Fridge Cake

Ingredients

• 250g digestive biscuits
• 150g plain chocolate
• 150g milk chocolate
• 100g unsalted butter
• 150g golden syrup

Method

Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash them into pieces with a rolling pin.


Melt both kinds of chocolate, the butter, and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir well.


Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the broken biscuits,


Line a 20 cm (8 in) shallow, square-shaped tin with clingfilm. Spoon the mix into the tin and level it by pressing down with a potato masher.


Set the cake in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Then turn it out and peel off the Clingfilm. Cut into slices and serve

Irn Bru Cupcakes

For the cakes:
125g plain flour (sieved)
125g caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 egg
125ml buttermilk (or regular milk with a squirt of lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
125g unsalted butter
85ml Irn Bru



Makes 12 cupcakes

What to do:
First pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C (fan oven)/Gas mark 4, then line a cupcake tin with cases. So far, so easy. Now get yourself a large bowl and mix together the flour, sugar, bicarb, baking powder and salt. Next get a pan and gently heat the butter and Irn Bru on the hob until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat.

Next, get your buttermilk ready in a measuring jug. If you can’t find, or don’t have any buttermilk, use regular milk instead, add a squirt of lemon juice and leave for five minutes. Beat the egg and vanilla extract into the milk. Once you’ve done that, add the butter mixture and the egg mixture to the dry ingrediants and combine with a wooden spoon. I also added some orange food colouring paste at this point to enhance the colour, but it’s not essential. Now spoon the mixture into the cases, dividing it evenly between all 12.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. All ovens vary, so you might want to check on the cakes after ten minutes (without opening the oven door). They should be ready once they’ve risen and are firm but slightly springy to touch. If you want, you can double-check by inserting a skewer or cocktail stick into the centre of one of the cakes. If it comes out clean, they’re ready, if it’s covered in wet cake mixture, then they need longer. Once done, take the pan out of the oven and leave to stand for five minutes. After that, transfer the cakes to a cooling rack.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, you can ice with blue icing.

Pork/Apple/Cheese Burgers

• 500g extra lean pork mince
• 1 dessert apple, grated
• 50g cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil or chives, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
• 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Ciabatta, salad and tomato relish to serve

1. Put the pork mince, apple, cheese and herbs in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper and mix again so the breadcrumbs are evenly distributed. 
2. Split the mixture into 5 evenly sized balls and flatten to make a burger shape. Put on a plate, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking. 
3. Grill or BBQ the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Serve on ciabatta with salad and tomato relish.

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with spices

SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup chicken stock (I used Knorr jelly stock)

1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar (I used heaped)

1 tablespoon chilli powder (I used extra hot, not too heaped)

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Boneless or bone-in-pork shoulder (remove twine/netting)

Optional – 2 cups barbecue sauce (I did not use this)

Method

  1.  Mix the onions and garlic and place in the bottom of the slow cooker, pour the stock on top.

  2.  Mix the sugar, chilli powder, salt, cumin and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Pat the pork dry with kitchen roll and rub the spice mixture all over the pork. Place the meat on top of the onion/garlic mix.  Cover and cook until the pork is tender (approx 6-8 hrs on high or 8-10 hours on low).   (I did 6 hrs on low and last 2 on high, depends on your cooker).

  3. Once cooked, turn off the cooker and place the pork on a board.  Strain the onion mixture and put the stock to one side.  Put the onion      mixture back into the slow cooker (this will be mixed with the meat, I did not do this as we are not lovers of lots of onion – use/not use depending on your personal taste).

  4. If you have a boned joint, remove the bone. Use 2 forks to shred the meat (remove any fat whilst you do this).  Return the meat to the slow cooker (mix with the onion mix if  used).  If using barbecue sauce, mix into the meat then serve.  If not using the barbecue sauce, skim any fat off the discarded stock and add a little of the stock at a time to the meat, stirring gently.

Cheese Scones

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 55g/2oz butter
• 25g/1oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 150ml/5fl oz milk

Preparation method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
3. Stir in the cheese and then the milk to get a soft dough.
4. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on the baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Simple Slow Cooked Chicken Curry

Ingredients

4 chicken breast diced or thighs.

1 large onion roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped...

2 fresh green chilies, chopped

1 x 400g tin/jar of passata

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 or 2 red or green peppers roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

 2 whole fresh red chillies (optional)

 2 teaspoons garam masala

 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

CHUCK IT ALL IN THE SC ON LOW FOR 6-7 HOURS.

Tesco's Millionaire Shortbread with Malteasers

• For the base
• 180g plain flour
• 125g salted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• For the filling
• 150g unsalted butter
• 150g dark soft brown sugar
• 397g condensed milk
• For the topping
• 200g milk chocolate
• 135g Maltesers

Preheat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan/Gas 3. Line a 20cm shallow square cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Pop your flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and blend. When the mix comes together, remove and press into your tin.

Bake in your oven for 30 mins. Remove and allow to cool, and resist having a bite!

For the upper layers

Put the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan and heat, stirring until melted. Add in the condensed milk and stir continuously until the filling has thickened slightly. Immediately pour over the baked shortbread base.

Pop that in the fridge and while it sets, carefully melt the chocolate in the microwave, let it cool a little, then pour over the set caramel.

Top with loads of Maltesers®. Leave to set on the side, cut into squares and enjoy!

Slimming World Pancakes

1 vanilla muller light
40g quaker oats
3 eggs

 Method:
 The night before you want the pancakes, mix the muller light into the quaker oaks, then leave in the fridge overnight.

 In the morning, crack the 3 eggs into something and whisk them up until the yolks and whites are well mixed, then mix that in with the muller light and quaker oat mix until it looks like a thick batter.

 To cook, place a fairly large (10-15cm diameter) biscuit cutter into a fairly hot frying pan, then pour in some batter until it's roughly 4-5mm thick (the pancakes will come out a bit like scotch pancakes) remove the biscuit cutter when you think it's cooked enough on the bottom, then flip when ready to cook the other side, remove from frying pan and serve.