Celeriac and Blue Cheese Soda Bread

My husband's mum gave us a calander when we went to theirs after Christmas, it's from Abel and Cole and came free with their veg box.  Every month it has a lovely looking recipe to follow and this month I decided to give the recipe a go.  It was a pretty simple looking recipe for creating a kind of bread but using self raising flour rather than yeast.  I used up a chunk of celeriac that I had loftover from making soups and the only ingredient I needed to buy was the blue cheese, I chose a vintage stilton.  The recipe said it would take 40 mins at 180 degrees but I ended up leaving it for a good hour because it was quite a wet mixture and a knife came out wet after 40 minutes.
Here is the recipe if you would loke to give it a try:

175g Self raising flour,
175g coursley grated celeriac,
Pinch of pepper,
75g crumbled stilton,
50ml natural yogurt diluted to 100ml with water,
1 egg beaten.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees,

Mix flour, celeriac pepper and cheese,
Whisk yogurt, water and egg and fold into flour mixture to form a wet bit firm dough.

Place on an oiled baking tray,
Bake for 40 mins or till golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Yummy!  We ate it with our dinner but I am sure it would be lovely with soup.  It's inspiring to have made something that is so like bread in such a short amount of time, I will remember this in future when I realise I have run out of bread and don't have 6 hours to wait for a loaf to rise, I can easily make something to go with soup and not have to rush to the shops and buy a nasty supermarket loaf. 

Tasty Hot Cross Buns

Easter is fast approaching so appropriately I have been baking hot cross buns, yummy and spicy and delicious hot with butter.  They are fairly easy to make but you have to be a bit patient because they contain yeast so there is a bit of waiting for it to rise.

Here is the tasty recipe:

Ingredients:
Two tsps yeast,
500g/1lb plain flour,
4 tbsps caster sugar,
1 tsp mixed spice,
1 tsp cinnamon,
40g/1 1/4oz butter
155g/5oz mixed dried fruit.

paste for the crosses:
30g plain flour,
1/4 tsp caster sugar.

Glaze:
1 1/2 tbsps caster sugar,
1 tsp gelatine.

Place yeast, two teaspoons of the flour, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 125ml/4fl warm water.  Leave in a war place until foamy.
Sift the flour and spices into a bowl, mix in the sugar then rub in the butter with fingertips.  Add fruit.
Stir in the yeasty water and add up to 185ml/6fl water to  make a soft dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 mins or until smooth.
Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 30-40 mins or until doubled in size.
Pre-heat the over to 200 degrees C.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface, knead gently to deflate and divide into 12 portions.  Place on a greased baking tray, cover and leave for about 20 mins or until doubled in size.
To make the crosses, mix the flour and sigar with enough water to make a paste, pipe onto the buns in crosses.
Bake for 20 mins or until golden brown.
For the glaze mix the gelatine and sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and stir over a low heat unti dissolved.  Brush over the buns.
Leave to cool, or eat immediately and enjoy!

Valentines day treats

I presented my husband with a thoroughly crafty valentines this year after spending most of Monday baking, sewing and dipping!
I made a simple card combining felt and blanket stitch with embroidery thread.  I simply cut a heart shape from a piece of red felt then stitched a blanket stitch round the edge for decoration.

I then sewed the words onto the heart using a chain stitch.

I stuck it onto a piece of white card and sewed a running stitch round the edge of the card to add decoration. I punched holes in the card with a sharp needle before sewing to make it easier.

I had my first go at making cake pops following the instructions on A Beautiful Mess.  Only I made mine far too big so couldn't put them on sticks, I discovered they were too big to my detriment when one splatted!

I then dribbled chocolate over them and added sprinkles and drizzled chocolate for decoration.  

I used Betty Crocker Devils Food cake mix and Betty Crocker Chocolate fudge fondant icing.

I used up the rest of the Betty Crocker mix by making "I love you" cupcakes, iced with the chocolate fudge fondant icing. 

Also dipped some marshmallows in chocolate and sprinkles.  Hubby was very pleased.  And I was very pleased with  my huge box of chocolates, two boxed actually, and a bunch of red roses.  Hope you all had a lovely, crafty valentines day.