Salted Caramel Stuffed Brownies

Since last month I've been attempting to get used to 9-5 commuting and a new job. Gone are the old days of baking at midnight after a late shift and having the whole next morning to take photos, read and drink coffee. Even though my days are now shorter it feels like there's not enough time in the day.

My body clock is taking some time to adjust so at 6am on Sunday morning I was up baking brownies. I figured that was the only way to make being awake so early on a Sunday more bearable.

Brownies are my go to thing. I'd make them each week if I trusted myself not to eat the whole batch. But I've never made them in this way, stuffed with salted caramel. Not the oozy kind, but the kind you make with condensed milk that sets really well once baked. And, most importantly, the kind that reminds me how much I love baking and how I really do need to make more time for it regardless of what hours I'm working!

S A L T E D   C A R A M E L   S T U F F E D   B R O W N I E S
(Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats, makes 16 brownies)

200g unsalted butter

200g Lindt Excellence salted caramel dark chocolate

180g soft light brown sugar

3 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

60g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

Salted caramel:

395g sweetened condensed milk

2tbsp golden syrup

60g unsalted butter

1tsp flaked sea salt

• Place the butter and dark chocolate over a pan of barley simmering water and gently melt. Takeoff the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
• Pour the chocolate mix into the sugar mix and stir together until smooth and silky.
• Fold in the flour and cocoa powder until just combined and set the brownie batter aside.
• Line an 8x8" tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
• To make the caramel, add all ingredients to a medium pan on a low - medium heat and stir together.
• Whisk continually until the caramel starts to turn a little more golden and to steam. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for a further minute.
• Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared tin and top with the caramel mix. Smooth the remaining brownie batter over the top.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top has a smooth crisp skin. The brownies once done will have a little wobble in the centre but will firm up as they cool out the oven.

Thanks again to Lindt for my stash of chocolate! This is not a sponsored post. I just love Lindt, a lot. 

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Salted Chocolate, Bourbon and Spelt Cookies

You know when you spend forever baking something for someone, trying to get it just right, and it just goes wrong? Brownies for example. I made some when I went to Flick's for tea a little while ago and she sent me back home with them! Sounds cruel, but she was right, you really can tell when something's just not right.

In this instance, I'd melted down some leftover Easter eggs and the chocolate wasn't anywhere near my usual 70-80% cocoa choice. They didn't really taste of anything, such a shame that they didn't taste that great.

For baking, I love using dark chocolate. The darker the better. I'm forever double checking the back of packets just to check just how much percentage of cocoa they have. That's why I love Lindt's Excellence range, it says its 70% and it really is 70%. Especially as they have my 3 favourite flavours, salted chocolate, orange with almond and salted caramel. These are excellent in any baking.

Particularly these cookies. A little bit grown up with the addition of bourbon, super dark chocolate and flaky sea salt. I almost didn't feel guilty having two of these for breakfast this morning!

S A L T E D   C H O C O L A T E   B O U R B O N   &   S P E L T   C O O K I E S
(Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, makes a dozen cookies)

290g plain flour

70g spelt flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

190g unsalted butter, room temperature

75g dark brown sugar

75g caster sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp bourbon

200g Lindt Excellence salted dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

flaky sea salt for topping

• Add the flour, bicarbonate and salt to a medium bowl and whisk to remove any lumps.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy, around 3-4 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla and bourbon and continue to mix on a low speed until incorporated.
• Add the flour mix a little at a time until incorporated again.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chunks before scooping the dough into a large ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for a few hours until firm.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Line two cookie trays with baking paper. Divide the dough into 12 equal sized balls, I use an ice cream scoop for this. 
• Flatten each cookie onto the tray, leaving space in between each. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden and leave to firm and cool before serving.

Thank you to the lovely Elle and Mai at Lindt towers for sending me some samples for recipes!

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Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls

I'm a sucker for cinnamon buns. But each time I make them they're never Pinterest perfect. I guess with a little practice I could master them, so on the weekend I was feeling a little adventurous and got some dough proving.

I always find that it takes much longer for my dough to double up on first prove than recipes suggest. My flat is warm so I don't know what I'm doing wrong? If you've got any bun tips then help a girl out!

I first spotted these on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try them out. A combination of my two loves, salty pretzels and sweet sticky cinnamon buns. 

Think of those pillowy soft cinnamon coated pretzels you get in shopping centres but swirled into a bun. Instead of quickly boiling the buns like you would with pretzels to give that chewy outside, these are brushed with a bicarbonate of soda solution to do the very same thing. Sprinkled with salt these will turn pretty dark once baked but I promise they'll be squidgey cinnamon pillows on the inside.

P R E T Z E L   C I N N A M O N   R O L L S
(Recipe adapted from The Kitchn, makes 12 rolls)

450g plain flour, plus more for kneading

7g dried packet yeast

4tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

100g dark brown sugar

3tbsp ground cinnamon

75g unsalted butter, softened

1tbsp bicarbonate of soda

salt for sprinkling 

• Add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and 175ml of warm water. Mix together with your hands to form a sticky lump and tip onto a floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth, slightly sticky ball.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
• Lightly grease a large ovenproof dish or tray.
• Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, tip out onto a floured surface and roll out to a 20 x 12 inch rectangle. 
• Spread the butter over the dough, reaching all the edges. Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar.
• Tightly roll the dough into a log starting with the short edge. Cut evenlt into 12 pieces, each an inch thick. Arrange onto the oven dish, leaving space between each roll. Loosely cover with some greased cling film and leave to rise once again in a warm place for about 30 minutes,
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. 
• Mix the bicarbonate of soda with 3tbsp of hot water and use a pastry brush to brush over the tops of each of the rolls. Immediately sprinkle with salt and bake for 35 minutes, until risen and darkly golden.

These rolls are best eaten on the day, but if by rare chance you've some left, gently warm them and you're good to go.

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Almond Chai Muffins with Chocolate Chunks

I don't know if you can tell, but I have the ultimate sweet tooth. For elevenses and after lunch slumps I'm always raiding the biscuit jar, I just can't help myself. On weeks where I'm much more organised I like to whip up a batch of healthier treats to stash in my desk drawer at work. Anything from muffins, flapjacks to banana bread.

Most weeks I do ok, other weeks I need a little more encouragement. So when Blue Diamond got in touch to tell me about their new '30 Ways to Goodness' campaign I was excited to try a new recipe for my snack box. In collaboration with fitness guru and blogger Faya Nilsson from Fitness on Toast, the team are encouraging you to feel good about yourself with a few simple tips in food and fitness. Together with Faya they've launched a video series to get both your tastebuds and body moving.

Whilst I may not start doing burpees behind the desk, I've been enjoying the brighter days by taking myself on lunchtime walks to get myself moving a little bit more. I tend to graze on snacks throughout the day so instead of sitting around in the canteen, I've been trying exploring the local area in my 45 minutes. Along with being organised in taking in healthier homemade snacks I've also being enjoying almond milk in my coffee to sweeten it up in place of my regular spoon of sugar.

A L M O N D   C H A I   M U F F I N S   W I T H   C H O C O L A T E   C H U N K S
(Recipe adapted from Simply Nigella, makes 12 muffins)

Whilst these aren't super healthy muffins, anything homemade is better than raiding the biscuit jar. Everything in moderation, right? Replace the flour for spelt flour, oil for coconut oil and sugar for honey if you're feeling adventurous. The chocolate chunks are entirely optional, currants or cacao nibs would work equally well too.

225ml Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 chai tea bags

400g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

150g soft light brown sugar

75g whole almonds, roughly chopped

100g milk chocolate chunks (optional)

2 eggs

150ml sunflower oil

• In a small pan, gently heat the milk, cinnamon and chai tea. Its easier to tear apart the tea bags and pour the tea into the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200 degrees and line a muffin tray with paper cases.
• Pour the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large mixing bowl and roughly whisk to remove any lumps. Add the almonds, apart from a few spoons, and the chocolate chunks.
• In the saucepan with the cooled milk, add the eggs and oil and whisk until combined.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until just incorporated. Sprinkle the rest of the almonds on the muffin tops. 
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the tops are golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Find out more about the '30 Ways to Goodness' campaign videos here, or recipes here. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze and other products are available in your local Sainsbury's, Tescos, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado. 

This post was kindly sponsored by Blue Diamond, but all views and opinions are my own. 

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Pork & Apple Burgers with Sticky Cider Onions

I'm just going to put it out there, its almost barbecue season. Not that I need any more excuse to eat burgers, but more of an excuse to try something a little different. Making burgers at home is super simple and quick but I tend to stick to my trusty tried and tested tricks. Tricks like maple bacon with some squidgy avocado or some fiery sriracha mayo. 

I was sent some of Aspall's new Waddlegoose cider to try and thought it would be the perfect match for pork, apple and sticky onions. These burgers can be made in under 30 minutes, sweet potatoes included. I didn't realise just how great pork burgers could be until now, I'm officially converted. And you don't even need a BBQ to make them

P O R K   &   A P P L E   B U R G E R S   W I T H   S T I C K Y   C I D E R   O N I O N S  
&   H O M E M A D E   S W E E T   P O T A T O   F R I E S
(Makes 4 regular burgers, or 2 epic burgers for the weekend)

SWEET POTATO FRIES

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chips

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp smoked paprika 

PORK & APPLE BURGERS

6-8 pork sausages or 500g pork mince

1 small apple, cored and grated

2 tbsp oil

2 onions, sliced into rings

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

150ml Waddlegoose Cyder

TO SERVE

4 burger buns (brioche or crispy white rolls are my favourite)

4 tbsp mayonnaise

handful of lambs lettuce, pea shoots or rocket

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Throw the sweet potato fries into a sandwich bag with the oil, paprika and season. Seal and shake until well coated. Place the fries in a single layer on the baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges turn golden and start to crisp.
• For the burgers, squeeze out the sausage meat from your sausages into a bowl or pork mince. Add the grated apple, season and mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 and form into equally shaped patties. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions soften and start to brown around the edges. Add the sugar and cider, mix together and turn up to a high heat. Leave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cider has evaporated.
• Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until smoking hot and add the burgers. Cook on each side for 3 minutes. Once cooked, leave to rest.
• Gently toast the cut sides of the burger buns on the griddle pan before spreading some mayonnaise over the bases and add some leaves. Top each with a burger and generous helping of sticky onions. Serve with sweet potato fries. 

Now I'm well and truly in the mood for sunshine I can't wait to create some Waddlegoose cocktails too! Find out more on Waddlegoose and stockists, here.

Thanks to Aspall and Waddlegoose for sending me a box of cider to give me the barbecue feeling! I was not paid for this post, my love for burgers is my own. 

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Sundried Tomato and Paprika Houmous

Recently I've been a houmous fiend. I've been dunking everything in it and smearing it over my salads and pittas. My favourites being the smokey piri piri ones or something with large chickpea chunks and pine nuts. My work lunches have got a little more Mediterranean each time the sun makes an appearance. Plenty of olives and feta too. 

After a recent Pinterest binge I had the full realisation of just how versatile houmous can be. THIS pin shows a whole heap of different beans and toppings you can use from black beans to edamame and beetroot. And not only that, you don't really need a recipe or measurements. So with some sundried-ish tomatoes and paprika lurking around I set to work...for all of two minutes!

Simply drain a can of chickpeas and chuck in a blender. I added around 80-90g of sundried tomatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice and a few spoons of paprika to taste. In my case, lashings.

To mix things up, you could use cannellini beans instead, roasted peppers or even avocado.

Besides the simplicity and speed, I'm a full homemade houmous convert now. I'll be chucking in everything I can find at the start of the week and snacking away al desko from now on!

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Chocolate Tiffin

Lets all start by pretending that we've maintained giving up chocolate for lent.

If you have, you're a braver person than I. And, if you haven't then yes my friend, this recipe is for you. Another one of those simple ones, no baking and very versatile. I unashamedly LOVE Costa's tiffins, so much so I've always meant to recreate them myself at home.

Its taken until now to make them...whilst I'm still off chocolate until the end of the week *ahem*. But now its been ticked off my recipe list, these tiffins will be a regular feature in my week. I'm so excited to throw everything in my cupboard at them next time.

C H O C O L A T E   T I F F I N
(Recipe from Mcvitie's, serves 12)

250g chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

200g unsalted butter

2tbsp golden syrup

150g roasted shelled hazelnuts, chopped

200g Mcvitie's Digestives, roughly chopped

150g sultanas

75g white chocolate

• Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper or cling film.
• In a bowl over a pan of barley simmering water, melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter. Stir to combine.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and add the hazelnuts, digestives and sultanas and fold together.
• Pour into the prepared tin and press down firmly into each corner.
• Melt the white chocolate in the same way as the dark chocolate. Drizzle or swirl over the tiffin to finish. Leave to set in the fridge before serving.

Thanks to the fabulous McVities for sending me the ingredients to cheer up my week! 

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Hot Cross Bun Muffins

Spring has officially sprung, hopefully at least. To celebrate I cracked out the first hot cross bun of the year and proceeded to get it stuck in my brand new toaster. As much as I love them, they do require reasonable effort. No kneading or double proving this week, just 45 minutes and two bowls for these hot cross bun muffins.

H O T   C R O S S   B U N   M U F F I N S
(Recipe adapted from Delicious, makes 12-16 muffins)

285g dried fruit (currants, sultanas and cranberries)

375g self raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

165ml sunflower oil

250ml buttermilk

2 eggs

200g caster sugar

80g icing sugar

1tsp lemon juice

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees and fill a muffin tray with paper muffin cases.
• In a small bowl, soak the dried fruit in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well.
• Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to a large bowl and whisk to remove any lumps.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs and sugar until fluffy. 
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the fruit.
• Divide between the muffin cases until two thirds full and bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes. The tops will be lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean. 
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, a few drops of hot water and mix to a smooth paste. 
• Once the muffins are cool, use a piping bag to drizzle a cross onto each muffin.
  
  

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Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pear Loaf Cake

You know when you scroll through Pinterest for ideas and everything looks absolutely perfect? You know those loaf cakes with the top of some pears peeking perfectly out. It turns out that Pinterest is sorcery and it is not to be trusted.

I tried it and was a little disillusioned to find that my loaf rose so much it covered the tops of the pears and they flopped to one side as if they'd drunk to much wine.

Unruly pears aside, I still love the contrast of the pear within the chocolate cinnamon loaf that each slice gives. My favourite way to serve it is warmed with a little custard or with a short, strong coffee for breakfast on a Monday. Just to make Monday's that little bit friendlier. And besides, it'll be one of your five a day.

C H O C O L A T E   C I N N A M O N   P E A R   L O A F   C A K E
(Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

Poached pears:

2-3 medium conference pears

400ml water

50g granulated sugar

1 tbsp orange/lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

Chocolate cinnamon loaf:

250g plain flour

140g soft light brown sugar

40g cocoa powder

1tsp baking powder

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

250ml buttermilk

90ml vegetable/sunflower oil

1tbsp plain flour

1tbsp cocoa powder

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

To finish:

75g white chocolate, melted

orange zest

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water and sugar to the bowl along with the juice and cinnamon. Once the sugar has fully dissolved, add the pears and bring to the boil once again. Cover and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the pears are tender. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and thoroughly grease a 2lb loaf tin.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients to remove any lumps. Take another bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk also. Add the wet into the dry ingredients and fold in until you have a smooth batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin.
5. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the tablespoon of flour, cocoa powder and half teaspoon of ground cinnamon until incorporated. Gently roll each pear in the mix until fully coated. Place the pears steam side up in the tin and push gently down towards the bottom. 
6. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

During baking the cake may rise over the top of the pears and they may sink a little, but that's ok. They will still look good when the loaf is sliced.

In place of buttermilk, I always make my own sour milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice but sour cream or yogurt would also work well.

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Rum & Sugar, West India Quays

Situated in an old Grade 1 listed warehouse in West India Quay, Rum & Sugar offers one of London's most extensive rum collections. Showcasing our Dockland history, this is exactly where rum and sugar was stored in London when it was shipped over from the Caribbean. Now reincarnated into a rum bar with a modern British menu, you couldn't get a better location.

Last week I was invited over to try out their new Spring menu and to try my hand at making some rum cocktails. Sounds pretty harmless, right?

We settled in with a little initiation to our evening with a cocktail made with rum, vermouth, apple and ginger. Some bar snacks including pulled chicken twists, chilli cheese fritters and sweet potato crackers. Anywhere with snacks before the main event is a winner in my books.

Then to actually start we had beetroot cured salmon, smoked potato salad with a beetroot and spiced rum purée. Beetroot has a natural affinity for salmon, perfectly earthy and great with smoked potatoes and the tang of the purée.

Next up, herb crusted cod, red pepper ragù with a peppered leak velouté. Deliciously tender cod with a fresh lift with the piquant ragù. Who needs fish and chips when you can have crispy leaks like this.

Sweet cajun glazed chicken salad: avocado mousse, crispy shallots, semi dried tomatoes, grilled baby gem and parmesan crisps. I'd eat salad every day if it could be like this one. 

And my absolute favourite, baked chocolate ganache, orange caramel, salted nut brittle and clotted cream. There's no doubt that I'm going to try and recreate this at home.

Suitably stuffed, we moved up to the bar to learn some cocktail making tips. It turns out that free pouring isn't as easy as it looks but great fun for giving generous measures! We started off with a dirty mojito made with Ron Barceló Gran Añejo, a dark rum aged for 4 years in an oak barrel and then passed through a charcoal filter. Mixed with equal parts of sugar syrup and lime juice, some slapped mint (a little trick to intensify aromas) and muddled with crushed ice.

Then onto another favourite of mine, Cosmos. Instead of the regular Cointreau we went for an apricot  white rum, shaken with two parts lime juice and one part cranberry juice. I may need to practice my Boston Shaker moves but my drinks cupboard is definitely going to be stocked with more rum now so I can recreated this at home.

My night at Rum & Sugar reminded me of a holiday in the Dominican Republic a few years ago, rum-soaked and full of great food. I shall most certainly return to try the rest of the menu. Its been a long time since I've been this excited by a restaurant in London.

Thanks to the fabulous Rum & Sugar team and Shy PR for inviting me and for their hospitality. All rum-soaked opinions are my own.

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