Corn and Cheese Chowder

If you are anything like me, when it is cold outside you crave stodge and comfort food. If this is the case, then the following dinner will hit the spot!

Corn (or sweetcorn) chowder is a well known and simple dish, but here it is made extra tasty with the addition of some salty bacon lardons, and instead of potato to thicken it, we use cheese.

If you are making this for guests, then you can really wow them by serving it in their very own edible bowl in the form of a Boule.

Ingredients:

• 80g Butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 150g bacon lardons
• 450g sweetcorn kernels
• 3 bell peppers, finely diced
• 45g plain flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 400ml single cream
• 160g grated cheese (any kind, I used mature cheddar and edam)
• 30g spring onion, chopped

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and add the onions and cook for a few minutes
2. Add the bacon and allow to cook for a little more
3. Then add the peppers, and cook further for a few minutes
4. Now add the sweetcorn, and cook for a minute
5. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to combine
6. Pour in the chicken stock, and stir well. Allow to the mixture to thicken a little, then reduce the heat to low
7. Pour in the cream and cover the mixture, allowing it to thicken for 15 minutes
8. The add the cheese and spring onion.
9. Stir until the cheese is melted, and serve 

Servings	4
Calories per serving	791 kcal

Boule - a Bread Bowl

Boule is French for ball, and is a traditional French shape for French bread.

It is usually made from a sour dough starter, but if you can't be bothered with that, then it is perfectly acceptable to make it with normal breadmaker's yeast. I won't tell - it will just be our secret.

The Boule, apart from being an attractive little loaf, makes a perfect edible bowl for serving thick soups and chowders.


Ingredients:

• 750ml warm water
• 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1½ teaspoons kosher (cooking) salt
• 1000g strong bread flour

Method:

1. Add the yeast to the warm water  and leave for a few minutes
2. Add in all the flour and salt
3. Mix until the flour is fully incorporated. You should be left with a fairly wet and loose.
4. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, (about 2 hours depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature). Alternatively, you can let it prove for up to 24hrs in a fridge.
5. If you did the prove at room temp, it is a good idea at this point to refrigerate the dough for a few hours as it will be a lot easier to work with.
6.  Sprinkle a baking tray with a little cornmeal to prevent your dough from sticking.
7. There is no need to knead this dough as you want to keep the air in. Just cut it into 4. 
8. Take one of the quarters, and shape it quickly into a ball by smoothing and stretch the top with your floured hands and pushing the under itself.
9. Place your shaped ball onto your dusted tray and allow it to rest uncovered for 40 minutes.
10. Place a roasting tin in the bottom of your oven, and heat to Gas Mark 8 / 450 F / 230 C
11. Dust the top of your boule liberally with flour, then slash a shallow cross in the top
12. When you slide your bread into the centre of the oven, pour a cup of water into the roasting tray and quickly close the door to trap the steam. 
13. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top starts to brown and is firm to touch.
14. Allow to cool on a wire rack

TIP:
If you are making the boule to use as serving bowls for chowder, or soup, you may wish to divide the mixture just into two loaves, instead of 4.

Servings	4 x 1 lb loaves
Calories per serving	846 kcal

Chicken and Chorizo with Pesto and Mozzarella

It is not often that Mr Madnad makes the dinner. It isn't that he cannot cook - far from it, as he makes a mean chilli con carne. But even he would be the first to admit he perhaps isn't as interested in cooking as I am. He is, however, always happy to act as guinea pig and chief taster.

I say this not to disparage his skills in any way, but to highlight just how simple this recipe is as he made it for dinner this evening.

Simple it may be, but this is another great winter dish, and although I served it with gnocchi, it would work just as well with pasta, a bake, or even a jacket potato.

The following dish was the result of a twitter conversation I had with a foodie friend, who listed the ingredients as her dinner one night this week. I am a big fan of chicken, and chorizo, so of course my interest was piqued. When I found her dinner also included pesto and mozzarella, I was hooked!

Below are the quantities I used, but as you will see, it is easy for you to add more or less of the ingredients, according to taste.

Ingredients:

• 500g Chicken breast, diced
• 150g Chorizo, diced
• 150ml Single Cream
• 125g Mozzarella (either chopped up fresh or grated)
• 75g Green Pesto (fresh is always best, but ready made is perfectly acceptable)
• Enough gnocchi or pasta for 4

 Method:

1. Brown the diced chicken in some olive oil on a medium heat
2. Add the chopped chorizo, and allow the chicken to finish cooking in all those wonderful oils
3. Add in your cream, then stir your pesto and cheese
4. Once the cheese is melted and mixed thoroughly, fold in your gnocchi and serve

Difficulty	Easy
Servings	4
Calories per serving (with gnocchi)	838 kcal

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are probably one of the most versatile of all cookies. You can get cookie cutters in so many shapes these days that you can make them to suit every holiday or occasion.

I decided to include some small bite size snowflake sugar cookies in this year's edible christmas gift hamper. I was concerned that they may not hold their shape, but ensuring that they are thoroughly chilled before baking eliminated any problems. Plus, careful icing helps bring out the detail. These cookies are only 2" wide so too small to ice fully but I have added a snowflake detail.


Ingredients:

• 375g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 225g sugar
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

Method:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Mix the vanilla essence into the egg & add to the butter mixture a little at a time (throw in a handful of the flour to stop the egg and butter separating).
3. Gradually add the rest of the flour and the baking powder
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for about 2 hours
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F  / 176°C / Gas Mark 4
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm/⅓ inch thick.
7. Cut out cookies using a cutter – do not wiggle the cutter, just press down firmly. Try to make the best use of the dough in one go, as each roll incorporates more flour which can create flour pockets that cause bumps to form while cooking. If this happens, you can usually press the lumps down before the cookie is lifted off the baking sheet.



8. Place your cookies on a buttered or lined baking tray. Chilling the cookies again at this stage for 3-5 minutes will ensure they keep their shape while cooking (unnecessary if cooking from frozen).
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes (maybe less if your cookies are small) until the edges start to turn slightly golden.
10. Leave to cool for one minute on the baking tray for it to firm up before transferring carefully to a cooking rack
11. Ensure your cookie is fully cooled before icing.

TIPS

• When decorating Sugar Cookies, lay your cookies on baking parchment. Pipe thick royal icing around the edge of the design, then fill with a slightly runnier royal icing and decorate. Leave for about 12 hours to set before storing.
• Once baked, store for a week in an airtight container. They may last up to 2 weeks if you substitute half the butter with Trex (vegetable shortening).
• To save yourself even more time, prepare your dough in advance, cut out cookies and place on lined baking sheets and freeze. Once frozen, layer the frozen cut outs with baking parchment and bake when needed. Allow 5 minutes at room temperature before baking.
• You can freeze most cookie dough mixtures for about 12 months, or even the baked cookies for about 4 weeks. Ensure they are fully defrosted before icing.

Mini Pepperami Pizza

Mini Pepperami Pizza are perfect finger food for a festive soiree, or in this case, an office fuddle.

To save time, you can make the dough the night before and let it prove overnight in the fridge. The cool of the fridge will retard the dough, and it will prove slowly. This is a good thing, as it is a known fact that the slower prove you give your bread mixtures, the better the flavour.

Next day, divide your dough, press out your mini pizzas and then top with tomato sauce, cheese and any other desired topping. I wanted to create mini pizzas that looked like my favourite pepperoni, but I obviously couldn't use the full size slices of pepperoni which are almost as big as the pizzas, so instead, I used little slices of Pepperami. You can obviously leave this off for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients (dough):

• 350g strong white flour (bread flour)
• 7g instant or fast action yeast
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin if you have it)
• 225ml of water (or you can use milk for a softer base)
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Warm your milk/water in a until it is just warm, but not hot as this will help wake up the yeast. 
2. Pour this into your mixing bowl and add in the yeast, and the sugar if you are using it. This will feed the yeast and help it get a good rise, but it isn't essential. 
3. If you want, you can leave the mixture for a few minutes to give the yeast time to wake but again, it isn't essential, but your yeast will love you for it.
4. Next add in the olive oil, and after a quick stir, add the flour. 
5. The mixture should form together into a nice ball of dough.
6. Place the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for about 8 minutes
7. By now, it should be nice and smooth and stretchy.
8. Place it back in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove and double in size. You can do this at room temperature, in which case it should only take an hour or so. Alternatively, you can do the mixing in advance, and leave it in the bowl covered in clingfilm in the fridge for about 12 hours, even 24 if necessary, but not much longer. 
9. Once the proving is over, divide the dough into 16 small balls.
10. Dust a couple of baking tray with some cornmeal (if you have it - if not use flour)
11. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F
12. Using the pads of your thumbs, press each dough ball out into your fingers to form a rough circle. You don't need to be too fussy about the shape. After all, it is about the flavour as much as about appearance. 
13. Spread a teaspoon of tomato puree onto each pizza, then cover with cheese (a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella is great for pizzas).
14. Sprinkle with a little mixed herbs if you feel that way inclined. 
15. Now you can top with your slices of pepperami.
16. Bake for 10-12 minutes before transferring straight to your plate. If serving later, place on a cooling rack and place in an airtight container only after they are fully cooled or you will have soggy base. They will keep in the fridge for no more than two days. After that, the dough may start to go soggy

Coconut Ice

If you like coconut, then you will love coconut ice! It's soft, and coconutty and oh-so-sweet.

I have had coconut ice before that is quite hard, but this recipe is softer, and more melt in the mouth. You could make it firmer by adding more icing sugar, coconut, or by leaving it out longer to allow the icing to set.

The best thing about this recipe is that there is absolutely no cooking involved. There is another way to make coconut ice that does involve cooking the sugar in much the same way you would fudge, but that gives a much harder result.


Ingredients:

• 397g can condensed milk
• 350g desiccated coconut
• 350g icing sugar 
• red food colouring

 Method:

1. Line a tray with greaseproof paper
2. Put a whole can of condensed milk into your mixing bowl
3. Next, stir in the icing sugar. You should have a reasonably thick paste at this stage.
4. Now add in the coconut. This will be quite hard work, so if you have a mixer it will make your life a lot easier.
5. If the mixture is still a little sloppy (it should stay on the spoon when turned upside down) add more icing sugar
6. Split the mixture in half, pressing the white half into the bottom of your tray.
7. Add 1 or 2 drops of red colouring to turn it pink, then carefully dot lumps of the pink mixture on top of the white
8. Using a spatula, carefully tease the pink mixture over the white. 
9. Cover with a clean tea towel, and leave over night
10. Will keep in airtight container for up to 4 weeks

TIP:
If you are bagging these up as gifts, try rolling the pieces in a little icing sugar to stop them sticking together.
You could try using strawberry flavouring instead of just red colouring as this will add colour as well as flavour.
As another flavour alternative, why not add 75g of dark chocolate instead of colouring, then prepare as normal.

Chocolate and Walnut Fudge

Fudge is one of those things that people say to me all the time, they wish they could make it. Well, you can!

I realise that it appears to be like some kind of alchemy, and I suppose in someway, it is as you are changing the structure of the sugar crystals via intense heat, but it really is simple.

Below is the basic recipe for a simple vanilla fudge, which I then added dark chocolate and some chopped walnuts to, but you can add anything you like, more or less.

TIP:
The secret to good fudge is stirring CONTINUOUSLY during the heating process, so ensure that before you start have your trays lined with greaseproof paper, your chocolate broken up, and your nuts chopped, as you will not be able to do this while the fudge is getting to temperature. It is worthwhile having a jug with iced water close by too as this will be useful to test for the soft ball stage.

Ingredients:

• 397g can Condensed Milk
• 150ml milk
• 450g demerara sugar
• 115g butter

Flavourings:

• 150g Dark Chocolate
• 85g Chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Line your tray (I used one about 7" square)  with greaseproof paper along the bottom and over two sides as this will aid you lifting out the fudge.
2. Ensure if you are using additional flavourings, that you have them prepared ready
3. In a large pot (preferably a preserving pan if you have one) attach your sugar thermometer to the side with the tip at least 1" or so off the bottom
4. Place all the main ingredients (sugar, condensed milk, milk, butter) in the pan.
5. On a low heat, stir gently until the sugar has fully dissolved. 
6. Once all the sugar is dissolved, raise the temperature under your pan to medium-high
7. KEEP STIRRING. The mixture should start to bubble furiously and look like lava. Be extremely careful not to splash any on you.
8. After about 10-15 minutes, or when the temperature on your thermometer reaches 230°F / 115°C your fudge should have reached the soft ball stage, so turn the heat as low as possible. 
9. Drop a little into your jug of iced water - after a few seconds pick it out and if you can form a soft ball that isn't runny and doesnt drip out of your fingers, it is ready. If you dont get a soft ball, put it back on a high heat for another few minutes then re-test.
10. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then give it a good stir for about 5 minutes and you will see that it eventually starts to loose it's glossy sheen. 
11. When that starts to happen, add in your chocolate and nuts (or whatever flavourings you chose) until they are fully combined.
12. Working quickly, pour the mixture into your prepared tin, and press down with a pallet knife or spatula. Please do not use your fingers as the mixture will still be incredibly hot. 
13. After about 15 minutes, once it has set a little, use a sharp knife to score the portions onto the surface, cutting no deeper than half way through
14. After about an hour, it should have cooled enough to put in the fridge. Leave there for another couple of hours if possible
15. Lift your fudge out of the pan using the paper, and you should be able to just it into pieces. 

Cranberry and Pistachio Chocolate Bark

Chocolate Bark is something that has been growing in popularity over here in the UK the last few years. I first saw it in Hotel Chocolat about 5 years ago, and it was quite expensive. I am not sure why it has taken me this long to have a go at making it, as it is so very easy to do.

I saw a picture (sadly, I can't remember where now) that used chocolate of two colours which gave the bark an interesting effect, so I decided to do mine that way.

The toppings for chocolate bark are limited only by your imagination. I have recently seen some very festive recipes involving crushed peppermint candy canes on top. However, I wanted to go a different route, and use cranberries and pistachios, as the red and green is a colour combination that screams Christmas. The addition of sea salt crystals may seem odd, but the two flavours your tongue craves are sugar and salt, and this satisfies both. It is easy to leave out if you prefer, or alternatively use salted pistachios.

Ingredients:

• 200g White Chocolate
• 200g Milk Chocolate
• handful of cranberries
• handful of pistachios
• small pinch of sea salt crystals (optional)

 Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment or greaseproof paper
2. Melt your white and milk chocolate separately either in the microwave, or using the double boiler method (a bowl over a pan with water in)


3. Chop your pistachios slightly, not into dust, but just so that there aren't any whole or large pieces
4. Pour the melted chocolate in swirls over the tray. Pour the other chocolate on areas of the tray not covered by the first chocolate.
5. Using a spatula or pallet knife, spread the chocolate together just enough to fill all the gaps but not so much that you fully combine them. You are after a swirl of two colours, not a blend (see image).
6. Take your toppings, and sprinkly evenly over the surface of the melted chocolate. 
7. Add the pinch of sea salt (if you are using it).
8. Leave out for 10 minutes until cooled, then place in the fridge to set for about an hour.
9. When fully set, break into random and non-uniform shapes.

 Makes a great gift. Just keep refrigerated until its ready to give.

Pfeffernüsse

With a frost on the ground, and bitter winds outside, we are well into the middle of winter. I am getting over the annual cold, and glad to be indoors. However, christmas baking stops for no woman - cold, or no cold. So today, in between sneezing fits, I have been baking Pfeffernüsse as another component of my edible gifts hamper.

Pfeffernüsse (pepper nuts in German and Dutch) are small spicy biscuits that do usually contain a little pepper, and in some cases, nuts. The recipe below, instead of ground almonds (which I have seen in other versions) they contain a small amount of marzipan.  Don't worry if you are not a fan of black pepper. I don't like it, but these biscuits are certainly pleasant to eat and the pepper leaves just a slight warmth on the tongue.

Once baked, you can either dust them liberally with icing sugar, or in the case below, glaze them in a slightly runny royal icing. They start off quite hard, but will soften and the flavours will develop and improve.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 230g light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp marzipan
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Glaze:

• 3 egg whites
• approx 480g icing sugar
• (optional) 1 tsp Kirsch

Method:

1. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy
2. Fork in the softened marzipan, then beat until combined
3. Sieve the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to the egg mixture
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead into a soft dough. 
5. Cover in clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for an hour
6. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3 / 325°F / 160°C
7. With lightly floured hands, roll the mixture into small balls (approx 3cm across)
8. Bake for about 16-18 minutes until starting to turn golden. I baked for 16 minutes, then turned the tray for another 2 minutes.


9. For the glaze, you will need 1 part egg white to 4 parts icing sugar, so weigh your egg whites.
10. In a scrupulously clean bowl, beat the egg whites until white and stiff.
11. Gradually fold in the icing sugar until smooth and add the Kirsh if you are using it
12. Dip each biscuit and shake off any excess. There really is no getting around it - its much easier to just get your fingers right in there.
13. Place on a cooling rack that has kitchen roll underneath to catch the drips, and allow a few hours for it to dry

Once completely dry top and bottom, you can store them for upto 8 weeks in an airtight container.

TIPS:
You can make the dough in advance, and freeze it for months. I am a big fan of Make.Form.Freeze.Bake.  I made the balls weeks ago, froze them on a baking tray, then when fully frozen you can 'decant' into a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
Ensure your bowl for the egg whites is completely free of fat, or egg yolk, or your egg whites will not hold their foam and not form the stiff peaks you are looking for.
If you find your glaze is a bit on the thick side, just add a spot of water a teaspoon at a time until you have the thickness of single cream

Difficulty	Easy
Servings	40-45
Calories per serving (unglazed)	42 kcal

Christmas Cake Christmas Pudding Cake Pops

Christmas Cake Christmas Pudding Cake Pops. Confused? Then let me explain.

The idea of Cake Pops was created by the food blogger extraordinaire Bakerella, and these delightful little treats are very de rigueur at the moment. I made some Snowmen ones last year to include in my Christmas gift hamper, so this year I wanted to do them again but with a different christmas theme... and what is more chrismassy than a plump little Christmas Pudding? One made out of Christmas Cake and stuck on a stick - that's what!

First crumble a christmas cake into large bowl. Add enough butter cream to bind the cake mixture together, but not so much that it is sloppy.

Next, form the cake into balls, and place on a lined baking tray. When you have created all the balls, place in a freezer for about 1 hour to firm them up. Then take some candy melts of your chosen colour, in this case I chose milk chocolate ones, and melt them in a double boiler or microwave.

Dip the end of a lollypop stick into the melted coating, then stick it into the hardened balls of cake mixture. Put back in a fridge for 5 minutes or so. I had a little more mixture than lolly sticks, but I decided to just keep them and cover them anyway.

Next, dip each of the cake pops into the coating, and gently tap off the excess. There is a bit of a knack to getting a smooth coating on the cake pops, one I haven't fully mastered myself (as you can see from the one at the back, second from the right), but with a bit of effort you can get a nice smooth surface.  It didnt help that my cake balls had lumps of fruit and peel in, making the surface uneven. Normally, cake pops are made of normal cake and so a smoother surface is more achievable. 

Stand your cake pops in a stand (I created one myself out of cardboard from an old shoe box), and allow them to set in the fridge.

Once they are fully set, you can ice them or decorate in whatever way you see fit. For the christmas puddings, I used royal icing and sprinkles. Make some royal icing, but not too stiff - you want it to have a little runnyness. Spoon half a teaspoon of icing on the top of each pop, and push around with the tip of the spoon to give the runny appearance. I then sprinkled some Holly and Berry sprinkles on top and voila!

Give the icing about 12 hours to fully set, then the pops are ready to put in individual bags, ready for your gift hamper.

One of the reasons I chose christmas cake rather than normal cake as the filling for my pops, was not just that it is more festive, but because christmas cake is slightly less perishable than regular cake. This is why I try to keep the amount of butter cream to a minimum. Last year, I didnt use cake at all, but made the insides out of marzipan that was allowed to dry out before coating.

I will store these in the fridge until it is time to send the gifts. As the cake is complete sealed in candy coating, as well as a wrapper, it should easily last up to a week out of the fridge.

The perishability of food is the main consideration when making edible gifts, as due to time constraints, you want to be able to start making them as soon as possible. Jams and chutneys are great for this as you can make them months in advance. I have made jams in previous years, but wanted to concentrate more on baked goods and sweets this year.  These cake pops are quite time consuming, but satisfying and the feed back I have had from recipients in the past is that they are always enjoyed.

I shall be doing more edible gifts soon, so keep coming back.

NOTE: Supplies needed can be bought online from Cakes Cookies and Crafts Shop

• Holly and Berry Sprinkles
• Lolly and wrapper kits
• Light Cocoa Candy Melts

Planning my crops for 2012

Over these past weeks, I have been browsing seed catalogues, and deciding what I shall be growing in my veggie beds this coming year.

I currently have 3 raised beds, but plan on building a 4th bed as well as a smaller bed for herbs.

The whole reason I started growing my own veg is because I enjoy cooking. It stands to reason that the better the quality of ingredients, the better your dish is going to be right?  This is why I only grow veg that I actually cook with on a fairly regular basis.

Bed 1

• Sweetcorn I grew this last year for the first time. It was a medium success. My plants grew nice and tall but the cobs only half formed. Some of the kernels were nice and plump while others were small and stunted. I had enough for a tasty chowder though.
• Pumpkin I grew this for the first time last year also. Although I got a lot of flowers, not many were female. Only a couple of the female plants successfully started to produce fruit, and only one of those actually made it to maturity. It was tasty though.
• Butternut Squash Not grown these before, but it should be similar to do as the pumpkin. 

 Bed 2

• Potatoes This will be the third year I have grown potatoes. I am learning new things each time. I got a much better yield this year than last time. I am going to go with Desiree again, as I really like them and they are a great all rounder for cooking with. 

Bed 3

• Carrots I have mixed feelings about growing carrots. This will be my third year, and possibly my last if things don't go better than previous. I managed to get a good crop of carrots the previous 2 years, but each time they were not the long straight root I expected, but strange, distorted and grotesque. The first year I made a rookie mistake of feeding them regularly, causing them to fork. Still tasty though. The second year my beds weren't built in time, so they were started in a seed tray and transplanted out.  Carrots apparently don't like having their fragile roots disturbed. The bed is already for them to go in this time, so I will putting the seeds directly into the ground this year. If they still come up looking like Cthulu again, then I give up.
• Onions My third year growing onions, and this is probably one of my favourite vegetables. Certainly the most used as I rarely cook a meal that doesn't include onions. I tend to grow them from sets which works best for me as I am limited for space to grow things from seed. Sets can have a tendency to bolt, but so far, I have been very lucky in that department. 
• Garlic This is probably my other most commonly used ingredient, so I am hoping to have success with this.

 Bed 4

• Peas I grew peas for the first time last year. I confess most of them got eaten stood in the garden, straight out of the pod, but enough made it indoors to make a yummy Pea and Ham soup. Last year I grew them with the sweetcorn and pumpkins, but to give the squash a bit more space, and the peas too, they are going in the new bed this year. 
• Spinach Not grown this before, so looking forward to giving it a try. I do like spinach, and really enjoy it in a pasta dish. I don't cook with it a lot, but if I get a good crop, then hopefully that will change.
• Savoy Cabbage Out of all the cabbages, the Savoy is my favourite. I love its dark green crinkly leaves. They are great in soups, stirfrys, as well as on their own as a side dish. I like to fry them quickly with some small pan fried cubes of potato and bacon lardons. Its a tasty way to get this wonderful veg into the diet of those that claim to dislike it.
• Parsnips I love parsnips. They are perhaps one of my favourite veggies to roast. This will be my second year growing these. I cant tell you how successful it was first time round as the little darlings are still in the ground!I am trying to leave them in there for a few more weeks, then pull them to form part of my Christmas dinner. 

 Herb Bed

I love using fresh herbs in cooking and have been growing a few in a large tub in the garden for several years now. However, I think that the tub is getting a bit crowded, and the more I cook, the more herbs I need so I need to grow them on a slightly larger scale. I have decided to put in a Herb bed to give them a wee bit more space. Here is a list of my go-to-guys that I use regularly:- Parsley, Basil, Tarragon, Oregano, Sage, Rosemary, Chives, Thyme.

Mr Madnad and I decided that we are going to treat ourselves to a small greenhouse in the new year. I tried to grow some tomatoes this year, which seemed to be going well as I had vines bulging with green fruit - but none of them were turning red. With the fact that my garden is unfortunately North facing, and the great british weather, I was struggling to get the tomatoes to ripen. I bought a small plastic hot house that seemed to be doing the trick. Within 2 days, I was picking bright red fruit. However, we were once again the victims of the great british weather when gale force winds picked up the lightweight plastic hothouse while we were at work one day, and dragged it around the garden ... along with my tomato plants. The whole lot were ruined. I unfortunately found out later that I could have ripened the fruit indoors. Oh well. As I said, I am still learning here.

For the time being, in the next few weeks, I need to harvest my parsnips (fingers crossed) and plant out my garlic.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles is such a great word. I love the way it sounds. I have to say, before I first investigated the ingredients, my mind had conjured up something involving peanuts that had been crafted in Willy Wonka's lab. They are in fact lovely little vanilla cookies, rolled in a sugar and cinnamon mixture prior to cooking.

It seems that the name has nothing what so ever to do with Snickers, as you would thing. According to Wikipedia, the name is German in origin, derived from Schneckennudeln, which means 'snail noodles'. Another hypothesis suggests that the name has no particular meaning or purpose, and is simply a whimsically named cookie that originated from a New England tradition of fanciful cookie names. I think I like that version better, as none of the images I have ever seen resemble a snail... thankfully.

Cookie Dough:

•    360 g Plain flour
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    2 teaspoons baking powder
•    227 g  unsalted butter, room temperature
•    300 g caster sugar
•    2 large eggs
•    1 teaspoon pure vanilla

TIP: I added a teaspoon of ground mixed spice to make the cookies even more festive.

Coating:

•    60 g granulated sugar
•    2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1.    Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth
2.    Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract, and add to the butter and sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a small handful of flour if you like as this can help prevent splitting
3.    In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
4.    Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is soft, cover and refrigerate until firm (about one to two hours).
5.    Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 / 375 F / 190
6.    Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or greaseproof paper. 
7.    Shape the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) round balls.

Adding the coating:

1.    In a large shallow bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
2.    Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared tray, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
3.    Using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie a little to about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick.
4.    Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and firm around the edges. The centers of the cookies will still be a little soft.
5.    Remove from oven allow to cool for 1 or 2 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.


Can store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about 7 - 10 days.

Difficulty	Easy
Servings	50
Calories per serving	90 kcal

Candy Corn Fudge

I recently bought some American confectionery from American Sweets Online. As well as just munching them straight from the packet (let's try and not to think about the calories), I thought I would try and take the opportunity to include them in some of my baking.

When I was thinking of sweet treats to take into the office for Halloween, I looked at what was left from my last internet order. There was half a bag of Candy Corn, and this became my theme. I made some Candy Corn Cupcakes for husband's office, and decided to actually include some of the candy in my creation - Candy Corn Fudge.

Unlike the cupcakes, this fudge would actually contain some Candy Corn.

I started off with a simple white chocolate fudge, which I added a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream to ... just because it was made to go into fudge. Trust me.

Ingredients:

• 500g granulated sugar
• 500ml whipping cream
• 150g white chocolate (finely chopped)
• 50ml Baileys (optional)

 Method: 

1. Start off by lining a deep baking tray (approx 9"x9") with cling film.
2. Put the sugar, cream and Bailey's (if you are using it) into a preserving pan over a moderate heat
3. Stir continously until the sugar has melted, then turn the heat up.
4. Continue stirring to prevent the mixture burning, and heat until the mixture reaches 'soft ball' stage. The mixture will bubble and rise but once the bubbles start to subside, and become tighter, then check for soft ball stage by dropping a small amount into some iced water. If the mixture can be pressed into a soft ball, it is ready. Alternatively, if you have a sugar thermometer, heat to 235°f / 115°c. 
5. Turn off the heat, and stir in the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and well incorporated, pour quickly into the waiting tray. 
6. Spread out, if necessary, with a metal spoon. 

At this point, I added a couple of handfuls of the Candy Corn and pressed this into the fudge before it set. I left it on the counter to cool, then placed in the fridge overnight. Next morning, cut and serve.

The fudge is very sweet, and only a piece or two is required.

The recipe is quite easy to customise. You could replace the white chocolate with milk, or dark chocolate, and you could add any liqueur, or top with other sweets.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

The nights are drawing in, and the clocks went back this weekend. Goodbye summer, and hello winter! I love this time of year. I love the changing colours in the garden, as the trees change through their autumn reds, golds and oranges. At this time of year, and before my thoughts turn towards Christmas, we usually celebrate Halloween and Bonfire or Guy Fawkes night.

In the past couple of years, I have had a Halloween/Bonfire party but not this year as I will actually be away in London for Guy Fawkes night (off to see the marvelous Michael Sheen in Hamlet at the Young Vic). So that my favourite autumn festivities don't go by totally unrecognised, I decided to make a few sweet treats for my husband and I to take to our respective offices.

The guys in my husband's office are big fans of cake, so I decided to make some Candy Corn Cupcakes. I love Candy Corn, but as I don't live in the US, I have to resort to ordering some from websites that import American confectionery. This recipe doesn't actually contain any Candy Corn, but the look of the little fairy cakes is inspired by them. The classic colours of Candy Corn is yellow, orange, and white and this is reflected in the colours of the sponge and buttercream frosting.


Ingredients:

• 100g caster sugar
• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g SR flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Yellow food colouring
• Red food colouring

 I started off heating the oven to Gas mark 4 / 350°F / 176°C

1. Cream together the sugar and butter until light, white and fluffy.
2. Beat the eggs with the vanilla essence. 
3. Add the egg mixture a little at a time and mix well. Throw in a handful of the flour to prevent splitting.
4. Once all the egg is well combined, add in the remaining flour along with the baking powder
5. Split the mixture into two bowls.
6. Use some yellow colouring to turn one bowl into a bright yellow.
7. In the other bowl, add equal amounts of yellow and red until you have a bright orange. 
8. Put 12 paper cases into your muffin pan, and divide the yellow mixture between the cases
9. Try and use a teaspoon to carefully spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of the cases
10. Now do the same with the orange mixture, gently flattening out with a teaspoon
11. Place in the oven and cook for approx 12 minutes. 
12. Check that they are cooked by piercing with a skewer that should come out clean
13. Leave to fully cool before icing.

For the frosting, beat 100g of butter until soft. Gently mix in 300g of sieved icing sugar. Add a tablespoon of milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the frosting until it is white, and fluffy.

Pipe the frosting over the cakes, and this forms the final white layer to create your Candy Corn effect.

Decorate with some Halloween themed sweets. I used some mallow pumpkins.

Difficulty	Easy
Serves	12
Calories per portion	298 kcal

Sweet Onion and Lentil Stew

The other day, my husband and I were watching Nigel Slater's Simple Cooking. On the 'Sugar and Spice' episode, one particular recipe caught my eye. Not usually a big fan of lentils, I was surprised to find myself drooling over this one. I am not sure which particular ingredient that had me salivating the most - the pancetta, and the caramelised onions (I adore onions) - but it was decided that we would have to have this for supper soon.

It was pretty tasty, and the cinnamon and nutmeg didn't overpower anything. The dollop of creme fraiche was a brilliant idea and gave the whole thing a lovely creamy taste. I think it would be the ideal dish to serve to friends stood around a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night. It is filling, and satisfying - perfect winter food.



Nigel Slater's Sweet Onion and Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

• a good handful, chopped unsmoked bacon or pancetta
• 4 medium sized onions (I only used 3 and found this to be more than enough)
• 3 small carrots
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ nutmeg, for grating
• 300g/10oz Puy lentils
• 500ml/1pint stock
• a handful parsley
• knob of butter
• 100g/4oz crème fraîche

Method:

1. Cook the bacon or pancetta in a deep pan over a moderate heat to let the fat slowly ooze out . Roughly chop two of the onions and add them to the pan. Cut the carrots into chunks and add to the pan. Cover and let it steam for a few minutes.
   
2. Add the paprika, cinnamon, then grate in ½ of the nutmeg. Add the lentils, stock and 500ml water, cover and leave for 30 minutes until the lentils have softened.
   
3. While that is slowly cooking, slice the remaining two onions (I only used 1 here) and, in another pan, cook them very slowly in butter until golden brown. Finish with a grate of nutmeg.
   
4. The last thing to add to the lentils is a handful of chopped parsley. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and pile the caramelised onions on top.

Difficulty	Easy
Serves	4
Calories per portion	480 kcal