Beef Rendang

We're now well into the Year now, and I'm sure occasionally your healthy eating and fitness resolution, has been broken at least a couple times. Well, i can help on the meal front, but maybe not the exercise front (but new workout gear, is always the best way in my opinion). A good, old curry is exactly what you need, and in my option Thai curry's are the best as the are so fresh but warming at the same time. They are also a lot healthier, without the oil that Indian curry's have.

This curry is super easy to make, and one of the most flavoursome, I've ever had. Plus, once you've seared the meat, you add in the rest of the ingredients, and leave it, so it's perfect for a dinner party, especially at this time of year as its so warming with the chilli. Its also super easy to double up if your feeding a large crowd.

I would also like to apologise, that i couldn't wait any longer to take photos of this, because this is my old worktop, and as you can probably tell by previous posts, that my new worktop is much more photogenic.

 If your worried about the meat being tough, i sometimes cook it fully with the lid on, so the liquid doesn't evaporate, then for the last 30mins of cooking, i take the lid off, to reduce the liquid, until it thick. Serve with Asian greens, lightly steamed. If you are feeling hungry serve with fluffy coconut rice. For a hotter curry leave the seeds in more of the chillis, instead of taking some out.

Ingredients

2 red onions, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp grated ginger
6 large red chilli, 3 deseeded, 3 with seeds
3 lemongrass stalks, white part only
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric 
2kg stewing steak
400ml tin coconut milk
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp tamarind paste or lime juice
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp soft brown sugar

1. place the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, and lemon grass into a food processor and blend to a paste.
2. heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the paste and the cumin, coriander and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until fragrant.
3. Add the stewing steak and cook over a high heat for 4-5mins or until the beef is just sealed.
4.  Add the coconut milk, 400ml water, cinnamon stick, tamarind paste, salt and sugar and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2- 2 ½ hrs , stirring occasionally, or until the meat starts to break up and most liquid has evaporated. 
6. Serve with steamed rice and steamed asian greens e.g. pak choi.

My Christmas Cake

As soon as it gets towards the end of November, you go into any supermarket, and i can almost grantee you, there will be no currants, marzipan or royal icing left on the shelves, as everyone rushes to make there Christmas cakes, and Christmas puddings. So, if you're super organised, and haven't left the hunt for currants until now, and just looking for a recipe: I'm obviously biased, but this is my favourite one (even better than my college's, because wow,how much more booze can you fit into a cake?!).

With just the right amount of alcohol for most taste buds, soaked into the fruit it will please most people. If you like a bit more alcohol; Simple, just soak it in a bit more, and feed it with a bit more! I added the almonds as i love the surprise crunch against all the plump fruit, plus i just generally love almonds, but if you don't swap with an extra 50g of currants. 

And yes, you did read the title correctly, I was super organised last year and photographed the Christmas cake on the day, and saved it. Not that I was organised in writing the post, and still manage to be still writing it the night before, and morning.Though i will praise myself, for writing it and putting it up before "Stir up Sunday", this Sunday on the 22nd, which is traditionally the day you make the Christmas cake, and the pudding, so they both have time to mature before Christmas.

This recipe is super adaptable, if you don't like alcohol soak the fruit in the juice of 1 orange. Feed the cake as little, or as often as you like. I also swapped glacé cherries, for an extra 25g of raisins, and an extra 25g of sultanas, but feel free  to put them in, or sometimes i add in sour cherries which I prefer.

Ingredients

450g currants
200g sultanas
200g raisins
50g mixed peel
3 tbsp brandy
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
50g chopped almonds
225g soft dark brown sugar
1 dtsp treacle
4 eggs
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

apricot jam
royal icing
marzipan

1. the night before, mix the dried fruit and mixed peel, with the brandy and leave to soak overnight at least 12 hrs
2. cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. gradually add in the eggs
4. gently fold in sifted flour and spices
5. stir in the fruit and peel, nuts, treacle and the zest.
6. spoon into a prepared cake tin, and level the cake
7. tie a band of paper around the outside of the tin, and cover the cake with a double layer of greaseproof paper with a 50p sized hole in the middle.
8. bake the cake at 140°, gas 1, for 4 1/2 
9. remove from the tin and leave to cool
10. make holes with a cocktail stick and feed, repeat every 2 weeks or as wished, leading up to Christmas day
11. when ready glaze the cake with warm apricot jam, to help the marzipan stick and cover
12. decorate as wished

Cinnamon Buns

Well, i bet that title post is what made you click. There is no shame in admitting it, because those two words put together = heaven. Don't even try to deny it, because I know you would be lying, as no one can resist sugary, buttery, cinnamony goodness. There just so yummy, i get distracted and casually invent new words! 

These are no ordinary cinnamon buns, as they are super rich and buttery. They are also folded in a traditional Nordic way, and as well as being loaded with cinnamon, they have cardamon in them as well. They are almost like a hybrid between croissants and cinnamon buns, as they have layers which are soft and flakey, almost pastry like.

Feel free to add your own flavours, such as vanilla or saffron, or if you don't like cardamom feel free to remove it. I also added a lot more cinnamon than the recipe suggests, the filling didn't  taste that nice on its own, but since the cinnamon is distributed throughout 16 buns it tasted fine( and actually needed more to suit my tastes).

Ingredients

Dough

135g caster sugar

100g butter

700g plain flour

18g dried yeast

1 egg

200ml milk

100ml cream

Filling

90g caster sugar

150g unsalted butter

1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp cardamom seeds from pods, ground( to taste)

Glazing syrup 

1 egg, beaten

50ml golden syrup or treacle, mixed with 1 tbsp water

2 tbsp caster sugar

1. Beat together the butter a and sugar until light and fluffy

2. Add in the egg and beat for a further 2 mins

3. Fold in the sifted flour and yeast, alternating with the milk and cream, until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough

4. Knead for 15 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour

5. Shape the risen dough into a rectangle, roll out to 2cm thick, keeping in as much air as possible

6. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add in the cinnamon and cardamom to taste spread evenly over the dough

7. Fold the dough in half, the half again, keeping in a rectangle shape

8. Roll out again to 1.5 cm thick, cut the dough into 2cm wide strips, it should make about 16 strips

9. Roll each strip around 3 fingers twice, using your thumb as an anchor point, fold the end of the strip over the loops & tuck it under. Or roll into snail shapes.

10. Place onto lined baking tray, and cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise for 45 mins

11. Preheat the oven to 200°c, gas 6

12. Brush the buns with beaten egg. And place in the oven for 10mins or until golden brown

13. Once cooked immediately brush with the syrup and sprinkle with sugar.

Belguim Biscuits

These are for the days when you feel like a pretty biscuit; Something a bit more fancy than a plain old digestive, or rich tea (which are both some of my favourite biscuits: which is why they must be kept out of sight when I'm around!). They also make great gifts, as they are probably one of the prettiest biscuits, a great Mother's Day gift as the look dainty and pretty, with speckles of pink.

They are spiced with cinnamon and mixed spice, and remind me of German Christmas biscuits, but without the jam. The raspberry jam is traditional, and I've sprinkled them in freeze dried raspberry powder, as it has a good strong raspberry flavour, but traditionally they would be sprinkled with raspberry jelly crystals.

There also great addition to a bake sale as the look impressive and something a bit different than cupcakes to raise money. Such as, for Comic Relief on the Friday 13th.These make a great gift particularly around Christmas time, as the spices are Christmassy: i usually give these to both my aunt, and my mum. Just don't put raspberry jam in them, unless you know there going to eat them immediately (within a day),as they will go soft quite quickly.

Ingredients- Biscuit

225g butter
1 cup sugar
1 dtsp golden syrup
2 eggs, one white kept aside for later
3 cups flour
1 dstp cinnamon
1 dstp mixed spice
1 tsp cocoa 
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt


1. preheat oven to 180° .
2. cream together the butter, sugar and golden syrup, until light and fluffy
3. add one egg and one yolk, beat well
4. sift together the flour, spices, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
5. add the dry ingredients and mix to form a ball
6. roll out the mixture, around a pound coin thickness, cut with a cutter and place on baking tray
7. bake for 10- 12 mins or until starting to brown
8. leave to cool

9. when cool, make the royal icing

Ingredients -royal icing

1 egg white icing sugar 
raspberry jam
raspberry powder/ jelly crystals

1. mix the egg white and icing sugar to form a spreadable icing
2. spread icing on half of the biscuits and sprinkle with freeze dried raspberry powder
3. sandwich together with raspberry jam 
4. enjoy 

Sweet Spiced Salty Pecans

I will apologise in advance, if left with the whole batch, you may end up eating everything.....guilty face right here, well almost... my dad ate some too: I promise. Serve these at your New Years eve party, or at any party with the other nibbles and canapes. or next year at Christmas(premature? of course not) as a snack when opening presents. These also make a lovely gift. 

I love sweet and salty things and these were no exception, not to mention I'm like a squirrel(and probably a rabbit too, as i can eat multiple carrots in a row, armed with a tub of hummus. obvs.) as I'm always snacking on nuts; so these looked incredible to me, and i had been dying to try them for over a year now. Luckily, they didn't disappoint, although the kitchen filling up with pepper smoke was a very strange experience (i recommend the windows wide open for this one).

I used pecans, as they are just incredible covered in sugar, but i think almonds would be equally as good. I used white pepper, as i didn't have any finely ground black pepper, i also used paprika instead of cayenne pepper (for some reason we don't have any.shocking i know.) both adaptations were fine, so if you don't have something in your cupboard then feel free to compromise.

ingredients

100g caster sugar
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground cinnamon
250g pecan halves

1. mix sugar, salt and spices together
2. lightly toast pecans in dry frying pan over medium high heat, stirring often(1-4 mins)
3. reduce heat, add half mixture and stir until sugar melts and nuts are coated
4. sprinkle in remaining mixture and stir until melted. don't let sugar on the nuts burn
5. tip nuts onto non- stick baking tray. allow to cool
6. enjoy 

Emma xx

and Happy New Year(almost forgot. whoops!)