Oreo brownies with a cheesecake swirl

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So let me begin by telling you about my lovely friend Victoria, she has a rather sweet tooth and recently admitted to having a secret stash of cakes by the side of her bed for emergencies. She even ate a record number of my disastrous Lamingtons the other week.  Tuesday was  Victoria's birthday so I knew I had to make something special for her. I decided that you really can't go wrong combining Oreos & brownies, a lip smackingly good combination and also good for transportation. -As you can see, I can be quite practical sometimes. I was a little heavy handed with the cream cheese topping, the recipe I used called for a little too much for my liking so I have cut down the quantities for this recipe.

Recipe adapted from Annies-Eats

I used a 21x21cm tin but you could of course use something similar in size. Or, if you only have big tins, just double the recipe.

Makes 16 pieces

You will need-

• 4oz/113g unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cocoa powder, preferably dark & unsweetened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 pack Oreo cookies cut into fairly big chunks- minus 1 cookie which has been taste tested.
• 3oz/85g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Add the butter & sugar to a small pan and heat over a medium temperature till it comes up to a boil whilst whisking regularly. Leave it to boil for a minute and then take it off the heat and leave it to cool for a little while.


Whilst its cooling line your baking tin with greaseproof paper and preheat your oven to 170C/160C for fan assisted.


In a bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder & salt. When the butter mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs and keep mixing till its all fully combined- Its important not to add them to a hot mixture otherwise you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Once the eggs are mixed in add the milk and whisk again. 


Pour the butter and egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until its just combined, be sure not to over mix at this stage. Then just fold in the Oreo pieces before pouring the mixture into your baking tin.


Finally add the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract and either with a wooden spoon or a mixer beat together till smooth. Dollop onto the brownie mixture and then using a knife swirl it through the brownies. This is where I went a little wrong and used too much which didn't quite result in a swirl.


Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes and then cool completely before cutting into chunks. You could refrigerate the brownie after it has cooled to help with the slicing if you wanted neat pieces. Keep in an airtight box

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICTORIA!

P.S How beautiful are those doilies? There were handmade by Tim's great grandmother and I have just been given a few.

Butterbean & Chorizo pie

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I made this pie last week and planned on blogging it then as it was pie week, but then life got busy as it does, and I got a little side-tracked. I have been planning on making a pie like this since my autumn pie marathon (sweet potato, goats cheese & spinach & butternut squash, mushroom & leek) but I never quite got round to it. I bought my lovely pie tins recently from Lakeland and have been really eager to use them. I was a little lazy and used a shop bought shortcrust pastry as I was short for time but if you want to make your own I do have a recipe here. The next time I make these, I will make them with just a pie top as it was a little too much for the 2 of us, but I may just need smaller pie tins.

For 2 pies you will need-

• 1 packet of shop bought or this pastry
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/4 piece of a chorizo ring, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic sliced
• Red wine
• 1 tin butterbeans
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper thinly sliced
• Milk for brushing

I began by placing my pastry in the tins and then lining it with greaseproof paper and beans and baking them in a preheated oven on 160C till slightly golden so that I didn't get a dreaded soggy bottom.

Whilst that is in the oven heat a large saucepan and cook your onion, chorizo & garlic over a medium heat. Once the onions are soft add a splash of red wine and cook down. Next add the butterbeans, tomatoes and pepper and season to taste. Put a lid on, turn the heat down and simmer for around 15 minutes.

Once the pie crust is ready remove from the oven take out the beans and paper. Fill your pies with your chorizo mixture and then brush the sides of the pastry with a little milk to help it stick. Cut the tops for your pie and then place on top. Go all around the edges and pinch them them together and then cut a couple of slits for the steam to escape. You could also be a little creative and cut some designs to stick on top. I was a little unimaginative and did some hearts again. Brush the top of the pie with more milk and if you are sticking on some designs brush a little milk underneath to help them stick. Bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes or until your pie is lovely and golden brown.

Serve with your favourite vegetables and a nice glass of red wine.

Quickest, Tastiest Egg Sandwich

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I first saw this recipe on Sunday evening on A Cup of Jo's blog and was instantly planning when I could make it. It claimed to be the best egg sandwich you'll ever eat so I just had to test that claim out for myself. All you need for 1 sandwich is 

• 1 egg beaten with 1/2 tsp of water 
• Salt and pepper
• A small pile of grated cheese
• Chilli sauce if you fancy 
• Toasted English muffin

Heat a round frying pan on medium and wipe a little oil or butter around it to lubricate it a little. Beat your egg with the water & seasoning and then pour into the pan and swirl around like a a pancake till it has coated the whole pan. Dump your grated cheese and chilli sauce in the middle and then cook for around a minute or until the egg isn't runny on top. In my experience it hasn't taken more than a minute but this will vary depending on the size of your pan and therefor the thickness of your egg.

Fold the nearest side to you over and then fold the other sides in till you're left with a square. Place it inside your muffin and eat straight away.

1 challenge, try to resist having it 2 days in a row!

Enjoy x

Explorer Magazine, March

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Here is my latest article in the Explorer magazine on the fantastic FoodCycle and the great work they do.

Cherry Beet Cake

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Last night I went to my monthly book & bake club where we all had to bake a Dan Lepard recipe. Now with all the things going on at the moment with Dan's publisher on a bit of a rampage I thought I'd play it safe and do what he suggests, linking to the recipe and talking about it. I don't want a telling off after all!

The recipe can be found on the Guardian website and in Dan's book Short & Sweet. My cake tins were a lot bigger, 23cm rather than the suggested 18cm so I ended up doubling it up (apart from the streusel topping) to get 2 decent layers. Because of my last minute decision I didn't have quite enough cherries so I added some sultanas to make up the numbers with good results. After my failed lamingtons the other day I was worried that
1. I had lost my baking mojo
2. Short & Sweet wasn't as good as I had hoped.
I breathed a massive sigh of relief when I finally got to have a taste and saw that I hadn't ended up with another dense inedible cake. The ground almonds and almond extract give the cake a lovely marzipan flavour and the cherries & beetroot add a lovely sweetness and moistness. It is still a fairly heavy cake so you wouldn't necessarily be able to manage a big slice but its definitely one to impress with. Don't let the beetroot put you off,  it just helps to inject some moisture. I should also add that I couldn't find sour cherries so I used Urban Fruit's dried cherries and it was delicious. I did wonder how the sourness of the cherries would affect the overall flavour of the cake so I will make sure I use them next time to experiment.

Anyway, I'll stop babbling. We're flying to Warsaw this evening and need to leave for the airport in about an hour. I'm really looking forward to trying some more Polish food, although I only today found out what aspic is and its safe to say I will be trying to stay away from it. Bring on the pierogi & placki though!

me

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So, I initially got tagged to do one of these posts by Elizabeth in January but got a little distracted and completely forgot all about it. There are rules that go along with this but aren't rules made to be broken? I thought I would mix it up and just answer the questions that Elizabeth and Abigail set.

1. What is your favorite place you have visited? This is really difficult, I think it has to be somewhere in Croatia. Dubrovnik has a special place in my heart but Plitvice is just magical.

2. If you could name only one favorite band who would it be? Wow, this is really difficult, I listen to so much different music that it feel kind of impossible to choose just one. Growing up Led Zeppelin was always playing so I think I will have to say them.
3. What's sitting on your nightstand right now? A lamp, a framed train ticket from the day Tim and I met, my engagement ring and a polka dot Malfi that we bought in New York
4. Name one tv show you love and one you can't stand. I'll have to say Luther, although I don't know whether a new series is coming or not, we have also been watching a box set of Jonathan Creek recently. I missed it the first time round and its one of those 'so bad its good' type of programs. Something I can't stand is Jeremy Kyle (I don't think many people can to be fair though)
5. What's the most adventuresome thing you've done on your own? I used to fly off to Dubrovnik on my own every summer from the age of around 12/13 for a month long stay with my cousins. I have really fond memories of those summers and flying on my own.
6. If you had the chance to rename yourself what name would you choose and why? I don't think I would, I really love my name and love that its a little different (in England at least!)
7. What is your dream job? My dream job would be owning my own little cafe with lovely food and cakes and a gallery/art shop attached to the side of it.
8. What's your favorite workout? If you don't workout what would your favorite workout be? I love going for long bike rides with Tim along the rive Cam, it never feels like a huge workout and the views are beautiful. I love the idea of running but I really struggle with it. I plan on getting into it more this year.
9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Another difficult question! Can you ask me in another 5 years time? We're still trying to see as much of the world as we can before we decide. It feels like every place we go we decide we want to move to. I do love living in Cambridge though, its a great city to live in, small but has a lot going for it and is close to London and more importantly, Stansted airport!
10. What do you picture yourself doing 20 years from now? Owning a lovely house, having a family, running said cafe, cooking, traveling.
11. What is your favorite style of art (contemporary, surrealism, cubism, impressionism, ect.) I love contemporary & minimal art. Artists like Bridget Riley blow me away but I also love figurative work, I love a good pencil drawing. Working in the Print Studio I feel very lucky to work with many amazing artists and be involved with the making of their work.

1. What is your favourite time of year- It has to be spring/summer. I love the that first spring day when you can finally wear a dress with no tights and the blossom in the trees but you can't beat a summer evening sitting by the river in Cambridge with friends and some drinks.

2. What makes you laugh- I laugh a little too much at You've been Framed

3. What was the last movie you saw at the cinema- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, such a great film, it really stuck with me for a long time after.

4. What's the one thing you couldn't live without- I don't know if he qualifies as a 'thing' but Tim makes life great and I couldn't live it without him (sorry, soppy I know!)

5. If you had extra time to do one thing, what would you do- travel travel travel!

6. Who was/is your celebrity crush- I think it has to be Jake Gyllenhaal

7. If you could go on holiday anywhere tomorrow where would you go- I'd love to do a road trip of the west coast of America, but if money really wasn't an issue, a huge round the world trip!

8. What inspires you- Just life really, its short and we should make the most of it. I don't want to look back in 20 years time and think what if. Its better to try and fail than to never give it a go.

9. What's your guilty pleasure- Carbs!

10. What's the best advice or wisdom that has been passed down to you- Never trust a short man (thanks mum!)

11. What's your current obsession- Have you not guessed from all my answers? Travelling! We're going to put together a list of places we desperately want to visit and then start working our way down the list!

Anyway, I'm off to get ready for work. I have some new recipes planned for next week before jetting off to Warsaw on Thursday for a festival that Tim is painting at- although we still haven't heard if our flights have been booked or when they are, why are festival organisers always so last minute? 

Creamy Avocado Pasta

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Are you ready for one of the quickest, easiest and tastiest dinners? This meal is ready pretty much ready in the time it takes to cook your pasta or noodles so its great when you're short on time. I discovered the recipe on Pinterest the other day and have already made it a few times. The creaminess of the avocado means that you don't need any cheese so its great for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant. Next time I am going to try it with noodles to see the difference. It would also be amazing with some crispy chunks of bacon for a different take on a carbonara style dinner. 

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Serves 2

You will need-

• 1 ripe avocado
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
• 200g pasta/noodles, I used Tripoline
• Fresh black pepper

Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Whilst its cooking scoop out the avocado into a food processor, add the lemon juice, garlic, salt & oil and mix until creamy- if you don't have a food processor you could use a fork to mash the avocado and then just mix it together with crushed garlic and the salt, lemon & oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed then when the pasta is ready, combine the two together and plate up. Add some freshly ground black pepper and some lemon zest if you fancy and then tuck in.