Easy Lemon Cake...

...on a Christmas plate! Too soon? I think so. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two 8 inch baking tins. This is an all in one recipe so all you will need is an ingredient list! 

Sponge

225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
225g butter/margarine
4 eggs
juice of half a lemon
zest of one lemon

Filling

Lemon Curd

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Chorizo, Pepper and Red Onion Sauce

Ingredients

3 red onions

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pepper

100g chorizo

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp smoked paprika

300ml stock

150ml port

• saute the red onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
• add the peppers and chorizo and cook for a further 3 minutes.
• add the remaining ingredients, bring the sauce to the boil and then shimmer gently for 10 minutes.
• pour over fish or chicken and bake in the oven - yum! 

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Marbled Chocolate Ring Cake

Even if this cake tasted disgusting (which it didn't might I add), it looks spectacular and is perfect for any special occasion. I got the funky cake tin in TK Maxx for under €10 - WIN! 

Preheat the oven to 180^°C - Be sure to grease and line the tin with strips of baking paper to prevent the cake sticking.

Sponge

225g butter
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
1.5 tbsp hot water

• blend the cocoa and water to create a paste.
• to a large bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. 
• spoon half the mixture, using a teaspoon into the bottom of the tin.
• mix the cocoa paste with the remaining cake mixture and repeat the previous stage until its all used up.
• swirl the mixtures together with a small knife and level out the top.
• bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until well risen and springs back when touched. 
• leave the cake to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing

150g plain chocolate

2 tbsp water

100g butter

50g milk chocolate

• to make the icing, melt the chocolate, water and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water.
• pour over the cake and leave to cool for 1 hour (leave the icing to cool a little so it 'sticks' to the cake better)
• to decorate, melt the milk chocolate over a pan of hot water and spoon into a plastic sandwich bag/piping back, cut of a corner and drizzle over the cake. 
• yum yum yum!

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup...

...with a KICK! Quick and easy soup for a lazy Saturday 

★ ★

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp coriander

2 red chilies, de-seeded, chopped

1kg sweet potato and carrots

1L stock

• heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, coriander and chili - saute for a minimum of 10 minutes.
• add the veg and heat for 5 minutes.
• add the stock and shimmer until the vegetables are soft.
• finally, blitz the soup until smooth and enjoy :) 

Foodie Festival - Battersea Park

With thanks to Easy Food Magazine, we were lucky enough to win two tickets to the Foodie Festival in Battersea Park, London. We attended the event on Saturday the 17th of August. All going well we will return next year! There were so many things we would have loved to sample but there is only so much you can do in one day. However, everything that we did taste was delicious and I look forward to trying more next year. :)

5am Breakfast 

Hawaiian Jump Juice 

On the Birmingham to London Train - you can't beat M & S!

Battersea Park 

The Pigs Head was behind that Bamboo Wall

We didn't try this but it looked amazing!

Live Music 

Rum Punch - so Fruity & Delicious!

Masterchef

Kevin tried out a few of the local beers - all got a thumbs up!

I can't walk by coffee ice-cream!! 

Excellent Burritos & Guacamole

This is the one I had - too good for words.. 

Kevin's Hog Roll (From the Pig above - crackling & all!)

Cycling around London - we visited Buckingham Palace

Back at Birmingham Airport for the 9.30pm Flight back to Dublin - & it turns out 'Pret' make lovely Soy Lattes!

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Happy Birthday Chocolate Cake

You don’t always need an excuse for baking but I love to have one all the same. On the 19^th of August it was Kevin’s Birthday so we made a delicious chocolate fudge cake.  It was ridiculously simple, yet very very tasty! Preheat the oven to 170^°C and line two 8 inch tins – I actually used one baking tin this time but I much prefer to use two, it takes an age to bake in one!

White Chocolate Pre-Microwave

Chocolate icing

White Chocolate Something....

Cake Ready for Cutting

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sponge

50g cocoa powder

6 tbsp boiling water

3 eggs

50ml milk

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter

275g caster sugar 

• In a large bowl mix the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth.
•  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk with a hand held mixer until all the ingredients are combined.
•  Divide the mixture between your two tins and bake in the oven for 20 minutes (it took nearly 40 minutes with one tin)

Icing

150g plain chocolate

150g double cream

• While your cake is baking prepare your icing so it has plenty of time to cool and thicken.
• All you do is put the cream in a pot, drop in the chocolate and melt over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
•  Once the cake is baked and cooled decorate with the cooled ganache icing.

PS – I melted white chocolate and spread it on a baking sheet to be broken up and thrown on the cake at the end ha-ha. 

♥ ♥

Wendy

XO

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Flatbread Pizza

So far this has been the easiest 'bread' recipe that I have attempted. It would be a great recipe to try if you have never tried baking bread before! I usually use a stand mixer to make bread :) Preheat the oven to 200^°C and it will take 20 minutes to bake on an oiled baking tray.

Sweet Chili Dip on the side...

Bread

450g strong white bread flour

½ tsp easy-blend yeast

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

300ml lukewarm water

• sift the flour and salt into the mixer, then stir in the yeast.
• add the oil and mix with a paddle until it comes together.
• scrap the mixture away from the bottom of the mixer and sift in some flour (the same as you flour a surface before kneading!) and mix on low for 10 minutes. 
• once smooth and elastic, brush a clean bowl with oil, shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl.
• cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in warm place for an hour, or until it doubles in size. 
• turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface , knock back and knead for 1 minute or so.
• roll out the dough, put it on the baking tray, cover as before and leave to rise for 20-30 minutes. 
• before baking, make indentations all over the surface of the dough and drizzle over some sea salt and olive oil.
• after 12 minutes, remove the bread, add your pizza toppings and bake for further 7 minutes. 
• Enjoy!

Wendy 

XO

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June - Light and Fluffy Scones

I frickin love scones, I should really be more adventurous and try cherry/raspberry/blueberry scones! Preheat the oven to 220^°C and they take 10-12 minutes to bake depending on your oven.

I added sultanas...

Scones

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g caster sugar

50g butter, cubed

150ml milk

1 egg

• blitz the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter in a food processor or rub the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. 
• add milk and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
• press the dough out on a floured surface until 2cm or so thick.
• cut the dough and place on a baking tray - brush the top of each scone with beaten egg and bake!

Wendy

xo

March - Victoria Sponge Cake

Who doesn't love a good Victoria Sponge Cake? Fresh cream and jam (next time I'll make the jam too!) Preheat the oven to 180^°C and grease two 8 inch sandwich tins.

Just a little flat ;)

Sponge

225g butter

225g caster

4 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

225g self-raising flour

Filling

8 tbsp jam

200ml cream, softly whipped

• cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
• beat in the eggs one by one and add the vanilla.
• fold in the flour with a large metal spoon
• bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• once cooled, sandwich the cakes with jam and whipped cream.