Easy Pancakes

Pancake mix is always an easy way out but try this recipe and you will never use a mix again!

You can choose your choice of topping, add fruit etc etc. This is a great basic recipe

Ingredients

1½ cups flour

10 oz milk

2 oz sugar

2 oz butter, melted

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs (beaten)
pinch of salt

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the milk, eggs and melted butter.

Mix well. Leave the batter in the bowl for about 15 mins before using.

Heat up a frying pan on a medium heat. (if you have a pancake pan, you would just need to heat it after spraying with some non stick spray)

Melt a dab of butter in the frying pan.

Pour in a little of the pancake batter.

As the pancake begins to cook, small bubbles appear. When the bubbles start to pop, its time to flip the pancake.

Cook on the other side for 1 minute until golden.

Stack pancakes on a plate and serve with your favourite toppings.

I love sugar and lemon juice best - but now its up to you!

Maids of Honour Tarts

I First tasted the little tarts over 20 years ago at a little tea room in Kew gardens, London. They were like nothing i have tasted before and I have been searching for the right recipe ever since.

Maids of Honor cakes have a long history dating back to around 1585. They were a favorite of Henry VIII who is believed to have named them so after seeing Anne Boleyn and her maids in waiting eating the small cakes. It is said that the king was so fond of the recipe that he kept it locked away in a chest in Richmond Palace.During the 18th century the recipe was obtained by a Richmond bakery who began making the cakes for the general public - which is where I had tasted them

This is the recipe that seems to taste like the ones I so liked...but i am not sure if it is the original!

Ingredients

8oz Puff Pastry

8oz Curd or Cottage Cheese

1 Egg

1 Lemon

3ozSugar

2oz Currants

½ oz Blanched Almonds , crushed

½ oz Butter

2 tsp Brandy

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F

Push the cheese through a fine sieve, add the beaten egg, grated rind of the lemon, sugar, currants, chopped almonds, butter and brandy.

Mix thoroughly to combine all of the ingredients.

Roll out the pastry and cut into 16 rounds and place in shaped baking tray.

Half fill the rounds with the filling.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Mostaccioli

Mostaccioli are characteristic of a Neapolitan Christmas. They are spicy cookies with a chocolate fondant icing, generally made in diamond shapes. You could make them flat or in balls if you wish. Some recipes also add liquor and candied peel but i have kept these relatively simple.

Thanks to Gianluca for this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 /4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

Zest of one orange

Chocolate Glaze:

3 tbs unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Water

Silver ball decorations

Method.

Prepare Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In another bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar with butter until blended.

Increase speed to high; beat until light and creamy.

At low speed, beat in egg and zest.

Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until combined, occasionally scraping bowl.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough and cut into diamond shapes using a pizza cutter.

Place shapes 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 7 to 9 minutes (they will look dry and slightly cracked).

Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Glaze:

When cookies cool, in medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, gradually mix cocoa with 1/4 cup boiling water until smooth.

Gradually stir in confectioners' sugar and blend well.

Dip top of each cookie into glaze. Place cookies on wire rack set over waxed paper to catch any drips.

Decorate with silver balls

Allow glaze to set, about 20 minutes. Store cookies, with waxed paper between layers, in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 3 days, or in freezer up to 3 months.

Pissaladière

A Pissaladière is a kind of French-style pizza that makes a great hors d'oeuvre. No cheese or tomatoes are used. The recipe I tried asks for bread dough bought from a baker ( as is commonplace in Europe. Not finding that you can either use bought pizza dough or make your own)

Ingredients

14oz bread or pizza dough

2lbs onions

1 1/2 cups or 10 oz anchovies

15 black olives

2 tbs powdered sugar

herbes de provence

pepper

olive oil

Method

In a large pan, heat up 5 tbs of olive oil.

Slice the onions

When the oil is warm, put the onions in the pan, add the pepper and herbs and the powdered sugar.

DO NOT put in any salt.

The sugar is necessary to balance out the acidity of the onions.

Gently cook the onions and be very careful that they don't burn or the whole thing could be ruined. They just have to turn golden

The secret of the Pissaladière is here: Put in some of the anchovies with the onions. The heat will almost melt them and they will get combined with the onions. If necessary, add a tbs of the anchovy oil to the mixture.

Roll out the dough and press it into a pan (pre-sprayed with non stick or olive oil), pushing up the sides.

Spoon the onion mixture over.

Decorate with the anchovy fillets and the olives.

Cook at about 420F/220C until done.

The Pissaladière is also great cold.

Serve with a green salad.

Quiche Lorraine

With its few, simple ingredients and easy-as-pie preparation, quiche Lorraine livens up any meal, giving it a French twist without all the culinary expertise normally associated with la cuisine française.

I have come across several recipes that substitute some of the cream with milk...and tasted some of these results...yukkkkk.....tasted of scrambled eggs! A real quiche uses cream - or even better crème fraîche.

Never use a pre made crust - always make your own.

Also, (and I did not know this) shredded cheese is an absolute no no in the authentic Quiche Lorraine.

Oops, i always used cheese...so today I will be trying out an authentic recipe from Amelie.

Vive la France!!!

Shortcrust pastry:

To make the pastry:

Rub 1 1/2 cups of plain flour,

a pinch of salt and

31/2 oz of butter into 'breadcrumb' type consistency. (you can also use half vegetable shortening for a light pastry)

Add a very small amount of milk, and knead that in (The milk can be replaced by a beaten egg if preferred).

Add a tiny bit more milk if necessary but always a very small amount at a time. If you add too much it will suddenly go sticky and unworkable (if this happens add a little more flour).
Method
Leave the ball of pastry in the fridge for an hour, then get it out and leave it another half an hour to reach room temperature.
You can now roll out the pastry and put in your flan tin. Prick the base of the pastry all over.

easy no???!!!

Now for the filling:

Lardons are traditionally used but you can use cubed bacon, grilled and drained instead

Ingredients:

7 oz thick smoked bacon cut into cubes

4 eggs (separated)

10 oz cream, whipped

salt and pepper.

Method:

Beat the egg yolks and the cream.

Add the bacon cubes

season to taste

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour the filling into the pasty. I prefer to blind bake the pastry for about 15 mins, to be sure it will be nice and crisp.

Bake at 430F for 20-30 mins until done.

You can always make your own variation, using cheese, scallions, herbs, onions etc. etc. I was actually amazed at how light and tasty the original was!

Vichyssoise

This cold soup has so few ingredients that you should only use the best. Try and use homemade broth and not a bouillon cube. With their mild, sweet, onion flavor, leeks make a wonderful addition to this cold soup. Because they're grown in sandy soil, leeks tend to trap grit between their multi layered leaves and must be washed thoroughly before cooking. Yukon Gold potatoes are the best here.

Ingredients

4 leeks

1 medium onion

2 tbs butter

2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

4 cups chicken broth(home made if possible)

2 cups cream

4 tbs chives

Method

Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in the butter until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.

Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes or until done, adding more broth if necessary.

Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Cool.

Gently stir in the cream before serving and top with the chopped chives.

Super Fast Tomato Sauce

A good tomato sauce usually needs at least an hour simmering. This is a quick, and just as tasty alternative. Great with pasta - or even on toast!!

Ingredients:

10-12 tomatoes

10 basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Method:
Gently fry the crushed garlic cloves and about 5 basil leaves in the olive oil.
Remove the basil when done.
Peel the tomatoes (immerse in boiling water for about 1/2 min and the skin will come off)
Chop the tomatoes and add to the garlic.
Cook gently on a medium flame.

Top with the remaining basil and serve.

Couldn't be easier!!!