Instarecipe! Honey Nut and Fruit Granola

Knee deep surrounded by countless boxes, it's safe to say that I'm very nearly packed and well on my way to university life with less than a week to go until the big move in day. As you would assume, I am a bit nervous with what to expect but I'm also so excited to see what this next step in my life brings (sorry for the cheesy cliche but it's true!) 

Lovely Lavender Loaf with Blueberry Icing

The three L's, lovely lavender loaf... this cake has real summer vibes and is perfect for the weekend when you just want to sit outside and chill in the sunshine, and eat of course! I have dabbled with lavender in baking before, but with raspberries, it was one of my very first blog posts which I did way back in July 2014. OMG, that was over 2 years ago. How time flies! (See said post here.)

Garlic Pesto, Tomato and Courgette Pizzettes

Back off my holidays and afresh with new ideas, I couldn't wait to get back into the kitchen! On my travels I re-discovered how delicious freshly baked bread can be. Plain and simple, with no additions, just with a dip of good quality extra-virgin olive oil and some sea salt flakes. I'd forgotten how good it can taste and with this in the back of my mind, it inspired me to make these vibrant, gorgeous pizzettes. 

Using equally good quality fresh ingredients of piccolo tomatoes, garlic, pesto, courgette and rocket is all you need with this recipe.... a perfect lunch to beat those post-holiday blues.

They taste just as delicious hot or cold and even though it makes 8 which may seem a lot, they are supposed to be smaller than your average pizza, hence the cute name - pizzette, so trust me on this one because with these on your kitchen worktop, you won't be able to help yourself but nibble on them all day long (like I did!) 

The dough is effortless too, which for me is just what I tend to go for when choosing a bread recipe. Because who has the time these days to keep going back and to? Proving, knocking back, shaping, re-proving...it can often go on and on! I do have to admit though, I love kneading dough, yet, there is a time and place for it. It just so happens to be that stirring together the dough until it forms a ball is actually the best thing for a flatbread, meaning no need for a knead (sorry). 

Garlic  Pesto,  Tomato  and  Rocket  Pizzettes 

Ingredients

For the dough: 100g wholemeal (whole-wheat) plain flour 200g strong white bread flour ¾ tsp salt 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
For the topping: 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp basil pesto ¼ courgette 10 piccolo tomatoes salt and pepper ½ tsp balsamic vinegar handful of rocket

Method

The dough will need to be made 2 hours in advance so it has time to rise before putting the toppings on. To make the dough place both flours in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add in the salt and yeast and then 225 ml of lukewarm water. Stir until it forms a ball and no floury patches remain. Cover the bowl with plastic cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for a minimum of 2 hours, 
To prepare the toppings, mix the garlic with olive oil and pesto in a small bowl. Grate the courgette into small strips or use a spiralizer to create short strands. Slice the tomatoes into quarters. Season the courgette and tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle over the balsamic vinegar.  
Once the dough has finished rising, preheat a large ovenproof, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Form the dough into 8 balls, you may need to dust your hands and the work surface with flour. Flatten each ball into roughly 12.5cm (5-inch) diameter circles with your hands. 
Place 2 circles of the dough into the preheated frying pan. Brush them quickly with the garlic pesto mixture and top with some of the tomatoes, courgette and rocket leaves. Cook for about 3 minutes, the underside will be browned but make sure they don't blacken underneath by carefully lifting the sides with a fish slice to check. Then place under the hot grill for another few minutes or until puffed up and golden and the rocket has wilted. Remove the pizzettes from the pan and keep them warm whilst you repeat the process with the other 6. 

Banoffee Blondies

The blondie. I predict that some of you may be completely in the dark as to what this actually is. If that's you, well, I'll tell you what it is. 

Strawberry, White Chocolate and Pistachio Tier Cake

This one is gonna be a bit of a quick post because even though I've finsihed college, I've found myself so busy these past two weeks and with the bulk of birthday season behind me now, I just had this one last cake to make...as requested by my friend Ellen.

Pear and Chocolate Pudding Pots

At last. My exams are over! Woop woop! I can safely say au revoir to A Levels and bonjour to university. Well, in September that is. For now it's back to blogging, cake making for the many birthdays that are coming up, and having a good old rest. The Summer awaits!! 

Instarecipe! Toffee Cake

I've been making loads of cakes recently, everyone's birthday appears to be at this time of year and I know what you're thinking - duh, surely this happens every year so you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but turns out no! It somehow always ends up creeping up on me and then all of sudden I'm whipping up cakes in a frenzy. Then to add to that I've got others panicking about their friends/family birthday and at last minute I've got cake orders coming out of my ears. (I've never quite got that metaphor but I'll go with it anyway!) While I bake my way through this cake marathon I try to keep things interesting and make something new (when allowed)....like this toffee cake. It makes an awesome birthday cake, or equally good at any old time with a cuppa of course. 

Raspberry, Poppy Seed and Elderflower Cake

Happy Bank Holiday for all you UK readers! I wasn't planning on making this recipe for a post. It was a cake I created for a friend of a friend's birthday this weekend, but I thought you know what...this cake looks so beautiful (as you can probably tell, I'm very pleased with it!!) so I'll share the recipe anyway - even though I can't cut into it myself and show you the finished inside. 

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

Reading about rhubarb (well, to be honest mainly just looking at pretty Pinterest images ) got me thinking about how much I love these stalky vegetables and it turns out - way more than I thought I already did ( yes! They're vegetables posing as fruit!! Sneaky eh?) 

Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Pastry Rolls

There's not much to this recipe, and by that I mean in the way of very few ingredients, plus it's not the most complex of creations. BUT that doesn't mean to say it's not delicious! ... gimme banana, gimme chocolate, gimme hazelnuts and you can't really go wrong. A true tried and tested combination that just works for all the right reasons. Along with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and all encased with flaky puff pastry - it's an indulgent dessert that's easy enough for anyone to pull off.

Hasselback Apples with Nutty Streusel Topping

I don't quite know how I came about baking this because really, out of everything, it's rather an Autumnal recipe... with the sweet scent of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting out of the oven, it completely juxtaposes to this lovely Summery weather we've been having in the UK recently. 

John Whaite's Fried Butter Beans and Avocado ( plus... pictures from the shoot - Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients)

I'm not usually one to brag, however, on this one occasion you'll find that this isn't the case as I have quite a bit of stored up information which I can now finally off load to you all. Aahhhh! (Can you hear my sigh of relief?)

Quinoa Granola (sugar-free and gluten free)

I thought that this week a breakfast recipe was in order as I'm constantly trying to find new and not-so-boring cereal alternatives to my weekday mornings. The problem with cereals is, as I've just mentioned: BORING! And when you've just about had enough of your cereal rota (everyone does have one right?) I do struggle to come up with on-the-spot alternatives which won't make me late for college, and that keep me full till lunch, (which believe me, is a hard task when I'm tempted with the daily smell of freshly baked sixth form coffee bar croissants lingering under my nose till noon!) 

Chocolate Energy Bars [sugar-free, dairy and gluten free, vegan!]

I know what you're thinking..."what?! How can these be sugar-free (as well as all those other things)??" Well my friends, they're not too good to be true, and these are in fact all the stated above. That's because these bars gets their sugary-ness from the fresh dates which make up the bulk of these bars. Along with flaked almonds so they're gluten free and good quality cocoa powder to make them chocolate - obviously! 

They're called energy bars because they make an awesome snack, perfect to last you all week as a pick me-up treat between meals that won't leave you feeling guilty. They'll actually leave you feeling fuller for longer and thanks to all the added extras there's a wealth of benefits too! 

Last year, reported by the Daily Telegraph, "A handful of nuts can save your life" after a Dutch study found a link between daily nut consumption and a reduced chance of dying from a number of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. These chocolate energy bars will supply you with your daily fix of nuts - being rich in walnuts and pistachios.
And it doesn't just stop there...the health benefits of dates are reported to promote good digestive health due to containing fibre, boost heart health, are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory benefits, reducing stroke risk & blood pressure, and finally boost brain health (so I'll be getting lots of these stashed away with all my exam revision coming up!)

This recipe is taken and ever so slightly adapted from 'Sugar Free: Over 60 Recipes with No Added Sugar' by Sue Quinn, published this year. I was bought this book for my birthday and I am loving it! The handy book is an excellent starting point if your looking to reduce (or even eliminate) added sugar in your diet. The recipes are innovative and most happen to be vegan too, there's a whole host of recipes ranging from breakfasts to desserts as well as simple basics such as ketchup. What I love is that unlike many other sugar-free books which actually call for honey, agave or other sugar syrups, this book doesn't and are all natural! The book is an eye opener too with it's stylish design/photography making for an enticing approach to sugar free food. 

Chocolate  Energy  Bars  [ sugar-free,  dairy  and  gluten free,  vegan ] 

Ingredients:

Makes 20 bars
400g pitted fresh dates 60ml melted coconut oil 2 tsps vanilla extract (unsweetened) 40g good quality cocoa powder (unsweetened and check labels if gluten-free - if needed) 125g ground almonds 1 heaped tbsp golden flaxseeds 40g pistachios, roughly chopped 40g walnuts, roughly chopped 50g dried berries - I used a mix of cranberries, golden raisins, inca berries, cherries & blueberries 50g sunflower seeds 2 tbsp desiccated coconut

Method

Blitz the dates in a food processor to a paste, add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and cocoa, then blitz again until a smooth mix. Tip the paste into a bowl and add in the ground almonds and mix with clean hands or a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the dessicated coconut and mix together until evenly dispersed. 
Line a 20cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with foil. Tip the mixture into the lined tin and press down firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the coconut and lightly press in. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Little Honey, Orange and Pistachio Cakes

I like pistachios. I like pistachios a lot!! I think I'd  have to put pistachios within the top three of mt favourite nuts list...(if that even exists as a thing? ) And for that reason you'll often find me putting pistachios into whatever I bake as much as possible. 

Quick Orange Caramel and Cinnamon Portuguese Tarts

Happy Easter everyone! I bring you these tasty portuguese tarts (instead of a chocolate egg), but they are rather 'easter' ish with the hot cross bun flavors of cinnamon and orange. These tarts are perfect for when you've got a pack of ready made puff pastry in the fridge and you don't know what to do with it. When flicking through my old Jamie's 30 Minute Meals book I came across his recipe for quick portuguese tarts and was interested to try this rendition made with crème fraîche instead of the tradish' custard method and topped with an orange caramel. Mmmmmm!!!

I didn't quite manage to bash 'em out in 30 minutes (disappointedly) but nonetheless they were quick to do, and were ready to eat in under an hour. Still very impressive, well I think so! I'd forgotten how great his 30 minute meals book was to be honest, I'll definitely be revisiting it to try out some recipes I've never actually got round to making before. 

I have adapted Jamie's recipe slightly, the tarts have cinnamon sprinkled between the layers of pastry and in the custard too along with the zest of an orange. Then, the caramel to top it all off, is flavoured with the juice of an orange, made with that instead of your usual water sugar syrup. Oh and I made the recipe to give 12 tarts instead of 6, who wants just 6 tarts?! They'd be gone in a flash. 

Note: To clean your pan after making the caramel, boil a kettle ready and then once you've emptied the pan, quickly pour in boiling water and put it back onto the heat to dissolve those annoyingly hard bits of caramel left which won't budge. 

Quick  Orange Caramel and  Cinnamon  Portuguese  Tarts

Ingredients:

Makes 12 tarts plain flour for dusting 500g pack of ready made puff pastry few good pinches ground cinnamon 10 tbsp caster sugar flavourless oil spray for greasing 250ml crème fraîche 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 large orange

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ gas 6. Dust a work surface with flour and then roll out your pastry to a rough rectangle measuring approx 30 x 40 cm. Sprinkle over a a few good pinches of cinnamon and a tbsp of sugar. Roll up the pastry starting at one long side to the other, into a swiss roll shape tightly. Cut into 12 equal sized rounds. 
Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with oil spray and then press each pastry round into the tin, cut side up so you can see the swirl, then use your fingers to mold and push the pastry into the sides of the muffin hole, stretching the pastry until the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up the sides to the top. Put the pastry cases into the oven to bake for 10 mins. Then take the tin out of the oven and with a small teaspoon, push the puffed up pastry back to the sides and bottom to make room for the filling. Put them back into the oven to bake again for another 2 minutes until lightly golden. 
Meanwhile, to make the filling put the crème fraîche, eggs, vanilla, 2 tbsp sugar, a few pinches of cinnamon and the zest of an orange into a large jug and whisk till well combined. Once the pastry cases have cooked, take them out of the oven and slowly pour in the custard mixture into the cases, being careful not to overfill them or spill any down the sides. 
Return the pastry cases back to the oven to bake for 10 minutes. When the tarts have a few minutes left to cook make the caramel. 
Put a small metal saucepan on a high heat and squeeze in the juice of the zested orange, add 7 tbsp of sugar and leave to dissolve and bubble. Keep an eye on the caramel and don't be tempted to stir it, only swirl the pan. Once the mixture begins to bubble less and turns to a light golden straw colour it's done and lift the pan off the heat immediately. 
Carefully remove the tarts from the tin using a palette knife and leave them to cool on a wire rack. Pour over a little hot caramel onto each tart, leave the tarts to cool down and set. They're best eaten on the day of the making, store in the fridge in an airtight container. 

Earl Grey, Orange and Elderflower Cake (My Birthday Cake!)

In case you haven't gathered from the title of this post - it was my birthday recently! One week ago to be precise... the biggie - 18!! This was my birthday cake which I requested my friend Ellen to make for me, because let's be honest, who wants to make their own birthday cake?! (it's a bit on the sad side if you ask me, I know, I know, I've made it in the past for myself but this year I just wasn't feeling it.) Anyway, me and Ellen have this deal where she makes mine if I'll make hers, and she's also 18 in June so I think we're on even par when it comes to making an equally impressive cake for a rather momentous celebration. 

"Have a Cuppa!" Tea Loaf - Refined Sugar Free

I'm not one to go completely all out with this "sugar free" lifestyle thingy'. BUT, when I do come across a recipe that I might actually like, then it's well worth trying some alternatives out every once in awhile. Plus, it makes eating it feel a whole lot more satisfying knowing there's no guilt involved! A bonus of course!

Beetroot Cake [gluten and refined sugar free - vegan, dairy free option]

I've never tried using beetroot in baking before. I'd heard of chocolate beetroot cake before and last week's Sport Relief Great British Bake Off also reminded me of it. But given the fact that I'm not a big chocolate cake lover myself (I know how could I?) when I came across Twigg Studios' just beetroot cake, I couldn't wait to give it a try.

Sultana, Seed and Cherry Madeira Traybake

Have you been flipping pancakes this week? I have, and needless to say I stuck to the same old, same old safe bet which I do year on year, simply filling mine with honey, berries and lemon. I always mean to try out something new for a change, but never quite get round to doing it when there's countless essays and revision looming over me.