Courgette & Fennel Tart

This is a very quick post as I am running round like the proverbial fly this morning trying to fit in 101 things before I go away with work shortly. So this is another recipe from my favourite Popina - I am going to move on to pastures new next week though and break out another recipe book.  It is a great summer tart - perfect for lunch outside or a picnic in the park.  Talking of parks I'm still drying out after spending last night watching The Killers in Hyde Park - come on heatwave - hurry up and arrive!


The recipe can be found in the Popina Book of Baking.

Gwyneth's Blueberry Muffins

This month Dom at Belleau Kitchen challenged us to cook something from our newest cookbook for his Random Recipe Challenge. I was recently given Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook 'Notes from my Kitchen Table'. I decided to give this recipe a go as I was interested to try these muffins as she gives two versions of them in the book - her mother's original recipe and this 'healthier' version. I've been meaning to try cooking with Agave Nectar, which has a lower GI index than normal white sugar. Also the bikini countdown has started and lets face it every little helps! The recipe is so quick to make and results in very light muffins. You could literally knock these up for breakfast - well on a weekend anyway. If I was to make them again I would however put in less maple syrup as they are quite sweet with a dominant syrup flavour.

The Recipe

125ml vegetable oil (I used rape seed oil)

125ml soya milk

125 maple syrup

4 tbspns light agave nectar

100g white spelt flour

125g whole spelt flour

2 tspns baking powder

1/2 tspn salt

300g fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 190c/gas 5. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Mix the wet ingredients together, stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries.  It is very runny mixture.

3. Divide between the cases and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool before eating. 

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

I have always loved Strawberry Shortcake - it started with the doll I had as a child and then moved on to the food version. So for this month's We Should Cocoa Challenge I decided to make a chocolate version to meet their strawberry and chocolate theme. The rich cocoa biscuit works nicely with the strawberries.  I added a little rosewater to the cream too as like how it goes with the fruit. 


The Recipe


180g plain flour
60g cornflour
30g cocoa
180g unsalted butter
90g sugar
1 punnet of strawberries
100ml double cream
rosewater (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4.
2. Put all ingredients in the bowl of a processor and mix until the mixture forms a ball.
3. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
4. Roll the mixture out thinly between 2 sheets of baking parchment/greaseproof paper. Use a 3 inch cutter to make rounds. Place on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
5. Prick all over with a fork (I forgot to do this but didn't seem to matter).
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool on the tin. 
7. But a small amount of cream (whipped) on the centre of the biscuit then add sliced strawberries. Repeat until you have your stack.

Blondies

"Uh-huh make me tonight
Tonight
Make it right
Uh-huh make me tonight
Tonight
Tonight


Oh, uh-huh make it magnificent
Tonight
Right"

With these commanding lyrics from Blondie's Atomic I felt obliged to make these namesake bakes and make them the best I possibly could. I have to say that with their White chocolate, vanilla and pecan combination they were pretty magnificent. I found the recipe in The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook which I've had for a few months but haven't really used. I've been meaning to try making Blondies for a while now - they are slightly less rich than the dark chocolate brownie version but as equally addictive!

The Recipe

150g white chocolate, broken up
125g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
200g plain flour
pinch of salt
120g pecan nuts, chopped


1. Preheat the oven to 170c. Line a 33 x 23 x 5cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave until they have melted together.
3. Remove from heat. Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, stirring briskly. The mixture may look like it is starting to split but it will be fine. Add the flour, salt and pecan nuts and stir until well incorporated.
4. Spoon the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the centre is still soft. Leave to cool completely.