Hooked on cooking – Here's my Cheflet!

It's about time I gave you photographic proof of what I've been droning on about for the last few weeks. Here's my Granddaughter, Jess.

Never let it be said I don't do the research – my question to Jess was what was her favourite fast food choice – easy – chicken nuggets, so, here they are :

Chicken Nuggets

but not as you know them

3 plump chicken breasts (weight 500/600kg)

Cling film

Kitchen mallet or other suitable implement

for bashing i.e. rolling pin

3 x foil trays

2 tbsp plain flour

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp breadcrumbs plus an additional 2 tbsp

to top up

Step 1 :

Pat the chicken dry with kitchen roll. Place a sheet of cling film on your board. You can place the chicken breast whole and cut afterwards or cut into small nugget sized pieces before you begin bashing – bear in mind that the chicken is to be flattened and will therefore be larger than the cut piece. Arrange on the cling film making sure you leave sufficient space between the nuggets. Cover with another sheet of cling film and bash with a kitchen mallet (or rolling pin) to flatten. Set aside.

Step 2 :

Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in the foil trays.

Step 3 :

Now for the production line. Jess wanted to wear gloves – sadly I didn't have a pair small enough but hey she managed for a little while. A note before you begin – make sure you have a tray lined with kitchen roll ready to receive your breaded nuggets.

Step 4 :

Coat each piece in flour, then coat in beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs.

If you are cooking the nuggets later, cover with more kitchen roll and then double cling film and “fridge” until required.

… to be continued!

Hooked on cooking – Dessert design - The Tiramisu Tower

This Tiramisu Tower is perfect for the cheflets to show off their new found talents – for themselves as a treat or, if you are still in entertaining mode, let them create individual Towers for the guests. If you are dining al fresco then your picnic plastic is perfect or, if indoors you could always use glass tumblers for the grown-ups.

Here's the basic recipe :

Orange Tiramisu

(Serves 4/5 depending on size of dessert bowl)

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges plus

4 additional tbsps of orange juice

20fl oz whipping cream

Madeira cake – 2 x 250g(ish) – you may

not use it all but it won't go to waste

4tbls caster sugar

8oz Mascarpone or Philadelphia

2oz plain chocolate (grated)

or chocolate flakes, bashed in their packets

circular cutters – various sizes

Mix the orange rind and juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. **see below.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Grate the chocolate

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge and sprinkle with chocolate.

Variations

I'm suggesting an orange syrup as an optional extra. Ideally it should really be made ahead so it can cool properly and become gloopy – in case you're not aware this is a technical cookery term! It needs to be perfect to fold gently through the mascarpone and sugar, creating a brilliant orange stripe through the mixture and a final drizzle over the top of the tower before sprinkling with chocolate**.

Any remaining syrup can be served in a jug (if eating inside) or a squeezy bottle (if eating al fresco)

If you are making double the quantity of this dessert I'd suggest doubling the amount of syrup.

Orange Syrup

200g icing sugar

250ml orange juice (no bits)

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

You could if you wish add an additional layer of oranges or mandarin oranges. You can buy easy peel oranges (the size of a large satsuma) if you'd like to use fresh fruit or, if not available you can buy tins of mandarin oranges in fruit juice. If you used tinned mandarins then you could use the fruit juice in the orange rind and juice dipping mixture – waste not want not!

I appreciate not part of a classical tiramisu but it adds an extra level of fruit and hey – as I've always said, rules are made to be broken.

My final suggestion is that you might want to check out your favourite cut price shop and buy some long handled sundae spoons – ideal to reach the bottom of tall glasses – plastic or otherwise!

Hooked on cooking – Dessert design - a vertical split

 … with a twist

Sorry, couldn't resist an Olympics idea – this sounds like some sort of fancy dive with a degree of difficulty to make your eyes water.

Instant dessert or may be a treat for the cheflets to assemble themselves, this is a variation of a banana split but built vertically in your trusted picnic plastic – the smoothie cups would be ideal.

For 4 cheflets

4 bananas – peeled and sliced when

ready to assemble

4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

4 tbsp of chocolate sauce (see below)

2 tbsp of flaked almonds or chopped

pistachios

glacé cherries to decorate

Sticky Toffee Sauce

4oz unsalted butter

8oz soft brown sugar

10 fl oz double cream (or whipping cream)

Heat together the butter and sugar. When dissolved add the cream.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring.

When cooled decant into two squeezy bottles – 1 per 2 cheflets.

Squeeze a blob of sticky toffee sauce into the base of your Smoothie Cup or other picnic plastic of choice.

You have options with regard to your chocolate sauce. You can cheat and buy it but if you'd like the cheflets to have a go, make some ganache. You can make ganache to suit your recipe, see below. I would opt for the option underlined to create a more sundae effect in the cup but it is purely a matter of taste.

On that basis heat 250ml of double cream on a medium heat, bring just to the boil and then pour over 250g of dark chocolate chips – minimum 50% cocoa solids - whisk until smooth. Allow to cool. If you are not using chocolate chips, then chop your chocolate as finely as possible.

Ganache

There are 3 options :

Equal parts chocolate and cream. While still warm this ganache is pourable and can be used to drizzle chocolate ribbons or glaze cookies or cakes. It can also be used as a cake filling. As it starts to cool it thickens and takes on a more spreadable consistency.

Two parts chocolate to one part cream.

Increasing the percentage of chocolate makes for a thicker ganache. This ratio is used for truffles. Can also be used as a glaze or piped frosting.

Two parts cream to one part chocolate.

A ganache with more cream than chocolate is runny – warm and mousse like at room temp. When warm it can be poured over a cake to give a glaze.

The ganache and the sticky toffee sauce are easy elements with some supervision and could be done at the hob together i.e. 2 cheflets making the ganache and 2 the sticky toffee sauce.

You can use a shop bought vanilla ice cream or get the cheflets to make a batch ahead of the game from the recipe on the blog.

The cheflets can now build their vertical split, sticky toffee sauce, layer of bananas, blob of ice cream, large blob of ganache, repeat and finish off with a theatrical drizzle of sticky toffee sauce and chopped nuts.

I hope the idea of a vertical banana split might amuse - you can add anything you like, the cheflets are making a ganache and a sticky toffee sauce, not to mention the vanilla ice cream if so inclined!

The split should be decorated with a glacé cherry – do not forget the cherry!

Hooked on cooking – need a pudding?

This is another recipe that is suitable for everyone to do their bit – it should appeal to your cheflets since it requires assembly and looks the biz when it's turned out.

This version I know I've mentioned before on the blog but it's worth repeating - it uses fresh fruits in season and, more to the point in my view, it uses Madeira cake and not the traditional bread for the pudding. For those out there who have been kind enough to follow the blog since the beginning, you'll know already of my aversion to dishes like rice pudding, sago and semolina – wet bread joins that list! In my defence I think assembling a pudding with cake is a lot more attractive than bread, plus the fact cake is less inclined to break.

Summer Pudding

Use fruits that are in season or alternatively frozen fruits work well too.

Ingredients

Frozen fruits/berries – 400g bag (14oz) or similar quantity of fresh fruit

1 tbsp sugar

1 tin or carton of fruit pie filling – blackcurrant or fruits of the forest

Madeira cake – I use an inexpensive shop bought cake (265g) – sliced lengthways into quarter inch slices and neatened. Here's where it's difficult to predict whether you'd need one cake or two – cake size varies depending which supermarket you use. I'd err on the side of caution and opt for two. For the size of basin stated, it takes approximately 10 slices of cake.

1 litre (1&¾pt) basin.

A plain sided cutter slightly larger than the base of the basin.

Cling film

Method

If using fresh fruit, bring it to the boil with the sugar in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until the fruit releases its juices. Cool.

If using frozen fruit, defrost it and then add the sugar.

Line the basin with cling film ensuring that it overlaps the basin.

Cut out a circle of cake for the base and place it in the basin. Line the rest of the basin – I overlap each piece of cake – but it's whatever you'd prefer.

Add half the can of fruit pie filling to the cooled/defrosted fruit and then pour the mixture into the cake-lined bowl. Top with slices of cake to cover completely. Fold the cling film over the pudding to seal.

Place a slightly smaller plate or saucer on top of the basin and weigh down with a tin (the heaviest in your pantry/cupboard). Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the tin and plate, unseal the cling film, cover the bowl with a large plate. Invert the pudding onto the plate and remove the cling film.

With the remaining pie filling, warm it through, gently in a microwave. Pour over the top of the pudding to serve, adding cream, ice cream or custard.

Here's a photo of the finished pud :

This is great fun for the cheflets – weighing down the pudding with a tin of beans should bring a smile and the pleasure of turning out the pudding and surveying their efforts well worth it. Note to self – if you have cheflets who aren't that keen on fresh fruit they might even forget it's in the pudding, especially if they've helped make it and it's served with a scoop of home-made vanilla ice cream!

Hooked on cooking – need a cake?

… to feed 15?

I really must pay attention to recipes and try not to get carried away – it wasn't until I'd made this cake I realised – erm – it serves 15 – yikes, how much cake can two people eat! Thank goodness for a friend's birthday – 2 slices – two test slices and a spare slice for good luck - only 10 more slices to go. It's a good job another friend has family close-by and visiting family too during the holidays so it's a rapid cake delivery – panic over!

Whilst this cake may not be suitable for the cheflets to bake without help it's a definite candidate for all to pitch in and create together.

I don't normally make cakes – this one is here because of my passion for Hummingbirds. I thought the ingredients worked – a mixture of pineapple, banana and nuts.

So, continuing for a while with the potential summer gatherings, here it is :

Hummingbird Cake

375g plain flour

375g caster sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

350ml rapeseed oil

3 eggs

1 220g tin of pineapple, drained and puréed

450g mashed bananas

120g chopped walnuts

Icing

1 x 200g cream cheese, softened

110g butter, softened

450g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4

Grease and line 2 x 23cms cake tins.

Sieve together the flour, sugar, bicarb and salt (the dry ingredients).

Using a large bowl mix together the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and nuts.

Add the dry ingredients, by hand – i.e. not a food processor.

Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 1 hour – test by inserting a skewer which should be clean when removed. Allow the cakes to cool on racks.

Prepare the icing by blending together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract and then gradually add the icing sugar. Spread between the cakes and then cover the top and sides too if you wish.

Have a look at the finished cake.

Icing tips that weren't in the original recipe and that you may find helpful.

Philadelphia full fat cream cheese works well.

Use unsalted butter.

Sieve your icing sugar into a separate bowl to remove any lumps, add it gradually to the cheese and butter and you'll be glad you did.

I used vanilla paste instead of extract – you can see the flecks in the icing in the photograph, it gives a great flavour.

The verdict ...”have just eaten delicious and yummy cake – 10 out of 10 – well actually 11.

Hooked on cooking – Dessert design… a blank canvas

The model shown measures 50x38 cms. The cake boards mentioned measure 25x25 cms for the square and 25cms in diameter for the circular.

What to do with the blank canvas – that's up to the cheflets. Here's a photo with a few bits and pieces :

The additions speak for themselves – the pile of logs are wafer rolls - the muddy puddle in the centre of the logs is the caramel glue. You could if you wished melt chocolate as an alternative. The flowers – I use the term loosely – are meringue kisses with a hole in the bottom – punched through gently with a cocktail stick and a chocolate mint stick cut in half inserted for the stalk/stem. The pink versions are mini raspberry macaroons.

In other words, fill all the remaining space on the boards and in between, directly on to your table cloth.

The list of what can be added is huge but here's a few ideas :

Fresh fruit – strawberries, cubes of fresh pineapple,

ditto of mango – convenient to dip into muddy puddles

any other fresh fruit of your choice

cubes of Madeira cake or lemon drizzle

meringue nests filled with blueberries and raspberries

Remember the squeezy bottles mentioned – you could make up one each of lemon drizzle syrup, orange syrup, sticky toffee sauce and strawberry coulis.

I mentioned in the original shopping list that you might like to include the ingredients for Rocky Road and Malteser cake. Have a look at the photos of each below and I hope you'll agree that either or both of these scattered creatively of course, would make a great addition.

The recipes for all of the above are on the blog.

Note:

If you decide you'd like to give the cheflets either or both of these then they'll need to be made ahead but neither are difficult or time consuming.

Now for the good news – when your party is over any leftovers can be boxed, fold up the table cloth and bin – Marigolds (aka washing up gloves) not required!

Ta Dah!

Just before I go, a big thank you to my mate Susie Q who helped me translate the idea in my head to the model – mwah.

Hooked on cooking – Dessert design… follow the yellow brick road!

Your road needs to be neat and to show definition so we need to create an edge of stones. Enter the mini marshmallow and the best glue ever – I give you “Carnation cook with caramel” (in other words condensed milk with added caramel) I've not seen it in smaller cans than 397g but it's not as expensive as buying a jar of posh caramel sauce – it makes great glue.

Now you know what the paintbrushes are for – one for each of your cheflets and in order to prevent any dispute it might be more practical to give each of them a small dish of caramel. You'll be able to pick up the brushes in your preferred “£1” shop.

Using the “glue” paint a line either side of the road. The marshmallows can then be glued into place. It matters not if the glue strays further on to the board - so not a problem for small hands – it will be covered soon enough with grass and soil!

You can buy bags of pink and white mini marshmallows so you could add more colour by alternating pink and white edging.

The story so far, a board each with a piece of road with edging stones and a bag of desiccated coconut grass.

The next step is for the cheflets to create the soil. Each should have a chocolate muffin and a plastic food bag. Place the muffin in the bag, secure the top and crumble into soil.

Back to the paintbrush - paint either side of the road with the glue – again it doesn't matter if they stray onto the cloth with the glue or grass or soil but they do need to bear in mind that their board should stay in its place.

Your cheflets can now scatter their coconut grass and muffin soil where they may on their respective boards.