Espresso cake with fudge frosting

I used 2/3 of a Betty Crocker Sponge mix and omitted the sugar from the syrup as the icing is so sweet. As I did not frost all over the cake I just made half the frosting and used inside and on top with some chocolate dribbled over.

Packet Cake mix made up using 2 eggs

1/3 cup hot, freshly brewed espresso
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark rum

In a bowl, stir together the espresso and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the rum and let cool to room temperature. Spread over the sliced cake.

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (no need to sift)
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons half-and-half or whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients until the frosting is smooth and decorate the cake.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This came from a YouTube video by Tasty - I have adjusted the amounts here to get 6 slices

1 package pre-made cookie dough 300g
1 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

Press 3/4 of the package of pre-made cookie dough into a loaf pan.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.

Add the egg mixing thoroughly.

Pour into pan. *optional* drop half teaspoonfuls of remaining cookie dough on top of the cheesecake batter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. 

Decorate with swirls of cream and chocolate sauce

Fresh Tomato Tart

I bought 1 store made pie crust so halved all of the ingredients; there was no way 8oz of mozzarella would go in and leave room so I had to halve it to just 4oz. Also could only get fresh coriander so used instead of basil.

      1 tbsp Butter
2 small onions sliced thin.
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Storebought Pie Crusts OR 1 Good Sized Homemade Crust
 16 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated pecorino or parmesan reggiano cheese
3 cups cherry tomatoes
2 eggs
 1/4 cup milk
 8 basil leaves

1.      Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter, onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Set aside.

2.      Preheat the oven to 450˚.

3.      Roll dough into a rectangle.  If you’ve never worked with pie dough before, this is so much easier than you think. Ina’s secret to rolling out dough is to start with a floured counter and roller, begin rolling out from the middle and then turn the dough piece slightly to ensure it’s not sticking to the counter.  Dough can also be pieced into place in the pan.  Lay onto a shallow small 13×9 sheet pan, a tart pan, or cut in half and use 2 standard pie pans.

4.      Sprinkle on the cheeses in a single layer, then lay on the caramelized onions, then sprinkle the tomatoes over the cheese.

5.      Mix together the eggs and milk in a small bowl and pour on top.

6.      Bake the tart for 15 to 18 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the crust doesn’t burn.  If the crust is getting brown too fast, reduce the heat to 425 F.

Chicken and Bacon Alfredo Pasta

Did half of this for 2 of us with penne pasta  - yummy

200 g fettuccine
2 chicken breasts cooked and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup cream
3-4 cups chicken broth
8 rashers crumbled cooked bacon
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place pasta, garlic, parmesan cheese, cream and broth in a saute pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chicken and bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley. 
2. To thin sauce add a little milk.

Egg Tartine

These can be done with either Smoked Salmon or Ham; could also make the toast optional

6 Eggs
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
3/4 tbsp minced dill
pinch salt & pepper

Boil the eggs then chop when they are cold
Add mayonnaise, mustard, dill, salt and pepper
Combine lightly with a fork
Serve at room temperature on top of smoked salmon or ham which can be on top of toast
Sprinkle with chopped chives or fresh dill
Serves 4

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

I made half of this recipe in a loaf tin - it cut into 8 slices and was very rich; Recipe from facebook website Tasty

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream (or cream and tsp lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
⅓ cup butter, melted
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon. cinnamon
1 pack refrigerated cinnamon rolls with frosting (8 regular sized)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.
2. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat until there are no lumps.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each one. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined. Set aside.
6. In a greased springform pan, press all of the cinnamon rolls flat, until they completely cover the bottom of the pan. 
7. Evenly spread the cheesecake batter, then drop spoonfuls of the butter mixture onto the cheesecake batter. 
8. Swirl the butter mixture into the cheesecake using a knife (try to keep it away from the edges!).
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cheesecake is firm around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and cool completely. 
10. Top with frosting from the cinnamon rolls.
11. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Duck a l'orange

I did this with 4 duck breasts which were plenty for 5-6 people; pan fried for 10 minutes then finished off in the oven for 20 - still quite pink in the middle but very tender. I would double the sauce next time.

•             Zest and juice of 1 one large orange or two small oranges

•             150ml of pineapple juice

•             1 tablespoon of white sugar OR marmalade

•             1 teaspoon of corn flour mixed with water to make a paste

•             4 orange segments

•             1 table spoon of flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

1.            Place the oranges, pineapple juice and sugar in a pan.

2.            Bring to the boil and reduce by a third.

3.            Stir in the corn flour.

4.            Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens.

5.            Serve with your cooked duck, garnish with orange segments and parsley.