Recipe: Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes (originally from Annies Eats Blog but changed the recipe a bit)
Makes 24


Ingredients:
24 Oreo halves with cream filling attached
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 2/3 cups plain sugar
3 large egg whites at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
For the frosting
8 oz. creem cheese at room temperature
6 tbsp butter at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar, sieved
2 tbsp. heavy cream
Oreo cookies crumbs
24 oreo halves (the other disk from the cookie from the beginning)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius (350 F, gas mark 4)
Linee your cup cake trays with 24 cupcake cases
Place the halved oreo cookie in base of tray with cream filling facing upwards
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt and stir together, set aside.
In the bowl on an electric beater, combine your butter & plain sugar and beat them together on a medium-high speed until light & fluffy
Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.
blend in the vanilla extract.
With mixer now on low speed beat in half of the dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the milk and beat until combined.
Then mix in the remainder of dry ingredients
Now fold in the chopped oreos with a spatula and be careful not to over mix
Evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners.
Bake for 18-20 minutes rotating your cupcakes trays half way through
To check if cakes are cooked stick a wooden skewer into the centre of the largest cupcake and if it comes out dry its cooked!
Let cool in the trays 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

For the frosting:
Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth approx 1 minute
Blend in the vanilla extract.
Beat in the icing sugar until incorporated and smooth approx 1-2 minutes
Add the heavy cream to the bowl & beat on medium-low speed until incorporated and then increase speed to mediu-high and whip for 4 minutes to make mixture light and fluffy scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cupcakes as desired and sprinkle the Oreo crumbs over the top and put a half cookie (the remaining disk from the half you already used for base)

Half Oreo cookies in cupcake liners

Cake Batter

Out of the over, cooling on a wire rack

Enjoy  xx
.

Recipe: Spicy Moroccan Lamb Chops

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Chops

Serves two

Ingredients:

4 lamb chops

1 tbsp. tumeric

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

1 tbsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. dried ginger

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chilli powder

Salt

Black pepper

Method:

1.     In a pestle and mortar, pound all the dry ingredients until they are a coarse powder.

2.     Smash 4 cloves of garlic and leave in dish.

3.     Rub the lamb chops with the mixture and leave to marinade (I left them for 24 hours)

4.     Then grill on a hot griddle pan for three minutes on each side. 

Recipe: Malteaser Rocky Road

Malteaser Rocky Road

Serves 12

Ingredients:

175g pouch Maltesers

250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces

50g butter

8 digestive biscuits

60g baby marshmallows

Icing sugar to dust over



Method:

1.     Line a 22cm-square tin with parchment paper.

2.     Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl over boiling water until it has completely melted. Remove from the heat.

3.     Set this aside to cool for at least 10 mins whilst you get the rest of the ingredients ready. It's important that the chocolate isn't too hot when it is combined with the other ingredients or it could melt the Maltesers and marshmallows and take the 'rocky' out of this recipe!

4.     Next, bash up the biscuits in a plastic bag until you have a good mixture of chunks and powder.

5.     Finally, add the crushed biscuits, marshmallows and Maltesers to the mixture and fold with a spoon until all are lightly coated in chocolate.

6.     Pour into the tin to refrigerate for at least 30 mins. Sieve over a generous dusting of icing sugar.

7.     Cut into slices before serving

Recipe: My Salad Dressing

MySalad Dressing

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Method:

Blitz all ingredients

Recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Catherine Leydens Recipe)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

175g/6oz Self Raising Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

75g/3oz Butter (room temperature)

150g/5oz  Light Muscovado Sugar

2 Eggs (beaten)

175g/6oz  Dates (roughly chopped)

100g Packet Chopped Walnuts

150ml/¼ pt. Hot Water

Toffee Sauce

125g/4oz Butter

175g/6oz Muscovado Sugar

170ml Carton Cream

Method:

11. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly grease and base line a 7”/18cms square tin.

22. Put chopped dates into a bowl and pour over the hot water.

33. Meanwhile, place flour, baking powder, butter, sugar and eggs into a large bowl and beat until smooth.

44. Blend the water and dates and add chopped walnuts and stir until well blended.

55. Transfer to prepared tin and bake in central oven position for 40 to 50 minutes until well risen, nicely browned and springy to the touch. Turn onto a wire tray to cool.

66. Meanwhile, make sauce by putting all the ingredients into a saucepan over a low heat and gently stir until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved and sauce has thickened slightly. Do not boil, just allow simmering.

77. Cut the pudding into 8 squares, place on serving plate and spoon over the toffee sauce.

Recipe: Baked lamb with cumin & coconut milk

Baked lamb with cumin & coconut milk

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1.6kg/3 ½ lb. diced lamb

Plain flour seasoned with salt & pepper for dusting

Vegetable oil for frying

75g butter

2 large onions, peeled & finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

2 inch ginger, peeled & finely chopped

225g ground almonds

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon cardamom pods bruised

1 tablespoons black onion seeds/ mustard seeds

1 chilli, finely chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon chilli powder

2 cans coconut milk

600ml chicken stock

A bunch of coriander chopped

Method:

1.     Dust the lamb with seasoned flour brown the meat

2.     Heat the butter and sweat the onions for 10 mins

3.     Add the garlic, ginger, ground almonds, & all the spices & cook for 5 minutes

4.     Return the lamb to frying pan and add the coconut milk and stock and bring to boil

5.     Transfer to oven dish and put in 180 degree oven

6.     Cook for an hour

Serve with chopped coriander

Recipe: My thai pineapple fried rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 Chicken fillets
1 cup pineapple titbits (fresh is better, but canned works too)
2 cups cooked rice, preferably at least 1 day old (I use uncle bens microwaveable basmati)
4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or green chili (de-seeded if milder rice is desired)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 egg, beaten (omit if vegan)
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
3 Tbsp. chicken or vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 3+ 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian)
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. sugar
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh coriander

1. Swirl 3 Tbsp. oil around a wok or large frying pan over medium-high
heat.

2. Add the chicken, shallots, garlic, and chili, stir-frying for
one minute, or until fragrant...
3. Push aside the shallots, garlic, and chili to make room for the egg
4. Add the beaten egg to the wok/pan, and stir fry quickly to
cook.
5. Mix together the chicken or vegetable stock, fish sauce, curry powder, and sugar.

Stir well, and then add to wok/pan.
6. Add the cashews and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
7. Add rice (already hot from micro)
8. Add the frozen peas, currents (or raisins), and pineapple. Stir-fry to mix in.
9. Continue stir frying until everything is integrated

10. To serve, sprinkle with spring onion and coriander.