Bonfire Bangers and Beans

This is a super warming dinner dish for the youngsters before or after the fireworks.  My son and his friends always loved this meal on the 5th November.  Placing the sausages as I do makes this dish resemble a bonfire.

 

Ingredients

1/2lb/250g cocktail sausages

4oz/100g grated mature cheddar cheese

15oz/440g tin baked beans in tomato sauce

1lb/500g peeled and diced floury potatoes

1oz/25g butter

2 good pinches English mustard powder

pinch cayenne pepper

salt

 

Method

1 Place the potatoes into a large saucepan.

2 Pour over boiling water.

3 Place the saucepan on a lit hob and bring to the boil.

4 Salt if using when boiling, simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

5 Put the cocktail sausages under the grill, turn regularly until well browned.

6 Drain the potatoes.

7 Place the saucepan back on the heat.

8 Dry thoroughly, shaking the pan several times.

9 Mash the potatoes with a masher. 

10 Add the butter, mustard powder and cayenne pepper.

11 Beat well with a wooden spoon, until the mashed potato is glossy and creamy.

12 Add the cheese to the potato mixture.

13 Beat well again. 

14 Heat the beans in a saucepan as per the manufacturers instructions.

15 Add all but 8 of the cocktail sausages.

16 Transfer the beans and sausage mixture from the saucepan into a serving dish.

17 Cover with the mashed potato mixture

18 Press the remaining sausages half way into the top of the potato mixture at a jaunty angle.

19 Place the dish in the oven at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 until the potato topping is lightly browned.

Serve immediately

 

Serves 8 people

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Catherine Wheel Biscuits

Catherine wheel biscuits are ideal to make for the hungry party goers on bonfire night, the 5th of November.  Note that the rum can be omitted for young children.

 

Ingredients

8oz/250g self raising flour
4oz/125g unrefined caster sugar
4oz/110g soft margarine
1 large beaten egg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tespoons dark rum

Method

1 Cream together the soft margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
2 Keep one dessertspoon of egg white from the egg and add the remaining egg to the margarine mixture.
3 Add the flour and knead to form a firm dough
4 Divide the dough into two then add the cocoa to one part and rum to the other
5 Knead both separately until the cocoa and rum have blended into the dough
6 On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to form to oblongs 12 inch (30cm) x 8 inch (20cm)
7 Use the reserved egg white to brush the chocolate dough, cover with the rum dough and roll up the two pieces
8 Wrap the dough roll in foil and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
9 Cut into catherine wheels of a quarter inch (5mm) in thickness

10 Arrange on a greased baking tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for about 10 minutes or until lightly coloured.

11 Cool in the tin on a wire cooling rack.

                                          

Makes about 30 biscuits

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Sledging and Steak and Kidney Pudding

It was a cold snowy February, my 4 years old son had just saved enough pocket money to buy a sledge in the sales, he could not wait for the snow to come to try it out.

 

As luck would have it that during his first weeks half term holiday from infant school it snowed.  His dad took him to the local park where there was the perfect hill for teaching our son how to sledge.

 

Two hours later my son came back soaked to the skin, tired and cold but exceedingly hungry.  He smelled the aroma in the kitchen and wanted tea immediately (as they always do).  The thought of him having to wait an hour was just too much, not even one of his favourite CBBC programmes would help him.

 

Eventually tea time came and I served up his first ever home made steak and kidney pie, encased by a light and puffy suet crust pastry.  He thought it looked awful (well it is a wee bit insipid to look at even when adorned by rich orange carrots.

 

Well he decided to try it, one mouthful and he was hooked, I asked him what he thought of it, his reply?  Aah, man food.  Priceless!!!  The comments our children make!!!

 

Suet Crust Pastry   This is the basic recipe for suet crust pastry.  This pastry is used for glorious comfort food such as winter warming dumplings and also the infamous British savoury and sweet puddings eg, steak and kidney pie and jam roly poly.   Ingredients 8oz/250g plain flour pinch of salt 4oz/110g suet cold water   Method 1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bow. 2 Spoon in the flour. 3 Add the salt. 4 Shake the sieve so the flour and salt go into the mixing bowl. 5 Add the suet. 6 Stir the suet into the flour. 7 Make a well. 8 Add a little cold water. 9 Using your fingertips draw the flour mixture into the water. 10 Add sufficient water to make a soft, non sticky but pliable dough   Filling Ingredients 1 quantity suet crust pastry 450g/1lb braising or stewing steak 100g/4oz pigs kidneys 2 finely diced  onions 100g /4oz field mushrooms 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce salt 1 – 6 peppercorns a little water bay leaf parsley stalks 1 – 2 celery stalks a few celery leaves   Method 1 Into a large saucepan place the bayleaf, peppercorns, parsley stalks, celery stalks and leaves. 2 Cover with plenty of cold water. 3 Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. 4 Skim off any skum. 5 Continue to simmer the ingredients for 20 to 30 minutes.   6 Skin and core the kidneys and cut into small dice. 7 Dice the steak to 1 inch thick dice. 8 Toss both meats in a tablespoon of seasoned flour. 9 Mix the meat with the onions and mushrooms. 10 Strain the cooked herbs through a sieve and discard the used herbs. 11 Place the meats, onions and mushrooms with the Worcestershire sauce into a medium saucepan. 12 Cover the mixture with sufficient of the stock. 13 Bring to the boil. 14 Skim off any skum. 15 Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for an hour. 16 Plunge the saucepan into a washing up bowl with cold water and allow to cool completely. 17 Grease a large pudding basin. 18 Roll out all of the suet crust pastry into a circle, large enough to amply cover the basin.  19 Cut out a quarter section of the pastry and reserve.  20 Line the pudding baisin it with 3/4 of the rolled pastry. 21 Seal the edge of the cut pastry with a little water. 22 Brush the rim of the pastry with a little water. 23 Gather the remaining 1/4 of the pastry and roll into a circle just large enough to fit the top of the pudding baisin. 24 Spoon the meats, mushrooms and onion mixture into the pastry lined pudding baisin, allowing an inch gap at the top. 25 Reserve any excess gravy to cook the carrots in and to give you extra gravy. 26 Cover the pudding with the circle of suet crust pastry. 27 Seal the edges securely. 28 Cover the pudding basin with a pleated square of greaseproof paper, leaving room for the pudding to expand. 29 Cover the greaseproof paper with a pleated square of aluminium foil or a square of floured muslin. 30 Tie securely with string. 31 Bring enough water to the boil to 1/4 fill a large saucepan. 32 Place the pudding into the large saucepan. 33 Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for no less than 3 hours. 34 Allow the pudding to cool for at least 5 minutes.   To serve, remove the string, aluminium foil and greaseproof paper. Wipe the pudding baisin clean, wrap a napkin or clean piece of cotton around the basin and serve on piping hot plates with loads of creamy and buttery mashed potatoes and carrots with any extra gravy.   Serves 4 to 6 people   Notes The uncooked suet crust pastry can be frozen for upto a month before cooking and allowed to defrost before rolling. The cooked meat and vegetable mixture can also be frozen for 4 to 8 weeks and allowed to defrost completely before cooking.

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Paddingtons Muffins

This recipe is dedicated to one of my all time literary heroes – Paddington Bear (who is 50 years old this year – 2008).  He loved marmalade and I made these muffins for a teddy bears picnic that my son went on when he was at playgroup and the recipe had to be repeated whenever he had to take cakes anywhere.                 Ingedients 12oz/350g self raising flour  1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 5oz/135g soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon runny honey  3oz/80g sultanas 125ml buttermilk  2 large beaten eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5oz/135g melted butter 9oz/260g marmalade, plus extra to decorate                       Method  1 Line muffin tin with paper cases. 2 Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, into a large mixing bowl. 3 Stir in the sugar and sultanas. 4 Make a well in the centre.  5 In another large mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. 6 Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture.  7 Add the marmalade. 8 Stir until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over-mix – the batter will not be smooth.  9 Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.  10 Bake at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.  11 Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mintues before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. 12 Brush the tops with a little extra warmed marmalade. Makes 12 muffins   Notes If buttermilk is unavailable use 125ml fresh milk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, it will curdle, this is perfectly alright to use. The muffins can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for upto 1 month.  The marmalade topping can seperate, best decorated afterwards.

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Fairy Cakes

These are the ultimate, versatile small cake.  In my humble opinion they are far supeior to the muffin (although they are extremely good too). There is so much that can do with them to both flavour and to decorate them.  They are so easy to make and great for storing in a tin or in the freezer (undecorated).   Ingredients 6oz/175g unsalted butter at room temperature 6oz/175g caster sugar 3 beaten medium eggs 6oz/175g self raising flour a little milk.   Method 1 Place the paper cake cases into a 12 hole patty/tartlet tin. 2 Place a damp cloth underneath a large mixing bowl. 3 Place the butter into a large mixing bowl. 4 Beat the butter with a wooden spoon or hand electric mixer until it is pale. 5 Add the sugar. 6 Beat again until the mixture is almost white and very fluffy. 7 Add a tablespoon of beaten egg to the mixture. 8 Beat the mixture thoroughly. 9 Continue to add the egg a tablespoon at a time (if the mixture curdles or seperates add a tablespoon of flour and carry on.). 10 Place a sieve over the mixing bowl. 11 Place the flour into the sieve. 12 Shake the flour into the mixing bowl. 13 Using a metal tablespoon carefully fold in the flour, being careful not to knock out the trapped air. 14 Shake a little mixture off the spoon, if it falls off when you slightly shake the spoon the sponge mixture is ready to cook, if not then add a little milk and fold it in. 15 Place about a tablespoon of the mixture into each paper case. 16 Bake in the oven straight away at 180 degrees centigrade/gas mark 4 for about 17 to 20 minutes or until a pale golden brown and if lightly pressed the sponge springs back up. 17 Cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. 18 Remove the cakes from the patty/tartlet tin and place directly onto the wire cooling rack.   Makes about 12 cakes   Notes It is best to bake the cakes in a patty/tartlet tin so that the cakes are formed into a good shape.   The cakes can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for about 3 months.  Defrost in the fridge for a couple of hours or at room temperature for half an hour.

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Coconut and Treacle Tart

For those that love sticky sweet puddings, this one is for you, it does take quite a long time to prepare, but the pastry can be frozen down first. 

 

Ingredients

250g/9oz basic recipe of shortcrust pastry 

50g to 75g/2oz to 3oz dessicated coconut

350g/12oz golden syrup

125g/4fl double cream

finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Method 

1 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use it to line a 20cm/8-inch loose-bottomed tin, reserving the pastry trimmings.

2 Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

3 Cover the base of the tart case with greaseproof paper.

4 Cover the greaseproof paper with baking beans.

5 Bake at 210 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7 for 10 minutes.

6 Remove the baking beans and the greaseproof paper.

7 Return the tart case to the oven for 5 minutes.

8 Place on a wire cooling rack to cool. 

9 Mix together the golden syrup, desicated coconut, double cream, grated lemon and lemon juice together in a large mixing bowl.

10 Spoon all of the mixture into the tart case and decorate the tart with a lattice pattern from the pastry cuttings in a criss cross pattern.

11 Brush the lattice work with milk.

12 Bake in the oven at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is just set and looks golden brown.

13 Leave the tart to cool slightly in the tin on a wire cooling rack.  

 

Best served with freshly whipped double cream, creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream

 

Serves 6 to 8 people

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Cheese Butterflies

These are the most wonderful party food, fantastic to look at, easy to make and wonderful to eat.  They look even better when they have been decorated with finely diced tomato concass, finely chopped chives, a little sweet paprika, finely diced olives, finely diced gherkins, diced shrimps or even caviar!   Ingredients 1 amount basic cheese pastry 4oz/110g cream cheese heaped tablespoon good mayonnaise white pepper   Method 1 Sprinkle a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. 2 Place the ball of chilled cheese pastry on the flour. 3 Roll out the pastry to 1/4 inch thick. 4 Dip a 1 1/2 inch cutter into flour, shake off the excess. 5 Stamp out as many rounds as possible (gather up the pastry form into a ball and re-roll). 6 Cut half of the rounds in half. 7 Place the whole and half rounds onto a baking sheet. 8 Bake in the oven at 210 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the rounds are crisp and slightly golden brown. 9 Place the baking sheet onto a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes. 10 Transfer the rounds and half rounds directly onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely. 11 Into a medium sized mixing bowl place the cream cheese. 12 Beat the cheese until really soft with a wooden spoon. 13 Add the pepper to taste. 14 Beat thoroughly. 15 Add the mayonnaise. 16 Beat thoroughly. 17 Place the cheese mixture into a piping bag with a small star shaped nozzle fitted. 18 Pipe the mixture onto a cooked pastry round. 19 Place on two halves to look like a butterflies wings. 20 Pipe a line of cheese mixture to cover the join. 21 Repeat this process with the remaining cheese circles and half circles. 22 Decorate as wished.   Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Jam Tarts

These are a perenial tea time treat and so easy to make.  They are ideal to make with left over pieces of most types of pastry although filo, rich shortcrust, shortcrust and sweet shortcrust pastry are the very best.

 

Ingredients

1 quantity of shortcrust pastry, sweet shortcrust pastry, or rich shortcrust pastry

few tablespoons jam

 

Method

1 Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with a little plain flour.

2 Place the ball of pastry dough onto the flour.

3 Lightly roll the pastry out making sure to turn it 90 degrees after each roll of the rolling pin.

4 Dip a 3″ fluted cutter into flour, shake off the excess.

5 Stamp out as many rounds as you wish.

6 Line a patty tin with the pastry rounds.

7 Prick the bases with a fork.

8 Bake in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade/gas mark 6 for about 8 to 12 minutes.

9 Place the tins directly onto a wire cooling rack for a couple of minutes.

10 Transfer the tart cases directly onto the wire cooling rack.

11 Place a few spoons of jam into a saucepan.

12 Place over a medium heat.

13 Allow the jam to just melt.

14 Spoon the jam carefully into the pastry cases.

15 Allow the jam tarts to cool before eating.

 

Serve either on their own, or with ice cream, freshly whipped cream, creme fraiche or custard.

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Pirate Biscuits

Pirate Biscuits

 

I made these for my sons 3rd birthday pirate party.

 

Ingredients

digestive biscuits

white glace icing

blue, brown and green smarties

round liquorice sweets

halved glace cherries

cherry lip sweets

black liquorice

black glace icing

 

Method

1 paint a digestive biscuit with white glace icing.

2 Place on a wire rack.

3 Place a smartie for an eye on the digestive biscuit.

4 Place a round liquorice sweet on the other side for a patch over the eye.

5 Place an half of glace cherry for a nose.

6 Place a cherry lip sweet on the biscuit for a mouth.

7 Cut the liquorice to the shape of a moustache.

8 Place the moustache on the biscuit.

9 Leave to dry.

10 When dry paint the rest of the patch on the biscuit.

 

Store in the biscuit tin until ready for the party.

Do not freeze after cooking as the biscuits will go soggy.

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Chocolate Cornflake Cakes

This was the first recipe my 2 years old son ‘baked’, he was so excited Dad had to eat one as soon as he walked through the front door!
 
Ingredients
2oz/50g butter
4oz/100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
5 tablespoons golden syrup
3oz 80g cornflakes  

Method
1 Place a large mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water, making sure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
2 Place the butter and the chocolate pieces in a saucepan with the golden syrup.

3 Slowly melt over a low heat, stirring constantly.
4 When the mixture is well blended remove from the heat.
5 Stir in the cornflakes being careful not to crush them.
6 Place some small paper cake cases on a tray.
7 Fill each one with a heaped tablespoon of the mixture.
8 Put in the fridge to set.   

Makes 12 – 15

Notes

Milk chocolate can be added, but it does give a sweeter and greasier result, so reduce the butter amount slightly.

Make sure that the bowl containing the chocolate does not touch the water as the chocolate will become grainy, unusable and totally inedible.

Instead of using golden syrup try honey instead.

Try using Rice Krispies instead of cornflakes.

Add desicated coconut (or use toasted coconut), sultanas, chopped glace cherries or chopped dried apricots for a change.

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