dianastaveley-blog-blog - Tumblr blog

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

My Pretty in Pink Cake http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2012/01/pretty-in-pink.html

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Hi

Please check out my blog and if you like what you see please vote for me.

Thank you so much, Di X

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Sachertorte - Great British Bake Off

Please check out my latest blog.

http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/10/sachertorte-as-seen-on-great-british.html

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

A treat for Hubby

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Christmas Cake Poll

Please check out my Facebook Fan Page and vote for your favourite Christmas Cake as I really need help deciding which one to bake this year. The winning cake I will bake and blog about.

http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/10/christmas-cake-poll-2011.html

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Sugar & Spice gets a Facebook Page

Hi Everyone Just wanted to tell you about the Facebook Page that I have created for this blog, it is so lovely to see on Google Analytics all the hits I get and to see that they cover the whole world but its not very personal and so I thought why not create a Facebook page and then that way I can get to know you all. So if you want to say Hi, leave me a message, share a recipe or thought, please do and I look forward to getting to know you all. All you have to do is follow the link below ! Thank you for taking the time to look at my Blog & I really hope you have enjoyed it and I hope to see you all on Facebook soon. Take care, Mrs S http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Spice/153417948084546?sk=wall

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Maple-glazed hot dogs with mustardy onions

So here as promised is the amazing but again very simple to make maple-glazed hot dogs with mustardy onions.

As you will of seen on my previous post, I served these with spicy potato wedges, but as Bonfire Night will soon be upon us I think these would be gorgeous to have a round a bonfire with a yummy hot chocolate or a glass of mulled cider, finished off with toffee apples and toasted marshmallows, now doesn't that sound just perfect.

I will also be taking the idea of glazing the sausages in maple syrup for cooking everyday sausages and serving them with mashed potatoes with my boston baked beans http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/09/boston-baked-beans-with-crisp-pork.html, as the taste was out of this world and my very sweet tooth greatly appreciated it.

So there you have it, two very sort posts, typed up on my new MAC Air, feeling very proud of myself and very geeky, apart from a couple of glitches I don't think I have struggled to much and look forward to getting to grips with what this little beauty can do. Here's to some happy blogging at break neck speeds.

Buon appetito

Recipe from Good Food : Serves 4

8 good-quality pork sausages

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 onions , thinly sliced

1 tsp yellow or black mustard seeds

2 tbsp maple syrup

4 part-baked mini baguettes (or cut a French stick into 4 pieces)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

large pinch brown or muscovado sugar

2 tsp wine or cider vinegar

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Place the sausages in a non-stick baking tray and roast for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and mustard seeds together for 10-15 mins until softened and golden.

Remove the sausages and brush with maple syrup.

Pop the baguettes onto the same baking tray. Increase the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and return the tray for 5-8 mins until the sausages are dark, shiny and cooked through.

Stir the mustard, sugar and vinegar into the onions until the sugar has melted.

Cut the baguettes open across the top and put 2 sausages into each. Spoon over the mustardy onions and serve.

Goes really well with:

http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/09/spiced-potato-wedges.html

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Spiced Potato Wedges

Not all good food has to be hard work, even the simplest of dishes can be made amazing with a few special ingredients and always try to use the best ingredients you can afford to buy.

We cook pretty much every night, always from scratch, home cooked food for the family, but sometimes, especially after a busy week, on a Friday its nice to have something simple to cook that doesn't disappoint in flavour. This recipe for potato wedges was part of a yummy dish that accompanied sausages glazed in maple syrup, served in a crispy baguette with mustard caramelised onions, which I will also be posting on this blog.

The recipe says to use tandoori curry powder or jerk seasoning, I think that you could use any curry powder you had lying around and I used a madras powder and it worked just fine. It maybe an idea to think about what you are serving your wedges with and tailor your spices to the dish.

The wedges were just gorgeous, not too overpowering in flavour and complimented the dip so well. The wedges can be served as a side for a main meal as I have done here or would be lovely served with the dip at a party with drinks.

It has, as usual been a very manic week, work and home have been busy, and Stephen, my second eldest Son has come home to stay for a couple of weeks and it is so lovely to be able to spoil him by cooking him amazing dinners every night.

Buon appetito

Goes well with:

http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/09/maple-glazed-hot-dogs-with-mustardy.html

For the potatoes:

1kg red-skinned potato , such as Desiree

25g butter , melted

1 tbsp tandoori curry powder or jerk seasoning

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Cut each potato into eight wedges, then cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and spice with a little seasoning. Drain the potatoes, then add to the bowl and shake.

Transfer to two baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned.

Serve hot, with the dip.

For the dip:

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp clear honey

5 tbsp mayonnaise

Ripple the mustard and honey through the mayonnaise in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Boston Baked Beans with Crisp Pork Belly

This has to be one of the yummiest dishes I have eaten in a long time and I am not particularly a big pork lover. I must admit that I have altered the recipe a little, this was originally due to the fact that Hubby got the wrong beans, but in hindsight I would always do it this way just to cut down on the faffing around and reduce the amount of prep.

There are a lot of ingredients and if you do it the original way it is a time consuming recipe, but doing my short cut will cut this down no end, so thank you Hubby for getting it wrong.

When I cooked this I put the meat in first, prepping this only takes minutes and you can pretty much forget about it. I then prepped all the bean ingredients, cooked it up to the point you bring it to the boil, then just turned it off and left it on the hob until 30 minutes from the end of the meat cooking time, then I put the beans on a low simmer and hey presto, dinner is done.

It can be a struggle to get perfect crackling, its one of those things that many people strive to achieve, well this recipe is foolproof. I have never had such fantastic crunchy crackling and the meat was moist and just fell apart, also and this surprised me, the pork was full of flavour, I often find pork a little boring and tasteless.

I think the pork would work in lots of other ways and I think I will always do mine like this from now on, but maybe serve it with mashed potato and savoy cabbage.

Buon appetito

Ingredients - Serves 6

Dried Cannellini beans or 1 400g tin if doing my way

Olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons English mustard

2 teaspoons light brown soft sugar

2 teaspoons black treacle or molasses

1/2 rounded teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

1 table spoon of tamarind paste

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

Crisp Pork Belly

2kg, boned & skin scored pork belly

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 table spoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 teaspoons sea salt

So here is the recipe for the beans if using dried beans:-

Put the dried beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Put in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently very gently for about 45 minutes, until tender, but not soft. Drain, keeping the cooking liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large solid casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until starting to turn golden at the edges, add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the mustard, sugar, treacle, smoked paprika, tomato puree, tamarind paste and chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir well and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the beans and 600ml of the cooking liquid, the bay leaf and sprig of thyme. Mix well, bring to the boil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for another 3 hours or until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened, stirring the pot every now and then to ensure that the sauce does not dry out.

Now my way using a can of tinned cannellini beans:-

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large solid casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until starting to turn golden at the edges, add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the mustard, sugar, treacle, smoked paprika, tomato puree, tamarind paste and chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir well and cook for 30 seconds.

Strain the tin of cannellini beans over a measuring jug, saving the juices from the tin. Leaving the beans over the jug pour over cold water to rinse the beans and bring the liquid up to 600ml. Add the beans and the 600ml of the saved liquid, the bay leaf and sprig of thyme. Mix well, bring to the boil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened, stirring the pot every now and then to ensure that the sauce does not dry out.

For the pork:-

Heat the oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7.

Coarsely grind the fennel seeds and black peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Add the oregano, paprika and sea salt, and mix to combine.

Lay the pork belly on the work surface, skin side up, and rub the spice mixture into the pork, pushing it deep into the cuts in the skin.

Put in a roasting tin, skin-side up, and cook for 40 minutes until the skin starts to puff and crisp at the edges. Turn the oven down to 150c/fan 130c/gas 2 and cook for a further 2 hours.

Drain off any excess fat from the pan and turn the oven back up to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Cook the pork for a further 15 minutes until the skin crackles. Serve cut into slices with the baked beans.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Fish baked with roasted peppers & feta

Hubby and I love fish, unfortunately the Children are not that keen, so we usually end up only eating it when the Children are away or order it when we are at a restaurant. When we saw this dish we just had to try it and decided to try in out on the Children.

We absolutely loved it, the flavours were amazing and it was so simple to make, however as expected the Children didn't, please do not let this put you off trying this gorgeous recipe as my Children can be really fussy little monkeys. If you love fish, love fresh, bright flavours then you will really enjoy this.

Its perfect for a simple quick supper served with a lovely salad & fresh bread, but also I think served in a beautiful dish, taken straight to the table it would be just as impressive to serve at a dinner party.

Buon appetito

Ingredients

• 600g haddock or cod, cut into 4 pieces - look for fish from a sustainable source

• olive oil

• ½ tsp paprika

• 1 garlic clove , chopped

• 2 slices sourdough bread , chopped into rough crumbs

• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , chopped

• 100g roasted peppers from a jar, drained and chopped

• 50g feta cheese , crumbled

• salad , to serve

Heat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas6.

Rub the fish with a tiny bit of the oil and paprika, and season. Mix 1 tbsp of olive oil with the garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley and some seasoning.

Put the fish in a baking dish and divide the peppers, breadcrumbs and feta over each fillet.

Bake the fish for 15 minutes and serve with salad.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Sourdough starter and bread recipe

I have decided to take on the challenge of making a sourdough starter, the idea of growing, nurturing and feeding this living organism intrigued me after a friend told me all about their sourdough. Originally I was going to take a piece of their starter but thought it would be rather nice to make my own family starter from scratch and if I don't get bored with feeding it every three days, in years to come could have a Staveley Starter that all the family have a piece of and use in their own homes.

It is not uncommon for a baker's starter dough to have years of history, from many hundreds of previous batches. As a result, each baker's sourdough has a distinct taste. The combination of starter processes, refreshment ratios and rest times, culture and air temperature, humidity, and elevation also makes each batch of sourdough different.

It is a very lengthly process, Rosie found it highly hilarious that every evening for four nights Hubby and I were out in the kitchen halving and feeding our culture, but even though my first attempt at making the bread seemed a little tricky it was well worth the extra work just because of the taste. The bread had the most amazing chewy and dark crust, with a substantial inner sponge, a complex flavor, that changed in the mouth as you chewed it.

Today as I type up this post I have halved and fed my culture and have used the half that I have removed for my second attempt at sourdough, it is far easier this time as I know the process and I am being a little rougher with it than before, which has already resulted in a better dough, so I am hoping for a delicious loaf. The other thing I like about the recipe below is that you can make enough to bake one loaf and store the other in the fridge to bake the next day, saving loads of time and allowing for your culture to be ready for your next batch of bread making.

You can't beat fresh home made bread every evening with your meal, this recipe allows me to do the tricky bits when I am at home on my days off and then have a loaf waiting to be baked in the fridge on the days I am at work, just perfect.

Buon appetito

Sourdough Starter Culture

This will take a few days, but is not at all difficult. It's quite amazing that with the repeated additions of only wheat and water, you will develop an active and living sourdough starter!

Day 1

Mix together 1 cup of whole wheat or rye flour with ¾ cup of water. Make sure that all the dough is wet into a ball. It will be stiff, but don't worry about it. Keep in a clean container covered with plastic wrap at room temperature.

Day 2

Mix together 1 cup bread flour with ½ cup of water. Add this mixture to the mixture from yesterday, and mix it all together. Yesterday's dough will likely be a little bit softer than it was, but there will not likely have occurred any rise. Cover with plastic wrap as before, and leave at room temperature.

Day 3

Mix together 1 cup of bread flour with ½ cup of water. Take the dough from the day before, and discard half of it. Mix the new and old dough's together. It will be getting wetter, and there will probably be some rise by now. Cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature.

Day 4

Repeat the procedure exactly as from Day 3. A few hours after you have mixed the dough's together, your starter should have doubled in size. It is now ready for use.

Take 1 cup of your active sourdough starter, and, mix with 3 ½ cups of bread flour and 2 cups of water. Mix together well and cover with plastic wrap. After about 6 hours, the dough should have doubled in size, and become quite bubbly. It is now ready to use in a sourdough bread recipe!

Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strong white (bread) flour, preferably unbleached organic flour

1 tsp salt

240 ml (8 fl oz) tepid water, preferably spring water, or as needed

For the dough, mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Weigh out 200 g (7 oz) of the sourdough starter and mix it with the tepid water, then pour it into the well in the flour. Gradually work the flour into the liquid mixture to make a soft dough. You may need to add a little more water if the dough feels dry or crumbly, or more flour if it sticks to your hands or the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until very pliable. Return it to the cleaned bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 3–8 hours or until doubled in size. Rising time depends on the room temperature and on the strength of your starter. (A new starter will give a slower rise and less volume than one that is well established.)

Turn out the risen dough onto a floured work surface and knock it back with your knuckles to its original size. Shape the dough into a ball and set it in a basket or colander lined with a heavily floured linen tea-towel. Cover with a damp tea-towel and leave to rise for 2–6 hours or until doubled in size.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF, gas mark 7). Invert the loaf onto a large greased baking sheet and quickly slash the top with a sharp knife. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

Transfer the bread to a wire rack and leave to cool. It can be kept for up to 5 days, and is wonderful toasted.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Red Velvet Cake

If you have brought Octobers edition of Good Food you are in for a treat as Edd Kimber has a fantastic section in there showcasing his heavenly cakes. You may remember Edd from last years Great British Bake Off, I was a total addict to the show last year and I am totally addicted again this year, everything stops on Tuesday nights for the show.

Last year my three favourites were Miranda, Ruth and of course Edd, well chosen favourites I would like to add as they ended up being the top three. This year my three favourites are Holly, Jo and Jason, I wonder if again this year I have managed to predict the top three, only time will tell.

Last weekend I made the gorgeous Red Velvet Cake, there are quite a few ingredients involved but Edd's instruction's are so clear and easy to follow that even if you are a novice baker you can't help but get wonderful results.

Edd's new book "The Boy Who Bakes" comes out this week and I can not wait to get my hands on a copy and get baking, but first I will be making the Raspberry Ripple Cake also in Good Food, but what we all want to be able to do is make macaroons as wonderfully as Edd, so when I am feeling brave I will be giving these little blighters ago, anyone that saw the show last night knows just how tricky they can be to make, so wish me luck.

Buon appetito

Amazon link for Edd's Book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Who-Bakes-Edd-Kimber/dp/0857830457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315387542&sr=8-1

Edd's Website: http://theboywhobakes.co.uk/

Sponge

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

3 tablespoons boiling water

1 tsp red gel food colouring

40g cocoa powder

250ml buttermilk

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

350g caster sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting

250g unsalted butter, again at room temperature

500g icing sugar

400g full-fat cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 160c/ 140c fan/ gas 3.

Lightly grease 3 x 20cm round cake tins, line the bases with baking parchment, then grease these too. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. In a small bowl, mix together the boiling water, food colouring, cocoa powder and buttermilk until fully combined, and set aside.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until fully combined; mix in the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to low and add a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, then add the final third of flour mixture. Stir in the vinegar.

Divide equally between the cake tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly beat in the icing sugar until combined (I always put a clean tea towel over the bowl when doing this so that the icing dust doesn't go everywhere), then increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream cheese and the vanilla extract until just combined. Do not over-beat at this stage or it will be to thin. It was a really warm day when I made mine, so I put the frosting in the fridge for a little while before icing, just to make it a little firmer and easier to handle.

To assemble, put a layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread a layer of frosting onto the top of the cake and put the second cake layer on top, then repeat. Put the final layer of cake on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with a very light dusting of cocoa powder to finish.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Blackberry Jam

It's that time of year when you feel the sense of change in the air, evenings smell and feel different and the evening sunlight has that glow to it of autumnal evenings, I have also noticed how early the leaves on the tree's are starting to change colour. My thoughts have turned to comfort cooking and baking, autumn walks amongst the leaves and Christmas. All my cookery magazines are full of autumn goodies and I know that next month I will have to start thinking about making my Christmas cake, but for now my task is to forage the hedgerows for as many goodies as I can whilst the weather is still enjoyable enough to get out there.

I do get teased a little about my love of cooking and for my love of foraging, but there is no better feeling than spending time outside in the countryside picking beautiful things and coming home and turning them into some yummy delight, whether it be jams, pickles, syrups, wines or cordials, the choice is endless and as a very wise and loving friend once said to me "what does it matter what others think, if it makes you happy, its all good", and she is right.

I started the Summer off with Elderflower Syrup, Cordial and Champagne which for me summed up the taste and smell of summer in a glass, now I am making jams and soon I will be out there picking sloes for sloe gin for Christmas. I do love the seasons and I love the delights that each season brings.

For my recipe below I didn't have any lemon juice, so I took a chance and left it out, but added 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead, the jam has turned out just fine but I think for the next batch I will either add more vanilla or add it nearer the end of the cooking so that the flavour doesn't get boiled out. This jam is just so yummy, perfect on toast, on scones or in a victoria sandwich cake, I just know that I will have to make another batch soon as it never stays around for very long.

Buon appetito

Makes 1 Litre

1kg blackberries

1kg jam sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

4 x 250ml jars or equivalent

Place a testing saucer in the deep freezer.

Put the fruit, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan or other large, wide pan, and let the sugar dissolve over a low heat. Turn the heat up and bring to jam to the boil. Keep the jam at a rolling boil until setting point is reached.

Setting point can be found by placing a small amount of your jam on the saucer in the freezer, after a few seconds push the jam with your finger, if the jam surface wrinkles then it has reached setting point and is ready, alternatively you can use a cooking thermometer if you have one.

Allow the jam about ten minute to cool and then transfer to your sterilised jars.

To sterilise your jars, first wash the jars in hot soapy water and then rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip dry, upside down on a rack in the oven set to 140c/275f/gas mark 1. Leave for at least half an hour or cheat like I do and wash them on the top self of your dishwasher on the hottest setting.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Chicken in Creamy Yoghurt

I love coriander and I love ginger, I also love Thai curries and this tastes very Thai indeed, Hubby and I had our weekend alone and started it off on the Friday evening with this gorgeous dinner, great team work as I made the marinade during the day and Hubby cooked the curry when he came home.

Curries can be a lot of hard work, you need a lot of spices, there is a lot of cooking involved but this couldn't be more simple, just remember to make the marinade, probably best the night before so that the chicken has time to take on all the amazing flavours. There is very little oil used, as the yoghurt makes up the bulk of the sauce and so it is also a lot healthier than a lot of curries. Use good quality chicken and lovely fresh yoghurt and you will have a truly yummy dinner. Its very clean, fresh and light tasting, it will not blow your head off and if you are not keen on very hot food, this recipe is for you. Serve with green vegetables, roti or naan, or with rice like we enjoyed it.

We had a great weekend together, enjoyed some lovely walks, had a very romantic evening picnic by the waters edge, picked blackberries, made jam and just really enjoyed our very precious alone time.

Buon appetito

Serves 6 -8


1.3 kg chicken, skinned and jointed into equal pieces so that the breast is cut into two (your butcher will do this for you), cut some slashes in the chicken at 1 cm intervals, or prick all over) to allow the flavours to penetrate.

Marinade

15g garlic, around 7 fat cloves, peeled 


20g ginger, peeled


400g yoghurt


4 teaspoons coriander powder


½-1 teaspoon red chilli powder
(I used 1/2 a teaspoon, Hubby would used 1 teaspoon)

1 rounded teaspoon garam masala


2 teaspoon salt or to taste


½ teaspoon cumin powder


2 tablespoon vegetable oil


1 small onion, chopped


1-2 green chillies, slit (optional)


2 small or one large black cardamom pods


Handful of finely chopped coriander stalks and leaves

Puree the ginger and garlic with some of the yoghurt for a smooth paste and stir in the remaining marinade ingredients. Add to the chicken and leave to marinate for as long as possible. I leave mine overnight. Bring back to room temperature before starting.

Pour the chicken and the marinade to a large saucepan or karahi and place over a high heat.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the chillies and the onion until soft, around 6 minutes. Once done, add to the chicken along with the cardamom pods and continue cooking over a high flame until the watery curry becomes creamy and only covers one third of the chicken, about 15-20 minutes.

Then cover and cook the chicken, over a very low flame, until it is tender and the gravy is rich and creamy, another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure there is enough water in the pan and add a splash if necessary. Stir in the coriander, check the seasoning and serve.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Sugar Saucers

Finding a good cookie recipe is not easy and I have tried many, but this one is just lovely, chewy on the outside, soft in the middle and full of flavour. Its the sort of recipe that you can play with and have a lot of fun with, depending on your mood, the season or the event.

I made these with my Son's Olly & Luca and they loved rolling the dough in the sprinkles for me and loved even better eating the huge saucer shaped cookies, even for my hardened crew of tasters they nearly proved to be too much, but they soldiered on and manage, bless them. Well done boys.

I did ask if they thought I should of made them smaller, but the answer was that the size of them is what made them really fun, proving that size is always everything!

This recipe came from the gorgeous cookery book Baked in America and the boys have already chosen their birthday cakes for this year from this book, so watch this space.

Buon appetito

Makes 10 huge cookies or 36 small ones.

600g Plain Flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

340g unsalted butter

120ml rapeseed oil

225g granulated sugar

200g icing sugar

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Extra sugar or sprinkles to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on a medium speed for about a minute. With the mixer on, slowly pour in the oil, and then add the two sugars, the eggs and the vanilla. Make sure to stir well after each addition. Slowly add the flour mixture about a quarter at a time. Mix only until the flour disappears. This is a very soft dough, I was quite worried just how soft, but refrigerate for at least an hour and it will be just fine. You can even keep the mixture in the fridge for up to several days before using.

Using a large ice-cream scoop (if you have one, I don't so I just measured out the dough on the scales with a large spoon and shaped with my hands), divide the dough into balls approximately (150 - 175g) each. These were huge and I did mine at about 120g ! Place 4 balls per baking sheet and stagger them so they won't spread into each other as they bake, don't be tempted to squeeze to many on, they really do spread and become HUGE! Using your fingers, flatten the balls slightly and sprinkle each one with sugar, or roll in the sprinkles before you flatten them out. If you want to ice your cookies, don't add sugar or sprinkles.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. The middles will appear soft but will firm up as they cool. If you prefer crisper cookies, add another minute or two. Cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool.

You can also try:

Glazing them with a simple water icing.

Sprinkled with demerara sugar for extra sparkle.

Add 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the dry ingredients and roll in cinnamon sugar prior to baking and you will have Snickerdoodles.

Add lemon or orange zest.

Use Lavender Sugar.

As is always the case, the recipe is just a guide line and feel free to play with it until your hearts content and your taste buds are satisfied. I fancy white chocolate chips in my next batch.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Spaghetti pomodoro with basil

Hubby for some unknown reason has decided that I am a murderer of all houseplants, where this notion has come from I do not know as I still have the same Orchid, which is as we speak in full glorious bloom, that he brought me 6 years ago. This rather harsh label may come from me being unable to keep alive supermarket brought basil. In my defence they are rather spindly and forced and I do tend to over water them & rot their roots. Whoops maybe he does have a point!

What doesn't help is that one of the guys in his office has brought a supermarket basil, shoved it in the office window and it is not only thriving but sounds like the best basil plant in the whole world.

Not to be out done I have asked Hubby to keep an eye on the techniques being used on the amazing basil of all basil's. It would appear that you neglect it until it looks like it is wilting, water it and make sure its in direct sunshine and kept very warm.

My basil is on the conservatory window sill and has been treated as above and I am happy and proud to announce that all is well and I have had the basil for a good couple of weeks or so now, so quite a record for me. As I use basil a lot when cooking it has been nice to not have to keep buying plants but just pop into the lounge and pick a few leaves as required. The recipe below is just perfect for my wonderful little basil plant.

Buon appetito

Serves 4

125ml olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

400g spaghetti

400g tin chopped tomatoes

2tbsp passata

20 small fresh basil leaves

Grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper to serve

Heat the oil in a saute pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion for 10 minutes to soften, then add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, lightly salted water until al dente, stirring regularly so it doesn't stick. Drain well and set aside.

Carefully add the chopped tomatoes to the garlic and onion, followed by the passata. Heat through, stirring well: be careful not to overheat it. Season to taste.

Remove the sauce from the heat and toss with the spaghetti and basil. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan to serve.

So simple, so quick but really delivers on flavour. Perfect for a simple Summer supper with a nice glass of wine.

[dianastaveley-blog-blog]

Caramel Croissant Pudding

My Son Stephen has come to stay for a couple of weeks, this is because he has started a new job and while he settles into it I thought it would be nice for him to be spoilt a little by his Mummy, yes I know he is 21, but hey, I love looking after my Brood so its allowed and lots of yummy home cooking & having your Mum do your washing and ironing for a bit never hurt anyone.

Having Stephen home has given me the excuse, even if it is causing me to put on a couple of pounds, to make lots of yummy desserts and to me any excuse is a good excuse.

I absolutely adore bread and butter pudding, but my lot can be really fussy and don't like sultanas or raisins, so this recipe suits them down to the ground. It's warm, comforting, sweet and served with a good quality vanilla ice cream will melt any Son's heart. I think this dessert is so divine that it would make a superb dinner party pud.

So massive congratulations to Stephen and I hope you are really happy in your new job and all goes well.

Buon appetito

INGREDIENTS - Serves 2

2 stale croissants

100g caster sugar

2 x 15ml tablespoons water

125ml double cream

125ml full-fat milk

2 x 15ml tablespoons bourbon (I used Baileys & it was yummy)

2 eggs, beaten

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

2. Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval one with a capacity of about 500ml for this.

3. Put the caster sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over a medium to high heat.

4. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3-5 minutes. Keep looking but don't be too timid.

5. Turn heat down to low and add the cream - ignoring all spluttering - and, whisking away, the milk and bourbon. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs.

6. Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.

7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.