Recent Recipes
Comments (0) | Thursday, 13 December 2012
Lussekatter
These delicious saffron buns are a traditional Scandinavian treat made on the 13th of December to celebrate St Lucia Day. Lekre!
Makes about 30
1 Packet of dry yeast
1 Packet of dry yeast
150g butter
500ml milk
1g saffron
150g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cardamom
975g plain flour
1 egg
raisins
Method:
Method:
1. Melt butter in a pot. Cool a little and then add the milk and saffron, making sure to crush the saffron between your fingers and thumb whilst sprinkling it in.
2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cardamom in a bowl. Create a well and pour in the milk mix. Mix until the dough forms. Add in a little milk or flour if needed then cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let it raise until double the size (about 30 minutes) – a warm room helps.
3. Sprinkle some flour on the kneading area and knead the dough well. Roll into a loose log to cut dough into bun sizes. Roll them out into long finger thick sausages. Shape them into the famous Lussekatter double spiral.
4. Place the buns on a baking sheet and cover in plastic. Allow them to raise for 15 minutes. Glaze well with beaten egg and decorate with raisins (usually one raisin in each eye of the swirl).
5. Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 7 (225C/200C fan) for 8-10 minutes or until nicely tanned. Finally, let them cool on a rack.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 7 (225C/200C fan) for 8-10 minutes or until nicely tanned. Finally, let them cool on a rack.
N.B. Some recipes say to use turmeric if you can't get hold of any saffron but personally I don't think it is worth bothering if this is the case. Turmeric only impersonates the colour that saffron gives off not the flavour, and the flavour is, for me, essential!
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Comments (0) | Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Chocolate chip cookies
150g butter, at room temperature
80g light brown soft sugar
80g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
200g dark chocolate, cut into chunks
Method:
1. Preheat the oven at gas mark 5 (190C/ 170C fan) and line two baking trays with baking sheets.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Then sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the bowl and mix everything together. Finally, stir the the chocolate chunks.
3. Using a teaspoon, place small mounds of the cookie dough well apart on the baking trays. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until light brown on the edges and slightly soft in the centre.
4. Once the trays are out of the oven. leave the cookies on them for a few minutes to cool, then transfer onto a cooling rack.
150g butter, at room temperature
80g light brown soft sugar
80g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
200g dark chocolate, cut into chunks
Method:
1. Preheat the oven at gas mark 5 (190C/ 170C fan) and line two baking trays with baking sheets.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Then sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the bowl and mix everything together. Finally, stir the the chocolate chunks.
3. Using a teaspoon, place small mounds of the cookie dough well apart on the baking trays. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until light brown on the edges and slightly soft in the centre.
4. Once the trays are out of the oven. leave the cookies on them for a few minutes to cool, then transfer onto a cooling rack.
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Comments (0) |
Homemade Pizza
This is a delicious and simple recipe that is great to do with kids to get them involved and excited about cooking.
For the base:
300g plain flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
200ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
4 big glugs of olive oil
4 cloves garlic
3 x 400g tin of tomatoes
salt and freshly milled black pepper
bunch of fresh basil leaves
Method:
1. First make the tomato sauce: Place a large non stick frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Finely slice the garlic and add it to the pan. When the garlic starts to colour, add the tomatoes and torn up basil leaves. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up any tomato lumps. Season with salt and pepper then bring to the boil and remove the pan completely from the heat.
2. Put a sieve over a bowl and spoon the mixture into it. Push through any tomatoes that are stuck in the sieve and discard the basil and garlic. Then return the sieved mixture back to the pan and simmer for a further 5 minutes until it thickens.
3. Now for the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the water and oil. Mix together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft dough. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minute until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You do not need to leave it to rise if you are doing a thin crust.
4. If you have let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin until large and round (about 25cm across). The dough will rise in the oven.
5. Heat the oven to gas mark 8 (240C/ 220C fan). Smooth the sauce over the base with the back of a wooden spoon. Then add any topping you like, not forgetting to add mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil.
Put the pizza on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp.
This is a delicious and simple recipe that is great to do with kids to get them involved and excited about cooking.
For the base:
300g plain flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
200ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
4 big glugs of olive oil
4 cloves garlic
3 x 400g tin of tomatoes
salt and freshly milled black pepper
bunch of fresh basil leaves
Method:
1. First make the tomato sauce: Place a large non stick frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Finely slice the garlic and add it to the pan. When the garlic starts to colour, add the tomatoes and torn up basil leaves. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up any tomato lumps. Season with salt and pepper then bring to the boil and remove the pan completely from the heat.
2. Put a sieve over a bowl and spoon the mixture into it. Push through any tomatoes that are stuck in the sieve and discard the basil and garlic. Then return the sieved mixture back to the pan and simmer for a further 5 minutes until it thickens.
3. Now for the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the water and oil. Mix together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft dough. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minute until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You do not need to leave it to rise if you are doing a thin crust.
4. If you have let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin until large and round (about 25cm across). The dough will rise in the oven.
5. Heat the oven to gas mark 8 (240C/ 220C fan). Smooth the sauce over the base with the back of a wooden spoon. Then add any topping you like, not forgetting to add mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil.
Put the pizza on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp.
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