Coconut Cream Brownies

Coconut Cream Brownie

1 cup coconut cream
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 grams chopped dark chocolate
100 grams chopped white chocolate

First of all, when I say coconut cream I mean the thick stuff that separates and sits at the top of a can of good quality coconut milk. I do not mean that really hard cream of coconut stuff that you use in curry.

So to begin with, turn the oven on to 180 degrees celsius and line a brownie pan with baking paper. Then combine the coconut cream and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix again until smooth.

Now add the remaining ingredients (you don't need to worry about sifting the flour). Mix well, until everything is combined and no pockets of flour remain. Then pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies


100 grams butter
125 grams crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
150 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150 grams white chocolate, roughly chopped

First, preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius and line a couple of cookie trays.

Soften the butter, then cream the sugar into it. Add the eggs and beat the mixture well, then add the vanilla and beat again.

Sift in the cinnamon, salt, flour and baking soda. Mix them in as well as you can with a large spoon, then add the oats and chocolate. I don't actually chop my chocolate up, instead I put it in the freezer beforehand and then bring it out and smash it with a rolling pin. It's much easier and faster, after you've bashed it up a bit you can just open the packet and tip out the chunks of chocolate.

So you will have to finish mixing the dough with your hands because it's a sort of crumbly mixture. Instead of rolling it into balls you have to take a small handful and press it together until it holds its cookie shape. These cookies did not spread too much for me, but different people often get different results so I would suggest placing them far apart for the first batch, just in case they spread.

Bake each tray of cookies for 15 minutes, then take them out and let them cool a bit on the tray. This recipe made about 38 cookies (quite large cookies).

Peach Whiskey Chicken

Peach Whiskey Chicken
Adapted from Blonde Ambitions

1 kg chicken pieces
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large brown onion, diced
1 cup whiskey
2 cups BBQ sauce (or thereabouts, I used a 475 mL bottle)
1/2 cup water
1 cup peach preserves/peach jam
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced into thin pieces

Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees celsius and get out a dish large enough to fit all of the chicken in one layer.

If you like you can begin by browning the chicken on all sides in a skillet or frying pan, but I skipped this step because I didn't take my chicken out of the freezer in time for it to fully defrost. Growing up we would always just cook chicken pieces straight from the freezer and so long as you cook them for long enough there's nothing wrong with doing it that way. So whether you brown the chicken first or not, when you are ready place all of the chicken in your large oven dish.

In a large frying pan on the stove, melt the butter with the oil. Cook the onion until it is soft and translucent, then add the whiskey and let it cook for a few minutes, until it is simmering and has reduced a little.

Add the BBQ sauce, then tip the 1/2 cup of water into the empty sauce bottle, give it a shake to get all the last bits of sauce from the bottle, and pour this into the pan as well.

Give it a bit of a stir, then add the peach preserves and worcestershire sauce. Stir the mixture until it is all combined, then taste it to make sure it tastes good. You won't have too season it any further, it will already have a very strong taste.

Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces, then top with the peaches. Place the dish in the oven and cook for about an hour and a half or so. By the time it's ready to eat the meat will be cooked all the way through and falling off the bones and the sauce will be thick.

Maple Pecan Cookies

Maple Cookies

125 grams butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup chopped caramelised pecans

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare a couple of cookie trays.

Soften the butter, add the sugar and maple syrup and beat it until it is well mixed and creamy. Add the egg and beat again.

Sift in the cinnamon, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the pecans and mix together well, until no pockets of flour remain.

Roll the dough into balls and flatten onto the cookie trays (they didn't really spread at all on their own so you need to press them flat). Bake each batch of cookies for 12 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let them cool somewhat before you take them off of the tray. This recipe made more than 30 cookies and everybody thought they were delicious!

Steak & Mushroom Pie

Steak and Mushroom Pie Filling
You should do this part early in the day or the night before, as the filling has to be completely cold before you put it in the pastry base.

800 grams stewing steak, diced into small pieces
1 onion, diced
250 grams mushrooms, diced
3 cups cold water
4 cubes oxo beef stock (or other stock, or liquid stock instead of water)
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon marmite or vegemite (you don't need to add this but it does add a bit more depth to the flavour)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons bisto/gravy powder

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan heat some oil, then add the onions and cook until soft. Add some of the meat and cook, stirring, until brown on all sides. Place the browned meat in a separate bowl and brown the rest of the meat in batches until it has all been browned.

Place the meat back into the saucepan (or a casserole dish) along with the remaining ingredients. The reason that you want the water (or stock) to be cold when you add it is so that the bisto (gravy powder) does not turn into a clumped, gluey mess. It's easiest this way - if the liquid is already hot you have to add some of the liquid to the bisto, stir it to a paste, add more liquid, stir it to a thinner paste, and then very slowly stir it into the stew. But it will probably still form gluey clumps. So begin with cold stock.

When you have all of your ingredients in your large saucepan or casserole dish, bring them to boil and then simmer until the gravy is really thick. Season it to taste with more salt and pepper (and garlic powder or worcestershire sauce or anything you like). When it is done, remove it from the heat and let it cool until it is cold.

Shortcrust Pastry
adapted from BBC good food

400 grams plain flour
180 grams cold butter, cubed
1 egg
3 tablespoons cold water

For the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour using either your finger tips or one of those fancy wire pastry thingies. When you are finished it should look like bread crumbs.

Add the egg and the water and mix it in with your hands, until all of the flour has been incorporated. If it has been done right the bowl should be pretty much clean afterward and you will have a smooth ball of dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill it for at least half and hour.

When the dough has been chilled and the filling is cold you can assemble the pies. Roll the dough out as thing as you can, then line your pie dish (or several small dishes). Press the pastry gently into the dish, so that it reaches into all of the corners. Spoon in the filling until it reaches the top, then lay more pastry over the filling, squeezing the edges together to seal them.

Cut some holes in the top of the pastry, brush with a whisked egg if you like, and bake for about 20 minutes or so, until the pastry is golden and the filling bubbling out of the holes in the top.

Courgette Soup

Courgette & Parmesan Soup
from BBC Food

1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil (or other cooking oil)
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
1 kilo courgettes (about 3 large ones), diced
2 or 3 cups (500-750 mL) chicken stock
1/4 cup (60 mL) cream
Handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
50 grams grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, basil, salt and courgettes and cook for about 10 minutes, until the courgette is slightly brown and softened.

Add the pepper and the stock and simmer for another 10 minutes, checking the taste and adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Remove from the heat and pour three quarters of the soup into a blender (or a separate bowl if using a hand blender). Blend until smooth, then return to the saucepan.

Stir in the cream, parsley and parmesan.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

125 grams butter (soft/room temperature)
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon custard powder
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk

So cupcakes are actually very easy to make, and fast too. First you need to line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners, and turn the oven on to 180 degrees celsius.

Next, in a large bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add the vanilla essence.

Sift in the cocoa powder, custard powder, flour and baking powder. Beat the mixture slowly (so that the flour doesn't fly out everywhere). When all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the milk and beat again.

Spoon the mixture into the lined muffin tin so that each paper liner is about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, then take them from the oven and let them cool before frosting them.

Orange Chocolate Frosting

150 grams butter
1 cup cocoa powder
1 packet orange jelly (jell-o)
2-3 cups icing sugar

For this frosting I decided to use jelly for the flavouring mainly because here in Galway I cannot get orange flavoured instant pudding. The jelly here is not sold as a crystalline powder like it is back home, but instead it comes in concentrated jelly cubes, that you are supposed to melt in boiling water. For the frosting I simply put one packet of orange jelly in the microwave and melted it into a liquid. If you have jelly crystals, you could either dissolve them in a couple of tablespoons of boiling water or put them into the frosting as they are (in which case you will have slightly crunchy frosting). If you can get your hands on orange flavoured instant pudding, use that instead.

So now that I have explained the jelly issue, on to the frosting itself, which is really the point of this blog post. This frosting is prepared like all other frosting - beat the butter together with the cocoa and flavouring (jelly or pudding in this case). Then slowly sift in the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until you have the right consistency. Taste the frosting, and if you want a stronger orange flavour, try adding some orange juice or orange zest (or both, but don't add too much liquid or you will ruin the consistency of the frosting. Then pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with your favourite tip.

Mushroom Sauce (for steak)

Mushroom Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
200 grams button mushrooms, quartered
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
150 mL vermouth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
150 mL beef stock
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

Heat oil in a large pan, then add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Fry until the mushrooms are soft, then add the vermouth and cook until it has reduced to a glaze. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a few seconds more.

Add the remaining vermouth and the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the creme fraiche and the mustard and spoon over your choice of steak.

Peanut Brownies

Peanut Brownies
Edmond's Cookbook

125 grams butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup peanuts

Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a couple of cookie trays.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, then sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Add the peanuts and mix it all together as well as you can, with a spoon and then with your hands.

Scoop the dough with a teaspoon and roll it into balls. Press each cookie gently onto the baking tray and bake each batch for about 12 to 15 minutes.

Maple Cupcake

Maple Cupcakes
(for 24 mini cupcakes)

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup (90 mL) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (original recipe called for nutmeg, yeugh!)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

This is probably the fastest cupcake to mix up that I have ever encountered. It's all on account of melting the butter instead of creaming it. Because it is so fast to mix up make sure to preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius before you get started! These cupcakes are best in very small form, so that a single bite gives you maple-cake-chicken goodness. So grease or line a 24 hole mini-muffin pan.

In a large glass bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Add the sugar and mix together well with a large spoon. Then add the egg, maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. I dipped my finger in the mixture at this point and that is when I realised why Americans are in love with maple syrup - it is so amazingly yummy!!!

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and give it a good stir. Add the buttermilk and mix until the batter is smooth. Then spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, so that each hole is about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (check that they are done by inserting a skewer - it should come out clean). After 5 minutes remove them from the tray and let them cool!

Spicy Cream Cheese Icing

110 grams cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons buttermilk
3 drops tabasco sauce
Tiny pinch cinnamon (same as above about the nutmeg...)
2 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar (reduce by a half cup if you want runnier icing)

This recipe makes too much icing for the number of cupcakes, but you probably wouldn't want to halve it because then there wouldn't be enough. It is really yummy so I'm sure nobody will mind having leftover frosting.

To prepare the frosting, simple beat all of the ingredients together until you have a smooth, frosting-like consistency. Spread a thick layer on the cooled cupcakes.

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Caramel Sauce

(from Bird on a Cake)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place the butter and the sugar in a medium sized, heavy bottomed sauce-pan and turn the heat to medium. When the two have melted together, let the mixture simmer (stirring) for about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream as you stir. When it has been incorporated into a smooth mixture, let the caramel cool. You need it to cool completely before you make the frosting so it is good to make the caramel first.

Chocolate Cupcakes

125 grams butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons chocolate instant pudding powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Next make the cupcakes. First you need to heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners.

Soften the butter in a large bowl, then add the sugar and beat until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla, the instant pudding powder and the cocoa and beat well.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk and beat again.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted into the centre and come out clean. Then let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

Frosting

(from The Baker Chick)
250 grams butter
5 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup caramel sauce
2 tablespoons heavy cream

For the frosting, soften the butter in a large bowl. Sift in the icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. After about 4 cups the mixture will be very stiff - at this point add the caramel and the cream. Beat again and sift in more icing sugar as neccessary to bring the frosting to the desired consistency.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Yummy Healthy Easy

225 grams butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
150 grams white chocolate, chopped roughly
150 grams dark chocolate, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius and line a couple of cookie trays with baking paper.

Toast the butter in the microwave by putting it in a glass jug or bowl (at least 500 mL volume), placing a heavy plate on top and microwaving on high for 5 minutes. The plate is to stop it from bubbling over. The butter will be very frothy when you take it out and golden brown in colour. As it cools it will turn a toasted brown colour. This toasting of the butter is my own modification - I figured that if you are melting the butter anyway, like in the original recipe, you might as well really brown it.

Pour the brown butter into a large bowl, add the sugars and mix well. Place the bowl into the fridge for at least 10 minutes (you can't put egg into a hot mixture or it will scramble). When the mixture has cooled somewhat, add the egg, the egg yolk and the vanilla essence. Mix well.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, then add the oats. Add the chocolate and mix well. Use a teaspoon to scoop up balls of dough, roll them into balls  and press them lightly onto the tray. Leave plenty of room for spreading.

Bake each tray of cookie for anywhere between 12 and 15 minutes - they are done when they are slightly browned and no longer look like wet cookie dough in the centre. Let them cool before you remove them from the tray because they are quite soft when they come out of the oven.