Peanut Butter Fudge

/ Claire / Leave a comment

This is a quick recipe for a very indulgent treat.

PB Fudge4

This is just a small batch, but the recipe can easily be doubled. The fudge is super creamy, buttery and delicious, but very rich!

It’s perfect for cutting into squares and filling little bags, tied with ribbon for a gift.

The fudge gets incredibly hot, so it goes without saying that no children should come anywhere near when making it and there can be absolutely no sampling until it has cooled down!

PB Fudge

Ingredients:
450g caster sugar
60g butter
120ml/½ cup whole milk
One 397g tin of condensed milk
180g/around ¾ cup of smooth peanut butter

Method:
Line a 20cm/8 inch square baking tray with greaseproof paper or foil, leaving an overhang in order to pull the fudge out.

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Put the milk and sugar in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat with a candy thermometer and keep stirring until all the sugar has melted. You need the sugar to fully dissolve into the milk or it could burn on the bottom of the pan. Don’t rush this stage, just let the sugar gently melt, stirring all the time, before progressing to the next stage.

When the sugar and milk are ready, stir in the butter and let it melt, before increasing the heat and bringing it up to a full boil.

Turn the heat down and stir in the condensed milk.

Turn the heat back up and bring the temperature up to the soft ball stage – 116°C/240°F. It will now be a lovely caramel colour.

Once you have reached this stage, remove from the heat and add it to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the peanut butter and beat it thoroughly until it has thickened (about 5 minutes). You can also do this with a wooden spoon.

Pile it into the waiting tray and use a spatula to flatten it down and into all the corners.

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If disaster happens and you get a few black, burnt sugar particles come up from the bottom when you are stirring, all is not lost! Very carefully, use a metal sieve and filter them out when you transfer the fudge to the bowl for beating.

You have to do this fairly quickly, while the fudge is still molten, but if you only have a few burnt particles, the fudge shouldn’t taste burnt. The best way of avoiding burnt fudge is to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved right at the start.

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Once the fudge has set, lift it out of the tray and cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Mushroom and Stilton Wellington

/ Claire / Leave a comment

The mushrooms in this are a great alternative to meat and make a substantial and delicious supper dish for a cold winter night.

Mushroom Wellington5

This serves 2, but you could easily double this to feed 4 people. I would serve this with a side salad, but the addition of sweet potato fries would be good too!

Mushroom Wellington4

Ingredients:
5 field mushrooms – stalks removed and one of them chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1.5tbs olive oil
1tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of thyme – leaves removed and roughly chopped
Small bunch of Cavolo Nero – tough ribs removed and roughly chopped
100g mature blue Stilton cheese, crumbled
1 pack of puff pastry
1 egg beaten with a little milk to make a wash

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Method:
Heat oven to 220°C/425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick liner

Heat 1tbs of the oil in a large pan and fry 4 of the mushrooms for around 4 mins on each side until golden and cooked through. Set aside on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and moisture.

Place the pan back on the heat and add the rest of the oil. Add the chopped mushroom, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Fry until the onion is soft and translucent. Then add the kale and continue to cook until wilted, before setting aside to cool.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the puff pastry until it is a little under half a centimetre thick.

Using a large cookie cutter or a small bowl; cut out two circles that are 2cm wider than the mushrooms. These will be the bases. Then cut another two circles about 8cm wider for the tops. You need the tops to be big enough to cover the mushrooms without stretching, so go bigger if your mushrooms are on the large size.

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Place the two base circles on the baking sheet and add a quarter of the vegetable mixture, taking care not to spread it wider than the mushrooms.

Place a mushroom, cap down and top with half of the cheese. Place another mushroom cap side up and add another quarter of the vegetable mixture.

Brush the pastry base border around each mushroom with egg and then layer the top circle of party over the filling, like a large ravioli.

Use your hand to gently smooth the pasty over the mushrooms and make sure you have not trapped any air in the parcel. Just take care not to stretch the pastry, as it can shrink in the oven and open up.

Seal the edges together using a fork.

Mushroom Wellington

Trim any untidy edges – I used a small bowl over the parcels and cut around the edge.

Brush each wellington with egg and bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown and puffed.

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Serve with a green salad and sweet potato fries for a delicious vegetarian dinner.

Spinach makes a good alternative to the kale and feel free to up the cheese content for an extra indulgent treat.

Veggie Baked Eggs with Cheese

/ Claire / 2 Comments

These are very quick to put together and are delicious any time of day, but make a particularly good brunch dish, served with hot buttered toast to dip in the soft egg.

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Ingredients:
Knob of butter and a little oil
1 finely chopped onion 
2-3 large Portobello mushrooms, chopped
150ml double cream
150g of a good melting cheese – grated (I used a mixture of cheddar and Monteray Jack)
6 spears of Cavolo Nero kale, tough stalks removed and roughly chopped
1 red pepper – chopped with seeds and ribs removed
4 large eggs
Parmesan
Salt and black pepper
Hot buttered toast, to serve

Baked eggs

Method:
Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F

Place the butter and oil in a pan and add the chopped onion, red pepper, mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for around 10 minutes until softened. Add the kale and stir until wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the double cream and cheese, the heat will melt the cheese.

Divide the mixture evenly among 4 ramekins and make an indentation in each one with the back of a teaspoon. Crack an egg into each and top with a little freshly grated parmesan.

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Bake for around 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them. The white of the egg should be just set and the yolk runny.

Serve straightaway with hot buttered toast.

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