Bananatoffeerama....

Buds are starting to appear on the fruit trees, ferns are bursting through the ground and there's the coconut  smell of the bright yellow gorse flowers whenever the sun shines. We've made use of the sunshine by clearing the garden. It's stage two of the garden plan which should take us about five years to get looking presentable. This week we had friends to stay and they helped Gareth put in the chicken run. (These chickens are going to have one of the best views in the world.) They'll arrive once the passenger boat starts running in the next couple of weeks. 

I've been working on the old entrance. I've been clearing brambles as thick as a 50p piece and as long as swimming pool. I'm constantly followed by a robin and a fat blackbird taking advantage of all the bugs and worms that are exposed as I pull rocks back. 

Then this week the sunshine stopped. The forecast said snow (which we kind of ignored as it's so rare.)  But it did snow and very heavily. Unfortunately it didn't stick. I had high hopes of building a sledge but there wasn't even enough for a snowball.  

On our friends' last night we cooked pizzas in the wood fired oven. We had a few black bananas left and between them they came up with this recipe....which may become a post pizza tradition.

Wood fired bananas with fudge, chocolate and biscuits (serves 4)....

4 bananas

4 chunks of fudge (preferably Veronica Farm Fudge available here) 

8 chunks of chocolate

4 chocolate digestive biscuits

Chop up the fudge and chocolate. 

 Make a slice down the middle of the bananas (leaving them in their skins.)

Stuff the bananas with the fudge and chocolate. 

Wrap them tightly in foil. Pop them in the embers of the woodfired oven or barbecue for 5-7 minutes (or a 200'c) oven for 15 minutes (using oven gloves). Crush the biscuits in a bowl. 

Carefully take the bananas out and very carefully unwrap the foil using oven gloves. Sprinkle the crushed biscuits over the top. 

Our picnic today in pictures....

Drifting away....

At work we have a post show meeting. We finish playing the news jingle, make sure the next programme is underway and then discuss how the show went. On Monday it went a bit like this....'So who wants to start....what did we really like about this morning's show?' Me: 'Yeah great show. Can I tell you all about my dinner at the Driftwood on Friday night....' then for about 15 minutes I launched into a full scale review, course by course. Cue weatherman with his head in his hands. Presenter shaking his head trying to work out what I'm going on about. But I couldn't help it. That's just how good The Driftwood is. You want to tell everyone about it.

I'm so over excited by just how great Friday was that my written review will be rubbish. Because even when I think about how to describe it the sentences in my head speed up and phrases like 'yummy crumbly stuff' and 'a red sauce thing' keep making an appearance. Basically it was fantastic. The only thing I will go into detail with is the pudding. I don't really order puddings mainly because I love cheese so much. So I ordered the cheese board and the other half went for a chocolate pudding under the agreement that I could have a spoonful.

It was a chocolate mousse (although it could have been a foam it was so light) a chocolate ganachy layer, puffed rice and then....salted caramel. Not just any salted caramel but the best I have ever tasted. I had my one designated spoonful. Then I went in for another. I think I even managed another swipe before my other half threatened some kind of scene if I didn't return it to his side of the table. Oh God I miss that pudding.

So The Driftwood closes for a couple of months from Friday as it does every winter. And I need something to fill that pudding shaped hole. So I made my own salted caramel pudding. No where near last Friday's effort. However when the other half thought his father in law had polished it off he did almost cry...so it can't have been that bad.

Banana and salted caramel chocolate cheesecake....(serves 8 but probably more...)

2x 200g tubs of cream cheese

250g mascarpone

3 tbsp condensed milk

1 vanilla pod

2 tbsp icing sugar sieved

1 pkt chocolate digestives (I think it was 200g)

100g salted butter

4 bananas

2 tbsps golden syrup

50g butter

2 tbsp dried milk powder

2 flake bars

a little melted chocolate

Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Melt the 100g of butter and add to the crumbs. Push into a cake tin with a detachable base. Chill for an hour or so. To make the salted caramel melt the butter and syrup together when it starts to boil take off the heat and sieve in the dried milk. Give it a good stir and put to one side.

In a bowl put the cheeses, condensed milk, sieved icing sugar and vanilla and give it a good stir. Once the base has been chilled slice the bananas onto the base and drizzle over the salted caramel. Spoon the cheese mix over the top and sprinkle with the crushed flake and the melted chocolate.

Ideally leave it overnight in the fridge. I only left it four hours and it was spooned into bowls. It still tasted awesome but didn't look very cheesecakey. By the next day it was much firmer.

Thanks again to everyone at The Driftwood for a brilliant night.

The Driftwood, Portscatho, 01872 580644

Easter chocolate biscuit cake.....

This is Easter. No not August, Easter. Sunny wonderful spring time. I'm off to Scilly for 2 weeks to enjoy Bryher hot cross buns and my mum's Easter nests. See you in May xxxx

Easter Chocolate Biscuit Cake....(Makes about 8 slices)

6oz butter
8oz galaxy chocolate
4 tbsp syrup
1 mars bar
1 caramel bar
1 bag of mini eggs
1lb digestive biscuits

On a very low heat melt the galaxy, syrup and butter together. You might need to give it a good mix with a spatula to make sure the butter and chocolate melt together.

Crumble the biscuits into rough chunks. Take the chocolate mix off the heat and add the biscuits. Give it a good stir to make sure the biscuits are covered in the chocolate mix. When it's covered add the other chocolate bits. I left the caramel chunks whole and the mars bar in big chunks so it didn't melt away but actually I should have chopped the lumps in half because they didn't melt at all!

Press into a foiled of cling filmed tin. Push the mini eggs into the mix. Press down and pop in the fridge.

The smell of fudge is dancing around the kitchen. There's a huge black cloud hanging over the town about to spit out fat snowflakes. I say spit but that makes it sound unwelcome. It's not. I've been waiting for the snow all week.

Today is the first day of Christmas. The day I make fudge for Christmas presents.

The flat is decorated now. All the presents are wrapped (apart from the fudge)....and I'm not sure what else I'm meant to be doing except enjoying myself. I've managed to cram in four parties this weekend....if the snow allows....

So until those begin I'll sit back and enjoy the snow.......

Chocolate Coin Spice Hot Chocolate......(makes one mug)

Place three large chocolate coins in a mug. Measure out a mug of milk and place in a saucepan with a clove. Bring to the boil (but don't let it boil.)

Fish out the clove and pour over the coins. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Top with mini marshmallows and a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Fond of fondants....

Chocolate is the first thing to pass my lips this morning. A finger dipped in a bowl of leftover mixture. It's been left on the side overnight and has solidified into a truffle. I vow not to do it again. Ten minutes later I'm back until I have to fill it with warm water to stop myself having a chocolate breakfast.


Food festivals always put me in this mood. I want to pick at the items I've come home with rather than eat proper meals.


Here's a reminder of some of the best bits of the Porthleven Food and Music Festival....

Although for me one of my favourite bits was being on stage with Jude Kereama and his sous chef Ross from Kota in Porthleven. Jude made duck three ways. I didn't get to try it but the smell on stage was amazing. Then Ross made his chocolate fondants. I'd seen him at the Cornwall Food Festival make them before and I was determined to memorise the recipe. Of course I didn't...I forgot it after about ten minutes so I attempted to make one up for two puddings. It made six.

After homemade pizza for tea with leftover njuda sausage and jalapenos I decided to give the chocolate puddings a go....

Chocolate Puddings...... (serves 6)

100g dark chocolate (the best, darkest chocolate you can get your hands on)

125g/4oz salted butter (plus extra for lining)

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

100g/3oz caster sugar

60g/2oz plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa

Preheat the oven to about 200'c. In a pan melt a tiny bit of butter. Grease small pudding moulds and pop in the fridge. When the butter has set, repeat.

In a bowl break the eggs, the yolk and add the sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

In a pan on the lowest heat setting melt the chocolate and butter...

Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a separate bowl. Take the melted chocolate/butter and leave to cool for five minutes. The pour it into the egg mix and beat. Add the sieved flour mix and fold in.

Pour into the buttered molds.

Then bake in the oven for 8 minutes for a really runny pudding (how I like them) or 10 minutes for a melting middle pudding (like the other half likes them.) This is a 10 minute one....

Serve with ice cream or cream.

Ho-nest-ly good cakes....

The best type of eggs to be cooking with at Easter.....




Tonight I start as a Jamie at Home consultant. It's basically like tupperware parties but with awesome home stuff. I can't wait to get buying...let alone selling. And it means I'll have some nice plates and board to display on my blog....

I am making some goodies for the party tonight including these yummy chocolate nest cakes.... "Hang on a second", I hear you cry, "aren't they just those Away in a Manger cakes you made at Christmas but with mini eggs in instead of jelly babies?" Answer: yes but more chocolate means more yummy.

Chocolate Easter Nest Cakes....(12 cakes)

2oz butter

4oz granulated sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

2tbsp golden syrup

5 shredded wheats (crumbled)

About 40 mini eggs

Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and syrup until the sugar is dissolved. Crumble in the shredded wheat.

Put a tsp of the mix in a cupcake holder and top with three mini eggs. (I like the yellow ones best...they definitely taste COMPLETELY different to the other colours).

Sometimes I put them in the freezer because I like it when they go all crispy.

Chocolate and hazelnut meringues...

After two weeks of gloriously warm sunshine the heavens have opened. Rain is pouring down outside and the air smells of soil. Yesterday I planned to make grilled chicken and salad for tea. Now, as I sit under my duvet withe the curtains drawn to block out the harsh reality of a rainy afternoon, all I want is stodge. Tonight we'll eat pasta instead. Strings of linguine in a basil and tomato sauce with chunks of wintery salmon. And I want a pudding. Not a stodgy autumn jam sponge or a summery crumble. Something in between.....

Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringues.....(Makes 7)




3 egg whites
4oz/115g caster sugar
4oz/115g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp chopped hazelnuts

Preheat your oven to 80'c. In a clean bowl whisk up your egg whites.

I have an amazing hand whisk given to me by a recently married friend. It whisks eggs quicker than breaking them.....

But just keep going until they stand in stiff peaks....

Add the caster sugar a tbsp at a time whisking as you do. Then get a metal spoon and carefully fold in the sieved icing sugar. Be careful not to knock the air out. Sieve the cocoa over the top and cut through it with the side of the spoon (but don't beat it in). It should create a nice marbled look.

Line a baking tray. Scoop heaped tablespoons of the meringue onto a baking tray. Sprinkle each one with a tsp of hazelnuts.

Pop in the oven for 2 hours.

You know they are ready when you can easily pick them off the baking tray and tap the bottoms. They should sound hollow. These one are a bit squidgy in the middle. If you want them drier just leave them in the oven for longer.

The recipe makes seven and that's enough for one each because they are quite big. If you want to give people 2 smaller meringues I think it would make around 12.