Apple & Oat bake

2-4 cooking apples, peeled, chopped and mixed with the juice of 1-2 lemons

Place the apples in a baking dish, sprinkle a handfull of raisins and drizzle with maple syrup

Prepare a topping by mixing a 100 g of oats with 10 g sunflower spread and drizzle with maple syrup 

Bake in a hot oven for 30 min or until the apples are soft

Bugs and Frogs Decorated Cupcakes

I have updated this post with more intructive photos.

Royal/regal icing in Green, Yellow, Red, Black and White rolled out into 1/4 cm thickness

Round cutters of glasses of various sizes to fit the cupcake

The Frog: 

Cut out 1 circle large enough to cover the cupcake

spread some jam on the cake before pressing the green circle onto it. 

Roll some green icing into a ball for the eye sockets, wet the backs of them before pressing on.

Make small balls of white and black icing for the eyes, wet each one before pressing them down. 

Using a teaspoon press a mouth sahpe and add a bit of red icing for the tongue.

The Bee

1 yellow circle
1 black leaf shaped piece that will fit over one side of the yellow circle
1 strips of black icing
two white wing shapes 

The Ladybird

1 red  circle
1 black leaf shaped
1 black strip
6 black spots
black and white balls for eyes

Christmas Pudding

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in the Good Housekeeping's Cookery Compendium (1956)is one of the first I put on the blog; I have just made it, it will have just under 3 months to mature in time for Christmas. It is very easy to make, cooking it is what takes the most time. There is enough for 12 portions - you don't need much after a big Christmas dinner!

6 oz flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

2 oz sunflower spread

18 oz mixed dried fruit

1 tsp orange extract

1 grated carrot

3 oz brown sugar

2 eggs or equivalent of egg replacer

a few drops of almondextract

a few drops of vanillaextract

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbs treacle (I forgot to add this hence my pudding looks a bit anemic!)

 brandy to mix

Rub the fat into the flour, add all the dry ingredients and mix, 

Add the wet ingredients and mix well

Three-quarters fill a large greased pudding bowl, cover with grease proof paper, 

and tie with a string and steam for 5 hours (!)

When the pudding is cooked allow it to dry out thoroughly, then cover with a further layer of greaseproof paper and aluminium foil store in a cool, dry place. 

On Chrismas day steam to heat up for and hour

Rose Red Velvet Mini Muffins

Cream together: 

60 g Sunflower Spread

120 g Sugar

then mix in: 

1 tsp red gel food colouring

1 tsp Rose extract

1 tsp Vanilla extract 

1 egg or egg replacer

Add and mix:

155g flour

2 tbs cocoa powder

140 ml yogurt

1/2 tsp white vineger

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C and bake for 10-15 min until cooked. 

Top with cream cheese frosting or eat on their own

Fruit Jelly

 1 packet Vegetarian Raspberry Jelly

1 packet Tropical Fruit Jelly

A handful of blueberries

1 large ripe peach chopped up

2 Kiwi fruits peeled and sliced

 Assemble the peach and blueberries and pour the raspberry jelly (prepare jelly as isntructed on packet) 

Allow to set

arrange the kiwi fruit and pour the prepared tropical fruit jelly allow to set 

Serve with cream, ice cream or custard....

Discovering uncle Roys fabulous ingredients

http://www.uncleroys.co.uk/index.html

Gazpacho soup

 I've been meaning to make gazpacho soup for a while, hoping to try this one out soon:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jul/11/gazpacho-soup-recipe-angela-hartnett

Goosberry and Strawberry Tart

I can't wait to try making this, it looks AMAZING

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/29/gooseberry-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall?INTCMP=SRCH

Strawberry, Basil & Feta Wraps

Fresh strawberries chopped - sour ones work best

Fresh basil leaves 

Feta cheese

Wraps

Essemble and enjoy 

Fennel and Potato Bake

1 fennel bulb slices finely and steamed

1 can of tomatoes

1 onion

2 sliced carrots

100 g walnuts

Vegan cheese

2 baking potatoes

Chop the onions and stir fry with the tomatoes

Peel slice and steam the carrots 

Mix the fennel, carrots, tomato and onions together

Peel and slice the potatoes thinly

Line the bottom of a baking dish with slices of potato

Cover with the fennel mix and repeat

Grate the cheese and break up the walnuts and cover the potatoes

Cover with foil and bake in a hot oven for an hour and then remove the foil and bake for a further ten minutes... serve on its on or with rice, quinoa or couscous

Asparagus Risotto

1 bunch of Asparagus 

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 liter of veg stock

300 ml of white wine

200 g risotto rice

200 g peas

Fresh terragon

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

stir fry the onions in a bit of olive oil until soft

  

add the rice and the 200 ml of wine and some tarregon and stir continuously until all the liquid is absorbed

Keep adding stock in small amount once it is abosrbed

When the rice is nearly cooked steam the asparagus and add the peas to the rice

Violet Chocolates

150 g dark cooking chocolate

1 tsp sunflower spread

15 large Parma Violet sweets

Crystalised violet petals

(if you have Violet Liqueur add a couple of drops too)

Melt the chocolate and stir in the tsp of sunflower spread.

Crush the Parma Violets and add 2/3 of them to the chocolate and mix.

Put the chocolate into small paper cases and decorate with the remaining crushed Parma Violets and crystlized violet petals.

                                                       Allow to cool until solid.