Just before Christmas, the people at  Eddingtons sent me the cutest Sweet Heart Cookie Cutter.  I fell right in love with it.  I love heart cookie cutters to begin with . . . and to have a spring loaded one which not only cuts out the cookies but stamps words from the heart on them . . .well that's just the best thing ever!

 

I do love cookies which have words stamped on them.   Somehow cookies which have a message on them just taste . . . well . . . tastier!

 

They're cuter that's for sure, and just in time for Valentines Day too, although in truth you shouldn't have to wait for a holiday such as Valentines Day to tell your sweetie pies that you love them!



It operates with a very simple to use push spring thingie, which worked like a charm.  I had to fiddle with it a bit to figure out how to switch the stamps, but I got there in the end.   They stamped out really nicely.



Isn't that just A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E  !!  I know!!  I love YOU too!!

Sweet Heart Cookie Cutter available at Planet Bake for only  £6.95.   Now, I call that value for money!  I just love it.  Many thanks to Miriam and Eddingtons for sending it to me!



I chose to make these scrummy homemade Digestive Biscuits for my baking experiment and first use of this lovely cookie cutter set.   I thought they would showcase the words perfectly . . . and who doesn't love a tasty Digestive Biscuit???



They're a real favourite biscuit around here I have to say.  I'll take a nice and tasty digestive biscuit over a custard cream or a bourbon biscuit any day of the week.   There is just something so wholesomely moreish about them!  They're practically an institution in the UK!



I adapted the recipe from a  little cookie book called "Cookie Magic," by Kate Shirazi, delicious little bites to eat.   A donation goes from every book sold to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust.  I love thinking that I am doing something good when I buy a book.



They are not quite the same as Digestive Biscuits . . . they are a bit more buttery, but they are incredibly moreish and crisp.  Perfect dunking cookies.   I found myself quite unable to resist reaching for just . . . one . . . more.  My friend April made some HOMEMADE Graham Crackers recently.   She called them  regular Graham Cracker's older more sophisticated cousin . . . and that's just what these are too.   The older, more sophisticated cousin of the Digestive Biscuit . . . I do hope you will give them a go.  You'll positively love them, adore them even!!



*Almost Digestive Biscuits*
Makes about 24
(Depending on how large you cut them)
Printable Recipe

My take on the ever popular Digestive Biscuit.  Not quite the same.   Think of them as the Digestive Biscuit's city cousin.   Just as addictive and scrummy, but just that little touch more sophisticated.

100g wholemeal flour (2/3 cup)
40g plain flour (1/4 cup)
1 TBS oats (not the old fashioned kind)
1/2 tsp baking powder
120g butter, softened (9 TBS)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
up to 4 TBS whole milk

Preheat the oven to 190*C.375*F. gas mark 5.  Line several baking sheets with baking parchment.  Set aside.

Mix the flours, baking powder and oats together in a bowl.  Set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar together until light.  Add the flour mixture to this.   Stir in the milk, adding it one tablespoon at a time, only using enough to give you a thick dough.  You don't want it too sticky nor too dry.

Tip out onto a lightly floured board, and knead lightly until you have a nice smooth ball.  Roll out 1/8 inch thick and cut into rounds. Carefully lift onto your prepared baking sheet.  Prick with a fork.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.   Scoop onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.



OH SO SCRUMMY!!!

Up next . . . something deliciously savoury!

 

I don't think anyone can accuse me of not getting any use out of my donut baking pans! I am using them pretty regularly. In  fact I like baked donuts so much that I purchased a second one so that I don't have to wash my pan in between bakings and I can now bake 12 at a time!

 

I am really enjoying experimenting with baked donuts.  Today I thought why not try a jam filled baked donut.   We all love jam filled donuts I think.  Well, it's true in this house at any rate!  It it has jam in it . . . we LOVE it!



I know jam filled donuts are not usually the ones with a hole in the middle, but I wasn't going to let a small technicality like that hold me back.   I decided that if I warmed the jam a little bit, and piped a small stream of it in the centre of the donuts . . . then they would be filled with jam.

 

The first two pans I made, I filled the donut holes half filled with the batter, piped in the jam, and then covered them with more batter.   They baked up beautifully . . . but the jam did sink to the bottom of the pan . . . thankfully not enough to make them stick.   They ain't pretty . . . but, a little bit of softened icing covers it all up.



I decided with the last pan to fill them with all of the batter and then pipe a thin strip of jam on the top of the donuts . . . then when it sunk . . . it would be in the centre of the donuts.  And I was right.   It worked perfectly . . . well, you can still kind of see on the tops of the bottoms where the jam was . . . but why quibble.   They're delicious no matter what.



Those ones I dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.  Scrummo!!  We had company stop by shortly after I had baked and decorated them . . . and so I had our guests do a taste test them for me, along with Todd.   I wanted honest opinions.

 

Tony liked the ones with the icing on top best, and was rather fond of the slight chewiness of some of the jam bits.  He liked the other ones too.



Tina liked the ones with the jam in the middle and the butter/cinnamon coating, the best . . . although she said the others were rather good as well.



Todd just happily sat there eating both kinds.   He was happy.  Donuts.  Jam.   Whatever.   He loved it all.
I was rather fond of both as well.   I had thought that the sunken jam ones were a bit of a failure . . . but a rather tasty failure all the same . . .

 

And the butter/cinnamon coated ones?   Scrummo!!   I have created a monster.   A delectably tasty monster.

 

Oh my . . . I am enjoying this wonderful journey.  If you don't have a donut baking pan, you really must get one.   Seriously.   Put it one or two on your wish list.  You won't be sorry.



*Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Donuts*
Makes 18
Printable Recipe

I like to think these are a lot healthier than the regular fried ones.  In any case they are a fabulously tasty experiment.   You decide which way you want yours to turn out.

Nonstick cooking spray
200g plain flour (2 cups)
287g of caster sugar (1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1  large free range egg, beaten
300ml of whole milk (1 1/4 cups)
2 TBS butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract

To fill:
4 dessertspoons of strawberry jam, heated gently

For the coating:
8 TBS butter, melted
95g of caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional:
purchased icing, warmed to drizzle



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Spray your donut pans well with nonstick cooking spray. 

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl.   Whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla together in a beaker.  Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full.  Using a small teaspoon, drizzle some of the heated jam, in a thin line around the centre of the donuts, taking care not to touch the edges.

 

Bake for 17 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes, before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Allow to cool completely before proceeding.

Place the melted butter into a shallow bowl.   Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in another bowl.   Dip the tops of the donuts into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar.

Alternately, if you prefer a bit of crunch, you can fill the tins 1/3 full.  Drizzle the heated jam around the centres and then top with the remaining batter.   Bake as above.  The jam will sink more or less to the bottom, which gives a uniquely different texture, which is quite tasty as well.   Drizzle the tops with heated icing when cooled.

I know I promised you Home Baked Digestive Biscuits today . . . but, I just couldn't wait to show you these donuts!!  Patience has never been one of my virtues! Never fear, I'll tell you all about the Digestive Biscuits tomorrow!  Oh so tasty!

 

Oh, I do so love a good casserole, especially when they help me to make good use of my leftovers. I hate waste, so being able to use up all my leftovers is a good thing!  Win/win!!

 

This recipe I am showcasing here today is one I found in a cookbook of mine by Laura Washburn, called Home-Cooked Comforts, oven bakes, casseroles and other one pot dishes.   My favourite type of food.
 I actually have a few of Laura's cookbooks and I always love her recipes. None of them are fiddly and most use every day ingredients that I always have in the house.  I've never found one to be a dud yet either.  They always turn out perfectly.



This casserole was simply delicious.  We love tarragon in this house . . . and chicken tarragon is one of our favourite dishes . . . so it wasn't no surprise that we loved this dish.

 

Chicken and tarragon are such beautiful partners.  The perfect combination . . . and when you combine that marriage with lovely ingredients such as orzo and cooked carrots, along with a delicious homemade bechamel, flavored subtly with chicken stock and grainy mustard . . . well, that makes for one very delicious casserole indeed!

 

Todd thought the orzo was rice, so he was happy.  (Ignorance is bliss.) We both love carrots too.   It was a great all rounder and to be honest, I cut the recipe in half for just the two of us, using just one cooked chicken breast and there were leftovers for Todd to have for his lunch tomorrow.

 

Laura added some olive oil to the chicken and orzo in the dish before adding the sauce.  I skipped that step and it made no perceivable difference, so I managed to make it a bit lower in calories as well.  She also says that the quantities of vegetables and chicken are very fluid, so fill your boots and add as much or as little as you want.



I found with the one breast of chicken it was the perfect amount and I used 1 1/2 carrots.   She also says you can use a combination of vegetables if you wish . . . peas, corn, beans.  She didn't say to cook the Orzo or not so I was a bit confused, and so I half cooked it, just to be sure and it turned out perfectly.

 

I hope you'll make this tasty Winter Warming dish.  It's a real winner!



*Chicken Tarragon Bake*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Laura Washburn in her book, Home Cooked Comforts.

350g cooked chicken, shredded
(2 large cooked chicken breasts)
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise, chopped and cooked until
crispy tender
200g Orzo (Cooked for 2/3 of the cooking time, drained, rinsed in cold water and drained again)
(1 cup)
3 TBS cracker crumbs
(I use round buttery ones)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:
50g of unsalted butter (3 1/2 TBS)
35g plain flour (5 TBS)
600ml of hot milk (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
250ml hot chicken stock (1 cup)
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 heaped TBS finely chopped fresh tarragon (1 heaped TBS freeze dried)

 

Butter an 9 inch casserole dish.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a large saucepan.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about a minute.   Slowly whisk in the hot milk, whisking constantly.  Continue to whisk gently until the mixture bubbles and thickens.  Whisk in the salt, stock, mustard and tarragon.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.   Stir in the chicken, carrots and orzo, mixing together well.   Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Smooth over the top and sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for a further20 to 30 minutes until browned.   Serve immediately.

A green salad goes very well with this.



Note:  It is not necessary to limit your vegetables to carrots.  Feel free to use a mixture if you wish.  Green beans, peas, corn . . . they all go well.

Up next . . . some delicious homemade Digestive Biscuits. . . scrummy!

 


Some days are bread and jam days.  Surely we all have them . . . you know the types of days I mean.

"I wish I was a poet like the men that write in books
The poems that we have to learn on valleys, hills an' brooks;
I'd write of things that children like an' know an' understand,
An' when the kids recited them the folks would call them grand.
If I'd been born a Whittier, instead of what I am,
I'd write a poem now about a piece of bread an' jam."



They are the days when you just can't be asked to put together much of a supper . . . or a supper which demands much of your time . . .

 "I'd tell how hungry children get all afternoon in school,
An' sittin' at attention just because it is the rule,
An' lookin' every now an' then up to the clock to see
If that big hand an' little hand would ever get to three.
I'd tell how children hurry home an' give the door a slam
An' ask their mothers can they have a piece of bread an' jam."



Days when you want something simple, yet tasty . . . days when you yearn for the warmth of hearth and home comforts.

"Some poets write of things to eat an' sing of dinners fine,
An' praise the dishes they enjoy, an' some folks sing of wine.
But, they've forgotten, I suppose, the days when they were small
An' hurried home from school to get the finest food of all;
They don't remember any more how good it was to cram
Inside their hungry little selves a piece of bread an' jam."



An ice fog is rolling in and tonight we supped on mugs of warm milk . . . lightly sweetened with honey and slabs of Nigel's lazy loaf, served up with dabs of Dark Cherry and Vanilla jam, next to the roaring fire.

I wish I was a Whittier, a Stevenson or Burns,
I wouldn't write of hills an' brooks, or mossy banks or ferns,
I wouldn't write of rolling seas or mountains towering high,
But I would sing of chocolate cake an' good old apple pie,
An' best of all the food there is, beyond the slightest doubt,
Is bread an' jam we always get as soon as school is out.
~Edgar A Guest



It was good . . . very good.  We were happy.

 

*Nigel's Lazy Loaf*
Makes one casserole sized loaf
Printable Recipe

A simple recipe adapted from Nigel Slater, which proves that anyone can make a tasty loaf.  (Even me!)

225g wholemeal flour (1 3/4 cup)
225g plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350ml of buttermilk (scant 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 8.  Put a rather large covered casserole into the oven along with it's lid.

Whisk together the flours, sea salt, sugar and soda in a large bowl.   Add the buttermilk all at once and work it in.   Quickly shape into a shallow round loaf, about 1 1/2 inches in depth.

Remove the casserole from the oven and lightly dust the inside with some flour.  Carefully drop in the loaf.   Cover with the lid and return the bread to the oven.   Bake for about 25 minutes, upon which time the loaf should be well risen and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 5 minutes before removing from the casserole.  Allow to cool slightly before cutting into slices to eat.   This bread is best served warm and fresh.

It goes fabulously with soups, stews . . . and butter and jam!



 *Black Cherry and Vanilla Jam*
 makes about 2 cups
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe from  Gourmet Preserves by Madelaine Bullwinkel.

1 pounds (about 2 cups) sweet black Turkish cherries, washed, pitted and halved
1/2 pound (about 2/3 cup chopped) peeled and cored cooking apples (Granny Smith or Bramley)
1/2  vanilla bean
1 TBS lemon juice
8 TBS granulated sugar (85g)

Pulse the cherries and apples to a medium fine texture in a food processor.  (Or as chunky as you would like your jam to be.)  Toss the fruit into a large stock pot and stir in the lemon juice.  Halve the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pot along with the fruit, add the empty pods as well.  Cover and bring to the boil over medium heat.   Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes to help reduce the juices.  

Begin adding the sugar in 2 TBS amounts, allowing the jam to come to a simmer in between each addition.  Simmer actively, stirring frequently, for another 20 minutes, or until the jam noticeably thickens and the temperature reads 100*C/ 212*F.

Pour into a clean jam jar.  Keep refrigerated.

My girls used to love the Strawberry Shortcake cartoons when they were growing up and I do confess . . . I did too.   They were such sweet characters (no pun intended.)  Little Strawberry Shortcake was the cutest little redhead, always ready to help and so kind to others.   I do confess, I loved her best friend Blueberry Muffin . . . coz, well . . . who wouldn't love a blueberry  muffin???































They were such cute freckle faced characters.   I do have a weakness for cute . . . dolls .  . . and blueberry muffins.   No surprise there!



I had a real hankering for some blueberry muffins this morning . . . I do so enjoy a nice tasty blueberry muffin, as you know.  Today though . . . I added something a little bit different.



Why should Strawberry have all the shortcake fun???  I think Blueberry deserves a little Shortcake fun too and so I had some leftover shortbread/cake biscuits from Christmas and I just crumbled them up and tossed them into and on top of one of my favourite blueberry muffins recipes.

 

Sweet and buttery . . . stogged full of lovely sweet blueberries (which I always keep in the freezer from my summer pickings!) and now topped with the added crunch of shortbread biscuits.



You can never have TOO much buttery crunch in my opinion.   What do you think???  We found them, quite . . . quite delightful.  Now if I could only figure out how to get her best friend cheesecake in there . . . now that's food for thought.

 


 *Blueberry Shortcake Muffins*
Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins
Printable Recipe

I always have blueberries from summer pickings in the freezer.  It only seemed natural to combine them with the leftover shortbread biscuits from Christmas.  Sweet, and crunchy moreish good eating.

100g unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup)
200ml of whole milk (7 fluid ounces)
the finely grated zest of one un-waxed lemon
2 large free range eggs
150g of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
125g blueberries (about 1 cup)
about 8 crumbled store bought shortcake (shortbread) cookies
(You want a few crumbs and a few chunks)

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 for large muffins, or 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6 for small muffins.  Butter and flour a large muffin tin or a small muffin tin.  Set aside.

Melt the butter.  Whisk in the milk, lemon zest and vanilla.   Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk the butter mixture into the egg mixture until combined.   Fold in the flour mixture just to combine.  Spoon about a third of this batter into each muffin tin.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the berries and the shortcake crumbs.  Repeat twice, ending with berries and shortcakes.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, if large muffins or 12 to 15 minutes for small ones.  They should be well risen and lightly golden.  The tops should spring back when lightly touched.