Ingredients:
115g unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
285g marshmallows
170g rice krispies (or similar)
Method:
Ingredients:
1 cup (8oz) unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for pan
2 cups (16oz) self raising flour
2 cups(16oz) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cup (32oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 large eggs. lightly beaten
2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Boiled Chocolate Icing (recipe follows)
1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped toasted (page 408) pecans (6 to 7 ounces)
Method:
MAKES ONE 9-BY-13-INCH CAKE
BOILED CHOCOLATE ICING
½ cup (4oz) unsalted butter
4 cups (32oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2½ cups (20oz) confectioners' sugar
Bring butter, cocoa, and cream to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Use while still warm.
Enjoy!!!
]]>Ingredients:
1 lb crusty, rustic bread loaf, torn into 1 ½ in pieces
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup fresh sage leaves
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
½ tsp black pepper
2 ½ tsp salt
1 large unpeeled fuji or pink lady apple, grated on large side of grater
2 large eggs
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Method:
Preheat oven to 140º. Spread bread on 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp (about 20 mins).
Let cool for 30 minutes.
Increase oven to 180º. Grease a 13 by 9 in baking dish with 1 tbsp butter. Heat oi and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet until butter melts. Add sage, stir often until crisp. Transfer to a plate.
Add onions, celery, pepper and 1 ½ tsp salt to the pan and cook until mixture softens. Transfer to a big bowl and add the bread, grated apple and half of the sage.
Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl, add broth, vinegar and remaining salt and whisk to combine. Pour the broth mixture over the bread mixture and stir gently to combine. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the bread-apple mixture to the prepared dish. Top evenly with crisped sage and dot with the remaining butter. Cover with foil and bake at 180º until steaming and slightly puffed, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until golden brown, about 30 – 40 minutes.
Enjoy with your favourite roast!! I hope this also becomes part of your Christmas menu!
Lots of love and happy holidays.
]]>Ingredients:
150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
50g castor sugar
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla
(alternatively – use a ready baked pie shell)
Filling:
75g pecans
3 eggs
100g light brown soft sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
4 tbsp maple syrup
400ml double cream
400g tinned pumpkin or 400g roasted and pureed pumpkin
Method:
Pastry: Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Separately, beat together the egg yolk and vanilla, then add to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Add a little water if needed. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thickness and line a 9in flan tin. Prick the bottom all over with a fork and line with baking parchment and baking beans or rice.
Place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 180º. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the pecans over the bottom of the pastry shell.
Filling:
Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, half of the cinnamon, the mixed spice, half of the maple syrup and half of the cream together. Once blended beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Pour the filling into the case and bake for 45 minutes until the filling is set but before it begins to bubble.
Let cool for 15 minutes.
Lightly whip the remaining cream, add in the cinnamon and maple syrup and serve with the pie.
This really is a special treat! Enjoy.
Love,
Super duper yummy!!!
]]>The first time I made these I didn't read the recipe and tried to make one Danish - it was enormous! We always have one warmed up on Christmas morning and then I freeze the other two for later.
Makes 3
Dough Ingredients:
1 cup scalded milk – cooled
2 envelopes yeast
½ - 1/3 cup of sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten (keep whites)
4 cups flour
1 cup butter
Dough Method:
Mix together the first 4 ingredients.
Rub the butter into the flour.
Add everything together and refrigerate overnight.
Divide the dough into 3 parts.
Roll each part into a rectangle and brush with a beaten egg whites.
Filling Ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ lb butter
1 tsp vanilla
Chopped nuts
Cinnamon
Filling Method:
Add ¼ cup of brown sugar to each rolled out rectangle.
Melt the butter and vanilla together and pour over the sugar.
Cover with your choice of chopped nuts and cinnamon.
Fold the sides of each rectangle over so that they overlap in the middle.
Fold ends up so the filling won’t run out.
Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
Bake for 30mins at 350º
Once cold, dust with icing sugar and serve.
I hope this adds a bit of extra sparkle to your Christmas day.
Love,
]]>This recipe is one of my favourites and I would always ask her to make me a loaf 'if she happened to be baking'. I would always get one 😀. I really hope you like it as much as I do.
Ingredients:
8 oz. dates, chopped
1 tsp. bicarb of soda
10 oz. s.r. flour
½ tsp salt
5 oz. margarine
1 egg
4 oz chopped walnuts
6 oz moist brown sugar
Method:
Rub the fat into the flour, add the sugar, nuts and egg and then the dates. Beat together.
Put into a loaf tin and cook at 180º for 1 ¼ hours.
Serve in slices with butter.
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
Lots of love and thanks for this recipe Gran. I miss you.
]]>Ingredients:
2 ½ cups brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp vanilla
1 pie shell
Method:
Combine the sugar and flour in a pan and add the egg yolks, then the water.
Cook until thickened. Add the butter and vanilla.
Pour into the pie shell and cool in the fridge. Serve with fresh cream.
This is perfect at the end of a not-too heavy meal.
happy butterscotching!
Love
]]>As many of you know I grew up in America, where S'Mores are a way of life! They are sticky, gooey and absolutely delicious, but more important than that, they bring family and friends together over a bbq or fire. They are the easiest dessert in the world to make and can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Perfect for a lazy Sunday bbq, a family get together or a big picnic!
This recipe brings back great memories for me, I hope it brings you some too.
S'Mores
Makes 8
Ingredients:
16 digestive biscuits (I usually use Graham crackers but they are expensive to buy here, but if you fancy giving them a go they are available to buy from Amazon)
16 squares of milk chocolate (you can swap with dark chocolate if you prefer - and it is slightly more healthy!)
16 large marshmallows
Method:
Arrange 8 digestive biscuits on a plate
Top each with a square of chocolate
Heat up a marshmallow on the end of a stick over the bbq and add to the top of the chocolate
Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon
Top with another digestive biscuit.
Press down slightly and enjoy whilst warm and gooey.
]]>
I also now know that 1/2 gill of liquid is equivalent to 2 fl. oz!!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon margarine
5 oz Self raising flour
3 oz sugar
1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1.4 pint milk
1 large teaspoon golden syrup
1 large teaspoon ginger
1 large teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
Cream the margarine and sugar
Dissolve the bicarb of soda in the milk and add the syrup and beat into the creamed marg and sugar
Stir in the flour and spices
Bake in a hot oven (I'm guessing 180 - 200 degrees?) for 15 - 20 minutes
Filling - 12 chopped dates, 1/2 oz margarine, 2 fl. oz water, 1 gram sugar
Stir all of the filling ingredients in a saucepan until thick enough to spread.
I can't wait to try this recipe out in the Autumn. As anyone who knows me knows, I am happy with anything that contains cinnamon!
Happy munching everyone,
Love,
and the Puremess Family xxx
]]>Ingredients:
4 oz. Butter or margarine
2 oz. Castor sugar
4 oz. Self-raising flour
1 oz. Cocoa
4 drops Vanilla essence
Method:
Heat oven to 180 degrees
Cream the butter and sugar, add the vanilla and work into the flour and cocoa until well mixed together.
Form into small balls about half the size of a walnut and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten the balls with the back of a fork dipped in cold water to create stripes.
Cook for 12 - 15 minutes.
When cold, sandwich together with a filling made of butter, sugar, cocoa and water.
So my boys and I made these and actually sandwiched them together with ice cream and popped them in freezer as a treat! They worked so well and are absolutely delicious.
Happy munching everyone!
Love
and the Puremess Family xxx
]]>This lovely relish recipe was given to me by an amazing lady who has been making this her whole life! It's a fantastic way to use a glut of tomatoes grown in the garden and makes a truly special homemade gift. Sits perfectly with cheese and crackers
Ingredients:
4 lbs. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 oz. salt
1 lb. brown sugar
5 dried red chillies tied in a muslin bag
Malt vinegar
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. dried mustard
2 heaped tbsp. plain flour
Method:
Sprinkle the chopped tomatoes and onions with the salt and leave overnight in a saucepan. When ready to make, drain off the excess liquid and add the brown sugar and red chillies. Cover with malt vinegar and simmer for 2 hours.
Mix the curry powder, dried mustard and plain flour with vinegar to make a paste. Add to the relish and boil for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Whilst still hot add to sterilised jars and seal.
Decorate jars with handwritten notes and pretty ribbon and distribute to lucky friends and family. I promise you, they'll love you for it.
Enjoy!
Love,
]]>
This recipe is from my step-mum Trude, or Grams, as my kids call her. It’s brilliant because it’s so easy to make, looks super impressive and is loved by adults and children alike. I have served this for lazy Sunday roasts, family gatherings and dinner parties. No one has every complained!
If your family is anything like mine, we all like different toppings so we have a choice of ice cream, cream or custard! Yum Yum.
Ingredients:
6- 8 apples (I use all different varieties), peeled and sliced
½ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp flour
¼ tsp nutmeg
Topping:
1 cup flour
½ cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup coconut
Method:
Preheat oven to 350° / 170°.
Mix the main ingredients together in a bowl and put into a deep pie dish. Pour 1/8 cup of water all over the top.
Mix your topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the apple mixture.
Bake in your oven for between 50-60 mins.
Serve with your choice of topping / toppings.
Enjoy as this won’t stick around for long!
Lots of love from
and the Puremess family xxxx
]]>
This is a super easy recipe, which is great because Brownies go down very well in our house! It’s from my Grandma Pearl, or GG, which is what my boys called her because she was their great Grandma. As you can see from the recipe this has been passed down to me from my step-mum Trude as she wrote ‘Mom’ on the top.
Grandma Pearl was a brilliant cook, nothing too fussy, but we always felt like we’d had a feast. She and my grandpa Ralph loved growing vegetables as well and green beans were quite a feature in my pre-teens when Ralph and I would go out and pick them for dinner!
I particularly love this recipe because it’s easy enough for little ones to lend a helping hand as well. I hope you find it as delicious as we do.
Here’s our much used and loved recipe!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp cocoa
45 g shortening
130g sugar
2 well beaten eggs
100g sifted s.r. flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped nuts
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°. Melt the cocoa and shortening together in a bowl over hot water. Once melted blend in the beaten eggs and sugar.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour into a brownie tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until flaking on top. You still want the middle a little gooey!
Wishing you much chocolatey love,
Gemma and the PUREMESS family xxx
]]>
Even the kids love it and it’s a way of sneaking pulses, veg and herbs into their diet.
Here’s our much used and loved recipe!
But in case you can’t see through the many splotches here it is:
Ingredients:
Shortcrust pastry for an 8” pie dish (or you can make your own).
225g red split lentils
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint stock
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
50g grated cheddar cheese
Method:
Even if lentils aren’t really your thing give this a go, it makes a fabulous and healthy alternative to an egg quiche. It would be super easy to make this into a vegan dish as well.
With much lentil love
Gemma and the PUREMESS family xx
]]>
This is a family favourite and is a main feature in our house. It’s quick and easy, has hidden veg and is great for making in big batches ready for the freezer.
This particular recipe is from my step-mum Trude in Colorado. We had gone on holiday there to celebrate my birthday, you can see from the recipe that it’s written on the envelope Trude gave me my card in. The boys also helped by doodling. We wrote it down as she was cooking it and then all sat down for a fabulous family evening. Serve with fresh baguette and a nice crunchy salad.
Here’s our much used and loved recipe!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion,chopped
1 pound ground beef (I use ground turkey as an alternative)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tin tomatoes
1 cup of beef broth (or chicken broth if you’re using turkey)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp basil
½ tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Spaghetti
Parmesan cheese to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan, add the onion and saute until golden and soft. Add the beef (or turkey) and cook until brown.
Add the carrot and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, then the milk and nutmeg.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the milk has evaporated. Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, basil, thyme and bay leaf and mix well until everything is incorporated. Season to taste.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the sauce is thick. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and serve. Top with lashings of parmesan and ENJOY!!
With much spag bol love Gemma and the Puremess family xxx
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