odlums_ireland Who doesn’t love chocolate biscuit cake? This recipe is perfect to make a few days before Christmas Day to give you more time to enjoy the festivities.✨
You will need: 275g/10 oz Butter 150ml/¼pt Golden Syrup 225g/8oz Chocolate (good quality, at least 60% cocoa) ½ x 400g packet of Digestive Biscuits, roughly crushed ½ x 400g packet of Rich Tea Biscuits, roughly crushed 1 packet of Maltesers 125g/4oz Shamrock Walnuts, Brazil Nuts and/or Almonds (optional) Add the biscuits, Maltesers and fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well.
Method: ✔️Line a 15cms/6″ round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper. ✔️Melt the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan over a low heat. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed together. ✔️Add the biscuits, Maltesers, fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well. ✔️Transfer to the prepared tin. Level it on top and press down well to avoid air gaps. ✔️Allow to cool and harden. Wrap completely in greaseproof paper and store in a fridge.
4 cups (1-1/4 lbs) stemmed, pitted, and halved cherries
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or bourbon
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, optional
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, optional
To prepare the dough:
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut the Kerrygold butter into the dry ingredients until they are reduced to pea-sized clumps.
The remainder of the mixture should look like a sandy consistency. Pour in the ice water and use the pastry cutter or a large fork to bring the dough together into a shaggy mixture.
Then dump the contents of the bowl out onto a clean counter and work it into a ball of dough. Do not overwork the mixture.
Flatten out the ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
Place in the fridge to chill for at least two hours and up to a week.
To prepare the galette:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
Combine the almond meal, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla, and half of the beaten egg in a small bowl into a pasty consistency.
In a separate bowl, combine the cherries, remaining ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, booze, and zest. Set aside.
Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out onto a floured surface into a 12” circle.
Spread the almond mixture in the center of the circle, leaving a 2” border around the perimeter of the circle.
Dump the cherry mixture on top of the almond filling. Fold the edges of the pie dough up and over the cherries, gently pressing the dough to seal on top of itself as you fold.
Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of the remaining beaten egg on top of the dough.
Sprinkle the dough with the turbinado sugar and sliced almonds.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
If you notice you crust is getting dark and the inside juices aren’t bubbling at all you can make a little aluminum foil shield to cover the dough around the perimeter of your galette.
Allow to cool and set prior to slicing and serving with ice cream!
Happy Late Late Toy Show Day ! 🎉 Why not whip up these Dark Chocolate, Ginger & Hazelnut Oaty Biscuits as a treat for you and the little ones tonight🍫 Crunchy, sweet, and packed with that zingy ginger kick—Enjoy this cookie while you enjoy the show! 😍🍪 #Flahavansirishoats
METHOD: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment 2. Combine the Flahavan’s Jumbo Oats, buckwheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and chopped hazelnuts together in a large mixing bowl 3. In a saucepan, mix together the hazelnut butter, tahini, coconut oil, ginger syrup and maple syrup and gently melt over a low heat until combined 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir, slowly folding in the stem ginger 5. Roll the mixture into 18 small balls and place on the baking tray. Gently flatten each ball with a fork and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes (or until brown on the edges) 6. Once cooked, allow to cool for 15 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Whilst the cookies are cooling, melt the Butlers 70% Dark Chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water 7. Drizzle the chocolate over them using a teaspoon. Allow the chocolate to cool and set completely, then enjoy or wrap up with some ribbon and treat your friends and family
Rachel shares the recipe for her mouth-watering Cookies and Cream Cheesecake from her show Rachel Allen’s Everyday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the double chocolate chip cookies
makes 20 large cookies
225 g (8oz) butter, softened
325 g (111/2oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
225 g (8oz) plain flour
75 g (3oz) cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
175 g (6oz) dark chocolate (55–70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces, or dark chocolate chips
For the cheesecake
15 g (1/2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
25 ml (1fl oz) strong coffee, such as espresso
1 tsp vanilla extract
500 g (1lb 2oz) mascarpone
400 ml (14fl oz) double or regular cream
50 g (2oz) icing sugar
50 g (2oz) dark chocolate (55–75% cocoa solids), grated, for sprinkling
9-12 of the double chocolate chip cookies
23cm (9in) diameter spring-form cake tin
Method
Place the butter in a large bowl and beat until very soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Crack in one egg at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then add the chocolate pieces/chips and fold in to combine. Alternatively, place all the ingredients except the chocolate pieces/chips in a food processor and whiz briefly until they come together, then fold in the chocolate.
With wet hands, form the dough into balls each the size of a golf ball (or use two soup spoons to scoop up and shape the same amount of dough). Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, placing 6–7 balls of dough on each sheet and leaving space for the cookies to spread.
Bake for 10–14 minutes or until the cookies look slightly cracked on top. (With three baking sheets, you will need to cook them in three batches, or two batches in a fan oven.) Take out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove from the baking sheets using a palette knife or metal fish slice and place on a wire rack to cool down completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla extract, mascarpone, cream and icing sugar for 1–2 minutes or until thick.
Arrange one-third (3–4) of the cookies in the bottom of the cake tin, then spread over one-third of the chocolate cream mixture. Add a second layer of cookies, then another layer of chocolate cream, followed by a final layer of cookies and a final layer of chocolate cream.
Use a spatula to smooth the top layer of chocolate cream, then cover the tin with cling film and place in the fridge to chill for eight hours or overnight.
To remove the cheesecake from the cake tin, run a small, sharp knife around the cheesecake to loosen the edges, then unfasten the clip and lift away the sides of the tin. Using a palette knife or a metal fish slice, loosen the cheesecake from the base of the tin and carefully slide off onto a plate. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate to serve.
For the base 1 & 2/3 cups of Flahavan’s Rolled Oats 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts 1/2 cup of butter, plus extra for greasing the tin 1/3 cup of soft brown sugar 1 tbsp honey
For the cheesecake topping 1 & 1/3 cups of good quality white chocolate, broken into pieces 1 & 1/4 cups of sour cream 1 cup of cream cheese 1 tbsp lemon juice
To decorate 2 tbsp Flahavan’s Rolled Oats 2 tbsp hazelnuts, roughly halved 3 tbsp soft brown sugar ½ tsp lemon juice 3/4 cup of berries of your choice – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants or blackberries 1 ripe fig A few thinly sliced grapes
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 320°F. Grease a 9-inch, round, straight sided tart tin with removable base and line the base with a circle of baking parchment. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, honey and sugar for the cheesecake base over a low heat stirring until combined. Leave to cool a little.
Meanwhile, place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Mix the Flahavan’s Oats with the hazelnuts and stir in the melted butter mixture until fully combined. Press the mixture into the prepared tin using the back of a spoon and push evenly up the sides to form the crust.
Place the cheesecake base in the oven for 15 mins. Once baked, remove from the oven and smooth over the mixture again with the back of a spoon pushing the mixture up the sides again if it has slipped down. Place the tin in the fridge to cool completely (this should take around 30 minutes).
When the base is cool, make the cheesecake filling by melting the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of hot water (making sure the base of the pan does not sit in the water). Once melted, leave to cool for 10 minutes – the chocolate should be liquid but not too hot.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and cream cheese until fully combined. Next, add in the melted chocolate and whisk.
Pour the filling over the cooled base and, using a small spatula, spread it into a smooth, even layer. Place the cheesecake in the fridge for around 6 hours, until completely set.
To decorate, start by toasting the remaining Flahavan’s Oats and hazelnuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat, moving them around the pan for approximately 3 minutes, until completely toasted and golden brown. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice, and cook for around 1 minute until fully melted and combined. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool. Remove the tart from the tin by gently heating the edges to release it – you can do this with a cloth soaked in a little hot water – and slide the tart onto a serving plate. Gather together the berries, figs and toasted Oats and arrange as you please. Slice into wedges to serve, and enjoy
Put the tofu, ground star anise, vanilla seeds, treacle and agave syrup into a large bowl and blend with a hand blender until silky smooth.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Fold into the tofu. Spoon the mixture between 4 glasses and refrigerate until set.
To make the honeycomb, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar, glucose and golden syrup into a deep saucepan and heat until it reaches 145C. (This should take about 5 minutes). Quickly whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. Be careful as the mixture will bubble up very suddenly. Quickly pour onto the lined baking tray. Set aside to cool and harden.
To make the apricots, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the apricots and star anise and cook until the apricots start to caramelise. Sprinkle over a pinch of sugar and leave to cool.
To serve, sprinkle the toasted almonds on top of the mousse and serve with the apricots and peices of honeycomb.
Start yours and your baby’s day off right with these delicious and super nutritious breakfast muffins. Made using wholesome ingredients like carrots, apples, sunflower seeds, Greek yogurt and wholemeal flour, these muffins are the perfect breakfast finger food for your little one to enjoy in the morning.
To serve to babies – Ensure you are always sitting with your baby when they are eating. Serve a mini muffin with a side of fruit. I like to use sliced pear, mango or strawberries.
For older children serve 2 mini muffins or 1 large muffin in their lunchbox.
These muffins are perfect for school as they contain no sugar whatsoever!
The only sweetness comes from the delicious apple. You can make them even sweeter by adding a mashed banana to the mixture. @babyledfeeding
Sharon Hearne Smith’s Sesame Seed Porridge Bread from Today with Maura and Dáithí.
Ingredients
This is an unusual bread recipe, based on porridge oats and yoghurt instead of flour and water. It is quick, easy and virtually foolproof to make.
Use any selection of seeds you prefer instead of sesame seeds, or omit them altogether for a plain bread. Alternatively, add other flavours like nuts and dried fruits or sundried tomatoes and basil or a swirl of pesto would be delicious too. This bread stays quite moist and fresh for a few days stored in an airtight container.
Makes: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)
Sunflower oil for greasing
500g tub natural yoghurt
100ml milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds + extra for sprinkling
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 x 500ml yoghurt tubs of porridge oats (or 400g)
butter for serving, optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C), 400F, Gas Mark 6. Grease a 1Lb loaf tin (approximately 3 x 5 x 7 inch) with parchment paper and grease again.
Scoop the yoghurt into a large bowl. Add the milk, oil, sesame seeds and bicarbonate of soda and mix until well blended.
Fill a clean and dry yoghurt tub with oats and tip them in. Repeat with a second tub of oats. Alternatively, weigh out 400g of oats on a scales.
Mix everything together until well blended.
Spoon into the prepared tin, spreading the top level. Scatter a small handful of sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the middle.
Remove from the tin and return the loaf to oven, directly on the shelf, for another 5 minutes to dry out the crust.
Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve spread with a little butter if liked.
Foodaware 