Best brownies and Mince pies!

I can't remember if I've blogged these brownies before, anyway if not here they are again. They are so delicious (I really don't have a sweet tooth but love these!) and very economical as you don't need to spend a fortune on bars of chocolate with 75% or more of cocoa solids. I just use normal; supermarket cocoa. Children will enjoy getting involved in the making of these.

Thanks Dee for the recipe.

You will need:

150 g/5oz unsalted butter
255 g/9oz sugar
80g/3oz cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
75 g /2 1/2 oz plain flour
Cup of nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts. Optional.


Preheat oven to gas 3, 160 C, 325 F. Grease and line a square dish, approx 9 x 9  inches  with baking parchment.

Melt butter in a bowl in the microwave, or in a pan over a medium heat, add the sugar, and then the cocoa powder , stir until all the lumps are gone.
Add the vanilla, salt and eggs and stir well. Gently fold in the flour until just combined, don't over mix, then stir in the nuts if using.

 Pour into  your dish.


Bake for 50 mins-to an hour, or until the top feels set, insert a skewer, it should be moist and squidgy in the middle.

Cool in the tin, and cut into squares. Tastes divine!

I also made another batch of mince pies today, shop bought are NOT the same... They don't last long in my house, my husband and kids love them, not a fan myself. This recipe is brilliant, but you MUST add some cold water or milk to bind the pastry together, or it is more like biscuit. Whoever devised this recipe must have made an error in not stating this in the ingredients.

Link here

Happy baking!

Comfort food...

BBRRR,well, its turned very cold hasn't it? Hats, scarves and gloves for us, on school run yesterday and today, heating on. On cold days like this, don't we all want and crave, warm comfort food.

I fancied  pasta bake today, and its always quick, and easy to cook,  (20 mins prep, plus 20-25 mins in oven), you could make this up in the morning, and pop into oven, when you get back from school, or work. I just made this up as I went along today, with stuff I had that need using up, and it turned out rather superb!

                                                         Smokey Sausage Pasta Bake
                                                       
                                                                  Should serve 6                                  


                                                         1x 500 g packet penne pasta
                                                          6 Cumberland pork sausages
                                                                      I large onion
                                                                     2 cloves garlic
                                                              1 tin chopped tomatoes
                                                          1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
                                                              2 slugs dark soy sauce
                                                              2 slugs balsamic vinegar
                                                                        1tsp sugar
                                                            1tsp wholegrain mustard
                                                             Salt and pepper to taste
                                                       100 ml double cream (optional)
                                                 Grated medium cheddar to cover the top
                                                              
   Preheat oven to gas 6/200
  Boil pasta  in salted water, until nearly cooked, drain, set aside in a large baking dish
  Grill sausages, until cooked through. slice diagonally when cooled.
  Slice onion, fry until soft, add chopped garlic, cook for 1 min, add tomatoes, and all other ingredients, except the cream, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Season to taste.
Add the cream, personally I love it, makes it a little more luxurious, but not so healthy, hey ho, it's ok  once in a while ;) heat through add a slug of milk so its not too thick, then mix into the pasta, into prepared oven dish, add the sausages, mix everthing together then sprinke with cheese. cover with foil.

                                                    
   Bake in centre top of oven for 15 mins, take foil off cook for further 10 mins until golden and crispy.

Serve with some green salad.

Yummy!

I also made the kids some very moreish chocolate brownies.

  These are dead simple to make and don't need any expensive chocolate, just plain cocoa, but they taste luxurious!

   This  recipe is from my fellow blogger Choc girl here

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

100g butter

200g sugar

2 eggs

75g plain flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Tweak* I like couple small handfuls nuts, hazlenuts, pecans and walnuts are good!

 preheat your oven to 180°c/gas 4/350°f

grease or line a 20 x 20cm baking tin

over a low heat melt the butter and cocoa powder :

* I give it a quick zap in the microwave until melted*

leave to cool :

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients together and add the vanilla extract :

break the eggs to your cooled chocolatey-butter mixture and stir well :

now tip the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry stuff and mix carefully :

don't over do it!

your mix will be quite thick and gorgeously glossy :

Spoon into your prepared tin, smooth over and bake for

15 - 20 minutes ~ it should be springy to touch but squidgey inside

You need small child or older ones to lick the bowl clean! 

Gooey chocolately heaven

    I'm off to my halloween party tomorrow, so pics to follow of  cakes, outfits etc, as mentioned in previous post.   Happy weekend to you all :)