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!