Sunday 16 December 2012

Mia's mincemeat Swirls




Another recipe from the Kids Cooking Company you can find it on thier website alongside some other delicious recipes or in thier Children’s Recipe Book entitled ‘Truly Scrumptious’! (trust me its a great buy packed with yummy ideas)
I am going to try this recipe out Christmas morning a great alternative to cinnammon swirls or croissants...
Makes 20-25
Prep 5 min
Cooks 6-10 mins 



Ingredients
1/2 Packet puff pastry
1 Jar Mincemeat
1 Beaten egg
Icing Sugar for decoration 

Equipment
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Sharp knife
Baking tray
Baking parchment
Fork or whisk

Method

1.Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 / 200c. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle shape. Spread a thin layer of mincemeat over the puff pastry and bring the two sides in (left & right) to meet in the middle.

2.Roll out again, try to keep to a rectangle shape. Spread more mincement over the middle of the puff pastry

3. Fold the 2 sides to meet in the middle, brush some egg down the side to help it stick and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Brush the rest of the egg over to give a golden glaze!

4. Put on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook for 6/10 min. When they are cool you could sprinkle with some icing sugar to look like snow! 

Saturday 15 December 2012

White Chocolate & Cranberry Blondies

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • FROSTING:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional
  • 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Directions

  • In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
  • Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
  • For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.
recipe sourced from Tasteofhome.com


A very similar recipe that I made last night (to use up my left over cranberries).......
White Chocolate & Cranberry Brownies

Ingredients:-
  • 6 ounces white chocolate (about 1 cup of chips)
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
Method:-

1/ Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2/Combine the white chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl placed in a saucepan of boiling water.Stir the butter and white chocolate until have both melted.

3/Add in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk vigorously to combine the ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour and use a spatula to fold it into the mixture. Then add your cranberrys & a few more chocolate drops (I sometimes add in a few walnut pieces too)

4/ Transfer to the prepared baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center has only wet crumbs on it. This gives a crunchy outside & a doughy inside (yummy)

5/Let the brownies cool on a wire rack before removing them from the pan and cutting them into squares.

Friday 14 December 2012

Candy Cane Cookies




 
Ingredients
100g/4oz plain flour

1/2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2oz/50g butter (room temperature)
2oz/50g caster sugar
Red and white icing packs
 
Equipment
Sieve
Bowl
Spoon
Saucepan
Rolling Pin
Baking Tray + Cooling Rack
Oven pre-heated to gas mark 5 / 375f / 190c
 
Method
1. First wash your hands.
2. Sieve flour and bicarbonate of soda into bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs and make a well in the centre.
3. Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and heat gently. Once it becomes runny, pour on top of the flour mixture. Be careful as the syrup and sugar mixture will be very hot.
4. Mix this around to form a dough. Put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle flour on the worktop and roll out the dough mixture. Now use your candy cane cutter to make your biscuits.
5. Place on a grease proofed baking tray and ask an adult to pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Transfer them to a cooling rack. Once cool, you can use the icing packs to decorate your very own candy cane biscuits.

                  Recipe sourced at www.thekidscookingcompany.co.uk

Warm Christmas Punch

This recipe comes thanks of our lovely friends over at
The kids Cooking Company



Ingredients

1 pint Orange Juice
1 Pint Apple Juice
¼ Pint Water
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
1 Orange
1 Apple

Equipment
Saucepan

Method
1. Put the orange juice, apple juice, ginger and mixed spice in a saucepan. 
2. Bring to the boil and simmer gently over a low heat for 5 minutes. 
3. Pour the warm (not hot!) punch into glasses and add slices of orange and apple and enjoy!
4. For a spicier punch, you could server with a cinnamon stick to stir with, and stick cloves into the orange pieces - just like in the picture!

Chocolate Snowman Truffles


Festive chocolate buttery snowman truffles


I found this recipe over on 'Goodtoknow.co.uk' & these cute choclate treats are a great idea as a gift for someone or to leave out for Santa.
            
Ingredients;-
  • 100g (4oz) plain chocolate
  • 100g (4oz) butter
  • 275g (10oz) icing sugar
  • White chocolate for grating
  • Red and green pre-bought fondant icing - for hats and noses

Method:-

  1. Place water in a small pan, bring to the boil and take off the heat
  2. Break chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over the water. Gently stir until chocolate is melted. Add the butter and again gently stir until butter has melted. Remove bowl from water
  3. Sieve the icing sugar into chocolate mixture, fold until thoroughly mixed together. Allow to cool.
  4. Take small spoonful of the mixture and roll into a small ball. Grate white chocolate into a bowl and roll each truffle in the chocolate until well coated - keep your hands cool and it won't be so sticky!
  5. Once all the snowmen are complete, make hats and noses using the red and green icing then attach to the snowmen - you may need to use cocktail sticks or a little jam to help sticking.
  6. Make a little box or use cellophane to wrap your truffles and give them to teachers, friends and relations for Christmas and as thank you pressies

Monday 10 December 2012

Gingerbread House

Gingerbread house

Ingredients:

  • 200g butter, chopped
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup golden syrup
  • 2 quantities of  Royal Icing
  • Confectionary for decorating.


 


Templates

  • 2 x  18cm by 10 cm (front and back)
  • 2 x  13cm by 22cm templates(ends)
  • 2  x 15cm by 18cm (roof pieces)

Method:

In a food processor, place the butter and sugar and process until fully combined.
Add the flours and the cinnamon and ginger into the processor and process on high until fully combined.
In a jug mix the eggs with the golden syrup. Pour this into the food processor while the motor is running and process until it is all combined.
Turn out onto a lighly floured bench and knead until smooth. Divide into 4 pieces and shape into flat discs. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove from cling film and knead until pliable. Roll out to 5mm thick and cut to the template shapes. Re-roll offcuts and cut as needed.
Bake all pieces for 15-20 mins at 180°C or until golden.
Leave to cool overnight on wire racks.
When ready to assemble prepare the royal icing and set out lollies for decoration along with the cake board or heavy cardboard.
Cut the slope for the roof from the end pieces. Cut the doors and windows from the front and back pieces.
Take the royal icing and decorate the walls with lollies. Take a piece of brown paper spread with royal icing and stick it on the back of the two roof pieces so they are joined together (this will help support the weight of the roof). Leave to dry for 1/2 hour.
Use the royal icing to glue the walls together and to the board. Use some heavy objects to support the walls as they dry.
Place the roof on and use the royal icing to pipe the snow and shingles onto the roof. Complete the decoration and leave to dry. Gingerbread will keep for up to 1 week.

Christmas Cookies


Iced Browned Butter Sugar Cookies Recipes

Ingredients

  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large egg yolks 
  • 8 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
    Click to see savings
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup pearlized sugar or turbinado sugar

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. 2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; cook 6 minutes or until dark brown. Pour butter into a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg yolks, and beat at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute).
  3. 3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; knead gently 7 times. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter into 32 cookies; reroll scraps as necessary. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies completely on wire racks.
  4. 4. Combine powdered sugar, half-and-half, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, stirring with a whisk until icing is smooth. Spoon about 3/4 teaspoon icing onto each cookie; spread to edges. While icing is wet, sprinkle each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon pearlized sugar. Dry on wire racks.
cookinglight.com

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Sweet Maccaroon Angels


Sweet Macaroon Angels

What you'll need

  • 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 14 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 36 Necco wafers





How to make it

  1. With clean, dry hands, thoroughly combine the two types of coconut in a large bowl.
  2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg whites, honey, and vanilla extract and rapidly whisk the batter until smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds.
  3. Pour the mixture over the coconut and toss with a fork, then use a wooden spoon to continue mixing until the coconut is evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 300° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray. Place 12 evenly spaced mounds of dough on the baking sheet, each about ¼cup, loosely packed. With your hands, gently shape each mound into a tall cone with a blunt top. If the dough sticks to your fingers, dampen them with water, shake off the excess, then continue.

Monday 3 December 2012

Christmas Pudding Pops


Christmas pudding pops

Ingredients:

  • 1 Coles brand traditional Christmas pudding (or leftovers), warmed
  • 12 ice-cream sticks or skewers
  • 1 block Coles brand white cooking chocolate, melted
  • 2 cups toasted shredded coconut


Method:

Line a tray with baking paper.
Take tablespoons of pudding and roll into balls. Place on a tray.
Place sticks or skewers in each pudding ball.
Dip each ball in the white chocolate and roll in coconut.
Leave to cool or place in fridge until the chocolate hardens.

sourced from kids spot.comau

Sunday 2 December 2012

Reindeer cupcakes


Reindeer cupcakes

Ingredients:

(ok theres a bit of cheating here but its our secret)
  • 1 pkt Betty Crocker Mud cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tub of Betty Crocker chocolate icing
  • 1pkt Jaffas Smarties or M&M's candy coated choc chips or cachous
  • 1 pkt pretzels

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place silver foil patty pans in a 12 cup tray.
Prepare cake mix as directed and place 1/3rd cup measures in each patty pan and bake for 20 minutes.Leave to cool on a wire rack.
When cooled take the icing and give each cupcake a generous coating.
Place Jaffas on each one for the nose and smarties etc for the eyes.
Cut the pretzels to make the antler shapes and push into cupcake