Be back soon!

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm away from today for a long weekend in the cotswolds with my hubby to celebrate our wedding anniversary. After a stressful and upsetting time we both really need and deserve this break! Sorry for my lack of blogging lately but with recent events I've not been in the mood but now with Easter around the corner I will be baking lots of lovely treats, so watch this space! I know most of you will want to know how Ollie is doing, despite him having this merciless disease he is doing quite well, still eating and playful at times, just sleeping more than usual. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for all the beautiful and kind supportive words, they have been a great comfort. Below are some pics I took of him this week. See you all very soon and have a great weekend.



Love and hugs

Maria

xx

A very sad day

I'm very sad to report that the tests came back positive. This is a very sad day for my family and me, and everyone that Ollie has touched. His long term prognosis is bleak, the vet can't say how long but could be as short as weeks. Our job now is to make his time left with us a happy time before we send him to heaven. One small mercy is he doesn't know his unwell. I'm totally devastated and not sure how I will get through this but it's such a comfort to know I have the support of so many friends. Thanks.

Love and hugs
Maria
xx

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Friday I took my kitten Ollie to the vets for his castration and when the vet was examining him she found a lump in his lower tummy which she didn’t like the feel of and said she wanted to investigate and run blood tests, so as you can imagine I was shocked and upset to say the least! Hubby and me waited anxiously all day and then we went to collect him in the afternoon, I knew it was bad news the minute she asked us to sit down for a chat. So to cut a long story short, my Ollie is unwell and his blood tests came back showing severe abnormalities, and she couldn’t tell what the lump was from the ultra-sound and x-rays as he has fluid around his tummy. She would have opened him up to investigate the lump further but due to his low blood count and anaemia that was a big no no. And then came the news that every cat owner doesn't want to hear, she told us that she had sent tests off for Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which I had never heard of but wasn’t sounding good at all. Basically if the test comes back positive the prognosis is bad. There is no treatment or cure and it’s a death sentence and I will have to eventually euthanize. I’ve been trying to stay positive and hope the test comes back negative but at the same time preparing myself for the worse. We find out tomorrow and I’m starting to feel anxious now, however at least we don’t have to wait all day and our appointment is at 8am, thank god! I decided to take my mind off things and bake a batch of these melt-in-the-mouth cookies that are definitely for those with a sweet tooth. I have never tried the Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip combo in cookies and I can certainly say that this won’t be the last time, they are so yummy!

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (10⅔oz) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp/1½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar

½ cup (3½ oz) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ cup (9 oz) white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 165oC/145oC fan oven/ 325 degrees/ Gas Mark 3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips and nuts until incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

I'll let you all know the outcome of the test and visit to the vets tomorrow. Please keep everything crossed for us!

Hummingbird Cake

There’s no better way to start a glorious sunny day than in the kitchen baking a cake to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring! I had come cross this wonderful recipe for Hummingbird Cake on my recent travels around blogs I regularly love to visit. Happy Cook from My Kitchen Treasures and Rosie from Rosie Bakes a Peace of Cake (but has now moved to Baking Cakes Galore) have both baked this cake with beautiful results, making me want to bake it too. Check out their beautiful blogs and their Hummingbird Cakes! This cake gets its dense richness from mashed bananas, pecans and crushed pineapple, and cream-cheese icing that's smeared top to bottom. Definitely a taste of heaven ready to tantalise your taste buds.

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

1½ cups of self-raising flour

1 cup of caster sugar

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp cinnamon

¾ cup of flavourless oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Few drops of vanilla extract

¾ cup pecan nuts, chopped

2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

½ cup of pineapple from a tin, drained and chopped finely

Cream cheese frosting (adapted to cover the whole cake)
1 x 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
450g (3 cups) icing sugar mixture
2 tsp milk
A few sprinkles (optional) I used sugarcraft daffodils

You will need a 20cm (8 in) round springform tin, lightly greased with a little butter and based lined with non-stick baking paper or greaseproof paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan oven 150°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, vanilla extract, oil, nuts, banana and pineapple and stir until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until firm to the touch in the centre of the cake or a skewer inserted into the centre come out clean.

Leave the cake to stand in its tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the paper from the base of the cake and place onto a cake stand or plate to serve.

To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the icing sugar and beat until well combined. Add milk and beat to combine.

Spread the cream cheese filling over the top of the cake and sides. Decorate with sprinkles etc if you wish.

Thanks Happy Cook for this lovely recipe!

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Since I first stumbled across the recipe back in 2004 when Nigella Lawson launched her cookbook “Feast”, I have made this Chocolate Guinness Cake each year to celebrate St Patricks Day. It is one of my top 10 favourite cakes that I make and one my boys and I love eating! I guess it is the Irish in my boys that draw them to it.
This cake is a dark moist sponge that oozes the flavour of the chocolate and subtle undertones resonating from the Guinness. The frothy topped pint of Guinness is replicated here with the creamy exuberance of cream cheese frosting. Sprinkled with a touch of Irish charm in these shamrocks.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients
For the cake
250ml Guinness
250g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
75g cocoa
400g caster sugar
142ml sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the topping
300g Philadelphia cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double or whipping cream

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180˚C, butter and line a 23cm springform tin.
Start by pouring the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan and add the butter; heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with eggs and vanilla and then pour in the pan of brown, buttery, beer and finally whisk in the four and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it's quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.

Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. Sprinkle with shamrock sprinkles or green glitter or sugar (optional).

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

What type of cookie lover are you – a muncher, a dunker, a nibbler, a splitter, or frosting licker? Whatever type, you won’t be able to resist these amazing cookies!! Keeping to my promise of baking more cookies or biscuits I decided to bake these Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Book Baking Book. These cookies certainly live up to their name; they are big, thick and melt-in-your mouth chewy and sure to satisfy every cookie lover. I have a feeling they will be flying out of the cookie tin at record speed!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients
2 cups (10⅔oz) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
12 tbsp/1½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar
½ cup (3½ oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cup (9 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 165oC/145oC fan oven/ 325 degrees/ Gas Mark 3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

White Chocolate and Blackberry Muffins

I had some blackberries left over from the weekend after making a blackberry and apple crumble for Sunday’s pudding. So today I was searching online and found this recipe for White Chocolate and Blackberry Muffins. This is a very quick and easy muffin recipe and produces a light moist sponge, with chunks of sweet, creamy white chocolate and tangy blackberries. These decadent muffins are great for breakfast or an afternoon treat with your cuppa!

White Chocolate and Blackberry Muffins

Serves 12

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g white choc bits
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g butter, melted
150g punnet blackberries

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan oven/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line a muffin pan with paper cases. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add sugar and choc bits. Stir until well combined.
Whisk eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and butter together in a separate bowl.
Using a large metal spoon, stir butter mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Gently swirl through berries.
Spoon mixture into muffin holes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack. Serve.

Notes & tips
These muffins are best eaten warm or within 2 days of baking.

Baked Cheesy Pasta

After a long day of shopping, getting my hair cut and daily house chores I wanted something quick and easy to fix for tonight’s dinner. I had the perfect recipe in mind and one I’ve been dying to try for ages. This Baked Cheesy Pasta is delectable and comforting and nothing fits the bill like creamy, cheesy, baked pasta after a long day!

Baked Cheesy Pasta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
375g/13oz dried pasta, such as conchiglie shells, fusilli or macaroni
300ml/ ½ pint single cream
125ml/4fl oz vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
150g/5oz Gruyere cheese, grated
150g/oz Cheddar cheese, grated
50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/350oF/Gas mark 4. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain. Meanwhile, place the cream and stock in another saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and add the mustard, the Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses and half of the Parmesan. Stir to melt all the cheese. Season with some pepper (it may not need any salt). Pour into the drained pasta and stir to mix.

Pour into a 25cm/10in square or similar rectangle ovenproof gratin dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. When you are ready to eat, place the dish in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until brown on top and bubbling around the sides.

Recipe from Rachel's Food for Living

Blondies

I love it when the postman knocks, as it can only mean one thing, packages! This morning I was greeted with the beautiful sight of that well known brown Amazon packaging containing my latest cookbook fix, The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. After completing my daily chores around the house, I couldn’t wait to sit down with a cuppa and browse through my new book. This is definitely a must have book, it is packed full with so many amazing recipes that makes you want to bake them all, which for me is a “tell tale” sign of a good book. I was spoilt for choice on what to bake but I eventually decided on this Blondie recipe and all the ingredients were to hand in my cupboards. I’ve tried various recipes for Blondies but so far this recipe wins hands down and if the aroma coming out of the oven during baking doesn’t have your taste buds tingling, then wait till you taste them! These have a light melt in your mouth texture that is packed with white chocolate that comes through wonderfully with the dark chocolate and walnuts. If you love Blondies, you won’t want to miss this experience of sheer indulgence!

Blondies

Makes 24 blondies

Ingredients
1½ cups/7½ oz all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons/1 ½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cups/10 ½ oz packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup/3 oz semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup/3 oz white chocolate chips
1 cup/4 oz pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/350oF/Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with baking parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the blondies until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the blondies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares, and serve.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding

Who doesn’t love a hearty pudding? I think puddings were made for chilly winter days but then again I could easily eat them come sunshine, rain or snow! I had 2 small ripe bananas left in the fruit bowl after making the muffins yesterday and I knew exactly where to put them to good use! I had the perfect recipe in mind and one I had remembered seeing in Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home (just loving this book). This recipe is originally from Bill Granger’s book, Simply Bill but features in Rachel’s book, as she adores this pudding and I can see why!! This self-saucing, all in one pudding is baked until the sponge has risen and set, while underneath is hiding a luscious sticky sauce. If you fancy something sweet, sticky and utterly yummy, you can’t go wrong with this pudding, especially served with good-quality vanilla ice cream.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients
For the pudding:
125g/4½ oz plain flour
3 level tsp baking powder
125g/4½ oz caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 banana, mashed
250ml/8fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g/3¼ oz butter, melted

For the topping:
100g/4oz soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
150ml/5fl oz boiling water

To Serve:
Vanilla Ice cream or softly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Sift the flour, salt, sugar, baking and powder into a bowl.
Add the mashed banana, milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.
Pour into a greased 1.25 litre baking dish.

To make the topping, place the brown sugar, golden syrup and water in a small pot and bring to a boil.
Pour the boiling mixture carefully over the pudding, then bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

It seems since making the Toffee Apple and Almond Crumble recipe I’ve been unable to put down Rachel Allen’s Favourite Food at Home. There are so many great recipes in this book that I had forgotten about (that’s what happens when you own nearly 200 cookbooks, eek). I’m making it my mission during the month of March to try out recipes I have book-marked, but don’t quote me on that, he he! In our home we adore muffins and they make a great breakfast on the run, especially for teenage boys who deny they have time for brekkie in the morning (tomorrow Jake will have no excuse)! These muffins are deliciously moist, sweet and nutty and bursting with flavour. I couldn’t resist adding some Nestle Swirled Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Morsels for that extra scrumptious touch.

Top of the Muffin to ya!

Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

Makes 12 (I ended up with 17)

Ingredients
275g/100oz plain flour
50g/2oz oats
1 tbsp baking powder
2 eggs
150g/5oz light brown sugar
2 bananas (200g/7oz), peeled and mashed
125g/4½ oz crunchy peanut butter
50g/2oz butter, melted
250ml/8fl oz milk
150g/5oz Nestle Swirled Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Morsels (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190oC/170oC fan oven/375oF/Gas mark 5. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin cases.

Place the flour, oats and baking powder in a bowl, mix together and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs; add the light brown sugar, mashed bananas, peanut butter and the melted butter. Stir to mix, then add the milk and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients and fold in gently, do not over-mix.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cases and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently touched. Allow to stand in the muffin pan for a minute before turning out to cool on a wire rack.

Wholemeal Shortbread Biscuits

Biscuits we all love them don’t we? I definitely do and what better accompaniment is there to a cup of tea, after all tea and biscuits go hand in hand! This morning I decided to stick to my promise of baking more biscuits and cookies. Some recipes can be so quick and easy, with an end result that is far superior to shop-bought. I made the Wholemeal Shortbread Biscuits from Rachel Allen’s Favourite Food at Home; these golden biscuits are not too sweet or too savoury and full of wholesome goodness. If you love digestives, these are like a lighter version and simply delicious!

Tea and biscuit anyone?

Wholemeal Shortbread Biscuits

Makes about 20

Ingredients
75g/3oz wholemeal flour
75g/3oz plain flour
100g/4oz butter, softened
50g/2oz caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan oven/350oF/Gas mark 4. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz until the mixture almost comes together and resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Then tip onto the work surface and bring it together with your hands. If you are not using a food processor, rub the butter into the combined flour and sugar in a bowl and bring together with your hands.

Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour (brown or white) and roll out the dough until it is about 5mm/ ¼in thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut into whatever shapes you like. Transfer onto a baking tray (no need to grease or line) and bake in the oven for 6-10 minutes depending on the size, or until they are pale golden and feel firm on top. Remove carefully and cool on a wire rack.

The Adorable Blog Award!

I’ve received many wonderful blog awards from friends and followers since I began blogging and it’s always such a great feeling. This is why I decided to start my own award and pass it on. When I started blogging I didn’t realize how many friends I’d make and how much fun I would have along the way. I visit many adorable and cute blogs that are filled with bright colours, innovative and inspiring pictures and best of all absolutely delicious food, which inspire me daily! I would like to thank all of you who visit my blog and leave such encouraging comments. Passing on this award is my thanks to you and your friendship. Please pass the award on, you will find the rules below.

I’m passing this award on to:

Beth @ Jam and Clotted Cream
Maria @ Two Peas and their Pod
Happy Cook @ My Kitchen Treasures
Rosie @ Baking Cakes Galore
Reeni @ Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Erica @ Oh My! Apple Pie!
Anne @ Anne's Kitchen
Dani @ Sweet Treats
Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar
Natalia @ Gatti Fili e Farina
Antonia @ Food Glorious Food
Margaret @ Kitchen Delights
Ivy @ Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality
Nic @ Cherrapeno
Kelly @ Cooking the Books
Heather @ Sherry Trifle and Cats
Airy Fairy @ Airy Fairy Cupcakes

If there is anyone I have missed, I apologise and please except this award and pass it on!


Include the award logo in your blog or post.
Nominate as many blogs which show adorability, cuteness and charm.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Toffee, Apple and Almond Crumble

If there is one thing I love about weekends, it’s the opportunity to entertain friends or family at our home. This weekend we had my lovely mother in law over on Sunday for the day, she arrived just after 1pm, which gave me plenty of time for preparations. I got up early and prepared a chicken and mushroom bake in the slow cooker and then got started on what I can only describe as the most divine crumble ever! I had come across this recipe ages ago in my copy of Rachel Allen’s Favourite Food at Home but I’d never got round to making it, that is until Beth at Jam and Clotted Cream blogged about it recently and I was sold! The combination of toffee, apples and almond in this crumble transforms this favourite comfort pudding into something really special. This crumble was served with vanilla ice cream and extra toffee sauce and was a big hit all round! I loved this so much I did a Nigella and helped myself to seconds later on in the evening to eat while watching Lost, pure bliss!

Toffee, Apple and Almond Crumble

Ingredients:

Toffee Sauce:

125g Golden Syrup

125g Light Brown Sugar

50g Butter

100ml Single Cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Crumble:

175g Self Raising Flour

Zest 1 Lemon

85g Butter, cubed

85g Light Brown Sugar

50g Ground Almonds

Filling:

6 Eating Apples, cored, peeled, quartered and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks

25g Butter

Method:

Preheat the oven 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Put all ingredients for the toffee sauce into saucepan over a medium heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring until smooth. Set aside. Make the crumble topping by placing flour and lemon zest in a bowl and rub in butter, leaving it a little rough and uneven. Stir in the sugar and ground almonds to the crumble and place in the fridge until you are ready to use it. To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan or frying pan, add the chopped apples and toss on the heat for a few minutes until the apples start to soften. Add 125ml of the toffee sauce (about half; keep the rest for serving) and continue to simmer for a few minutes longer until the apples are just cooked. Pour the apple mixture in a pie dish and sprinkle over crumble and bake in the preheated oven for 20-40 minutes or until the crumble is light golden and with toffee sauce juices bubbling up the sides. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a jug of the remaining warm toffee sauce!

Cherry Bakewell Cake ~ Sweet and Simple Bake!

It’s that time again for our monthly round-up at Sweet and Simple Bakes, this month Rosie chose this Cherry Bakewell Cake. It just so happens that Cherry Bakewell has been a life-long favourite of my hubby’s and yes he couldn’t wait for me to make it! The classic combination has this cake bursting with almond flavour, sandwiched together with the luxurious dark morello cherry conserve and topped with a blanket of silky white icing adorned with toasted flaked almonds and natural glace cherry halves. If you know someone who adores Bakewell Tart or slices, then they will love this cake and you! Please pop over to Sweet and Simple Bakes to view more delicious entries.

If you would like to re-create this delicious cake, you can find the recipe here!