This not being able to cook anything is the pits! My fingers are just itching to get stuck in to something . . . anything!! Just so long as it's cooking.



This Easter Bark has been making the rounds of the WWW over the past couple of weeks and so I thought I would make some today as I only needed a microwave to be able to do it, and it did look rather scrummy.



I didn't have any jelly beans, but I did have a few bags of those little candy covered Easter Eggs . . you know the ones I mean. They are coloured and speckled and kind of look like psychedelic robin's eggs.



And so I had in mind to make some of them. For some odd reason though when I stirred my eggs and pretzels into the melted chocolate, it kind hardened a bit before I could spread it out. So I thought to myself. I can handle this. I'll just pop it into a slow oven and let it remelt a bit and then spread it out. DUH! It never dawned on me that not only would the white chocolate melt, but . . . those little chocolate eggs would melt as well.



Meh! Nevermind . . . it gave it a nice marbled appearance that was not entirely unpleasing to the eye, so I would never call these an epic failure at all. In fact I think it made the bark that little bit scrummier.



Of course I added more eggs to the top after I spread it out . . . just to add some additional scrum, and of course a few more broken pretzels.



I'm a big fan of the salty/sweet thing. I know . . . as Dorcas Lane would say . . . it's my only weakness. ☺



*Easter Bark*
Makes about 1 pound
Printable Recipe

Sweetly scrummy. Easy and quick to make too! I like to add broken pretzels to mine. It's that sweet/salty thing!

12 ounces (weight) of white chocolate chips or candy melts (2 cups)
2 tsp white vegetable shortening
2 (100g) bags of small candy covered chocolate easter eggs such as the Cadbury's ones (about 1 heaped cupful)
a good handful of small pretzel hoops, broken (optional)

Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready. Spray the paper lightly with non cooking spray. Set aside.

Place the white chocolate and vegetable shortening into a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Blitz on the 80% setting (medium high) for about 1 minute. Stir. If the chocolate still doesn't melt, blitz at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Give one packet of the candy eggs a good bash with the bottom of a jar or a rolling pin. You want them broken up coarsely.

Stir the broken candy and pretzels (if using) into the melted chocolate. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out thinly. Sprinkle with the remaining pack of chocolate eggs. Allow to set until firm. Once firm, break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note: You don't have to use the chocolate eggs. You can also use jelly beans, or coloured smarties if you would rather.

What is that they say about best laid plans and all that??? Our kitchen, which was supposed to be finished today is only half done and because tomorrow is Good Friday the workman won't be back until Saturday, so here I sit with a completely unworkable kitchen . . . no cooking. It better be done by Saturday afternoon . . . I've got people coming for Easter Dinner!

Anyways, in the meantime I thought I would share some of my favourite Easter Treats with you all, and with any lucky by Saturday afternoon, I'll be cooking up a few of my own!

These cupcakes are really cute. I have used those coconut Ferrero Raffaello Chocolates, cut in half. Don't they look cute? The ears are large marshmallows cut into quarters, and then the cut edges rolled in coloured sugars. Pink dragees are the eyes, and those are pink candy balls for the noses. I also had some candied flowers for an additional touch. Enjoy!



*Easter Bunny Cupcakes*
Makes 18
Printable Recipe

Vanilla cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
(Crisco, Trex, White Flora)
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
A quantity of Vanilla Butter cream icing (see below)
various decorations (marshmallows, coloured candies, etc.)



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl to combine. Add the shortening, milk, vanilla and eggs. Beat with an electric whisk until all the ingredients are just blended. Spoon equal amounts into the paper liners in the muffin cups, filling each one no more than 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until they test done. (A toothpick inserted in one should come out clean and they should bounce back when lightly touched with a fingertip.) Remove from the pans immediately to wire racks to cool completely before continuing.

Once they are completely cooled, frost and decorate as you wish.

*Vanilla Buttercream*

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Place the softened butter into a large bowl. Beat in 2 cups of the icing sugar. Then beat in the milk and the vanilla. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 cups of icing sugar until the icing is thick enough to be of the right spreading consistency. You may not need all of the sugar.




Hot Cross Scones
Your favourite Easter bun, except in a tasty spiced and fruited scone, topped with icing crosses.



Easter Chocolate Crispie Nests
Everyone loves these!! Easy and quick to make. They're a complete doddle!



Hot Cross Buns
M&S are pretty good, but why not try making your own? They're not that hard, really. IF I can make them anyone can!!



Simnel Tart
A flakey tart base of puffed pastry, topped with fruit and marzipan. DEEEE-licious! (and easy too!)



Hot Cross Muffins
Tasty fruited muffins, again with icing crosses.



Bun and Butter Pudding
Use your excess Hot Cross Buns to make this delicious version of bread and butter pudding. (Ok, so if you are like me there's never any excess hot cross buns, but never mind, it's worth buying some just to make this delectable dessert!!)



Hot Cross Buns with a delicious Spiced Fruited Butter
And finally . . . a delicious spiced and fruited butter to serve with your toasted hot cross buns for breakfast on Easter morning, a la Nigel Slater!

I haven't done any cooking today as we're having a new kitchen floor put in. Yahoo!! It's ceramic and has been a long time coming! I can't wait until it is done. I picked out the tiles myself. They are a natural stone look, kind of a dark creamy colour, mottled . . . if that makes sense. I think it's called colorado stone. I'll take a picture when it's done to show you.



Anyways, no cooking here today, or tomorrow either probably. Thank goodness I always have a few recipes waiting in the queue! It helps to be prepared.



This is a fabulous curry. It's quick, easy and full of lovely flavours. It's not much to look at . . . I'll agree, but . . . this is definitely a case where you shouldn't judge the book by it's colours.
You get a bit of heat from the green chillies, and some chili powder . . . and of course the curry powder. I don't like mine really hot so I use a medium strength curry powder.



The lime juice and zest gives a bit of a tang, and of course the coconut milk gives a special richness.



The basil is quite simply surprisingly lovely. Don't stint on any of the seasonings and once it's cooked, taste it and adjust it according to your own tastes. You may find that you want a bit more ginger, or curry, or even chili.



I do think you'll like it. It's simple with subtle flavours, which when combined make it entirely delicious, if I don't say so myself!



*Coconut Basil Curried Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

You can charge up the heat of this by using a hotter curry powder. I don't like too much heat, so I use medium. Delicious!

3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp freshly grated gingerroot
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 TBS olive oil
the juice and finely grated zest of one lime
1 (410g) tin of coconut milk (I use the light, 14 ounce tin)
1 TBS cornflour (cornstarch)
1 TBS freeze dried Basil leaves

To serve:
hot steamed basamati rice

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Place into a bowl. Stir together the curry powder, 1/2 tsp of the salt, the black pepper and the chili powder. Add this mixture to the chicken chunks and mix well together with your hands, making sure all the chicken is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours.

When you are ready to cook the curry, heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once it is hot add the onion, basil, garlic, green chilies, and gingerroot. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken pieces and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook, stirring occasionaly for 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Combine the coconut milk. lime juice and zest and cornflour. Add to the skillet carefully, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbling away. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. You may want more chili, ginger or curry powder. (It's a matter of taste.) Serve hot over steamed basamati rice.

Note: If you happen to have some fresh basil in the house, tear up a few leaves and toss them on top for a pretty garnish!

I am a pasta lover extraordinaire!!! Seriously. I kid you not. I will eat pasta in just about any way, shape or form. Cold. Hot. Sauced or not. It doesn't matter to me. I've even been known to pig out on a bowl of pasta with no garnish other than butter, salt and pepper . . . and it's been absolutely glorious.



I also happen to be married to a pasta hater extraordinaire! Proof positive that opposites attract, I am sure. One of the reasons the Toddster balks at visiting Italy is because he hates Italian food. It's no good for me to reassure him that Italians eat a lot more than just pasta and pizza . . . he has that idea firmly entrenched in his brain. Italian Food = Pasta + Pizza and he hates both.



Occasionally though, I do have to feed my desire for something pasta-like, anything pasta-like and today was the day. I had seen a noodle similar to this somewhere on the web in recent days and do you think I could find the recipe??? Of course not! I know I even had it printed out somewhere, but it's buried in my craft room, amidst a bazillion other print outs. *blush* I know . . . I'm completely incorrigible. I often make a note of recipes to make at a future date, only to never find them again . . . am I alone in this??? Please tell me I'm not!



Today, I hazarded a guess today at what might have gone into these delicious noodles based on what I remembered in my head and the end result was quite, quite delicious. Scrummy even and purely, simply . . . satisfying.



I made Todd a ham sandwich, which he was very grateful for. I gave up on trying to eat with the chopsticks, however . . . . I can't deal with chopsticks, no matter how elegant oriental folks look eating with them. I don't . . . look elegant that is . . . I just look very hungry and getting nowhere.



I was happy. Todd was happy . . . and the only penance he had to pay for my indulgence was having to smell my garlicky sesamy spring oniony breath for the remainder of the day.



Meh!! C'est la vie! (as the French would say) Cosi va il mondo! (Italian) or in British terminology "Deal with it!!" (Do British accents make people sound smarter??? I dunno!)



*Simple Sesame Noodles*
Serves 4 (recipe can be easily doubled)
Printable Recipe

Simply scrummy. No more need be said.

1/2 pound (8 ounces weight) of thin uncooked noodles, such as spaghettini, linguine, vermichelli etc.
(You want a noodle that is quite floppy if you know what I mean, fluid)

For the sauce:
30ml of dark soy sauce (about 2 TBS)
1 TBS caster sugar
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 TBS white rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS toasted sesame oil
hot chili oil to taste
2 TBS light sunflower oil

Additonally you will need:
2 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Place all of the sauce ingredients into a jar with a lid. Affix the lid tightly and give them a shake until well amalgamated. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, according to the package directions. Drain well once done and return to the pan. Give the sauce in the jar another good shake. Pour over the warm noodles, and toss to coat. Add the spring onions and toss again.

Serve warm. (These are also excellent served cold as a salad with some shredded cooked chicken or pork, or cooked baby shrimps added.)

This is the cookery book I cut my teeth on, way back in the olden days as a young Bride. I was only 19, not all that experienced . . . and this was pretty much my cookery bible. Everything you needed to know about baking cakes, pies, cookies, quick breads, etc. and simple and easy meals was within it's pages. They became quite dog-eared and spattered through the years . . . which is the sign of a good cookbook.



Of course I have more than added to my cookbook collection through the years, but this is still one of my "go-to's" when I want to bake or cook something basic, simple . . . and delicious, without artiface or faffing about.



The rhubarb in our garden is beginning to ripen nicely now. We planted extra in the autumn, so we will have lots and lots this year. We both just adore rhubarb and in my opinion, you can never have enough rhubarb!! (Did you know it's actually a vegetable and not a fruit?? Tis true!)



One thing I love to do with it is to bake at least one or two rhubarb pies during the season. One that I bake is a Rhubarb Custard Pie, which is very, very good. Rich and custardy, and quite a favourite of ours to say the least.



Other times though I just want a basic, two crust, simple . . . rhubarb pie. No frills. Nothing fancy. Just sweetened fruit between two crusts.



I think when it comes right down to it . . . I'm a kind of a basic and simple girl . . . with a kind of a basic and simple husband, and this pie suits us to the "T."



*Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie*
Makes one 9-inch double crust pie
Printable Recipe

Nothing fancy here, just plain old fashioned goodness.

Sufficient pastry for a 9-inch two crust pie
4 cups diced fresh rhubarb (1 inch pieces) (6 to 8 stalks, depending on their thickness)
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of sugar (240g to 335g) depending on how tart your rhubarb is
1/3 cup all purpose flour, sifted (about 34g)
1/8 tsp salt
1 TBS butter
milk and sugar for glazing

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.

Prepare the pastry, divide in half and roll half of it out large enough to line a 9 inch pie plate. Keep the remainder covered. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Place half of the rhubarb into the lined pie plate. Sprinkle half of the flour/sugar mixture over top. Add the remainder of the rhubarb. Top with the remaining sugar. Dot with butter.

Roll out the remaining pastry into a round large enough to cover the rhubarb with lots of overhang. Seal around the edges of the pie, trim and flute. Cut a few slashes in the top of the pie to vent for steam. Brush the top with milk and dust with sugar.

Place onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is cooked and bubbling. Allow to cool to at least warm before cutting into wedges to serve.

I like mine warm with vanilla icecream, and Todd, of course . . . likes his with custard.



*Basic Pastry for a Double Crusted Pie*
Makes enough for one 9 inch pie
Printable Recipe

2 cups sifted aall purpose flour (199g)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (6 ounces, Trex or White Flora)
4 to 5 TBS cold water
Additional flour for rolling

Blend or sift together the flour and the salt. Drop in the shortening and cut into the flour with a pastry blender, or using two round bladed knives in a cutting motion. You should end up with some crumbs about the size of small peas, and some smaller. Add the water one TBS at a time, using a fork to mix it lightly together, and adding water only until all the flour is dampened. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured suface and shape into two balls.

Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each ball lightly, from the centre to the edge each time, until the pastry is about 1 inch larger than an inverted pie plate.

To line a pie plate, fold the rolled pastry in half and trasnfer it to the pie plate. Unfold and ease loosely into place, being very careful not to stretch the pasty. Trim off any extra with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.

Baked Pie Shells: Flute the edge of the pastry in your preferred way. Prick with a fork at 1 inch intervals and then bake in a preheated 230*C/450*F/ gas mark 7 oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before adding the cooked filling. This recipe will make two single crust baked pie shells.

Unbaked Pie Shells: Prepare as above but do not prick the pastry. Add the uncooked filling and bake as directed in the filling recipe. This recipe will make two unbaked pie shells.

Double Crust Pies: Add filling to the pastry lined pie plate and moisten the edge. Roll out the top crust and place on top of the filling. Flute and crimp edges, trimming off any excess. Cut a few vents in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake as directed in the filling recipe.

Tips: Avoid stretching the pastry, especially during rolling and when fitting pastry into the pie plate. Stretched pastry will shrink during baking. Avoid overhandling and over rolling the pastry. This causes it to toughen.

We've been trying to eat a lot healthier in The English Kitchen lately. Too many pounds have crept onto my waistline over the past couple of years and I thought it was about time I did something about it . . . before it's too late.



There's been a lot of bad press lately about the consumption of red meats and cancer. Apparently if you eat one or more servings of red meat every day your chance of getting cancer is increased . . . not a big deal in this house as we eat chicken and fish most of the time!
We love chicken in this house. I most often buy my chickens whole and cut them up myself, freezing the portions individually, so that I can take out just what I need . . . when and if I need them. The legs are nice for oven bakes and stews, and the wings are good for snacks (however bad they may be for you), but more often than not they get put into a bag with the backs and necks and frozen for making stock and soup. (It's a money saver to cut up your own. The less your food is handled, the more the savings to your pocketbook.)



I like the breasts most of all. There is no end to the what you can do with a chicken breast. Sliced or chunked they are great in stir fries and curries. Pounded and breaded, they make great schnitzels. You can butterfly them, stuff them, and then bake them for a deliciously different entree.

Some I will bone out completely and freeze that way . . . others I leave with the bone in. These are perfect for roasting. Because they are on the bone, there is less chance of them drying out . . . there is nothing worse than a dried out, overcooked chicken breast . . . ugh . . . like eating sawdust.



Today I roasted some bone in breasts and served them along with some shredded stir fried brussels sprouts. The chicken cooked in about half an hour and the sprouts were done in about 10 minutes. Look at how moist that chicken is. Nothing is dried out here!



Just look at the glorious colour of those sprouts! Lovely and green and so flavourful. Oh my, but they were some good too. We do like our sprouts!




I had some leftover mash (sweet potato) and made some stuffing balls to go along with them. (I just tucked them into the roasting pan along with the chicken and they cooked at the same time.) With a bit of gravy on the side . . . we had the perfect Roast Dinner on the table in a little more than half an hour.

It was deliciously satisfying too! You can't beat that! (Of course I didn't eat the skin . . . but if you're not slimming, fill your boots!)



*Roasted Chicken Breasts with Stir Fried Fennel Sprouts*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Skin on chicken breasts, with butter and rosemary, roasted until golden brown, but still moist, served along side some delicious sprouts, shredded and stir fried in a bit of butter with some fennel seeds for added flavour.

4 partly boned, skin on chicken breasts
75g butter, softened (1/3 cup)
2 rosemary springs, leaves stripped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 pound of brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
gravy to serve

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.

Rub the chicken breasts with 1/2 of the butter, pushing some under the skin as well as on top. Push some garlic under the skin as well. Place them into a roasting tin. Sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper to taste. Scatter over the rosemary springs and roast for 30 minutes, until golden brown and the juices run clear. Set aside to rest, covered lightly with foil.

Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet. Tip in the fennel seeds and cook for 1 minutes. Add the shredded sprouts and a splash of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir fry for 3 minutes, until just tender.

Serve the chicken breasts on heated plates along side of the sprouts along with some gravy for pouring. We like mashed potatoes with this.

Do YOU like jam as much as I like Jam??? I don't think anyone could like jam as much as we do in this house, but . . . I could be wrong!



WE just LOVE jam. Sometimes we just have a simple supper of bread, butter and jam, which hearkens back to our childhoods . . . and we are completely happy and content with that. Other times I will bake Todd some Jam Tarts, which he just adores. Other times it may be a cake, or cookies. Today I made these delicious Raspberry Linzer Slices.



I have made Linzer Cookies many times in the past, and to be sure . . . they are just fabulous. But they do take a bit of time . . . with the rolling out, cutting, etc. Some days I am just lazy. I want the treat . . . but I don't want to do all the faffing and rolling out.



Some days I want near instant gratification and that is what these wonderful slices are . . . near instant gratification.



With their crisp buttery base . . . sweet raspberry jam filling . . . and little buttery crumbles on top, these slices satisfy completely. In fact . . .



I bet you can't eat just one! (Which also makes them pretty near dangerous!!)



*Raspberry Linzer Slices*
Makes 9 to 12
Printable Recipe

Delicious jam bars, lightly spiced, buttery and sweet. Perfect with a hot cuppa!

For the base and topping:
175g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)
50g ground rice (1/4 cup) (you could grind rice in a coffee grinder and make your own
if you can't find it to buy. You want it really find, almost a powder.)
8 TBS golden caster sugar
140g cold butter, diced (9 3/4 TBS)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS milk

In addition:
8 TBS raspberry jam, stirred to loosen
2 tsp caster sugar



Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a shallow 8 or 9 inch baking tin with baking parchment.

Put the flour, rice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl, whisking well together. Drop in the butter and rub it in with yoru fingertips until fine crumbs form. Stir in the milk with a table knife. Tip three fourths of the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom, evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and crisp looking.

Spoon the jam over top of the base, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over top and then return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the topping is golden. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp of sugar and allow to cool completely in the tin, before cutting into squares to serve.