Mincemeat Truffles

Very easy to make but rather sticky!!

Mincemeat Truffles

Makes: 30
Takes: 15 minutes + chilling time

Ingredients

300g white chocolate
4 tbsp double cream
3 tbsp mincemeat

Method

1. Melt together 200g of the chocolate with the cream then stir in the mincemeat till the suet has melted.
2. Line a baking tin with cling film and pour in the chocolate mixture then chill for an hour.
3. Grate the remaining chocolate. Divide the chilled mixture into 30 pieces, shape into balls and roll in the grated chocolate.
4. Chill for 1 hour until firm.

I recommend just grating a bit of chocolate at a time as you probably won't need all of it - and then you get to eat the leftover piece :-)

Mince pies

This is my new favourite way to make mince pies. You can top each pie with pastry if you prefer, though of course you will need more pastry in that case. When topping with pastry I usually cut out star shapes with a cookie cutter and pop a star on each pie rather than cutting circles to completely cover the mincemeat, but again, go with your own preference. Or give this recipe a try instead!

Mince pies

Makes: 24 pies
Takes: 20 minutes + 20 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

500g packet shortcrust pastry (or make your own if you must)
About 1 lb mincemeat (shop-bought, or see recipe here)
4 oz caster sugar
4 oz butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 oz self-raising flour

Method

1. Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick and cut rounds with a cookie cutter or large glass. Use to line the holes in a cupcake tin.
2. Spoon one teaspoonful of mincemeat into each pastry case then set the tray aside.
3. Make the sponge topping: cream together the sugar and butter then beat in the eggs. Add the milk and vanilla, then sift in the flour and mix well.
4. Spoon one teaspoonful of sponge mixture onto each pie, smoothing over to cover the mincemeat.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, till the sponge is golden and well-risen. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack till cold.

Delicious eaten warm or cold, with cream, brandy butter or custard or just as they are! They freeze well too.

Mincemeat

I have to be careful with mincemeat because of my nut allergy, so I make my own to be certain it's safe to eat. I think this version tastes nicer, anyway - it's not quite so rich and sickly sweet as the shop-bought varieties!

Mincemeat

Makes: Lots - about 9lb! You might want to try using just a third of each ingredient unless you're catering for a large number of people!
Takes: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

2 lb cooking apples
12 oz carrots
8 oz mixed peel
1 1/2 lb currants
1 1/2 lb sultanas
12 oz shredded suet (vegetable suet if you want vegetarian mincemeat)
1 1/2 lb soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 pint brandy (or apple juice if you prefer)

Method

1. Peel, core and grate the apple - a food processor with grater blade is best for this step. Peel and grate the carrots, again using a food processor if you have one.
2. Put all the ingredients except the brandy (or apple juice) into a LARGE bowl, mix well, cover, and leave for 24 hours.
3. Add the brandy, mix again, and pack into sterilised jars.

Make lots of mince pies! Also good in mincemeat cake, mincemeat crumble slices or mincemeat truffles - look out for those recipes soon.

Chocolate Treats

These measurements are quite vague, but that's just to give you flexibility.... For info, I used about 250g of each variety of chocolate and made about 30 of these treats each time. These look great, taste great, and are easy to make. Ideal for a handmade gift.

Chocolate Treats

Makes: Depends on how much chocolate you use

Takes: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate (milk, plain or white)

Toppings - raisins, chopped cranberries, chopped crystallised ginger, chopped nuts, tiny sweets - use your imagination!

Method

• Melt the chocolate, either in a bowl over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave.
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto non-stick baking parchment.
• Sprinkle over your chosen topping and leave to set.

It's that easy :-) Store in an airtight container in a cool place - will keep for several weeks so can be made in advance for Christmas presents.

Recommended combinations: plain chocolate and ginger, milk chocolate and raisins, white chocolate and cranberries.

Chocolate Fudge

No boiling required - this is such a quick and easy fudge to make, but it's very sweet - a little goes a long way!

Chocolate Fudge

Makes: 36 pieces
Takes: 10 mins preparation + refrigeration overnight

Photo to follow

Ingredients

4 oz (100g) plain chocolate
2 oz (50g) butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 lb (450g) icing sugar, sieved

Method

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it with the butter over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk and vanilla.
3. Gradually beat in the icing sugar (the mixture gets very stiff towards the end, so expect your arm to ache a bit afterwards!)
4. Press into a greased 7" square tin, levelling the surface.
5. Refrigerate overnight then cut into 36 squares. Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy :-)

Try to share it with your family though.... ;-)

Banana Muffins

Great way to use up bananas that have gone a bit brown and soft :-) And it's a low-fat recipe, containing fruit, so it's cake that's good for you! Bonus!

Banana Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins or 24 cupcakes
Takes: 10 minutes + 20-25 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

9 oz (250g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium well-ripened bananas
1 egg
3 oz (80g) soft brown sugar (demerara is fine)
5 tbsp water
4 tbsp corn oil (light olive oil is fine)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170oC (fan oven)/190oC/Gas Mark 5.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
3. Peel the bananas and place into a separate bowl. Mash them to a puree then add the egg, beaten.
4. Beat the sugar and water into the banana mixture then add the oil and stir well.
5. Tip in the dry ingredients and quickly mix till just combined. Don't overmix - it's better to have a few lumps and traces of flour!
6. Spoon into paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.

Best eaten fresh but they also freeze well - great for lunchboxes!

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Tagliatelle

It sounds really decadent but it isn't really too bad as a treat now and then - and you can buy packs of smoked salmon scraps quite cheaply which makes this dish even more affordable. It works fine without the spinach if you prefer.

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Tagliatelle

Makes: 2 portions
Takes: 10 minutes + 10 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

200g dried tagliatelle (approximately - enough to serve two people)
150 ml creme fraiche (I use the reduced fat variety)
125g smoked salmon (again, approximately! The scraps come in a 120g pack and this is fine)
Two good handfuls baby spinach (about 50g)
Lemon juice
Black pepper

Method

1. Cook and drain the pasta and return to the pan.
2. Stir in the creme fraiche then cut the salmon into small pieces and add.
3. Rinse the spinach and drain. Add to the pasta mixture and stir well.
4. Heat through gently until the spinach wilts (5 minutes should be plenty). Season with a squeeze of lemon juice - about 1 tsp - and plenty of black pepper.

Nice for a special dinner, without needing loads of preparation (though I like that kind of recipe sometimes too...)