Brrrr . . . we have been having a real cold snap of weather this past week and they are saying now we are in for the coldest Winter we have had in a while.
I am really pleased to be able to show you my newest Cookbooklet entitled The Cookie Jar. Just in time for the holidays! Fifty Four pages of my favourite Cookie recipes, for every day and for the holidays, along with my hints and tips for baking the best cookies ever.
There are photos of almost every cookie as well as watercolour illustrations. I am really proud of this and I think it is a booklet you will all enjoy!
Over thirty of my favourite cookie recipes including such every day favourites as Chocolate Fudgie Wudgies, and Apple Walnut Drops, Speculaas and Nutmeg Logs for the Holidays and a whole lot more.
For a limited time I am offering this newest cookbooket at the same old price of £5 but am including the chance for you to also pick another one of my cookbookets, any title, completely free of charge, so you are really getting two for the price of one. You can choose from all of my other titles which include:
A Very Royal Tea Party
The Great British Picnic
Christmas in the English Kitchen
Spring Into Summer
Cooking At the Manor
Cooking for Comfort
Just Desserts
Recipes to Keep
A Thanksgiving Primer
When Life Hands You Lemons
This is a real steal. Just put the title of the extra cookbooklet you want in the notes to the seller part of the order form. It will arrive via e-mail in PDF form, which you can either read or print out in it's entirety. Fifty Four delightful pages in full colour. Please note that you will need Adobe Reader enabled on your computer in order to read. The cookbooklet will be delivered via e-mail within 24 hours of your ordering it. Cost £5.00 (Approximately $7) (I haven't figured out how to do instant delivery yet, but am working on it. In the meantime a little bit of patience is required.) Many thanks and happy baking! Do be sure to check out all of my other titles beneath my header in the Cookbooklets Tab!
Have you ever craved something which you know is sooooo naughty that you really shouldn't have it in the house . . . but before you know it, you are in the kitchen banging on the pots and pans and baking it???
There is nothing my dear husband likes better than a tasty apple dessert. His favourite is apple pie, but well . . . you don't always have the time to bake a pie do you?
Sometimes you just want something apple-like and tasty without all the faffing about of rolling out pastry and then there is the wait . . . for it to bake, to cool down enough to cut, etc.
Enter "House" baked apples. One of my favourite go to quick apple desserts.
Simple and quick to throw together and oh so very delicious to eat . . . with all of the comforts of a crumble minus all of the work of having to rub a topping together, and in truth, you don't really miss it.
The smell when it's baking is almost more than you can bear . . . it smells so wonderfully homey and comforting . . . It's a good thing it cooks rather quickly!
*House Baked Apples*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This is how we like them in our house. Simple and delicious!
4 large red eating apples
a large handful of flaked almonds
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS dessicated coconut
1 handful of sultana raisins
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 TBS butter, plus more to butter the tin
vanilla bean ice cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan well. Set aside.
Peel the apples, core and cut each into about 8 wedges. Scatter them into the tin. Sprinkle with the sultanas, almonds and coconut. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the apples. Dot with the butter.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the apples are beginning to soften and turn golden brown. Serve warm, spooned into bowls and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
Enjoy! Bon Appetit!
Have I ever told you patience isn't one of my virtues? Well, you know it now . . .
Enter "House" baked apples. One of my favourite go to quick apple desserts.
Simple and quick to throw together and oh so very delicious to eat . . . with all of the comforts of a crumble minus all of the work of having to rub a topping together, and in truth, you don't really miss it.
You get succulent baked sliced of apple, all sweet and buttery and nicely spiced . . . mixed with the moreish crunch of toasted flaked almonds . . . not to mention the additional textures and flavours of sweet sultana raisins and coconut!
The smell when it's baking is almost more than you can bear . . . it smells so wonderfully homey and comforting . . . It's a good thing it cooks rather quickly!
You can have this on the table in less than half an hour and I can assure you all will be smacking their lips in anticipation!
We like to call them "House" baked apples . . . coz that's just the way we do them in this house! Enjoy!!
*House Baked Apples*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This is how we like them in our house. Simple and delicious!
4 large red eating apples
a large handful of flaked almonds
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS dessicated coconut
1 handful of sultana raisins
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 TBS butter, plus more to butter the tin
vanilla bean ice cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan well. Set aside.
Peel the apples, core and cut each into about 8 wedges. Scatter them into the tin. Sprinkle with the sultanas, almonds and coconut. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the apples. Dot with the butter.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the apples are beginning to soften and turn golden brown. Serve warm, spooned into bowls and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
Enjoy! Bon Appetit!
- Tear up the dinner party rulebook at one of Denby’s interactive workshops, featuring top food and design specialists -
Recent research from Denby reveals that whilst we are a nation of entertainers, with 87% of Brits enjoying hosting friends and family over a bite to eat, the traditional dinner party set-up has fallen out of favour - only 1/3 of Brits (34%) lay a formal table setting and 3/4 (75%) admit to not serving three-courses.
With the help of food and design specialists, iconic pottery brand Denby has devised a series of interactive masterclasses offering inspirational advice and tips on modern entertaining.
Cheat’s Puddings with dessert master Aimee Twigger: Think you don’t have time to make pudding? Aimee will reveal simple yet mouth watering home made desserts that can be made in just ten minutes
Canapés for all eaters with supper club queen Anna Barnett: Enjoy a canapé crash course to suit all diner’s diets, plus ask Anna ’s advice on entertaining at home ·
Food Fit for Instagram with food stylists The Meringue Girls: Master the art of food styling with Alex and Stacy, who will share tips how to dress the plate to ensure food looks as good as it tastes ·
A Brief History of the Dinner Party with historian Dr Annie Gray – Annie will reveal how the nation's love of entertaining has evolved with the death of traditional party etiquette and why modern diners are ripping up the rule book ·
Set a Stylish Table with Denby designer Richard Eaton – Richard will share neat table laying hacks, demonstrating how to mix and match tableware to create stylish settings
What: Master The Art of Entertaining with Denby and John Lewis - a series of interactive workshops
Where: Head to the ground floor demo kitchen at Peter Jones - Sloane Square branch of John Lewis, London SW1W 8EL
When: Monday 14th November, 5-7pm Sign-up: Reserve your free place by visiting http://www.denbyjohnlewis.eventbrite.co.uk/
For more information on The Art of Entertaining with Denby, including inspirational tips, recipes and stylish tableware inspiration, visit www.denby.co.uk and @DenbyUKPottery across
One of my children's favourite meals when they were growing up was enchiladas. It was not something we had very often, but a rare Tex Mex treat.
I always made Turkey ones after Thanksgiving and Christmas and occasionally I would make these delicious beef ones. They loved them both.
I have seen a lot of recipes through the years for beef enchiladas which use ground beef, but this tasty recipe uses cubed stewing beef, which makes it that little bit different.
The beef is browned on top of the stove and mixed with a variety of spices, onions, garlic and tomato passatta (tomato sauce) and then roasted in a slow oven until the beef is meltingly tender . . .
So tender you can tear it apart with a couple of forks.
You then remove all of the cooked beef from the sauce and shred it. Mix it with a few spoonfuls of the sauce and some cheddar cheese, and you have your delicious enchilada filling.
Very easy and very tasty. The remainder of the sauce can then be strained if you wish a smoother sauce. I don't bother to do this as I don't mind the bits.
Sometimes if it is too thick I think it a bit with some boiling water. You want the sauce to be thick, but also pourable.
I always use soft corn tortillas because I like them, but you can use the regular corn tortillas if you like, but you will have to soften them before they can be easily rolled.
Just use the directions on the packet. Filled and topped with the sauce and then baked, these are like a tex mex version of Italian Cannelloni.
I think it's so fascinating that most cultures have their own form of rolled and stuffed things . . . and they are all tasty.
The Italians have their Cannelloni, the Chinese have their duck pancakes, Europeans have stuffed cabbage and strudels . . . and then there are these lovely Tex Mex Enchiladas.
As a North American/Brit . . . I embrace them all quite happily.
I think our cuisine here in the UK is becoming a happy fusion of the traditional and the not so traditional.
It matters not what you bring to the table as long as it looks and tastes good . . . and these certainly fit the bill on all counts.
*Granny's Beef Enchiladas*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
I'm not sure whose Granny this recipe belongs to but they are delicious. I've been making these for years. They are a bit time intensive, but worth every minute. Do plan ahead as you will need to start the beef filling about 3 hours or so before you need it.
3 pounds well trimmed stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and black pepper
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions, peeled and minced
3 TBS mild Chili Powder (I think the chili powder over here in the UK is ultra strong, so I only use about half that amount or even less when
I am reduced to using it. Normally I bring North American Chili powder back with me when I return from visiting there, and that is what I use.)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
900ml of tomato passata (30-ounces tomato sauce)
60ml of dry red wine (1/4 cup)
1 TBS brown sugar
250g of medium cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
12 (6-inch soft corn tortillas)
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
I'm not sure whose Granny this recipe belongs to but they are delicious. I've been making these for years. They are a bit time intensive, but worth every minute. Do plan ahead as you will need to start the beef filling about 3 hours or so before you need it.
3 pounds well trimmed stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and black pepper
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions, peeled and minced
3 TBS mild Chili Powder (I think the chili powder over here in the UK is ultra strong, so I only use about half that amount or even less when
I am reduced to using it. Normally I bring North American Chili powder back with me when I return from visiting there, and that is what I use.)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
900ml of tomato passata (30-ounces tomato sauce)
60ml of dry red wine (1/4 cup)
1 TBS brown sugar
250g of medium cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
12 (6-inch soft corn tortillas)
Preheat the oven to 160*C/300*F/ gas mark 3. Pat the beef dry with paper kitchen toweling. Season well with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half of the beef and brown it well on all sides. Scoop out and set aside. Add the remaining oil and beef, and repeat. Add the onions to the pot along with 1/2 tsp salt.
Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half of the beef and brown it well on all sides. Scoop out and set aside. Add the remaining oil and beef, and repeat. Add the onions to the pot along with 1/2 tsp salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until
they have softened. Return the beef to the dutch oven, along with any
juices which may have gathered. Add the spices along with 1/4 tsp of
black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes very fragrant
and the spices darken slightly.
Stir in the garlic and cook for about a
minute. Add the tomato sauce and the wine and bring to the boil,
scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly
and roast in the heated oven until the meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2
hours in cooking time.
When the meat is very tender, remove the casserole from the oven. Scoop the meat out of the sauce to a large bowl and shred it with two forks.
When the meat is very tender, remove the casserole from the oven. Scoop the meat out of the sauce to a large bowl and shred it with two forks.
If desired strain the sauce,
discarding any solids. I don't mind the bits myself. You should have
about 500ml (2 cups). Add a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce to the beef. If you think the sauce is too thick you may thin it a bit with some boiling water.
Increase the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Spoon a large dessertspoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish. Spread it out to cover.
Stir half of the grated cheese into the shredded beef. Spread the tortillas out on the counter. Spoon 1/12 of the beef filling down the centre of each tortilla. Roll them up tightly and place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
Increase the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Spoon a large dessertspoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish. Spread it out to cover.
Stir half of the grated cheese into the shredded beef. Spread the tortillas out on the counter. Spoon 1/12 of the beef filling down the centre of each tortilla. Roll them up tightly and place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
Once all of the filled
tortillas have been put into the dish, spoon the remaining sauce over
top to cover. sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Cover tightly with
foil. Bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes
longer, until the cheese is melted and they are well heated through.
Serve hot, with or without sour cream for topping.
I like to serve this with a mixed salad.
Bon Appetit!
I like to serve this with a mixed salad.
Bon Appetit!
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I think one of our favourite types of fish to eat is Cod. It's got a really mild flavour and almost a sweet flesh. Sustainability is important though, when it comes to choosing fish nowadays, and the cod fisheries have just about fished themselves out by overfishing, which is really sad . . .
Brussels Sprouts are not something I ever remember eating when I was growing up. They just were not a vegetable that was readily available back then I guess. We basically only had peas and carrots and green beans and sometimes corn. I can remember discovering sprouts as an adult and falling completely and totally in love with them, and with cauliflower and broccoli too. I am a real brassica lover!
I had some lovely old fashioned bone in chops I wanted to use the other day and so I decided to cook a real treat up for my husband. He really does love eating a good pork chop.
I just spent most of the day trying to do a video that I could post on line of this lovely breakfast cake. All the steps along the way, etc. It took me hours and hours, but I can't get it to load up and I am exhausted from trying. I don't know how these youngsters do it, I really don't! Never mind we can at least enjoy the fruits of my labours in this delicious breakfast cake. Apple Pie Coffee Cake!
Its Bon Fire Night here in the UK. The night when all over the country people light bonfires and shoot off fireworks to commemorate Guy Fawkes failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the year 1605. You can read more about that here. Its also a night when people like to enjoy bonfire types of foods, like sausages (bangers), hot soups, and hearty cakes like parkin and gingerbread.
There is a definitive nip in the air these days. We are getting to the end of autumn days now and its time to break out the throws and light the fires.
These kinds of days call for comforting sustaining dishes like this delicious chicken stew, Chicken with Leeks & Butternut Squash. It's British Leek season now as well, so there really is no better time to cook this simple supper!
This is such a simple dish . . . with plenty of leeks and butternut squash. I have used chicken thighs which are perfect for oven braising.
There is also stock, herbs and barley. This is a really beautiful combination to be sure.
You just bang it all into a casserole and then let the oven do the work. I love meals like this.
Meals that you can just throw together and then cook in a casserole, or slow cooker, etc.
The chicken gets all tender and succulent. You can cut it with a fork.
It is juicy and so flavourful after having braised in the oven, soaking up all of those lucious flavours.
All you need on the side is a nice pot of buttery mashed potatoes and a nice pile of lightly herbed green beans.
I love these kinds of suppers, don't you? This is the colour and flavour of Autumn, right here. Soak it up.
*Chicken and Leeks with Butternut Squash*
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.
This would make a great one pot meal for Bon Fire Night! Bon Appetit!
I don't know about you, but for me, the stuffing is the best part of any holiday dinner. I could eat a whole plate of stuffing and nothing else. If there is no stuffing . . . it's not a celebration in my books.
Oh, and by the way, Stuffing is dressing, stuffed into the bird, and Dressing is stuffing baked outside of the bird. I make no distinction. I adore them equally, and to me they are both one and the same.
So what is it that makes this version the "Best?" It's moist and yet at the same time it has all these crunchy little bits all around the outer edges . . . I love crunchy bits.
What is your favourite part about stuffing/dressing? To be honest, I could eat just this and nothing else.
You can make it totally ahead of time, except for the baking bit. Just mix everything together and cover it and put in the refrigerator.
You will need to bring to room temperature prior to baking . . . half an hour on the countertop will do it.
It has the perfect balance of herbs. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Just like the song.
There is also plenty of aromatics like celery and onion as well. I always like to include some of the celery leaves.
It is easy to throw together and the most important quality of all . . . its totally delicious! In my opinion, this is the best stuffing/dressing ever.
Oh, and it is totally adaptable. If you like you can add fried mushrooms, or chopped giblets, crumbled cooked sausage, etc. This dressing is a delicious canvas you can build upon.
This is simple to make and always turns out fabulous. Perfect for the holidays!
180g butter, plus more to butter the baking dish (3/4 cup)
Bring on the holidays. I can't wait! There is so much deliciousness to look forward to! Bon Appetit!
I had some leftover poached turkey and some ham which needed using the other day and so I decided to make a Ham and Turkey Pie. I thought that it would be fabulous and I was right! You could also use chicken, but with the holidays coming up I thought it would be nice to show you it with turkey.
This is so simple to make and so delicious!
I dug this recipe out of an old Nigel Slater book the other day. The book was called Real Food. They aren't so much recipes as they are delicious suggestions about what to do with things you find in your larder, fridge, garden, etc.
That is the way I always cook, and those are the sorts of dishes I love to cook the most. They are so open to interpretation and you can so easily make them your own.
And this one is such a simple dish. It's basically just layered raw potato, fried onions and chicken stock. You don't even need to peel the potatoes.
And you can adapt it up or down to serve as many or as few people as you like.
You just layer it all up in a baking dish and pop it into the oven. Well, you do fry the onions in some butter first.
I let them get just a bit golden, because I love those scrumptious golden bits, don't you?
The potatoes get all soft and soak up the chicken stock and the onions almost turn buttery . . . . in short, fabulous. This dish is utterly fabulous.
And if the potato is your favourite vegetable like it is mine, then you will be in nothing short of heavenly bliss.
I
adapted this from a recipe I found in an old Nigel Slater cookery book
called Real Food. I have adapted it to feed as many and as few as you
require.
For each serving you will need:
Not only is this delicious, but it is gorgeous to look at. Bon Appetit!
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