Cupcakes, Sausage & Mash Bake, Vegetable Risotto and Chocolate Caramel Cake Bars...

Sorry I haven’t updated the blog in a few days. I have been busy cooking but I just haven’t got round to uploading everything. It’s a bit of a hassle getting the pictures on as I have to put my memory card in Kennys laptop to then put them on my usb key to then put on my laptop. It’s a chew on. I was hoping my new camera was going to arrive so then I can upload them straight onto my laptop but it hasn’t due to the postal strikes boo hoo so I’ve had to use my camera that Kenny bought me about 7 years ago that is literally falling apart!
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I decided to spend Sunday making cupcakes for a few special people. I made some for Clare because she’s about to pop out bubba number 2, I made some for Wendy because she had her hand blown up at a camp fire (I’d upload the photo that Mel sent me but I don’t think I’m cruel enough to subject you to it. It literally made me go dizzy), I made some for Helena after her nasty bump on the head and I made some for my mum because she kept calling me to see if I got the empty box she posted back to me so in the hope that I’d send some more ha ha!
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I used the Martha Stewart cupcake recipe and the Hummingbird Bakery frosting. I wrapped them all up and shipped on Monday morning but was worried that they would take forever to get there because of the postal delays but luckily 3 of them were delivered today. I hope the Helenas box arrives safely and quickly.
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Here they are...
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All wrapped and ready to ship...

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Kenny took me for a lovely dinner at The Butchers Hook on Monday night. It was so nice to get out the flat and spend some time with him. We had cod goujons and chicken liver parfait to start. Kenny had pork shoulder with mashed potatoes and cabbage and I had a shepherds pie, which was disappointing. It was far too tomatoey for me - my shepgerds pie is ten times better. Dessert was HEAVEN though! We shared 2 scoops of Hokey Pokey ice cream and it was to die for! Hokey pokey is a nick name for honeycomb or cinder toffee. It was caramel flavoured with chunks of the crunchy honeycomb in. It was soooooo flipping good!

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For Tuesday’s dinner, I made a lovely sausage and mash bake. It was cheap and cheerful and very tasty. I forgot to take a photo of it when it came out the oven but I did take a shot before it went in!
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Sausage & Mash Bake:
Source: Essentials Magazine
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Ingredients:
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1 kg Floury Potatoes (such as King Edwards)
Small bunch chives, finely chopped
3 – 4 Spring Onions, chopped
8 Traditional, Herby Sausages (I used Toulouse)
2 Onions
1 x tbs Thyme
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50g x Butter
50 ml Whole Milk
½ x tsp Olive Oil
1 x tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 x tbsp Redcurrant Jelly
100 ml x Red Wine
400 ml x Chicken Stock
2 ½ tsp x Cornflour dissolved in 1 tbsp cold water
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1. Boil the potatoes and mash with the butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through the chives and spring onions.
2. Heat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180 C.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sausages for 3-4 messages until brown. Cut into chunks and put into an oven proof dish.
4. For the gravy, fry the onion for 6-8 minutes, add the balsamic, jelly and wine and bring to a boil. Add the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cornflour and add in the thyme.
5. Pour the gravy over the sausages and top with the mash.
6. Bake for 45 mins to an hour until golden and bubbling.
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Kenny is out with the boys tonight so for dinner I decided to cook a vegetable risotto. It’s great because you can literally use all the things that are sitting in the bottom drawer of your fridge!
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I like to add a cup of dry white wine usually but I didn’t have any so chicken stock had to do.
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Risotto has to be constantly stirred and it’s best to keep the stock hot in a separate pan if you can.
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Mrs Hackneys Recipe for Vegetable Risotto:
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Ingredients:
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1 x Cup of Arborio Risotto Rice
1 x Chicken Stock Cube dissolved in approx 400 ml of water
1 x Cup of White Wine
Vegetables – I used ½ courgette, ½ onion, ½ bag of sugar snap peas and 7 mushrooms!
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
1 tsp dried parsley (or use fresh if you can)
2 x Garlic cloves, crushed
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1. Dice the onion and fry in a tsp of olive oil, add one clove of the crushed garlic
2. Add in the rice and stir for 2 – 3 mins
3. Add in the cup of white wine. It should really sizzle and bubble.
4. Add in ½ cup of stock until it’s all absorbed. Keep stirring constantly.
5. Keep adding stock once the previous lot has been absorbed.
6. Cook for around 10 – 15 minutes.
7. Taste a bit of the rice. When it’s nearly ready (still has a bite to it) add in the vegetables.
8. Keep adding stock until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are still al dente.
9. The mixture should be thick but not runny or soupy.
10. Stir through some fresh parmesan and serve.

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I watched an old taped episode of Rachel Allen on my Sky Plus last night and my mouth started to water when she made her Chocolate, Caramel Cake Bars. I just had to make some today.
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Chocolate Caramel Cake Bars
Source: Rachel Allen
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Ingredients:
For the chocolate base200g/7oz butter50g/2oz cocoa powder300g/11oz caster sugar2 free range eggs, beaten225g/8oz plain flourFor the hazelnut caramel layer125g/4½oz butter1 x 397g/14oz tin condensed milk2 tbsp golden syrup75g/3oz caster sugar125g/4½oz toasted and halved hazelnutsFor the chocolate topping200g/7oz dark chocolate, chopped1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
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Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and line the base of or grease, a small Swiss roll tin measuring 20x30cm/8x12in.

2. In a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat, heat the butter for the chocolate base, stir in the cocoa powder and then the sugar and mix until smooth.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs until mixed and then the plain flour.

4. Spread the chocolate base over the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until firm on top.

5. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the hazelnut caramel layer.

6. In a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and then add the condensed milk, golden syrup and sugar. Turn the heat to low and stir continuously for 12-15 minutes until the mixture is dark caramel in colour (do not let it burn).

7. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts. Spread evenly over the chocolate base and allow to cool.

8. Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water. When it is melted, stir in the oil and then pour over the caramel layer and smooth out, leaving to cool and set.

9. To serve, cut into squares. These will keep for a week in an airtight container.

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Mrs Hackneys Notes:
* It takes a good couple of hours for the caramel to cool and set so don’t melt the chocolate straight away.
* If you have a sister with a nut allergy, line a square ramekin, cut out a square of the biscuit base when ready and sit on the bottom of the ramekin. Finish the recipe as advised.
* Wrap in cello bags and tie with a ribbon. Post to people you love :-)

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Enjoy :-)