Pizza

Sorry that I have been a bit quiet lately, finding time to write up all my goings on is proving quite hard! But I am taking five minutes to tell you all about some amazing Pizzas that I made this week. Even if I do say so myself! Ever since I found out I can't have cows milk, it has upset me that I can't just order a pizza or get a ready made one from the supermarket anymore. But now I have made my own, I know that it is so easy and they taste so much better!

I used a recipe by Paul Hollywood and it uses figs. Now, I had never had figs before so I decided to have a try and oh my I have been missing out! They are now my new favourite thing! Lovely :)

I made the basic base and changed the topping according to the required taste. My man went for parma ham, mozzarella and sweetcorn.

I myself went for Parma ham, figs and goats cheese! A nice oozy melty goats cheese. How lovely :)

Okay they are not perfectly round, but how the heck do they manage that?! This way they look more home made and rustic, which is always good :)

But I am definitely a fig lady now!

Pea and Roasted Garlic Soup

I first had this soup at a friends. She made it for me, telling me how lovely it was, and it certainly is, but I will also say it is a Friday night soup. It is a Friday night soup because of how garlicy it is, and how garlicy you will be after eating it. People won't want to kiss you after eating it, that's for sure haha. But it really is gorgeous with some nice crusty bread. Yum!!

What you need to make this gorgeous soup:
* 1kg frozen peas
* 4 heads of garlic
* 50g butter
* 1tbsp olive oil
* 1litre good vegetable stock
* 2 onions peeled and roughly chopped
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

How to make:
1. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast at 180°C for 40 mins or until soft.
2. Fry the onion in butter and oil for approx 3 mins until soft. Add the frozen peas and coat in the oil and butter mixture. Add the stock and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.
3. Bring the garlic out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins. Cut the tops off and squeeze the soft roasted garlic into the pea soup then puree roughly.
4. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and chopped chives.

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Button Biscuits

I should start my own baking company with the amount that I have made this past week. This time it's biscuits. But not just any biscuits, ones that are shaped like buttons!!
Of course yours don't have to be button shaped, they can be any shape. Just ignore some of the method instructions. But these are tasty and have a good crunch to them. Perfect for tea!

What you need:
* 226g unsalted butter at room temperature
* 227g caster sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 427g flour
* 1/2 tsp salt

What you need to do:
(Now, a little side bar: This may sound complicated and annoying but stick with it)
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high, mix the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer to medium and add the eggs and vanilla. Then, when mixed, turn down to low and beat in flour and salt until a soft dough is formed.

2. Divide the mix into four equal pieces and pat each into a disk. Wrap each tightly with cling film and pop into the fridge overnight.

3. The next day, roll out each disk between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper to about 7mm thick. Transfer to a baking tray, still on the greaseproof paper and pop back into the fridge for another 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Unwrap two of the disks and using a round cutter around 8cm in diameter cut out as many biscuits as you can. (At this point I actually had enough biscuits and then froze the rest of the mix for future use.) Then using the blunt side of a slightly smaller cutter indent a circle on the cookies to make the border. Then using a straw, cocktail stick or knitting needle pop in the button holes.

5. Then pop into an oven pre-heated to 180C. Bake them for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

6. EAT! As if you needed telling really.

I tried doing different shaped buttons, wiggly edged ones, star ones. They would make a beautiful gift, tied together with ribbons, or even strawberry laces or something. Ooooh ideas :)

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Cupcakes

Carrying on with my love of baking, I have been baking cupcakes a plenty!! I actually can't believe that I have not shared this recipe before. This is the easiest cake recipe that I have ever used, and seems to work every time. (Touch Wood). It's simple and can easily change to adapt to different flavours.

What do you need: (to make roughly 12 large cupcakes)
* 175g very soft unsalted butter
* 175g caster sugar
* 3 medium eggs, beaten
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* 175g self-raising flour, or 150g self-raising flour and 3 tbsp cocoa powder
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 2 tbsp milk

What to do with these things:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla into a bowl or mixer. Then add the flour (and cocoa), baking powder, and milk and mix thoroughly until it becomes a smooth, thick batter.

3. Half fill the cake cases and put into the over for 12-15 minutes until golden and springy.

4. Munch away!!

Now just to decide on my toppings :)

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Scones

Ever since visiting the vintage tea room the other day I have wanted to stuff my face with cakes and scones on delightful little tea sets. Unfortunately, being lactose intolerant, I can't just nip out and purchase a big fat cake. So this week, I have actually had some time to bake and decided to make them all!!
Today I am starting with Scones. Some people pronounce them Skons, some Scones (as in stones), I don't mind as long as they are in my tummy!

From looking around at recipes and from what people said, they were difficult to make. But I found these so quick and easy, and even my man complimented them.

So, what do you need:
(to make 8)
* 250g self raising flour
* a pinch of salt
* 50g caster sugar
* unsalted butter, cold
* 1 egg
* 100ml full fat milk
* 50g sultanas (optional)

How do I make these:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

2. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt.

3. Then cut the butter up and add to the mix. Using your hands rub the butter into the flour until you get breadcrumb like mix. If your using sultanas, add them here.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and the milk together. Then add this to the flour mix. Use a knife and cut into the mix, this prevents the mix from being over kneaded.

5. When mixed into a rough dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently kneed for a few seconds.

6. Pat the dough down until roughly 3cm deep. Then using a 6cm cutter, cut out your scones. Lay on a baking tray. The will rise up, but not expand outwards very much.

7. Using a bit of milk wash the top for a nice golden colour. Then pop them into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until lovely and golden.

When they come out let them cool slightly, then serve. Preferably with strawberry jam and clotted cream!

Now depending on where you are from, you need to make sure  you have your cream and jam the right way around. In Cornwall they butter their scones, then put on jam, and then clotted cream on the top. In Devon, where people argue the cream tea started, they have clotted cream first and then the jam on top.
If you can't get your hands on clotted cream, or can't have it like myself, lightly whipped cream can be used. Some people also have something called 'Thunder and Lightning' which is when you take half of your scone, put on your cream, and then top with honey, or syrup. Yum, yum, yum!

Now to eat mine with a lovely pot of tea :)