Last weekend Miss B and I visited the BBC Good Food Show when it came to Harrogate for the first time. Judging by the hoards of people in attendance it was a roaring success. We sampled more than our fair share of the various spirits available and walked around the Harrogate International Centre in a bit of a dreamy haze until we sorted ourselves out … Continue reading BBC Good Food Show Harrogate
I’m yet to find anybody who dislikes these beauties. There’s something pretty wonderful about homemade caramel slices that is even more decadent than the shop bought versions. Each step of making these is really straightforward but it is time consuming waiting for the caramel to cool – you really can’t add the chocolate layer while the caramel is too hot or it ruins the chocolate. … Continue reading Caramel slices (Millionaire’s Shortbread)
I think once you can cook a few one pot meals eating midweek becomes so much easier. This pasta dish is hearty and healthy. The chicken stock actually makes this dish super comforting – perfect for a wet day. I think the best type of comfort food always contains chicken stock. To make your own 1 pan pasta you will need (per portion): 3/4 a … Continue reading One pan goats cheese and bacon pasta
You may have noticed I have been slightly quieter than usual lately (apparently I’m no quieter in the flesh!). I seem to be arriving home from work later and then, full of good blogging intentions, parking myself on the sofa all evening. Anyway, here are a few things that have been putting a smile on my face. 1. Cadbury with Ritz and Lu. I was … Continue reading A few things to love
I don’t know why filo pastry makes pastry based goodies look so much prettier; but I think it does. It also works well in this recipe as it is light and an excellent carrier of the different flavours of tomatoes and feta. My mother used to make a similar tart from her French cookery book (which I will blog about at some point as its … Continue reading Tomato, feta and filo tart
I have a confession to make. I don’t actually particularly like hot cross buns. I want to like them, I think they smell amazing, but mixed peel is seriously not for me. However, as with anything homemade, these hot cross buns are a horse of a different colour so to speak. The apricot glaze and the addition of a couple of apples add to the … Continue reading Hot cross buns
I have recently got into baking bread in a big way this year. I find it a relaxing weekend afternoon activity with the added bonus that my house is filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh bread. In addition I love that you can make a delicious loaf for a fraction of the price that you would pay for something similar inan upmarket bakery or … Continue reading Wholemeal bread – basic, no mucking around bread
As is well documented by this blog I am a fan of sweet treats. Scones are no exceptions to this rule. Occasionally I watch the Vicar of Dibley and I laugh when the Vicar says something about being greedy and it strikes a chord with me. In this case the quote, Jesus did a lot of things right, didn’t he? I mean men’s bottoms are … Continue reading The perfect buttermilk scones
I had a piece of red velvet cake at work this week that had me dreaming of making it all week. Enter Sunday, the day of the week when I usually bake. Unfortunately the red velvet cake wasn’t to be – the recipe I followed for the sponge had far too much cocoa in it for the red colour in it to show up (I … Continue reading Rich chocolate cake with mascarpone frosting
Recently I was approached by Something Sweet magazine and asked to write a post where I followed the chocolate tempering guide as featured in their first issue. In addition they sent me all of these wonderful things: To be honest I’d never really bothered going out of my way to temper chocolate before but as I realised earlier this week this was a big mistake. … Continue reading Chocolate tempering – any excuse to make truffles
The Bunfight 