, you need to make sure it is at room temperature before doing so. Flour a chopping board or work surface with the flour and mustard powder, sprinkling from a height to get an even coverage, and season the flour generously. If your beef isn’t already diced, dice into square inch pieces. Top and tail the carrot(s) wash and chop into 2cm chunks. Wash the leek and remove root end, and roughly chop. Half the onion, and peel, then slice.

Add the beef to board, and coat in the seasoned flour.

In a frying pan heat olive oil on a moderate to high heat, and brown the beef in small batches (so the pan isn’t crowded) and remove from the pan, and add to the oven proof dish. Add the carrots, leeks, stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce. Top up the dish with water until the majority of vegetables and beef are covered. Bring to the boil; add the sliced onions on the surface and the rosemary sprigs, and cover with a lid. Put into oven for 2 hours and 10mins, after an hour top up the stew with boiling water if needed.

Meanwhile add 100g (4oz) of self-raising flour, 50g (2oz) of shredded suet (is use the Atora brand), 5 tblsp of cold water, a generous pinch of salt and finely chopped parsley. Combine and roll into 8 dough balls. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky, if it does feel overly wet add a little more flour.

Add the dumplings to the top of the stew (submerging them at least by half) and cook with the lid for 15 mins, remove the lid and cook for a further 5 mins if you like a slight crisp to your dumplings like me.

Leave to stand for 5 mins before eating.

Any questions please comment.

Sea bass with petit pois a la francais

Sea bass with petit pois a la francaise

This is a simple supper which is incredibly healthy. It tastes so delicious that you don’t miss the chips, of the British classic, fish chips and peas. It is ready in less than half an hour which is really convenient.

Ingredients:

For the petit pois a la francaise

·         1 ½ - 2 cups of frozen peas (petit pois)

·         1 small onions

·         Small knob of unsalted butter (approx. size of your thumb)

·         A slice of streaky bacon (1cm thick)

·         250ml chicken/ vegetable stock

·         A large gem lettuce

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         1 clove of garlic
·         Olive oil

For the sea bass

·         1 large fillet of sea bass

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         Olive oil

·         Half a lemon (for the juice)

To serve (optional)

·         Wedge of lemon

Firstly you will need to prep all the ingredients as it is a fast process once you have begun. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop the bacon into lardons, according to your personal preference. Shred or tear the lettuce according to personal preference also. Season the sea bass with salt and pepper.
Add the lardons to a very lightly oiled pan and fry until golden and some fat is released, approx. 5-10mins depending on how fine the lardons are. Then add the onion and garlic and sweat for 5mins until soft.
In a separate pan heat a little oil, and place the bass skin side down, until the skin is crisp and lightly turn to make sure it is cooked through, approx 6-8mins in total.


Meanwhile add the peas to pan of lardons and onion, then the stock (hot). If the stock isn’t from a stock cube, heat up in a separate pan prior to use. Simmer until the peas have cooked but are still fresh, and then season with salt and pepper. You now because some stock cubes can be salty to taste.

Add the juice of half a lemon to the sea bass and the knob of butter to the petit pois a la francaise mixture.

Take the fillet from the pan, and pull the two small fillets from the spine bone and serve with a wedge of lemon. Watch out for bones in case any have been missed.
I added a few frozen soya beans to this dish, but it isn't traditional.

Any questions please comment.

Duck breast with sweet potato gnocchi

Pan fried duck breast, fried sweet potato gnocchi, with a red wine
reduction.
Plum and spring onion garnishes.
The dish is made from 4 basic components, duck breast, sweet
potato gnocchi, a red wine reduction and caramelised plums. Although this dish
doesn’t seem so simple it can be, with the right preparation. It’s great as a
main course for dinner parties, trying to impress friends or just for a treat.

Ingredients: Serves 2

For the fried gnocchi

·1 large sweet potato (approx 220g/ 8 ounces)
·1 cup of plain pasta flour (plus extra for
dusting)
·Salt
·Little olive oil (for frying)
·Butter (optional)

For the duck breast

·2 large duck breasts
·Salt & pepper
·Thyme
I know it’s been said before but, it makes a difference to
source both meat and fish from a local butcher or market. I have read many
cookbooks and watched countless television programs, where I have been told to use
local this and organic that, and have thought I might and didn’t seem to commit
to it. However in recent years I have explored local butchers, and regularly go
to the market to buy meat and fish, as Doncaster has a great food market. Not only
is it nice to receive a better quality of service with someone who knows what
they are selling, but the taste is excellent. If you need a piece of meat such
as a fillet steak, you can ask to find out how long it’s hung and if it’s
locally reared. I will also point out before going to my local market I checked
the price of a pack of two duck breasts at my local supermarket Tesco, and
given finest was the only option when it came to duck breast it’s was around
£6-£7 for both depending on the size. At the market it was £5-£6, so markets
and butchers aren’t always more expensive, and bear in mind if you’re eating
better quality meat you don’t always need as much.

For the red wine reduction

·200ml red wine
·1 sprig of rosemary (optional)

Garnish
·4 plums
·Spring onions

Preparation time 30mins
Cooking 30mins
Method
Preheat an oven to a low setting around 50 degrees C, gas mark 1. Firstly you need to prepare your gnocchi; you can do this a couple of hours in advance or overnight if you want to. Peel the potatoes and chop into large chunks, no smaller than an inch of so, because they will absorb too much water meaning
the mixture will be harder to bind together leaving a watery taste. Boiling in salted water for 10-15minutes
until soft but not falling apart. Drain well and place on a baking tray and
place in the oven for 5-10minutes, depending on the age of potatoes and oven you’re using it can be different, but the chunks need to be dry of excess moisture. Remove from oven and mash or put through a
ricer, to form a puree. In a bowl add a good pinch of salt to the flour (approx. half a tsp), and add the purée to a well made in the flour. Using your hands mix to form wet dough, turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a long cylinder, approx. inch in width. Continue to flour your hands if it is loose dough in
order to continue rolling. I found it was quite soft and need very light hands but slightly more rolling. Wrap the sausage shapes in a cling-film for 3 layers until tight, and twist at the ends. (This is where you can leave for a couple of hours or overnight for convenience). Slice the plum in half and quarters and rub in olive oil and a little sugar.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Preheat a baking tray if your frying pan isn't
oven proof. It is important that the duck breasts are at room temperature before cooking; otherwise they are likely to overcook on the outside and be undercooked in the middle. To prepare the duck score the fatty skin, and rub in salt. Lightly season the breast with salt and pepper all over. Put the duck breasts skin side down in a cold, dry, frying pan, heat the pan to fry on a moderate heat until the skin is golden and fat has rendered out. Add the thyme to the pan to add a different flavour dimension to the duck if desired. Add
the plums to caramelise, in the other half of the pan in the duck fat. Turn he heat up, and turn so the duck is golden on all sides. This should take 5-6 minutes in total. Put the wine and rosemary on a moderate heat, bring to a steady simmer and reduce by half, until the bitter taste isn’t present. Remove the rosemary as soon as it has wilted in order to not overpower the sauce (approx. 15minutes). When the duck is golden on all sides put the pan in oven or transfer to the preheated tray, and cook for 5-10. For most large duck breasts it should be around 7 minutes to be pink in the middle, but check how springy the duck feels. Whilst the duck is in the oven, place the gnocchi (in clingfilm- so it is important to wrap in a few layers) to boil until they float to the surface.
Rest the duck for 5minutes.
Slice into inch long cylinder shapes, and remove clingfilm. Add olive oil and butter to a frying pan a fry the gnocchi until golden and crisp on the outside.
To serve slice the duck at an angle, with the gnocchi and red wine reduction and spring onion to garnish.

Any questions please comment.