Author: ChaoticCook

Professional eater of delicious food.

Baking

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This time I will be showing you some brilliant baking recipes such as cakes, pies and tarts for all the family to enjoy. But firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Christine Diamente, Louise Harper, The Flavor Smasher, rachelmankowitz, agnieskaweiner and MoonPixlarPW for giving me a like and a massive thank you to Louise Harper, agnieskaweiner, MoonPixlarPW and The Flavor Smasher for following me.

Now, everyone loves a good cake, tart or pie for pudding or for events such as birthdays or eating at a restaurant. Below are some delicious baking recipes which I hope that you will enjoy making and eating at home.

Honey cake – 

Ingredients

  • 170g/6oz clear honey
  • 140g/5oz butter
  • 85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 200g/7oz self raising flour, sieved
  • water

For the icing

  • 55g/2oz icing sugar 
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • hot water

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3 and butter and line the bottom of a 7in/18cm cake tin.
  2. Measure the honey, butter and sugar into a large pan. Add a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted.
  3. Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs and flour.
  4. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch and shrinking slightly from the sides of the tin.
  5. Cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.
  6. While the cake is still warm, make the icing by mixing the sugar and honey together with 2-3 teaspoons of hot water. Trickle over the cake in whatever design takes your fancy.

Easy chocolate cake – 

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 225g/8oz plain flour
  • 350g/12½oz caster sugar 85g/3oz cocoa powder
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 250ml/9fl oz milk
  • 125ml/4½fl oz vegetable oil 
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250ml/9fl oz boiling water

For the chocolate icing

  • 200g/7oz plain chocolate
  • 200ml/7fl oz double cream

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.
  2. For the cake, place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.
  3. Add the boiling water to the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.)
  4. Divide the cake batter between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25–35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins, before icing.
  6. For the chocolate icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thickened. Set aside to cool for 1–2 hours, or until thick enough to spread over the cake.
  7. To assemble the cake, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the cake tins to loosen the cakes. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins.
  8. Spread a little chocolate icing over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake.
  9. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and ice the cake all over with the chocolate icing, using a palette knife.

Perfect apple pie – 

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 5oz golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 600g/1lb 5oz Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced

For the pastry

  • 400g/14oz plain flour, plus extra rolling
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  • 250g/10oz cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 free-range eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp cold water, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

Method

  1. For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and lemon zest into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture forms a dough.
  2. Set aside one-third of the pastry for the lid. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface until the thickness of a pound coin and 5-7cm/2-3in larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and lower it gently into the pie dish.
  3. Press the pastry firmly into the dish and up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Chill the fridge for a few minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180 (fan)/Gas 6. Place a baking tray into the oven to preheat.
  5. For the filling, mix the sugar, cinnamon and cornflour in a large bowl. Stir in the apples.
  6. Place the apple filling into the pie dish, making sure that it rises above the edge. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg.
  7. Roll out the reserved ball of pastry. Cover the pie with the pastry and press the edges together firmly to seal. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry, then gently crimp all around the edge. Make a few small holes in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with beaten egg.
  8. Lightly knead the pastry trimmings and re-roll. Cut into leaf shapes place all around the edge of the pie, slightly overlapping each other, and glaze with more egg. Sprinkle the pie with sugar and bake in the centre of the oven for 45–55 minutes or golden-brown all over and the apples are tender.

Banoffee pie – 

Ingredients

For the base

  • 75g/3oz unsalted butter
  • 200g/7oz digestive biscuits

For the caramel filling

  • 150g/5½oz light muscovado or soft brown sugar
  • 150g/5½oz unsalted butter
  • 1 x 397g can condensed milk
  • pinch sea salt flakes

For the topping

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 150ml/¼ pt double or whipping cream
  • 100g/3½oz bar milk chocolate, grated

Method

  1. Make the biscuit base first. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan. Put the biscuits into a food bag and crush with a rolling pin, or pulse them until fine in a food processor.
  2. Tip the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter until evenly coated. Pour the mixture into the centre of a 23cm/9inch loose-bottomed tart tin. Then press the mixture firmly over the base of the tin and up the sides. Transfer the base to the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes, until firm.
  3. While the base cools, make the caramel. Heat the brown sugar and butter together in a pan over a medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved. At first the sugar and butter won’t mix, but keep stirring. As the sugar melts, it will come together.
  4. Stir in the condensed milk and the sea salt flakes. Bring up to the boil, then take off the heat.
  5. Take the set biscuit base out of the fridge and pour the caramel onto the biscuit base. Transfer to the fridge and leave to cool completely.
  6. When ready to serve, slice the bananas and layer them over the set caramel. Pour the cream into a large bowl, and whip with electric hand beaters till thickened but not stiff. Spoon the cream over the bananas.
  7. Grate the chocolate over the top of the pie.
  8. Remove the pie from the tart tin, by placing the tin on top of an upturned bowl, then sliding the edge of the tin down. Move the bowl out of the way, then slide the banoffee pie off the tin base and onto a board or plate. It’s now ready to serve.

Warm treacle tart with softly whipped cream – 

Ingredients

For the pastry case

  • butter, for greasing
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made sweet pastry

For the filling

  • 400ml/14fl oz golden syrup
  • 125g/4½oz fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

To serve

  • 150ml/5fl oz double cream, lightly whipped
  • fresh mint sprigs

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. For the pastry case, lightly grease a 25cm/10in loose-bottomed tart tin.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and use to line the tart tin.
  4. Cover the pastry with cling film and place into the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and remove the cling film. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
  6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Remove the pastry case from the oven and remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans. Return to the oven for a further 3-5 minutes.
  8. Remove the pastry case from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
  9. For the filling, place the golden syrup, breadcrumbs, beaten eggs and lemon juice and zest into a bowl and mix well.
  10. Pour the filling mixture into the tart case, transfer to the oven and bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  11. To serve, place slices of the tart onto serving plates with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh mint, to garnish.

Lemon and mascarpone tart – 

Ingredients

  • 1 x 25cm/10in sweet shortcrust pastry tart shell, baked blind (you can use ready-made pastry)

For the filling

  • 300g/10½oz mascarpone
  • 300g/10½oz caster sugar
  • 6 lemons, juice and zest
  • 6 free-range eggs, plus 6 free-range eggs yolks

For the raspberry champagne sauce

  • 175g/6oz caster sugar 
  • 150ml/5½fl oz champagne
  • 200g/7oz fresh raspberries

To serve

  • icing sugar
  • raspberries
  • whipped cream

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. Beat the mascarpone, caster sugar, lemon juice and zest together in a bowl until very smooth.
  3. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks until well combined.
  4. Pour the mixture into the tart shell and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until set. Remove the tart from the oven and set aside to cool, then leave to chill in the fridge.
  5. For the sauce, bring the sugar and champagne to the boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the raspberries and set aside to cool completely.
  6. Blend the sauce in a blender until smooth, then pass through a sieve.
  7. To serve, cut a slice of the tart, sprinkle over some icing sugar and caramelise with a cook’s blowtorch (optional).
  8. Place the slice onto a serving plate and drizzle over a little sauce. Top with the raspberries and whipped cream.

Sweet treats

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This time I will be showing you some scrumptious sweet treats and how to make them. But firstly, a big thank you to Donald Mackenzie, cdiamente and Tim for giving me a like.

(This is a typical Spanish cake called tarta San Marco. I tried this delicacy while on my travels)

Everyone loves a good biscuit of piece of cake to enjoy with tea or coffee. You might also like seasonal treats such as toffee apples in November or Christmas pudding in December. Well this time I have filled this page with some  delicious classic and new recipes for you all to try at home. Enjoy!!



Hazelnut and orange biscotti   – 

Ingredients

  • 250g/9oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 250g/9oz caster sugar
  • 3 medium free-range eggs beaten
  • 200g/7oz chopped hazelnuts
  • 1 large orange, finely grated zest only

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
  2. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and add the eggs slowly to make a dough. Mix in the hazelnuts and orange zest.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the mixture gently and divide into 2. Roll into logs, each approximately 25cm/10in long. Place on the lined baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then cut each log into 1½-2cm/⅝-¾in thick slices. Lay the slices on the baking tray.
  5. Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes, turn over and continue to bake for another 5-7 minutes until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Coconut and Pistachio Toffee Apples – 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4-5 apples

200g coconut sugar

50ml water

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

100g pistachios, crushed

Method

Start by peeling the apples and pushing them onto skewer sticks.

Next, place the coconut sugar and water in a pan over a medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, add in the apple cider vinegar and maple syrup – bring to the boil before reducing the temperature to simmer for 15-20 minutes – you are looking for the liquid to coat the back of a spoon and remain there.

Remove the sauce from the heat and dip the apples in one at a time, before rolling in the crushed pistachios.

Leave to one side to set before serving.

Cherry scones – 

Ingredients

  • 225g/8oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 50g/2oz cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 75ml/3fl oz milk
  • 30g/2oz glace cherries, chopped

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  3. In another bowl, beat together the egg and milk, reserving a tablespoon of the mixture to use as an egg wash. Add to the flour mixture, along with the glacé cherries, stirring to form a dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth.
  4. Gently press the dough out to a thickness of 2.5cm/1in and cut out circles using a biscuit cutter. Arrange the scones on a baking tray, spaced slightly apart, and brush the tops with the reserved egg wash.
  5. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden-brown and risen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and serve

Fine Dining

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This time I will show you some amazing restaurant recipes and how to cook them! But first of all, I would like to thank Indy, jwpower1971, RoadtoaHealthierLife and CookingWithoutLimits for giving me a like and a special thank you to jwpower1971, Indy and RoadtoaHealthierLife for following me.

The idea for this post came when someone dear to me sent me the picture below  from a Bordelais restaurant dinner menu. It is veal wrapped in bacon with gnocchi. This recipe is a truly succulent delicacy using a variety of different European styles of cuisine. Below are some of my favorite restaurant recipes.

Pheasant breast with pearl barley, glazed carrots and spiced dates – 

(This recipe is from BBC Good Food and this recipe is by Jason Atherton)

Ingredients

For the pheasant

  • 2 crowns of pheasant , cleaned and washed
  • 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock

For the pearl barley

  • 1 celery
  • 1 leek
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, left whole
  • 400g/14oz pearl barley
  • 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5g fresh yeast mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp lemon vinaigrette

For the spiced dates

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 100g/3½oz lardo, finely diced
  • 8 fresh dates

For the carrots

  • 8 baby purple carrots, washed, tops removed and reserved
  • 8 baby orange carrots washed, tops removed and reserved
  • 8 baby yellow carrots, washed, tops removed and reserved
  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter

For the lion’s mane mushrooms

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 pieces of lion’s mane mushrooms
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chive oil

  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil

Method

  1. For the pheasant, bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, add the crowns and poach for 20 minutes. To test that the meat is cooked, pierce with a skewer and check that the juices are clear.
  2. For the pearl barley, tie the celery, leek, onion and garlic in cheese cloth. Put in a pan with the pearl barley, chicken stock, thyme and yeast. Simmer on a low heat for about 45 minutes, until barley is soft but retains its shape. Remove the cheesecloth and drain the barley. Season with salt and lemon vinaigrette.
  3. For the spiced dates, in a frying pan, cook the shallot in the oil without colouring it. Add the cumin and caraway seeds. Fry the spices gently with the shallot until soft, leave to cool and then mix in the lardo.
  4. Remove the skin and stones from the dates, keeping the dates whole. Stuff each dates with the lardo mix and roll it back to its original shape. Just before serving reheat the dates in a warm oven.
  5. Cook the carrots in boiling salted water until al dente. Heat the butter in a clean pan until it is foaming. Add the carrots and coat in the butter, remove from the heat.
  6. Fry the mushroom pieces in olive oil until crisp. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. For the chive oil, heat the oil to 80C and add the chives. Infuse for a few minutes, leave to cool and then blend in a food processor until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve.
  8. Just before serving, heat a little oil in a pan until hot and sear the cooked crowns to crisp the skin. Carve the breast from the crown.
  9. To serve, spoon the pearl barley on two plates and top with the pheasant breasts. Garnish with the dates, carrots, mushrooms and chive oil.

Apricot Tarte Tatin –

(This recipe is from BBC Good Food and the recipe is by The Hairy Bikers)

Ingredients

  • 75g/2¾oz caster sugar
  • 40g/1½oz unsalted butter, cubed
  • 300g/10½oz fresh apricots, halved and stoned (about 7 or 8 apricots)
  • 375g/13oz sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry, plain flour for dusting
  • crème fraiche or ice cream, for serving

Method

  1. For caramelising the apricots, you need a small ovenproof frying pan with a base that measures about 20cm/8in in diameter. Put the sugar in the pan and set it over a medium heat. Cook until the sugar first melts and then caramelises and turns golden brown. Don’t stir the sugar but swirl it around the pan every now and then.
  2. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the butter with a wooden spoon. The caramel will be extremely hot so watch out for splashes and don’t dream of tasting it.
  3. Continue stirring for 2–3 minutes as the caramel cools and thickens. It will look oily and separated to begin with, but will become smooth and toffee-like as you continue stirring. When the caramel is smooth, carefully arrange the apricots on top, cut-side down. Leave to cool for 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  5. Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out until it is 2cm/1in wider. Place a dinner plate or 25cm/10in cake tin on the pastry and cut around it.
  6. Gently slide the pastry on top of the apricots and push down the sides with a round-bladed knife. Prick the surface to allow steam to escape.
  7. Bake the tarte tatin for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the apricots are cooked. Remove the pan from the oven using an oven cloth to hold the handle of the pan – don’t forget – it will be very hot.
  8. Leave the tart to stand for a couple of minutes to allow it to settle, then loosen the edges and place a large serving plate or board on top of the frying pan. Very carefully, but quickly, turn it over, using a folded dry tea towel to help you hold it, and allow the tarte tatin to drop gently on to the serving plate.
  9. Serve warm with crème fraiche or ice cream.

Healthy Eating- how to turn junk food into healthy food.

img_3345.jpg

Hi everyone!!!! Today I will show you how to make junk food into healthy food. But firstly, thank you to Payal Dutta, Louis, Rachel Flowers, The Food Lover!! and DirtySciFiBuddha for giving me likes and a special thank you to pdiamente and Rachel Flowers for following me. All your support is appreciated. Keep it up!

All of last week I have been searching all across the internet and my recipe books to find healthy junk food. Now you are all probably wondering what I am talking about. Picture a spicy beef burger, some onion rings and chips. Did you know that there are some delicious healthy alternatives to these foods? Scroll down and you will find more amazingly healthy ways of preparing them.

A  spicy beef burger becomes a spicy butter bean patty burger.

Jack’s Bean Patties (From Nadiya Hussain’s Bake Me a Story)

Ingredients

2x400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed

100g breadcrumbs

half a teaspoon of paprika

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp mild curry powder

Handful of coriander (cilantro), leaves and stems, roughly chopped

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Tip the beans into a bowl and crush with a potato masher. Add the breadcrumbs, spices, salt, coriander and eggs. Using damp hands, mix everything together and make six bean patties. Bake for 25-30 mins, until golden brown and crisp around the edges. You can eat in baps as a burger or with a salad.

Deep Fried Onion Rings Become Baked Onion Rings

(This recipe is from skinnytaste.com)

 

  • 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
  • 2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
  • salt to taste
  • olive oil baking spray
  • Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 – 2 hours, refrigerated. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes and place half of the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions. Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil.Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

 

Deep Fried Chips become PRINCESS™ Fried Chips. (PRINCESS™ is a special frier that uses hot air to fry things instead of oil. You can even make cupcakes in it!!).

You just need to peel and slice the potatoes into chips (or any shape you like; I prefer diced potatoes) as usual, salt them and follow the instructions in your PRINCESS™ instructions manual. You can see the results and the magic machine below.

 

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My first foodie post

Hello everyone!!!! As you will soon find out I am a massive foodie, I love everything to do with food and I am here to show you cool new recipes from around the world that I hope you will enjoy. This is a small insight on what you will find: food reviews, new culinary experiences, fun recipes for all ages, tips and tricks on healthy eating and finally anything and everything related to food, eating and having fun. Food can be enjoyed at home, in humble places and sophisticated locations. The important thing is that it is treated with respect, love and care. When that is the case, the outcome is not only delicious combinations but also new experiences to share with others and memories to be cherished.

I would love it if you could give me recipes you would like me to cook or your views on anything food related.

I will be posting regularly and I look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions often too.

Please keep coming back and let your friends and family know about this blog.

Bye for now.