Meringues

Freshly baked meringues

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

110g caster sugar

2 tsp corn flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas 1 or 100C.
2. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
3. Add half of the sugar and whisk until it is glossy.
4. Fold in the other half of the sugar and corn flour.
5. Dollop teaspoons full of the mixture onto a baking sheet (or greaseproof paper) on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until crisp and golden.
6. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheet with a pallet knife.

Serve as part of a dessert or place whipped cream between 2 meringues and squeeze together...

Healthy Apricot Slices

Healthy Apricot Slices

Wanting to eat something sweet but on a diet? Well, this could be a great recipe for you...

Ingredients:

150g oats

150g plain flour

110g soft light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

175g margarine

175g dried apricots, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180C.
2. Place oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and margarine into a bowl and mix together.
3. Place half of the mixture into a square baking tin and press down.
4. Sprinkle the chopped apricots on top and top with the remaining mixture, again pressing down into the tin.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
6. Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into slices.

ENJOY with a good cuppa!!

Chorizo, Chilli & Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped finely

1 pepper, sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 tsp chilli flakes

225g chorizo (Optional for vegetarian option)

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 can of chickpeas

Rocket leaves

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Fry an onion over a medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the pepper, garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a few minutes.
3. Chop and stir in the chorizo.
4. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and chickpeas.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in rocket leaves.
7. Garnish with basil.

Serve with rice and/or naans.

A local walk to Tong & Fulneck's Moravian Settlement

My husband and I have been trying to get out and about a bit more recently but especially in our local area...

I discovered a short walk on the AA website - Tong & Fulneck's Moravian Settlement, which was quite close to home, so off we went on Saturday afternoon (just managing to mostly avoid the heavy rain showers) to do some adventuring locally.

Fulneck's Moravian Church

Fulneck

The beautiful bluebells by Pudsey Beck

It was a lovely walk and I learnt lots about the local history through this walk as well (more can be read about the interesting historic discoveries HERE).

Stuffed Crust Tortilla Pizza

Ingredients:

4 tortillas

1 pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

150g goats cheese

1 tsp brown sugar

6 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp dried basil

4 tbsp warm water

1 garlic clove, crushed

oil

olives (optional)

hot dog sausages (optional)

Method:

1. In a small pan add the tomato puree, water, basil and garlic, stir together to form a smooth paste and heat gently warm.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the peppers.
3. Remove peppers from the pan and add the red onions and brown sugar, cooking until for ~5 minutes or until soft.
4. Place the tortillas on a baking tray and brush the edges with water.
5. Crumble half of the goats cheese and sprinkle around the rims of the tortillas.
6. Fold over the edges of the tortillas over the cheese and pinch hard to create the stuffed crust.
7. Spread the warmed tomato mix in the middle of the tortillas, top with the onions, peppers, olives, hot dogs and the rest of the crumbled goats cheese.
8. Cook in the oven for ~10 minutes until the tortilla is golden and the cheese has melted.

Another Wedding X-Stitch...

For the same friend whose hen party I painted the mug at a few weeks ago I have been working on a X-Stitch for her wedding present...

My friend's wedding invitation and wedding stationary was all themed around maps especially Ordinance Survey maps, so I designed this X-Stitch for them specifically, with a little map motif of their wedding and reception venues at the top of the heart. The writing which makes the heart is from the verses in the bible "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not boast..."

I was staying at a Travelodge the night before their wedding and was quickly finishing it off...a little bit last minute!!!

It is quite similar to a X-Stitch I designed last year for some other friends (Wedding Cross Stitch)

Milk Chocolate & Nut (Egg Yolk) Cookies

This recipe is ideal to make with those left over egg yolks when you have made meringues...

Large Cookies

Ingredients:

225g butter

400g granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g milk chocolate, broken in small pieces

50g chopped nuts

320g plain flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

half tsp salt

Mix the dough together

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Beat together the 3 egg yolks and beat into the mix.
4. Mix in the vanilla essence, lemon juice, chocolate pieces and nuts.
5. Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt to form a soft dough.
6. Take a spoonful of dough and mould into a ball in your hands.
7. Place on a greased baking tray and flatten with your fingers. Place the cookies about 3cm apart as they spread a lot in the oven.
8. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges crisp.



The cookies spread on the tray

9. Leave on the tray to cool before removing to a cooling rack.

ENJOY with a good cuppa!

Place on a baking tray