Way back in December I was thrilled to receive a gift from Pampered Chef. My friend Julie is a Pampered Chef Consultant and she very generously gifted me with the Pampered Chef Trifle Bowl to try out, just in time for Christmas!!

This was something that I had long wanted to have, and I was over the moon to be given it! I was not disappointed either. It arrived very quickly and in perfect condition, thanks to the expert packing and delivery service. It far exceeded my expectations in every way. It is just gorgeous! The clear glass shows off your creations elegantly.



This is the part that really surprised me. It is two parts! I hadn't expected that. Every other trifle bowl I have seen has been all in one piece, hard to store and difficult to fit in the refrigerator. The Pampered Chef trifle bowl has a unique, removable stem that helps you easily and conveniently transport, refrigerate and store the bowl. This also gives you the option to use just the bowl, if you're so inclined. Bonus! So , it's like getting two items for one. It also has a lid which is an added convenience, especially when you have made your dessert ahead of time and you want to store it until you are ready to serve it. Double Bonus!



Quite unlike most trifle bowls, the bowl itself has a flat bottom, which lends itself to a beautifully even presentation. The layers will not sink in the middle and the clear glass sides allow you to present your dessert in the most beautiful way.




I can see, too, that it will be most useful in salad season. I do a wonderful layered salad and the clear, tall sides of this nice piece of equipment will showcase this tasty dish beautifully! I can't wait! I can see where it will also be very useful for layered dips such as my Mexican Dip or my Greek Dip.



But then again, it's not only good for food. I can see where it would be so easy to create a beautiful table centrepiece with it. With it's removable stem set in the centre of the bowl and a pillar candle set on top of that, and surrounded with flowers, or seashells, pebbles, Christmas balls . . . you name it, there are endless possibilities to be able to use this unique and beautifully crafted piece of kitchen kit! Thanks so much Julie and Pampered Chef for having given me this fantastic opportunity, but then . . . it gets even better!!



I have always wanted to host a Pampered Chef Party myself, but for one reason or another just haven't been able to do so. I have often purchased their products though, and I have to say that I love them. They are real quality. I don't know what I would do without my Measure All measuring cup (It measures in both American and British measurements) and I just adore my Deluxe Mini Muffin Pan which bakes 24 mini muffins at once! (especially now that I have a larger stove to cook them in!)


When I worked at the manor, I didn't really get to know many people in the village where I lived, and I was always so busy working, that I didn't have a lot of free time to do things like hosting parties anyways . . .

Since I moved back here, I also don't know a lot of people, but I have really been wanting to have a party! It's a great way to meet my neighbours, and to get to know people a bit better, plus have some fun as well. Who doesn't like good food, cooking demonstrations and great kitchen kit??? So here is what is going to happen.

I am hosting my VERY FIRST Pampered Chef Party, here at my home, on Tuesday the 25th of January! It's all so very exciting! I have invited everyone I know to come, but that's not the best part.

You will also have the opportunity to come to my party, via the net. (Unfortunately at this time it is only possible if you live in the UK.) For a limited time, you will be able to visit my online Party page and place orders there that will go towards my online party.

What you have to do:

First hop on over to Julie's page . . . HERE.

Once you are on Julie's Page click on the Shop Online link. Once there, it will tell you that there are two ways to shop, first if you've been invited to a show . . . (This is the one you want)
This is where you have to put my name in the host area:
Marie in the first bit, Rayner in the second bit . . . then click . . .
it will then list my show as a hyper link . . . click on it and shop away.

Now I want to add a little twist to the show. Because all of you online shoppers won't have the fun of getting to meet me and Julie in person, and because you won't be able to taste any of the delicious food that will be served on the night, or see the demonstrations . . . nor will you be able to win anything from the raffle etc., I, personally, am going to put the name of anyone who places an online order into a hat and pick a winner from them all, who will then receive from myself . . . a five card selection of my own personally designed and handmade Greeting Cards (Your choice), a Pampered Chef Season's Best Cookbook and a Mini Measure All Cup. It's a win/win/win situation!

Julie is also also offering a £25 voucher to spend in the new brochure for anyone who joins her team or recommends a friend or family member who join her. The voucher will be issued once they or their friend has qualified as a Pampered Chef consultant. (completes their 4th show!) All they need to do is contact her through her Pampered Chef page!

I wish that all of you could actually come to my home and attend the show in person, but I know that's just not possible, so this is the next best thing. If any of you do live in the Chester Area, and would like to attend, e-mail me on mariealicejoan at aol dot com and I'll give you all the details and directions of how to get there.

I could tell you that this cake is moist and deliciously scrummy . . .



With it's lightly spiced and buttery batter . . . tucked beneath a layer of tart blackberries . . .



All that deliciousness . . . tucked beneath a crunchy layer of spicy buttery and nutty streusel . . .



I could tell you how it tastes even better the day after baking and warn you how difficult it will be to stop at one slice . . .



But instead . . .



I'll just suggest that you bake it yourself, and find all this out first hand. Bake it . . . soon. You won't regret it. I promise you this. If you only make one cake this month . . . let this be the ONE.



*Blackberry Pecan Snacking Cake*
makes one 8 inch square cake
Printable Recipe

A delicious cake, with a lightly spiced batter and topped with lovely blackberries and a scrummy brown sugar pecan streusal.

For the cake:
125ml of sour cream (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4.25 ounces plain flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
3/5 ounces granlulated sugar (1/2 cup)

1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

For the Streusel:
6 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
2 ounces plus 1 tsp flour (1/4 cup)
1/'2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 ounces chopped toasted pecans (1/4 cup)
2 TBS unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small bits



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Butter an 8 inch square pan and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out with later. Butter the paper. Set aside.

Make the streusel. Mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon with your fingertips. Drop in the butter and rub together until you get coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg for the cake batter in a medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk the sour cream, egg and vanilla together in a beaker. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, beating all the while. Beat in the flour mixture, in three additions, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the blackterries over top and then sprinkle the streusel evenly over all.



Bake in the heated oven until golden brown and the cake tests down when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Reemove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cut into squares to serve.

These cold dismal and dreary January days can get one a bit down after a while. Day after day of drizzle or snow . . . very little sun . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's one way to perk them up and bring a bit of sunshine into your life! Have a tea party! You don't need anything special . . . or even to invite a whole bunch of people over. Some of the best tea parties of all happen when there's just two of you and a dog!



All you need is a table spread with a fine cloth and some tea . . . in a pot of course, (today we had blackberry and mint and it was delicious!) and cups and saucers.

The perfect afternoon tea should begin with some delicious savouries . . . finger sandwiches, sausage rolls, little toasts, savoury pastries . . . followed with scones (if you wish) and a selection of fancies and cakes.



I decided early on during this particularly dreary day that I was going to treat Todd and I to a traditional English Afternoon tea party. He had no idea what I was up to, as he sat upstairs engrossed in his war games on the computer.



Things don't always go to plan though . . . do they. The dog mischeviously ate half of my first Victoria Sponge when my back was turned. Bad doggie. I seized the engine on my new baby sized food processor, chopping the glace fruit for the florentines. Bad idea. Chop it by hand.



Never mind we got there in the end and Todd was so surprised when I called him down to lunch and he saw what I had been up to.



We sat there smiling and sipping and nibbling . . . all was right with the world, drizzle or not, dog eaten cakes . . . it was fun, plain and simple.



Don't forget to use your pinkies!



*Finger Sandwiches*
makes 18 to 24
Printable Recipe

What would afternoon tea be without a plate of tasty sandwiches? (Choose 3 of the below fillings)

12 thin slices of white or wholemeal bread, crusts removed
(I just buy the bread that already has the crusts removed,
easy peasy, lemon squeasy)
room temperature butter, for spreading
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired

For the egg and cress filling:
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
a handful of mustard cress

For the Gentleman's Morsels:
1/4 pound shaved roasted ham
apricot jam, seived
Dijon mustard

For the Roast Beef:
1/4 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
horseradish mayonnaise
a handful of rocket leaves

For the Parma Ham and Fig filling:
1/4 pound of parma ham
1 ripe fig
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
handful of rocket leaves

For the Stilton and Pear filling:
50g of Stilton cheese, thinly sliced (1/4 pound)
1 ripe firm pear



To cut sandwiches, lay your hand on top of the sandwich and lightly press down. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut diagonally into quarters or lengthways into 3 fingers.

For the egg and cress sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, egg and season with some black pepper, folding together well. Spread evenly on half the slices of bread. Sprinkle with the cress and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.



To make the Gentlemen's Morsels., thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with seived apricot jam. Spread the other 2 with Dijon mustard. Lay the ham evenly over top of 2 slices and top with the other 2. Cut as above.

For the Roast Beef, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with the horseradish mayonnaise. Top with the roast beef and season to taste. Sprinkle with the rocket and top with the other 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.

For the Parma Ham and Fig sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread and fold ham on top of two of them. Cut the fig into thin wedges, remove and discard the skin and then arrange the wedges on top of the ham. Whisk the vinegar and oil together. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the figs. Top with rocket and the remaining slices of buttered bread and cut as above.

To make the Stilton and Pear sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread. Arrange the stilton over 2 slices of the bread. Slice the pear into thin wedges, removing and discarding the core, then arrange on top of the cheese. Season with black pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread and cut as above.



*Dark and White Chocolate Florentines*
Makes about 24
Printable Recipe

Sticky, crisp, chewy, gooey. Moreishly addictive.

50g of butter (3 1/2 TBS)
50g of caster sugar (2 TBS)
3 TBS double cream
25g of flaked almonds (1/4 cup)
75g of mixed nuts, chopped (Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) 3/4 cup
4 glace cherries, chopped
50g of mixed glace fruits (apricots, pineapple, peel, angelica) chopped (1/3 cup)
25g of plain flour (1 heaped TBS)
50g of white chocolate
(2 ounces)
50g of dark chocolate
(2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Gently heat the butter, sugar and cream together until the butter melts. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Stir in the nuts, cherries, fruit and flour. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and gently press back the edges with a rounded knife to keep a round shape. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before carefully peeling off the paper and setting on a wire rack to cool completely.

Break the white and dark chocolates into individual bowls. Melt carefully in the microwave without over-heating. (Be careful as white chocolate burns easily.) Alternatively melt in bowls over simmering water. Spread over the bottoms of the florentines, coating half with white and half with dark. Let set before serving.



Ohhh . . . doesn't she have a longing look in her face? I think half a cake is more than enough don't you?

One thing that I always do when I am frying bacon, is to fry extra. It just makes sense. If I am going to to the trouble and the mess . . . why not fry the whole pack instead of just a few slices.



The extra gets carefully wrapped and sealed in a zip lock bag and then frozen so that I have already cooked bacon to hand anytime I may need it. Why pay premium prices for already cooked bacon in the shops when you don't need to.



Cooked bacon is so handy to have in the freezer. Ready for sprinkling on salads, or casseroles . . . the perfect addition to grilled cheese on toast . . . chopped and sprinkled over pizzas . . . or chopped and stirred into these moreishly scrumptious savoury scones!!!



Crunchy on the outside and so soft and flakey on the insides . . . all buttery and stogged full of strong cheddar cheese and . . . lovely bacon. As we all know . . . everything tastes better with bacon! (Peanut butter, cheese, chocolate . . . even jam. Try it some time. You'll see I am right!)



These tasty scones are the perfect addition to a soup meal . . . or with a hearty stew. Great for breakfast . . . on their own or with an egg, scrambled or otherwise. Try making your own breakfast sandwich using these. Just fry an egg (or two) and sandwich them between one of these lovely scones, after having split and toasted it.

Oh man . . . sooooo good! Your husband will love you even more than he does now. I guarantee! They do say the secret way to a man's heart is through the stomach . . .



*Cheese and Bacon Scones*
Makes 15 to 20, depending on how big you cut them
Printable Recipe

Scrumdiddlyumpitiously savoury. Perfect with some sliced ham or cheese, or both. You can vary the spiciness of them by adjusting the amount of cayenne used.

16 ounces (1 pound) plain flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 level tsp of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp salt
1 ounce of cold butter, cubed (2 TBS)
4 ouces bacon, grilled and finely chopped with a sharp knife, or
in the food processor
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 medium free range egg
375ml of sour milk or buttermilk (1 2/3 cup)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Dust a large baking sheet lightly with flour. Set aside.

Sift the flour, soda, cayenne pepper and salt into a large bowl. Drop in the butter and then rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the bacon and cheese.

Whisk together the egg and milk.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Mix to a soft dough with your hand by running it around the bowl. Try not to knead it as this will develop the gluten which will toughen the scones. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (The dough will be quite sticky) Pat out with floured hands until you get a square 3/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut it into 15 to 20 squares. (Alternately you can cut them out with a sharp knife or a 2 inch round cutter) Place onto the floured baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

I cannot take credit for this delicious recipe. It's all down to Nigel Slater. I think Nigel Slater has to be the best food writer in the world. I had never heard of him before I moved over here, and wasn't at all sure about him at first, when I did . . . but I have to tell you . . . it didn't take me long to fall in love with his work.



With him is it all about the food. The food is the star. That's what I love most about him. He thinks the same way about food as I do. It is clear from every word he writes, that food is his passion . . . just as it is mine.

I was watching a rerun of one of his "Taste" Series last week and in it he had roasted some Jerusalem artichokes. I just love Jerusalem Artichokes. A seriously under-rated vegetable that doesn't get near the attention that it truly deserves.



Also called the sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple and topinamber, Jerusalem Artichokes are the edible tuberous root of a species of Sunflower, and I just can't get enough of them . . . in soups, salads, stews, purees . . . but until the other night, I had never thought to roast them!



I watched him that night waxing rhapsodic on the delicious virtues of these lovely roots roasted and I was completely smitten and sold on the idea. As he stood there and bit into one and expounded to us about the deliciousness of it . . . the sweetness . . . the chewiness . . . I was there and I knew . . . I just knew . . . that I could not possibly let much more time pass before I too, was experiencing this singular joy.



I roasted them last night and I have to tell you . . . Nigel is never wrong. These are fantastic . . . a jewel if there ever was one. Rich and sweet and slightly chewy on every beautifully caramelized edge . . . they were truly delightful! If you only try one new thing this winter . . . let it be these. Seriously.

Thanks Nigel! I knew I could trust you!



*Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Oh my . . . deliciously roasted vegetables, all caramelized and sweet around the edges with just a hint of lemon. Oh so good.

750g of Jerusalem Artichokes
(1 pound 10 ounces)
250g of smallish potatoes (a generous half pound)
4 lemons
a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmasen Cheese and chopped flat leaf parsley to finish

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place a good glug of olive oil in a roasting tin. Set aside.

Scrub your vegetables really well, Do not peel, but cut in halves or quarters depending on their size. Place in the top half of a steamer and steam for about 10 minutes, until crispy tender. Place the tin of oil in the oven to get hot. Tip the steamed vegetables into the hot oil and give them a good shake to coat. Cut the lemons in half. Squeeze 3 halves over the vegetables and then dust generously with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pop into the oven and roast for about 35 minutes. Take them out and give them a good stir.

Increase the oven temperature to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Return the vegetables to the oven and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and beginning to crisp and caramelize around the edges. Remove from the oven. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon over all, dust with some Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve. Delicious!

The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell, lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did . . . hushed . . . solemn.
~Patricia Hampl



oh winter . . . winter . . . these bitterly cold days that make one want to cling to the warmth of the hearth . . . and all the comforts of home . . .



There is something about the chill of winter that makes things like hearty stews, soups and desserts taste much better than they do at any other time of year . . . they truly warm the soul and comfort the heart.



My spoon dips beneath the crisp oaty sweet and buttery crumble, to find hidden beneath . . . the softness of autumn apples and berries, tart and lightly sweetened with some sugar . . . having been tucked away and kept for just such a moment . . .



The moment my heart would need a whisper of sunshine days gone past . . . and the promise of harvests yet to come . . .

My spoon glides beneath the earthy sweetness of the fruits . . . and the milky sweet blanket of custard, and I am home . . . sweet . . . home.



*Apple, Blackberry and Oat Crumble*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A delicious crumble with a scrummy brown sugar oaty crumble topping!

3 to 4 large cooking apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1 TBS water
3 TBS granulated sugar
200g of fresh or frozen blackberries (about 1 cup)

For the crumble topping:
5 ounces plain flour (a generous cupful)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 ounces butter, chilled and cubed (approx 1/3 cup)
1 ounce porridge oats (1/3 cup)
3 ounces soft light brown sugar (scant 1/2 cup, packed)

Custard, ice cream, or whipped cream to serve



Butter a 1 litre pie dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the apples in a saucepan along with the water and sugar. Set over gentle heat and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the apples become a soft pulp. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Set aside to cool slightly. Spoon half the apples into the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the blackberries. Repeat with the remaining fruit.

To make the crumble topping. Stir the flour and cinnamon together in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your finger tips until coarsely crumbled. Stir in the oats and brown sugar. Sprinkle this crumb mixture evenly over top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until cooked and golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

This is my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip loaf. Normally it looks a lot better than this one. I toyed with not showing it to you, but I like to keep it real and you need to know that things don't always go as planned in The English Kitchen as in any kitchen.



For some reason this time all the chocolate bits sunk to the bottom of the loaf, creating a scrummy, but not entirely aesthetically pleasing, layer of chocolate crunch.



They do look a lot better when they are speckled here and there throughout the loaf, and normally they are . . . speckled here and there, that is . . .
Today they all sunk . . . coz yes . . . even I have things go wrong in my kitchen from time to time. Everyone does.



So whilst I would not consider this outing a total success . . . neither would I call it a total flop. It's still scrummy enough to keep me coming back into the kitchen for just . . . one . . . more . . . sliver. Which says an awful lot, in my opinion . . .



So, if you like peanut butter and chocolate together, I highly recommend this deliciously moist and peanut buttery loaf. Next time I am going to dust my chocolate bits with a bit of the flour before I fold them in. I usually do that, but today . . . well . . . c'est la vie!



*Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake*
makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf
Printable Recipe

Wonderfully moist and peanutbuttery, and stogged full of bittersweet chocolate chips.

4 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
6.5 ounces of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 ounces butter, softened (3/4 cup)
4 ounces smooth peanut butter (1/2 cup)
7 1/2 ounces of soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bits*C/325*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Set aside.

Beat together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Place the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides from time to time. Continue to beat, drizzling in the egg mixture in a slow stream, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture in three additions, beating on low speed, and scraping down the sides after each addition. Fold in the chocolate bits.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, leveling the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake is golden brown. If in an hours time you think the cake is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and serve.