BANOFFEE Cupcakes

I made half the mix which was 6 - the icing was a little runny so I would add more icing sugar next time.

·         125g self raising flour

·         2 very ripe bananas

·         100g buttery spread

·         100g demera sugar

·         2 eggs

·         1tsp baking powder

·         12 tsp Carnation Caramel

·         100g Carnation Caramel

·         300g icing sugar

·         85g buttery spread*

·         slices of banana OR sweets, 3tbsp Carnation Caramel 

Oven Gas 5 Fan 160

Mash the bananas in a dish and set aside. In a separate large bowl add the flour, buttery spread, caster sugar eggs and baking powder and beat until light and creamy (use an electric hand mixer if you have one).

Fold in the mashed bananas. Spoon half the mixture into the cake cases, add a spoonful of caramel into each and top with the remaining cake mix.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until springy to the touch. Remove and cool.

Beat 100g caramel with the buttery spread and icing sugar to form a thick icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe onto the cakes. Beat a few tablespoons of the caramel until smooth and drizzle over the icing. Top with a banana slice and chocolate dusting if you like!

Fish Pie

Looked for a low calorie fish pie and this is based on The Hairy Bikers Trawlermans Pie - I added an egg to their recipe and left out the leek. This amount serves 2.

100g Cod Fillets
50g Smoked Haddock Fillet
50g Prawns
200 ml Milk
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Dried Onion Flakes
1 Bay Leaf
1 Boiled Egg
40g frozen peas
200g Potato
1 tbsp Parmesan

1. Cut the fish into large chunks
2. Put the milk, bay leaf, parsley, onion in the saucepan and add the cod and haddock
3. Season fish with salt & pepper and poach fish for 5 minutes
4. Strain fish into casserole leaving milk in saucepan
5. Reserve 1 tbsp milk and make white sauce with cornflour; heat gently to thicken
6. Place some white sauce on top of fish
7. Toss in the frozen peas
8. Add prawns to casserole and some white sauce
9. Slice Boiled egg and add to casserole
10. Boil potato for 15-20 minutes then mash with milk
11. Top casserole with potato and parmesan
12. Cook in oven Gas 5/ Fan 160 for 25-30 minutes until nice and brown

Yorkshire Pudding Profiteroles

I made half of the recipe (6) and filled these with clotted cream custard topped with cream and chocolate sauce. They only needed 15 minutes of cooking time at Fan 200°.

225g plain flour plus 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
4 eggs
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence
400ml milk
Vegetable oil 

1/2 Tin of Custard or make your own

Chocolate sauce:
100g dark chocolate
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp golden syrup
4 tsp double cream

Method:
1) Sift the flour into a large bowl, add sugar and beaten eggs
2) Add half the milk, whisk until smooth, then add the other half and whisk until lump free
3) Rest batter for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 15.
4) Fill muffin tray with 1 tsp vegetable oil in each hole, then heat at the highest temperature on your oven until piping hot. 
5) Add 3 tbsp batter to oiled holes then bake for 15-20 mins at 230°C/450°F.

For the chocolate sauce:
1) Heat the chocolate, butter, double cream and golden syrup in a bowl above heated water until melted. Stir.

Serve the puddings filled with custard, whipped cream and chocolate sauce!

Slow Cooked Braised Brisket

This turned out so tasty; I did boiled potatoes separately but it would be nice with fresh baked bread to mop up the gravy. May try the Hairy Bikers version next time.

2lb well-marbled beef brisket, rolled and tied

Freshly ground sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 small onions, chopped

2 large carrots cut into slices

2 sprigs bushy thyme

1 large bay leaf

18fl oz hot beef stock, made with 1 Oxo stock cube

Bisto granules

Mushrooms quartered (optional)

* 7fl oz red wine

* 2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1.   Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5/fan oven 160C. Wash and dry brisket and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep casserole and brown beef all over. Remove from pan. Turn down heat and fry the onions and carrots for 5-6 minutes.

2.   Return beef to pan and add bay leaf and stock. Add water if necessary so the liquid comes about two-thirds up the beef (Hairy Bikers add red wine and tomato ketchup here). Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 170C/Gas 4/fan oven 150C and cook for 2 hours, turning twice, until tender.

3.   Turn oven up to 190C/Gas 5/fan oven 160C. Stir the mushroom into the beef if using and thicken stock with granules; add water if needed. Cover and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

Beef, Stout & Chestnut casserole

From the Hairy Bikers; really tasty especially the chestnuts but I left out the raisins and caraway seeds.

2 heaped tbsp plain flour

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1kg/2lb 3oz stewing steak, cut into chunks

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions, peeled, sliced

1 tbsp tomato purée

8 carrots, peeled and cut into discs

2 sticks celery, chopped

500ml/17½fl oz beef stock

250ml/9fl oz Irish stout

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp raisins

20 chestnuts, cooked and sliced

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

For the leek colcannon

1kg/2lb 3oz floury potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, peeled and cut into large chunks

250ml/9fl oz milk

500g/17½oz leeks, washed and cut into rounds

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp double cream

sea salt flakes and white pepper

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 2.

For the casserole, place the flour in a plastic bag, add the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and shake to mix together. Add the chunks of stewing steak and toss to coat them in the flour.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the vegetable oil. Brown the beef in small batches, frying until the beef is golden-brown all over. Transfer each bath of seared beef to a casserole dish and repeat the process as necessary.

Fry the onions in the pan the beef was cooked in for 2-3 minutes, or until softened, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further two minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.

Add the carrots, celery, beef stock, Irish stout, caraway seeds and raisins to the casserole and mix well to combine. Cover the casserole with a lid and cook in the oven for two hours, or until the beef is very tender.

Add the chestnuts and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the leek colcannon, cook the potatoes in a pan of simmering water for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

In a separate pan, bring the milk to a simmer and poach the leeks for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Drain the leeks, reserving a few tablespoons of the milk.

Mash the potatoes and fold in the butter and the cream. Add the leeks and a few tablespoons of the reserved milk and mash together until creamy. Season, to taste, with sea salt and white pepper.

To serve, spoon the beef casserole into serving bowls and spoon the leek colcannon alongside.

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Fruit Custard Cake

I made this with 2 pears that turned out too hard; next time would use a softer fruit like cooking apples, rhubarb or strawberries

125 g butter, softened

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (60g) almond meal

2 tbsp custard powder

1/2 cup (125ml) milk

3 trimmed stalks rhubarb, sliced

OR 2 pears, peeled, sliced thinly

OR 2 apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup(180g) apricot jam, warmed, strained 

Custard

2 tbsp custard powder

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 cup (250ml) milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

20 g unsalted butter

preheat oven to moderate. Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper.

For custard, combine custard powder and sugar in small saucepan; using wooden spoon, gradually stir in milk. Stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add vanilla and butter; stir until butter melts. Cover surface of custard completely with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming; cool to room temperature while you continue with the rest of the cake (do not refrigerate as mixture will not be spreadable).

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Using wooden spoon, stir in flour, almond meal, custard powder and milk.

Using metal spatula, spread half of the cake mixture into prepared pan, top with half of the fruit.

Spread custard over fruit; spread remaining cake mixture over custard, top with remaining fruit.

Bake cake in moderate oven about 45 minutes. Stand cake 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack; turn top-side up, brush top with warm jam. Cool.