Je ne sais quoi

The Rule Of Three

These three components transform something ordinary into something really quite special. Each bite shares another dimension of flavour and texture, the chewy sour tang of the dried cranberries and the toasty crunch of the seeds go surprisingly well with the cool tang of feta and the mellow sweetness of roasted butternut squash.



All of these components are carried by warm cous cous.

Some chopped parsley adds a nice flash of green and pulls all the flavours together.










Make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan though, as they take on a whole new flavour and texture after a few minutes.







"Couscous - so nice, they named it twice" was the response at my table when served to friends, munching away.



Thank you Reyentte for coming up with this amazing combination, this will definitely be made again soon.

Macaroon Loaf

If you like coconut, you will love this dense fragrant loaf. When sliced and toasted it takes on a macaroon like chewy outer crust, laced with butter and a dusting of icing sugar, this one's a winner.

This is Bill Granger's Coconut Bread, just ever so slightly adapted ...

2 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
200g desiccated/shredded coconut
1 cup castor sugar
56g melted butter
vanilla seeds/extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whisk your eggs and milk with the vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon and add the sugar and coconut, stir to combine.
Add your wet mixture to your dry mixture and fold in gently, add melted butter and incorporate everything, trying to use as few stokes as possible.
Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake at 180 gas mark 4 for an hour, using a skewer to check after 55 minutes.

Choc Chip Biscotti

Biscotti, are an Italian biscuit almost, twice baked so perfect for dunking into coffee. Like a rusk but richer and sweeter and not necessarily to be eaten at breakfast, although I wouldn't say no...



So easy to make and they last for ages in an airtight container, you can chop and change the flavour, substituting the chocolate for dark or white chocolate or dried cranberries, adding almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, whatever combinations you fancy or to suit what is in the cupboards. I'm using milk chocolate, chopped up into generous chunks. Chocolate cookies were the original request but I didn't want to veer too far off the track, so the chocolate stayed, but cookies these are certainly not.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1 cup castor sugar
4 Tbsp cold butter or margarine
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt and cinnamon
Vanilla seeds or extract



Preheat yer' oven to 180 or gas mark 5 and grease a large baking tray.
In a food processor (or by hand using a spoon and then a knife), combine your flour, salt baking powder and cinnamon. Add butter in chunks and process until it resembles breadcrumbs, at this point pour the mixture out into a large bowl. Stir in your chopped up chocolate chunks, followed by your egg mixture until a dough forms.
With floured hands, form your dough into two logs. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden and firm.
Cool biscotti for 5 or 10 minutes to minimise breakage and crumbs and slice diagonally into individual biscotti. Place back in the oven for a further 15 minutes, flipping them over once to ensure they are nice and dry.



Cool on their trays and transfer to a biscuit tin.
Y - U - M.

Jamming

When the bakery just seems too far and only warm jam donuts will do, these cakey baked versions will almost definitely hit the spot, I promise. Served warm, rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar ... Krispy Kreme who?




You will need:

200g Self Raising Flour 100g caster sugar
85ml Oil
125ml or 1/2 cup of milk
12tsp jam - raspberry/strawberry
1 large egg
vanilla extract

150g granulated sugar + 100g melted butter for coating





Beat your milk, oil and vanilla with the egg.
Stir and fold into your flour and sugar until just combined, trying not to overmix.
Spoon one tablespoon of mixture in to your greased muffin pan, followed by a generous teaspoon of jam.
Cover jam with another tablespoon or two of mixture until muffin hole is 3/4 full. Bake at 190 or Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
Leave to cool in pans for 5 minutes ( so your jam doesn't leak through the bottom of muffins), then carefully roll each muffin in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar.


Now try and eat the whole thing without licking your lips!