SPEED BAKING: Toblerone & Orange Cake

Sometimes I fancy baking, but don't have much time. That's when microwave cakes comes in really handy. 

People won't be able to tell whether you knocked a cake off in a few minutes or slaved over a hot over for hours. 

This chocolate cake takes only 8-10 minutes to prepare and the same amount to bake in the microwave. 

A glass pie dish with high sides is ideal for baking this little number.


Ingredients:

200 g butter + an extra bit for buttering the tin
3 dl sugar
4 eggs
4 dl flour
1.5 dl drinking chocolate powder (like Nesquik or Colacao)
2.5 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar 
Breadcrumbs for coating the tin

Filling: 
1 dl milk 
8 tbsp orange marmalade

Topping: 
150 g dark Toblerone chocolate (or any other dark chocolate with almond and/or nougat)


Baking the cake:

1. Butter the cake dish. Pour in some bread crumbs. Holding the dish over a sink, move it around and let the breadcrumbs coat the inside. Tip out excess breadcrumbs. 

2. In a bowl or using a food processor, blend the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

3. Mix in the eggs, one by one.

4. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add to the wet mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into the dish. It should fill the dish about half way up.

6. Cook in the microwave for 8-10 minutes. 

7. While the cake cooks, break the Toblerone chocolate into tiny pieces. You can use a food processor or placing the chocolate in a plastic bag, give it some good wallops with a rolling pin or potato smasher!

8. Take the cake out when done. The cake should be done in about 8 minutes but some microwaves take 2 minutes longer. Microwaves bake from the outside in, so if in doubt, poke a toothpick in the middle of the cake and pull it out. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Topping and filling:

9. Pour the smashed Toblerone chocolate all over the cake as soon as it comes out of the microwave. Let it melt on top of the hot cake for a minute and then spread it all around with a knife. Leave the cake in the hot glass dish and let it sit for 15 minutes at least.

10. When slightly cooled, lift the cake out with the help of a cake knife or spatulas. With a good bread knife, saw it into two layers. 

11. Put the bottom layer back in the cake dish and moisten it with a little milk. Then spread orange marmalade over it. Lift the top half back onto the cake.

This cake is lovely served still warm with a cup of coffee. 

Alternatively, if you leave it for a day in a cool pantry or the fridge, the Toblerone chocolate will go really hard and crunchy and the orange marmalade and milk will soak in and give it more flavour. 

Either way… enjoy!

COOKING: Migas with Chorizo

Before moving to Spain, I never imagined eating breadcrumbs for lunch! Now, migas is easily one of my favourite family dishes.

This recipe works really well with slightly stale bread; heavy duty farmhouse loaf is ideal.

Cooked with chorizo, migas are traditionally served with a fried egg and grapes.

I like the twist my husband gives this simple shepherd's meal with juicy naval oranges.

Serves 4


Ingredients:
8 large slices stale bread, 1-3 days old
4 cloves garlic
5-6 strips of bacon
2 soft medium sized chorizo sausage
Olive oil
Water
Salt
4 eggs
4 oranges
Rocket (optional garnish)


Instructions:

1. Cut the bread into cubes, then tear or mash into crumbs.

2. Place the bread crumbs into a bowl, sprinkle with water and mix. The aim is to moisten the crumbs, but not soak them. Add salt to taste and a good pinch of paprika, mix well. Once done, cover with a cloth or cling film and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

3. With a sharp knife, mince the chorizo sausage into tiny pieces, removing any skin first. Do the same with the bacon.

4. Chop the garlic cloves.

5. Put a frying pan on gentle heat and pour in 2 generous glugs of olive oil in. Place garlic in pan and stir it around in the oil for 2 minutes.

6. Place the bacon and chorizo in the pan and turn the heat up slightly. Keep stirring, letting the oil take in the flavours.

7. Once the chorizo and bacon are cooked (4-5 minutes) place the breadcrumbs in the pan and fry with the garlic, chorizo and bacon mix, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. The fried breadcrumbs should be hot throughout, cooked on the outside, yet still retain some moisture and soaked up oil. Don't turn up the heat or fry them for so long that they go crispy.

8. Fry and egg to go with each portion and serve with sweet oranges and greens of your choice.

CRAFTS: Balloon Animal Tutorials on Youtube

Here's a crafts special for Felix's 1st birthday... balloon animals!

I came across some 'twisting balloons' while shopping for party decorations. The animals were really easy to make with the help of Youtube tutorials.

Here are some pics of the ones we made at home, complete with links to some excellent videos I found. 

All you need are a bag of balloons... plus a pump (unless you have the lungs of a professional trombone player). 

Enjoy!


Butterfly and Swan 
These are two easy, basic shapes. Check out Bernie's Balloon Modelling video. Don't let the fast beginning or his mad English accent throw you, he slows down when he starts the tutorial. These two animals are really easy to make. 

Dog

This one's a classic. What could be cuter than a balloon pooch? Try Michael Floyd The Balloon Twister's excellent video.

Flower

I was quite impressed with myself when I made this one… but actually it was really easy. Let your balloon man, Mr. Fudge, show you how.

Hope you enjoyed this post. For more balloon animals and shapes, try these Youtube channels for some amazing balloon artists:

Balloon Animal Videos - Mr. Fudge

Balloon Animals Video Store - Michael Floyd the Balloon Twister

Holly Hopper - She's brilliant!

COOKING: Crepes with Fruits of the Forest

I have a bit of a sweet tooth and when there's nothing in the cupboard, I have to make something. Crepes are great for this. 

All you need are an egg, some milk and flour, plus a topping. 

A drizzle of honey and lemon will often do, but this time I've gone for a berries and icing sugar. Yum!

Serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

Crepes:
4 - 4.5 dl milk
2 dl flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
a splash of fizzy water (optional)

For frying:
Butter or vegetable oil

To serve:
Fruits of the forest berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
Icing sugar (normal sugar will also do)


Instructions:

1. Beat the egg in a bowl until it's well mixed.

2. Add the flour and milk, alternating and mixing briskly until they are evenly blended. Your mixture should have a consistency somewhere between milk and drinking yoghurt.

3. Allow the mixture to stand for 5-10 minutes. This will help the flour swell and thicken and will make your crepes easier to fry.

4. Add the fizzy water and mix. This is optional, but it will give the crepes a nice springy texture.

5. Heat a good, non-stick pan on slightly over medium heat.

6. When the pan is hot melt a teaspoon of butter or pour a little oil into it, let the butter or oil spread evenly around the bottom by moving the pan around and finally, tip about a soup ladle of crepe mixture into the pan (about a deciliter).

7. You will begin to see small holes forming all over the crepe as it cooks, over about 1-2 minutes. Give the pan a good "sliding shake", moving it rapidly to and fro, when you think the underside is done. If you think the crepe is sticking, help with a spatula. When the crepe slides with ease around the pan it should be cooked. If unsure you can check the underside: it should be golden brown.

8. Now flip the crepe over with a spatula (or in the air… I dare you…)

Repeat until all the crepes are done. 

Roll the crepes up individually and line them on a serving plate next to each other. Serve with fruits of the forest berries and a sprinkling of icing sugar.

CRAFTS: Decorating Easter Eggs

In the run up to Easter, here's an egg decorating special for you all!

I love decorating Easter eggs. It's one of those crafts than can be enjoyed by kids and grownups alike. 

You can create cute and funny animals or make your eggs as fancy as you like.



Many people boil eggs before decorating them, but if you want your works of art to keep, you can blow the eggs out and paint the empty shell. 

Hard boiled eggs sometimes work better for small children because they break less easily. If painting with children, don't forget to use non-toxic water based paints.

Below is a step by step guide to blowing out egg, plus a few decorating suggestions. 

Have fun!

Materials:

For blowing out the eggs:

Eggs

A nail or a thin pointed screwdriver

Round toothpicks

Clear nail varnish or picture laquer

For decorating kids' "animal eggs"

Paints and brushes

Glue

Scissors

Cardboard

The cardboard tube from a toilet roll

Instructions:

1. Wash the eggs. Yeah, you know where they've been!


2. Start by making a small hole at each end of an egg. Twist the sharp end of a thin nail or a pointed screwdriver against the end of the egg, applying pressure carefully so the egg doesn't crack. Repeat on the other end of the egg.







2. Once the egg has a hole at each end, push a toothpick in and prod at the yolk inside to break it. 










3. Once the yolk is broken, hold the egg over a bowl and blow hard into one of the holes. The egg will begin to pour out the other end. If it doesn't, use the tooth pick once more. Once the egg is empty, wipe it dry. (Then make a delicious tortilla española or a revuelto later.)

Decorating the Animal Eggs: 

1. Decide what decorations you want to do. I decided to do three fun animals - a chick, a pig and a frog. Paint each egg entirely with a base colour first and leave to dry.

2. Make the "animal feet" using the cardboard tube from inside a toilet roll - and cut some ears and a snout for the pig, some eyes for the frog and a beak for the chick...

3. Glue the bases, eyes and other body parts onto the animals and paint them…

Painting the Fancy Decorative Eggs:

1. Paint the eggs in a base colour and leave to dry. If you want the eggs to 'harmonize', then choose only three or four colours. I chose royal blue, bright red and gold.

2. You can either paint the eggs standing in eggcups, painting the top half first, then letting it dry and doing the other half later. Or you can push them onto skewers, knitting needles, etc. Place a little bit of scotch tape below the egg to stop it from sliding. Stick the skewer or needle into a halved potato to keep it steady. Now you can easily paint the eggs all the way round.

3. Show your Easter eggs off in swanky egg cups or shot glasses!

My family is looking forward to the Easter holidays already. Wishing you a lovely spring break too!

COOKING: Revuelto with Wild Mushrooms, Vegetables &Turkey Sausage

Revuelto is a Spanish dish that combines scrambled egg with, well, just about anything. 

I like making it at home because it's quick, tasty, full of nutrients and puts left overs to good use.

Today's recipe is a revuelto made with vegetables, wild mushrooms and lean turkey sausage.

But, you can pretty much add anything you want to this dish - keep it vegetarian or sprinkle in some grated cheese for extra flavour. Serves 2-3 people.


Ingredients:

3 Eggs
4 tbsp Milk or soy milk
3-4 Lean turkey sausages, cooked
1 handful steamed Broccoli 
1 handful steamed Cauliflower
1 Large carrot, chopped and steamed
2 Cloves garlic
1/2 Onion
Olive Oil
Salt
White Pepper
Nutmeg


Instructions:

1. If you do not have left over vegetables, sausages, meat, etc. then prep them beforehand. Chop the vegetables into bite size chunks and steam them until they are soft, but still retain a little crunch. Chop the garlic and onion fine. Fry the sausages in a pan, then cut them into small pieces. 

2. Make the scrambled egg first. Mix the eggs and the milk in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper, then whisk really vigorously (until your wrist hurts!) to create air bubbles and ensure the scrambled eggs will be fluffy. 

3. Pour a small glug of olive oil into a non-stick pan that's been warmed on mid-heat. Pour the egg mix in. Don't touch the egg until it begins to set at the bottom and the sides, then stir it gently with a wooden spatula, pushing the cooked egg toward the centre of the pan and letting the raw egg run to the edges. Wait for the raw egg to set again before repeating the process until the eggs are, basically, scrambled! The eggs are ready when they are soft, fluffy and still a little bit moist. When done, place them in a bowl and put to one side.

4. Using the same pan, pour in a glug of olive oil and throw in the finely chopped onion and garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes until they begin to appear see through.

5. Add half a glug of live oil and the mushrooms, fry for about 3-4 minutes until soft and cooked.

6. Add the steamed vegetables and the sausage, plus salt, white pepper and nut meg to taste. Stir fry for another 3-4 minutes.

7. Add the scrambled egg at the end. Don't over stir it, just fold it in very gently so that the egg stays in chunks, nice and flyffy. Then let it sit in the pan with the other ingredients for about 2 minutes, continuing to fold the mixture gently, letting the egg soak up flavour...

... and serve!

BAKING: 2 minute Coffee Cup Cake

This week it's all about speed baking, a hot topic in our household.

When the craving for sweet stuff hits and there's nothing in the cupboard, a coffee cup cake in the microwave usually does the trick. 

This recipe is easy and quick, the preparation time is about 5 minutes.


Ingredients:

Cake:
2 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Drinking chocolate powder (eg. Nesquik or Colacao)
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 Egg
2 tbsp Cream, yoghurt or milk
1/8 tsp Baking powder
A few drops of vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp vanilla sugar

Crumble topping:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1tbsp sugar
Sugar or chocolate sprinkles, or a square of dark chocolate for decoration


Instructions:

1. Take a coffee cup. Put in a tablespoon of butter and 2 tbsp of sugar. Mix really well until fluffy. This bit is worth doing well, so mix for about half a minute minimum.

2. In a separate cup, whisk an egg until it's evenly mixed. Pour half into the butter and sugar mix. You can use one whole egg, but the cake can end up a little thick in texture. Alternatively, you can use the whole egg by making two coffee cup cakes - someone might much appreciate it! (But if you eat both, I won't tell.)

3. Stir in 2 tbsp cream, yoghurt or milk. Even soy milk will do. The creamier the liquid, the fluffier the cake, though.

4. Stir in the flour, drinking chocolate powder and baking powder. Now set your cup aside  for a moment.

5. Now for the crumble. In a separate cup, mix the butter, sugar and flour with your fingers, picking and squeezing the mixture until it is crumbly. Now pour this over your cake mix.

6. Stick in the microwave for 1-2 minutes… and voila! Take your freshly baked cake out of the microwave. If you are in doubt about its readiness, stick in a toothpick - if it comes out clean, the cake is done. 

7. Decorate with sugar sprinkles or melt a square of chocolate on top.

This cake recipe can also be varied. Instead of 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp drinking chocolate, you can just use 4 tbsp flour and add something for flavour, like 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Or try mixing in some raisins or blueberries or substitute some of the cream with a tbsp of coffee or a apple sauce.

Enjoy in front of TV, feet up, with a cup of tea!

COOKING: Churros

Sunday morning, churros y chocolate for breakfast... welcome to real Spain!

If you've never had a churro before, basically you are looking at a long, slim, slightly crunchy donut, traditionally served with a sprinkling of sugar and dipped into a cup of steaming hot chocolate. 

Usually available early in the morning at local cafes, they can also be taken away wrapped in a paper cone and enjoyed at home. 


But churros are really easy to make - and you'll find they disappear pretty darn quick off the plate! Here's how to prepare your own. This recipe serves about 4-5 people.


Ingredients:

500 g white flour
500 ml water
3 tsp of baking powder (or 1 x 16g sachet of Royal Baking Powder)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
For frying: 1 litre vegetable oil
For serving: a few pinches of caster sugar

Materials:

Two medium sauce pans
Cake icing plunger or bag, with a large nozzle
Spatula
Kitchen paper or tissue


Instructions:

1. Sieve the flour and mix it with the baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2. Bring the water to the boil in a medium sauce pan. Then remove from heat, add 3 tbsp olive oil and tip in the whole of the flour mix. Start stirring with a wooden spoon and don't stop, making sure the ingredients are blending together smoothly.

3. Keep stirring the mixture until it begins to come away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Keep mixing until the dough feels even, and quite hard. Leave to cool for a short while.

4. Pour 1 litre of vegetable oil into a sauce pan and put it onto the hob to heat it up - or switch on your deep fat fryer. The oil should be somewhere between medium and maximum heat - you can always turn it up if needed.

5. Prepare a clean, dry surface to pipe your churros onto. Put the slightly cooled dough into an piping sleeve or plunger. You will find the dough very hard, so you may need some strength to push it through. If you are using a sleeve instead of a metal plunger, it's easiest to twist up the sleeve's open end really tight, then lay it on the surface you are piping onto and press down on the bag with your fist.  

You can roll the dough up into cigar shapes between your palms, but the end result will be a much harder churro. For a proper, crunchy, chewy texture, piping is recommended because it gives the churros a rugged outside that allows the oil to seep in when they cook.

6. Aim to pipe the churros into strings of about 7-10cm long. Once they are done, pop two or three in the oil to test the frying temperature. They should be done in about 1-2 minutes, be golden in colour and be completely done on the inside when you take them out. Adjust your oil temperature if needed and fry the rest in batches. Lay them out on some kitchen roll or tissue to absorb some of the cooking oil before serving.

And there we are. Your pile of yummy breakfast churros is ready to be devoured. Sprinkle with caster sugar to taste, serve with hot chocolate - and don't forget to dip!

COOKING: Roast Chicken

Mmmm… there's nothing tastier than an oven roasted chicken served with chunky vegetables and potatoes.

I like oven cooking because it allows me to potter about doing other stuff while the food pretty much takes care of itself.

Here's a quick way to give your chicken a juicy Mediterranean flavour.

This dish normally serves four people, but can stretch to six - just add extra potatoes and vegetables.

Ingredients:

A whole chicken, cleaned

One lemon

Rosemary

Basil/Tarragon - or both

Sea salt

A few glugs of olive oil

Four large potatoes

Two carrots - two per head

One red pepper

One large onion

One head of garlic

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 210 ºC.

2. Wash the chicken inside and out and put it into a roasting tray. 

2. Cut the lemon in half. Remove all the garlic garlic cloves. Don't peel them, just place them on a chopping board with the butt of a knife resting on them one at a time, giving each a good whack with the your fist on the knife handle. This will crack the cloves, allowing the juice and the flavour to escape while cooking. 

3. Stuff your chicken with the lemon halves, about 5-6 garlic cloves, and the herbs. Save a twig or two of rosemary for the vegetables. Hold the chicken so the legs are pointing up, then pour in two glugs of olive oil inside, so it drizzles down into the stuffing. Place it back in the middle of the roasting tray. Rub the chicken skin with a bit of olive oil and sea salt.

4. Put the chicken in the oven, middle shelf. Set your timer on 35 minutes. 

5. Peel the carrots and chop them roughly, size is up to you (if they are very small you can leave them whole). Wash the potatoes well. Chop them up into bite size chunks, skin on. Chop the red pepper and onion roughly the same. Remove the rest of the garlic cloves and crush them as before.

6. Put the potatoes, vegetables and garlic onto a roasting tray and pour over a few glugs of olive oil. Sprinkle with half a handful of rosemary leaves and some sea salt, mix.

7. When the times goes, lower the chicken down to a bottom shelf and put the vegetable tray in on top, but not touching the top of the oven. Use this time to baste the chicken. (If the two trays do not fit into your oven like this, alternatively you can cover the chicken with tin foil and move it up, and place the veg tray on the bottom. When removing them later, pop the vegetables up for 5-10 minutes to give them "crunch".) 

8. Set the timer for 45 minutes. You may want to baste the chicken once more during this time. 

9. When the timer goes, check if the chicken is done by pushing in a sharp knife. If clear liquid flows out, it's ready. If not, leave in for another 10-15 minutes and repeat the knife test.

Serve and enjoy!

Rosolli: You Have to Try This

If you are into experimenting with unlikely food combinations for magnificent results, this traditional Scandinavian salad is definitely the one for you. 

Simply fabulous as a side dish with meat or seafood, it is also tasty and filling enough to be enjoyed in its own right.

And best of all? It's packed with vitamins and omega oils.



Since cold and gloomyJanuary is upon us now, why not bring back some of that holiday warmth with this ravishingly red salad? 

Here's what to do.


Ingredients:

3 medium to large potatoes
3 medium cooked beet roots and their juice
2 medium pickled cucumbers
1 large apple
1 small onion
2 medium pickled herrings
4 rashers of bacon cut to small pieces
a pinch or two of salt
1-2 tbsp sugar

Dressing: 2 dl (just under one cup) of whipping cream and a little bit of beet juice


Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes with the skin on. Let them cool, then peel.

2. Fry the bacon strips until thoroughly cooked, but not quite crispy. Put to one side to cool.

3. Chop the other ingredients up. The best way to get your taste buds going is to cut everything into small cubes. Your guide size should be approximately 1 square centimetre pieces (or roughly 1/2 inch).

4. Mix everything together.

5. Season with a pinch of salt, 1-2 tbsp sugar and some beet root juice (leave a tiny bit of juice aside if you are planning to make the dressing). Keep tasting and adding more seasoning as required. Place in a bowl and serve.

6. In the Nordic countries Rosolli salad is traditionally dressed with a little bit of whipped cream. This is optional, but it does add a softness to the taste. Whip the cream until it forms peaks, but stop before it hardens. Right at the end, fold a  tiny bit of beet juice into the cream to give it a delicate pink colour. Serve dressing in a separate bowl - usually a tablespoon of it is heaped on one helping of salad.

Happy New Year!