Morning!
I’m back. It’s been quite a while since I posted a recipe on here. What can I say? There’s so much to tell you but I’m feeling less than confessional at the moment. Instead I want to tell you about a day I spent at a farm with the Fruit Shoot gang. READ MORE
Pressure cooker cheesecake? Yes, yes and yes.
Now I know pressure cookers generally are used for making stews and other such savoury items, but time has moved on. (Obviously they are still excellent for hot pots and curries etc). I want you to consider for a second the prospect of a really creamy, perfectly cooked baked cheesecake without the 4 hour faff. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to…. (drum roll) pressure cooker cheesecake. Not only that, I made this particular one the chocolate variety. Because I am nice like that. READ MORE
Look, I’m not anti diet. Goodness knows I’ve been on enough of them myself. I’m just anti people going on a diet in January. For one, it’s cold so really not the time of year to be cutting the calories and swapping hearty comfort food for salad. Secondly (and this is my real, selfish reason), it’s my birthday month and I have had it up to here with people making excuses: READ MORE
Can I ask you something? Have you ever thought you might have a book in you? A fiction book that is. I have become obsessed lately in writing one. Without temperatures, methods, photos. Just a book. Maybe a love story. Not sure. Surely it’s a mistake to diversify. Isn’t it? I even have an idea. It’s sad in a romantic kind of a way. READ MORE
So Lawrence could barely sit unaided until recently and now all of a sudden it’s action stations. Yesterday I rescued 2 remote controls, a Lego helicopter, a calculator, two mobile phones, a box of tissues, a nappy (unused), another baby, 3 plastic Octonaut toys, a laptop, a Hot Wheels track, a whisk, a rolling pin, 2 wooden spoons and some post from Lawrence. He’s one of ‘those’ babies. He’s wonderfully exhausting.
So what with all this racing about, I need Jaffa Cakes. Homemade ones. With a LOT of dark chocolate. Here we go…
Mother’s Day looms. I already have my gifts; a little cardboard pot coloured in with felt tips and a card shaped like a tea pot with some letters written backwards. These are my riches and I’ll keep them until they wheel me into a rest home. If you’ve already got the card and have run out of cardboard boxes to colour in then may I suggest this little afternoon tea for your Ma?
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this afternoon tea. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
One year ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjackand School fair rocky road
Two year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs
Three years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits
Four years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread
Chocolate orange mini scones
Ingredients:
Makes 12 mini chocolate orange scones
Hands up who likes Christmas pudding? Mine is firmly up. I love the stuff. But not everyone does. For some it’s just a step too far after all the goose fat, carbs and sprouts. This is a great alternative to Xmas pud which masquerades as… you guessed it – Christmas pudding! Keeps for 2 weeks after making as long as stored in a cool, dark place. A bloom may develop after a week but this does not affect the flavour.
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this pudding. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last December: My slow cooker beef bourguignon pie and Crumble topped mince pies and a very ugly but delicious cranberry & raspberry traybake
Two years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Three years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Four years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Tiffin Christmas pudding
Makes 1 x 2 pint pudding
Ingredients:
Place the sultanas and brandy into a small pan and heat on low until the brandy absorbs, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Melt the butter, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest and chocolate in a bowl in the microwave until completely molten. Add the biscuits, cherries, hazelnuts and brandied sultanas. Stir well.
Take a 2 pint pudding bowl and line with clingfilm. Pour the mixture into it and pat down well. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight.
Remove from the pudding bowl (dip briefly in hot water in another bowl if it won’t come out) and remove the clingfilm. Place on a serving plate and decorate with melted white chocolate (allow to re-solidify before pouring) and holly.
Merry Christmas!
This is almost too quick to knock up. Like one of those cake in a cup jobs that leads to 10pm cravings and tighter jeans. This freezes well and is delicious toasted for breakfast with a little butter spread on it.
More recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this loaf. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Last December: My slow cooker beef bourguignon pie and Crumble topped mince pies and a very ugly but delicious cranberry & raspberry traybake
Two years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Three years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Four years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Orange & cranberry loaf
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a loaf tin. Mix together all the ingredients apart from the cranberries and beat for about 3 minutes with an electric mixer or 5 minutes by hand until light and creamy looking. Add the cranberries, stir lightly. Pour into the tin and bake for 30 – 40 minutes (depends on how large your tin is, the larger it is the quicker it should bake) until a toothpick comes out of the centre of the loaf clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing the tin.
P.S. To sign up for my free monthly newsletter just click here. It has a baking SOS, recommendations on bits of kit I can’t live without, my kitchen catastrophe of the month, a sneak preview of a recipe coming up on this blog and a letter from me telling you what I’ve been up to. Remember to check your inbox for a confirmation email and also to add my email recipesfromanormalmum@gmail.com to your contacts. Otherwise I could go to spam.
I fell off the wagon. Thump, spectacularly to the ground. I was so very nearly there. Just 1.5 stone to go in my 5 stone battle of the bulge. It started with just one night off and ended in a weekend of gluttony. Here’s how I regained 6lb in just 3 days:
So there you have it. Impressive, no? I am back on the horse so to speak from now on. I am going to think like a slim person and eat small quantities in a dainty fashion. I have even made croissants in small doll like proportions. Maybe I have the wrong idea after all…
Lots more recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
One year ago: Hazelnut cupcakes with Nutella buttercream and Red root reblochon bake and Simple banana cake
Two years ago: Cherry tomato frittata and Lemon brioche or Death by chocolate cake
Three years ago: Tiramisu profiteroles and Drunken cherry brandy mincemeat or Macarons
Four years ago: Easy cheesy pasta and Almond coated chicken and Mince pies for mince pie haters
Double chocolate chip & orange bundt cake
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3 and grease your bundt tin. (Mine is about 25cm across and 15cm deep – and do feel free to flour the tin too, whatever it says on the packing really.)
Zest the orange and tip into a bowl then juice the orange and tip into a measuring jug. My orange made about 45mls juice. Then top this up to make 225mls of liquid using milk – so for my orange I added 180mls milk. Stir well and add to the bowl. Then add all the ingredients apart from the chocolate chips. Whisk the mixture for about 5 minutes using an electric hand held mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. If whisking by hand this will take about 10 minutes. You will not see a huge difference in volume of the mixture but the air will help it rise.
Pour into the prepared tin and then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and use a fork to swirl them about a bit. This is the best way I have found to stop the chips from sinking to the bottom. Bake for 1 hr 25 minutes in the middle of the oven or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and then invert and tip out to cool completely. This cake can be left alone or drizzled with some melted chocolate. It seems to improve after a day or so too.
P.S. To sign up for my free monthly newsletter just click here. It has a baking SOS, recommendations on bits of kit I can’t live without, my kitchen catastrophe of the month, a sneak preview of a recipe coming up on this blog and a letter from me telling you what I’ve been up to. Remember to check your inbox for a confirmation email and also to add my email recipesfromanormalmum@gmail.com to your contacts. Otherwise I could go to spam.
I am reaching the terrified stage. I’ve done the hypno birthing course. I’ve re read all my birthing books. I’m trying to keep my feet up. But there’s no getting away from the fact I’m basically scared.
I don’t especially like giving birth. For me, it hurts that bit too much. Admittedly my second son’s birth was a positive experience overall. But it still bloody hurt.
I think it’s karma. When I was training to be a midwife in the late 90s I have to admit to pondering whether some women were making a bit of a fuss over labour. I even remember thinking they were overreacting. Oh the ignorance of youth.
Wish me luck – I am 11 days from my due date. Here’s a recipe for orange meringue pie which would give a woman in labour a fabulous sugar surge.
One year ago: Simple chocolate ganache tart and Meringue roses and Flat vanilla cupcakes
Two years ago: Razzamatazz ribs and Banana and custard cupcakes and After Eight cupcakes
Three years ago: Banana and custard melts
Orange meringue pie
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
For the orange curd:
For the meringue:
Mix the flour and icing sugar with the flat beater in a stand mixer then add the butter and mix to breadcrumbs on speed 2 (or rub in by hand). Add the egg and mix at 1 until the pastry is just coming together (or use a blunt knife to mix). Pull the pastry together with your hands. Then wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Roll out to the thickness of a pound coin and line a 20ish cm tart tin (mine is loose bottomed for easy removal later) and slip it under the pastry by pulling the pastry up from the work surface. Push the pastry into the edges of the tin and into the sides then run a rolling pin over the top of the tin. A very quick and easy way to trim the pastry.
Pop the tin into the fridge for 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4, with one shelf in the middle of the oven. Bake blind with baking beans or dried rice lining some greaseproof paper for about 20 minutes. Remove the greaseproof paper and beans and bake again until the pastry is completely baked through. Then leave to cool.
Make the orange filling. Take 125mls of the water and add cornflour – whisk well until combined. In a saucepan whisk the egg yolks, sugar, juice and rest of the water. Add the cornflour mix and then place on hob, whisking continually until it boils. Should take about 8 minutes. Then remove from the heat once it’s boiled continuously for 1 minute, still whisking all the time. Add the zest, stir and transfer to a bowl. Cover in clingfilm and cool in the fridge.
Once the curd is cool, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and make the meringue. Whisk the room temperature egg whites to medium peaks and then add the castor sugar a teaspoon at a time – 30 second intervals between each teaspoon as this stops the meringue weeping in the oven by ensuring all the sugar dissolves. Add the cornflour. Whisk until at stiff peaks and very glossy and white. Spoon the cold curd into the pastry case, (warm curd makes the pastry soggy and the meringue slip off the top) then spoon/pipe the meringue over the top starting at the edges (making sure the pastry is touched by the meringue) and working inwards (or the filling will escape) then bake for 20 minutes until the top is lightly browned and crusty. Leave to cool in the tin for about 1.5 hours before cutting and serving.
Holly Bell 