Pancakes – American Style

By Tuesday, August 2, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 0

Makes 9 little ones or 4 big

Like cookie batter, I never bother with small portions and these lovely cakes keep fresh wrapped in the fridge for days. The batter also will keep for 24 hrs so I often prepare it the evening before. You only need to add a little extra milk and give it a gentle stir to get the right batter consistency (like thick double cream).

Ingredients:

  • 160g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 60 caster sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 250 ml milk
  • 40g melted butter (microwave very low heat for 90 secs. with cling film cover)

Put the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract to the egg yolk and combine these into the mixing bowl. Add the milk to the bowl and gently stir together. Add the melted butter into the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then fold into batter using a spatula. It should have some bubbles and lumps but look glossy.

Cover the batter and put bowl into the fridge for at least 20 mins.

Spray a bit of oil in flying pan or use a paper towel to coat the surface. Everybody has their preferred pancake size, so just pour enough into a hot (but not sizzling) pre-heated pan to create yours. It is very important not to flip the pancake until bubbles appear on the top. Gently flip it over and cook bottom until golden.

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Serve with maple syrup!

Pizza Friday

By Friday, September 5, 2014 0 No tags Permalink 0

I once confessed to another Mum that I didn’t really feel much like cooking and she politely suggested I order a Dominoes. The look she received from me must have been disdainful because she quickly turned on her heals and left. I was really embarrassed about my reaction but pizza is all but a liturgy in my house. Friday night has become our foodie mass when we break bread topped with sauce, cheese, peppers, ham, onions, artichokes… the way God and the Italians intended.

Rolling out the crust and adding your own toppings is all part of the rites but I rarely have the time to plan ahead from scratch.  The Northern Dough Co makes frozen balls of pizza dough perfection. Just take them out of the freezer 3-4 hours before to defrost and they are ready to roll. They sell them at Waitrose and Longacre Nurseries.

The Northern Dough Co make a plain, rosemary, wholewheat and chili base which are all scrumptious.

Here are a few of my favourite topping suggestions:

Rosemary base topped with pesto sauce, mozzarella, sliced cherry tomatoes and ham.

Chili base topped with thin layer of tomato sauce, thinly sliced sweet peppers, cooked chicken; when it’s out of the oven add fresh avocado.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Monday, April 21, 2014 0 No tags Permalink 0

 

These cookies are my signature treat and I get asked to make a batch at least once a week and not just by my kids.

Recipe – English Measurements

Preheat oven: 160 C  – if you cook these low and slow they are crispy on outside and chewy on the inside

Baking time: 15 mins


175 g  plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Stir flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

100 g butter (softened – get it out of the fridge an hour before you use it)

90 g caster sugar

75 g  brown sugar

In mixer bowl combine butter and sugars and beat until fluffy.

Add 1 egg and mix again until blended.

Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix again until blended.

Gradually add flour mixture until just blended.

Add 150 g chocolate chips and gently stir into cookie dough

Line your cookie sheet with baking parchment. Using two teaspoons, pick-up a little dough in one and transfer between the spoons to form into a ball. Then push the rounded tsp of dough onto a cookie sheet. Place on the bottom oven rack and bake for (12- 15 mins) until edges look crisp and top is light brown.