Thursday 12 February 2015

Strawberry Kisses and Salted Caramel Cups

I've always said if I ever open my own shop (unlikely) it would be a chocolate shop. I am obsessed and love making all sorts of little chocolates (see here), it just fits with me more than baking. These strawberry kisses and salted caramel cups are perfect for Valentine's Day because they look like you've been really thoughtful and made loads of effort, whilst also costing a fraction of what a fancy box of Thorntons etc would cost. This recipe will take more than one day (about 40 minutes day one, then an hour day two) so I've posted it up early for you so you can get cracking!


Strawberry Kisses
  • 100g milk chocolate
  • 100g dark chocolate 
  • 25g butter
  • 5 tablespoons double cream
  • 1 teaspoon of strawberry flavouring
 (Makes 12)

Arrange 12 petit-four cases on a tray. Melt a third the milk chocolate either in a heatproof bowl over water, or in the microwave. Spoon a little bit into the first case and, using a pastry brush, paint the insides of the cases so they are covered in a thin layer of chocolate. Repeat for all 12 and then leave in the fridge to set (roughly 10-15 minutes). Repeat twice more and chill overnight. Then, very carefully, peel away the cases.

Put the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small pan until boiling then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and butter. Place this bowl over boiling water then stir until combined. Leave to chill at room temperature - this normally takes half and hour and I find it helpful to take it out the hot bowl and put in a sundae (or other glass) dish.

When cool whisk hard (I used an aerolatte) until light and fluffy. Stir in the strawberry flavouring and taste. Scoop the mix into a piping bag and pipe a swirl in each case.




Salted Caramel Cups
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 40ml double cream
  • 15g unsalted butter
  • Sea salt
  • Crystalised sugar to decorate (optional)

 (Makes 12)

Arrange 12 petit-four cases on a tray. Melt a third of the dark chocolate either in a heatproof bowl over water, or in the microwave. Spoon a little bit into the first case and, using a pastry brush, paint the insides of the cases so they are covered in a thin layer of chocolate. Repeat for all 12 and then leave in the fridge to set (roughly 10-15 minutes). Repeat twice more and chill overnight. Then, very carefully, peel away the cases.

In a small pan, add 1 tablespoon of water to the 60g caster sugar and stir on a medium heat until dissolved. The sugar will then form lumps and eventually melt into an amber syrup. Quickly take off the heat as it's so easy to burn the sugar (it took me five attempts to get this right). Stir in the cream, then add the butter and a good few twists of the sea salt grinder. Stir until combined and taste - add more salt if you want.

Spoon into the chocolate cases and leave to cool (if you can resist them). Then sprinkle on your decoration.

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Sweet Potato & Lime Curry with Homemade Roti Bread

I've added yet another cookbook to my ever-growing collection (I will count them one day, after I head home and pick up the rest...). Lorraine Pascale's How to be a Better Cook has been eyeing me for a few months now and when I saw it reduced down to £5 in WHSmiths I just couldn't resist. It's my first one of her books, although I've been obsessed with her TV shows for a while - anyone who looks that good in their 40's must be doing something right! So far I've found her recipes really simple to follow and adjust to your own tastes, and actually not too time consuming. This recipe, for example, although it looks like a lot to do with making your own bread as well you can actually get it on the plate within 45 minutes which is perfect for a weekday evening. The lime juice gives it a good tang and there's plenty of flavour - no need for a jar of ready-made sauce or paste again!


For the bread:

  • 200g plain flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 4 tsp sunflower oil
  • 125ml water - plus extra

For the curry:


  • 2 tsp desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bitesize cubes
  • 4cm fresh ginger, sliced into strips
  • One fifth of a Scotch Bonnet (or I just used 1 standard chilli)
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 75g sugar snap peas
  • 75g baby corn (I just got the mixed pack of the above)
  • 225g prawns, king if possible (omit if you'd prefer it to be veggie)
  • 1 bunch of spring onion, trimmed and sliced
  • The juice of 1 lime
(Serves 4)

Start off by making the bread. Put the flour, baking powder and chilli in a bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre and pour in 125ml water and mix to create a soft dough. This can be done by hand or with a mixer. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, adding more water or flour as needed.

Turn the oven to 110c and put a large frying pan on a low-medium heat. Divide the dough into 4 and shape each into a ball. On a floured surface, roll into a circle roughly 18cm in diameter and sprinkle with more flour. Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil into pan and then lightly fry the dough for 2 minutes on each side. Repeat for all 4 rotis and then place on a baking tray in the oven.

Now it's time for the curry. Put a large, dry pan (when doing curry's I always find it best to use a wok) on a medium heat and toast the coconut for 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring, then set aside. Add the curry powder and a drizzle of oil to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, ginger and chilli and stir well until they are completely coated.

Add the coconut milk and stock to the pan and turn the heat up slightly, until the curry comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for just under 10 minutes. Add the sugar snaps and baby corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the prawns and heat for a further 2.

Remove from the heat and throw in the onions and lime juice and season. If at this stage you find that the curry is too spicy for you, add a dollop of creme fraiche or natural yoghurt.

Spoon into bowls, scatter over the coconut and serve with the warm roti bread fresh from the oven.



Wednesday 4 February 2015

Overnight Oat Pots

I'm always on the hunt for exciting breakfast recipes. There's only so many times you can sit at your desk at work and eat toast or porridge and this is a great way to spice things up. I first saw a recipe for Overnight Oats on Cat's blog Outside Beauty, Inside Health way back in 2013 and I've been experimenting with flavour combinations ever since.


This particular recipe is pomegranate and coconut but peanut butter and banana is also one of my favourite combos. You can do pretty much whatever you want with this recipe, just use the base oat, milk, yoghurt recipe and then add a scoop of this and a scoop of that. Easy, peasy.

What you'll need:

  • 3 tablespoons of oats
  • 3 tablespoons of natural organic bio live yoghurt
  • 3 tablespoons of milk
  • 1 tablespoon of dessicated coconut
  • A handful of pomegranate seeds
(Makes 1-2 portions)

Scoop the oats into a jar, an old jam or chutney jar is perfect, then add the yoghurt and milk. Screw the lid on tight and give it a good shake until everything is combined. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and add the coconut. Stir continuously until light brown and toasted. Add to the oat mix and stir. Ideally at this point your jar would be two thirds full. Stuff the rest of the jar with the pomegranate seeds and leave in the fridge overnight.

Voilà!