December 11th, 2008 by Lola
Love them or hate them…Mince pies. I love them!
One of the most popular Christmas traditions recipes made simple for you!! 
Ingredients:
- 1 quantity puff pastry
- 450g mincemeat
- 55g caster sugar
- 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
- 60ml milk
- Flour, for dusting.
- You’ll also need a rolling pin, a 3inch & a 2 ½ inch round pastry cutter and 2 patty trays.
If you like, once the mince pies are cool you can add a layer of icing sugar over them. Oh so sweet!
Method
1. Preheat oven to 392°F (200°C)
2. Roll the puff pastry to about 2mm thick onto a floured surface.
3. Cut out 25 rounds using the 3inch pastry cutter then place into the patty trays.
4. Place 2 tsp of mincemeat in each case and brush the edges with a little milk.
5. Cut out another 25 rounds using the 2 ½ inch pastry cutter.
6. Put these circles over the bottom half of the mince pies, sealing the edges of the bases tightly.
7. Pierce a small hole onto each of the tops, then brush generously with the egg brush and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake in the oven for 20minutes until golden brown.
These are just as yummy served warm or cold.
December 9th, 2008 by Lola
A bit of a twist to the famous Cheesecake.
Just because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake.
Ingredients:
- 300g mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
- 300g strawberries, roughly chopped
- 150g digestive biscuits
- 200g melted white chocolate
- 40g softened butter
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- You’ll also need a spring form tin preferably 20cm.
If you aren’t too keen on digestive biscuits swap them for shortbread biscuits.
Method
1. Place the biscuits in a plastic bag. Release your anger- (LOL!) by bashing them with a rolling pin till they make fine crumbs.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Mix the biscuit crumbs together with the butter and press firmly onto the base of the tin – chill in the fridge until needed.
4. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave.
5. In a separate bowl beat together the cream cheese until smooth and thick.
6. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries, white chocolate, icing sugar and vanilla extract.
7. Spoon on top of the biscuit base, levelling off the surface.
8. Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Now let’s see if you can wait the long four hours. I suggest playing bingo in the mean time. Fun!
December 6th, 2008 by Lola
A childhood favourite, although adults still love them!
These are delicous and yet so small, you just can’t feel guilty after eating them!
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
- 125g Softened butter
- 125g Caster sugar
- 2 Beaten eggs
- 125g Self raising flour
- 1tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
For the icing:
- 170g icing sugar
- 110g butter
If you’re making these for the kids, then you can add decorations on the top such as hundreds and thousands or wherever your imagination takes you. Also if you don’t want you don’t have to have the icing on the top.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Prepare two-hole tartlet tins with fairy cake cases.
- In a bowl whisk together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the beaten egg a little at a time, whilst whisking.
- Whisk in the vanilla.
- Sift in half of the flour and fold well into the mixture.
- Add the milk and the rest of the flour till it’s all stirred in.
- Spoon mixture carefully into the cake cases.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cakes have risen and are golden on tp.
- Allow to cool before removing from the tin.
The icing is ever so simple to do
- Simply whisk the icing sugar and butter together.
- Once the fairy cakes are completely cool spread the icing on top.
I think you should have a nice day off playing bingo and eating cakes.
November 9th, 2008 by Lola
These are oh so sweet and so satisfying; they’ll literally make you weak at the knees!
You can have this for your breakfast if you like, they’ll fill you up till lunch! Read the rest of this entry »