My Ultimate Rocky Road

25th July 201820th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 15 generous pieces

This is chocolate overload, but in a good way. I’ve done away with some of the usual gems in a rocky road and replaced them with the next level of deliciousness, hence the ‘ultimate’ in the title. Maltesers, mini Kitkats and honeycomb (homemade or shop-bought) are present along with the obligatory soft marshmallows (although if you’re going vegetarian leave these out or use a vegetarian alternative).

I’ve topped it with drizzled white chocolate, just in case there wasn’t enough chocolate in the first place.

I probably would have bought pieces of honeycomb, but I couldn’t find any in the shops at the moment, and didn’t want to use crunchie bars as I feared they would just dissolve when the melted chocolate was poured on top. Instead I made my own using this Good Food recipe and put roughly a third into the mix.

This recipe has been taste-tested by Mr Food Wife, plus lots of my yoga-mummies at our get together this week, and it gets their seal of approval.

Ingredients:
300g dark chocolate
100g unsalted butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
100g mini marshmallows
100g maltesers
100g kitkat bite-size pieces (or regular ones broken into one-inch pieces)
100g honeycomb, broken in to bite-size pieces
100g white chocolate

Step 1: Melt the dark chocolate, butter and syrup in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (ensure the base of the bowl is not in contact with the water).

Step 2: Once melted, remove the bowl and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: In a separate, large bowl, measure out the Maltesers, Kitkats, marshmallows and honeycomb.

Step 4: Pour the molten chocolate mix over the Maltesers and co and stir gently.

Step 5: Pour into a traybake-sized tin and place in the fridge whilst you melt your white chocolate.

Step 6: Place the white chocolate in a clean bowl over simmering water and gently melt.

Step 7: Remove the rocky road from the fridge and use a metal spoon to drizzle the white chocolate over the top.

Step 8: Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge until set.

Step 9: Cut into 15 pieces and try not to eat all at once!

Baby Oaty ‘Carrot Cake’ Cookies

14th July 201820th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 8-10

A quick and easy mix that makes delicious soft cookies which are great as a pudding or snack for your little one. They are perfect finger food for BLW and have no dairy, egg or added sugar.

You can play around with the flavours too, just keep the oat and banana ratio. I’ve also tried ones with grated apple and chopped glacé cherries which went down well.

These need to be stored in the fridge after baking and will keep for a few days.

Ingredients:
100g oats (gluten-free if necessary)
2 ripe bananas, mushed with a fork
1 eating apple, grated
1 carrot, grated
25g sultanas
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180c and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon.

Step 3: Put dessert- or table spoon-sized blobs of mixture onto your lined baking sheet and flatten to make a rough cookie shape (these won’t really spread as they cook so you are aiming for your finished product size and shape).

Step 4: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before storing in a sealed bag or container in the fridge.

Lemon and Blueberry Polenta Cake

21st May 20188th April 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes 12 pieces

Several of my friends are gluten-intolerant or coeliac and so I’ve been trying to increase my repertoire of gluten-free cakes. Some of my husband’s family also cannot eat gluten so I came up with this deliciously moist cake to serve at the afternoon tea following our son’s Christening.

It is bursting with lemon flavour, helped by the triple hit from the zest, juice and the addition of curd. There are pops of sweet juiciness from the blueberries and a pleasing texture from the polenta.

I’d urge you to give this a go, you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

For the cake:
225g caster sugar
225g softened butter
4 large eggs
75g quick cook polenta
150g gluten-free flour
1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
2 unwaxed lemons (zest only)
2 tbsp lemon curd
150g blueberries

For the drizzle:
100g caster sugar
2 lemons (juice only)

Step 1: With an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter together for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.

Step 2: Add each egg, one at a time, beating after each addition (don’t panic if the mixture looks curdled!)

Step 3: Add the lemon zest and lemon curd and beat again.

Step 4: Fold in the polenta, flour and baking powder, until combined. Add half the blueberries and fold again.

Step 5: Pour into a lined square or rectangular tin (I used a brownie pan) and level, then place the remaining blueberries dotted over the surface.

Step 6: Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 40 minutes (the top should be a mid-dark brown). Whilst this is baking make the drizzle by combining the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack (still in the tin). Use a fork to pierce the top of the cake all over. Pour over the drizzle and leave for 30 minutes, until removing from the tin, and leaving to fully cool on the rack.

Step 8: Once cool, cut in to 12 equal pieces.

Before adding the blueberries you could dust them in a small amount of the flour to help stop them sinking. The ones you place on top will go into the batter as it cooks but should provide a more equal distribution.

Rhubarb Crumble Tray Bake

2nd May 201820th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12 slices

I love rhubarb. I’m sure to choose anything on a menu that features this beautifully tart fruit. Last summer I had a few sticks sitting in my fridge and nothing quite did what I wanted it to from my recipe collection, so I started throwing some ingredients together, thinking about flavours and textures that just work, and came up with this moreish tray bake cake.

Last weekend I decided to make it again, and it was just as good as I remembered and so had to share it with you all.

Whilst it is delicious cold as a cake, it would also be equally pleasing served warm with hot custard as a pudding.

Ingredients:

For the tray bake:
225g plain flour
200g light brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
125g melted butter, cooled
300g chopped rhubarb (1 inch pieces)

For the crumble topping:
50g melted butter
75g light brown sugar
100g oats

Step 1: Mix all of the traybake ingredients (minus the rhubarb) together in a large bowl, using a hand or electric whisk.

Step 2: Pour evenly into a greased traybake tin.

Step 3: Dot the top of the traybake with the chopped rhubarb.

Step 4: Combine the crumble topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the rhubarb-studded tray bake.

Step 5: Place the tray bake in the oven for 35 mins at 180c and then for 20 mins at 150c.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into 12 pieces.

I have successfully frozen this cake once it has been cut and individually wrapped in clingfilm and then sealed in a freezer bag.

Fruity Flapjacks

24th April 201820th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

As a child, I knew that a visit to my grandparents would include freshly baked flapjacks courtesy of my Grandma. They were sweet, buttery, brittle and extremely moreish. Earlier this year my Grandmother passed away, shortly before her 99th birthday. My siblings and I were sharing memories of her and I brought up her famous flapjacks. They were something we all remembered fondly and it made me want to try and create my own flapjack recipe. Still the same sweet, buttery, crisp and delicious treat, but with the addition of sticky, chewy fruit and gentle spice.
I made this gluten free by ensuring the porridge oats were classified as such, although if this is not a concern then normal oats will be fine. Likewise, if you would like to make a vegan version replace the butter with a vegan spread.

Ingredients:
150g butter / vegan spread
150g soft light brown sugar
75g chopped dried fruit (I used pear)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
200g (gluten free) porridge oats

Step 1: preheat oven to 210c and line a tin with baking parchment (I used a rectangular brownie tin).

Step 2: Melt the butter/vegan spread with the soft light brown sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and let it bubble for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Add the ground cinnamon and chopped dried fruit and let it soften for a couple more minutes in the mixture on a low heat.

Step 4: Stir in the porridge oats and mix to ensure everything is coated in the hot glossy liquid.

Step 5: Spread thinly in the lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Mark the slices whilst still soft when it comes out of the oven and then leave to cool and set. Then break into the pieces when fully cooled. It’s quite a crisp mix but delicious!