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These are possibly the most tasty little buns I've ever had! I first sampled them homemade at a Swedish friend's house, and was intrigued by the very foreign shape, yet familiar Christmas flavors. When I moved to Sweden last year, I quickly found out they were standard fair for everyday life and were similar to what the croissant does for the french and what the scone does for the English. All in all they were pretty bog standard! However, I was given a Swedish cookbook recently which had the recipe so I had to try recreating them, it's not really your standard fairy cake mixture, but the effort was worth it, even if just to put a smile on my homesick girlfriend!

Generally if you stick to the recipe you can't really go wrong, the only variation I made to the recipe was rolling the dough a bit more thinly to get more rolls, but that is entirely up to yourself!

If you don't have pearl sugar, which I didn't the first time I made them, you can substitute it with a sprinkling out dark brown sugar.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns
Makes about 40 Buns

1. 2 Cups of whole milk
2. 4oz butter
3. 2 packs of dried yeast
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 2/3 cup sugar
6. 5-6 cups of flour

1. 4oz butter
2. 1/2 cup of sugar
3. 2 tbsp of cinnamon
4. 1 egg beaten
   

When the mixture is lukewarm add the two sachets of active dry yeast, making sure it is really mixed through.

Stir in the sugar and the salt.

Slowly incorporate the flour in one cup at a time, try not to loose it, as the mixture will eventually come together, and you won't be left with a sticky mess forever!

When the dough has taken shape and is no longer sticky, turn out onto a floured surface and need for about 3 minutes.

Leave the dough to rise in the bowl covered with a damp cloth for 45 mins. Try and find somewhere warm as the yeast will do it's job a lot quicker.

While the dough is rising , prepare the filling. Gently melt the butter and add the cinnamon and sugar, making a thick spreadable mixture.

When the dough has risen, cut it in half and roll it into a rectangle about 5mm thick, and then spread the filling all over.

Then roll the dough so you get a snail effect, and slice into approx 15-20 pieces. Place the slices in those cute little paper wrappers face up and coat with the beaten egg.

Then sprinkle your little babies with some pearl sugar, or brown sugar if you can't get some.

Bake the rolls in the oven at 250 degrees Celsius for about 5 mins or until the turn golden brown!

Enjoy! Perfect with some afternoon tea, a wild night in with the lads, or even a sneaky one to yourself! The choice is yours!

I have over one hundred cookbooks in my possession and although I love to flick through them for ideas and inspiration, I have rarely cooked a recipe exactly as it is written. One of my new years resolutions was to cook my way through some of my favourite cookbooks and seek out the best recipes! I made these chocolate caramel squares recently and they went down a storm!

Bill Granger's Chocolate Caramel Slices
(Recipe from Bill Granger's "Holiday")
This fantastic and highly addictive recipe comes from Aussie chef, Bill Granger and it makes possibly the most delicious chocolate caramel slices you will ever taste. The addition of coconut here gives a great extra texture and flavour.

Makes about 20 squares
125g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
90g dessicated coconut
115g caster sugar
125g butter, melted

Filling
100g butter
100g brown sugar
397g tin of condensed milk
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
150g dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas Mark 4 and lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm baking tin.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the coconut, sugar and butter and stir together well. Press firmly into the base of the tin and bake for 12 minutes, or until light golden.
To make the filling, put the butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, golden syrup and vanilla in a saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes , or until light golden. Pour evenly over the cooked base, then return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Once the caramel is cool, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted (or melt the chocolate very carefully in a microwave oven). Spread the chocolate evenly over the caramel and place in a cool place to set, before slicing into squares.

The blog and book got a great mention in today's Irish Independent LoveFood magazine. This recipe was used and I have been saving it especially until the piece was published! So here to get you in the Christmas spirit, is my Christmas Mince Pie Star Slices!

Christmas Mince Pie Star Slices

These mince pie slices are a wonderful alternative to the traditional mince pie. Use your own mince meat recipe here if you have one, if not most supermarkets stock handy jars of the stuff!

Serves 4-6
For the pastry:
170g flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
100g cold butter, cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons of water

For the filling:
420g jar of mince meat
1 large cooking apple, peeled and cored
A sprinkle of brown sugar

Place the flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub in using your finger tips until you have a rough breadcrumb like mixture. Don't worry it will come together!
Add the sugar and the egg yolk and mix through with a spoon.
Add the water slowly until a dough comes together.
Form a ball with your hands, cover in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for at least 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas Mark 6.
Chop the apple into small rough slices and combine in a bowl with the mince meat.
Roll the pastry dough out to about half a centimetre in thickness and line a fluted tart tin with it. Make sure to cut out little stars from the pastry to decorate with later!
Prick the base with a fork and fill with baking paper and ceramic baking beans. Place in the oven and blind bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Fill the pastry base with the apple and mincemeat mixture and top with the pastry stars and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.
Serve cut into slices with a drizzle of cream!

As I mentioned earlier in the week we got landed with a large amount of pears last weekend. Not that I was complaining, and by Sunday I had already cooked my way through the majority of the box! They were absolutely, deliciously ripe and ready for use, the leftovers, which didn't make it into the fresh salad, rich tart, and warming crumble were quickly devoured without any fancy cooking involved.

This is the perfect recipe to wow guests at the end of a lovely homecooked meal, it's extremely easy to throw together. Plus the pastry can be made ahead of time, so all you have to worry about is rolling it out and slicing the pears.

Rustic Pear Tart with Apricot Brandy

This pastry can be made ahead of time and should be good for about three days in the fridge.

Serves 4
Pastry:
200g of plain flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
140g of chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon apricot brandy

Filling
4-5 ripe pears pealed, cored and chopped into rough slices
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of plain flour
Cool whipped cream and a little icing sugar to serve

Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a mixing bowl.
Using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. This can be a little worrying, but don't worry the mixture will come together.
Add the egg yolk and apricot brandy to the mix and form the dough using your hands.
Cover the dough in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30-40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas mark 5.
Place the pears in the mixing bowl and toss with the sugar and flour.
Remove the clingfilm and place the dough in between two sheets of greaseproof paper.
Roll out the pastry until you have a large disc. Transfer the pastry disc to a baking tray and remove the top sheet of greaseproof paper.
Add the pears to the centre of the pastry and using the sides of the greaseproof paper fold the sides up and over the pears.
Place on a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of thick, cool whipped cream and dust with a little icing sugar.

After a fairly busy weekend the majority of my worldly belongings have been moved into our new house! The bad news we got today however is that it's going to take a whopping 25 days to get broadband installed in the house because there hasn't been a line there since 1994. So a life of robbing other peoples internet is what's on the cards for the next 25 days. Which isn't a bad thing really, I mean I would get far more things done if I wasn't drooling over my new favourite food blog What Katie Ate and talking crap on twitter. The truth is that I will probably far more focused now on cooking in the kitchen without my laptop keys getting covered in flour, corners nearly being singed and screen getting a lovely smattering of grease.

We should really talk about the kitchen, it is a bit of a work in progress but there is lots and lots of light and space so in the next few days I'll be adding a few touches to make it perfect and then you most definitely will be due a photo or two. Very exciting stuff! The other advantage this new lovely house has is a big back garden, which at the moment looks like an overgrown jungle, but with a bit of work, by next spring will make the perfect little vegetable garden! Right enough new house talk how about a recipe?

Rustic Apple and Blackberry Galettes
These are one of my favorite little autumnal (yes I said autumnal, it rolls off the tongue doesn't it!) desserts, because they are really easy and make you look like a baking genius, when, realistically all you do is make some pastry and fill it with apples and blackberries. No messing around with blind baking, pie tins, or fancy latticing here, this is a no fuss dessert which you have to serve with cream or, even better, a soft scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Serves 4
Pastry:
250g of plain flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
140g of chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons of cold water

Filling:
250g of blackberries
250g of cooking apples, peeled and sliced thinly
4 tablespoons of light brown sugar
A good squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg whisked together with a drop of milk to brush on the galettes

Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a mixing bowl.
Using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. This can take time, but don't worry the mixture will come together.
Add the egg yolk and water and form the dough using your hands.
Press the dough into a sausage shape and cover it in clingfilm, place in the fridge to chill for at least 30-40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas mark 5.
Mix together the blackberries, apples, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.
Split the dough in four and roll each quarter out into 6"/15cm circles on a floured work surface with a rolling pin. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet with a non stick surface.
Add a handful of the blackberry apple mix to the centre of each pastry circle and fold the sides of the pastry up and over the sides of the fruit mix. Brush with the pastry with egg wash and place in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving with a dollop of thick, cool whipped cream and dust with a little icing sugar.

After a few days in Sweden I'm back on Irish soil this week before I head off to Paris today. It's nice to be back, the more I travel the more I enjoy coming home; I'm not sure if it's because I don't like to leave my kitchen for too long or because it's that time of year where your house really becomes your home.
As always I left Sweden with lots of Scandinavian inspiration, the shops are always so packed with amazing displays but the most interesting items I left with weren't from an expensive shop; they came from a 1950s basement. People with an interest in food photography will know that props can really make a photo and give it a certain style. Since the summer I've been on the hunt for retro kitchen items, rustic table spreads, old doors and pieces of wood to create the pretty scenes that make my food photos what they are. I hit the jackpot when I walked into Sofie's grandmother's basement - an Aladdin's cave packed with an amazing collection of 1950's style kitchen equipment and a fantastic selection of retro cookbooks, complete with old style imagery. After I'd scooped up enough potential props as my baggage restrictions would allow, I spent hours trawling through old Swedish cookbooks (I have enough Swedish to get me by and surprise, surprise, my food vocabulary is top notch!).

I found some really fantastic recipes for gingerbread cookies, gooey chocolate cake, Saffron bread and, of course, all the aspic jellies and gaudy plastic food images that were all the rage back when. The major find of the day was a beautiful old book in which Sofie's grandmother had written her favourite recipes into. It's in these books, handed down through the generations, that you find out what home cooking is really all about. If you have time this weekend, pull out the family cookbook and delve into the recipes which are closest to your heart. Why not start writing one yourself?

Between all the retro diving and cookbook reading, we did manage to stop for a warm hot chocolate and the famous Kanelbulle at Saluhallen, a cook's paradise not unlike the English Market in Cork, which is well worth a visit for a foodie in Gothenburg.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns
Swedish cinnamon buns, or Kanelbulle, were the first thing I learned to bake when I stayed in Sweden. Pearl sugar is sprinkled on top to give it that distinctive finishing touch, but if you can’t get your hands on any, simply sprinkle a little Demerara sugar to finish.

Makes about 40 Buns
400ml/14fl oz milk
110g/4oz butter
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
110g/4oz sugar
750g/11⁄2lbs cream flour
1⁄2 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of Pearl sugar
1 egg beaten

For the filling:
110g/4oz butter
90g/31⁄2oz sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Melt the butter in a large pot gently on a low heat and then add the milk. When the mixture is lukewarm, remove from the heat and add the two sachets of dried yeast, sugar and salt.
Slowly incorporate the flour one cup at a time; be patient, as the mixture will eventually come together and you won’t be left with a sticky mess forever!
You may need to add less or more of the flour to get the right consistency. When the dough has taken shape and is no longer sticky, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about three minutes.
Leave the dough to rise in the bowl covered with a damp cloth for 45
minutes.
Try and find somewhere warm, as the yeast will do its job a lot quicker.
While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Gently melt the butter
in a sauce-pan and add the cinnamon and sugar, making a thick
spreadable mixture.
When the dough has risen, cut it in half and roll it into a rectangle about 5mm thick, and then spread the filling all over.
Then, from the long side, roll the dough so you get a snail effect and slice into approximately 15–20 pieces. Place the slices in paper wrappers face up and coat with the beaten egg. Repeat the process with
the second half of the dough.
Sprinkle the buns with pearl sugar. Bake the rolls in the oven at 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 for about 5–10 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Enjoy!

All this snow is not good for the diet. The cold weather seems to always make me crave serious comfort food so I do have to apologise for posting another seriously delicious, seriously sweet recipe! Most of yesterday was spent very busily building a snowman in my friends back garden, so there wasn't much time for cooking. Dinner last night was a quick carbonara, thrown together using the bacon I was gifted by the lads at Truly Irish our stand neighbours at the RDS, who gave me a great selection of pork products to try out! A big pasta dish and a great movie made the perfect snowy evening in!

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies
I don't think there is any question that the Americans know how to create the most overindulgent desserts, and this one ticks all the boxes.
These were created by an American chain of restaurants and have something of a cult following in the US. Put simply, it's cookie dough piled into individual serving dishes and baked at high heat, so you get a set top and edges but a ridiculously gooey interior.
When they are pulled out of the hot oven, a big dollop of vanilla ice cream is plonked on top to melt and mingle with hot, soft cookie. Makes four individual portions.

Serves 4
200g butter, softened
200g light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
120g good-quality milk chocolate chips
Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 260°C/Gas Mark 9. In a mixing bowl, using a electric hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until it is light and pale. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat through. Add in the flour and baking soda, little by little, until you have a stiff dough. Using a spatula, stir through the chocolate chips until evenly combined.
Divide the cookie dough among four large six-inch ramekins and place in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake for seven to 10 minutes but keep an eye on them, you want them to puff up and become golden brown around the sides and just about set in the middle. Remove them from the oven and serve straight away with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.

I am still playing catch up with all the photos from the last few weeks, so you will have to excuse me if my timeline is slightly skewed! We were in Sweden to celebrate Sofie's grandad's 80th and on the day of his birthday, we all rented snow mobiles and went on a guided snow mobile safari through an amazing snow covered forest. We drove to this little cabin in the woods which had a blazing fire going and we were given sticks to cook hot dogs on!

I had made a chocolate fudge birthday cake and after everyone had had a slice and we had sung happy birthday in both English and Swedish we were ushered into a changing room to get ready for an outdoor hot bath. Everyone sat in a massive indoor sauna to get really hot and then when I was adequately cooked I was sent out to tip toe across the freezing wooden floor to jump into a massive wooden bath filled with water at 42 degrees! Not being used to any of this my weak Irish body was ready for a serious lie down after but when were done, I was hoisting myself back up on the snow mobile for the journey back!

One of Sweden's big things in my experience is that they love their dairy products, and cheese is served at breakfast on a daily basis, so it can get a little heavy going. Plus I'm more a porridge with honey and cinnamon type of guy when it comes to breakfast, so I did bake these little muffins to keep myself going. They went down well with the Swedes too! :)

Big Boy Apple Breakfast Muffins
I made these lovely muffins when we were in Sweden skiing. They are like a whole breakfast in one muffin, with everything you could need, porridge oats, raisins, apple and yoghurt oh my! To make the cool paper cases in the photos, cut squares of parchment paper, wrap them around a tumbler glass and tie them tightly with some kitchen string. Then simply remove the glass and your left with really cool homemade paper cases!

Makes 12-16 muffins
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
150g of flour
150g of rolled oats
4 eggs
125ml of natural yoghurt
240g of honey
4 apples, cored, peeled and chopped in small chunks
110g of raisins
A few slices of apple and a sprinkle of brown sugar to top the muffins

Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5. Place baking cases on a baking tray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and stir through the rolled oats.
Mix the natural yoghurt and honey in a large measuring jug until combined. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a large steel bowl and the yolks in with the yoghurt and honey.
Make a well in to the oats and flour bowl and pour the yoghurt, honey and egg mix and raisin and apple chunks in. Using a wooden spoon mix gently until everything is combined.
Using a whisk, beat the egg whites until soft white peaks form, then gently tip this in to the muffin mix and fold through gently until it is evenly incorporated.
Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mix into the paper cases and place a slice of apple and a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. Place in the oven to bake for around 25 minutes.

There has been a few new Irish food blogs but check out the latest blog I came across CheapEats.ie which is great for spotting shopping bargains on offer across the country! Another cool one particularly for its travel pics is thefood.ie warblings check them out, it's always great to see new blogs!

This recipe is actually one I wrote for the book. I had toyed with whether or not to include a Sweets chapter, and in the end decided I couldn't do without. The cookies took a few tries to get the mix right especially using whole wheat flour, but the end result is a chewy sweet cookie which is really tasty. They literally take minutes to make and have quickly become my solution to the TV watching munchies!

Peanut Butter Cookies
These are incredibly tasty little cookies which are so easy to make. Perfect for cooking with kids!

Makes approximately 9 cookies.
4 rounded tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter.
1 large egg.
2/3 cup of dark brown sugar.
1/3 cup of whole wheat flour.
Place the sugar, and flour in a large mixing bowl and combine. With a wooden spoon create a well in the center of the bowl and add the egg and peanut butter. Beat the egg and peanut butter with the flour and sugar until a thick dough forms. If the dough is too moist simply add a little extra flour. Allow the dough to sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and place rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake in the oven at 180oC/ for approximately 15 minutes or until the cookies brown slightly.
Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool.

So things are all set for the big day tomorrow, I spoke to the lovely Faye at Market Kitchen yesterday and she talked me through each step of the filming process. Apparently all the members of the audience will be given a little sample of what I'm cooking, so no pressure like! It's my first on air experience, so there are a few butterflies, but I have done a bit of cooking to camera so I guess it's more excitement than anything else. The really good news is that Faye said I was allowed to take pics over there, so expect lots of them up here!

There are some days when recipes just float around my head after reading something or seeing something on tv, in most cases they go as quickly as they come, but sometimes, when I am organised, I write them into a little notebook I have with me at all times. I have had this recipe in my mind since last summer, probably because of my love of Swedish Cinnamon Buns, I guess it just stuck, so as you can imagine I have been dying to finally make it.

Pink Berry and Almond Swirly Buns

This recipe is a fresh take on the Swedish Cinnamon Buns which have been so popular on the blog and in the book! Inspired by Leila Lindholm (my current hero!) who uses blueberries in the filling, I decided it would be great way to use up the last of my leftover frozen berries. This recipe makes a lot of buns, but they freeze really well in ziplock bags and can reheated straight in the oven.

Makes about 40 buns
400ml/14fl oz milk
110g/4oz butter
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
110g/4oz sugar
750g/1½lbs flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 egg, beaten
A handful of flaked almonds

For the filling:
200g of butter, at room temperature
150g of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
450g of mixed frozen berries
2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Melt the butter in a large pot gently on a low heat and then add the milk.
When the mixture is lukewarm, remove from the heat and add the two sachets of dried yeast, sugar and salt.
Slowly incorporate the flour one cup at a time; be patient, as the mixture will eventually come together and you won’t be left with a sticky mess forever!
You may need to add less or more of the flour to get the right consistency.
When the dough has taken shape and is no longer sticky, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes.
Leave the dough to rise in the bowl covered with a damp cloth for 45 minutes.
Try and find somewhere warm, as the yeast will do its job a lot quicker.
While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl beat the butter with cinnamon and sugar until you get a light and creamy consistency. In another bowl combine the berries and icing sugar. You may have to zap the berries in the microwave to defrost them first.
When the dough has risen, cut it in half and roll it into a rectangle about 5mm thick, and then spread half the creamy butter filling all over. Top with half the berry mixture and spread evenly over the dough.
Then, from the long side, roll the dough so you get a snail effect and slice into approximately 15–20 pieces. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.
Place the slices in paper wrappers face up and bake the rolls in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for about 10–15 minutes or until they are a light brown colour. Remove from the oven brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Place back in the oven for another 5-6 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and the almonds are toasted.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long!

One of the first things to grab me when flicking through Leila's book was the fantastic food photography and styling. There are some super shots of table settings and food spreads scattered throughout the book. From what I have read Leila does most of her styling herself even more reason to be impressed! As you might know, one of my huge passions is food photography, so I am always on the lookout for inspiration when it comes to the style of shots. Leila also has a magazine in Sweden called "Leilas Country Living" which is packed with even more inpirational photo and style ideas, which has unfortunately stopped for some reason, but from the issues I have there is a great mix of styling and recipes. Check out todays Leila recipe, Butterscotch Pecan Pie.

Leila Lindholm's Butterscotch Pecan Pie
This pie is good all year round, summer as well as Christmas! If you'd like to vary the flavouring you can add some ginger or cardamom. To check if the butterscotch is ready, drop a little of the mixture into a glass of really cold water. If it hardens a little so that you can form a soft, little ball it is ready and will set in the pie. I allow the pie to come to room temperature before serving, because keeping it in the fridge makes the filling a bit hard. Serve the pie accompanied by Raspberry Fool Cream.

Makes 1 Pie Serves 8
1 batch of classic shortcrust pastry dough (see below)
2 handfuls of pecan nuts

For the filling:
1 vanilla pod
500ml whipping cream
270g caster sugar
40g brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
150ml golden syrup
1 tablespoon good quality cocoa powder
50g unsalted butter, softened

Prepare the dough according to the basic recipe.
Preheat the oven to 175oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4.
Roll out the pastry on lightly floured surface to a circle and use it to line a loose-bottomed pie tin. Prick the base with a fork. Fill the case with foil or beans and bake blind for about 10 minutes.
Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
Put all ingredients except the butter in a saucepan. Heat, then simmer for about an hour.
Use the cold water test described above. When the butterscotch is ready, stir in the butter in knobs.
Fill the pie case with butterscotch, sprinkle whole pecans on top and put in the fridge to set.

Leila Lindholm's Classic Shortcrust Pastry Dough
When you make shortcrust pastry dough don't knead it too much or it will turn dense and lose its crustiness. You can easily make a chocolate shortcrust pastry dough by adding 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Makes enough for 2 tarts
150g cold unsalted butter, diced
240g plain flour
30g icing sugar
1 organic egg
1/2 tablespoon cold water

Put the butter, flour and sugar in a bowl and mix with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and the water and gently work the dough to bind the ingredients together. Don't knead.
Cover the clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

This is a great recipe for entertaining with an Asian twist. You can make the noodles ahead of time and pop them in the fridge the night before, they should be just as tasty the next day.

Teriyaki Salmon with Noodles
Salmon is an extremely healthy ingredient to cook with. It's low in calories, has immune system boosting properties and contains omega-3 essential fatty acids which the body does not naturally produce. If you have any leftovers, this tasty sauce can also be used tossed through a crunchy asian salad.

Makes 2 portions.
2 salmon fillets skinned.
3 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce.
150g of egg noodles.
A small handful of sesame seeds.

1 red chilli deseeded and chopped finely.
3 cloves of garlic chopped finely.
5 tablespoons of soya sauce.
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar.
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
The juice and zest of 1 lime.

Slice the salmon into bitesize chunks and place in a bowl with the teriyaki sauce. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate. While the salmon is marinating prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cook the noodles according to instructions on the packet, drain and toss with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. In a small sauce pan fry the chilli and garlic in the vegetable oil over a high heat for approximately 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, soya sauce, lime juice, zest and sesame oil and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow the sauce to bubble away gently for about 6-8 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, in a large frying pan fry the salmon pieces in a little vegetable oil over a medium heat until browned on all sides. Serve the salmon pieces on top of the noodles and drizzle over the teriyaki sauce.

Growing up I was never a fan of traditional christmas cake which was, in my house, laced with alcohol. The solution for me was these cupcakes. They are perfect for a spot of christmas baking with kids, you can get them involved by rolling out the ready to roll icing and allowing them to cut out the holly leaves and rolling the balls for the berries! Endless hours of fun!

This is the recipe I sent in to KISS magazine for their December issue!

Christmas Cupcake Recipe

These cool Christmas cupcakes knock the socks of Christmas pudding any day! This recipe also works super for normal cupcakes too!

Makes approximately 8 cupcakes.
175g of self raising flour
110g of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
110g of soft margarine or butter
2 large eggs
50ml of water/milk

To decorate:
Ready to roll icing
6 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar
1-2 teaspoons of water
Red and Green Food Colouring
A holly leaf cookie cutter

Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a cupcake tray with paper cases.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl and break in the 2 eggs and add the butter in small pieces. Using an electric hand mixer beat all the ingredients together until combined. Add in half the milk/water and beat again until combined. You are looking for the batter to be light and creamy. Add the rest of the liquid if you need it- you may not.
Divide the batter evenly into the paper cases and place in an oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and light brown on top.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before applying the frosting.
Combine the icing sugar and water until you get a thick icing, you may need to add more sugar or water depending if it's too thick or too thin! Spoon a little amount on the top of each cupcakes and allow to set while you get on with the holly and berries! Make sure to leave a little aside to attach the rest of the decorations.
Knead a small amount of the green food colouring into a little of the ready to roll icing until you get a nicely coloured dough. Repeat this with the red food colouring. Roll out the green icing and with a holly cookie cutter cut out two leaves for each cupcake. Dusting the worksurface with icing sugar will prevent any sticking. With the red icing dough, roll out little balls. With a spoon add a little dollop of the icing to the bottom of the holly and the berries and place on top of the cupcakes.
Allow the icing to set before eating, if you can wait that long!

This recipe is probably the closest one to the way I like my Chocolate Chip Cookies to be, I adpated it from this recipe from the King Arthur Flour website and it seems to be pretty foolproof. The cookies are crunchy and chewy all at the same time, which, in my books is a winner!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
The best way to get nice even cookies is to use an medium sized ice cream scoop. Using one means, not only will you get proffesional looking cookies, but it totally simplifies the spooning out process! Also if you can't get your hands on chocolate chips, just break up some good quality chocolate bars and they will do the trick.

Makes 8-10 cookies
140g/5oz brown sugar
140g/5oz granulated sugar
225g/8oz butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 large egg
240g/8½oz plain flour
340g/12oz chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease two large baking trays or line with baking parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat the sugars, salt, vanilla extract, and butter until they are smooth and combined.
Add the egg and beat again, until thoroughly mixed through.
Mix in the flour and when the dough begins to form, add the chocolate chips and mix again lightly, until everything is combined.
Using an medium sized ice cream scoop or a large dessertspoon, spoon the dough onto the prepared baking trays, leaving about 2 inches between them as the cookies will spread out as they cook.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are a nice golden brown with the middle remaining slightly pale.
Enjoy the cookies old school style, a little warm with a nice cool glass of milk!
JUMANJI!

I made this delicious pancake based dessert for a BBQ and it was really tasty. I bought a huge amount of cherries at the farmers market in howth recently, so the lucky few which didn't get eaten on the way home, saw a much more elaborate end in this lovely dish!

Cherry Clafoutis
To be honest, even though I served this on a hot day, I think this dish would work better on colder one, as I find it's a little bit too heavy for the summer sunshine.

Serves 4-5 people.
50g of flour.
3 eggs.
100g of sugar.
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
250ml of milk.
450g of stoned sweet cherries.
Icing sugar for decoration.

Preheat the oven 190oC/Gas Mark 5.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar, vanilla extract and salt. When they are combined sift in the flour and whisk to combine. When the mix is smooth, add the milk and whisk through to form a light batter.
Add half the batter to a floured and buttered dish then add the cherries, arranging them nicely in the dish. Cover the cherries with the rest of the batter and place in the oven to bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the batter fluffs up and goes a nice light golden brown. Sift a little icing sugar over the top and serve warm with some vanilla cream.

All this week I will be out and about promoting the book, and this morning I am on Limerick's Live95FM. They asked me to pick out my favourite breakfast recipe from the book for their breakfast show so I had to go with my all time favourtie breakfast muffins! But these aren't any regular light and empty muffins, these babies packed full of chunky oats, bursting blueberries and bananas to keep you on the move!

Blueberry and Banana Breakfast Muffins

Healthy muffins are perfect for a quick breakfast on the go. These blueberry and banana muffins are packed
with healthy ingredients, which will keep you going for any busy morning. I normally make them the night before I have them and grab one or two just before I leave the house.

Makes 12 muffins
125g/4½oz blueberries
2 bananas, mashed
125g/4½oz plain flour
75g/3oz wholemeal flour
200g/7oz rolled oats
75g/3oz brown sugar
250ml/8½fl oz milk
2 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar.
Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the banana, egg yolks, milk and oil.
Mix everything gently until a wet batter forms.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Fold the egg whites and blueberries into the muffin batter until everything is mixed evenly.
Divide the muffin mix into individual paper cases and place in an oven for 25 minutes at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
The muffins should be fine to eat for 4–5 days and can easily be frozen in zip lock bags.

As I might have mentioned on the blog before I absolutely LOVE Donna Hay, her stylish magazines and her beautiful books. I found this recipe in a Christmas edition of Donna Hay's magazines last year and have had a craving to make them ever since. Sofie spotted them the other day when we were looking through a pile of Christmas foodie mags and insisted we make them as soon as possible. We headed over to Sofie's grandparents house on Sunday where we had to compete for space to bake our cookies as her aunt, cousins, and granny were all busy working on gingerbread muffins and gingerbread cookies!

We managed to squeeze ourselves in amongst everyone else and started on our cookies! They really look super festive, but they work just as well as really indulgent double chocolate cookies without the candy cane chunks. I have a strange fondness for chopping chocolate so I took that job while Sofie got to work measuring everything on her granny's brilliant retro weighing scales! I'm pretty proud of our results so you gotta give them a go!

Donna Hay's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Personally I think these cookies taste even better a day or two after you make them. The intense dark chocolate flavour mellows out a bit and makes a really moist cookie. You can also make these without the candy cane chunks which aren't essential. Chopping the candy canes is fairly easy though so don't worry, just use a sharp knife.

Makes about 12-15 cookies
110g butter, softened and chopped
1 cup (175g) brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
¼ cup (25g) cocoa, sifted
½ teaspoon biccarbonate of baking soda
120g dark chocolate, melted
280g dark chocolate, extra, chopped
120g candy canes, chopped

Preheat oven to 160°C/ Gas Mark 3.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8–10 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
Add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and melted chocolate and beat until just combined.
Fold through the extra chopped chocolate.
Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into rounds.
Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for the cookies to spread, and flatten slightly.
Press the chopped candy canes into the tops of the cookies and bake for 12–15 minutes or until the edges are firm.
Allow to cool on the trays.

The race is on to get the decorations up, the pumpkins carved, the costume sorted and the treats and goodies all laid out! Yes, Halloween is literally two days away. I've just moved into a new house so despite the fact that we've been carting furniture in and out I have found time to pick up some pumpkins, although carving them is still on the 'to do' list. I'm planning to make a velvet pumpkin soup served in the pumpkin itself, some roasted savoury pumpkin seeds and an all American pumpkin pie if I get a chance over the weekend, but this week I've been busy baking up barmbrack! I had planned to include the recipe in last week's Cork News Menu pages but unfortunately it was eaten up before I got a chance to take a picture!

Barmbrack is a big part of Halloween tradition here in Ireland, with objects baked in the dough signifying different things. In most shop bought barmbracks you'll find a ring, which if you're lucky enough to receive it in a slice means you should be wed within one year! My mother recently told me the story of when she lived in Finland as a child and my grandmother generously baked a barmbrack for their Finnish neighbours, only to be berated by the lady next door after her child nearly choked on the ring! Needless to say they moved back to Ireland not long after! In keeping with tradition, I cheekily asked the baker at our local supermarket if he could give me a ring to put in my barmbrack, and he had no problem handing over a few, so don't be afraid to ask! This is a really easy recipe but it does take a bit of time, so if you want to enjoy it on Halloween night, make sure to get cooking today!

Halloween Barmbrack
This recipe makes a really beautiful moist loaf which is packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which sits overnight in cold tea and whiskey to soak up all the goodness. You can drop the whiskey if you wish but I think it adds another flavour kick...

Makes one 900g loaf
225g cream flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
375g packet of fruit mix
250ml cold tea
50ml of whiskey
125g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice
A ring to place inside

Place the fruit mix in a bowl and pour over the whiskey and cold tea. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight.
Preheat the oven to 170oC/Gas Mark 3 and grease and line a 900g loaf tin
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice in a mixing bowl.
Make a well and break in the egg, using a wooden spoon, mix the egg with the dry ingredients. Add a little bit of the liquid the fruit mix is sitting in and mix it through. You may not need all the liquid, you are looking for a wet dough.
Then stir through the fruit mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Add in the ring and stir through.
Spoon the wet dough into the lined loaf tin and place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on wire rack.
Cover in cling wrap and tin foil and allow to sit for 1-2 days before cutting into it.
Serve in slices spread with a little butter and good cuppa!

It's official I have a new favourite recipe, and it has arrived just in time for the summer season! It's a really easy little number which is guaranteed to impress! Now I know the idea of cutting a chicken open, cracking bones, and skewering the flesh is all a little bit Hanibal but this recipe is so tasty and it's well worth the hassle. Though if you really can't handle it, ask your butchers to do it for you and I'm sure they will be happy to help. I served this for a summery Sunday dinner with Red Cabbage Coleslaw and some Spicy Sweet Potato Chips.

Barbeque Cajun Spatchcock Chicken
The combination of spices here are so tasty, but if you are missing some, don't be afraid to use dried herbs or even whatever fresh herbs you have available to you. Barbequing can be a little tricky but the cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken, if you are worried, simple insert a skewer at the thickest part and if the juices run clear, the bird is cooked!

Serves 6-8
2 small chickens.
4 cloves of garlic.
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar.
2 tablespoons of paprika.
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.
2 teaspoons of dried oregano.
A small handful of fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped.
A small handful of thyme.
Juice of 1 lemon.
3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
A generous pinch of sea salt and pepper.

To prepare the chicken, place the bird breast down, and using a knife or a sharp scissors, cut along the back bone. Open the bird out and flip it over breast side up and using your fist push down hard on the breast to break the back bone. Thread a skewer diagonally through the bird from the leg to the breast and repeat on the other side. Score the bird on the legs and breasts. Repeat the whole process for the second chicken. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin. See diagram below.

Prepare the marinade. Place the rest of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar or a food processor and break down until you have a rough paste. Spread the paste over the chicken until it is completely covered. Cover the roasting tin in tin foil and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 mins to an hour, if you have time.
Place the birds on the barbeque over a medium heat and cook breast side up for 25-30 minutes. Half-way through give the birds a squeeze of lemon juice. Turn the birds over and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chickens are cooked through. If you find the chicken is blackening too much, place them on some tinfoil until they are cooked through. Enjoy!

I had spotted these on tastespotting.com a few months ago and have been craving them ever since. My brother and I were a little bit obsessed with Oreo cookies when we were kids. They only arrived on Ireland's green shores in the late 90's commercially, so they quickly became the coolest thing to have in your school lunchbox at the time! We were banned from eating them when my mother realised we were addicted after catching us devouring a whole box in one go. When she couldn't see our teeth because of the black biscuit she never bought them again!

Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes

This is my aunt Erica's cupcake recipe and it could not be easier to make. You can easily adapt this recipe to make a regular plain cupcake mixture also, simply remove the cocao powder and chocolate chips from the ingredient list.

Makes approximately 8 cupcakes.
175g of self raising flour.
110g of soft margarine or butter.
110g of caster sugar.
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
1 teaspoon of baking powder.
2 large eggs.
50g of good quality chocolate chips.
50ml of water/milk.

For the Oreo Cream frosting:
250ml of fresh cream.
25g of icing sugar.
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
8 oreo cookies, crushed.

Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a cupcake tray with paper cases.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of the bowl and break in the 2 eggs. Using an electric hand mixer beat all the ingedients together until combined. Add in half the milk/water and beat again until combined. You are looking for the batter to be light and creamy. Add the rest of the liquid if you need it you may not.
Divide the batter evenly into the paper cases and place in an oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and light brown on top.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before applying the oreo cream.

For the Oreo frosting, simply beat the cream, vanilla extract, and icing sugar until it becomes thick. Gently fold in the oreo cookie crumbles and spoon the mixture into an icing bag with a large round nozzle. Squeeze the oreo cream onto the cupcakes and top with broken cookies.