Spicy Ginger Crackles

All this gloomy weather makes one long for comfort don't you think? Today I had a hankering for some homey biscuits, something all spicy and warm, something that would go down a real treat with a hot drink.



I love ginger biscuits, but I don't like it when they are really hard. I don't mind a bit of crunch on the outside, but I want them to be soft and chewy on the insides.

These delicious biscuits fit the bill perfectly.



They are wonderfully spiced!! With a full 1 1/2 TBS of ground ginger and a further 2 tsp of ground cinnamon, they smell absolutely heavenly when they are baking. Chopped candied ginger adds another depth of sweet heat.



The demerara sugar coating on the outside gives them a wonderfully sweet crunch. The original recipe called for rolling them in icing sugar before baking, but I found that it virtually melted into the biscuits and so I have always just rolled them in demerara sugar. It looks great and tastes great!



Crunchy on the outside yes . . . but nice and chewy on the insides. Just the way I like them. Of course you could bake them for a few minutes longer if you want crunchy, but I like chewy. It is my bliss. 12 minutes gets you chewy bliss. 15 minutes gets you crunch.



Truth be told, they are gorgeous either way. Almost too gorgeous! I think I'll have to put them under lock and key, and give the key to Todd. It will probably be the only way I'll be able to leave them alone!



*Spicy Ginger Crackles*
Makes 3 dozen
Printable Recipe

A deliicous ginger cookie that is nicely spiced and coated in crunchy demarara sugar!

4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
7 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
2.4 ounces molasses (1/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
1 1/2 TBS ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8.5 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 ounces chopped candied ginger (about 1/3 cup)
Demerara sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Berat in the egg. Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, soda and a pinch of salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture, combining well. Stir in the candied ginger.

Place some demerara sugar in a bowl. You will only need a couple tablespoonsful. Shape spoonfuls of the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in the demerara sugar and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crackled. Remove from the oven. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, and then scoop off to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note - the original recipe called for rolling the cookies icing sugar, but I found it didn't work well. The icing sugar disappeared on baking. Demerara sugar gives a much nicer finish.

Morello Cherry, Oat and Buttermilk Muffins

Every once in a while I like to bake us up some tasty muffins for breakfast. Not only are they quick and easy, but they make a nice change from cereal and toast.



Most times, I measure out the dry ingredients in a bowl the night before, and whisk them together before I go to bed. I cover them and then the next morning all I have to do is to whisk together the wet, combine the two, spoon them into the tins and in less than half an hour we have some nice warm muffins ready to eat. They go down a real treat in the morning, served warm with a nice cup of cocoa. (or tea or coffee if that is your choice.)



These delicious muffins are one of our favourites. Wholesome with oats, and with a moist buttermilk batter, they have the added surprise of a centre filled with morello cherry preserves.



Sometimes I top them with flaked almonds before baking, but more often than not, I sprinkle a bit of demerara sugar on top, which gives them a nice crunchy topping.



They freeze really well too. You can just pop any leftovers into a zip lock baggie and the take one or two out as you need them, warming them up in the microwave for about 35 to 40 seconds. Delicious, and nice to have on hand when you get a bit of unexpected company!



*Morello Cherry, Oat and Buttermilk Muffins*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Delectably moist and wholesome. with a surprisingly scrummy centre of Morello Cherry Preserves!

8 ounces of plain flour (scant 2 cups)
2 ounces of porridge oats (not instant) (scant 3/4 cup)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp salt
4 ounces caster sugar (scant 2/3 cup)
2 medium free range eggs
250ml of low fat buttermilk (9 fluid ounces)
3 ounces butter, melted (6 TBS)
1 tsp almond essence
4 TBS morello cherry preserves
3 TBS demerara sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter well a 12 hole standard muffin cup, or line with paper liners. Set aside.

Measure the flour, oats, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and almond essence. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir together only to moisten without over mixing. Spoon a dollop into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Drop 1 tsp of preserves into the centre of each and then cover with a dollop of the remaining batter. Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

In Search of the Perfect Baked Potato

I love potatoes. They are my favourite vegetable. I could live without chocolate. I could live without cake. I could live without cookies . . . I could not ever live without potatoes. Oh sure, I've tried low carb . . . but the potato is my downfall every time. I just can't get on for very long without them!

I like em steamed. I like em mashed. I like em fried. I like em roasted. I like em hot. I like em cold. I even like em raw . . . but the way that I like em most of all . . . is baked!



You just can't beat a good baked potato. Rough on the outside, crisp even . . . and explodingly fluffy on the insides. Big and fat and round . . . and eaten so hot that you have to blow on every forkful you bring to your mouth . . . you just can't wait for them to cool down . . . you have to eat them NOW!

Not just any potato will do. You don't want a waxy potato. (A waxy potato is perfect for potato salad because it holds up it's shape in cooking.) You want a nice fluffy potato, big and round . . . like a King Edward or Maris Piper, or in North America . . . a Russet.



You can't hurry a baked potato. It's not something you can rush. The perfect baked potato takes a long slow roasting in a hot oven. Some people like to wrap them in foil. Foil wrapped baked potato = soggy icky baked potato. Some people like to wet them and roll them in salt. That works quite well I suppose. Some people like them rubbed with oil, or with butter before they are baked.


Me??? I just wash em, and prick them all over (a necessity unless you want to be clearing off exploded bits of baked potato from all over the insides of your oven) and then I lay them in the hot oven right on the rack. No pan. No foil. Just hot air wrapping itself around that potato and baking it until it is crispy and nutty on the outside and fully on the inside. In short perfect!



Don't cut into your baked potato . . . that only mashes the potato together and compacts it. Nigel Slater swears by the Karate Chop! (And you know how much I love Nigel Slater!) He recommends just a llight sharp tap on the side of the potato, like a karate chop . . . not so hard that you smash the potato to smithereens . . . just hard enough to slightly crack open the potato and let all the air out in a whoosh, leaving behind a tasty fluffy pile of snowy potato, just begging for a big pat of butter and your fork!

A steak is not a steak without a baked potato on the side, but a good baked potato deserves so much more than to be merely an accessory to the main course . . . a good baked potato is like having a blank canvas that you can paint a most beautiful picture on. It can be the whole meal and for me it often is.

• With tasty Baked Beans ladled on top and lotsa lotsa cheese.
• Topped with scrummy coleslaw or tuna salad or both!
  
• Lotsa cheddar cheese and lashings of crispy bacon
• A big slab of goats cheese or even better . . . some tasty Brie
• With a meaty Bolognaise Sauce ladled over top, or the best . . . Chili and cheese!
• Bits of steamed broccoli and cauliflower and then a tasty cheese sauce ladled over top
• Leeks braised in butter and lots of grated Fontina cheese

To get the perfect baked potato, just follow these basic rules. Pick a floury potato (Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet). Wash and prick all over with a fork. Bake right on the rack of a hot oven, 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6, for about an hour or so depending on the size of your potato. Give it a light karate chop before eating. Spoon on the butter and eat up right away!



Baked Potatoes with Rocket, Broad Beans and Blue Cheese.



Jacket Potatoes with Chili and Cheese



Rarebit Jacket Potatoes



Baked Potato Pizza



Jacket Potatoes with Cream and Walnuts

So what are you waiting for??? Grab a potato and start baking!!

Chocolate Chip and Cream Cookie Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookies? Check! All buttery and stogged full of semi sweet chocolate chips!



Double Stuff Oreo Cookies??? Check!! All dark chocolatey and crisp . . . and filled with lots of creamy middle stuff!



Chocolate Fudge Brownies???? Check!!! Rich and dense and oh so fudgy!

The three all together in one tray bake??? Could this really happen??? Do my eyes deceive me???



It's true! You are not imagining these. They are the ultimate in chocolate brownies, but it doesn't stop there. I have used Double Stuff Oreo biscuits here today, but you can choose to use any cream filled biscuit that you want. Custard Creams? Bourbon? The world of cream bixcuits is your oyster! Pick your own poison!



I don't dare hazard a guess as to how many calories is in one of these. It probably doesn't bear thinking about . . . just look and drool.



As a once in a blue moon treat for a room full of teenagers that are going to burn it all off later on??? Perfect!!



Me? I only dared have a bite and let me tell you now. It was heaven. I know a group of men at my church later today who will likely concur. ☺



*Chocolate Chip and Cream Cookie Brownies*
Makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Oh so decadent, with each mouthful bringing you all the deliciousness of a chocolate chip cookie, a cream cookie and a brownie!

For the Chocolate Chip Cookie base:
4 ounces of softened butter (1/2 cup)
3.5 ounces caster sugar (1/2 cup)
3.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cup)
6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

For the Brownie part:
3 ounces continental style dark chocolate (at least 70%cocoa solids)
3 ounces butter (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
2 large free range eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
12 ounces of sugar (1 1/3 cup approx.)
6.5 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cups)

You will also need 12 cream filled cookies (custard creams, oreos, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan, line with parchment and butter the parchment. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars for the chocolate chip base until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the soda, salt and flour and then stir this into the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using floured hands, press this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing it over as best as you can.

Place the chocolate and butter for the brownie base in a saucepan and melt together over low heat. Once melted and smooth, stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour.

Crumble the cream cookies over top of the chocolate chip cookie base. Pour the brownie mixture over top of this.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is shiny and set and a knife inserted near the centre comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Try not to overbake. Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing. Lift out by the parchment paper when cool and cut into squares.

Note: You may ice these if you wish, but I don't think it's really needed.

Honeyed Tomato Soup with Cheddar and Onion Marmalade Panini

The weather really has been miserable this past week . . . cold, showery and windy! Mind you, we do need the rain. Our garden is simply gasping for it!



One isn't really inclined to eat warm weather food on this rainy cold days though. One wants comforting sustenance . . . rib sticking, tummy warming, soulful food.
A nice warming soup always fits the bill perfectly. Especially soups such as this tantelizingly delicious Honeyed Tomato Soup here today! It's simple, easy, quick and fantastically tasty!



Rich and herby with just a hint of sweet . . . your guests will wonder what your secret is. It tastes like it should have a bazillion calories in it, but guess what?? THERE IS HARDLY ANY FAT! It's just tomatoes, herbs, love fat milk . . . and that incredible richness comes from tinned skimmed evaporated milk.



Oh sure . . . you could use cream, but it's not really needed. You get all the deliciousness of a full cream soup, without any of the fat or calories!

I like that. Of course, one cannot say the same about the accompanying sandwich, but then . . . you can't have it all can you?



*Honeyed Tomato Soup*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A deliciously simple tomato soup, slightly sweetened with honey. I find the honey helps the tomatoes from being too acidic. It just tastes wonderful. Who would guess that is is low in fat!

2 (390g) pouched of chopped Italian tomatoes with onions and garlic (about 4 cups)
2 ribs of celery chopped
splash of white wine
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 TBS runny honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
250ml of skimmed evaporated tinned milk (1 cup)
250ml of 2% milk (1 cup)

Place the tomatoes, celery, white wine, sage and rosemary into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir in the honey and season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the celery is soft. Blitz until smooth with a stick blender if you have it, or very carefully in a regular blender. Alternately you can put it through a moulee. Return to the heat. Whisk in most of the tinned milk, reserving a bit for a garnishing. Whisk in the milk. Heat through. Ladle out into 4 heated soup bowls. Drizzle a bit of the reserved tinned milk on top and drag through it with a toothpick to make a lovely swirl.



These are quite simply one of my favourite ways to make a grilled cheese. Simple and yet filled with wonderfully rich flavours! The tanginess of the strong cheddar cheese, combined with the sweetness of red onion marmalade, tucked inside a sturdy loaf and grilled until it is scrummily oozingly delicious! If you can't find Onion Marmalade, you could use a good chutney, and then again you could make your own.



*Cheddar and Onion Marmalade Panini*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

These are soooo good!! The perfect "go with" for a cup of soup!

8 thin slices of a sturdily rustic white loaf (I used a French Boule, which
I sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices)
4 generous tablespoons of onion marmalade
8 ounces of a good strong farmhouse cheddar, sliced
softened butter for buttering

Heat your panini press. Lay out 4 slices of your bread. Spread 1 TBS of onion marmalade onto each. Top with a generous amount of cheddar, dividing it equally amongst the bread. Top with the other 4 slices. Butter each sandwich lightly on each side and place into the Panini press. Grill until the cheese is meltingly scrummy and the panini have nice grill lines. Serve immediately.

Oven Baked Chicken and Broccoli Risotto

I love risotto, and I totally adore oven baked risotto's. Why???



Because essentially I can be a bit lazy sometimes, and these are risotto's that basically cook themselves. There is no standing over the stove, babying them along, adding ladles of stock, one . . . ladle . . . at a . . . time.



You just add all the ingredients to a casserole dish . . . and bake!



Easy peasy, lemon squeasy! Nothing could be simpler.



I have a fantastic recipe for a delicious Baked Risotto with Courgettes, Tomatoes and Parmesan Here. And I have another delicious recipe for a Meatball Risotto Soup Here. Both delicious, both easy, both very popular!



This one is today is very colourful and very tasty. Creamy,rich and just stogged full of tasty bits of chicken and crunchy green bits of broccoli. Of course you don't have to use broccoli if you don't want to . You can choose to use another green vegetable such as asparagus, or green beans or even peas. All are equally as delicious! (Not to mention easy!)

I love easy food, especially when it also happens to be delicious! Don't you?



*Oven Baked Chicken and Tender Stem Broccoli Risotto*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

The best thing about this dish is that it practically cooks itself. You can sit back and enjoy a drink while it is baking. It's also really quick!

2 TBS olive oil
500g (1lb 2 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
250g (9 ounces) arborio rice
750ml (3 cups) chicken stock
1 bunch of tender stem broccoli, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces
35g (1/3 cup) grated parmesan Cheese, plus extra to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Heat 1 TBS of the olive oil iin a large flameproof casserole over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown. Remove from the casserole and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil and the onion to the dish. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for about 30 seconds longer. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly with the oil. Add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the casserole and bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and the broccoli and recover. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and just tender. Stir iin the Parmesan cheese, season with salt and black pepper, and serve. Have extra Parmesan ready to spoon over individual servings. Delicious!

Note: If you don't really like broccoli, you can substitute it with an equal amount of asparagus.

Almond Gingerbread

If I had to pick a flavour I love above all else, I would have a very difficult time doing so. I just love sooooo many flavours . . . and a lot depends on what type of mood I am in, or the weather, or even what's in the refrigerator. I guess you could say I just love food, full stop!



I do have a serious thing for ginger though . . . I love it's warmth and spice . . . that peppery heat, that goes so very well with lots of things . . . tart lemons, sweet fruits and berries, nuts, breads, chicken and pork! Dark Chocolate!! (ohhh . . . I am hungry now! Dang!!)



I do love a good gingerbread and I have some great recipes for quite a variety of them. The ones I've already posted you can find here. I have many, many more, trust me . . . but they will be revealed to you one at a time as time goes by, and according to my cravings. (I am such a glutton and a tease!)



I just adore this particular gingerbread. It's light . . . and moist . . . and mild. Just perfect for those times when I am craving a gingerbread, but not looking for anything too heavy.



There are more almonds in this than there are flour, which makes for a very light cake, and also a very moist cake. It's also chock full of lovely little bits of preserved stem ginger. I use Opies, which I like. If you are so inclined you can even get it steeped in a whiskey syrup. Just sayin is all . . .



Anyways, this cake is lovely. You get a fabulous crunch on top from the flaked almonds, all toasty and nutty, and then brushed with some of the ginger syrup when warm, giving them a bit of sweet heat. Moist cake, with tangy little spicy sweet bits of ginger throughout. All in all . . . F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!



Trust me. Have I ever lied to you? I thought not!



*Almond Gingerbread*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A gently flavoured gingerbread, moist and topped with the wonderful crunch of flaked almonds and ginger syrup.

3 1/2 ounces butter (7 TBS), softened
5 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
4 large free range eggs
2 ounces of stem ginger in syrup, plus 4 TBS of the syrup (2 1/2 knobs)
7 ounces of almond flour (2 cups)
3 ounces self raising flour (3/4 cup)
1 ounce flaked almonds (scant 1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan and line with baking parchment. Butter the parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each one is added.

Finely chop the stem ginger. Add to the butter mixture, along with 2 TBS of syrup. Fold in the ground almonds and flour. Spread in the baking tin, smoothing the top over. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is firm to the touch and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. (If the almonds begin to brown too much, cover lightly with a sheet of foil.)

Remove from the oven when done. Gently heat the remaining ginger syrup and brush over top of the warm cake. Leave to cool, then cut into slices to serve.