Clandestine Cake Club - Gloucester - Pepper's Cafe

When you think of cake, what springs to mind? Gorgeous, fluffy light sponges, sandwiched together with various jams and creams, topped with yet more creams, fruits & chocolates?

Well until today that was pretty much how I felt about cakes also.  That was until today's Clandestine Cake Club Event at Peppers Cafe.  The theme Mix & Match!

Think cakes and vegetables! You wouldn't think the two would go together apart from the classic carrot cake, but let me assure you they do, they REALLY do!

Although only attended by 5 members this time, this certainly didn't affect the quality of the cakes, which all looked and smelled delicious.  Most importantly, they all tasted amazing!

Looking at these delicious cakes, you would be forgiven for thinking they are your run of the mill cakes of sponges and loaves.  Oh no they are much much more than that.

First up we have our host Julia's Cake.  A delectable Lemon & Courgette Loaf.

A beautiful firm loaf cake with the added bonus of chunks of creamy walnut.  There was no hint of courgette whatsoever and the crunchiness of the nuts and creaminess of them was perfectly offset by a tangy after taste of lemon.  Not too sharp, just perfectly in proportion with each other.  This is a must try cake with a nice cup of coffee or tea, whatever your drink of choice may be.

Next up we have my mum's Carrot Cake (Debbie Webb).

What can I say about this one then.  I have to say, out of all the carrot cakes I have ever tried in my life, this is up there with the best of them.  It was gorgeous.  The creaminess of the mascapone topping and the crunch of the walnuts, perfect complimented the denseness of the carrot cake.  A really nice cake well made.

Next we have Caroline's Balsamic Strawberry with Basil Cream Cake.

There is really only one word to describe this cake.  Amazing!  The Basil Cream was simply wonderful, not too overpowering, and only leaving the faintest hint in your mouth.  Coupled with the balsamic strawberries, they didn't fight against each other on your tongue, it was almost like they were meant to be.  I literally had a party in my mouth when I tried this cake and cannot express enough how nice it really was.

Next up we have another Lemon & Courgette Cake this time by Jayne.

Beautiful!  So light and fluffy, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a run of the mill sponge.  The gorgeous frosting was melt in the mouth and there was a lemony goodness that seeped out of the cake which made it perfect.  Definitely one of my favourite cakes of the day.  The frosting put me in mind of another cake which a member made, a Golden Layer Cake with Buttercup Frosting.

And finally we come to my cake.  It has the title Heartache Chocolate Cake and is made using aubergines.

Overall a nice cake, but far too chocolatey for the likes of myself.  It rather put me in mind of a brownie cake if you will, it was lovely and cracked and crisp on the top and sides, and the centre of it was a little stodgy.  I was supposed to cook it for 30 minutes at 180, but felt that it still needed more time, so I ended up cooking it for a total of 50 minutes.  There was no taste of aubergine at all, and I think this would be lovely accompanied by some nice cream or ice cream.

A lovely time was had by all and I think I am now slowly crashing from my sugar rush from sampling the delicious cakes.  

Enjoy x

Baklava & Honey & Mustard Chicken Breasts

I learned my lesson the hard way today.  I made Baklava with pistachios.  300g to be precise.  Did I do what any normal person would do and buy them pre-shelled? No I bought them shelled and spent the best part of half an hour shelling them, ultimately ending up with two sore thumbs.  But boy was it worth it, the sugary sweet goodness of the Baklava had my arteries hardening with just a look.

I only had one slice as I don't think my teeth could have taken much more.  The crispiness of the filo pastry and the crunchiness of the pistachios, mixed with the spices were a perfect compliment to each other.  The the sauce, oh the sauce, a veritable gooey sweet lovers dream.  Chewy and soft, and oh so sticky.

The recipe came from the Baked & Delicious Magazines, Issue 5, Page 16.

Baklava

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Cooling Time: 2 hours

Oven Temp: 180C/350F/Gas 4

Ingredients

300g (11oz) shelled walnuts, pistachios, almonds or other nuts of your choice

1 rounded tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of powdered cardamom, optional

1 x 450g (1lb) pack filo pastry

125 - 150g (4 - 5oz) unsalted butter, melted

cloves to decorate, optional

For The Syrup

250ml (9fl oz) water

250g (9oz) sugar

125ml (4fl oz) runny honey

1 stick cinnamon

zest of one orange

1 - 2 tsp orange flower water, optional

Equipment

24 x 20.5cm (9.5 x 8in) ovenproof dish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.  Chop the nuts or crush them briefly in a processor - you want them to retain a good crunchy texture.  Mix in the spices.  Butter the baking dish.

Open the filo and keep the sheets under a tea towel to prevent them drying out.  Lay the first sheet into the dish, butter it, then cover it with another layer.  Continue for five or six layers.  Now lay half the nuts on top.  Add another five or six layers, buttering as before.  Lay the remaining nuts on top, then finish with more layers of buttered pastry.  Trim around the dish, then cut deeply through all the layers to form a diamond pattern.  Secure each diamond with a clove if you like them.  Bake for about 40 minutes, turning the oven down to 170C/325F/Gas 3 if it's getting too brown on top.

Meanwhile put the syrup ingredients into a pan and melt to combine, then simmer the mixture for 15 minutes until it thickens, becomes sticky and is reduced in volume by one third.  Set aside to cool.  When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour over half the syrup; after 5 minutes pour over the remainder.  Leave to cool and settle for at least 2 hours before serving.

Honey & Lemon Chicken Breasts

I couldn't think of anything more I'd rather eat on a horrible, stuffy, muggy day like today other than a nice juicy chicken breast, that takes mere minutes to cook.  A light and zingy marinade of honey, lemon and mustard keeps the chicken beautifully moist throughout cooking.  This was enjoyed by the whole family, apart from my 3 year old Mackenzie, who didn't want to eat the brown dots lol.  It was no mean feat, to scrape off all the mustard seeds from his piece of chicken which had already been cut up.  Serve up with chunky chips and mixed vegetables.

The recipe came from Best Food Fast! Book, Issue 1, Tasty Chicken, Page 43

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skinless

1 lemon

2 tbsps clear honey

1 tbsp grain mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a roasting tin with a large piece of overhanging foil.  Place the chicken breasts in the tin.  Cut 4 thin slices from the lemon and place one on top of each chicken breast.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and mix with the honey, mustard, oil and seasoning, then drizzle over the chicken.  Seal the foil.

Bake for 15 minutes, fold back the foil and baste.  Cook uncovered for 10 minutes more.

Enjoy x

Raspberry Meringue Roulade

It was treat day today in the Willetts household.  Something simple for dinner (scampi, chips & peas) with a yummy home made dessert for afters.  Today's treat was a yummy Raspberry Meringue Roulade.  I was a bit nervous with this one as I'd never had a meringue that turned out just the way it should do.  I needn't have worried though, I followed the instructions to a tee and it turned out perfectly, even if my Swiss roll tin was a smidgen on the small side.

This recipe comes to you from the Baked & Delicious Magazine, Issue 5, Page 12

Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Ingredients

5 egg whites

150g (5oz) caster sugar

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white wine vinegar

icing sugar or caster sugar for dusting

mint sprigs, optional

For The Filling

1 x 284ml carton double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g (2oz) icing sugar, sifted

250g (9oz) raspberries plus extra for serving

For The Raspberry Coulis

225g (8oz) fresh raspberries, puréed and sieved

50g (2oz) icing sugar

lemon juice

Equipment

33 x 28cm (13 x 11in) Swiss roll tin, baking parchment or tinfoil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.  Line a non-stick Swiss roll tin with lightly oiled baking parchment or tinfoil, leaving a 5cm (2in) overhang all round.

2. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until they are stiff.  Gradually whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is still and glossy.

3. Gently fold in the cornflour, vanilla extract and vinegar with a spatula or a metal spoon.  Then scrape the meringue onto the prepared Swiss roll tin, spreading it up to the edges and levelling it as much as possible.

4. Cook for 1 hour, then allow it to cool in the tin.  Sprinkle a sheet of greaseproof paper or tinfoil with icing sugar or caster sugar and turn out the meringue onto it.  Peel off the backing paper or tinfoil.

5. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and then fold in the vanilla and the sifted icing sugar.  Spread it over the meringue, leaving a border of about 2.5cm (1in) around the edge.

6. Scatter the raspberries evenly over the cream and use the sugared paper to help you roll up the meringue.

7. Whizz the raspberries in a blender or blitz them briefly with a hand blender, push through a sieve and then stir in the sifted icing sugar and a little lemon juice.

8. To serve, spoon some coulis onto each plate and then place a slice or two of roulade on top.  Decorate with extra raspberries and sprigs of mint if you like.

Enjoy x

Sausage With Chilli And Purple Sprouting Broccoli

I tried something today that was absolutely mind blowing.  A recipe where there are just two main ingredients, the rest spices but the taste sensation when they are all put together is simply mouthwatering.  I was dubious I have to admit, but I am so glad that my OCD doesn't let me skip recipes and I have to work my way through the entire book, because in all honesty, I probably would have just skipped past this at first glance.

I served it up with some deliciously smooth mash and a nice chunk of Irish Soda Bread which I had baked earlier in the day.

The recipe comes from Cooking For Real Life by Joanna Weinberg.

Sausage With Chilli And Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

scant teaspoon dried chilli flakes

3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, bashed

650g good-quality pork sausagemeat (or sausages, squeezed out of their skins)

600g purple sprouting broccoli, chopped a little

juice of 1 lemon

flaky salt

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chilli, garlic and fennel seeds until the garlic is golden and all is fragrant.

Crumble in the sausagemeat, turning it well in the mixture, and breaking it up to form mince.  Then leave it to cook so that the bottom becomes golden and well coloured.  Turn the meat and break it up again and cook on the other side until well coloured.

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli for 1 minute in boiling, salted water, then drain.  When, and only when, the meat is well coloured, add the broccoli, turning it well to coat in the oil.  Add the lemon juice, partly cover and leave to cook for 5 minutes, stirring and turning from time to time.  The broccoli will still be fairly crunchy but this adds to its appeal.

Stir again to check everything is evenly cooked, scrunch over salt, then divide between plates and eat immediately, with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche and plenty of good bread.

Enjoy x

Pork Chops In Mustard Sauce

What better way to end a dreary Monday with a big fat pork chop, so that's exactly what I did.  Tonight's dinner was Pork Chops In Mustard Sauce.  I had chops so big they would have given my 6ft 3in 20 stone dad a run for his money.  I have to say, I wasn't impressed with the sauce though.  For some reason, mine didn't thicken to quite the consistency that I thought it would.  I must have done something wrong, although I did follow the recipe to a tee.  Perhaps because my chops were so big, they let a little more water than expected into the stock whilst they were simmering.  Don't get me wrong, the sauce was lovely, although I wish it had been a bit thicker.

The recipe comes from the Grandmas Kitchen selection of recipe cards from the Hearty Meat Dishes set.

Pork Chops In Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

4 pork loin chops, about 175g/6oz each (when I bought my chops they didn't have any loin so I had to go with regular on the bone chops which probably made them around 8oz each)

Salt and black pepper

1/2 garlic clove

grated rind and juice of 1 orange

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

300ml/1/2pt chicken stock

2 red apples

1 tbsp vegetable oil

15g/1/2oz butter

Method

1. Trim the fat from the chops.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put in a shallow dish.  Peel and crush garlic.  Put the garlic, orange rind, juice and mustard in a screw-top jar.  Close and shake well.  Pour mixture over chops.  Cover and chill for 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Heat the stock in a frying pan until bubbling.  Remove chops from the marinade and add to stock.  Reserve marinade.  Cover pan.  Simmer very gently for 20 minutes, or until chops are no longer pink in the centre.

3. Remove the chops and keep covered.  Put the cooking liquid and reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

4. Meanwhile, core the apples and cut into wedges.  Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan.  Add the chops and apples.  Fry over a high heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pork is golden and the apples are tender.

5. Serve the chops immediately with the sauce and the apples.

For a variation, you can replace the Dijon mustard with wholegrain mustard for a grainy texture and stronger flavour.

Enjoy x

Salami & Pepper Crumpet Pizzas

And so to the third and final dish of the day.  I have to say that I can't take all the credit for this.  I was ably assisted by my 3 year old Mackenzie.  He did an amazing job of laying the salami and cheese on top of the crumpets and thoroughly enjoyed himself too.

These were really nice, and very filling.  I think if I make them again, I shall add some mozzarella as well as the cheddar : )

This recipe can be found in the Best Food Fast! Book, Easy Italian, Issue 25, Page 40.

SALAMI & PEPPER CRUMPET PIZZAS

Ingredients

8 crumpets (I used 14 as I have a big family)

8 teaspoons red pesto sauce

8 slices salami

1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

60g (2 1/2oz) cheddar, grated

fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the grill to high.  Toast the crumpets, then spread each one with 1 teaspoon pesto and top with a slice of salami.

2. Toss the pepper and tomatoes with the oil and pile onto the crumpets.  Scatter with Cheddar and grill for 4-5 minutes until melted and golden.  Serve garnished with basil leaves.

Enjoy x

Chicken Noodle Soup

My second dish of the day.  Also cooked for lunch.  My younger children, preferred this to the roasted veg, although it didn't stop my husband having some too.  Nice and light the husband was able to have a largeish bowl of this before tucking into the roasted veg.  Very easy to make.  I love one pot dishes.

This recipe can be found in the July Issue of Slimming World Magazine on Page 71.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, cut into small cubes

1 courgette, cut into small cubes

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes

1.2l chicken stock

150g dried fine egg noodles, broken up

400g cooked chicken

a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Put the garlic, onions, celery, courgette, carrots and chicken stock in a pan and bring to the boil over a high heat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, adding the noodles for the final 2-3 minutes of cooking time.

3. Stir in the chicken and the parsley, season well and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is piping hot throughout.

Enjoy x