#NaBloPoMo November 2nd - Your Favourite Recipe

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know that there isn't much I don't love about tinkering around in my little kitchen, concocting new recipes! I started off posting a new recipe every week but, sadly, have had less time as I have had so many other projects on the go with the blog - and otherwise!

So, today, I thought I would share two of my favourite go-to recipes, which are perfect for the chilly winter months ahead!

The first, is my recipe for Chai Lattes which I posted as part of my 'Change One Thing' recipe theme, in August.  This recipe is absolutely delicious and so versatile - I used agave nectar syrup and almond milk, so the chai lattes in this recipe are both sugar and dairy free; but you can 'fatten' it up with milk and honey if you prefer! Chai Lattes are one of my absolute favourite winter treats and, controversially, I love this flavour a lot more than the coveted 'Pumpkin Spice Latte' from Starbucks.  Once you have the various spices you need for this recipe, it's really cheap and easy to make - and involves absolutely no long queues!

 

My second, is a more recent recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Bread and Butter Pudding which could do with a bit of blog loving!  This is one of my favourite original recipes and it's perfect for when you're entertaining in the winter!  A lovely dessert with spicy pumpkin, hints of orange and cranberry and lovely served warm with custard!  If you have leftovers from pumpkin carving - look no further than this recipe!

Finally - I thought I would share my latest published article - a recipe for Berry and White Chocolate Ganache Cake, which I published as my 'Indulgent Winter Recipe' over on Yahoo!  It's a great versatile cake, which you can add almost any berries to depending on the time of year - the ganache is great and surprisingly easy to make too!

I hope you enjoy checking out my recipes and I always say - if you have a go yourself, why not head over to my Facebook Page and upload the results?  I love to see them!

I'm really enjoying linking up with Vonnie over at Nowt Special for #NaBloMoPo (National Blog Posting Month) why not head over to check out some more lovely bloggers who are taking part?
 

Friday's Kitchen: Frugal Fall 'Zesty Chocolate Orange Ganache Cake'

I'm not going to lie - if any of you were following my feed on Twitter or Facebook yesterday, you would have noticed a not particularly pleasant Miss Peachy.  I had a bad baking day - we all have them!  But, never one to be easily defeated - the second attempt was a slow but sure triumph! Not bad for my first attempt at ganache..

You may be aware that today marks a great charity event by Macmillan, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning.  Everyone is encouraged to take part in a coffee morning to raise money for Macmillan - whether it's a local community or just having a few friends round to your house.  I decided to donate a cake to be sold in aid of Macmillan at my friend, Beth's, Kiosk in Sherwood.  She will also be donating a percentage of her drinks sales to the charity.  

I wanted to bake a really simple crowd pleaser - something that would work with Beth's lovely creations but would be a surefire hit to raise money.  So I came up with a recipe for a Zesty Chocolate Orange Ganache Cake.  A rich, chocolatey cake with hints of orange and a think ganache frosting.  The results (second time around) were really fantastic!  I hope you decide to give it a try - and if you are free, why not pop along to a Macmillan Coffee Morning event near you?

Ingredients
280g Caster Sugar
200g Self Raising Flour
80g Salted Butter
Pinch Salt
2 Large Eggs
80g Cocoa Powder
240ml Semi-Skimmed Milk
Zest of Two Small Oranges
250g Dark Chocolate
300ml Double Cream 

Method
Firstly, in a saucepan, melt your double cream and 200g of chocolate (chopped) until combined.  Remove from heat and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.  The ganache should look smooth and glossy - set aside in a bowl to cool and thicken for covering later.

Preheat your oven to 180C and, in a mixing bowl, mix your sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and butter in a mixing bowl until it resembles a sandy consistency (by hand or using a mixer).

In a separate jug, whisk your milk and eggs until combined and add most of it to the dry mixture.  Once combined, add the remaining milk mixture and mix until smooth.

Add in the zest of one orange and the remaining chopped chocolate to the mix.  Pour into a prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Once the sponge is baked through but springy, remove and place on a wire rack to cool.  When cooled, using a palette knife, spread the chocolate ganache evenly on the cake top and sides until completely covered in an even layer.  Sprinkle the remaining orange zest on the top.

Happy Baking! As ever - I love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and if you give this recipe a go, be sure to upload your results onto my Facebook page! 

Peachy Review: Parragon Books 'Make, Bake, Cupcake'

At the start of the month, I mentioned that I was going to be a Book Buddy for Parragon Publishing - mostly reviewing some of their fabulous cook books.  I was really excited to receive my first book a few weeks ago and, well, what a book it is! 

Make, Bake, Cupcake! is a fabulous baking book, featuring lots of novelty cupcake recipes; from cocktail inspirations through to cute animals and gruesome Halloween ideas.  As someone who used to bake cupcakes for a living; this book could not have been more perfect for me, in terms of injecting some much needed fun into cupcake baking again!

The book has a really great look about it, with fun clear images of the finished cupcakes themselves and a few 'process' shots to guide you along the way.  The book is divided into five chapters; 'Cocktails and Mocktails', 'Feisty Flavours', 'Fun and Frosted', 'Scary Cute' and 'Hidden Surprises'.  Each section is separated with a cute cupcake divider and the book itself is really fun to navigate, whilst you're getting your ideas together!  

Each recipe is fairly simple to follow and the cake baking itself is pretty straightforward.  Much of the cake decoration requires ingredients such as candy melts and food colourings, so planning in advance has to be a must.  Nevertheless, the decorations are so much fun - it's difficult to choose which to do.  

As part of the review, I thought I would try my hand at one of the recipes and decided to try the 'Belly-Up Bear' cupcakes, just in time for Mr Peachy's nephew's First Birthday!  This was one of the easier recipes to follow and only required some basics for decorating.  I found the recipe (and believe me, I've followed hundreds in my time) really simple to follow and the results, even though I was very pushed for time, the result wasn't too bad (not my usual uber-perfectionist standard) and I loved the fluffy effect of the dessicated coconut.

Overall, I love this book, it's a real welcome addition to my brimming recipe book shelf and has really introduced some exciting ways to decorate cupcakes.  The big question is, what do I do next?  I'm thinking some Squished Witches for Halloween, followed by some cute Dabbling Ducks!

Make Bake Cupcake by Love Food, Edited by Parragon Books is available to buy now! 

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by Parragon Books to review for this blog, all opinions in this review are my own.

Friday's Kitchen: Change One Thing - 'Flourless Chocolate and Raspberry Cake'

Well, here we are.  My final recipe in my 'Change One Thing' theme that has been running throughout August.  I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed really challenging myself in the kitchen with these ideas, learning to think differently about food has been quite radical for me and the way I cook and I hope it has inspired you too!  I'm sure I shall be re-visiting these recipes and more themes in my cooking in the future.

So for my final recipe in this month's theme - I've gone for a real baking challenge (for me).  The classic Flourless Chocolate Cake.  Great for those on a gluten-free diet - this chocolate cake boasts all the rich taste of a chocolate torte but without the density.  For this recipe, I found a few easy pointers and added a simple, tangy, raspberry coulis to offset the richness of the cake.  All in all, a perfect dessert cake and a must for the chocoholics out there!

 

Ingredients
For the Cake:
120g Butter
120g Dark Chocolate
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
70g Cocoa Powder
160g Golden Caster Sugar

For the Coulis:
50g Fresh Raspberries
50g Caster Sugar
1-2tsp Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Method:
Preheat your oven to 150C and grease a round cake tin (approx 20cm).

Over a pan of boiling water, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring all the time.  Once melted and combined, remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

In a jug, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.  In a mixing bowl, mix the caster sugar and cocoa powder and add the egg mixture when ready.

Add to this your melted chocolate mixture and stir until all is combined together.  The mixture will look sticky and smooth.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 25-30mins.  Leave to cool on a rack until ready to serve.

Whilst the cake is baking - whizz up your coulis ingredients together with a blender until combined and thick (HINT: if mixture seems runny, add a little extra caster sugar).  Pour into a bowl and leave to chill until you are ready to serve your cake.  Pour over each slice individually.  Serve and enjoy!

This cake would be fantastic as a double layer cake with a tangy frosting filling - why not try adding different fruits, such as blueberries to the mix to spice this recipe up!

Tried it? Loved it?  I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!!!

Friday's Kitchen: Easiest Ever Chocolate Mousse

I love to make dinner for our friends!  I'm not one for huge soirees and canapes for 8, but there is nothing better than a couple of friends gathering around the dinner table and summing up their week over a traditional roast!

So, on Friday's Kitchen today, I thought I would share with you my foolproof recipe for chocolate mousse.  A sweet and light dessert for chocoholics everywhere who don't have time to whip up a time-consuming 'wow-factor' dessert!  This is guaranteed to work for you and your guests!  What's more?  There are only 5 ingredients needed - no need to break the bank!

Ingredients:

50g Dark Chocolate (melted)

50g White Chocolate (melted)

2 Eggs (separated)

2 tbsp Caster Sugar

25g Butter (melted)

 

Method:

To create the bottom dark chocolate layer, separate one egg and put into two bowls.  Melt your dark chocolate over boiling water on the hob and add this to the egg yolk when melted.

In a separate saucepan , melt about half of your butter and add to the chocolate mix.

Whisk your egg white until they are thick and starting to form peaks.  Add the caster sugar to the egg white and continue to whisk until the mix is stiff and peaks easily.  Fold into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.  Pour into two decorative ramekins/glasses/dishes and place in the fridge.

Complete exactly the same method with your white chocolate.  When ready, remove your chilling dishes from the fridge and pour the white chocolate mixture over the top – return to the fridge for about 1-2 hours until ready to serve.

Servie with whipped cream or just on its own.  It works as a great base for adding more ingredients - a raspberry coulee, fresh fruit or a hint of hazlenut praline!

Have a wonderful weekend and, as ever, if you do give this recipe a go - why not upload your results on to the Facebook page HERE

E x

 

Friday's Kitchen: Ginger Beer Coolers

At the risk of being hounded by the vast majority of sun-worshippers, I have to say I'm not massively enjoying this heatwave!  I'm very much an Autumn and Winter girl, the clothes, the leaves, the snow and, of course, Christmas.  Holidays in the past have consisted of scraping pathetic hour-long sunbathing sessions before needing to slope off into the shade and recover.   Plus it doesn't suit my wannabe-Dita skin!

Needless to say, it looks like Summer is well and truly here and I've been experimenting with cooling drinks to help me cope with this heat!  Introducing my very own Ginger Beer Cooler...

I love ginger and I love spice.  During the early stages of my pregnancy, I was guzzling Old Jamaica by the gallon and munching on ginger nuts like there was no tomorrow.  This homemade ginger beer recipe has a strong ginger kick mixed with a sweet and sharp lemonade taste.  Perfect for an afternoon BBQ or a lazy picnic.

Ingredients: (to make approx 2 litres of Ginger Beer)
150g Fresh Ginger (chopped and skin on)
2 Lemons
3-4 Whole Cloves
4 Tbsps Demerara/Muscovado Sugar
2 Litre Bottle of Sparkling Mineral Water


Method:
In a mixing bowl, place your chopped ginger (I always leave the skin on for extra flavour) and add the sugar.  Mix together a little.

Next, using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind from both lemons and add to ginger.  Add in the cloves.  Using the end of a rolling pin, mash the rind and ginger together to release the juices, for about 30 seconds.  Squeeze the juice from both the lemons and add to the ginger mixture. stira little and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so.

Once ready, taste test the mixture and add more sugar or lemon juice where necessary.  Add your spring water and mix.  Pour into a serving jug (I always keep the ingredients in to make sure the flavour stays fresh and sharp, but you can remove by pouring through a sieve).

Serve over ice with a sprig of mint (gnome is optional)!  Enjoy your sunny afternoon!

Throughout August my recipe posts will all be based on a 'Change One Thing' theme to really challenge my baking and cooking skills and encourage healthier eating.  If you are a blogger and would like to link up your recipe ideas with this theme, please email me at missemmaberry@gmail.com

Wednesday Wishlist: Say YES to Gnomes!

Every month, I gather together a collection of things for my 'Wednesday Wishlist', a basic collection of anything high on my 'wants' or 'love' lists right now.  This month...say YES to gnomes!

Some people dream big, others dream small; at the moment I'm dreaming small as we are starting to put together our little front and back gardens and I can't help but feel we are missing one or two colourful, cheeky additions!  My fascination with gnomes stems from an early childhood love of the animated series David the Gnome; a small gnome Doctor who dwelt secretly in an un-named forest with his wife, Lisa and spent most episodes curing sick animals and escaping the clutches of three fearsome and pesky trolls! 
 
There is something distinctly British about gnome culture and, love them or hate them, even the Chelsea Flower Show decided to relax it's age-old gnome ban this year.  By all accounts the amount of gnomes more than made up for the previous gnome-free years.

So here is my gnome inspired wants and wishlist, I'm ignoring IKEA's Summer campaign and simply saying YES to gnomes!  First of all, why not try a Life is Peachy Summer delight in the form of Strawberry and Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Gnome toppers?

Look out for my 'Friday's Kitchen Recipe' for more information.

Despite the sunshine we are having, I'm looking forward to getting stuck back in to knitting these Swedish Gnomes ready for the Autumn/Winter.  This was an amazing Alan Dart pattern I discovered not so long ago and knitted several for Christmas presents.  These rustic gnomes come in several colour ways and make perfect gifts!  I will eventually be selling these through my store; if you are interested in commissioning one or would like more information please email missemmaberry@gmail.com.  I can't wait to start creating these little guys again!

 

One of my hand-knitted gnomes

When it comes to fabric, I admit I can be something of a hoarder.  I've got beautiful fabrics I have yet to start working with, partly because they look too beautiful to touch.  eBay is always a great source for all my crafting needs and I have often found incredibly reasonable fabric sellers on there too.  This lovely piece (below) is from a great eBay seller, 'The Original Wind the Bobbin' and at £3.25 per FQ, it would make a beautiful quirky cushion cover for our red-themed lounge.

Alternatively, this would look great as a simple tablecloth at a themed Birthday party or even a sewing machine cover.  

There are fabulous gnome-inspired fabrics available from other sellers too.  Check out this beautiful pink fabric - slightly more cutesy and intricate - from 'ohsewcraftsyuk'.  A steal at £1.75 per FQ and a lovely Summer pattern for a little girl's dress or a light quilt cover.  This fabric is available in several colours.

After trawling, somewhat, through Amazon's wares, I came across these little gnome candles (below, right) - practically irresistible for the home or even to light a garden table at an evening barbeque.  Available for £6.95 each from www.amazon.co.uk.

Only available in this colour way - but perfect as a kitsch ornament and almost too sweet to actually light!

Gnome candle, £6.95

Of course, no gnome-inspired wishlist would be complete without the appearance of the tradition garden gnome itself.  Woodland Wilf Feeds the Birds (below, left) is an absolute favourite of mine, with his toadstool bird feeder, he would make a perfect addtion to my miniature back garden.  There are several characters available in the 'Woodland Wilf' range, they are currently available* at a reduced price of £9.00 at www.amazon.co.uk (price correct at time of publishing).

So that's my Wednesday Wishlist for June - it's all about gnomes and brightening up my interiors with the cheeky fellows, as well as adding character to a small garden space with colour and cuteness, this Summer, I'm saying YES to gnomes.