Cheats puff pastry churros

April 19, 2016January 22, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

Sam's Cheaty Churros — Sam’s Cheaty Churros

Okay so I was supposed to make Thai green curry but the curry I made turned into watery green slop so Jamie and I ate that – you can have churros.
Have you ever actually tried to make your own doughnuts? Of course you haven’t – that would be mental. So when my friend Sam said she was making churros for dessert, I simply assumed she was mentally ill. Turns out I’d misdiagnosed her. She’s was actually a beautiful genius armed with a packet of shop-bought puff pastry. I watched in bewilderment as she lazily cut, twisted and positioned the pastry onto a baking tray… That was it! No deep frying, no piping bags, nothing! Okay so maybe we can’t really call them churros but covered in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, they taste pretty darn close. So bang out a batch of these beauties for your next swanky soirée or eat them alone in bed watching extreme angler Jeremy Wade catch river monsters… What?

Cheats puff pastry churros
Makes 12-16 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 40 mins / V
160g ready rolled puff pastry
50g butter, melted
2 tbs caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Chocolate Sauce
100g Green & Black’s Organic 70% Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces
150g double cream
Pinch of sea salt

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper and put to one side.
2. Roll out the pastry and cut into strips and then cut the strips in half. One at a time give them a twist and place evenly on the baking trays a finger apart.
3. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the butter over a low heat in a small saucepan and transfer to a small bowl. In another small bowl, mix together the sugar and the cinnamon ready for dusting later.
5. Once the churros are golden brown, transfer to a couple of large plates. Brush them with melted butter and dust with plenty of cinnamon sugar.
6. To make the chocolate sauce heat the cream in a medium sized saucepan. Once simmering, take off the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes to cool slightly. Whisk in the chocolate pieces and a pinch of salt until you have a silky smooth chocolate sauce. Pour into a dipping bowl and serve.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian

Chocolate Guinness cake

March 16, 2016July 10, 2022 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

St Patrick's Day Chocolate Guinness Cake — St Patrick’s Day Chocolate Guinness Cake

Admittedly this is an odd choice for someone who doesn’t like chocolate or Guinness but I had to make something for St Patrick’s Day and didn’t fancy soda bread. However, this cake took me completely by surprise, it’s hands down, one of the best cakes I have ever made. It’s rich without being at all sickly, and chocolatey without being too sweet. Anyway, before I knew it I’d stuffed three big wedges into my face like a greedy little hamster. Classy. Then I washed my hair with it. Double classy.
That actually wasn’t a joke, Guinness makes an excellent hair mask. Simply wash your hair as normal and then massage half a can of Guinness into the roots. Leave for 3 minutes and rinse for a glossy Black Beauty mane… Or you could just drink it, whatever.

Chocolate Guinness cake
Serves 12 / Hands on time 40 mins / Total time 1hr 30 mins + cooling / V ❄
You’ll need: A standing mixer or electric whisk and a 9 inch cake tin
250ml Guinness
60g Green & Black’s organic cocoa powder
350g golden caster sugar
250g unsalted butter
150ml buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
280g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of sea salt
Cream cheese frosting
150g cream cheese
250g icing sugar
100ml double cream

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Line a 9 inch tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
2. Add the Guinness and the butter to a large saucepan over a medium heat until melted. This could take 5-10 minutes, so use this time to measure and prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once the butter has melted, give it a stir and take off the heat. Tip in the sugar along with the cocoa powder and beat until combined with a hand whisk.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and the buttermilk together with a fork then whisk into the warm mixture using a hand whisk until the batter looks lovely and glossy.
4. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the salt straight into the mixture. Whisk for a final time until combined (don’t worry if the mixture is a little lumpy, it’s more important to get the cake in the oven quickly to ensure a good rise).
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 mins. Leave to cool fully in the tin. Once cool, turn the cake out ready to ice.
6. To make the cream cheese frosting, whisk the cream cheese with a hand whisk until smooth before sieving in the icing sugar. Continue to whisk by hand until fully combined before adding the whipping cream. Switch to an electric whisk and whisk on a high speed until the cream has thickened and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Ice the cake generously and serve.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian
❄ – This cake is suitable for home freezing once cooled and before icing. Wrap well in cling film and freeze fore up to 3 months. Defrost fully before icing and serving.

Mothers Day apricot scones

March 4, 2016January 24, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

My mum loves a bit of apricot jam, if she’s not spreading it on her toast she’s sticking her whole face into a jar of it like Pooh Bear… She doesn’t really do that, well she might but what I’m trying to say is my mum loves apricot jam. This means I also love apricot jam, so for Mothers Day I thought I’d make apricot scones.
All mums like an afternoon tea for Mothers Day but if you can’t afford all that business, then have a go at making these little gems. They’re really easy, cheap and delicious – if I do say so myself. I’ve actually eaten all mine so will have to make another batch before Sunday, although there’s a strong chance I’ll eat those too. What can I say, I just love apricots, it’s my mums fault. Happy Mothers Day!

Mothers Day apricot scones
Makes 10 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 40 mins / V ❄
You’ll need: 5cm cookie cutter, 2 baking trays
350g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
80g cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbs caster sugar
50g chopped dried apricots
175ml semi-skimmed milk
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
Apricot jam and clotted cream to serve

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Chop the apricots and put to one side.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder and put to one side. Add the cubed butter and rub it with your fingers until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and the apricots and mix well (The apricots may be a bit stuck together so make sure you pull them apart and distribute evenly).
3. Warm the milk in a pan (it’s important you don’t over heat the milk, it should be lukewarm). Take off the heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Put the baking trays in the oven.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Using a cutlery knife, mix quickly until combined. Flour your work surface and tip your dough out onto it. (Try not to work the dough too much but kneed just enough to make the dough a little smoother, two or three folds should do it). Pat into a large burger shape around 1 inch thick.
5. Flour the cutter and plunge into the dough, twist and pull it out creating your scone. Repeat until you can’t make anymore scones, before gathering up the scraps of dough, mould it back together and repeat until you have 8-10 scones.
6. Carefully remove the baking trays from the oven and place the scones out evenly. Brush the top of each scone with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes.
7. Leave to cool for five minutes and then devour with clotted cream and apricot jam.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian
❄ To freeze, cool fully before wrapping individually in a few layers of clingfilm and freeze for up to 3 months.

Salted sultana & rum fudge

December 31, 2015January 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 6 Comments

Oh I do love an edible gift don’t you? Not that I’ve ever received one (sigh) but I imagine it’s rather lovely. I tend to be the edible gift maker myself but don’t feel too sorry for me, being the maker has it’s perks. First of all, it’s the only way you can give someone a cheap gift without them them thinking you’re a tight – which you are. Secondly, it allows you to buy a nice new pair of trainers for yourself with the savings.
Now, I know Christmas already feels like a distant memory but edible gifts aren’t just for Christmas. You can of course be a cheapskate all year round.
“Are those new trainers?”
“Why yes, yes they are” you say.
“Oh and thank you so much for the fudge, what a thoughtful gift.”
“Oh not at all, I’m a very thoughtful person, glad you liked it” you say smugly looking down and admiring your new trainers. Mwah ha ha ha!
So Happy New Year to all, may your gifts be edible and your purse brimming with precious stones.

Salted sultana and rum fudge
Makes 1 slab / Hands on time 40 mins / Total time 40 mins + 2 hrs cooling / V Gf
You’ll need: Electric hand whisk, 1 large or 2 small deep baking trays, baking paper and ice
Rapeseed oil spray
120g sultanas
3 tbs dark rum
1 can condensed milk
2 tbs golden syrup
175ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
1 tsp vanilla extract
800g granulated sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
250g unsalted butter

Method
1. In a small bowl, soak the sultanas in the rum and put to one side.
2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and spray with oil.
3. Set a small bowl of iced water near the stove, you’ll need it later.
4. In a large heavy bottomed pan over a low heat, add the butter, milk, sugar, condensed milk and golden syrup. Bring to the boil stirring continuously.
5. Once boiling, continue to stir until the toffee goes a golden colour – this will take between 12-15 mins. To test it’s ready to whisk, drop a small amount of mixture into the iced water – if it solidifies it is ready (you should be able to pick it out with our fingers).
6. Take off the heat, add the vanilla and whisk with an electric whisk for 5 mins – it’s the whisking that turns toffee into fudge.
7. Once the fudge has the consistency of loose peanut butter, fold in the soaked sultanas, rum and salt. Pour into the lined tray and set in the fridge for a maximum of 2 hrs – the fudge will become too hard if left for longer.
8. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 4 weeks.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian. Gf – Gluten free

White onion soup

November 9, 2015January 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

I love onion soup, although I rarely get to eat it as it’s traditionally made with beef stock. So I order the goats cheese salad and get on with my day, but not this time, no sir-ee! This time I’m making my own and it’s gonna be better than any onion soup on the high street. HEAR THAT CAFE ROUGE?! I do hope so.
Anyway, half-way through making my soup, my housemate decides to tell me that she hasn’t eaten onion soup for over 20 years. 20 YEARS! Turns out, she suffered a rather violent fart attack on a family outing that was so severe, it left her stepdad’s eyes watering.
Once I’d stopped laughing, I turned my attention back to my soup, I’ll take my chances thanks. My housemate politely declines a bowl. Probably for the best.

White onion soup
Serves 4 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 1 hr mins / V ❄
3 medium brown onions, peeled and sliced
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
30g unsalted butter
1 tsp of granulated sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp of Marmite
1 tbs plain flour
1 litre vegetable stock, I use 2 Knorr stock pots
Small bunch of thyme, tied together with string
60g medium vegetarian cheddar or Gruyere* grated
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 slices sourdough for croutons (optional)

Method
1. Peel and roughly chop all the onions and add to a large heavy bottomed pot with the butter. Sweat over a medium heat for 5 mins with the lid on stirring occasionally – add a dash of water to hep the onions steam and cook for a further 5 mins. Stir in the sugar and continue to cook for 10 mins with the lid on.
2. Mix in the flour and the mustard and cook for a couple more minutes before adding the stock, Marmite and the bunch of thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for 30 mins. Remove from the heat and discard the bunch of thyme. Put to one side with the lid on. Turn a grill on a medium to high heat.
3. Toast the sourdough in a toaster and rub each with a peeled garlic clove. Ladle the soup into bowls, slice the sourdough in half and submerge each piece into each soup. Cover the slices with grated cheese and put under the hot grill until the cheese is bubbling.
4. Serve immediately with a good crack of black pepper.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian
❄ The soup is suitable for home freezing once cooled without the croutons and cheese. Consume within 3 months.

Spiced pumpkin muffins

October 13, 2015January 25, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

Fancy doing something sweet with a pumpkin that isn’t pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie is a horrible, wet disappointment – much like Bestival. Call yourself a dessert? You should be ashamed of yourself!
Anyway, if you decide you can be bothered to wrestle a pumpkin, then why not grate it and put it in some muffins? That’s what I did.

Spiced pumpkin muffins
Makes 10 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 40 mins / V
3 large eggs
175ml rapeseed oil
175g light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g pumpkin or butternut squash, grated
100g crushed pecans for
80g sultanas
175g self-raising flour
2 tsp cinnamon + extra for dusting
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking powder
Topping
200g cream cheese
125g icing sugar

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract for 5 mins in a large bowl. Add the grated pumpkin, crushed pecans, sultanas and give it a good mix. Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger and the baking powder straight into the mixture and fold until combined. Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 20 mins.
2. Cool the muffins on a rack before attempting to frost. Make the frosting by mixing the cream cheese and icing sugar together. ice the muffins and decorate with pecans and a dusting of cinnamon.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian

Summer salsa bites

October 1, 2015January 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 1 Comment

Okay so not very Portuguese but I made these on holiday in Portugal – as you may have guessed, I don’t have a pool in my Camden flat… Or any sun for that matter. Anyway, I seem to only ever make this salsa in Portugal, partly because my best friends Philippa insists on it, and partly because it’s lovely and refreshing. So between drinking buckets of cheap local wine and pushing each other in the pool, not only did I remember the recipe for these little blighters but I managed to make them too…. Twice in fact – Philippa can be very demanding. Now, I know it’s not the weather for summer salsa but guess what, it wasn’t all that sunny in Portugal and we still ate it, so you can too. It’s really easy but a bit time consuming. You need to let the salsa cook down and then you need to chill it. Best to make it on a lazy Sunday when you have time, it’s worth the effort though – even if you do gobble them all up in under 5 minutes like we did.

Summer salsa bites
Makes 400ml / Hands on time 10-15 mins / Total time 1 hr 30 mins + chilling / V
12 tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
½ red chilli, de-seeded and diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, de-seeded and diced
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp sea salt flakes
Black pepper
Melba toast to serve (optional)
Vegetarian feta to garnish (optional)

Method
1. De-seed the tomatoes and finely chop along with the peppers and the red chilli. Add to a medium sized saucepan along with the garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oil and a good crack of pepper.
2. Give it a good mix, cover and cook on a low heat for 1hr. Once cooked, pour through a colander to drain off any excess liquid and leave to cool.
3. Once at room temperature, refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve cold on Melba toast and topped with crumbled feta. Keep refrigerated and use within 5 days.

My best mate Philippa stuffing one in her mouth

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian

Cashew rainbow slaw

September 19, 2015January 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

Hey guess what? I went on holiday to a magical land called Bath. I climbed some trees, ate some fudge, saw a life sized sculpture of a minotaur (horrible), met a herd of unfriendly sheep, went to Jane Austin’s house, snuck into some old churches and dressed like a Victorian milk maid. So, pretty standard holiday but I’m sorry if you feel neglected my dears. I’m back now so you can dry those weeping eyes – sorry for my use of the word ‘weeping’, it was unnecessary. Please click here for your apology present that has nothing whatsoever to do with anything.

Anyway, let’s move swiftly on to the all mighty SLAW! Over the past few months, I’ve indulged in my fair share of coleslaw, but now barbecue season is over and I’ve been left a little traumatised. Coleslaw is certainly something I enjoy eating but not watching other people eat. Perhaps I’ve just seen one too many grannies with coleslaw gathered in the corners of their crinkly old mouths, but I crave something a little fresher and less mayonnaise-y. So, lucky for us, I came up with this recipe. It’s a nod to the humble coleslaw but the toasted cashews and ginger give it a warmer and slightly more Autumnal feel than the wet sloppy white stuff. Enjoy!

Cashew rainbow slaw
Serves 4 as a side / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 20 mins / V Vn Gf Df
You’ll need: A large non-stick frying pan
200g toasted cashew nuts
½ small red cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 red pepper, de-seeded and diced
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
Knob ginger, grated
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs runny honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lime, juiced
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp sea salt flakes

Method
1. Start by putting a large non-stick saucepan over a medium to high heat. Once hot, toast the cashews for a few minutes keeping them moving in the pan until they’re golden. Put to one side.
2. Thinly slice the cabbage , dice the pepper, grate the carrot and chop the coriander. Add them to a large bowl along with the cooled cashews. Stir until combined well.
3. To make the dressing add the grated ginger and the crushed garlic to a small bowl. Mix in the sesame oil, cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, lime juice, chilli flakes and salt.
4. Pour the dressing over the slaw, mix well and serve.

Minotaur (in case you don't know what one looks like... horrible!) — Minotaur (in case you don’t know what one looks like… horrible!)

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Gf – Gluten free. Df – Dairy free.

Big brunch bruschetta

August 30, 2015January 26, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

When I was sixteen, I was sacked from McDonald’s. It was a rather unceremonious sacking, but remarkably, landed me my next job making coffee in a local coffee shop. I say ‘coffee shop’ but it was more of an American Diner serving real American milkshakes and Reese’s Pieces cheesecakes. It was the most exciting thing to have happened to Letchworth Garden City, like ever. Admittedly that wasn’t hard – Letchworth was, and still is where people go to die. Anyway, that’s why Caffeine was such a breath of fresh air in that stale, powdery old town. The council got rid of Caffeine eventually of course (bastards) but I still miss it, even after all these years.

Anyway, we used to make this gorgeous bruschetta which, to be fair, wasn’t anything like any Italian bruschetta I’d ever had. It’s the US version, so naturally it’s three times the size and covered in cheese, but it’s SO GOOD! This wasn’t just my favourite, it was my dad’s too. He used to come in and order it alongside a small cappuccino that he would nurse for at least 2 hours. Good times… Feel a bit sad now. Enjoy!

Big brunch bruschetta
Serves 2 / hands on time 20 mins / total time 30 min / V
250g mixed ripe tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled
Handful of fresh basil
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 ball vegetarian mozzarella
2 thick slices of bread (I recommend, sourdough)
1-2 tbs balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7.
2. Start by halving the tomatoes and scooping out the seeds (if using cherry tomatoes there is no need to scoop out the seeds). Slice into strips (again, not if you’re using cherry tomatoes) and put in a bowl along with a good crack of pepper and salt. Add a handful of chopped basil along with 1-2 tbs of balsamic vinegar (if using good quality balsamic vinegar, use just 1 tbs as it is stronger than regular supermarket balsamic). Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and put to one side.
3. Lightly toast the bread in a toaster before rubbing the surface of each slice with a raw, peeled garlic clove. Top with sliced avocado and thinly sliced mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper, place on a baking tray before cooking in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. Once the cheese has melted, finish the slices under the grill to allow the cheese to go nice and brown (optional). Slide onto plates and top with the balsamic tomatoes. Serve with an extra dash of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian

Halloumi salad with honey & mustard dressing

July 12, 2015January 28, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ Leave a comment

Oh you’re vegetarian? That must mean you love halloumi… Well actually yes, yes it does but that being said, I’m not a huge fan of eating it off a stick or sandwiched between a couple of burnt bits of courgette. Surely we can do better than that? Actually, while we’re on the subject, I just want to say that I think grilled vegetables are horrible! There I said it. So you can take your tasteless vegetable stacks and your boring vegetable skewers and throw them to the monkeys of London Zoo.
Anyway, my favourite way to eat halloumi is straight from a hot pan into a cold salad, the salad helps cut through the saltiness of the cheese making it dangerously moreish. I’ve been known to shamelessly eat an entire packet in one day. It always starts off in a salad but later I’ll fry it and put it on toast. Then I will fry even more of it, forget the toast altogether and just eat it by itself, alone, in a dark room like some sort of giant mouse woman.
Oh and I hate monkeys, so not sure why I mentioned them earlier, they don’t deserve any air time… Look, I just don’t like their little human hands okay? Let’s move on…

Halloumi salad with honey & mustard dressing
Serves 2 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 min / V
You’ll need: Non-stick frying pan
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, cut into eighths
¼ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
½ red pepper, de-seeded and diced
Chunk of cucumber, peeled into ribbons
½ bag of mixed leaves
Handful of black olives in brine, roughly chopped
100-150g halloumi, thickly sliced
Dressing
½ tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs of balsamic vinegar
½ tsp of dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard
½ tsp runny honey
Pita bread and humous to serve (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil to serve (optional)

Method
1. Chop the vegetables and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and mix in the salad leaves. Put to one side.
2. To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl until combined and pour directly over the salad. Give it a good toss.
3. Finally, fry the halloumi slices in a large non-stick pan until golden on both sides. Divide the salad into bowls, top with the halloumi slices and serve with humous, pita bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

f you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian