Try to imagine me screaming from the rooftops that you absolutely must try this recipe: I am so proud of it and I really do think they need making and devouring. Continue reading “Spiced smoked haddock scones”
Recipe posts
Lemon drizzle cake
While it is always a joy to making more elaborate cakes for friends and family, I love the total simplicity of a drizzle cake: no fuss, tangy, very moreish and so perfect with a cup of tea! And a slice of it eaten on a dreary day instantly evokes summer days for me! Continue reading “Lemon drizzle cake”
Mince pies with pistachio Viennese biscuit topping
I do like to take a humble mince pie to a level that is so much more than what commercially is usually just indifferent pastry with a fairly non-descript filling. So I often vary things a little so that the mince pie is that bit more special. Continue reading “Mince pies with pistachio Viennese biscuit topping”
Ginger snowmen macarons
Although I make macarons frequently, it is a first for me to do a macaron shape that is anything other than circular, so having seen meringue versions of snowmen in a shop recently I felt I had to make some as macarons….well, why not?! Continue reading “Ginger snowmen macarons”
Chocolate & salted caramel éclairs
Salted caramel and chocolate éclairs: nothing too extreme flavour-wise, but two flavours that are nonetheless stunning together. A white chocolate crème pâtissière and a little salted caramel make a lovely filling here but you can, of course, use whipped cream. Continue reading “Chocolate & salted caramel éclairs”
Glazed Fruit & nut vegan Christmas cake
I adapted a standard fruit cake recipe to make it vegan for a Cake Club evening with the theme: “A vegan Christmas”. Continue reading “Glazed Fruit & nut vegan Christmas cake”
Spiced cranberry & orange baklava
A Christmas-inspired baklava that is simple and very tasty. Ok, it doesn’t skimp on the calories but this is, after all, an indulgent treat rather than a staple bake! Continue reading “Spiced cranberry & orange baklava”
Black forest gateau with caramel glazed cherries
Another version of my favourite over-the-top dessert cake; although I am well aware I have blogged about a few Black Forest Gateaux I have made, with little tweaks to the recipes here and there! I still argue, though, that a good Black Forest Gateau is a joy to eat in all of its retro kitsch-ness! Continue reading “Black forest gateau with caramel glazed cherries”
Cranberry, orange & fennel seed biscotti
I adore a good biscotti, but have never been a fan of the (ridiculously expensive!) ones you can buy in coffee shops and the like that can be little more than an expensive work-out for the jaw! Continue reading “Cranberry, orange & fennel seed biscotti”
My ultimate rich fruit cake
This is an easy fruit cake to make, that is quick to mix together. It has bags of flavour, with the warming spice and little bursts of moist fruit. Continue reading “My ultimate rich fruit cake”
Stem ginger & lime cake
This cake is one I never tire of making and it always gives me a great sense of comfort each time I make it. The sweet heat of the ginger and the zingy lime work together effortlessly to give a cake that I think can brighten up any day! Continue reading “Stem ginger & lime cake”
Walnut & raisin “tear and share” bread centrepiece with melted Brie
Cheese, bread, walnuts and apple: great culinary bed-fellows that revel in their modesty! Continue reading “Walnut & raisin “tear and share” bread centrepiece with melted Brie”
My take on Bourbon biscuits – with mocha ganache & caramelised sugar
A bourbon biscuit is one of my favourite biscuits, but I had never made them before. Until now! Continue reading “My take on Bourbon biscuits – with mocha ganache & caramelised sugar”
Blackcurrant & raspberry éclairs
It is never less than a joy to eat a crisp éclair that is filled with a well-flavoured centre and topped with a sticky icing! While chocolate éclairs should never be turned down, fruity éclairs are delightful to eat. Continue reading “Blackcurrant & raspberry éclairs”
Spiced smoked cod & fennel tart
This is a lightly spiced tart with rich, smoky cod and the subtle aniseed flavour of fennel. It is very much a comfort-eat and makes a satisfying light meal served warm or cold. Continue reading “Spiced smoked cod & fennel tart”
Treacle tart with a hint of orange
For me, a treacle tart is the epitome of comfort food, especially with the nights drawing in and the temperature outside dropping of an evening! Continue reading “Treacle tart with a hint of orange”
Black garlic bread rolls
A fairly new ingredient to me, I tried my first black garlic just the other day: I just peeled it and ate it as it was. I have to say, I initially had mixed feelings about the flavour: concentrated balsamic vinegar with a hint of aniseed, with a sweet garlic flavour (more like roasted garlic flavour than raw garlic) just coming through. Continue reading “Black garlic bread rolls”
Fool-proof bagels
I say fool-proof, but this is a recipe I have used for many years. I also use it when teaching how to make bagels at cookery classes and am always thrilled by the excellent results from the classes.
Roasted onion, chorizo & Parmesan focaccia
I have posted several focaccia recipes on this blog, and while I make my roasted garlic focaccia many times more than any other flavour, I do like to play around a little. This time, I used ingredients lurking around in the fridge and the larder! Continue reading “Roasted onion, chorizo & Parmesan focaccia”
Coronation chicken vol-au-vents
While vol-au-vents are wonderfully retro, using Coronation Chicken as a filling makes them even more so! But Coronation Chicken is such a great thing to eat. Continue reading “Coronation chicken vol-au-vents”
Spiced pear & ginger cake
A wonderfully moist and rustic cake, the gentle heat of the ginger and the juicy sweetness of the pears, all set in a lightly spiced cake, work so well together. Continue reading “Spiced pear & ginger cake”
Beetroot & toasted walnut sourdough
Beetroot bread is nothing new but I like to add walnuts to the dough for added crunch and the lovely flavour they give, which is a great complement to the slight earthiness you get from the beetroot here. I gently toasted the walnuts here to really bring out the flavour. Continue reading “Beetroot & toasted walnut sourdough”
Scotch pies
While I make pork pies a fair bit, I have never made scotch pies, and I had only ever eaten them once – decades ago! However, having eaten a wonderful one very recently I decided I had missed out. Continue reading “Scotch pies”
Raspberry & dark chocolate cake
This is one of my favourite cakes in terms of flavour (luscious chocolate and sharp raspberry- wonderful). Continue reading “Raspberry & dark chocolate cake”
Dark chocolate & orange gateau
Made for the Macmillan Coffee Morning, this cake is a chocolate Victoria Sandwich cake that had been flavoured with grated orange zest. Continue reading “Dark chocolate & orange gateau”
Mocha & salted caramel Angel food cake
This is my take on the divine Angel food cake, a cake that is like eating sweet clouds! Continue reading “Mocha & salted caramel Angel food cake”
Spiced smoked haddock vol-au-vents
Vol-au-vents never fail to excite me when I eat them! For me they have always been absolute must as part of a buffet. Continue reading “Spiced smoked haddock vol-au-vents”
Mini savoury doughnuts with a red pepper chutney filling
When it comes to sweet doughnuts, my penchant is for those near-spherical doughnuts that are dusted with caster sugar and filled with fresh jam: ideally strawberry jam for me but I would hardly turn down any jam if it is in a doughnut! Continue reading “Mini savoury doughnuts with a red pepper chutney filling”
chicken, tarragon & roasted onion pithivier: a feast using left-overs!
Essentially a posh “roast dinner in a pie”, this is made using left-over roast chicken flavoured with an instant tarragon sauce and filled with other extras from a roast dinner made the day before. Continue reading “chicken, tarragon & roasted onion pithivier: a feast using left-overs!”
Raspberry & dark chocolate mousse domes
One of the great joys for me when having Afternoon Tea, in addition to eating the most delectable sweet and savoury treats, is the inspiration I get. I shared one of these entremets as part of an Afternoon Tea a while ago and was blown away by it, not least by the raspberry explosion inside! Continue reading “Raspberry & dark chocolate mousse domes”
Chocolate, cranberry & orange sourdough
This sweet sourdough loaf is stuffed with juicy dried cranberries that have been soaked in orange juice, and chunks of dark chocolate. While the aroma of the dough as you work with it is wonderful, the smells wafting through the house as it bakes is out of this world! Continue reading “Chocolate, cranberry & orange sourdough”
Multi-grain bread made with smoked flour
A very simple bread with bags of flavour, courtesy of slow rises, a selection of seeds and different flours, with a hint of smoky flavour coming through the smoked flour I used. Mind you, if you can’t get hold of smoked flour you can replace it with standard white flour or wholemeal flour, for example. Continue reading “Multi-grain bread made with smoked flour”
Chocolate & Orange Battenberg Cake
When I make a Battenberg cake I usually I go for a coffee and walnut one: my favourite cake flavours! This time, though, I’ve gone for orange and dark chocolate. Continue reading “Chocolate & Orange Battenberg Cake”
Local cheese & ale sourdough
A sourdough boule made from ingredients that are fairly local to me in Surrey, UK. The cheese (Spenwood) is strong and nutty; the ale (Hogs Back Brewery) is so easy to drink! They do not take over from the deep tang of the bread but they are most certainly there as complementary bedfellows! Continue reading “Local cheese & ale sourdough”
Pimms macarons with Pimms ganache & minted cucumber jelly
A challenging but rewarding bake, this is a taste of summer in each mouthful: these macarons are sandwiched together with a Pimms ganache and small pieces of a sweetened cucumber and mint jelly: you really can’t have Pimms without the cucumber! Continue reading “Pimms macarons with Pimms ganache & minted cucumber jelly”
Chilli Jam
This is one of the easiest preserves to make and it tastes wonderful.I always make a large batch towards late summer once the chillies are ready in the greenhouse. It is a great way to use up a glut of ripe tomatoes, but this chilli jam works very well using tinned tomatoes. Continue reading “Chilli Jam”
Very easy cherry & chocolate brownies
At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I would claim these to be among the best brownies you can eat. I would be be so proud to serve these to anyone….if I don’t eat them first! Continue reading “Very easy cherry & chocolate brownies”
An insanely simple no-knead Chorizo & Parmesan focaccia
Focaccia is up there in my top 3 breads, both to make and to eat. Characteristically bouncy, with many irregular holes in the bread itself, it tastes great and needs very little to accompany it. And it is VERY easy to make. Continue reading “An insanely simple no-knead Chorizo & Parmesan focaccia”
Roasted onion & smoked cheese scones (gluten-free)
Returning to my savoury roots, and it seems a while since I have posted a savoury recipe, I decided to make some cheese and onion scones, using roasted onion and smoked Cheddar cheese. Continue reading “Roasted onion & smoked cheese scones (gluten-free)”
Bread & butter pickles: spicy, sweet cucumbers
These sweet, spiced and crunchy cucumbers are very easy and quick to make. These sliced cucumbers are basically bathing happily in a sweetened and well flavoured vinegar. Continue reading “Bread & butter pickles: spicy, sweet cucumbers”
Chouxnuts 2: chocolate & cherry flavour
I made a savoury version of these deep-fried choux pastry doughnuts a while ago (recipe here) but this time I felt like going down the sweet route. I always have jars of dried cherries, some macerating in Amaretto and some in other liqueurs, and there is always chocolate to be found around the kitchen(!!), so a chocolate-cherry version was called for. Continue reading “Chouxnuts 2: chocolate & cherry flavour”
Gluten-free Victoria Sandwich Cake
This is very much a quick, no-frills affair: simplicity with a great flavour. Continue reading “Gluten-free Victoria Sandwich Cake”
Salmon & mushroom coulibiac
A very firm nod towards the classic dish of a few decades ago, this is an easy bake to throw together and is excellent served for a special occasion. Wonderful served warm with a salad or steamed vegetables, it is also excellent served cold; I must confess, I often make this for picnics. Continue reading “Salmon & mushroom coulibiac”
Black Forest Gateau with chocolate cherry mirror glaze (Gluten-free)
My current version of Black Forest Gateau, or “cake in drag” as Victoria Wood so deliciously put it, is way over-the-top for sure in terms of the adult flavours…..but I make no apologies for that, as it is an adult dessert cake! Continue reading “Black Forest Gateau with chocolate cherry mirror glaze (Gluten-free)”
Chouxnuts 1: cheese & chives flavour
What with cronuts, maclairs and other arguably gimmicky – but oh-so-delicious – food hybrids, I fancied seeing what would happen if I deep-fried choux pastry. I had never deep-fried choux pastry before but deep-frying here gives amazing results: these chouxnuts, as they are now known in my house, really do give a terrific doughnut effect. Continue reading “Chouxnuts 1: cheese & chives flavour”
Coffee Dacquoise with caramelised hazelnuts
I ate a stunning Dacquoise in a pâtisserie in France very recently and I couldn’t wait to put my spin on it when recreating it back home. Crisp toasted hazelnut meringue layers are sandwiched together with a truly melt-in-the-mouth coffee buttercream, and it is topped with a very simple shiny chocolate glaze. Continue reading “Coffee Dacquoise with caramelised hazelnuts”
Mini Gluten-free Pistachio Fraisiers using left-overs!
Further to posting my version of a large Fraisier a few weeks ago, I decided to make another large one for this month’s Clandestine Cake Club – this time going for a gluten-free version. And with left over elements, I also went for mini Fraisiers. Continue reading “Mini Gluten-free Pistachio Fraisiers using left-overs!”
Easy fennel seed & smoked garlic sourdough grissini
These crisp grissini are easy to make and have bags of flavour. I often make them using some sourdough starter that I had discarded prior to feeding the main starter, just adding more flour and water to give a dough that handles well. Continue reading “Easy fennel seed & smoked garlic sourdough grissini”
Orange & cranberry macarons
After using orange, cranberry and white chocolate as the key flavours in a dessert cake I was making, I found I had a fair bit of ganache left over….so macarons were called for! Continue reading “Orange & cranberry macarons”
Easy orange & rhubarb Danish pastries
These very easy Danish pastries, using quick croissant dough, are an excellent approximation to Danish pastries that are made with traditional croissant dough. Continue reading “Easy orange & rhubarb Danish pastries”
Phil's Home Kitchen 