The weather here in the UK at the moment is frightfully cold . . . the coldest I've experienced in my ten years over here. It's been dipping down to minus 11 nights . . . brrr . . .



I was in a real festive mood this morning . . . perhaps it was the pretty dusting of white which covers every branch, hedgerow, and other flat surface around the outside of the house . . . but I put on some Christmas music and decided to bake some Christmas cookies for Todd to take around and deliver to our local friends, along with our cards.



So there I was ho ho ho-ing away in the kitchen as I bounced about to Jingle Bell Rock and all of a sudden I heard the sound of water hitting the floor . . . it was just pouring out all over the place from somewhere behind our washing machine.



Apparently it is so cold here that the pipe which drains the water outside was frozen solid. Several kettles of hot water, a dozen towels and quite some time later, the problem was sorted.
Whew!! (Todd = My Hero)



Todd is now out travelling about the town armed with plates of cookies and Christmas Cards. He's a right jolly old Elf. I think I'll keep him. It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas! I've got my Christmas mojo going strong!



I hope they like their cookies. Tasty little Nutmeg logs, all buttery and nutmeggy scrummy and covered with a layer of butter cream and dusted with, what else but more nutmeg. Hmmm . . . hope they like nutmeg!

Fa la la la la . . . la la . . . la . . . la!

Living in Chester as we do, we are right on the gateway to Wales. Indeed . . . a short five minute walk from the house, and we are in Wales!

Our Housing estate is actually surrounded by fields of leeks, which fill the air at certain times of the year with their pungent oniony smell. I think it's quite delightful, myself!



In fact, as we travelled to church this morning we passed by a field of frozen leeks . . . kind a pretty actually, all frosty green and icy tipped . . . but I wonder how the farmer feels. Are frozen leeks any good to him? Somehow I think not . . .

The Leek is the Welsh national symbol. ( I can think of worse things to represent you!)



This supper dish is a savoury bread and butter pudding, filled with the lovely flavours of slivered leeks and Caerphilly cheese, which is a Welsh variety of cheese, hailing from the Welsh village of Caerphilly!



Caerphilly sits in the shadows of one of Europe's largest castles. (Caer means Castle in the Welsh language) You can tell their cheese means a big deal to the people of Caerphilly as they hold a big festival there every year, called . . . "The Big Cheese" . . . what else!!



Caerphilly is a cow's milk cheese, light in colour and quite crumbly. It matures a lot quicker than cheddar giving it a dry crumbly centre and creamy edge . . . with a somewhat tangy, sour, but not at all unpleasant flavour.



We love this hearty supper dish as we love leeks and cheese, but you can also make it with cheddar and onion, which is also quite delicious!



I like it with a bit of Branston's Beetroot Pickle on the side. Yummo!



*Welsh Cheese Pudding*
Serves 4 - 6
Printable Recipe

Kind of like a savoury bread and butter pudding made with cheese and leek sandwiches. You can use sliced onions if you don't have any leeks. It's quite delicious!

3 medium slices of white bread, crusts removed
3 medium slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed
2 ounces (1/4 cup) butter, softened
1 medium leek, washed, trimmed and very thinly sliced
8 ounces caerphilly cheese, crumbled (can use strong cheddar)
2 large free range eggs
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1 pint of milk (2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste
a small handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped
finely chopped spring onion to garnish (optional)

Spread each slice of the bread thickly with butter. Using one white slice and one whole wheat slice for each, make 3 sandwiches using the leek and 3/4 of the cheese. Press firmly together and then cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Arrange them with the points up, in a 2 litre shallow ovenproof dish.

Beat the eggs together with the mustard powder and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over top of the sandwiches. Allow to stand for half an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Scatter the remaining cheese and walnuts over top of the pudding and then cook it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Scatter the top with the spring onions, if using and serve to some lucky people.

The song, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" has firmly immortalized figgy pudding in the Christmas lexicon. But what exactly is a "Figgy Pudding?"



The figgy pudding dates back to the 16th century in England, where traditionally it was served at the very end of the large Christmas meal. It was so much a part of the culture that even Charles Dickens references figgy pudding sitting on the table of Bob Cratchit in his masterpiece “A Christmas Carol.”



Figgy pudding became quite popular in England because many English gardens contained fig trees. And while many recipes called for actual figs to be used, those recipes slowly replaced figs with the cheaper product raisins instead.



I think we can safely say that, in these modern times, a "Figgy Pudding" is more or less what we have come to know and love as "Christmas Pudding." A delightful steamed concoction of vine fruits, spices, eggs, flour, etc. A must have with Christmas dinner along with hard sauce or brandy cream!



These delicious little concoctions are wonderful little chocolate truffles made using leftover Christmas Pudding, chocolate and sherry. Topped with some melted white chocolate and some green and red snipped glace cherries, they manage to look just like a traditional Figgy Pudding!



I think Dickens would approve.




*Figgie Pudding Truffles*
Makes about 3 dozen
Printable Recipe

Even if you think you don't like Christmas Pudding, I think you will like these! Messy to make but on-so-scrummy when done!

125g of good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped (4 ounces)
350g of leftover or freshly cooked and cooled Christmas pudding (about a cup and a half, packed)
60ml of sweet sherry (1/3 cup) (Can use fruit juice)
2 TBS of golden syrup (or corn syrup)

To finish:
100g of good quality white chocolate, finely chopped (3.5 ounces)
6 red glace cherries, chopped into small bits
6 green glace cherries, sliced into slivers
(Can use green sprinkles if that's all you have)

Line a large baking sheet with cling film. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Crumble the pudding into a bowl and crush somewhat with a fork. Stir in the sherry, golden syrup and melted chocolate, mixing all together well. Now comes the messy part. Using cold hands that you have just washed and dried, pinch out walnut sized balls of the mixture and shape between your palms into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, washing hands again as necessary, until you have used up all the mixture. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. Remove and place each in a tiny paper case.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Have all your decorations ready. Using a teaspoon, spoon a little white chocolate over each truffle, one at a time, and apply the cherries to resemble holly leaves and berries on top. ( I like to use tweezers to apply these. It's a lot easier than using the fingers.)

To give away, place in small decorative boxes, lined with tissue paper. They are also lovely handed around with drinks after dinner.

The recipe I have to share with you today creates something almost too dangerous to have in the house . . .



Seriously . . . tis a good thing this is the season of giving . . .



Imagine a chewy, fudgy, buttery blonde brownie . . .
stogged to overflowing with scrummy little bits of rich, sweet white chocolate . . .



and crunchily addictive hunks of macadamia nuts . . .
Now . . . top it with a gooey, sticky caramel toffee topping.



See???? I have created a monster . . .
but what a scrumdiddlyumptious way to go!




*White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies*
Makes one 8 inch square pan, or 16 bars
Printable Recipe

Squidgy blonde brownies stogged full of white chocolate, macadamia nuts and glazed with caramel!

4 ounces softened unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
9 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 1/4 cups packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large free range eggs
5 ounces plain flour (1 cup)
3 1/2 ounces coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (3/4 cup)
3 to 4 ounces white chocolate, chop coarsely
250g soft toffees (about 1/2 cup packed)
2 fluid ounces water (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper leaving an overhand to ease in lifting the bars out when done. Butter the pan and the paper lightly.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat iin the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour, making sure it is completely incorporated. Fold iin the nuts and chocolate. Spread into the prepared pan. Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Place the toffees in a small saucepan, along with the water. Cook and stir over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the toffees are melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the hot caramel glaze over top of the brownies. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Todd and I took a wander through our local parade of shops this morning. I had some post to send off . . .



and I wanted to pick up a few odds and sodds, like milk before the bad weather hits . . . nothing worse than running out of the essentials in bad weather.



We popped into the Butcher's to see a friend and pick up some sausaages. Oh, he had some Christmas fruit ones, which we had for our tea tonight . . . very scrummy!



Then we popped into the local bakery to have a cake and a hot chocolate . . . jam doughnuts to be precise . . . so bad for you, I know . . . but oh so yummy once in a blue moon.



The shelves were filled with lovely cupcakes and treats for the kiddies over the Christmas Hols. I was quite taken with their crispie cakes, so cute.



I often make these at Easter and decorate them with Easter Eggs, but these were Christmas ones, and really cute, but . . . at £1.29 a piece, I thought to myself, they would be very easy to make at home and . . . at a fraction of the cost.



So then we went to the Newsagent's to pick up some flake bars and I came right home and threw some together!



I think they ended up quite cute! I sifted a drift of icing sugar over all of them, and then on half of them I did yule logs made from the chocolate flakes (cut into smaller pieces) and a few red and green decorations to look like Holly, and then on the other half I used some of my precious Christmas sugar decorations that I hoard like gold.

Some are destined for the little lad next door I think, and the rest . . . well
. . . ahem.

I'm really just a kid at heart!



*Christmas Crispie Cakes*
Makes 8 large ones, or 12 small ones
Printable Recipe

Crisp and chocolatey and very Christmassy! Children love them!

3 ounces crisp rice cereal (3 cups)
50g of good quality milk chocolate (I use Green and Blacks) (About 2 ounces)
50g of good quality dark chocolate (Again Green and Blacks) (About 2 ounces)
Assorted decorations
a bit of melted chocolate to help adhere the decorations
sifted icing sugar


Melt both chocolates in a bowl set over simmering water. Don't allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk well together. Place the cereal into a bowl. Pour the chocolate over top and mix well with a spoon. Line a bun tin with paper liners. (I like to use pretty ones) Spoon in the cereal chocolate mixture, heaping it up a bit. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or so to set. Dust with icing sugar to look like snow. Melt a bit more chocolate and add Christmas sprinkles and decorations to suit. Chocolate Flakes cut into short lengths make great logs! If you can get some holly leaves they look pretty nice sitting on top of the logs. I used holly sprinkles and they are not as nice, but are still attractive.

I have always found the last few weeks before Christmas to be very hectic and filled to the brim with activity . . .



Church responsabilites, Parties,Shopping, baking and pre-Christmas dinner preparations . . . Decorating and gift wrapping . . . writing up the Christmas Cards . . . and in my case, doing the artwork and producing the Christmas Cards! Life is very busy



This is when I look for meals that are quick and easy to prepare, taking a minimum of time and fuss . . .

but without any compromise on flavour! This quick chicken dish fits the bill on all counts.

Delicious enough that I would serve it to company, and yet . . . at the same time, quick and simple.



The beautiful thing about chicken breasts is that they are the perfect canvas to write on, and will take to just about any flavour you match up with them . . . moist and delicious, and very quickly cooked. I think you will love these!

Served simply with some steamed rice and green beans.



*Chicken Escalopes with Lemon, Parsley and Capers*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Simple, yet elegant. One of our favourite ways to eat chicken breasts.

4 chicken escalopes
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 TBS plain flour
4 TBS olive oil
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and slightly smashed
the juice of one half a lemon
1 TBS capers in vinegar, drained and chopped
2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley

Season the chicken on both sides and then dredge with the flour, patting it lightly so that it adheres.

Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil and heat along with the garlic. Add the chicken escalopes and brown them until lightly golden on one side. Flip over and brown the other side. Squeeze the lemon juice over top along with about a TBS of hot water. Add the capers and half the parsley. Let bubble up. Clamp a lid on and take off the burner. Let sit for another few minutes in the heat of the pan until the chicken escalopes are cooked through, but still soft and moist. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately, divided onto heated plates, with some of the juices spooned over top.

I recently had the opportunity to torture my Todd with some pasta again. Pasta 'tis not a real love of his . . .



I think it's his WW2 upbringing . . . he's quite partial to overcooked veg and cabbage . . . but put a plate of spaghetti in front of him, and he automatically screws up his face. He hasn't even tasted it yet . . . but . . . it's foreign food, and he is a meat and potatoes man through and through.



Me . . . I love pasta in any way shape or form. I could quite happily sit and just eat a bowl of buttered macaroni or spaghetti adorned with nothing but salt and pepper!



I do get away with feeding him pasta from time to time . . . but only if it's heavily disguised as something else . . . like lasagna or these delicious cannelloni!



Shhh . . . don't tell him. It can be our little secret.



Delicious sheets of fresh lasagna wrapped around a rich ricotta and spinach filling, and then laid out on a bed of tasty tomato sauce. Napped with a rich bechamel sauce and covered with cheese, it's tastily disguised and thoroughly enjoyed.



What the eye can't see . . . the heart doesn't grieve.



*Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Delicious pasta tubes filled with a scrummy ricotta and spinach filling, placed on a bed of tomato sauce, napped with a rich bechamel, topped with cheese and then baked until lightly browned and bubbling. Oh so scrumptious!

For the Bechamel Sauce:
250 ml of whole milk (1 cup)
250ml of good chicken stock (heated) (1 cup)
a few parsley stalks
1 bay leaf
a grating of fresh nutmeg to taste
10 whole peppercorns
1 (1/2 inch) slice of onion
3 TBS of flour
3 TBS of butter
1 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the tomato Sauce:
1 TBS Olive oil
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes in their own juice (2 cups)
4 ounces cup water (1/2 cup)
a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
pinch of cloves

For the Cannelloni and stuffing:
500g of cooked spinach (frozen is fine) about 1 pound
300g of ricotta cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large free range egg, beaten
2 TBS grated fresh Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
18 sheets of fresh lasagna

8 ounces grated Mozarella cheese (2 cups)
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

First make the Bechamel. Place the milk in a small saucepan and add the parsley stalks, bay leaf, nutmeg, peppercorns and onion. Then place it over a low heat and let it come very slowly up to simmering point, which will take about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the milk into a jug, discarding any solids. Melt the butter in a clean saucepan. Whisk in the flour and allow to cook, stirring, over medium heat for about one minutes. Slowly whisk in the strained milk and heated chicken stock. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes over very low heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the tomato sauce now. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, parsley, onion, celery and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and basil. Season with some salt and pepper and a pinch of cloves. Add the water. Cook and simmer over medium low heat for about half an hour, until slightly thickened.

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Pour your tomato sauce into a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish, shaking it slightly to cover.

Squeeze as much water as you can from out of the spinach and chop. Whisk into the ricotta cheese, along with the egg, cheese, garlic and salt and black pepper to taste. Take your sheets of lasagna and spoon a portion of the filling along the short end of each sheet and roll up into a tube. Place on top of the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with all the lasagna sheets, fitting them all in together. Pour the Bechamel sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle with the Mozarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.