I had been eyeballing this recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks for a while now.  I wanted to bake something to take to a Baptism at our Chapel this evening and so decided I would make these delicious sounding Snowy Pine Nut Cookies.



This is one of my favourite cookery books for a lot of reasons.  One, it was published by Ryland, Peters and Small and I have liked every single cookery book they've published.  Two, it's a compendium of recipes from a variety of good chefs and Three, everything I have ever made from it has been spectacular!  I highly recommend.



Now, back to the cookies.  There is nothing really unusual about what goes into these cookies . . . simply flour, butter, sugar, some flavourings and pine nuts.

 

Say what????   No eggs, baking soda or baking powder???? Yeppers!  None of those.  So if you have a person in your house that is allergic to eggs, these would be find for them.



They are kind of similar to Russian Walnut Teacakes, or Mexican Wedding Cookies, or whatever it is you call them.  They are buttery and short and incredibly tasty.



In fact I would even go so far as to say they are addictive . . . rich.  Delicious.  You will find that you can't eat just one.  Nope.  You'll be diving in for a second one while you are still nibbling on the first one.  They are that good.

 

If you love the buttery crisp goodness of shortbread cookies . . . and the lovely crunch of pine nuts . . . then these biscuits are for you.   There is some serious scrum here.  Serious.




Cream the butter and sugar together until soft.  Beat in the almond extract, salt, flour and nuts, mixing well together.  Using your hands shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, then dust with icing sugar.  Remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Once finished cooling completely,  dust with icing sugar again, generously.   

Store in an airtight container.  These will keep for at least a week.  (Fat chance you have them that long!  ☺ )



Unfortunately the Baptism was canceled and we ended up having to keep these for ourselves.  Such a hardship . . . 

 

Morrisons has come up with a new and scrumptious range to their Market Street Cake Shop!  From extra chocolatey Brownies to Fresh Cream Strawberry Sundaes, there is sure to be something to please anyone's sweet tooth.

The new and improved range includes Cherry and Raspberry Tarts, Chunky All Butter Shortbreads, Loaded Raspberry and Cream Cake and many more to choose from!

In all over 65 new and improved scrumptious cakes!




I was recently given an assortment to taste including . . .



Fresh Cream Strawberry and Custard Tarts.  The Toddster does love a good Custard Tart, and with the addition of strawberries and sweet whipped cream, what's not to like?



Lemon and Raspberry Sponge Tarts . . . tarts filled with raspberry jam topped with a sponge cake filling, along with the addition of lemon curd, whipped cream and white chocolate curls on top.  Lemon is my only weakness and these look fabulous.  Lemon and jam, and cake in a tart and topped with whipped cream.  Scrummy yummy!



The piece de resistance . . . a delicious looking Loaded Raspberry and Cream Cake . . .  Raspberry blondie sponge puts a tasty twist on the classic cream cake! It’s baked and hand-finished in store for that deliciously fresh taste. Also available in chocolate caramel brownie.
Mmmm . . . decadent.



There is also a packet of Double Chocolate Brownies, but they'll hold so we're indulging ourselves in them tomorrow.  

Whether you’re looking to impress party guests or fancy a nibble to accompany your cuppa, why not head on over to Morrisons cake counter for a tasty treat.  Go on spoil yourself.  Expert approved, most of these cakes have been in-store baked and hand finished.  Just look out for the stamps to find out each one.

And while we are talking sweets . . .



They also have a broad line of retro sweets for you to indulge your sweet tooth in as well . . .

 

With White or Banoffee Chocolate Eclairs,  Giant Strawberries, Fruit Pop Favourites, Jelly Dominoes, Fizzy Pops, Flying Saucers and a really cute assortment of mini jelly characters (Orange Bunnies, Apple Cubs, Black Pups, and a mixed Groovy Gang) to choose from you are really spoilt for choice!



I confess I had never seen a Flying Saucer before and I just had to try one.  Interesting.  Colorful Sherbet filled Wafer discs.  Quite good actually.  I liked them!  And only 66 calories for a18g pack!

These goodies are all available in 343 Morrisons stores nationwide, excluding M Local stores.  

Now if I could only teach the Toddster to carry things home from the grocery store without crushing them.  Oh well . . . he's pretty good at lots of other things!  I cannot complain about a few crushed cakes!

 


Yesterday I was in a completely cake-y kind of a mood.  Biscuits wouldn't do.  Neither would chocolate.  I JUST had to have cake.  I think we all have those days, don't we?



Upon looking in my cupboard I noticed that I have rather a LOT of honey on hand.  I keep buying it when I go shopping, thinking I want to have some on toast as a bedtime snack, forgetting that I already have umpteen jars of it in the cupboard already.  (Isn't everybody like that???  Or am I just a glutton???? Don't answer that!) 

 

Anyways, you can never have too much honey, right?  Right.  I do the same thing with almonds.   I am always picking up bags of the flaked and the ground.  I use them a lot in my cooking and they keep really well in the freezer.   There is nothing worse than going to make a recipe and finding out you don't have any flaked or ground almonds.  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)



So anyways, back to wanting cake.   Noticing that I had a lot of honey in the cupboard and almonds in the freezer I decided to make a honey almond cake.  Basically I just topped my favourite plain cake recipe with a drizzle of honey and some flaked almonds . . .



It turned out fabulous!  Nice and sweet and nutty crunchy on top . . . but then I added an additional indulgence.  I split and filled it with some vanilla butter-cream icing.  You can make your own or use ready made.  It's really easy to make though.    I have a great recipe for  it here.   If you want even more honey flavour, substitute some liquid honey for some of the milk.



I like to use Vanilla paste.  With that you get to see the little flecks of vanilla seed throughout the cake.  I love that.  You can use regular vanilla if you want though.   That's good too.



In any case, I ended up with a really scrummy cake and my need for cake was fulfilled.  Cake for breakfast is good right???  Coz this is so good, I think I'm going to have a slice, right now.  For breakfast.



When the cake is completely cooled, carefully cut it in half horizontally through the middle.  Spread the bottom layer with the butter cream and then replace the top, pressing down gently.  If desired you may sprinkle the top lightly with some icing sugar.   Cut into wedges to serve.

Quick to prepare, easy to cook, and delicious, Omelettes make the perfect one dish meal.
They make a great mid or end of the week supper when the fridge is getting a bit empty and you haven't had a chance to go to the shops yet.  They are also a great way of using up those bits and pieces that you want to use up but there is not enough of them left to make anything substantial with.



 Today for instance, I had a bit of ham, some potato, a piece of a yellow sweet pepper and a small courgette.  There is not too much I could have done with any of them on their own, but they made the perfect omelet filling!



Depending on what I want to fill it with, I can have it steaming hot and on the table in less than 15 minutes. It's a win/win situation. We get a tasty meal that is filling and delicious . . . and it's done in quick time.



You can fill omelettes with all sorts . . . meats, cheeses, vegetables. It all depends on what you feel like having. I often favour a filling of deliciously sauteed potatoes, onions, peppers, ham and cheese.



mmmm . . . mmmm . . . good. The courgettes I added today  made for some extra colour and crunch. These went down a real treat! (Make sure to have your chosen filling ready before you begin to cook your omelettes!)



*The Perfect Omelet*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Allow 2 eggs per person for a starter, or 3 per person for a main course. Make one at a time.

2 to 3 eggs per person, depending
on which course you are eating
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
clarified butter
Fillings as desired (see below)

Break the eggs into a bowl, seasoning lightly with salt and black pepper. Beat with a fork until the yolks and whites are evenly mixed. Heat a 10 inch nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Brush with some clarified butter when hot and quickly add the eggs. Cook for 10 to 15 seconds, just until they are beginning to set very lightly on the bottom. Immediately scrape the sides towards the middle, using the side of a fork. Carry on stirring, almost continuously, shaking the pan gently with your other pan, until the eggs are cooked to your taste. Allow 1 minutes for a lightly cooked omelette, 1 1/2 minutes for a firm omelette, and 2 minutes for a well cooked omelette. Add the filling as desired to one half of the omelette and roll the other half up over top. Slide out onto a heated plate. Keep warm while you make the other omelette in the same way. Brush the tops with more clarified butter, and serve immediately.

Suggested fillings:

Mushroom - Slice 100g of button mushrooms and saute in some butter until golden brown. Add some chopped chives or parsley.

Cheese - Fill with grated gruyere cheese, which is the classic filling. Fresh goats's cheese and black olives are also lovely, as is cheddar cheese and chives.

Lyonnaise - Saute small cubes of potato and some onion in butter, until softened and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Chopped peppers can also be added, but are not typical.

Tomato and Basil - Skin, deseed and chop several ripe tomatoes. Cook gently in some olive oil for about 20 minutes. Add some fresh chopped basil at the last, along with some salt and pepper.

Smoked Salmon with Asparagus - Cook some asparagus spears in boiling water for a few minutes, just until the tips are cooked through but still crisp. Drain and refresh in cold water, then cut off the stalks and reserve for another use. Cut 100g of smoked salmon into strips and add to the eggs just before you cook the omelette. Cook as above and then add the asparagus tips, gently warmed in some butter just before you fold the omelette.

The Whole Shebang - (my preferred) Saute some cubed potato along with some onion until softened and golden brown. Add some chopped peppers and cubed ham. Cook until the peppers are softened and the ham is heated through. You can add any other vegetables as desired. Add some grated cheddar cheese to half of the omelette and then top with the ham/ potato/onion/vegetable mixture. Fold over as per recipe.

I do get sent the neatest things.  I was recently set this set of Dossil Sinkie.  This collection included the Dossil Sinkie and the Dossil Sink liner.  I was sent the Sinkie in two sizes, one perfect for the kitchen sink and the other just the perfect size for use in our upstairs shower.

 

I don't know about your husband, but I am always having to remind mine that our kitchen sink is not a garbage disposal unit!!   It annoys me to distraction.  This handy piece of kit helps to solve that problem.  The Dossil sink strainer is a flexible silicone strainer which sits over the plug hole and helps to prevent debris from blocking and clogging the drains and pipe work with food waste!



And . . . the Toddster is always complaining about my hair and the slightly larger one for use in the shower (or tub)  has worked really well in keeping my hair from clogging up our shower drain!

AND . . . the neatest thing about them is that once you are finished using them, you can simply lift the mat out of the sink or shower, tip the contents into the bin and then (in the case of the shower one, my kitchen sink one is staying put!) you can simply stick it to the side of the sink or back splash or shower wall so that it is always ready to hand when you need it.  How COOL is that!!

The larger sink liner is great to keep under your washing up bowl in the sink,  or to use as a matt in the bottom of the sink to help keep your crockery and glassware from being chipped or broken.  I sure could have used one of these when I worked at the big house to help keep their expensive crockery and crystal when we were washing up after dinner parties!

And speaking of dinner parties another cool thing they sent me was this!



The Dossil Sinkie Glass Mat!   It is a well known fact that the best way to look after your crystal and glassware is to handwash them, rinse well in hot water and then allow them to air dry.  Once dry you just polish with a lint free cloth for sparkling glassware.  This can be somewhat dangerous however, as accidents to happen, and glassware left on the draining board to dry can easily get tipped over and there it goes . . . it's broken.  Trust me on this.  NO matter how careful I was with the Waterford at the Manor when I worked there, it was inevitable that occasionally a piece got broken or chipped.   This fabulous glass mat made from silicone has been specially designed to look after crystal and glass while it drys.  I sure could have used it there!!

It is available in four colours (white, blue, pink and green) and has a nonslip surface which is covered with a multitude of little fingers that will hold the glassware securely in place whilst it dries.  Isn't that amazing???  (How DO they think these things up!!!  I find myself having a "DOH"  why didn't I think of that???  moment each time I come across something as innovative as this!)  IN addition there is a raised rim around the edge of the mat which helps to collect any excess water as your glassware dries so that it doesn't spill out all over the place.  They have literally thought of everything.

The Dossil Sinkies and Dossil Sink Liner are also bleach resistant and dishwasher safe.

These Dossil products are available at most good hone shops all over the UK at reasonable prices and via Amazon.uk.

Many thanks to the people at Shrewd PR and Dossil for sending me these samples to trial.   I love them.  (I may have been sent these items for free, but rest assured my opinions are my own.)

Thanks for reading!

It's turned back to cold windy and wet again today. Please don't tell me that the brief respite we had last week was Indian summer, coz I just don't wanna know!



This is the perfect day for staying indoors where it is wet and dry . . . and warm.



The perfect day for feasting on comfort food.



Food like this delicious chicken stew, baked in the oven . . . in one tasty pot.



All you need on the side is a nice pot of buttery mashed potatoes and a nice pile of lightly herbed green beans.



*Savoury Chicken Hot Pot*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Chicken and autumn vegetables simmered together in one deliciously hearty pot!

1 TBS olive oil
plain flour, salt and pepper
1 kg of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each one cut into four chunks
1 pound of butternut squash (Peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks)
4 leeks, washed trimmed and thickly sliced
hot chicken stock
two small handfuls of pearl barley
2 small bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp savoury crumbled

Heat the olive oil in a large stove top/oven proof casserole dish over medium heat. Toss the chicken bits with the flour and seasoning to taste. Brown them all over in the hot oil. Add the butternut squash and leeks. Cook and stir until the leeks begin to soften. Add hot chicken stock to barely cover and the pearl barley. Add the seasonings. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook for several hours in a moderate oven, (180*C/350*F/ gas mark4) until the chicken, vegetables and barley are tender and the liquid has deliciously thickened. (About an hour and a half.) Remove the bayleaves and serve hot spooned out onto heated plates along with some buttery mashed potatoes and a green vegetable on the side.

I always have tinned pumpkin in my larder. Call it a North American thing, but my larder feels bare without at least one tin of pumpkin puree in it.

It's so handy to have and quick to use in soups, breads, pies, biscuits, cakes . . . they had some in Aldi just recently and I bought myself about 15 tins!  *blush*



You can of course make your own when the grocery store shelves are filled with real pumpkins a bit later on in the season. It's not that hard to do, but it is somewhat time consuming.



Tinned pumpkin is so much easier and also always the right texture and consistency.

One of my favourite things to do with it is to make this tasty Pumpkin Spice bread. Long about this time of year when the days start to get shorter and the nights cooler, my heart longs for this delicious treat.



Moist from the pumpkin and delightfully spicy, this is fabulous just out of the oven . . . but, if you can resist it long enough, it gets even better after you let it sit for a few days!



Oh my but it is delicious sliced thickly and then toasted under the grill until the edges are crisp and golden . . . spread with cold butter . . . the butter melting into and gilding all the lovely little crevices.



Scrummy crunchy edges, with that demerara sugar crunch on top and the butter melting into that toasted moistness . . .



If there is a heaven on earth . . . I do believe I have died and gone there . . .



*Pumpkin Spice Bread*
Makes one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf
Printable Recipe

A really tasty quick bread which is moist and spicy! Try it toasted and spread with butter. Yummo!!

100g of granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
85g dark soft brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
1 large free range egg
1 large free range egg yolk
4 fluid ounces sunflower oil (1/2 cup)
6 fluid ounces of pumpkin puree (3/4 cup)**
100ml plus 1 TBS full fat yoghurt (1/3 cup plus 1 TBS)
140g plus 2 TBS plain flour (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground white pepper

To top:
1 heaped dessertspoon of demerara sugar (Turbinado)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a loaf tin really well and then line the bottom with some baking parchment and butter the parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the sugars, egg and egg yolk, oil, pumpkin puree and yoghurt. In another bowl whisk the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and pepper together. Stir the wet ingredients gently into the dry ingredients, combining only until evenly moistened. Scrape into the prepared baking pan and level out. Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over top.

Bake in the heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until well risen , firm to the touch and slightly cracked on top. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.

**Note - It is very easy to make pumpkin puree. Peel and halve a small pumpkin, butternut squash or other squash. Scoop out the seeds, and any stringy pulp and discard. Place cut sides down on a lightly buttered baking tray with sides. Cover with foil, tightly, sealing the edges all around. Bale at 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 for about an hour or so, until soft, depending on how large your pieces are. You want it to be very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool until you can handle it easily. Scrape the flesh away from the skin and puree in a blender. Line a strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and put the flesh in and allow it to drain overnight in the fridge. The next day discard any liquid that has drained off and the pumpkin puree will be ready to use.