Just Keep Baking

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Apple Crumble Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

Apple Puree:

1 Bramley apple

1 oz butter

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Cupcakes:

125g self raising flour

70g caster sugar

50g soft brown sugar

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g softened butter

2 free range eggs

1 ½ tbsp milk

½ tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp apple puree

Icing:

150g softened butter

330g icing sugar

3 tbsp apple puree

¼ tsp cinnamon

Crumble topping:

60g plain flour

30g butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

Method:

For apple puree, peel, core and dice the apple and put into a saucepan with the other puree ingredients and heat until soft. Blend to make a puree.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Put the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together well. Add in the eggs and butter and mix with a hand whisk. Mix in the milk, apple puree and cinnamon.

Fill paper cases to about ⅔ full and bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing, whisk the butter for 3-5 minutes until pale and smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar, whisking between each addition. Stir in the apple puree and cinnamon.

For the crumble topping, mix together all of the ingredients and then spread out on a baking tray and bake for about 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Cut a hole in the centre of each cake and fill with the apple puree. Pipe the icing onto the top. Sprinkle with the crumble, drizzle with puree and then top with more crumble.

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Vegan Chocolate and Orange Muffins:

I made these for a  friend at drama to make up for the fact that she won't get any of the cake that I'm making for the cast...

I think there was too much baking powder in them though, it tasted a bit odd so I've decreased the amount for this. Other than that though, they taste really good and are definitely worth trying!

There are also weird values for this because I changed the recipe a bit so I didn't have to make too many!

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour

2/9 cup cocoa powder (sorry!)

2/3 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup sugar

5/9 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 tsp orange extract

1/2 tbsp. vinegar

Method: Preheat oven to 190C

Whisk all dry ingredients together. Add in the other ingredients (except vinegar) and mix in. Add vinegar and stir in quickly. Pour into muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.

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Breakfast Muffins:

I'm going to pretend that these are amazingly healthy so I can justify having them for breakfast. They aren't too bad though. Most of the sweetness comes from the dried fruit and apple. My sister gave me this recipe and I reduced the amount of sugar in it because I added the apple. Also the oats substitute some of the flour. So really they are very healthy....

Ingredients:

150g rolled oats

100g plain flour

60g soft brown sugar

Dried fruit (I'm not sure of the exact quantity. Maybe about 150g?)

2tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2oz softened butter

Juice of half an orange

1 tbsp honey

7oz full fat yoghurt

1 egg

Method:

Mix all of the dry ingredients together

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Whisk together the wet ingredients (beware of splashing).

Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix to form a lumpy batter.

Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 25 minutes.

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Day 45:

Nut roast

Last day of Lent and final meal as a vegetarian! As this was the leftover but roast from last night, here is the recipe for the fondant potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 knob of butter

4 potatoes

75 ml vegetable stock

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp thyme

Method:

Using a cookie cutter and a knife, cut the potatoes into barrel shapes, cutting off the skin that remains. Reserve the cut offs and dice to fry as additional potato.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. When foaming, add the potatoes flat side down. Cook without stirring for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Flip over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes.

Add the stock, garlic, thyme and seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potato is tender.

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Amaretto Truffles:

These are to go inside my homemade Easter egg. Super yummy and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2floz double cream

4oz dark chocolate, small pieces

~1tbsp amaretto, to taste

2oz chocolate

Method:

Heat the cream in a saucepan, stirring constantly. When it starts to bubble, pour over the chocolate in a pour. Leave for 10-20 seconds then stir. If the chocolate doesn't melt, put the bowl into the microwave for 10 seconds then stir. Add the amaretto and stir in. Refrigerate for an hour.

Spoon out a little bit of the mixture at a time and roll into a ball using your hands (gets very messy, I keep a bowl of warm water nearby.

Once all of the mixture is shaped, put into the freezer for about 30 minutes.

In a bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the other chocolate. Take the truffles out of the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate to coat. Return to the fridge until set.

Decorate using other melted chocolate to drizzle or any other decoration you like...

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Day 44:

Not Roast

Got a phone call from my mum saying: Oh, I think we'll have a roast dinner tonight... Great, thanks Mum. This nut roast was really lovely though, and everyone was wanting to try some.

Ingredients:

4oz mixed nuts, I used almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and pecans

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ oz grated cheese

2 oz breadcrumbs

1 egg

Mixed herbs, sage, thyme, chervil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Roughly process the nuts in a food processor.

Melt a little butter in a saucepan. Gently fry the onion and garlic. Put into a large bowl and leave to cool. 

Add the lemon juice, nuts, breadcrumbs, cheese into the bowl and mix. Stir in the egg to bind and season. Stir in the herbs. Pack into a loaf tin. Bake for 45 minutes. Slice  to serve.

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Day 43:

Mushroom Pie

Pie and chips. :9

This used the leftover pastry from yesterday and is really simple as the filling is only made from three ingredients.

Ingredients:

Short crust pastry

4 mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3-4 tbsp cream

Mixed herbs

1 egg (egg wash, make sure it's not rotten as mine was...)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Roll out ⅔ of the pastry and line an individual pie dish.

In a pan, heat a little oil and fry the mushrooms and garlic. Pour the cream over and add mixed herbs and season. Pour the mixture into the dish.

Roll out the remaining pastry and lay on the top. Trim the extra pastry and save for another dish. Press the edges of the pastry together and use a knife to poke holes in the top. Brush with egg wash and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

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Day 42:

Mushroom Quiche:

Yum yum yum yum yum. This is so simple but was so delicious! Really proud of the pastry as well. 

Ingredients:

4 Lancashire mushrooms, finely diced

1 leek, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

4 forestire mushrooms, sliced

1 egg

150ml cream

Wensleydale Cheese

Pastry:

250g plain flour

125g cold butter, cubed

1 egg

Cold water

Method:

For the pastry, rub the flour and butter together. Mix in the egg then slowly add enough water to form a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for half an hour.

Fry the leek, garlic, Lancashire mushrooms and half the sliced mushrooms in a little oil. In a bowl, mix the egg and cream and season well.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Roll out the pastry and place in a flan dish. Prick the base with a fork and chill until the oven has come to temperature. Line the pastry with baking parchment and add baking beans (or rice). Bake for 15 minutes. 

Remove the baking beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the pastry case. Pour over the cream mixture, reserving a little. Arrange the sliced mushrooms on top and pour over the remaining cream. Crumble a little Wensleydale cheese over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes.

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Day 40 & 41:

Vegetable Bake:

This is my mum's go to vegetarian dish... It's nice, just very simple. With plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 leeks, sliced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic clove, finely chopped

3-4 mushrooms, roughly chopped

3 carrots, cut into batons

Green beans

2 potatoes, sliced into discs

2oz butter

2oz flour

1 pint milk

Cheddar cheese

Method:

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.

In a pan, heat oil and fry the onion, leek, garlic and mushrooms.

Put the potato in the water and boil for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210°C.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, whisking well between each addition. Add the cheese and stir in. Season.

Layer into a large pie dish. First onion mixture, then carrots and beans, then majority of the cheese sauce. Arrange the potatoes on top. Season well and add a few spots of butter. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden on top.

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Day 39:

Spring Stew

This was wonderfully warming for a cold rainy spring evening (typical England)... This requires a very large saucepan, I had to transfer to a stock pot halfway through cooking.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, cut into batons

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 celery sticks, diced

11oz new potatoes, quartered

850 ml vegetable stock

2 tbsp soy sauce

Bouquet garni (I used bay leaf, mixed herbs, thyme, tarragon and chervil)

1 can haricot beans, drained and rinsed

Baby sweet corn

4oz thawed broad beans

1/2 savoy cabbage, roughly chopped

2 tbsp cold water

1 1/2 tbsp cornflour

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, soy sauce, bouquet garni and haricot beans. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes.

Add the sweetcorn and broad beans and simmer for a further 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cabbage and simmer for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are soft.

In a bowl, mix the cornflour and water. Add to the stew and stir for 4-6 minutes. Remove bouquet garni and serve.

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Day 38:

Went out for a meal with one of my friends at Frankie and Benny's last night. As nice as my Veggie Feast Calzone was (pizza stuffed with mushrooms, red onion, tomato, red pepper and sweet corn) it was terrible how little choice there was. With over 5 separate menus (pasta, pizza, salad etc) there were about 6 vegetarian meals. There weren't even any vegetarian salads. I pity people who are permanently vegetarian for when they eat out, so little choice!

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Day 37:

Marinated, Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1 potato

2 large mushrooms

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cayenne pepper

30g halloumi cheese

Method:

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, spices and garlic.

Chop the carrots and parsnips to similar sizes and put into the bowl. Quarter the mushrooms and slice the potato into discs. Add to the bowl. Stir, season and leave for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Put all vegetables apart from the mushrooms onto a baking tray and bake for half an hour. Add the mushrooms to the tray.

Heat oil in a pan. Chop the cheese into chunks and fry until golden.

Add to the other vegetables for 10minutes. Serve.

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Day 35: I was in London!

I had such an amazing day with my sister watching Shakespeare in Love which is an incredible play. We went to a Thai restaurant and I had a really lovely ginger and mushroom stir fry with sticky rice.

Day 36:

Still in London, we went to the Globe and saw The Broken Heart in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. An intense play but in the most gorgeous theatre.

We went to find Crumbs and Doilies cupcake shop in the evening. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and the cakes were incredible. This obviously then led to a meal of rolo and neapolitan cupcakes for dinner. Totally worth it.

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Day 34:

Made for my mum and dad the first meal I had in lent!

Leek and Savoy Cabbage Boudin.

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Day 32 & 33:

Getting lazy now that I'm at home. Also, not had to cook for the last two nights. On Sunday night my mum made a nutty, sun dried tomato and leek quiche and last night my sister made a pizza.

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Day 31:

Eating all the leftovers...

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Day 30:

Falafel Burger

1 month in! This doesn't taste of a huge amount...