Pancakes

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Food Ireland

Perfect pancakes that’ll leave your taste buds flipping!

pancake

Ingredients:

125g/4oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 Egg
300ml/½ pint Milk
Oil for frying
To serve
Chocolate spread
Ice cream

Method:

1. Sieve flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour, break in the egg and add about a third of the milk.
3. Beat well, gradually pouring in the rest of the milk and drawing the flour to make a smooth batter.
4. Pour batter into a jug and allow to stand for about 30 minutes.
5. Brush a pancake pan or frying pan with oil. When pan is hot, give batter a stir before pouring a thin layer onto pan.
6. Fry until golden brown, turn and fry other side until brown also.
7. Stack pancakes on a large plate, as they are cooked.
8. Spread with chocolate spread, roll and add ice cream.

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Irish cream and chocolate cheesecake

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Food Ireland

The smooth, creamy liqueur gives this celebration cheesecake the wow factor. Top with grated chocolate and a dusting of cocoa.

baileysandchocolate

Ingredients:

100g/3½oz butter
250g/8¾oz digestive biscuits, crushed
600g/1lb 5oz cream cheese
25ml/1fl oz Baileys or other Irish cream liqueur
100ml/3½oz icing sugar
300ml/10½oz double cream, whipped
100g/3½oz grated chocolate

To garnish
200ml/7¼oz double cream, whipped
cocoa powder, to dust

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the crushed digestive biscuits. Mix well until the biscuits have absorbed all the butter.
2. Remove from the heat and press into the bottom of a lined 18cm/7in springform tin.
3. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for one hour.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Lightly whip the cream cheese then beat in the Irish cream and icing sugar.
5. Fold in the whipped cream and grated chocolate. When smooth, spoon evenly onto the biscuits.
6. Refrigerate and allow to set for a further two hours.
7. Once set, remove and decorate with whipped cream and cocoa powder dusted over the top. Serve.

Source: Rob Burns

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Potato Soup

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Food Ireland

A comforting classic, this easy potato soup uses a handful of store cupboard ingredients to great effect.

potato soup

Ingredients:

55g/2oz butter
425g/15oz potatoes, peeled and diced to 5mm/1/3in
110g/4oz onions, diced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
900ml/1½pt home-made chicken stock or vegetable stock
120ml/4fl oz creamy milk
freshly chopped herbs to garnish

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them in the butter until well coated.
2. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with a butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat on a gentle heat for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured add the boiling stock and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
4. Add the milk and purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Serve sprinkled with a few freshly chopped herbs or some of the following garnishes.

Source: Darina Allen

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Guinness Cupcakes

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Food Ireland

This beetroot and Guinness cupcake recipe is deliciously moist. Perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Stout Cupcakes

Ingredients:

75g/2¾oz cocoa powder
175g/6oz plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g/8oz caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
225g/8oz cooked beetroot (no added vinegar)
100ml/3½fl oz Irish stout
100ml/3½fl oz corn oil

For the cream cheese icing:
200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz full-fat cream cheese
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out.
450g/1lb icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl.
3. Blend the eggs, beetroot, stout and oil in a food processor until smooth.
4. Stir the beetroot into the flour mixture until just combined (do not overmix).
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes have risen and the tops are springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
6. For the cream cheese icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth; then slowly beat in the icing sugar.
7. Spread the icing onto the muffins with a knife or spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in star nozzle and pipe the icing onto the muffins.

Source: Simon Rimmer

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Good Auld Bacon And Cabbage

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Food Ireland

Irish bacon and cabbage is the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day dish.

Bacon & Cabbage

Ingredients:

2lb Boiling Bacon
1 Medium sized cabbage – Savoy if possible.
50g (2oz) butter
freshly ground pepper
Parsley Sauce

Method:

Cover the bacon in cold water in a large pot and bring slowly to the boil. If the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in which case it is preferable to discard the water and start again. Finally, cover with hot water and the lid of the pot and simmer until almost cooked, allowing 20 minutes for every 2.2kg (1lb).

Meanwhile, trim the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it into quarters, removing the core. Discard the core and outer leaves. Slice the cabbage across the grain into thin shreds. If necessary, wash it quickly in cold water. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking the bacon, add the shredded cabbage to the water in which the bacon is boiling. Stir, cover and continue to boil gently until both the cabbage and bacon are cooked.

Take the bacon out and strain the cabbage and discard the water (or, if it’s not too salty, save it for soup). Add a lump of butter to the cabbage. Season with lots of ground pepper; it’s unlikely to need more salt, but add some if necessary. Serve the bacon with the cabbage, parsley sauce and floury potatoes.

Posted in Bacon, Dinner & Main Course, St. Patrick's Day | Leave a comment

Shamrock Cupcakes

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Food Ireland

Cupcakes Fit For A Saint

Cupcakes-fit-for-a-Saint

Ingredients:

Makes 24
200g caster sugar
200g soft butter
4 medium eggs
1tsp Irish cream liqueur (optional)
200g self-raising flour

Frosting:
1 pack green sugarpaste icing sugar
1 tub ready-made royal icing

Method:

24 muffin cases
Shamrock cutter

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, fan 160ºC, gas mark 4. Put the sugar and butter in an electric mixer and beat until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and add slowly to the mix, using medium speed. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a little of the flour. 3. When the eggs and butter mixture is well combined, mix in the liqueur (if using) and the remaining flour at slow speed.
4. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases using two teaspoons or a piping bag with a wide nozzle [no.10].
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sponge is lightly golden and springs back to the touch.
6. Leave to cool before icing.

To make shamrock decorations:
1. Roll out the green sugarpaste to about 3mm thickness using a little icing sugar to prevent sticking.
2. Cut out shamrock shapes and put to one side.
3. Prepare the royal icing as on the pack and cover the cupcakes with a spoon or pallet knife
[Add green colouring if desired].
4. Place the green shamrock shapes on the icing before completely set.
5. Wait until fully set before serving.

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St Patrick’s Day Soup with Shamrock Shaped Cheese Croutons

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Food Ireland

St. Patrick's Day Soup

Ingredients:

Serves 4
60g butter
2 medium white onion, chopped
600g potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
800ml vegetable or chicken stock
240g sorrel leaves, shredded

Cheese Croutons
2 slices thick wholemeal bread
Olive oil or melted butter to brush on
100g grated Irish cheese

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and potato and cook gently, covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add salt, pepper and stock and bring to the boil.
3. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the sorrel leaves and cook for 5 minutes more.
5. Liquidise the soup until smooth.

To make the Cheese Croutons:
1. Cut shapes from the bread and brush lightly with olive oil or butter.
2. Grill on one side then turn over and sprinkle with the grated cheese and grill until cheese is melted.
3. Place on top of the hot soup.

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Black Pudding & Goats Cheese Parcels with a Red Onion Marmalade & a Mixed Leaf Salad

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Food Ireland

The perfect dish to impress friends with. The flavours work magically together. A dish not to be missed!!

Black pudding parcel

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry
8 (1cm) slices of Black pudding
4 (1cm) slices of goats cheese (small roll)
1 egg
4 handfuls approx. mixed leaf salad
olive oil

For the red onion marmalade
4 medium red onions
200 ml balsamic vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
100 g demerara brown sugar

Method:

1. Get your red onions sliced into thin strips and add them to a pot. Add in the balsamic vinegar, sugar and cinnamon sticks, which are broken in half, and mix well. Place over a medium heat and make sure to keep an eye on it as you don’t want it to boil as it can give a burnt taste to the marmalade. Taste every few minutes and if it’s still very sharp it may need a bit more sugar. You’ll know it’s ready when you run a spoon against the base of the pot and the liquid slowly comes back together.
2. Lay your sheet of puff pastry out on a table. Make sure to defrost it first if frozen and don’t leave it over a heater for too long as it will destroy the pastry. Making puff pastry from scratch I’m told is very tricky so your better off buying the frozen stuff.
3. Cut your slices of black pudding and goats cheese. Place a piece of black pudding about two inches in from one of the corner and then place a piece of goats cheese on top of it followed by another piece of black pudding. Cut a square from the pastry once you know approximately the size needed so each corner can reach the centre at the top of the stack.
4. Remove the stack and thin out the pastry by pressing down lightly on it working your way out from the centre. If you don’t do this the pastry can come out very thick after cooking.
5. Put the stack back in the centre and bring each corner of the pastry, one at a time, up to the centre of the piece of black pudding on the top and press down on it so it sticks. Once all four corner are up you will have four pieces of pastry sticking out. These can be pinched as close to the filling as possible making sure not to tear the pastry. Once that’s done trim the extra pastry off with a knife and then work your way around the parcel with your hands smoothing out the small pieces which are sticking out. Follow these steps for each parcel.
6. Heat your oven up to 180 degrees and while waiting for it to heat up you can egg wash each parcel. This is done by simply cracking an egg into a cup and mixing it. Then using a pastry brush rub some egg all over the parcels. This will give them a golden brown sheen once they come out of the oven.
7. Cook for 25 minutes and remove.
8. I just put some nice olive oil on the salad because there’s so much flavour from the parcel and the red onion marmalade that it didn’t need anything else.
9. You should be ready to plate up now so just place some red onion marmalade in the centre of the plate and place the parcel on top of it. Add some salad and just drizzle with olive oil.

Source: Séan O’Tuama

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Chocolate Fudge Cake

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Food Ireland

This indulgent Chocolate Fudge Cake is deliciously moist and very easy to make

fudgecake

Ingredients:

175g/6oz Odlums Self Raising Flour
175g/6oz Margarine (room temperature)
175g/6oz Dark Muscavado Sugar
3 large Eggs
100g packet Ground Almonds
2 level tablespoons Cocoa dissolved in 2 tablespoons of Boiling Water

Filling and Icing:
75g/3oz Margarine (room temperature)
225g/8oz Icing Sugar
1 dessertspoon of Milk
2 level tablespoons Cocoa dissolved in 2 tablespoons of Boiling Water

To Serve
Raspberries
Raspberry Coulis

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease and base line two 18cms/7” sandwich tins.
2. Place all the cake ingredients into a mixing bowl. Beat until mixture is smooth.
3. Put half the mixture into each of the tins and level the tops.
4. Bake for 25 minutes approx. until well risen and springs back when gently touched.
5. Turn out and remove lining paper. Cool on a wire tray.
6. Meanwhile make the icing: place all the ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Allow to start to “set”.
7. Sandwich the cakes with half the icing. Spread remaining icing over top.
8. Serve with raspberries and coulis.

Source: Odlums

Posted in Desserts, Valentine's Day | Leave a comment

Handmade chocolate truffles

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Food Ireland

A great edible gift for Valentine’s Day

Chocolate Truffle

Ingredients:

225 g (8oz) cake crumbs
50 g (2oz) caster sugar
2 tblsp cocoa powder
3 tblsp apricot jam
1 tblsp rum
chocolate vermicelli

Method:

1. Mix cake crumbs, sugar and cocoa together in a bowl.
2. Add the jam and rum. Mix to a stiff paste.
3. Forms into balls about the size of a walnut and roll in the vermicelli.
4. Place each truffle in paper cases.
5. Present in a small box with a ribbon or simpy display on a plate with love!

Source: Odlums

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