White Chocolate Lemon Truffle

Creamy white chocolate truffles with a zesty lemon flavour. This delicious no-bake treat can be coated in icing sugar or dipped into melted white chocolate. 

If you love lemon-or know someone who does, you MUST make these White Chocolate Lemon Truffles asap!!!. It sound intimidating and all but I assure you that they are easy to make! With the holiday season upon us, they are perfect for gift giving and really quick and easy to make. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 60g butter
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp double cream
• ½ tsp lemon extract
• 2-3 drop of yellow colouring, optional
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Method:

Place the white chocolate chips in a medium mixing bowl and set them aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the lemon zest. Stir in the double cream and scald (bring it to just before boiling) the mixture. Pour the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over the white chocolate chips. Add the lemon extract and optional food colouring, then stir until the mixture is smooth.

Cover and refrigerate the chocolate chip mixture until the mixture is firm enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

Scoop heaping teaspoonfuls of the chocolate chip mixture and form into balls. Roll the balls in the icing sugar.

Refrigerate the truffles for at least 30 minutes before enjoying them.

Lemon, Gin & Ginger Marmalade

Want a breakfast with a twist? Then make yourself a batch of this lemon, gin & ginger marmalade, perfect for spreading on bread but also ideal for making desserts or pairing with cheese. This is also a great way to use up the fruit of a laden tree.

The scent is really incredible. One taste and you will be hooked!!

Ingredients:

• 1kg lemons
• 2 litre of water
• 1½ kg sugar
• 2 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1/3 cup gin

Method:

Wash the lemons and remove any stalks and blemishes.

Halve the lemons and remove the pips. Roughly chop. Place the lemons in batches in a food processor adding ¾ of a cup of water each time. Process until evenly chopped. Repeat until all the fruit is chopped.

Pour all the water and fruit into a large saucepan. Bring to a boiling point and simmer for 1 hour. Scoop out any elusive pips when they rise to the top.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, until well dissolved. Add the gin and ginger. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes or until the marmalade reaches setting point of 104ºC. Ensure it does not stick on the base by stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Scoop off any foam from the top and place in a bowl to use on your toast the next day.

Remove the marmalade from the heat and pour into hot sterilised jars then seal. 

South Indian Sambar

Sambar is a South Indian stew made with lentils and vegetables. It is comforting, super flavourful and a staple in many home across India. It is best when paired with dosas, idlis, appams or tice, which are all the perfect vehicle to mop up this amazing stew.

The most common lentils used to make a sambar are split yellow peas (toor dal) and red lentils, but sometimes chana dal (chickpea) are also used.

Use any vegetables of your choice or what you have in your fridge but some traditional additions are, eggplants, carrots, beans, tomato, raddish, potatoes or even okra (lady fingers).

Ingredients:

• ½ cup toor dal (yellow split peas)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp asafoetida
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp red chili powder or paprika
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped potatoes
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped zucchini (or squash or pumpkin)
• ½ cup chopped tomato
• 3 cups water
• ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, soaked in 1 cup warm water

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard
• 10-15 curry leaves

Method:

Rinse toor dal well, then soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain then boil them in 2 cups water over medium heat for 30 minutes or until they are fully cooked. Use a spoon or spatula to mash the cooked peas and set aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil, then fry the coriander, cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric, chili powder, black pepper and fenugreek for 5-10 seconds before adding all of the chopped vegetables and 3 cups of water. Add the salt. Bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes.

In the meanwhile, soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water. After 5 minutes mash the tamarind water with a spoon or your fingers. Strain the tamarind juice into the pot slowly. Add the cooked, mashed toor dal to the vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes.

Make the "tempering" by heating the oil in a small saucepan then adding the mustard seeds. They will sizzle and may pop, so keep a lid handy. After a few seconds add the curry leaves. Immediately remove from heat and dump this seasoned oil, seeds and curry leaves into the sambar. Stir them in and taste the dish for seasoning, adjust and serve with rice. 

Sourdough Brownie

If you have a sourdough starter, then you are bound to end up with discard and don't want to throw it away. That's one of the reasons why we love to share sourdough discard recipes. This recipe for sourdough brownies will add a delicious tang, making this ultimate chocolate treat even more satisfying. In less than 1 hour, you will have delicious brownies!

This recipe for sourdough brownies is sure to make any chocolate lover very, very, very happy!!!

Ingredients:

• 113g butter
• 340g semi sweet chocolate chips
• 40g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 200g granulated sugar
• 110g dark brown sugar
• 125g sourdough starter discard
• 120g plain flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 175ºC and line a 9"x9" baking pan with baking paper.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate chips, vanilla extract and the cocoa powder. Stir the ingredients until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the saucepan from the burner and set it aside to cool down.

In a large mixing bowel, beat the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 7-10 minutes. Add the sourdough discard and chocolate mixture to the bowl beat on low until combined. Add the flour and stir with a spatula until just combined.

Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan after they come out of the oven. Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting them with the baking paper and cut into squares.

Wild Garlic & Cheddar Cheese Scones

For just a few months every year the instantly recognisable scent of wild garlic fills the air of forests, gardens and woodlands around UK. Wonderfully versatile and particularly pungent, these distinct flowering plants can cover woodland floors like a blanket for a few months each year. 

From pesto to pasta dough, served raw or cooked into dishes, wild garlic is an incredibly versatile ingredients and a great way of instantly adding flavour to your food. I love to use wild garlic in my savoury scones. It has a wonderful, subtle flavour. 

Ingredients:

• 500g self raising flour
• 120g chilled butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 125g cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g wild garlic leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 250ml milk, plus extra for brushing
• 2 large eggs
• wild garlic flowers, to garnish, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 220ºC/200ºC for fan assist oven, dust a large baking sheet with flour.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the  mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.

Add 100g of the cheese, wild garlic leaves and English mustard to the bowl and mix it through the crumbs.

In a measuring jug, whisk together the milk and egg until combined. Pour this into the crumb mixture (leaving about 1 tbsp of the mixing the jug) and mix through with a  butter knife until a rough dough forms. Use your hands to push the dough together, making sure to include any mixture that's stuck on the sides of the bowl.

Dust a clean work surface with a little flour, turn the dough out of the bowl and press into a round shape. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1 inch.

Using a 3 inches circular pastry cutter, cut out the scones and place on the baking sheet. Press the trimming together, roll out and repeat the process until you have used all the dough. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush each scones with the reserved egg and milk mix, sprinkle with 25g of cheese and press wild garlic flowers in the centre to garnish.

Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 12-14 minutes until they have risen and turned a lovey golden brown colour on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cook slightly before serving warm with butter.

Lemon Cream Pie

Unbelievably creamy lemon pie is just like key lime pie with a lemon twist. Don't let the name fool you, this easy lemon cream pie may be luscious, but it is simple to create! This luscious lemon cream pie recipe uses condensed milk, grated lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and with fresh whipped cream topping. A super easy spring or summer dessert and a great alternative to lemon meringue pie.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 180g digestive biscuits
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 85g butter

Filling:

• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• ¾ cup fresh lemon juice

Whipped cream:

• 1 cup double cream
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 175ºC/165ºC for fan assist oven.

In a food processor, crush digestive biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Add sugar and combine. Melt butter in microwave. Add to crumb mixture and mix until all crumbs are wet. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a standard 9 inch pie dish.

Bake crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Prepare the filling while crust bakes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour into hot crust and bake an additional 10-12 minutes, until filling is solid when  jiggled in the pan.

Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate 3 hours, or until chilled.

Whisk double cream and icing sugar with a hand whisk or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Dollop or pipe onto top of pie before serving.

Dhaba Chicken Curry

A traditional North Indian dish inspired by the road side restaurants known as Dhabas. Rustic chicken curry cooked in a rich onion-tomato masala flavoured with basic Indian spices. Juicy and succulent marinated chicken pieces are cooked in a simple, spicy tomato onion curry flavoured with whole spices, ginger, garlic and yogurt. I served the Dhana Chicken Curry with rice and my homemade sourdough roti/Phulka. The link is: https://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2023/05/sourdough-rotiphulka.html

Ingredients:

For marination:

• 600g mini chicken fillet, or choice of your preferred chicken part  
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• ¼ garam masala powder

For the curry:

• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 4-5 whole black peppercorns
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 2-3 whole dry red chillies
• 1 cup grated red onions
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ¾ cup plain yogurt, whisked with 2 tsp plain flour)
• 1½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp Kasuri methi
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander

Method:

For marination: Add chicken, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, salt, red chili powder and garam masala powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until all combine. Set aside while making the curry.

For the curry: Lightly crush cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan on high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the crushed spices and dry chillies and let them crackle for 2-3 seconds.

Add the red onions and cook on medium-high heat until they turn slightly brown, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add ginger and garlic and cook until onions are nicely browned. (about 5 minutes).

Now, add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add yogurt and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and salt and mix well.

Reduce the heat to low.

Add ½ cup of water and mix well.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender (about 30 minutes). Stir a few times while cooking.

Add garam masala and Kasuri methi and cook for another minute.

Add some water if the curry is too thick, and bring it to a boil.

Check for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Fudgy Oreo Brownies

Raise your hands if you love brownies? How about Oreo cookies? Well, today I have combined the two to create the ultimate brownie recipe. You are absolutely going to LOVE these!!!

This brownie are thick, fudgy and rich in flavour. I stuffed them with whole Oreos, and topped them with broken ones. Perfection. 

You won't be able to stop at just one brownie-trust me.

Ingredients:

• 300g dark chocolate, chopped 
• 200g butter
• 200g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 300g brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 28-30 Oreo cookies

Method:

Grease and line a 9 inch square cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170ºC /160ºC for fan assist oven.

In a pan, combine the cooking chocolate and butter. Heat over low heat until fully melted, stirring occasionally. Once melted, allow it to cool for a few minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and whip until the mixture is fully combined, smooth and glossy.

Sift in the plain flour, baking powder and the cocoa powder in the brownie batter. Mix well with a silicone spatula until the batter is thick and glossy.

Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing it out evenly.

Lay 20 Oreos on top of the batter in the tin in a single layer.

Pour the remaining brownie batter over the Oreos, smoothing the top with an angled spatula.

Break the remaining Oreos into pieces and scatter them over the top of the batter, pressing them in lightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean with few moist crumbs.

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

For a thicker, fudgy texture, refrigerate the brownie overnight before cutting. This also helps in achieving clean-cut lines. 

Sourdough Farmhouse Sandwich Loaf

Soft and fluffy sourdough bread is the perfect bread to have on hand. Made with white and wholemeal bread flour, active sourdough starter, butter and a little sugar, this fermented bread has a lighter texture and tangy flavour.

Not only this recipe absolutely delicious ( making it really hard to ever go back to store-bough bread), but it is also super simple. No strange ingredients, no stretching and folding every 30 minutes.....Just mix, rise, shape, rise again and bake!!!

Let it cool, slice and slather it with butter. It is so yummy and it reminds me of a bread you would get on a breadboard from a restaurant.

Let's be honest, though, it is wat better since it's made from scratch and has that wonderful sourdough tang. 

Ingredients:

• 270g warm water
• 85g warm milk, can substitute with plant-base milk
• 45g sugar
• 120g active sourdough starter
• 50g butter, melted and cooled, can substitute with plant-base butter
• 400g white bread flour
• 200g wholemeal bread flour
• 12g salt

Method:

Premix and autolyse: Add the milk, water and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir until the sugar dissolved.  

Now add the sourdough starter to the liquid ingredients and stir to dissolve it a little.

Now add the rest of the ingredients; bread flours, salt and melted butter. Mix them together until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a shower cap or a tea towel and let it sit for an hour.

Kneading the dough: You can knead this by hand or a stand  mixer. If kneading by hand, knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it is soft and elastic. The dough should feel slightly sticky but not be a big mess.

If using stand mixer, which is my favourite. You need to use the dough hook. Knead for 2-3 minutes, then give the mixer a rest for 2 minutes. Repeat this process in total 3 times. The dough should come away from the side of the bowl when it is done.

Bulk ferment: Once the dough is kneaded sufficiently, you need to bulk ferment the dough. If you are using a stand mixer, it is fine to leave it in the mixing bowl. At this point you can just leave the dough as it is, covering it with shower cap or tea towel to stop it drying out. 

As with any sourdough bread, the bulk ferment time depend on the temperature in your kitchen and of course the strength of your starter.  You are  looking for your dough to be just UNDER double.

Shaping: Once the dough has finished its bulk ferment you can shape your dough. Before you start shaping, lightly butter or oil the loaf pan.

ease the dough out the bowl using a silicone dough scraper, remembering to have the smooth side on the counter and the sticky side facing up. You shouldn't need any flour for this as your dough shouldn't stick.

Gently ease your dough out into a rough rectangle, with the shortest side in front of you.

Pop any large bubbles and gently flatten the dough using your fingertips.

Then roll the dough up into a log and tuck the ends under. Leave the dough to sit and relax for around 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes. tighten up the log by pulling the dough a little, using the sticky underside to create tension. Then simply plop the log into your oiled tin.

Second rise: Once the bread has been shaped and is in the tin, you will need to let it rise again so that it fills up the shape of the tin.

This should only takes a few hours but like bulk ferment, this will depends on the strength of your starter and the temperature  of your kitchen.

You will know it is done when it's risen above the lip of the tin (if you are using an open tin) It will be rounded on the top. When you poke it, it will leave a slight indent but spring back nice and slowly.

If you shaped it quite tight, you will see some tension on top of the dough as it's risen.

Baking: Preheat the oven around 180ºC. Let the oven warm for around 1o minutes and then place the sandwich loaf tin in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Once the dough is baked, remove it from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Brush the top with some melted butter for a richer flavoured and soft crust.

Ideally, leave it for at least 90 minutes before you cut into it.

Enjoy!!!

Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew

A super healthy vegan stew that is easy to make and oh-so-satisfying, this sweet potato and chickpea stew is ready in under 1 hour. The stew is naturally vegan  and gluten-free and has well-balanced flavours for the perfect winter comfort meal. I like to add baby spinach to get more iron in the diet  as well as vitamin C as spinach is also rich with it.

I typically use Indian spices for vegan stews and soups. You can make this vegan sweet potato stew as spicy as you like, by adding more or less chilli. 

You can serve this stew over rice, quinoa, or with some crusty bread for an easy plant-based dinner. 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil 
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 can chickpeas, drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2-3 handful baby spinach

Method:

In a large pot, heat the cooking oil and fry the onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened and slightly golden. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minutes until fragrant.

Add all the spices to the pan and mix them in. Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.

Next, add the chickpeas an sweet potatoes to the pot and pour in the coconut milk. Mix everything well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Add the baby spinach to the pot and cook for another minute until the spinach wilts. Serve over rice, quinoa or some crusty bread.

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

This baked Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is rich, creamy, fluffy and sunshiny sweet. So, if you love lemon and cheesecake, you have to try this ricotta cheesecake recipe!

This wonderful baked cheesecake recipe, using ricotta cheese, cream cheese and yogurt. One of the reason is it gives a fluffier texture to the cheesecake and doesn't make it quite as heavy to eat.

Ingredients:

• 380g cream cheese, room temperature
• 500g ricotta
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200g castor sugar
• 330ml plain yogurt
• 3 lemons, juice and zest
• 4 tbsp cornflour

For the topping:

• 2 tbsp lemon curd
• 1 cup double cream for decorating on top or serving, whipped until stiff
• some grated white chocolate

Method:

Preheat oven to 170ºC. Line and base a 9 inch round springform tin with baking paper and grease the sides of the pan.

Also, wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminium foil so the foil also comes up the sides, like a coat. This will stop any water from seeping into the pan once it is in the water bath.

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the eggs, and beat until everything is combined and smooth.

Then slowly add the lightly beaten eggs, again, until everything is combined.

Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and using the tip of a knife, lightly swirl around to get rid of any bubbles you see.

Carefully transfer the cheesecake to a larger baking pan, and fill with water in it, just halfway up the outside of the springform tin.

This will allow the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly. Then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. There should be a slight wobble to the cheesecake and a little golden on the surface.

Once done, switch the oven off, and leave the cake inside wit the door closed for a further 60 minutes.

When the cake has fully cooled, place in the fridge to chill, preferably overnight, but at least 6 hours. 

Once firm, turn out onto a serving plate. It is easiest to keep the cheesecake in the baking tin in the fridge until completely set and then remove the outer ring and place a plate on top of the cheesecake and turn upside down, then remove the cake pan base and baking paper.

When chilled, you can decorate the top with the whipped cream. Heat the lemon curd for 30 seconds in the microwave to loosen up and then drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with some grated white chocolate or leave it out to suit!