We Love Cooking! [Search results for frozen berries] 

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!

I am not a big alcohol drinker, I never have been, mainly due to being a complete lightweight, who feels the effects of it after one glass! Unlike many other fellas my age I don't love beer and generally stick to spirits if I am drinking on a night out. Which leads me on to my little confession... I have a, not so secret, penchant for cocktails! I have no shame in ordering an apple martini or a mohito while everyone around me is skulling pints and generally don't care if the glass is frosted with pink sugar or if a tropical mini umbrella has been elegantly plopped in the glass. I just feel if I am going to spend money on alcohol it might as well be worth it and have a sense of occassion about it. Probably one of the best things I have done for nights in, with friends over has been, to create my homemade versions of my favourite cocktails. Check out this quick and easy recipe for Strawberry Daiquiris. If you aren't big on specific measurements think of the recipe as, half rum, half apple juice, a handful of strawberries, a tablespoon of caster sugar and a handful of ice cubes- blitz and enjoy!

Simple Strawberry Daiquiris
In my opinion nothing is more impressive than a good cocktail at a dinner party, to get a great night started! Now although strawberry daiquiris may not be the most manly of cocktails, they are my drink of choice and this is my recipe for foolproof super tasty daiquiris. Though I have to add, this recipe does come with a warning, once you learn it, you may find yourself making them all too often! I use frozen strawberries here as it is so convenient to have a few packets of them stocked up in the freezer. Using frozen berries means you end up with a really delicious slush and you can also use any other frozen berries in this mix, so experiment with the ingredients!

Serves 6
400g strawberries, frozen
300ml white rum
300ml pressed apple juice
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
A small handful of ice cubes

Place the strawberries and ice cubes in a food processor, pour in the apple juice, rum and sprinkle in the sugar.
Blitz for about 30 seconds until you get a smooth slushy mixture.
Taste a teaspoonful as you may need to add a little more sugar to taste.
Serve in frosted cocktail glasses, it's the only way to enjoy them!

This is what we woke up to this morning. Now if that doesn't get you going on a Monday morning I don't know what will! After a pretty unsettled couple of weeks were back on track with a healthy lifestyle starting with a nice healthy jog last night, unfortunately I know it's going to be broken up yet again when we hit Sweden on Friday!

This is a great breakfast to start the week. So many people forget about breakfast, but when your mother told you to eat it, she was right! When you think about it logically, your body hasn't received any nutrients since the night before and is therefore running practically on empty! When you wait till twelve to nourish your body you have wasted a whole morning, when you could have had your body full of nutrients releasing energy.

As a general rule it is always better to eat something for breakfast rather than nothing. People who are making the time excuse generally aren't being realistic, I made this breakfast and ate it in 20 mins and it was a fairly big one, every person can make the time in the morning, by setting the alarm that little bit earlier.

Getting out of bed is a mental thing, when the alarm goes off I get straight out of bed and don't leave myself time to consider those extra few minutes I could waste by staying there. Try it tomorrow, just get straight up when the alarm rings, it's not that hard and you feel great about yourself too! Well that's what I told the girlfriend when I dragged her out of bed this morning! :)

Mixed Fruit Smoothie

1. 1/2 cup of Mixed Frozen Berries
2. 1 Banana
3. Orange or Apple Juice (not from concentrate)

I always keep some frozen mixed berries (Boylan's) which you can get in most supermarkets these days, as there perfect for smoothies because they last for a long time in the freezer. Throw the Berries in a container with the banana and fill the container up as far as the berries with Orange or Apple juice.

Then blend and serve, it's really quick and really easy.

I thought I should really post this sooner rather than later, as I would imagine the remaining blackberries on the bushes have only a matter of days before they are all completely gone. So go out and get picking before it's too late! This is my recipe for this month's Irish Tatler magazine to which I now regularly contribute, this month's edition is out now, so check it out!

If you can't get your hands on blackberries you could just as easily use frozen mixed berries which are a great freezer stand by and just allow them to thaw before you add them. Boylans fruit farms have a great selection of frozen berries and you should be able to find them in most Irish supermarkets. They should work wonderfully in this recipe if your stuck!

Good Mood Food Blackberry Mess

This is my take on the classic English recipe "Eton Mess" which originally uses strawberries. You can really use any fruit here and just adapt on the cream and meringue mixture. The recipe takes minutes to throw together and is a super last mintue dessert.

Serves 4
200g of blackberries
6-8 tablespoons of blackberry coulis
4-5 meringues
250ml of cream
4 glasses for individual servings

In a bowl, whip the cream until it becomes thick.
Crumble the meringues into the cream and stir to combine.
Gently fold half the blackberry coulis into the cream and meringue mix until you get a nice marbled effect.
Place a few blackberries in each glass and layer with the cream and meringue mixture. Repeat the process.
Serve with an extra drizzle of coulis and a few more blackberries on top of each. Delicious!

Well hello there! It's been a little quiet around here the last few days, but I have just cleared out all the tumbleweed and I'm back with you! Firstly, a massive, massive thank you to everyone who joined in with the Twinnerparty, we had over 60 participants for the first one, and I will be announcing the dates for the next one very soon, so stay tuned for that. Everyone took fantastic shots of the dishes they cooked so I will post as many of them as I can in the next few days, it was so exciting to see all the dishes as the night unfolded!
I'm pretty sure you have all had one of those week that is just so crazy that you barely have time to think. Well I had one of those rolled into a 10 day cycle, but the one thing I relied on was a really good breakfast, porridge, you are my hero!

Blueberry and Banana Breakfast Porridge
I eat porridge for breakfast most mornings, normally with a bit of honey and cinnamon, but eating the same thing everyday can become extremely boring. This recipe is my solution to jazzing up regular old porridge, it's really filling and super healthy! In the winter months when fresh berries aren't in season, I keep my freezer stocked up with frozen ones which are great to have at hand.

Makes 1 serving
35g of jumbo oats
200ml of water
1 banana
1 teaspoon of honey
A small handful of blueberries

Place the oats and water in a small pot and place over a medium heat. Allow the oats to swell and cook slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they become nice and creamy.
While the porridge is cooking, using the back of a fork, mash together the blueberries and banana until you get a nice smooth paste.
Pour the cooked porridge into a bowl, top with the blueberry and banana mix and stir through with a little bit of honey.
Serve straight away.