Christmas Madness and Flavour Generator

Well it's that special time of year again and also that busy busy time of the year! I have to say that I cannot actually remember a year so manic and overwhelming as 2017 has been for me and my family.

Job changes for 3 of us, year 11 for the baby of the family with all the stresses of exams, a new family member living with us - who we all adore (our son's girlfriend) and many special birthday's in the family unit. We have had Grandma's 70th, an uncle's 50th and hosting a special 21st birthday.

During all of this I have found myself so time poor that I haven't even thought about blogging even though we have been cooking and I have been taking photo's just incase I get time to do a quick post. But sadly that hasn't happened!!

Out of the blue I was unexpectedly contacted regarding a new cooking website, Flavour Generator, which I have to say is great. It was perfect timing for me to... feeling down due to not experimenting with cooking as I usually did (yes I have been cooking things I know are quick, easy and at times boring!).

Given the opportunity I tried a Hello Fresh Box for myself. I have to say I am quite a proud menu planner and shopper but have to say I had not even contemplated using such a service of pre-planned and packed meals to save me the time and effort.

The Hello Fresh box arrived and I was so excited. Opening the box was just like it was already Christmas. 5 meals already weighed out, packed together, colour coded with specific recipe cards - it was like it was already Christmas.

Family favourite for the week - Baked Honey Mustard Chicken with Pumpkin Roast Veggie Toss.  

HOWEVER!!!!  The best thing of all is this new website Flavour Generator.  Its fantastic.  Firstly you choose what type of food you would like to cook - the choices are Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Modoz.  Then you choose the flavour from these options Spicy, Sweet, Tangy, Herby and I've never tried.  

Press the Generate My Flavour button and voila - you get recipe options....

It's really exciting to press the Generate My Flavour Button and see what could be what you are cooking for dinner that night...   I absolutely love this new website and I am sure that you will to.  Give it a go!

Now I doubt I will post again this side of Christmas so I will leave you with our favourite Christmas and Festive Season recipes of all time....

Steamed Christmas Pudding

Mince Pies

Shredded Chicken Leek and Thyme Tart

Turkey, Ham and Vegetable Pot Pies

Warm Carrot, Zucchini and Basil Salad

Zucchini, Bacon and Thyme Slice

Chicken, Cranberry and Pistachio Terrine

From my family to yours

Merry Christmas.

Thank you for all your support

May your New Year be safe

and 

2018 be absolutely delicious

adashofflavour xxxx

Christmas Favourites and A WINNER!!

Busy busy with preparations for Christmas which is being held at our house this year. 

Some baking that will take place over the next couple of days will include:

Steamed Christmas Pudding

 

 

Gingerbread House

Mince Pies

And to announce our winner of the OrgoPot - we have selected K8 for not only a wonderful sounding dish but for including the recipe which just made my husbands mouth water.

Congratulations K8!!

 

Steamed Christmas Pudding

This steamed Christmas Pudding also seems to have become a tradition with everyone requesting it each year.  Even though we didn't host Christmas at home this year Vicky requested that this be our contribution to the celebration at their house.  I was only to happy to make it as it is quite easy although the cooking is the time consuming part of the process.

This is such a moist pudding - full of flavour and very morish.

Another recipe that I will not publish ProPoints for but will maybe look at next year modifying to lessen the blow!!  LOL!!

Steamed Christmas Pudding

Serves: 12 - 16

ProPoints: Danger Beware

1 kilogram Mixed Dried Fruit

2 cups fresh orange juice, no added sugar

1 teaspoon bircabonate of soda

1/2 cup brandy

400 grams unsalted butter, softened

2 cups soft brown sugar

6 large eggs

2 cups self raising flour, sifted

4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon mixed spice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Combine fruit, orange juice and bicarbonate of soda in a large saucepan and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes until liquid has almost evaporated and fruit is plump.  Remove from heat.

Add brandy, mix well and allow to cool.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in remaining ingredients along with fruit.

Grease a 2 litre pudding steamer/dish with butter and line base with a circle of baking paper.  Spoon in mixture.  Pleat a piece of baking paper to cover top of pudding.  Secure with lid (if you have) or cover with 2 layers of oil, securing edges tightly with string.

Fill a large saucepan with water.  Place an upturned small plate or saucer in the bottom.  Put pudding on the saucer, ensuring thatwater comes halfway up the sides of the pudding bowl.  Cover with lid and bring to the boil.  Boil for 4 hours, adding more hot water as the level drops.

Gently invert pudding onto a plate.

To reheat place in microwave for 5 - 8 minutes. 

(Click here for a printable version of the recipe)

Gingerbread House

On Christmas Eve while my mam was making her Mince Pies, which are such a family tradition to be cooked while watching Carols by Candlelight another Christmas tradition was being born.... the Gingerbread House. 

I used to make one most years when the kids were little but I do admit it has now been some years.  Alexandria asked for one last year but time was against us so this year I did everything I could not to disappoint her again and so our house was mixed, baked and decorated.

PS there is NO ProPoint value for this recipe - DANGER BEWARE!!

Gingerbread House

(Recipe sourced from The Essentials Christmas Cookbook)

250 grams softened unsalted butter

2/3 cup soft brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

2 eggs, lightly beaten

5 cups plain flour, sifted

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

additional flour (for kneading)

1 egg white

2 1/4 cups pure icing sugar

sweets/lollies of your choice and quantity

Place butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a bowl and beat until light and creamy.

Gradually add eggs, beating thoroughly after each additon.

Sift flour, ground ginger and bicarbnate of soda into the bowl and stir until combined.  Bring the dough together with your hands, turn it out onto a well floured work suface and knead until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile cut a paper pattern for each part of the house. 

The pattern for the house is as follows:
~ 2 x sides - 10 x 20 cms
~ 2 x roof  - 18 x 20 cms
~ 2 x ends - 16 x 22 cms (measure 10 cms down the length to form two rectangles - measure 8cms     accross the length of the smallest rectangle then draw diagonal lines to make a triangle and cut off the corners giving you the peaked house ends)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper, in batches, to 5 mm thick.  Using the paper templates as a guide cut house pieces (ensuring you have two of everything).  If you would like windows or a door cut these out now.

Line baking trays with baking paper.  Gently lift the pieces onto the trays and refrigerate for a further 20 minutes.

Bake each tray for 12 minuts each.  Set aside to cool.

For stained glass windows - crush assorted coloured boiled lollies and fill the cut out windows after cooking for 7 minutes.  This will allow them to melt together but not burn.

To make the icing, place 1 egg white in a bowl and gradulally add sifted icing sugar until you have a smooth mixture which will stay in place when piped.  If it is too runny add more icing sugar.

Assemble the house by joining the front and sides together with a piped line of icing and leave to dry.  Add the back of the house in the same way, hold for a few minutes and then leave to dry.  Decorate the outside seams of the house with more icing to strengthen.  Ensure house is dry and sturdy before decorating with lollies.

Decorate the house with sweets/lollies by attaching with icing.

Note - the quantity of gingerbread mixture will make approximately 30 gingerbread people.

(Click here for a printable copy of this recipe)

Mince Pies

I have to apologize for neglect as I have just been caught up in the Festive Season and all it's happenings. I did start this post before the jolly man came to visit but honestly haven't had a chance to sit down at the computer until now. Needless to say I am hoping that your Christmas definitely was jolly and now I am going to play catch up with things that we have cooked.

I am not going to boast that this is one of my christmas delights although I wish I could! These lovely Christmas Mince Pies were made by my Mam. This recipe for the pastry especially is one that she has been making for years and these mince pies definitely get requested every year by family and friends. The fact that the filling is just shop bought mince mixture doesn't even get noticed.

Mince Pies
(recipe courtesy of my Mam)
makes 4 dozen
points per serve: 2 (made with regular butter)
points per serve: 1.5 (made with reduced fat butter)

2 1/4 cups plain flour
3/4 cup Self Raising flour.
pinch salt
185 grams butter or Ultra Light Spreadable (70% reduced fat)
1 cup icing sugar
2 egg yolks
a few drops of vanilla
approx. 1/4 cup water
large jar of Robertsons Fruit Mince
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl mix flour, salt and butter until crumbly and resembling breadcrumbs. Add sifted icing sugar, mixing through. Add egg yolks, vanilla and enough water to mix to a smooth dough.

Knead lightly & chill one hour before use.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Once chilled roll out half of the pastry on a flour board and using a 2 1/2 inch pastry cutter, cut out 48 rounds for the pie bottom. Place into greased rounded patty pans and fill with fruit mince.
Roll out remainder of pastry and cut into 48 rounds using a 2 inch pastry cutter. Place on top of mince filled pastry bottoms. Glaze with water and cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until tops are golden.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Chocolate Fruit Cake

We made this cake at Christmas and while the decoration isn't as traditional as I would have done normally it definately stole the show sitting on my kitchen bench.

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We came accross this recipe watching an episode of Nigella Lawson's Christmas Special and from the minute she started preparing the ingredients Noel and I knew that it would be a hit in our house, especially with all the fruitcake loving relatives we have.

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This cake is so much easier than the normally pain-stakingly slow boiled fruit cake and the flavours just burst in your mouth beginning with the first mouthful. A very moist texture with a strong but subtle chocolate after taste.

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I couldn't save this recipe until the next festive season as it will be definately one I will be cooking throughout the year.

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Chocolate Fruitcake

Recipe from Nigella Lawson

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Serves: 12

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350g/12¼oz dried soft prunes, chopped

250g/8¾oz raisins

125g/4½oz currants

175g/6¼oz unsalted butter, softened

175g/6¼oz dark muscovado sugar or soft brown sugar

175ml/6¼fl oz honey

125ml/4½fl oz coffee liqueur (Tia Maria)

2 oranges, juice and zest only

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tbsp good quality cocoa

3 free-range eggs, beaten

150g/5¼oz plain flour

75g/2½oz ground almonds

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

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For decoration (optional)

25g/1oz dark chocolate-covered coffee beans or chocolate-covered sultanas

edible glitter gold mini balls

about 10 edible gold stars

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Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

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Line the sides and bottom of a 20cm/8in, 9cm/3½in deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of baking paper. When lining the tin with the paper, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it is easier to use two shorter strips of parchment, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.

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Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange juice and zest, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for ten minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

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After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.

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Carefully pour the fruitcake mixture into the lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1¾-2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but will has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.

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Place the cake in it's tin on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.

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To decorate, place the chocolate-covered coffee beans/sultanas in the centre of the cake and arrange the gold stars around the perimeter of the top of the cake. Then sprinkle some gold mini-balls over the whole of the cake. Sprinkle the edible glitter over the top of the cake.