Dessert

Christmas Panna Cotta with Cranberry and Orange Compote

November 30, 2011

The one thing that I always make sure of at Christmas is to have lots of cream. It’s the perfect time to treat myself and indulge in some delicious Avonmore Irish cream. I have it with mince pies, add it to soups, use it in sauces….cream and Christmas go hand in hand. Panna cotta is one of my favourite desserts so I decided to practice a nice festive version that I can make for Christmas day. This is a slightly different version to my usual panna cotta and I took some inspiration from both Jamie Oliver and The Hairy Bikers. It is a very lightly spiced panna cotta with all the flavours of the festive season, cinnamon, all spice and ginger. I complimented this with a cranberry, brandy and orange compote. This dish looks great served in little espresso cups and is a lighter alternative to Christmas pudding but just as decadent for the holiday season. Continue Reading…

Dessert

Apple and Custard Meringue Pies

November 30, 2011

Growing up, we always had apple tress. I would eat so many apples that I would end up covered in hives. I never cared at all though as I loved coming home from school and going up to pick apples. My Mum used to make great use of the big Bramleys. They were used for tarts, apple sauces, apple snow – the list goes on. We never had any need to buy apples at home in the autumn, they were so versatile and tasty. Now we have all flown the nest but the apple trees continue to provide a bountiful crop. The last weekend I was home. I took a huge bag of juicy Bramleys back to Dublin. There had been a slight frost, which my Dad said would make them even tastier. These apples wouldn’t have passed any EU inspection as they were all misshapen with a few brown spots and each one with their own distinctive character. I really wanted to do these beauties justice. Stewed apple and homemade custard was the first thing that came to mind. I used to love this dessert as a kid.  The super hot stewed apple and creamy custard straight from the stove was a favourite of mine after school on a cold winters day. Continue Reading…

Condiments

S’Mayo

November 22, 2011

Home-made mayo is ridiculously simple to make and so much creamier and tastier than anything you will ever buy from a jar. It does have a shorter shelf life than most processed mayos, but you will find endless excuses to use up this yummy mayonnaise. I usually make ranch dressings, Marie rose and the tastiest cheesy toasties with mine.  You can also make variations of this mayo by adding fresh garlic to create a great garlic mayo or a few gherkins, capers and oilves to make a tartare sauce. All you need is a few simple ingredients and the best quality free range eggs you can get your hands on. Give it a try and I promise, you’ll never look back. Continue Reading…

Sides

The Art of French Bread

November 16, 2011

Recently I did a fantastic French bread making course. I’ve always wanted to make my own French baguette as it’s so hard to get a decent baguette in Ireland. So this course seemed like a perfect way to spend my Saturday, kneading and dreaming about la vie en France. We arrived on the dot at ten and our eager teacher was already dressed in his whites and jaunty baker’s hat. This course definitely isn’t for the faint hearted. It was go go, knead knead, and prove, prove from the outset. Continue Reading…

Treats

Chocolate Toffee Crisp Squares

November 10, 2011

These delicious treats are kind of a cross between a chocolate rice crispy cake and a toffee chocolate square. I use two types of chocolate as I think the dark chocolate offsets the sugary sweetness of the toffee. These treats are light ,crispy and fantastically moreish. They will keep for a few days in an airtight tin – that’s if you can resist eating them. Continue Reading…

Treats

Guilty Pleasures

November 3, 2011

Last week was the first time I had ever baked for my own sweet stall! It was certainly an adventure and also a great learning experience. I have a whole new respect for the amount of work that goes into producing food for a market stall. The hardest part, it has to be said, was the shopping and hauling my giant stash of sugar to the car! The theme of the market was “Guilty Pleasures” and was all about those sweet and salty snacks that we all love from time to time. My guilty pleasures were honeycomb clusters, coconut bites and some delicious biscuits. Continue Reading…