Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes

Beautiful, rich yet completely moreish little cupcakes of pleasure.  They are such a treat, particularly when served with a dollop of softly whipped cream...

Makes 12 Large Cupcakes or 18 Smaller Fairy Cakes

Ingredients

100g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)

175g Light Muscovado Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 1 Large Egg

225g Plain Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

175g Dates, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

200ml Boiling Water

For the Toffee Topping

150g Light Muscovado Sugar

100g Butter

50ml Double Cream

 

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fan) and put paper cases into a bun/cupcake tin.
• Cream the butter and sugar together with the vanilla extract until fluffy then slowly whisk in the egg and half of the flour with the baking powder.
• In a separate small bowl, sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the finely chopped dates then pour over the boiling water.  Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Whisking slowly, carefully pour the dates and hot water into the cake mixture and add the rest of the flour, whisk until combined.
• Spoon the mixture carefully (it is quite runny) into the cake cases then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen, puffy and firm to the touch.
• While the cakes are cooling make the toffee sauce topping.  Put the sugar, butter and cream into a small pan and heat gently, stirring as it melts.  When it starts to bubble turn it down and let it simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.  After this time all the sugar should have dissolved and you will have a golden brown sauce, set this aside to cool and thicken.
• After about half an hour the sauce should be thick enough to spoon onto the cupcakes but not run straight off, leave it for longer if it's still too runny.  There should be ample sauce to generously cover all the cupcakes whilst leaving a little extra for the cook to try (just to check it's ok of course).

                           

Hot and Fragrant Chicken Curry

This wonderfully tasty and versatile curry is a midweek staple in my house.  It really is very easy and can be tweaked to suit your mood; hot and spicy, mild and creamy, sweet and nutty...whatever you feel like.

I do not apologise for using curry powder, I don't have the time nor the inclination during a busy week to start dry roasting and grinding whole spices.  I believe that if you find a good quality curry powder that you like then boost the aromatic spices with a touch of garam masala, you're onto a winner.  I use Bolst's Mild Curry Powder that I buy from my local specialist food shop (The Wild Food Company in Malmesbury), it's got very rounded spices and I like to control the heat myself.  For the heat I usually use generic red chillies, they are not normally particularly hot so I will use one for the flavour then up the heat with dried chilli flakes if I want to.  If I'm feeling like a hot, hot, hot curry I use scotch bonnet chilli peppers...these are seriously hot though, so beware!

I always remove the skin from the red pepper by putting pieces of pepper under the grill until the skin blisters and blackens.  It is not essential to do this but I feel it concentrates the sweetness and makes a smoother sauce.
This is great made with either breast or thigh meat.

 

Ingredients

500g Chicken Breast or Boneless, Skinless Thigh, cut into chunky pieces

1 Large Red Onion

1 inch cube Fresh Ginger

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1 Fresh Chilli, to taste (see notes above)

1 Red Pepper (with the skin removed by blackening it under the grill)
Sunflower Oil

2 teaspoons Curry Powder

1 teaspoons Garam Masala

Salt and Black Pepper
Water or Stock

Lemon Juice to taste

Sugar to taste
Fresh Coriander

Optional Additions : Cream, Coconut Cream, Ground Almonds, Tomatoes
 

• Start by making a paste with the onion, ginger, garlic, fresh chilli and red pepper.  I do this in my mini-chopper but you can use a blender (using a glug of sunflower oil to help it along) or just chop it all together as finely as possible on a board.
• Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan or wok then add the onion paste with a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper.
• Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring it around on a high heat then add the curry powder and garam masala.  This now needs to be cooked for another few minutes until the spice aroma is rising from the pan and the oil is separating slightly.
• Tip in the chunks of chicken and stir them around to coat with the spicy paste.  Do this until the meat is sealed then pour in enough water or stock to cover the meat (you can use coconut milk instead at this point if you like).
• This now needs to be cooked for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is cooked.
• At this point you can tailor it to how you like it, possibly by adding a few tablespoons of double cream or coconut cream, maybe sprinkling in a handful of ground almonds to thicken and enrich the sauce.  At the very least you will need to taste your curry and adjust the seasoning as needed, I always add a few squeezes of lemon juice, a sprinkling of sugar to balance and possibly a touch more salt.
• Finish with a stir-through of fresh coriander (if liked) and serve.



Sweet Coconut Flatbread

These delicious flatbreads make an excellent accompaniment to a curry and are very easy to make.
I normally use semi-skimmed milk to bind the dough together, however I use coconut milk instead if I'm opening a tin to use in something else.
They can be made a few hours in advance then warmed up, wrapped in foil in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

                                     

 Makes about 10 flatbreads

Ingredients

200g Plain Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

50g Butter

50g Desiccated Coconut

Pinch of Salt

50g Caster Sugar

Approx. 6 tablespoons Milk or Coconut Milk 

• Tip the plain flour into a large bowl with the baking powder.  Cut the butter into small pieces, add it to the flour then, using the tips of your fingers, rub it into the flour until it is all in little lumps.
• Add the coconut, salt and sugar and mix thoroughly to evenly distribute. 
• Add the milk or coconut milk a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing vigorously until it comes together in a firm dough.  Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• When you are ready to make the flatbreads break off a golf ball sized piece of dough and roll it between your hands into a ball. 
• Generously flour your work surface and rolling pin then roll out the ball of dough, flipping it over and moving it after every roll to keep it from sticking.  Roll it out until it is a couple of millimetres thick if you can.  Set aside.
• Repeat this with the rest of the dough, stacking the rolled out discs between pieces of greaseproof/baking paper or sprinklings of flour.
• Put a griddle pan or frying pan onto a high heat then dry cook the flatbreads for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked through and patchy golden brown.
• Stack and eat immediately or allow to cool then wrap in foil to heat later.

 

Beef Rendang

This beautiful Indonesian dish is a slow-cooked stew of beef with coconut and spices, which reduces down over hours of cooking so the meat is meltingly tender coated with a rich, aromatic sauce. 
There are lots of recipes for rendang, each differing slightly.  The constants are lemongrass, ginger, coconut, tamarind (or another sour element like lime juice) and sugar.  This is how I like to make it, relying more on the fresh 'spices' rather than going in heavy with cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and cardamom pods.  It is best made the day before it is to be eaten.
I love to serve this quite simply with fragrant jasmine rice and maybe a steamed green veg.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

500g Chuck Steak (or any braising beef), cut into chunky pieces

1 Red Onion, roughly chopped

4 large cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped

2 Red Chillies, roughly chopped

2 thumb sized pieces of Ginger, grated (should be about 2 tablespoons)

1 stalk of Lemongrass, finely sliced

2 tablespoons Sunflower Oil

1 teaspoon Ground Coriander

Half a teaspoon Turmeric

Half a teaspoon Cinnamon

400ml Tin of Coconut Milk

4 Kaffir Lime Leaves

3 teaspoons of Tamarind Paste (or more lime juice if you can't get it)

Juice of half a Lime

Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar (palm sugar if you have it but don't buy it especially)

25g Desiccated Coconut

• Put the chopped onion, garlic, chillies, ginger and lemongrass into a blender or mini-chopper and whizz until very finely chopped.  You can do this on a board with a sharp knife if you don't have a blender.
• Pour the oil into a large saucepan and put on a medium heat.  Tip the onion paste into the oil and cook for a few minutes then add the coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and a generous seasoning of salt.  Continue to cook for another 5ish minutes until it is turning golden brown and aromatic then add the beef.
• Stir the beef to coat it in all the spicy onion mixture and seal it.  Pour in the coconut milk then add the kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste and sugar.  Bring to the boil then turn down to the slowest simmer.
• This now needs to be simmered slowly for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure there is nothing sticking to the bottom of the pan.  If you prefer you can cook this in the oven on a low heat.
• The result you want to achieve with a rendang is to reduce the majority of the liquid until there is hardly any sauce left.  However, I like to do this in a couple of stages; when the sauce has reduced greatly and the oil begins to come out, turn the heat off and leave to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.  You should then be able to pour off most of the excess oil.  At this point it's good to taste the sauce, add the lime juice if needed and salt or sugar to balance.  You can now continue to cook the rendang or it can be chilled until you are ready to serve it.
• In a dry frying pan toast the desiccated coconut until golden brown (be careful because it burns easily) then give it a blitz in a blender. 
• When you are ready to serve the rendang put it on a low heat and, when it starts to bubble stir in the toasted coconut.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes until piping hot and serve.  

Coconut and Cherry Tart

If you like crisp pastry filled with juicy cherries and gooey yet toasty coconut, then this is the tart for you...

 

Ingredients
For the Pastry
200g Plain Flour
100g Hard Butter
25g Caster Sugar
Cold Water

 For the Cherries
250g Cherries
50g Caster Sugar
1 tablespoon Corn Flour
For the Coconut Filling
150g Caster Sugar
150g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)
2 Large Eggs
100g Desiccated Coconut

• To make the pastry case, thoroughly butter a tart tin (approx. 25cm diameter).
• Tip the flour into a bowl then grate in the hard butter, cut through it with a knife to disperse the butter.  When it is crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed tip in the sugar then lightly mix.
• Pour in cold water, a bit at a time while stirring with a table knife until it comes together into a ball of dough.  Wrap the ball of dough in cling film or greaseproof paper then pop it into the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface (flour the top of the dough as well), move the pastry after each roll to prevent it from sticking.  Roll as thin as you can, around 2mm thick is perfect, then carefully transfer to the tin (rolling it onto the rolling pin to lift it works well).  Gently coax the pastry into the tin, pushing it into the corners.
• Leave any overhanging pastry as it is (unless there's loads, then trim it a bit).  Line the inside with greaseproof or baking paper then fill this with ceramic baking beans or any dried lentil, pea or bean.  Blind bake the case in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  After this time remove the paper and beans then put the pastry case back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• It should now be golden brown, trim the edges and set aside until needed.  Reduce the temperature of the oven to 150C.
• While the pastry is baking make the cherry layer.  Cut each cherry in half to remove the stone and pop the fruit into a small pan with the sugar and the corn flour.  Heat it slowly, stirring to coat all the fruit with corn flour (doing this prevents lumps of corn flour).  When it comes to the boil let it bubble for a few minutes then add a tablespoon or two of water, turn the heat to the lowest then cook for about 5 minutes.  Set aside until needed.
• To make the coconut filling, whisk the sugar and the butter together until pale and fluffy then whisk in the eggs.  Tip in the coconut and whisk slowly to combine.
• Take your pastry case and tip in the gooey cherries, spread them out so they are evenly spaced across the base.  Spoon the coconut mixture over the cherries and smooth it out to the edges, covering the cherries.
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown and has lost most of it's wobble from the centre, it will still give a little if you gently poke the middle.
• Let the tart cool completely before cutting, it is better served cold.  It will last a few days stored in an airtight container.

 

'Secret Ingredient' Chocolate Cake

This is a very, very surprising cake, in the best possible way!  A rather unpromising-looking batter goes into the oven and a dark, moist, utterly delicious chocolate cake comes out. 

It is very easy to make, so great for baking with children.  And I promise you don't taste the courgette, it just helps to create the wonderful moist texture of the cake.

 

Ingredients

175g Plain Flour

50g Cocoa

200g Caster Sugar, plus extra for sprinking

2 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda

pinch of salt

200g (ish) Courgette, topped and tailed

100ml Sunflower or Vegetable Oil

100ml Natural Yoghurt

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

 

• Preheat the oven to 175C and fully line a loaf tin with greaseproof/baking paper.
• Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
• In a measuring jug measure the oil and the yoghurt then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix.
• Grate the courgette, as finely as you can, into a bowl.  Pour in the yoghurt mixture and stir to combine (warning - it does not look appetising at this point!).
• Tip the courgette mixture into the dry ingredients and fold through with a large spoon or spatula until thoroughly mixed together.
• Spoon or pour the batter into the prepared tin then sprinkle the top with 4-5 teaspoons of caster sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until risen and craggy, check that it is cooked in the middle by inserting a skewer, it should come out clean.
• Leave for 10-15 minutes to cool in the tin then transfer to a cooling rack or plate to cool completely.

Pork Satay

I like to make satay as bite-sized morsels and normally use pork loin steaks for this, with the fat cut off and sliced into thin strips then threaded onto cocktail sticks.  The tenderloin works well too, you can cut it into bigger chunks and skewer them kebab-style.
I first tried cooking the satay meat in the oven years ago when I made masses of them for a party that I was catering for and found that it worked really well.  I always use this method for nibble-sized satay but if I'm making kebabs with bigger pieces of meat I'll cook them on the barbeque or griddle pan.
This recipe can easily be replaced with chicken or (raw) prawns.  The sauce is particularly easy and so very delicious, you'll find yourself dipping lots of foods into it in addition to the satay meat just as vessels to eat more!  I must recommend dipping cucumber into it, so good!

 

 This weight of pork loin steak makes about 16 bite-sized skewers

Ingredients

For the Marinade

350-400g Pork

 3 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
Juice of 1 Lime
2 tablespoons Sunflower Oil
1 large (or 2 small) Garlic Clove, minced
2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
3 Spring Onions, finely sliced
For the Satay Sauce
4 tablespoons Peanut Butter (I like crunchy but you can use smooth if you prefer)
4 tablespoons Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
Juice of half a Lime
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped (less or more depending on how hot you want it

• Cut any fat off the pork and slice into thin strips, put into a bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together then pour into the meat, give it a good stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour until needed.
• To make the sauce simply put all the ingredients into a small pan and slowly heat until combined and glossy, you may need to add some water or more coconut milk if it seems too thick, try not to boil as it may start to separate.  You can make this ahead of time, you will probably need to add some water when you reheat it though.
• When you are ready to cook preheat the oven to 210C.
• To cook the pork, take each piece out of the marinade and space evenly onto a large baking tray or roasting tin.  Put in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
• After this time check one to make sure they are done.  Serve with the sauce on the side sprinkled with some finely sliced spring onion.
• Watch them disappear within minutes!