Recipe: Mars Bar Fudge

Yes, I am now obsessed with making fudge, its become a sort of little hobby of mine I’ve been making it so much I love it and it’s always welcomed by friends and family. Here is a recipe for some mars bar fudge that I made last week which was my favourite combination which was based on the dark chocolate fudge I made a few weeks ago.

You will need:

• 200g Milk Chocolate/ Milk Chocolate Buttons
• 250ml Double Cream
• 360g Caster Sugar
• 80g Butter
• 8 tablespoons Glucose Syrup
• 2 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 6 Treat Mars Bars (approx. 38g each)
• Sugar Thermometer

Method:

1. Line a high sided baking tin with baking paper and grease well.
2. Break the chocolate into squares and chop the mars bars into random pieces.
3. In a medium pan add the double cream, sugar, butter and glucose and melt together over a medium heat. Once all the ingredients have combined together, turn up the heat and continue to heat until 110 degree Celsius (this is where you will need the sugar thermometer). Try not to stir the mixture too much but you will need to to prevent the mix burning and just remember be careful because sugar work is hot!!
4. Once the mix is up to temperature, take off the heat and stir in the milk chocolate until fully mixed in and the mix is smooth and glossy.
5. Next, whisk in the cocoa, be careful as the mix will still be extremely hot.
6. Once everything is all mixed in pour the fudge mix into your prepared tin and leave to cool for a few minutes.
7. Randomly place the chopped up mars bar all over the top of the fudge, they will sink in slightly.
8. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and allow to set.
9. When the mixture is set chop up into nice little (big) squares and enjoy.

Recipe Link for Dark Chocolate Fudge: https://littlemissyorkshirepudding.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/recipe-dark-chocolate-and-hazelnut-fudge/

Eating Out: Brunch at The Milestone

Last Saturday after a tiring morning of food and drink shopping we stopped off at the Milestone for a spot of lunch. This place has a firm place as one of my favourite places to eat in Sheffield, it can never go wrong. I just love the food, the atmosphere, the local sourcing, the ever changing seasonal menu and now the fact that it suits dining at any meal time. We have previously only eaten here as an evening meal, mainly between the hours of 5 and 7 where you can get 2 courses plus a drink for £14, but today was venue of choice for lunch or as we found out on arrival, brunch. Although we were dining at lunch there was still a number of menus to choose from, the lunch a la carte, brunch menu or set Saturday lunch menu were 2 could dine 2 courses and bottle of prosecco for £19. Choices choices.

What we ate: Although the set lunch menu looked great and very tempting (plus the prosecco was calling) I decided that my eyes were in fact being too big for my belly (as they say) and I was driving so just opted for a Chicken Club Sandwich. I can tell you this wasn’t just a sandwich, the bread was lovely and soft with the crispest tastiest crust, the chicken and the bacon tasted fresh and were full of flavour and the egg mayonnaise was lovely and subtle, which is great considering I don’t like eggs.

The boy opted for a full Milestone breakfast came with everything including homemade beans which were just a delight, he was very pleased in deed.

What we Drank: After all the beer shopping, we were in a beer kind of mood so opted for the local Pale Ale from Welbeck.

Overall the meal was fantastic, the atmosphere was great and service was brilliant and all for just over £14, absolute bargain. Will definitely be ‘brunching’ here again.

Recipe: Frozen Mars Bar Melts

These little treats are simple to make and great for any occasion but be warned they’re ridiculously gooey and chcocolatey and well just pure heaven, it’ll be hard for you to control yourself. I made these in nice little cake cases but would probably work better in ramekins or plastic ice cream bowls would look the part.

You will need:

• 12 snack size 38g mars bars (or enough for about 450g)
• 50g Butter
• 150ml Double Cream

Method:

1. Chop your mars bars into small pieces.
2. Set a large bowl over a pan of boiling water and melt together the chocolate and butter.
3. When it’s all melted take off the heat and whip the mix together, this may take some time and the mix may look like it’s splitting but persist until a lovely glossy smooth mix forms.
4. Add the cream and again give it a good mix until it’s all mixed in and smooth and glossy.
5. Transfer your mix into  a jug and pour into your cases/ ramekins/ bowls and put in the freezer to set for at least a few hours.
6. Take out, top with cream and enjoy straight away. Mmmmm. Enjoy!!

 

Mr Pickles Yorkshire Food Emporium

This Saturday we took a trip down to Sheffield’s vintage quarter at Abbeydale Road and  visited Mr Pickles Yorkshire Food Emporium. I’d been eager to visit this place ever since I had read about it and wasn’t disappointed with the offerings. Everything on sale is from local producers around Yorkshire, there was so much on offer I was spoilt for choice on what to spend my pennies on. There was a variety of delights from ice cream to gin (sheffield brewed gin) to bread to chutneys to butter to meat to cheese to vegetables just to name a few.

 

I could of literally spent my whole months wages in there but chose these, we had also been to the hop hideout and treated ourselves to a few international beers and some proper beer glasses.

My absolute weakness is cheese so I chose some Coverdale, which I have been in love with since I had some at the Wendsledale cheese factory. I also chose some Olde York a creamy ewes milk cheese and a Ribblesdale Goats Parmesan which I can’t wait to try. To go with it I selected some chutneys & pickles and some lovely looking cheese biscuits. I also picked up some Pontact which I had never seen before, it’s a fruity spicy sauce to enhance the flavour of sauces and stews. And I just couldn’t resist the pork pie with Chorizo and fire roasted red pepper, mmm tasty. I’m such a sucker for pork pies.

Recipe: Bueno Cupcakes

It was the annual Macmillan bake sale at work on Friday and my contribution was these bad boys. Alert!! You will find chocolate in every part of these cupcakes, the cakes chocolate chipped, it’s in the filling, buttercream and on top. These little (big) treats may look a bit tricky to make but were actually very easy, and I only had a whisk and a wooden spoon (I really am in need of a kitchen aid, a girl can dream).

You will need:

• 225g Butter, melted
• 225g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tablespoons of milk
• 225g Self Raising Flour
• 100g Chocolate Chips
• 1 jar of Nutella

for or the buttercream/ toppings:

• 300g butter, soft
• 450g Icing sugar
• 2 bars of Bueno, broken into the individual pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, milk and sugar until well combined then one by on add the eggs and whisk in.
3. Mix in the flour until you have a nice thick cake mix.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of Nutella and the chocolate chips and stir in until the chocolate chips are evenly spread out.
5. Line a muffin tray with cupcake cases, add a dessert spoon of mix to each of the cases.
6. Top the cake mix with a heaped teaspoon of Nutella and then top each one with another spoon of cake mix.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until the cakes are golden and spring back up when softly pressed down.
8. Transfer the cakes onto a wire rack to cool.
9. While the cakes are cooling to make the buttercream mix together the butter, icing sugar and the rest of the Nutella from the jar until a light fluffy light brown buttercream is formed.
10. When the cakes are cooled pipe on the buttercream and top with a piece of Bueno. Voila!!

Recipe: Cottage Pie

Hurrah, it’s getting colder and it’s pie time, yes yes yes!!! As an alternative to Sunday roast I love a good old Cottage Pie, rich, meaty and covered in bubbling cheese. Served with my Yorkshire puddings this goes down a treat and makes enough for leftover snap to take to work. This recipe is for 2 so just add more ingredients if you have more mouths to feed.

You will need:

• 250g lean Minced Beef
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Onion
• 2 Rich Beef Stock cubes
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
• good glug of Hendersons Relish
• 300ml water
• 1 tablespoon Bisto Beef Gravy Granuals
• 5 Potatoes
• Butter and Milk for Mash Potato
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 150g Mature Cheddar, grated

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
2. Finely dice the onion and carrots and fry over a medium heat for 5 mins until the onions start to turn translucent, turn up the heat and add the mince to the pan.
3. While the meat is cooking, peel and chop the potatoes and start to boil to make the mash.
4. Once the mince is cooked, add the stock cubes, herdersons, salt, pepper and water to the pan, turn down the heat and simmer. Add the gravy granuals to the pan and turn off he heat, mix until the liquid starts to thicken and transfer to an oven proof dish. (I know it’s a bit of a cheat move but it’s just an easy way to thicken the gravy and add more meaty flavour, forgive me?)
5. After 10-  15 minutes of boiling the potatoes should be soft enough to drain and mash, then cream in the milk and butter and season.
6. Top the meat mix with the mash flatten down, then sprinkle over cheese (of which I like to use a lot) and bake for 30 mins until the cheese is golden and the pie is bubbling. Mmmmmm.
7. Serve with veg and Yorkshire puddings. Enjoy!!

Eating Out: the Hop Pole, revisited

As we had such an amazing meal last time (see previous post) we decided to dine here again for dad’s birthday last weekend, and again it was amazing. I’ll keep this post/ review brief as my last one pretty much covered all the bases but I just couldn’t not share these beaut food pics with you..

Trio of pork: roast fillet, slow roasted belly and pulled hock croquet with mini toffee apples, baby leeks and roasted beetroot. Each part of the trio had a character of it’s own but all married together nicely and went lovely with a big glug of Hendersons. It felt like there was half a pig on my plate but I managed to plough through it.

Rabbit and black pudding Wellington with roasted carrots, parsnips and a rich jus. Lovely and moist and full of flavour.

And… The biggest steak and ale pie I have ever seen, served with chips. Naturally. Lovely tender beef and tasty boozy gravy. mmmm gravy.

On another note, I know this is supposed to be all about food but I couldn’t resist sharing  a picture of this she-wee contraption, speechless.

Recipe: Lemon, Garlic and Herb Chicken Thigh Tray Bake

This tray bake is simple, tasty and ready in an hour and needs very little prep, hooray! Using chicken thighs gives crispy and moist meat and the juices released from the skin is just perfect for roasting those potatoes in. The lemon, garlic and herb flavour combination used gives this dish a real freshness about it.

You will need:

• 5/6 Chicken Thighs
• 4/5 Potatoes
• 2 Carrots
• Baby Courgettes (5/6), halved lengthways
• 6 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 Lemons
• 1 tablespoon dried Herbs de Provence
• 1 Chicken Stock cube
• Salt and Pepper to Season

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
2. Dice potatoes and chop carrots and place in a large baking tray with a glug of olive oil
3. Chop half of the garlic cloves and crush the other half using the back of the knife and a strong firm push down.
4. Score the skin of the chicken thighs so the flavours sink in well and place skin side up on top of the veg.
5. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and add the rest of the lemon to the tray, sprinkle over the garlic, chicken stock cube, herbs and season with salt and pepper.
6. Mix well to ensure the seasoning is mingling well with all the meat and veg and roast for 20 mins.
7. Remove the tray from the oven and give it a shake, turn over the chicken thighs so the skin side is down and return to the warmth of the oven roast for a further 20 mins.
8. Take out the oven and turn over the chicken so that it is skin side up again and add the courgettes to the tray, give the tray another good shake. Turn up the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and roast for a final 20 mins until the chicken and veg is golden and crispy. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Strawberry and Cream Cupcakes/ Chocolate and Cream Cupcakes

Last weekend it was birthday time, which means…. Cake time!!!!! Or cupcake time in this instance. For my dad’s birthday I decided on cupcakes but to go down a classic Victoria sponge route, then I couldn’t decide on strawberry or chocolate, strawberry or chocolate, strawberry or chocolate. Cue brainwave….. I’ll do both.

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, 12 strawberry and 12 chocolate. After all, when there’s your family and a cake fiend boyfriend to feed there can never be too much.

You will need:

• 350g Self Raising Flour
• 350g Butter
• 350g Caster Sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 tablespoons Baking Powder
• 500ml Double Cream
• 12 heaped teaspoons Strawberry Jam
• 12 Strawberries
• 12 heaped teaspoons Nutella
• 12 chunks of Chocolate
• 1 tablespoon Icing Sugar

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. One by one mix in the eggs until thoroughly mixed in. Add the vanilla essence and mix.
4. Fold in the flour and baking powder until a thick cake mix is formed.
5. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
6. for the strawberry, add a heaped teaspoon of cake mix to each of the cases, then add a heaped teaspoon on strawberry jam on top of the mix, then add another heaped teaspoons of cake mix to top it all off.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 20 mins until golden and the cakes spring back up when lightly pressed.
8. for the chocolate, repeat the same process as the strawberry except use Nutella in the place of strawberry jam.
9. When the cakes are cooled its time to decorate. Whip up the double cream and icing sugar until stiff and forms peaks. Using a piping bags pipe the cream onto each of the cupcakes.
10. Top each one with a strawberry or chunk of chocolate and enjoy!!

You will notice that these cupcakes use fresh cream and strawberries so won’t last as long as other cupcakes, not that we ever have a problem I’m our house.

 

 

Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Fudge

Okay, okay. I admit that I have a bit of a thing for a dark chocolate and hazelnut combination but when something works, it just works, right? Here it is, the recipe for my dark chocolate and hazelnut fudge, I made this using a few leftover buts I had from when I made my Caramel Fudge (see earlier post) it makes enough if just for yourself and a friend but for bigger portions just double (or triple needed) the quantities used.

You will need:

• 100g Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts
• 120ml Double Cream
• 180g Caster Sugar
• 40g Butter
• 4 tablespoons Glucose Syrup
• 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• Sugar thermometer

Method:

1. Line a high sided baking tin with baking paper and grease well.
2. Roughly chop the chocolate to break up the hazelnuts.
3. In a medium pan add the double cream, sugar, butter and glucose and melt together over a medium heat. Once all the ingredients have combined together, turn up the heat and continue to heat until 110 degree Celsius (this is where you will need the sugar thermometer). Try not to stir the mixture too much but you will need to to prevent the mix burning and just remember be careful because sugar work is hot!!
4. Once the mix is up to temperature, take off the heat and stir in the chocolate until fully mixed in and the mix is smooth and glossy.
5. Next, whisk in the cocoa and icing sugar, be careful as the mix will still be extremely hot.
6. Once everything is all mixed in pour the fudge mix into your prepared tin and leave to cool and set for a few hours.
7. When the mixture is set chop up into nice little (big) squares and enjoy.

 

I’m getting into the swing of fudge making and really happy with the results, can’t wait to start experiment with some new flavours. If you have any that are worth a try, let me know.