THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

These chocolate brownies are absolutely divine just on their own. They are mouthwateringly fudgy and totally addictive. If you ask any of my friends, they would say I don't really eat chocolate .. believe me, if these are any where near me, I cannot resist them! They are just so good! 

MAKES 20 BROWNIES
450g Unsalted Butter, roughly chopped
450g Dark Chocolate Drops (50% cocoa solids)
450g Castor Sugar

8 Eggs

120g whole blanched hazelnuts (optional)
120g Dark Chocolate Drops 
(I use 70% cocoa solids here but 50% will work well too)
170g Plain Flour

METHOD

Preheat oven to 150C fan.

Grease and line a 36 x 26 cm baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the butter and 50% chocolate drops into a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of barely simmering water to melt. Ensure that the bowl is not touching the water as you don't want the chocolate to burn. Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth.

With a hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, light & fluffy.

Slowly pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and stir gently to combine.

Add the hazelnuts, 70% chocolate drops and flour to the mixture and fold in gently until fully incorporated.

Pour into the greased and lined baking tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Check after 20 minutes and turn to get even colour. The brownie is cooked when it is just firm to touch but still with a bit of softness when pressed gently on top. This will mean a lovely fudgy texture in the centre. 

Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

Serve them whatever way you like.. with cream, ice cream, raspberry coulis, with a big cup of tea.. you choose!

RHUBARB MERINGUE TART

Just a few ago, my brother and his wife and two children moved home from Australia after four years living there. To celebrate their homecoming and our first family dinner altogether again, I decided to make this delicious and fun rhubarb meringue tart. It's a great one for dinner party as you can make it ahead and it also looks impressive to your guests.

Serves 8-10

Equipment
1 x loose based 9" flan tin
1 x piping bag
1 x plain 1cm piping nozzle

For the pastry
200g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
50g icing sugar
1 large egg, beaten

For the filling
1kg rhubarb, trimmed & cut into 2 inch lengths
125g castor sugar
Zest of 1 orange

For the meringue
4 egg whites
220g castor sugar

METHOD

First make the pastry. 

Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl and add the cubed, cold butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Keep everything as chilled as possible to ensure a light, flakey result to your pastry. Add the egg and mix to bring together. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes, until firm but not hard. 

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line flan tin. Prick the pastry base a number of times with a skewer, being careful not to pierce the whole way through. Chill for a further 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile make rhubarb filling. 

Preheat the oven to 150C. Place the prepared rhubarb in a baking tray/oven proof dish, with the sugar and orange zest and toss to coat. Cook for approximately 20 - 25 minutes until just tender. Drain well and then leave aside to cool. 

While the rhubarb is cooling, line the pastry case with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 - 20 minutes until the pastry case is almost fully cooked and the paper easily comes away from the pastry. Remove the paper and baking beans, brush lightly with beaten egg and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes until the pastry is fully cooked and a light gold colour.

Make the meringue

Put the egg whites in a spotlessly clean and dry bowl of a food mixer and whisk to soft peaks. Gradually add half the sugar and continue to whisk until you have glossy, white peaks. Add in the remaining sugar and whisk for another minute until the mixture is smooth, thick and glossy. 

Assemble

Turn the oven temperature down to 140C. Fill the pastry case with the cooked, drained rhubarb. Spread three quarters of the meringue over the top of the tart and then pipe the remaining meringue, in small peaks, over the surface. Bake for about an hour at 140C until the mixture is crisp on the outside and golden on top. If it's not colouring enough for you, you can give it one final minute under the grill but watch carefully!

Allow to cool before removing from the tin and serving.

IRISH 'LUMPER' POTATO BREAD

Last week, I was kindly invited to a lunch in Gallagher's Boxty House, Dublin, to celebrate the reintroduction of a unique heritage potato, the ‘Irish Lumper’, into the Irish market. The 'Lumper' potato was widely grown in Ireland in the early 19th century. Potatoes became the staple diet of many Irish families at this time. Widespread crop failure of the lumper potato contributed to mass emigration from Ireland in the 1840's. 

Glens of Antrim Potatoes are celebrating the resurrection of the 'lumper' potato which has not been commercially cultivated since the potato famine of the 1840s. Specially developed and propagated from a handful of rare seedlings, the Irish Lumper, a distinctive knobbly potato, was launched into the Irish market on Monday the 11th of March. 

"Provenance is at the core of our business and five years ago we launched a variety development programme to bring back improved versions of local favourites which had been long forgotten. Following a period of heavy investment, and working closely with a specialist grower, we are now able to reintroduce a famous potato which has not been seen for over 170 years." - Michael McKillop, MD of Glens Of Antrim Potatoes

To celebrate the launch of the 'lumper' potato and coinciding with St.Patrick's Day celebrations, I decided to create a recipe for Irish potato bread using the 'lumper' potato. This is an amazingly light and soft bread, delicious fresh out of the oven or toasted with poached or scrambled eggs. I hope you enjoy!

IRISH 'LUMPER' POTATO BREAD

Equipment:  1lb loaf tin  - lightly oiled with sunflower oil

INGREDIENTS:
400g lumper potatoes
(300g cooked weight)
1 tbsp butter
75ml milk, plus a little extra for brushing on the dough
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fast action yeast
300g strong white flour
1 tsp salt

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180C fan.

Peel the lumper potatoes and cook in a pot of boiling salted water for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
Drain and mash with 1 tbsp butter. Leave aside for a few minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, place 75ml of milk in a small pot and heat very gently, until the milk is around body temperature. Not too hot or too cold so as not to kill the yeast. Add in the yeast and sugar, stir gently and leave for 5 minutes.

Place the flour, salt and cooled mashed potato in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, sugar and yeast mixture. Turn the mixer on a low speed and allow to knead for 5-6 minutes. (You could also do this by hand, by bringing together the mixture in a large bowl, then turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or so, until you have achieved a smooth, springy dough.)

Place dough in a lightly oiled, clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This may take 1 -2 hours.

When the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and punch down to knock back. Knead gently for a minute and shape the dough to fit your bread tin. Cover loosely with clingfilm and let rise again for a second time in a warm place. When the dough has risen to the rim of the loaf tin, it is ready to bake. Do not allow it to over rise. This should take approximately 30 minutes.

Brush the dough lightly with milk and place in a preheated oven at 180C to bake for 40-50 minutes. After 35 - 40 minutes of cooking, you can remove the bread from the tin and place it upside down in the oven so it gets a lovely crisp crust. The bread is fully baked if it sounds hollow when tapped at the bottom.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY SHAMROCK SHORTBREADS

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the festivities. Laura x

INGREDIENTS: 
180g plain flour
125g butter, cold and cubed
55g castor sugar

METHOD:
Preaheat your oven to 170C fan. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add the cold, cubed butter and gently rub into the flour with your fingertips until you have fine breadcrumbs. Bring the mixture together and knead lightly until it forms a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a shamrock shaped cutter or cut into rounds a pastry cutter. Bake in a preheated oven at 170C for 8-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the biscuit. They should be cooked to a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

CAKE DECORATING - BABY SHOWER CAKE

Here is a little snippet of what I was up to at the weekend, making & decorating my first ever baby shower cake!

I absolutely loved bringing out my creative side and getting in to the detail with my scalpel! Maybe my architecture model making skill will finally overlap with my love for food and cooking!! 

ICING THE CAKE WITH ROLL OUT ICING

GETTING EXCITED HAND CUTTING & DECORATING THE MINI CLOTHES!

THE CUTEST MINI BABY GROW!

PANTS, SOCKS, SHORTS, DRESSES.. I WAS BEGINNING TO GET A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY AT THIS POINT!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT :-)

FENNEL, ORANGE & WALNUT SALAD

Fennel can be baked, stewed or braised but I think the best fennel recipes leave the fennel raw. This is a really quick, easy and healthy winter salad. Delicious served with panfried mackerel fillets as a main course or starter. You could bulk it up with some avocado and thinly sliced apple to eat on its own. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 - 15 mins      Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced as thinly as possible
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled and segmented
handful of walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped*

Dressing:
zest & juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper

METHOD:
In  a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.

Segment the orange over another large bowl and squeeze any excess juice from the skin into the bowl.

Add the thinly sliced fennel and onion and toss to combine.

Dress the salad to your taste by adding a small amount of the dressing at a time and tossing to coat. Taste and add more as you need. Finally add the toasted walnuts, toss and serve.

* To toast the walnuts, place them in a preheated oven at 180C for 8-10 minutes

BASIC PANCAKE RECIPE

Enjoy Pancake Tuesday without any flops this year and try this really simple and light pancake recipe. I am a big fan of a classic lemon and sugar pancake but you can fill these pancakes with whatever you wish! As a child it was always about how many pancakes you could possibly fit in so we would always  double or triple this recipe in my house!

Chocolate Ganache & Hazelnut Pancake

 INGREDIENTS:
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
250ml milk mixed with 50ml water
25g butter

EQUIPMENT: non-stick frying pan / pancake pan

MAKES: 10-12 pancakes

METHOD:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then crack in the eggs. Whisk the eggs a little and begin to incorporate some of the flour.

Gradually add the milk and water, a small amount at a time, whisking constantly to achieve a smooth batter. When all the liquid has been added, scrape around the edges of the bowl to mix in any excess of flour. Whisk once more until the batter is completely smooth.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or pancake pan over a medium to high heat. Add the butter to the pan and when it has fully melted, whisk the melted butter into the pancake mixture. Your pan will be nicely greased now to do your first test pancake.

Ladle a small amount of the pancake mixture onto the hot pan, swirling the mixture gently to make a thin coating over the whole base of the pan.

When the pancake mixture becomes lightly golden around the outside and has cooked enough that it has loosened from the bottom of the pan, flip the pancake gently using a spatula or with a good flick of your wrist! The other side with only take a few seconds to cook.

Layer the pancakes between sheets of greaseproof paper and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve whatever way you like: nutella, classic lemon and sugar, savoury ham and cheese, chocolate ganache & strawberries. The choice is yours!

Classic Lemon & Sugar Pancake

Orange & Harissa Glazed Mackerel with Quinoa & Roasted Vegetable Salad

Serves: 4

1 courgette, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 red pepper, thickly sliced

2 garlic cloves, whole with skin on

1 red onion, cut into thick wedges

handful cherry tomatoes, halved

juice of 1 lime

handful coriander, roughly chopped

4 x 300g mackerel fillets, skin on and de-boned
4 tbsp seasoned flour

1 tsp smoked paprika

Handful pine nuts, toasted

2 cups quinoa (dry)

1 litre chicken stock or water

Harissa Glaze
Juice & zest 1 orange
2 tsp harrisa paste
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C Fan.

Place the chopped courgette, pepper and garlic in a roasting tray, drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for an initial 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the seasoned flour and paprika on a large plate. Roll the mackerel fillets lightly in the flour, then leave aside in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  Combine the ingredients for the harissa glaze in a bowl.

Add the cherry tomatoes and red onion to the roasting tray and continue to cook the vegetables for a further 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa for one minute, allowing the water to evaporate.

Add the stock/water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Then, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave stand, covered, for a further 5 minutes.

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven when cooked. Squeeze the pulp from the roasted garlic and stir through the quinoa. Add the rest of the vegetables, lime juice and chopped coriander to the quinoa and stir gently to combine.

To cook the mackerel, heat a non-stick frying pan till very hot - almost smoking. Add a drizzle of olive oil and then fry the mackerel fillets for 5 minutes, first on the skin side, then on the flesh side. When the fish is nearly cooked add the harissa glaze and allow to bubble away for a minute or so until the glaze becomes sticky. Serve skin side up with the roasted vegetable and quinoa salad and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts on top.

Healthy Granola - Healthy New Year!

Working on my feet all day,  I need a good wholesome and nutritious breakfast to keep me going. I've always been a bit weary of granola;  although it sounds healthy, it is quite often high in fat and sugar. Avoid the unnecessary calories and sugar by baking your own granola at home.

In this recipe there is no butter at all, I have reduced the sugar to a minimum and I have used orange juice, and rapeseed oil to achieve a naturally sweet and moist granola.

Ingredients:
200g rolled oats
40g desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
60g pumpkin seeds
60g chopped slivered almonds
60g chopped walnuts
2 tsp cinnamon
60ml orange juice
60g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 tsp rapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 150C fan

Method:
Combine the rolled oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds,almonds, walnuts and cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, honey, maple syrup and brown sugar. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the syrup over the oat mixture, bit by bit, stirring well to make sure everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat .

Bake for an initial 10 minutes in the oven at 150C, then remove and stir well. Bake for an additional 10- 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Serve with some natural yoghurt and blueberries, or any fresh or dried fruit of your choice.

I'M A FINALIST WAHOO!!

Blog Awards Ireland 2012
I'm so delighted to tell you all that I have been selected as a finalist for 'The Best Newcomer' in The Blog Awards Ireland 2012! There were just under 200 blogs in this category so I am absolutely thrilled that I have been selected as one of the final 7! I really can't believe it!
Thank you so much to everyone who nominated me and to all the judges who gave up so much of their time to go through the long lists of blogs and find mine!
Unfortunately I won't be able to make the awards night on Saturday the 13th October as I have a family night before my wedding but would love if you all would have your fingers and toes crossed for me that night!! Here's to the best year of my life and blogging being a huge part of that!

Dublin Cookery School
I have lots of other news to share with you guys. I have just finished my first week of my new job, working full time as an Assistant Tutor in Lynda Booth's Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock. I must say, I was sad to leave Avoca and all the great friends I made there but I thought long and hard about the huge opportunity I was being offered; to learn so much, be immersed in teaching people who are as passionate about food as I am, and getting to meet so many great chefs who come in the door.

We currently have a class of three month and one month students, who are busy working away in the kitchen every day, learning lots of new things. This week they had a brilliant day, bread making with Rossa Crowe of Le Levain bakery, where he taught them lots of technical tips about how to make the best breads from home or as a business.

There are a huge range of other exciting courses going on in the school from evening courses in knife skills to corporate evenings and cooking for friends courses.

You should check out there website here for more detailed information about upcoming courses:

http://www.dublincookeryschool.ie/Courses.aspx

Students busy at work in Dublin Cookery School

Eating my way around France
Previous to starting my new job, I managed to get away for a weeks holidays in France. We travelled to a lovely, little, picturesque town called L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue in south-east France.

Our week consisted mainly of sitting by the pool, reading our books by day, then eating and drinking great food and wine by night. L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a great place for foodies. There is a wonderful food market every Sunday which takes over the whole town. You could spend hours wandering the streets, taking in the atmosphere and indulging in cheeses, tapenades, olives and checking out the local crafts such as soaps, lavender bath lotions and the array of colourful dishes. There is such a brilliant buzz around the place with people enjoying a glass of rosé in the sun while enjoying some Sunday lunch.

Over the week, we ate in a few lovely restaurants in L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue and in the surrounding area. The first evening we arrived, we headed up to Le Bistrot de Saumane, a beautiful restaurant perched on the edge of the hilltop in Saumane, with a spectular view back down across the valley. I had no trouble finishing a giant steak and mouth watering chips lathered in provence herbs. This was exactly what we needed after a long day travelling.

Our next foodie adventure was to a new restaurant called 'Umami' in the centre of L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue . You would quite easily walk by this restaurant and think nothing of it as it looks quite shabby from the outside. Don't let this put you off. The food is really tasty, the service is fantastic and the menu is very reasonably priced. I would most definitely return here. www.restaurant-umami.fr

Satay Pork Skewers with Fragrant Rice

Raspberry Sorbet & Praline Ice Cream

Grenache Day
We were very lucky to be in France to celebrate Grenache Day on the 21st of September - a day to celebrate the grenache grape. This day coincided with the last day of our holidays, so we decided to really treat ourselves and head to Michelin Star restaurant 'Le Vivier' . As part of the celebration, Le Vivier had set a special 6 course dinner menu with each course accompanied by a different grenache wine. Restaurant Le Vivier is owned a run by an unbelievably welcoming and friendly couple Patrick and Celine Fischnaller. It is decorated in a contemporary, urban style. They have managed to create an almost enchanted setting, with orange and brown lighting, black grass carpets and fish hanging whimsically from red chandeliers over the bar and bobbing in goldfish bowls. Below are pictures of some of the dishes we had. It was incredible!

Pumpkin soup with fried porcini mushrooms & foie gras

Chestnut Mousse in a Chocolate Ball

'Le 17 Place aux Vins'

If you are looking to seek out some good wines to enjoy while you are staying in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, head to no other than the 'Le 17 Place aux Vins': 17, place Rose Goudard 84800 L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. '17', is both an off licence and a wine bar. It is a fabulous place to sit and enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace or to wander in and select a few bottles of wine to bring home. They do really nice tapas style food and antipasti platters which are also delicious.

Keeping up my creativeness
With my wedding just over 3 weeks away, I have been busy designing and making invites, mass booklets, placenames and lots more. It has been busy but it has been a great way to keep my creative spark going. The wedding cake is well under way as well. The fruit cake is made, the ribbons are bought and the final idea is sketched out. The final layers will be made on the week itself! - Our apartment has officially turned back into a studio! :-p

The studio!