Cherry & Almond Cake

Sorry it's been such a long time since the last post but opening a restaurant is hard work! Just a quick one today, a recipe for the Cherry & Almond cake I made for the restaurant. I hate marzipan, so it's not to my taste, but that's for the best when you're making cakes eh?

Ballet Outfit

Tonight was my Christmas present from Matthew - a night at the ballet! Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake'. It was wonderful, although I'm not so sure he enjoyed it so much.

To the point though... my outfit. I've got a dress which I bought for my birthday 3 years ago. Black, gorgeous, but a bit like a sack. I've always had to wear a waist-cinching belt to make it look nice, but still the neckline was too high.

Tonight I decided it was time for a bit of an update!

Apple Crumble

Peel, core and slice 6 red apples. Put 3/4 into a pie dish with a sprinkling of cinnamon, a few whole cloves, a bay leaf, some brown sugar (as much as you think it needs, depending on how sweet the apples are) and a tablespoon of elderflower cordial. Cover and microwave for 4 - 5 minutes, until you can smell the spices and it all looks gooey. Remove the bay leaf and cloves then stir in the remaining apple along with 10 dried apricots (chopped up a bit).

Rub 75g butter into 175g plain flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in 75g brown sugar and sprinkle the whole lot evenly over the apples.

Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes at 190c. Let it stand for 10 minutes before bringing to the table (or else everyone will burn themselves - no-one can resist hot apple crumble) and serve with loads of double cream.

Home-made KFC

I'm not going to lie, I love KFC. But, being on a diet there is no way I could justify it. Costs quite a lot too! So, here's my guide to your very own home-made KFC dinner.

Cowboy Toasties

A nice little snack for me and the kid ...

Toast some bread on one side only. Butter the toasted sides, marmite on one piece, beans (pre-warmed) topped with grated cheese (preferably mature cheddar done on the little bits of the grater). Make into a sanrnie, butter the outsides and bung in the grill for a few minutes each side. Yummy!

Quiche

Quick(ish) lunch.

Chestnut Bread and Butter Pudding

For Christmas I got some jars of chestnut puree from my French relatives, so decided to experiment!

Liberally butter both sides of 6 slices of bread, slightly stale is ideal. Make sandwiches filled with a mixture of chocolate and orange chestnut puree and put them in a buttered dish. Mix together 2 eggs with 275ml milk, 60ml double cream, 50g caster sugar and pour over the the sandwiches. Leave to soak in for about half an hour before baking at 190 celcius for 30 - 40 minutes. Serve hot with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

(I seem to have lost the photo - sorry!)

Jovial Monk

It's a family legend - the day my dad met my mum's parents for the first time. It was Christmas, 1979, and my dad had proposed after just a few weeks dating. Obviously being a bit nervous my dad didn't turn down the offer of a drink. He was disappointed when he was given a sherry glass full of something bright yellow and sweet but didn't want to look rude by turning it down.

At this point it should be noted that my dad is a big bloke, 6 foot 5, rugby player, great drinker. It should also be noted that my mum's side of the family enjoy a drink a little more than most.

6 little glasses later and dad was unconscious on the sofa. He missed the beautiful lunch my grandma had produced and later rolled into the fire and set fire to his jumper.

On to the main point, the potent tipple. Known in our family as a 'Jovial Monk', made in large quantities and kept in a decanter on the bar (yes, my grandmother's house had a bar!) throughout December. It's as easy as this - 2 parts gin (preferably Gordon's), 1 part dry vermouth, 1 part apricot brandy. Serve at room temperature in SMALL glasses and sip!

Beret Good!

Shopping for a hat is always tricky, and since I learnt to knit and crochet it seems a bit pointless. Why spend £20 on something I can make out of scrap wool for free in an afternoon?

Roast Dinner

I decided to make a roast today to commemorate my last Sunday as a 'single' woman. It was pretty AMAZING to tell the truth! Although there's a bit to clear up.