Is Frozen Best???

The Great British Cake Off.

Over the next few weeks my friends and I have decided to test each others baking skills, all keen bakers and all thinking they are better than the other, what better way to settle the argument.   Starting from tomorrow we will be taking it in turns baking a cake, tasting and marking them. I’m up first|!!!!

There’s nothing that I like more than a bit of friendly competition.  So what to bake? what will win? something traditional? or something a bit more modern?  In my opinion there is nothing better than a fresh and soft Victoria Sponge with a layer of fruity strawberry conserve and a fluffy butter cream, and to add a bit of a twist I cover mine with a white chocolate icing.

This is so easy to make, all you need is equal measures of flour butter and caster sugar – to make two 9 inch sandwich tins you will need 400g self raising flour, 4oog soft butter, 400g caster sugar, 5 eggs & vanilla to taste.

Cream your sugar and butter together, add your eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly, fold in your flour. Add two teaspoons of vanilla essence.  Split the mixture into the tins evenly.  Bake at 180 degrees for 20/25 mins.

For the filling – cream 150 g soft butter, mix in 250g icing sugar and add two table spoons of hot water.  Once the cakes have cooled, spread one half of your cake with the butter cream and the other half with your strawberry conserve.

Melt 300g good quality white chocolate – poor over the cake and let it work its way out to the sides, sprinkle with hundreds and thousands – leave to cool.

To order a buffet or cake from 5 aday catering please visit our website @ http://bit.ly/117HnsR

Waste not, Want not….

creamy broccoli and blue cheese soup

Another great tasting recipe from 5 aday catering

If your anything like me and our household wasting food is not an option in these challenging austerity times.  Now more than ever with the ever-increasing prices in food and fuel I like to ensure that nothing ever goes to waste.

So that got me thinking, we have friends coming over for dinner this weekend, and with the main course already sorted (another roast, after all you can’t beat it!) what to do for starters and pudding…. With the winter weather dragging it self out, something warm and comforting and of course homemade.

With plenty of Apples in the fruit bowl and a couple of Broccoli stems in the fridge, how about Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup for starters and Apple Mix fruit crumble for pudding?  Quick and easy top make and no faffing around when our guests arrive.

What you will need for the soup:

2 Medium sized Broccoli Stems

1 Medium sized onion

Blue Cheese of your choice (I use Danish Blue)

2 Sticks celery

Few sprigs Fresh Thyme

2 Large Potatoes

Chicken/Vegetable Stock

Creme Fraiche

All you need to do is sweat the onion and celery in a little olive oil for about 5 mins, cut up the broccoli and add this into the pan and continue to sweat for a further few mins.  Peel and cut up the potatoes in the chunks and add to the pan, add the stock and bring to the boil.  Once boiled, turn the heat down and simmer for 30 mins.  With a hand blender blitz all the contents of the pan until you have a smooth consistency, and the fresh thyme and season to taste.  Serve in bowl and add a teaspoon of creme fraiche to each bowl and serve with my homemade warm crusty bread.