Thursday 13 December 2012

Amazing Chocolate Cake!

Chocolate cake is not my favourite (I'm more of a lemon drizzle cake kinda gal), but I hold my hands up - this was probably one of the best chocolate cake I ever had! Definitely the best chocolate cake I ever baked.
It was just sooooo good I could have eaten the whole thing by myself... so, I took most of it to work so M. and I couldn't eat it all as we would feel guilty because we are on a perpetual diet.

I got inspiration from this recipe, but deviated from the recipe as usual.

Here's what I used:

  • 3 cups flour (I used self-raising)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon baking soda (the photo has baking powder, but I did use baking soda)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of chocolate powder (I used Tesco's drinking chocolate powder)
  • 1 ⅓ cups vegetable oil
  • 1 pack of buttermilk (284 ml)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee (I brewed a Nescafé Dolce Gusto Americano capsule)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pack of plain chocolate
  • 1 pack of milk chocolate
  • +/- 200 ml of whipping cream

Chocolate Cake

Spray a large round cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, chocolate powder.

Chocolate Cake

Add oil and buttermilk and combine using the mixer on low speed.

Chocolate Cake

Add eggs one at a time.

Chocolate Cake

Add coffee slowly.

Chocolate Cake

Mix that bad boy!!

Chocolate Cake

Pour batter onto the tin.

Chocolate Cake

Bang in the oven, preheated at 170ºC.

It took me about one hour for it to be baked.


When the cake is almost ready (last 10 minutes of baking), start preparing the ganache. 
Easy peasy: Hot water in pan, bowl inside pan, chocolate and cream inside bowl, wait until it starts melting, mix - done!

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

Set it aside and let it cool for a bit.

By this time your cake should be ready, so take it out and let it cool for a bit.

Chocolate Cake

I turned my cake upside down because the bottom was prettier.

Chocolate Cake

Spread the ganache all over the cake, the counter and yourself.

Chocolate Cake

I must say that I was rushing so I didn't do a very good job (had to pick up J. from work)... I just wanted the cake done and ready, no time to make it look perfect!

I don't think any of these pictures makes this cake any justice! Each slice was so moist and yummy, it was great! (I really should have taken a picture of a slice)

Anyway, if you need a chocolate fix, I seriously recommend to have a go at this - I can't wait until I bake it again!


Saturday 8 December 2012

Sausage Roast Dinner

I fancied a roast dinner, but didn't really have any nice meat to roast (and we all went a bit overboard with our Christmas shopping, so we need to watch the pennies!) - so sausage roast dinner it was!

What I used:

  • Sausages (I used 12 Richmond thick)
  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Salt/Pepper
  • Honey
  • Olive Oil
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Frozen Yorkshire pudding
  • Gravy Granules (I used Bisto - Favourite)

First I peeled the potatoes and put them in a pan with cold salty water.

Then I peeled and cut the carrots and parsnips and placed them on a tray. Add salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil and honey. Bang them in the oven - preheated at 190ºC.

Sausage Dinner

The potatoes should be just starting to boil by now - let them be for about 6 minutes (don't let them cook completely!!)

Drain the potatoes and place them on a baking tray, pour a bit of vegetable oil over them and give them a shake to make sure they get coated with the oil.

Sausage Dinner

Put the tray in the oven (potatoes on the top shelf, vegetables on the bottom) - let it roast for 20 minutes.

It's time to add the sausages. I didn't season these, I just took them out of the package and placed them straight onto the oven dish.

Shake the potatoes and vegetables.

Sausage Dinner

Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the sausages (and shake the other trays if you are inclined).
Give it another 15 minutes... everything should be cooked!

If your potatoes, veg and sausages need a bit more colour, increase oven temperature (to 220ºC) and roast for a further 10 minutes.

I added my frozen yorkshire puddings when there were 4 minutes remaining.

While you wait for the final minutes of roasting to be done - prepare your gravy.

Dish everything up and pour the gravy on top.

Sausage Dinner


Hmmm... yummo!


Wednesday 5 December 2012

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

I got some smoked mackerel on special the other day, it's been ages since we had some!
We also hadn't had kedgeree for a good while... so why not have a bit of both?!

I never used smoked mackerel in kedgeree, we always do it with smoked haddock... but what could go wrong? They're both smoked and very fishy!

Here's what I used:

  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 1 onion - finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoon of curry
  • 1 tablespoon of turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cinammon
  • 1 mug of long grain rice (don't use easy cook)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon full of tomato passata
  • 300 g smoked mackerel, flaked
  • Parsley (I used dried because I didn't have any fresh)
  • Salt, Pepper and Garlic Granules for seasoning
  • Lemon

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree


First put the eggs in some cold water and salt, let them cook on the side while you get the other things done.
I hardboiled more than needed so I could have some egg mayo sandwiches for lunch :)

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

In a wide non-stick pan with lid, heat oil and cook onion until translucent. 
Add curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, rice, tomato passata and stir.

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Pour 2 mugs of water, season with salt, paper and garlic granules. Bring to boil and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes (or until rice is cooked).

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

By this time, your eggs should be ready to cool down and peel.
You could also flake your mackerel in case you haven't done it previously.

After rice is cooked (water should be all gone!!) add flaked mackerel and boiled egg to the pan and sprinkle with parsley.

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Mix everything together.

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Serve with a wedge of lemon, and make sure you squeeze it on top of the rice before you dig in!

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree


We quite liked it :)


Let me know if you have a go!


Monday 3 December 2012

Cake with guava!

J's mum mailed us some guava paste ages ago, it has been sitting in the fridge ever since.
Despite liking guava paste, as long as there's quince jam in the fridge we never touch the guava.

However, J's been pestering me about his nan's kickass swiss roll filled with guava paste, and daring me to have a go myself.
So... to shut him up I made him a cake filled with guava paste.
This way he wouldn't be disappointed in case my swiss roll was crap and wouldn't mention how my baking skills are inferior to his nan's.

So, here's what I used:
  • 200 g margarine (I melted in the microwave)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 cups flour (I used self-raising)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup of milk
  • Guava Paste (you may use any jam or filling - I would recommend nutella as well!)
Cake & Guava

Get a round baking tin ready with spread and flour and set aside.

In a big bowl, add margarine and sugar.

Cake & Guava

After beating until smooth, add eggs (one by one).

Cake & Guava

Stick a finger in it and lick it - yum!

Add milk and flour little by little, always mixing it well.

Cake & Guava

Pour it onto the tin.

Cake & Guava

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 50 minutes.

Cake & Guava

Let it cool down for a bit (about 10 minutes) and remove it from the tin.
With a wet knife, cut cake in half (be delicate as the cake may fall apart)

Cake & Guava

Add filling to the bottom part of the cake.
(my guava paste was really hard, so I had to cut thin slices instead of spreading it all over the cake)

Cake & Guava

Put top bit on and press a down so the filling glues to both parts of the cake.

Cake & Guava

Wait for the cake to cool down and serve... or if you're like us who can't wait - at least be careful when cutting it hot as it can be quite crumbly. 

J the butcher did the honours of almost destroying my cake! 

Cake & Guava

Less than 24 hours later, there's only one slice left... so I guess despite it not being J's nan kickass swiss roll - my cake must have hit the spot!

Sunday 2 December 2012

Lazy Beef Stroganoff

It's a bit chilly at the moment, so the slow cooker has made its reappearance on the kitchen worktop. After stumbling upon so many slowcooker stroganoff recipes in pinterest, I thought I should have a go myself.

Stroganoff is something I cook quite often and I tend to use turkey and serve it with white rice, but as I was doing it differently this time - I went different all the way and used beef and tagliatelle instead. 


Ingredients A)
  • Diced Beef (I reckon I used about 1 ½ lb stewing beef) - remove fatty bits
  • 1 Onion - thinly sliced
  • Mushrooms
  • 2 tins of Cream of Mushroom soup
  • 1 beef stock cube dissolved in a pint of water
  • Tomato Passata (approximately 4 tablespoons)
  • Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon)
  • Lots of Garlic Granules
  • Salt and Pepper
Ingredients B)
  • 100 g cream cheese
  • ½ cup soured cream

Beef Stroganoff


Bang Ingredients A in the slowcooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

Beef Stroganoff


Now... if unlike me, you're not impatient and don't want to get any more pans dirty, add cream cheese and sour cream and cook for another 30 minutes.
Or... if like me, you barely can stand the lovely smells coming from your kitchen, and want to eat asap. You can transfer it to a pan to speed up the process. (I only transferred it to the pan when it was time to add ingredients B).

Beef Stroganoff

The sauce was not thick enough to my liking, so I decided to cook the pasta inside the sauce. That way, the pasta would be all tasty and the sauce would thicken.
(If you don't want to cook the pasta in the same pan, just thicken the sauce with a bit of cornstarch).


Beef Stroganoff


This was the easiest way I ever prepared my stroganoff. The meat was really tender and melted in the mouth and there wasn't much effort involved - definitely worth a yummo stamp of approval.

Let me know if you have a go.

Saturday 1 December 2012

Croissants

One of the things I often miss at breakfast is a nice big croissant, with ham and honey and a large latte.

My soul cries whenever I go to a supermarket and all I find is those small, flaky, butter croissants (yes, I know that is what croissants are meant to be)... however, my favourite type of croissants are the doughy ones, more like brioche rolled into croissant shapes.

Most Portuguese bakeries, cafés and supermarkets sell them... in the UK I've never seen them :(

So... I tried to make my own.

I got inspiration from a recipe I found at Nárwen's Cuisine.
I'm not very good at following recipes, so I think I might have deviated a bit somewhere along the line... still, the end result was pretty much acceptable and I will have another ago in the future.



  • 4 cups of flour (I used self-raising)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (I will use fast action yeast next time I do them)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 tablespoons of milk

Croissant


Warm a cup of milk in a pan and add baking powder, mix it and wait for it to dissolve.

Croissant

In a large bowl combine flour, oil, sugar, salt and egg. Then add the warm milk with baking powder into the mixture.

Croissant

It's time to get dirty hands and knead the dough until elastic and smooth.

Croissant

Cover well with a cloth and let the dough rest for an hour.

Croissant

Now... the dough should rise and double its volume. Mine didn't do a think... Oh well, I carried on anyway.
(I will use fast action yeast next time)

Sprinkle flour on your worktop and roll out dough (I don't have much space, so I divided the dough in three parts).

Croissant

After flattening the dough, use a knife or a pizza cutter into long 'triangles'.
(The one in the middle is actually too big, so I cut it in half - didn't take photo because I couldn't be bothered to wash my hands again to hold the camera)

Croissant

Move the widest bit of the triangle towards you and roll the dough into croissants.

Some ended up prettier than others, but hey ho!

Line a tray with some parchment paper and place the croissants with the 'end of the triangle' touching the tray.

At this stage, you're meant to cover the croissants with a cloth and let the dough rise again for 30 minutes. Because my dough rested for one hour and didn't rise at all - I didn't bother and cracked on with it!

Beat one egg yolk with three tablespoons of milk and brush the croissants. 

Croissant

Bake them for 20-25 minutes in pre-heated oven at 180ºC.

Croissant

(I didn't roll two croissants and just left them as balls as an experiement)


As expected, they didn't grow much... but flavour wise, they were nice! I will definitely do them again but use fast action yeast and pray for the best.


Enjoy them as you wish, I had this one with cheese and quince jam.

Croissant




Until next time :)