tiramisu cupcakes

by camilla smith

Cupcakes are all the rage at the moment with queues snaking round blocks in New York starting at cupcake shops and ending in desire and anticipation, to stalls at every market in London boasting colourful and tempting displays. Whether they are plain sponge with an accessorised topping to those created with seasonal flavours and matching icing they have been revived! Cupcakes are certainly not just for children and here is an “adult” recipe to tempt you into creamy naughty indulgence: Tiramisu cupcakes!
Tiramisu always goes down a treat – it’s a boozy Italian classic (although it originally didn’t include any alcohol) so here’s a way to heighten the fun with its reinvention into cupcakes.

sponge:
250 g self-raising flour
250 g butter
250 g sugar
4 eggs
100 ml espresso
camp coffee (optional)

icing:
200 g icing sugar
50 g butter
100 g cream or mascarpone
50 ml Sherry
cocoa powder sprinklings

You can vary the amounts and taste the icing accordingly for a thicker or thinner icing. The photos show the different effects – the flat icing with cocoa powder on top makes the cakes really look like mini Tiramisus and the swirled icing makes it look like a chocolate flake should be stuck in the top.

how?

1 Heat the oven to 180 degrees
2 Make the espresso and allow it to cool
3 Cream the butter with the sugar
4 Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar beating them in completely
5 Gradually add the cooled espresso and a slug of Camp coffee if you want a real boost
6 Begin adding the flour in portions and combining as you go
7 Once the mixture is combined, dollop two to two and a half desert spoonfuls into the paper cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If you use mini cupcake cases they require about 8 to 10 minutes
8 To check if they are ready, a chopstick or a fork should come out clean
9 And now for the icing: cream the butter with the icing sugar adding the marscapone and sherry gradually. Combine the ingredients and thicken by adding more butter or to have thin icing lessen the amount of butter
10 Once the cakes are iced, sprinkle the cocoa powder on top using a sieve
11 Invite friends over and enjoy them together or snuggle watching a film and eat them all!

homemade piccalilli

by audrey roger

Making piccalilli’s quite a lengthy process but so rewarding in the end. This makes quite a lot, enough to last you for a couple of months.

preparation time: 1 day for the maceration and 45 min-1h for the rest
quantity: makes enough for 4 jars of 270g

you will need:
4 jars of 270g
1 big saucepan
1 medium saucepan
2 big bowls

brine:
100 g natural rock salt
2 L cold water

piccalilli ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower cut into very small pieces
200 g extra fine beans cut into 2 cm pieces
150 g thin bunched carrots cut into thin 2 cm pieces
8 small shallots cut into 4 pieces each
600 ml malt vinegar + 2 & 1/2 Tbsp
1/4 tsp grated whole nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 big cloves garlic crushed
85 g golden caster sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 Tbsp brown mustard seeds
30 g Colman’s dry mustard powder
10 g sauce flour
barely 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp water

day 1: Make the brine by whisking the salt in the cold water. Separate the mixture in two big bowls. Put the cauliflower pieces and the shallots in one bowl and the carrots and beans in another. Put a plate over each bowl and big books on top of each to weigh the plates down on the bowls. Put aside and leave for a whole day to macerate.

day 2: The next day, take all the vegetables out with a slotted spoon and drain away the brine. Put the vegetables in a big saucepan with 600 ml of malt vinegar. Add the nutmeg and allspice and bring to a boil. Cover and leave to simmer for 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the golden sugar, the crushed garlic cloves, the grated fresh ginger and the mustard seeds. Stir and bring back to simmer. Cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes (no longer than that otherwise the vegetables won’t be crunchy enough).

Turn off the heat and separate the vegetables from the vinegar (you can leave the vegetables in the saucepan and put the vinegar in a big bowl for example). Put a lid on the vegetables to keep them warm.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized saucepan mix the mustard powder, turmeric and sauce flour together. Add 2 & 1/2 Tbsp of vinegar and 1 Tbsp of water to the mix. It will make a small yellowish paste. Add a ladel of the warm vinegar and whisk. Bring to a medium heat and keep on stirring until the mixture thickens. Every time the mixture starts to thicken, add a bit more vinegar. Keep on doing so until you have added all the vinegar. I usually let it come to a boil after that and add a bit more sauce flour so that it gets a bit thicker (I do this by putting some of the hot mixture in a small bowl and whisking quickly some sauce flour into it then putting it all back into the original saucepan). You don’t want the mixture to be too liquidy or too thick, just a nice smooth consistency.
When it’s the right consistency, stir it in with the vegetables. Then pour the whole thing into sterilised jars. It will make about a kilo of piccalilli or four jars of 270 g (the usual jars used for sauces or pickles that you find in the supermarkets). Leave the jars in a cool dry place for about three months before you can enjoy them.

tip: to get your jars sterilised the easy way just take the lids off and put them upside down on a tray in the oven at 200 °C for about 10 minutes. You can even do this during the last stages of doing your piccalilli (while you’re doing the paste for example).

parsons house

by hannah williams

Yorkshire is not a county famed for contemporary cooking and forward thinking design. Puddings and pies maybe but light and airy B&Bs are a rarity in a guest house landscape populated by doily clad sitting rooms and stern faced land ladies.

Parsons House, situated just off the village square in Hartington, a picturesque village in the heart of the Peak District, is anything but stern.

Established in 1999 by Alison Brookes and David Beers the couple have made an admirable job restoring the higgledy piggledy inn back to its country Georgian splendour.

A labyrinth of low ceilinged rooms of whimsical design would make fitting abodes for the likes of Mr Tumnus and Alice in Wonderland. Though the Tardis style nature of the airy, spacious layouts, brightly decorated with Pop Art classics perhaps make it more fitting as a home for Dr Who.

Original features with a modern twist, exposed copper pipe work and tea and toast served on demand are just some of the many highlights. But it’s the hearty and unfussy food on offer that gives the place its edge.

Situated a stone’s throw from a host of cheese farms it’s no surprise that much of the cuisine is the stuff of a turophile’s dream – and David is more than happy to fulfill requests.

Some of the locally sourced breakfasts on offer on our last visit included:
- rhubarb, gooseberry and passion fruit salad with or without natural organic yogurt
- amazing porridge with an apple/cinnamon/butter syrup and drowned in double cream
- full English breakfast (eggs, organic bacon, oven roasted tomato with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a bay leaf, and oatcake from the region)
- honeydew melons cooked and caramelised in a pan with a homemade ginger syrup
- black pudding from the area (melts in your mouth) served with slices of cooked apples and an oven roasted tomato

With the couple’s friendly welcome and unerring passion for modern, Yorkshire cuisine, you don’t even need to take in the breathtaking views waiting on the doorstep to feel fully rejuvenated and refreshed. But of course you should.

creamy porridge with buttery cinnamon syrup

prices: from £28 for a single to £55 for a double with shower and WC
address: Parsons House, Mill Lane, Hartington, Derbyshire SK17 0AN
contacts and info: telephone: 01298 84801 , e-mail: info@parsonshouse.co.uk or www.parsonshouse.co.uk

homemade horseradish sauce

by hannah williams

preperation time: 15 minutes

1 root of horseradish, peeled
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
5 Tbsp double cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

I decided to make some horseradish sauce one afternoon because the men at the market were selling chunks of it for 10p a go. When I peeled the root I was so excited by the smell and the way it made my nostrils tingle I made everyone in the house inhale it…be careful though I think it could be addictive. Not really knowing what to do I cobbled together a couple of suggestions from the internet, combined them with what we had in the cupboards and on the whole I was pleased with the results.

Grate the peeled horseradish using the course side of the grater and stir in the remaining ingredients.

I chose to use Dijon mustard, partly because we had an abundance in the kitchen and partly because I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to fiery food. Traditionally you’d use the English variety but you could vary the type depending on your preference. I wouldn’t serve anything to my Dad that was made with mustard of less than industrial strength heat.

Stir the mixture thoroughly and season to taste.

If you’d prefer the sauce to be smoother you can always get the blender involved at this stage.

Serve on roast beef or mashed into creamy potatoes.

green olive tapenade with goats cheese and red onion ciabatta

by hannah williams

preperation time: about 10 minutes

tapenade:
4 to 5 Tbsp capers well drained
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and again well drained
2 anchovies
3 large cloves of garlic
olive oil to taste

sandwich:
1 crusty ciabatta roll
150 g goats cheese
a couple of wedges of red onion

Before making this recipe I had only ever eaten black olive tapenade but I remember a cafe back home in Sheffield selling it and it always looked really tasty so I thought I’d give it a go. The recipe is pretty much adapted from a traditional black olive version though I’d recommend thoroughly washing the olives first as the green olive and anchovy combiniation can be a bit salty for some.

It’s all pretty simple…….whizz up the capers, olives, anchovies and garlic in a blender, gradually adding the olive oil until you’re left with a smooth(ish) paste, I like mine with the approximate spreadability of guacamole.

Spread the tapenade over a crusty ciabatta, topped with a couple of slices of crumbly goats cheese and a couple of wedges of red onion.

This green olive version is probably more of an acquired taste than the more traditional black version but with the right goats cheese the extra salt can give the whole thing a really moreish flavour that’s perfect for a hangover.

really creamy rice pudding

by audrey roger

cooking time: about 45 min

700 ml full fat milk
300 ml double cream
100 g pudding rice
1 Tbsp vanilla sugar ( I recommend the type that contains vanilla seeds, like Fiddes Payne “vanilla sugar”, much yummier!)
4 Tbsp caster sugar

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the net to make it much creamier, as I think a rice pudding should be. To me this is one of the top ten comfort foods of winter. When it’s freezing and dark outside and you’re making rice pudding and this amazing aroma comes out and fills the kitchen…bliss…

Put the double cream and milk in a big saucepan or pot with the sugar and vanilla sugar. Let it all come to a boil.

When the milk starts to boil, pour the rice in. Turn the heat down to really low so that it just simmers.

It will take a while to cook so just keep on checking it from time to time. Don’t stir it, just leave it. It will be cooked when the rice comes back up to the surface. Then, turn the heat off and let the rice cool down. It will seem quite liquidy still but the rice will soak up the milk as it is cooling down.

Enjoy lukewarm or cold.

tomato tarte tatin

by audrey roger

preparation time: about 15 min
cooking time: 30 min

puff pastry (enough to cover a big tart dish)
6 big tomatoes
3 big cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
thyme or basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
golden sugar
salt and pepper

I found this recipe in a French magazine, “Cuisine Actuelle”. I’m always on the lookout for tomato dishes. I love cooking with tomatoes, it’s got to be one of my favourite foods. This is a good adaptation of the traditional “tarte tatin”, savoury style. Except it’s actually not that savoury and comes out quite sweet with the golden sugar and olive oil mixture. It’s delicious though and always really popular.

First warm up the oven by putting it on 200°C. Boil the tomatoes in hot water, just long enough so that you can peel the skin off of them easily. Cut the tomatoes in half, pour salt over them and leave them on a big plate for the juices to come out (about 10 minutes).

Pour a bit of golden sugar on a big tart dish, just enough to cover the whole surface. Then pour some olive oil on top of the sugar. Sprinkle with a few thyme sprigs or basil leaves. Place the tomatoes (which you will have dried previously so that they’re not too watery) on top with the round part of the tomato facing up. Sprinkle the crushed garlic, salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Put a bit more olive oil if you like over the tomatoes. Then take a bit of puff pastry and roll it with the rolling pin so that it is the same size as the dish and round. Cover the tomatoes with the puff pastry and tuck in the borders inside so that everything is completely covered up with the pastry.

Put in the oven for about half an hour. Check to see if the pastry is cooked and golden.
When it is cooked, take the dish out of the oven and flip the tarte tatin over on a big round dish. You can put more salt and pepper and a few more herbs to taste on top. Bon appetit.

chicken and pecorino sandwich

by audrey roger

a few slices of brown bread
leftover roast chicken breasts or pieces
a few shavings of pecorino cheese (or parmesan if you can’t find pecorino)
fresh lettuce leaves
Dijon mustard
a few “Maille” cornichons cut in half lengthwise

This is a great sandwich to make the next day after you’ve had a roast chicken and have some leftover pieces. I use “Maille” cornichons (the thin gherkins you find in France) because I always bring back some jars from France. I’m addicted to them and if I have some in my fridge they never last for very long! They just have a more vinegary taste than the gherkins you find in the English supermarkets, that’s why I prefer them but I guess that’s just a matter of taste. The closest I’ve found here is the cornichons from Waitrose, slightly too sweet but still quite close in taste.

lavish mushroom breakfast bap with toasted cheese

by hannah williams


quantities per single portion

1 large field mushroom
Stilton cheese
50 g butter
1/2 lemon
a handful of fresh parsley chopped
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 clove of garlic (optional)
a hot brown bap to serve

My friend first cooked me this for lunch and I’ve used it both as an entree – wrapping it in Parma ham for a hearty start to a dinner party and, stripped to its garlic-free bare essentials for a lavish breakfast in bed. The latter version makes my mouth water the most as there are few things more lavish than feeling stilton, butter and mushroom juice dribble down your chin while you’re still in your pyjamas.

Anyway, first things first take a big beefy field mushroom, wash it, pull out the stork and pat the inside dry.

Next mix approx 50g of butter, the juice of half a lemon, a handful of chopped parsley, salt and black pepper and dependent on whether you can face garlic before 11am half a clove crushed.

Spread the mixture in side the mushroom so it’s just level with the lip and place in a slightly oiled baking dish (preferably transparent). Put the dish in a preheated oven (180 degrees) and leave for about 15 minutes.

Cut a few slices of Stilton, (for the less mature palate that can’t cope with blue cheese for breakfast I recommend an applewood smoked replacement ) and when the mushroom base has began to turn a murky grey colour place the cheese on top.

Cook for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling to perfection and serve the mushroom in a hot brown bap drizzled with any juice left at the bottom of the dish and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

If you are after extreme decadence you can add a slice of cooked bacon into the affair at this stage but for me the sandwich then becomes all about the bacon, stealing the mushroom’s glorious thunder.

Either way it’s a perfect hangover remedy that tastes amazing and shouldn’t take more than 30mins all in.

a word about picnics

by hannah williams

Anyone struggling for picnic inspiration should turn to the culinary bible that is Kenneth Graham’s Wind in the Willows.

The simple descriptions of hot buttered crumpets and warm bacon rolls make me long for a rainy afternoon just so I can stoke up a big fire and wrap myself in a tartan rug.

But it’s the depictions of picnics that really get me going.

Indulging the portly little mole in his first taste of bank side fare Rat produces a bulging wicker basket and begins:

There’s cold chicken inside it, coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkins saladfrenchrolls cressandwidgespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater

I have a lot of empathy for the greedy little mole with his clumsy enthusiasm for all things in a hamper and I think few descriptions in literary history make me want to whip some bread and cheese into a gingham hanky and make for the river quite as readily.

With a picnic, as both Ratty and Mole perfectly demonstrate, simplicity is key.

No one wants to be lugging intricately laden bruscetta toppings around Hampstead Heath on a roasting Sunday in July. However, nor does the average day-tripper want to celebrate the solstice by digging into a sweaty Spar porkpie and washing it down with KP’s finest roasted nuts.

As a rule of thumb I suggest avoiding all things beige on the picnic blanket (hummus and bread being the notable exceptions) and instead plumping for anything bright, beautiful and easy to construct.

Chilled soups are brilliant additions, refreshing and satisfying in equal measure, with the obvious classics gazpacho and vichyssoise, being both easier to cook and carry than they are to spell.

Gazpacho Recipe

Struggling to survive a summer in Seville in baking 45 degree heat, I would guzzle bowls full of gazpacho straight from the fridge on returning to my flat and feel my parched throat regain the ambition to live and swallow another day within minutes.

There’s a lot of discrepancy about how gazpacho should taste and feel but my favourite version would be heavy on the garlic easy on the cucumber and thoroughly sieved to give it a smooth, silky consistency.

• 4 plump gloves of garlic
• 50g finely grated breadcrumbs
• 50ml red wine vinegar
• a good glug of olive oil
• 900g ripe tomatoes peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cucumbers peeled and finely chopped
• 2 red and 2 yellow peppers diced
• 200g spring onions sliced
• a handful of chopped parsley or basil if preferred
• a pint of iced water
• a good splash of Tabasco
• salt and pepper

Blitz up the garlic, breadcrumbs, vinegar and oil and place in a large bowl.

Stir in all the veg with the parsley, the iced water and the Tabasco.

Blitz once more till smooth – some people like to separate some of the soup out before the second blitz to give it a chunky texture but I like mine to taste clean and silky so use a sieve to make sure no chunks of pepper escape.

Season the chill well.
Serve in small bowls but forget the spoons, I think Gazpacho tastes best gulped straight from the bowl.

Vichyssoise Recipe

• 50g butter
• 4 leeks
• 4 potatoes
• 1 pint of water
• ½ pint of milk
• 100ml single cream
• salt and ground white pepper
• ¼ pint natural yoghurt

Melt the butter and cook the leeks with the potatoes for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Blitz with a blender then stir in the milk and cream.

Season and chill well.
Add the yoghurt just before serving.