Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

No matter what the time of year, soup is always my favourite lunch option. There are endless variations, in the winter its warming and comforting and in the summer it's such a  great light option. Without a shadow of a doubt this Deliciously Ella recipe is my ultimate favourite and barely a month goes by where I don't whip up a batch (or two) of this! 

I know there are lots of options for fresh soups in the supermarkets nowadays but with how quick and simple this is to throw together there really is no excuse. Plus by making it yourself you know that all that's in it are beautiful, healthy ingredients! 

Ingredients

• 8 tomatoes
• 3 red peppers
• handful fresh basil leaves
• handful fresh rosemary
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Roughly chop the peppers and tomatoes into large chunks.
3. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan in oil and place the peppers and tomatoes in the pan along with the basil, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme, another drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Give it all a quick mix around and then pop into the oven for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes place the roasted vegetables and any juices into a blender but make sure to remove the bay leaves and any rosemary stalks.
6. Add the lime juice, tomato puree and worcestershire sauce to the blender and blitz up until you get your desired consistency - feel free to add a little water if necessary.
7. All that's left now is to tuck in and enjoy!! 

You can keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 4/5 days so this makes the perfect lunch option for the week! 

I can't get enough of this soup at the moment so I hope you enjoy it as much as me! 

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Breakfast Ice Lollies

I don't know if you've heard...but at the moment the UK is going through a pretty epic heatwave and with temperatures getting up to 34 degrees celsius in London finding the perfect breakfast option can be pretty tricky! 

The majority of my favourite breakfast options are all hot and include pancakes and a full English, none of which are what you want in the hot weather! So I put my thinking cap on and came up with a super simple, quick and refreshing breakfast option which I can guarantee is going to be my go to option throughout the warm summer months. 

Say hello to the most delicious yoghurt, berry & granola ice lollies! Yes that's right I did say ice lollies for breakfast but they're healthy so you can justify it I assure you.

Ingredients

• Natural yoghurt / greek yoghurt
• Mixed berries
• Granola 
• Runny honey (optional) 

In all honesty this recipe doesn't really need any instructions but why not! 

Method

1. Spoon some of the yoghurt into your ice lolly moulds - you want it to go about an inch of the way up each one. If using greek yoghurt I would recommend thinning it out with a little bit of water. 
2. Sprinkle in a thin layer of granola followed by some fresh berries - you can stew these down quickly in a pan if you would like to create a quick jam. 
3. Top up with more yoghurt up to the top of your moulds. 
4. You can either stop at this stage and put the handles in and pop them in the freezer overnight. Or, if you fancy it you can grab a knife or skewer and mix together all your layers like I did. 
5. All that's left now is to make space in the freezer and  leave them overnight for you to enjoy tomorrow morning! 

It goes without saying that these are super customisable in terms of what fruits you add in, flavoured yoghurts etc and I can't wait to play about with this some more and see what I can come up with. 

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Granny's Chocolate & Lemon Mousse

Lets be honest you really can't go wrong with a chocolate mousse, it just always hits the spot and this is my absolute favourite. This is actually one of my granny's recipes and she used to make this every single time that we went down to Cornwall to visit her and my grampa so it has a lot of nostalgic memories attached to it. 

Since my granny passed away a few years ago no one else in the family had made it until about a month ago when I suddenly remembered about it and fancied having a go at making it for myself. That same day mum sent me the recipe, I picked up the ingredients and whipped up my first ever chocolate and lemon mousse in memory of my granny. 

This is a ridiculously easy recipe and I love the hint of lemon flavour that comes through - lemon is never something I would have paired with chocolate but it really works! 

Ingredients

• 135g lemon jelly tablet
• 100g plain cooking chocolate
• 170g evaporated milk (chilled) 
• 300ml boiling water

Method

1. Place the cubed jelly, plain chocolate and boiling water into a blender and blitz until everything has melted and you have a smooth liquid. 
2. Place the chocolate lemon mixture in the fridge until it has the consistency of unbeaten egg white. 
3. In a deep bowl, whip the evaporated milk until very light and fluffy and then gradually beat in the jelly mixture. 
4. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate until set. 

See, it really is easy! This is the perfect dessert for any occasion and could be made in individual ramekins as personal servings. 

In the past month I've made this recipe 3 times and I think it's safe to say I ate at least 90% of the bowl every single time...woops...! It's just so tasty though and I cannot get enough. 

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Quick & Easy Overnight Oats

Breakfast is one of those meals that I know is super important to fit in but at the same time it leaves me so utterly uninspired that sometimes I just don't fancy it. That was until I finally tried out overnight oats and yes I know that I'm a little late on the bandwagon with this and I have no excuse but my gosh am I glad I finally tried them! 

This is probably one of the easiest things to throw together for breakfast and my favourite bit? You can whip up a few batches of this on a Sunday evening and it'll last you throughout the week so you don't have to think about it again! On top of that it's incredibly versatile so you could never possibly get bored of it. 

This recipe is so easy it really doesn't need to be broken down into ingredients and method like I usually would. 

In an airtight container, simply combine together 1/2 cup rolled oats, 2/3 cup milk (I use unsweetened almond milk), 1/2 plain fat free greek yoghurt and 1/2 tsp honey and pop in the fridge overnight. 

The overnight oats alone are tasty but can get a little boring so this is where the fun comes in - the toppings. You could top your overnight oats with anything you can think of but some of my personal favourites are stewed apple, mixed berries, or if I'm feeling naughty then maybe a few chocolate chips! 

What is your favourite breakfast to whip up? Have you ever tried overnight oats and if so what do you like to add to it? 

Let me know if you try this out this week as I would love to hear what you think. 

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Homemade Rocky Road Fudge

Despite trying to be as healthy as possible and not having snacks in the house (or not too many at least...) I still can't stop myself craving sweets! I'm standing strong and not letting myself have any in the week but at the weekend I let myself have a treat or two. This weekend I had a real urge to bake something so I took to Pinterest for some inspiration but instead of a baking recipe I instead couldn't resist the look of some fudge. 

Having never made fudge before I was intrigued as to how complex it was going to be but I was pleasantly surprised by just how simple it was and how few ingredients were needed. You can mix it up a lot with this recipe and add in whatever extras you like for example raisins, dried cranberries, honeycomb or biscuits - the options are endless! 

Ingredients

• 215g sugar (granulated or caster) 
• 2/3 cup fat free evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 340g plain chocolate
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 1 - 1.5 cup Malteasers 

Method

1. Grease an 8x8 inch pan and line with greaseproof paper. 
2. In a medium non-stick pan, mix together the sugar, evaporated milk and butter over a high heat until boiling and then reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly for about 3 minutes. 
3. Add the chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth and then remove from the heat. 
4. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then mix in the marshmallows and Malteasers until evenly distributed and then transfer the mixture to the lined pan. TIP: You may want to cut the marshmallows in half so they're a little smaller. 
5. Refrigerate until firm - at least 2 hours and then remove and cut into squares (this should make around 36 small squares. 

I hope that you enjoy this fudge as much as me! Let me know if you make it and if you add anything different in! 

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Mixed Berry Smoothie

This delicious and vibrant smoothie couldn't be easier to throw together in the morning, just pop all of the ingredients into your blender and off you go! It's jam packed with vitamins and is super easy to customise each day so you can't possibly get bored. 

What you need...

• 100g frozen mixed berries
• 1 banana
• 2 spoonfuls greek / natural yoghurt
• 150ml apple juice
• 4/5 mint leaves

All you need to do is throw all of the ingredients into your blender and blitz until smooth - this usually takes a couple of minutes to get a really good texture. If it's a little thick in consistency simply add some more juice or water. 

If you have fresh berries as opposed to frozen then throw in a few ice cubes too to give that proper 'smoothie' texture. 

Fancy a change? Why not add peaches and spinach? Or even swap the apple juice for coconut water! 

Another one of my go to smoothies is a citrus one that's perfect to kick start you in the morning, check out the recipe here. 

What do you like to throw in your smoothies? 

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Chocolate Lava Cake

With Mothers Day just around the corner it's the perfect time to learn to make a new decadent dessert to treat her. As with all pretty much all the recipes I post on here this one is really easy which is always good for a dessert which tastes so good and looks pretty fancy too! Despite this I have a feeling once you've practiced it once you're going to want to practice it again and again to 'get it just right' or just so you can keep eating them! Be warned though, they are very rich. 

A lot of the recipes that I have come across can be a little time consuming and complicated which has always put me off. This one however, couldn't be easier! I have Ingrid (Ingrid Nilsen) & Claire (The Kitchy Kitchen) to thank for this incredible recipe and I've already made it on more than one occasion...! 

What You'll Need To Buy... 

- 6oz plain chocolate

- 2 large (free range) eggs

- 2 tbsp white sugar

- 2 tbsp (packed) brown sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/6 cup plain flour

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter

- pinch salt 

- 1/2 cup chocolate sauce

What You'll Need To Do... 

1. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and place to one side. 

2. Melt the chocolate, sugar and butter over a low heat, making sure to keep stirring. 

3. Once it's all melted take it off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before slowly adding the vanilla extract and eggs whilst whisking. 

4. Add the plain flour and pinch of salt and mix until thoroughly combined. 

5. Grease the inside of two small ramekins and pour in some of the mixture until each ramekin is between 1/3 and 1/2 full. 

6. Scoop in 1-2 tbsp of chocolate sauce into the middle of the ramekins and top with more of the mixture until the ramekins are full. 

7. Pop into the oven (preheated to 200 degrees celsius) and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

8. Once your timer has gone off, remove the ramekins from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Now you can either run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and tip the cakes out onto a plate to serve or simply eat them straight out of the ramekins. I tried to turn mine out and it was an epic fail but practice makes perfect! 

This is such a fantastic dessert to make if you have people coming round for dinner as I can guarantee it will instantly impress! 

What's your go to dessert to make when you want to impress?

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Homemade Lemonade With A Twist

Fizzy drinks are a real weakness for me and I've never managed to cut them out of my diet entirely despite knowing how bad they are for me. Plus on a hot summer afternoon nothing can beat a refreshing glass of iced lemonade! So in preparation for those summer months (that feel a million miles away at the moment!) I've been looking into homemade recipes for some fizzy drinks. 

This recipe for homemade peach lemonade is by far the best one I've found so far! It's incredibly easy and tastes fantastic! As peaches are currently out of season here I used tinned peaches (in juice not syrup) and despite it still being super tasty I can only imagine how good it will taste in the summer with 'proper' peaches. 

Ingredients

- 5/6 lemons

- 2 ripe peaches (or 1 tin, drained) 

- 1 cup sugar

- 5 cups water (fizzy or sparkling, whatever you prefer)

Method

1. Pop the sugar and 1 cup of tap water in a pan over a medium heat and stir frequently until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and place to one side to cool. 

2. Now you need 1 cup of lemon juice. I recommend using the lemons when they are room temperature and rolling them on your work surface to loosen the flesh. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze as much juice as you can out of each lemon until you have 1 cup of juice. 

3. Place the peaches and lemon juice into a blender and blitz until you have a smooth consistency. 

4. Strain the peach & lemon mixture through a sieve to remove the pulp and place in a large jug along with the cooled sugar syrup. 

5. Add in still / sparkling water until the jug is full and there you have it - homemade peach lemonade! Serve over ice and enjoy! 

If you don't want to drink this straight away, simply put the peach & lemon mixture and sugar syrup into a sealed jar or bottle and refrigerate until you need it. 

If you decide to try this recipe yourself I'd love to see so please tag me in a picture on Instagram (@theopaldiary). 

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5 Recipe Books Everyone Should Own

Whether you cook from scratch everyday or once in a blue moon there are a selection cookbooks which, in my humble opinion, should be a compulsory element of everyones bookshelf. Hey, if you don't cook you should still have these just for the pretty pictures! 

Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course

No matter how competent you are in the kitchen this is a must have. It contains everything from the basics of how to poach an egg through to dishes which will wow the guests at your next dinner party. 

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

If you haven't already heard of the Hummingbird Bakery then quite honestly you must have been hiding out in a cave for the last 10 years! Not only are the pictures stunning but the flavour combinations are unique and all of the recipes are super easy to follow - you'll be applying for The Great British Bake Off before you know it. 

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals

This is probably my most reached for recipe book primarily because after a long day at work I just want something quick, easy and preferably healthy for supper. There's a huge range of recipes here and I love how every recipe includes a main and side dish! 

Cook With Jamie

Yes yes I know, another Jamie Oliver book, I just love him! Like the Delia book this aims to teach you everything including the basics and genuinely improve your cooking skills not just teach you one new recipe at  a time. 

Wagamama Ways With Noodles

Noodles are one of the ultimate comfort foods in my opinion but stir fry's can get a little monotonous so that's where this book comes in. Although you may not find the recipe for your favourite Wagamamas dish there are so many amazing options you really can't complain! 

Do you love to cook? If so, what is your go to recipe book or do you make it up as you go along?

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Egg Free Cookie Dough

After last week's healthy snack idea it seems the right time for me to be the little devil on your shoulder and throw an unhealthy snack idea into the mix. Whenever I bake I always seem to eat the majority of the mix before it's even been cooked which, considering most recipes contain egg, isn't the most sensible idea! But the good news is this recipe doesn't have any egg in so you can eat all you want, however I wouldn't suggest baking with it! What's even better? It only takes 3 steps and 5 minutes to whip it up!

Ingredients

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup butter

- 1/4 cup milk

- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 1/4 cup plain flour

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method

1. Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl until smooth. 
2. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. 
3. Add the plain flour and chocolate chips until well combined. 

Yes, that's it - 3 simple steps and you have a delicious naughty snack for anytime of day. It's all about moderation right? At least that's what I tell myself so I don't feel quite so guilty! 

Add it to your favourite milkshake, ice cream or even just dig in with a spoon!

What's the naughty treat you just can't resist?

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Sweet & Salty Baked Chick Peas

Snacking can be one of the hardest habits to kick, especially if you work from home so you don't have someone raising their eyebrows every time you venture to the kitchen. There's nothing better to make you think twice than someone making you feel guilty. But what's even better than that? How about some healthy and super tasty snacks that will most definitely curb those cravings! 

These sweet and salty baked chick peas are easy to make and I can almost guarantee that you'll already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard. You can also adapt the basic recipe and switch out the cinnamon for whatever other spice you fancy. Paprika might be a nice option! 

Ingredients

- 400g tin of chick peas

- 2 tsp olive oil

- 1.5 tsp brown sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp sea salt

How to...

1. Drain the chick peas and rinse with cold water then spread evenly on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 220 degrees celsius. 

2. Transfer the baked chick peas into a small bowl, add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly - I would recommend just adding a small pinch of cinnamon (or your spice of choice) and tasting as you go along so you don't overdo it. 

3. Last but not least you get to tuck in and enjoy. I love these while they're still hot but they're also tasty at room temperature. Although they taste the best the day they're baked you can also store them in an air tight container for 2-3 days. 

It blows my mind how easy these are to make. As someone who absolutely adores crisps I'm constantly looking for a healthier alternative and these may just do the trick. I'm looking forward to trying some different flavours soon - I'm thinking of keeping it savoury next time and trying salt and vinegar. 

I'd love some more ideas for guilt free snacks so let me know what you love in the comments section below. 

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Citrus Blast Mango Smoothie

A new year calls for the obligatory new year's resolution of trying to become a little healthier in the coming months. Every year I have the same resolution and every year it only lasts a few months (if that) but hey at least I try. My favourite way to start the day at the moment is a smoothie - quick, easy and super healthy, where can you go wrong? I've been experimenting with different flavours but this is mango one is my current favourite! 

Ingredients

• 150g mango
• 100ml apple juice
• 2 tbsp low fat greek yoghurt
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5/6 fresh mint leaves
• drizzle of runny honey

 How to

This doesn't really need much explanation....pop all of the ingredients into your blender (I use the Magimix Le Blender) and blitz up until smooth in consistency. If like mine, your blender has a smoothie setting use this to get perfect results. Add more lime or honey until it's just right for you. 

As I said, this is my go to smoothie at the moment, I absolutely adore mango and the lime juice gives the perfect zingy kick which is just what I need to get me raring to go for the day ahead! 

If you'd like some more smoothie recipes let me know in the comments section as I'd love to do some! 

What's your smoothie of choice? 

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Homemade Sundried Tomato & Garlic Hummus

Snacking seems to be that habit that I really struggle to give up but with trying to be healthier as one of my new years resolutions I wanted to find some more quick and easy snacks that I don't need to feel guilty about. This is where hummus comes in, or more precisely sundried tomato and garlic hummus. 

I've read a lot of hummus recipes over the past few months but on this occasion I decided to 'wing it' and see where that got me. This recipe couldn't be easier, no cooking or weighing of ingredients, there really is no excuse not to give this a go!

What You'll Need To Buy...

- 400g tinned chick peas (drained)

- 2 garlic cloves (peeled) 

- 1/2 cup water

- 3/4 large pieces sundried tomato

What You'll Need To Do...

1. This couldn't be easier, simply pop all of the ingredients except the water into the blender - I would recommend crushing the garlic first. 
2. Pop about half of the water in to begin with, put the lid on the blender and blitz until smooth. 
3. If you're struggling to get a smooth texture just add a little more water at a time until you have the result you desire. 

That's it, now you have the perfect homemade hummus which will keep in the fridge for around 4 days if kept in a sealed container. This is the perfect mid-afternoon snack when your starting to flag and need a bit of a pick me up. 

I can't wait to try adding some different things to this to make different 'flavoured' hummus. Next on the list might be lemon and coriander, what do you think? 

Have you ever made your own hummus? What's your favourite 'flavour'?

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Thai Chicken Laksa

Cooking after a long day at work can seem like the hardest thing in the world, I for one never have the motivation, but this year I want to try and be healthier (original I know) which means cooking more meals from scratch which is where 'Jamie's 15 Minute Meals' comes in!

Having bookmarked my favourite recipes (pretty much the whole book...) I finally settled on his Thai Chicken Laksa as my first recipe. Although it didn't turn out 100% how I wanted it still tasted fantastic so I thought it only fair to share it with you guys. Plus look how lovely my new serving board is that I got for Christmas!

Shopping List for the Laksa
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 butternut squash (neck only)
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 thumb sized piece ginger
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 4/5 spring onions (roughly chopped)
- 1 heaped tsp peanut butter
- 4 dried kaffir lime leaves
- 1/2 bunch fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 300g medium rice noodles
- 600g asparagus
- 400g coconut milk
- 3 limes

Shopping List for the Chicken:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used turkey breast)
- 1 heaped tsp Chinese five spice
- salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 red chilli

Method

1. Toss the chicken in a bowl with the five spice, salt and pepper until evenly coated then place on a sheet of greaseproof paper. Fold over the paper and hammer with a rolling pin to flatten to 1.5cm thick. 
2. Place the chicken on a hot griddle pan and turn every 3/4 minutes until cooked through and charred. 
3. Now for the laksa, mix together about 800ml chicken stock and pour into a large lidded pan. 
4. Trim the neck off the squash and grate the flesh into the pan of stock - you can do this with a food processor if you have the right attachment. 
5. Using the bowl blade in a food processor blitz together the garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, spring onions, peanut butter, kaffir lime leaves, coriander stalks (save the leaves for later), sesame oil, soy sauce and fish sauce into a paste. 
6. Add the paste and noodles to the stock and replace the lid on the pan. 
7. Trim the ends off the asparagus and chop in half (or smaller if you prefer) and add to the pan with the coconut milk. Once this boils, season with soy sauce and lime juice as necessary and remove from the heat. 
8. Drizzle the chicken with honey and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and chilli and serve with the laksa. 

I won't lie, this took me 25 minutes as opposed to 15 but I still think that's pretty good for a delicious dinner like this - I really didn't think this was possible. Plus I'm sure that the more you make it the quicker the process will become. 

As I said at the start this didn't turn out quite the way I had planned... As opposed to a noodle broth I ended up with less of a broth and more just noodles and a thick sauce... I'm pretty sure this was a combination of too many noodles and not enough stock (I did kind of wing it when it came to measurements/weighing things. 

All in all for 25 minutes of pretty easy cooking this turned out great and it went down a treat. If you don't have this recipe book I can't recommend it highly enough, whether you work long hours or simply don'y like to spend hours in the kitchen! 

Have you tried any of Jamie's 15 minute meals? I'd love some recommendations of what to try next. 

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Homemade Salsa & Guacamole

Snacking is just one habit I don't seem to be able to shake and so recently I've been trying to get into having some healthier options on hand so I feel a little less guilty about it when I snack! One of my favourite things to snack on is tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole and I've finally mastered the perfect recipe for both... 

Salsa and guacamole are both incredibly easy to make, with only  a handful of ingredients for both so there really is very little reason not to make them yourself! Not only this, but you can also tweak the recipe as much or as little as you like to get them exactly to your liking!

First lets start with the guacamole...

Ingredients

- 3 ripe avocados

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 2 mild chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

- handful chopped coriander

- juice 1/2 lime

Method

1. In a blender (or pestle and mortar) blitz the chillies, onions, tomatoes and coriander into a paste. 

2. Add in a dash of water and the lime juice to make the paste a little looser and easier to work with. 

3. Mash the avocados and mix with the paste and then season to taste. If, like me, you prefer smooth guacamole then simply add the avocado to the blender and blitz up until you're happy with the consistency. 

4. Pop into a pretty serving bowl and your guacamole is done. 

Now it's time for the salsa... 

Ingredients

- 4 tomatoes, diced

- 1 red onion, finely chopped

- handful chopped coriander

- 1 mild chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

- juice 1/2 lime

1. This couldn't be easier, simply pop all of the ingredients into a bowl and give them a thorough mix until all of the ingredients are evenly combined. 

2. Add any seasoning necessary and possibly more chilli if you fancy it a little hotter. 

3. This can be served straight away but I would recommend leaving it to one side for an hour or so to let the flavours mix properly. 

Once you've got everything prepped all you need is a bowl of tortilla chips and maybe some sour cream and you have the perfect snack for pretty much any time of day! Obviously salsa and guacamole are readily available pre-made in shops but I love to make my own when I can as it's completely guilt free. Nowadays pre-made food is often jam packed with preservatives, artificial flavourings and heaps of salt and sugar so it's always better to make your own when you can! 

What's your favourite guilt free snack? 

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Twisty Cheese Straws

With Christmas fast approaching and Christmas parties seemingly every night, there's a constant need of a multitudinous variety of canapés! Personally the easier the canapé the better at this time of the year when there are so many other things to do! This is my ultimate quick and delicious canapé... 

INGREDIENTS

- 100g cream cheese

- 2 tbsp pesto 

- 375g sheet puff pastry 

- 1 egg (beaten) 

METHOD

1. Combine the cream cheese and pesto together in a small bowl. 

2. Lightly flour the worktop and roll out the puff pastry. Cut the pastry in half lenthways so you are left with two rectangles. 

3. Spread the pesto and cream cheese mix over one half of the pastry and place the other piece of pastry on top like a sandwich and then cut this in half lengthways again to create 2 long rectangles.

4. Divide each rectangle into short strips, around 1cm wide.

5. Twist each of the individual pastry strips and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Brush with beaten egg and then pop them into the oven at 200 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

Once the time is up simply take them out of the oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

This is one of my favourite canapés to make as it's so quick and easy and is always a crowd pleaser. You can personalise this as much or as little as you like, the options for this really are endless. 

What canapés do you like to make? 

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Rudolph Shortbread Biscuits

There's something about Christmas that just makes me want to bake all day every day. The smell of baking in the house is irresistible and it just gets that festive feeling going! I'm not actually the biggest fan of spiced biscuits so this year I decided to make my granny's shortbread biscuits a little festive...

INGREDIENTS
- 6oz plain flour
- 4oz butter (diced)
- 2oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- glace cherries

METHOD 

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius. 

2. Add all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and rub together using your fingers until you have a texture similar to breadcrumbs.  

TIP: You can also use a food processor for this step which is quicker! 

3. Combine the mixture together into a pliable dough. 

4. Roll out the dough until around 3mm thick and cut into circles around 7cm in diameter and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. 

5. Before popping them in the oven cut the glace cherries in half and place one half onto each biscuit - ideally in the middle of the lower half, for Rudolph's nose! 

6. Pop the biscuits in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes. 

7. Once cooked place the biscuits onto a cooling rack until completely cool.

8. Last but not least simply pipe on Rudolph's antlers and eyes - I used premixed tubes of icing for this!

These biscuits are so simple to make and yet so festive at the same time. They make the perfect addition to a festive afternoon cup of tea or even a last minute gift!

What are your favourite sweet things to make at Christmas? 

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Homemade Epic Hot Chocolate Mix

During these cold winter months, where it seems to barely get light at all, you really can't beat snuggling up on the sofa in front of the fire, with a blanket and a hot chocolate. However, if you fancy making your next hot chocolate just a little more special then you have to try out this recipe for the ultimate indulgent hot chocolate! 

This hot chocolate is literally out of this world and a million times better than any of the versions you can pick up in the shops. 

INGREDIENTS

- 100g finely grated dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 

- 2 tbsp Horlicks

- 4 tbsp high quality cocoa powder

- 3 tbsp icing sugar

- 2 tbsp cornflour

- 1 ping ground cinnamon 

METHOD

1. To make the hot chocolate powder itself it couldn't be easier, simply pop all of the ingredients into a large jar and give it a good mix! 

2. For making the hot chocolate itself all you need to do is heat up some milk in a pan and add in the hot chocolate powder* and whisk until thoroughly combined and then leave to simmer for a couple of minutes. In the end you are looking for a super thick, creamy texture. 

*For 1/4 pint of milk you will need 2.5 tbsp of the powder. 

This hot chocolate is guaranteed to be unlike anything you've ever tried before. It's my ultimate indulgence for when the weather is particularly miserable outside and is perfect for sipping on during a Christmas movie. 

Have you ever made your own hot chocolate? 

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5 Pins I'm Loving {2}

With my Pinterest addiction really taking hold, the past week has been spent scouring the endless pages of Pinterest in search of some new favourite pins. It's all too easy to get lost for hours at a time so my collection of pins steadily growing - make sure to follow me on Pinterest for more of this... 

1. How beautiful are these hand painted Christmas cards? It can be so hard to find really lovely Christmas cards so it would be great to be able to make my own. If I tried making ones like this it would most likely end up looking like a 3 year old had done it! Pin

2. The search for the perfect Christmas day or outfit can often seem to be an impossible task  but this Ted Baker dress ticks all the boxes for me. The royal blue shade is simply stunning and I love the sheer lace panel across the shoulders. Pin

3. I want to hand make as many things as I can this Christmas, so I'm planning on making everything from the presents to the food. This beautiful natural wrapping has inspired me to even go as far as to make my own Christmas wrapping this year so I'm going to experiment with a few different methods I think! Pin

4. As a sucker for any kind of past dish this pin immediately drew my eye, I mean just look at it - how delicious does that look!? Spaghetti isn't my favourite so I'd probably make this with fusilli but I adore red peppers so I can't wait to make this when I need something a little comforting! Pin

5. This will be the perfect addition to the slowly growing gallery wall in my living room. You can't beat a good quote and with a pop of colour too this is perfect. Pin

Let me know if you love Pinterest as much as me as I'd love some new boards to follow! 

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Spiced Christmas Biscuits

So it may be a little early to be posting Christmas recipes but lets be honest we all love the festive season so why not start to enjoy it a little earlier than usual? One of my favourite things to make is always spiced biscuits which I often give as little gifts to friends and family but are also work great as tree decorations! These biscuits are super simple and you could even rustle up a double size batch and keep half of the dough wrapped in cling film for a week or so until you need to make the inevitable second batch! 

Ingredients

- 175g dark muscavado sugar

- 100g butter

- 85g golden syrup 

- 2tsp ground ginger

- 1tsp ground cinnamon

- 350g plain flour 

- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

- 1 egg 

- icing sugar (to decorate) 

- silver balls / hundreds and thousands (to decorate) 

Method

1. Heat the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a bowl  in the microwave until melted. 

TIP: Do this in 10 second blasts, and stir in between until it's all melted to avoid burning the sugar. 

2. Mix the ginger, cinnamon and plain flour in a bowl then make a well in the centre for the wet ingredients. 

3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1tsp cold water and pour into the well in the dry ingredients, followed by the sugar, butter and golden syrup mixture and egg (lightly beaten). 

4. Mix together all of the ingredients until you have a soft dough and then wrap the mixture in cling film and place in the fridge for 40-60 minutes so it can firm up a little. 

TIP: Use a wooden spoon for this not an electric whisk. It may take a little longer and be more effort but it'll be worth it as the whisk often gets clogged with the dough making it more trouble than it's worth.

5. Whilst waiting, preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out until around 0.5cm thick and cut into shapes using cutters, transferring them to a baking tray (lined with greaseproof paper) as you go. If you want to use them as decorations make sure to pierce a hole through the dough using a skewer. 

7. Pop them into the middle of the oven for 12-15minutes or until they are golden brown when they should be transferred to a wire rack to cool. 

8. Now to decorate them. Mix up the icing - make sure to keep it nice and thick so you have control over where you place it, and decorate your biscuits however you like. To be honest I really like how these biscuits look when they  aren't decorated!

Now finally it's time to try one or get them hung up on the tree! Unfortunately I can't hang them on my tree as one of our numerous cats would no doubt pull them off and have a little feast! 

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