Life through a lens + Art Project - Foody Friday, Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

Tip: Decide on how many eggs you want to use, then weigh the eggs and whatever that weight is use the same weight for the other ingredients. I opted for 3 medium sized eggs.


175g Caster Sugar
175g Self Raising Flour
175g Softened butter/margarine etc
3 medium sized eggs

• In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until you have a pale, fluffy mixture.

• In a separate bowl whisk the three eggs together.

• Slowly bit at a time add the beaten egg mixture to the creamed butter/sugar mixture and beat into said mixture.

• Continue until the eggs are completely mixed in with the butter and sugar mixture.

• Sieve half the flour into this mixture and with a metal spoon carefully fold in the flour to the cake mixture. Once done repeat with the rest of the flour.

• One the ingredients are mixed and you have a smooth consistency that easily drops off the spoon you can then either put into a cake baking tin which has been greased and lined or you can add any additional ingredients you may like.

• I added milk and white chocolate chips and lemon juice. Add to your liking.

• Pour mixture in a greased and lined baking tin and cook in the oven on Gas Mark 4. Length of time depends on how much mixture you have, keep checking every ten minutes. You'll know when the cake is cook when it is golden in colour and springs back when the top is lightly touched. also if you stick a metal prong in it should come back clean. (although I use a kebab skewer and that works just as well lol).

• Remove from cake tin and leave to cool on a wire wrack. Once cooled it's ready to decorate as you like or eat just as it is.

And look who wants some!! lol. He can't have any though as it has chocolate in it. hehehe

Life through a lens + Art Project - Foody Friday,Chocolate Cereal Cakes

Can't wait for these babies to finish chilling! Delish! Yummers!

You can make these with Rice Krispies or Cornflakes but (1) I don't have either of those and (2) This adds and extra chocolate goodness. I'm using Coco Pops!


Ingredients:

• 85g of cereal (Rice Krispies, Cornflakes, Coco Pops, Shredded Wheat etc)

• 150g chocolate (you can have a mixture of plain and milk or just one or you could even try with white chocolate)

• 40g butter

• 2 tbsp golden syrup

• Flavouring if you wish, something like orange would be nice, just a little drop though.

Break the chocolate into little pieces and place in a saucepan with the butter and golden syrup. Melt over a gentle heat. Once melted carefully stir in your cereal until fully coated. When fully coated spoon into paper cases or you could just line some baking paper and put little scoops on there. Chill until set in the fridge (could take a few hours). Eat and enjoy!

Life through a lens + Art Project - Foody Friday, Christmas Dinner!

It has to be done. Of course you'll have to wait for photos... if I get the chance to take any.

This year we're having chicken (turkey prices were stupid and for the same price and less than half the cost we got a chicken).

Obviously cooking times will vary depending on the size of your turkey/chicken but you can prepare this the same way for either bird.

Wash and if necessary de-pluck any remaining feathers. Pat dry the top of the carcass with some kitchen towel to remove all water.

In a bowl mix some butter, some chopped herbs (I prefer curly parsley, sage and chives) and some seasoning (I use chicken seasoning you buy from the supermarket), the measurements again alter depending on the size of your bird, you want enough to be able to stuff under the whole of the skin.

Once mixed together carefully using a spoon push the mixture under the skin of the bird, you may beforehand need to carefully go through with your hands and make room, be careful not to rip the skin. You can carefully from the top push the mixture to the back of the chicken if it helps. Basically you want to end up with the mixture nicely under the skin on the top and round the legs.

After this is done (and you've gotten someone to kindly put the tap on so you can wash and soap your hands) cut in half one small onion and one lemon and place one half of each inside the carcass. Next had two squashed garlic gloves.

Sprinkle some seasoning (again I use chicken seasoning but paprika works great as well) over the outside of the carcass and rub into the outside of the skin (carefully). Once the carcass has a nice even seasoning colour to it pour over the cooking oil you will be using (goose fat, olive oil, or even fry light are great). Then add so little dollops of butter on to the top.

Put in oven and cook.

With my bird I like to add my potatoes and if we've doing chipolatas wrapped in bacon those too. With my potatoes I par boil them, add them to the roasting tin, sprinkle chicken seasoning over and then olive oil. I then use the juices from the bird to baste the whole meal and try to do it every 20-30 minutes. Oh and I never use foil, if you're careful with the basting you don't really need it.

Hope that all made sense and fingers crossed I can get a photo.

Happy Christmas, did you all get loads of lovely presents?

Life through a lens + Art Project - Foody Friday, Cheesecake

Sadly when I made this a few months back I didn't get round to taking a photo and as I've just been told to cut my sugar intake down I won't be making it for a little while, however when I do I will be sure to take a photo and add it. This is a lovely fresh recipe and if like me you are pregnant and want some cheesecake you can have this without the worry of eggs etc and also if you are slimming it's very good.

Cheesecake

serves 12 people.

Ingredients:

6 plain digestive biscuits crushed
28g/1oz of low fat margarine
2 tbsp of orange juice (or a different juice depending on the flavour of jelly you use)
1 sachet of sugar free orange jelly crystals (or other flavour if you wish)
454g/1 lb of very low fat natural cottage cheese
454g/1 lb of very low fat natural fromage frais

1. Melt the butter and then mix in juice and crushed biscuits. Once fully mixed press onto the base of a 20cm/8 inch shallow dish.
2. Make up the jelly with 284ml/ 1/2 pint of boiling water and leave aside to cool. Once cool put 3/4 of the jelly, the cottage cheese and the fromage frais in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture on top of the biscuit base and chill until set.
   
3. When set pour the remainder of the jelly over the top and refrigerate overnight or until set.
   
4. Cut and eat and enjoy.

EDIT: Even though I had this typed up yesterday I was silly and entered the wrong date so it didn't auto post on the right date I wanted. Doh.

Life through a lens + Art Project - Foody Friday, Raspberry Dream

Raspberry Dream

Ingredients:

• 3 plain digestive biscuits

• 1 punnet of raspberries (or other berry fruit instead if you want)

• 1 sachet of sugar free raspberry jelly crystals

• 511g/1lb 2oz very low fat natural cottage cheese

1. Crumble the biscuits and press down in a serving dish (I used two heart shaped ramekins). Chop half of the fruit and layer on top of the crumb base.

2. Dissolve the jelly in 142ml/quarter pint of boiling water. Make up to 284ml/ half pint with cold water. Allow to cool. Put the cottage cheese and jelly into a liquidiser/blender etc and blend for 1 minute on fast speed (or until mixture is smooth). Pour over the fruit and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

3. When the dessert is set, decorate with the remaining fruit and if you want to can sprinkle some crumbled chocolate over the top. I used a square of white and milk chocolate and very thinly sliced it and sprinkled it over.


NOTE: If you wish with the bread crumbs you can melt some butter in a saucepan and then mix in the crumbled bread crumbs, then press down into your serving dish and leave in the fridge until it has cooled down and set. Once cool and set, chop the fruit and layer on the biscuit crumb base and continue from step 2.