Winter Carrot Cake

This cake really is for idiots - there's no technique required, not even any vigorous whisking, just a bit of grating and stirring and it turns out beautifully. Top with traditional frosting or just mix together the juice and zest of a clementine and a bit of icing sugar and drizzle over the top.
It sets rather firmly so it's good for baking and taking.
Enough for 8
200g coarsely grated carrot
100g sultanas
250g self raising flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
2 tsp baking powder
150g light muscovado sugar
150ml vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 160 C / Gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm spring form tin and sit it on a baking sheet. Mix together all the ingredients and spoon into the tin. Level off the surface and bake for an hour or so until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for a few minutes then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Winter Collection: Chicken Pie

Scrap's pal came for tea yesterday and I made a nice pie. Sadly his little friend couldn't face it and then got violently sick at the table. Turns out she had the winter vomit bug and is feeling much better today, so don't let that put you off.
Serves 4
1 large onion, thinly sliced
400g baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
1 chicken
600ml hot chicken stock
200g frozen peas
100g crème fraiche
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp cornflour
500g pack puff pastry
milk, for brushing

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Arrange the onion slices and carrots in a large casserole dish or small roasting tin. Sit the chicken on top then pour over the hot stock.

2 Cover and roast for an hour then add the peas and cook for a further 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Lift the chicken out onto a board.

3 Sit the pan on the hob and stir in the crème fraiche and mustard. If you want to thicken the sauce, dissolve the cornflour in a little water and stir in.

4 Shred the meat off the chicken and stir back into the pan. Leave to cool.

5 Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish, then roll out the pastry and use to cover the filling. Brush with milk, decorate with any pastry trimmings and make a couple of holes to let out any steam. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until piping hot and serve with mash.

Winter Collection: Cardamom Rice Pudding

We like rice pudding but not the wrinkly skin that settles on the top when you bake it, so I do ours on the stove top. Add a handful of sultanas half way through if you like them and serve hot or cold with a good a spoonful of honey (or jam).
Serves 4
Knob of butter
100g short grain rice
600 - 800ml milk
50g vanilla sugar
6 cardamom pods, cracked
2 – 4 tbsp honey

Heat the butter in a non-stick pan and cook the rice for a couple of minutes. Add the milk, sugar and cardamom then bring to the boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 40 minutes or so, stirring regularly so it doesn't scorch on the bottom, until the rice is creamy and tender. If you want to add more milk while it is cooking, warm it up a bit first.

Winter Collection: Crock Pot!

I've had this Slow Cooker squashed up next to Rob's crates and crates and crates of vinyl in our dusty old basement since the Christmas before last and decided it was high time it saw some daylight. Anyway, as it turns out, I like it very much, it looks nice and it gives the kitchen a warm and cosy hum. Unfortunately, I'm not doing all that well with it. Mostly I'm using too much liquid and we have been eating 'chilli soup', 'lamb-shank dhansak soup' and 'smoked rib and yellow pea soup' this week. Also my attempts to make overnight yogurt have so far failed, first time it didn't set, the next time I scorched it and it set beautifully but tasted like burnt cheese.
By coincidence I have been asked this week to go on GMTV and talk to Lorraine Kelly about the benefits of Slow Cooking (this Thursday, if you're watching) so I am determined to become an expert asap. Any tips, post them here.
In the meantime, here's a recipe from my friend Katie B's lovely book Slow Cooking. Now she is an expert so I'd rather you spent your ingredients on one of her dishes than risk them on one of mine. And if you are thinking of buying a Slow Cooker may I recommend you invest in a Cuisinart - it's more expensive than my Crock Pot but that cook and hold is worth every penny.

Katie's Slow Cooker Chinese Red Braised Beef
Serves 4 - 6
1.5kg brisket joint
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
150ml light soy sauce
100ml dry sherry
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp shredded fresh root ginger
1/2 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
pred rind of 1 orange
150ml cold water

Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker dish and mix well.

Cover with the lid and cook on low form 8 hours, or up to 12 hours, until the meat is meltingly tender.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker dish and carve into thick slices. Dizzle with the sauce and serve with noodles and steamed green vegetables.

Winter Collection: Yule Log

This is one of those really old-fashioned cakes that I've not made since domestic science at school and thought would be easy, but actually, there's a lot here that can go wrong.
But as we're going to be away for Christmas and we were having a little neighbours' tea party yesterday, I thought I'd give it a go. I like to have everything sorted the day before but this really has to be eaten on the same day. I didn't enjoy the risk of making it on the morning of the party and although it was a bit of a faff and me and melted chocolate don't get on so well, it was a big hit and the icing covers a whole lot of cracks! Have a go!

Serves 12
75g self raising flour
50g cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
100g golden caster sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling
5 large eggs
FOR THE FILLING
250g mascarpone
icing sugar, to taste
splash of double cream
FOR THE ICING
200ml double cream, broken into pieces
200g dark chocolate

1 Preheat the oven to 190C / Gas 5. Line a 30x40cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and rub with a little butter.

2 Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until thick and airy – they should roughly triple in volume. Sift over the flour mixture and gently fold in, making sure there are no pockets of flour hiding in the bottom of the bowl.

3 Pour into the tin as evenly as possible then bake for 10 – 12 minutes until just firm to the touch. Sprinkle some sugar onto a sheet of baking parchment and turn out the sponge. Peel off the paper then roll it up with the new sheet of paper inside. Leave to cool completely.

4 Make the icing. Pour the cream into a small and bring to the boil. Add the chocolate and stir to melt. Leave to cool completely then chill until thick enough to spread – keep your eye on it as it cools - it’s runny for ages then suddenly changes from runny to thick to too-thick-to-spread in quite a short time.

5 Make the filling: beat the mascarpone with a wooden spoon to soften a little then add icing sugar to taste – it may be a little to thick to spread so a little cream to soften.

6 Open out the sponge and spread with the mascarpone mixture, if you like, grate over some chocolate then roll up. Cut a diagonal slice off and place next to the log to look like a branch. Spread with the chocolate icing in a wood-like pattern and leave to set. Dust with icing before serving.

Winter Collection: Soft Roast Potatoes

I like my potatoes roasted this way, they get a nice sticky bottom and some crunch on the top. They're best made with my current obsession, Bartlett rooster potatoes but desirees will do.
Enough for 6
small knob of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2.5kg rooster potatoes, peeled and cubed
200ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic bulbs
1 tbsp dried oregano

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Heat the butter and oil in a large roasting tin. Add the potatoes, stock and lemon juice and cook for 30 minutes, turning once or twice.

2 Separate the garlic cloves but do not peel. Add to the pan with the lemon rind and oregano and toss well together. Roast for a further 30 minutes, without turning until the potatoes are golden brown, the garlic is tender and the stock has disappeared

Winter Collection: Chocolate Brownie Cake

A bit squidgy in the middle and crumbly on the outside. With so many nut allergies around I swapped the usual chopped nuts for sultanas.
Serves 12
225g unsalted butter
350g dark chocolate
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
350g light muscovado sugar
225g plain flour
75g small sultanas
small handful chocolate buttons
cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm and line a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small pan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale and airy. Stir in the chocolate mixture, flour and sultanas and pour into the tin. Scatter over the chocolate buttons.

Bake for about an hour until risen and craggy. Shake the tin gently, a slight wobble in the centre is good. Leave to cool in the tin for a while. Dust lightly with cocoa before slicing.

Winter Collection: Afternoon Apple Cake

Serves 6 - 8
150g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
150g butter, room temperature, pus extra for dotting
2 large eggs, beaten
250g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground mixed spices
2 Bramley apples
100g small sultanas

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 1kg loaf tin.

Whisk together the butter and sugar until creamy then beat in the eggs, flour, baking powder and spices – it’s quite a stiff mixture.

Peel the apples and dice one and half of them. Thinly slice the remaining half. Stir the diced apple and sultanas into the cake mix then spoon into the tin. Smooth the surface them arrange the apple slices on top. Dot with butter, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 50 – 60 minutes – turn the oven down a bit if it starts to get too dark.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Winter Collection: Cheese Scones

Makes 8
450g plain flour, plus extra for kneading and dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
284ml buttermilk or low fat natural yogurt
3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 Preheat the oven to 220 C, gas mark 7. Mix the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and Cheddar in a large bowl.

2 Mix together the buttermilk, milk and mustard then add to the bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon then using your hands, bring together to make a soft dough. Knead lightly until smooth then shape into a 22cm round loaf.

3 Cut the round into eight wedges then transfer to a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little flour and bake for 20 – 30 minutes until browned and crusty. Cool a little and eat warm or split and toast the next day for breakfast.