Make Ahead New Year Hangover Breakfast Recipe

Here's a recipe for a breakfast that provides you with everything you really need when hung-over on the morning after the night before... and you can prepare it this evening!


Serves: 6

Ingredients:

250g (about 4 cups) French bread (or any rustic bread) cut into 1cm cubes
175g (2 cups) mature (sharp) Cheddar cheese
90g (1/2 cup) finely-chopped onion
8 large eggs
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
6 thick rashers (slices) of bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
6 thin beef, turkey or pork sausages, roasted until cooked and cut into 2cm lengths
butter for greasing

Method:

Liberally butter a casserole dish (about 25 x 30 x 4cm [10 x 12 x 2 in]) and set aside.

Combine the bread cubes, sausage, cheese and onion in a bowl then toss to combine. Turn this mixture into the casserole and spread over the base of the casserole.

Beat together the eggs, cream, mustard, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Pour this mixture over the bread, sausage and onion mix in the casserole.

Sprinkle the bacon over the top then transfer the casserole dish to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the dish emerges cleanly.

This can be served straight away, or it can be cooled, stored in the refrigerator and re-heated in the oven or microwave when you need it the following day.

Creamy Eggnog Pie

Today I have two recipes for New Year's eve... both of which have a bit of a 'snow' theme.

The first is a classic eggnog and whipped cream pie, easy to make, delicious and guaranteed to go down a treat at any gathering.

And because New Year would not be New Year without a milk-based cocktail, I'm also presenting a recipe for a coconut martini.

Christmas may be over, but this eggnog pie still goes down a treat for a New Year, or even an Easter dessert. It's delicious, can be made the day before and is great for any party.


Serves: 6–8

Ingredients:

1 tbsp unflavoured gelatine powder
4 tbsp cold water
65g sugar
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 tsp salt
500ml good-quality eggnog
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp rum (or rum extract)
250ml whipping cream, whipped
1 pre-baked sweet shortcrust pastry shell (22cm/9 in)
whipped cream, to decorate

Method:

Place the 4 tbsp cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine powder. Set aside to stand for 1 minute.

Combine the sugar, cornflour and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in the eggnog then gently bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, again stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Add the gelatine and stir until dissolved then take off the heat before setting aside to cool to room temperature.

Stir in the vanilla and rum extracts then fold in the whipped cream.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry shell then transfer to the refrigerator and chill until firm (at least 3 hours, but best over night).

Decorate by piping with whipped cream, then serve as a dessert.

Bacon and Onion Crescent Roll Pinwheels Recipe

With New Year's Eve only tomorrow, here is another recipe for a classic appetizer or party snack that can be varied as you desire to add more ingredients or flavour.

This recipe can be made with pre-bought crescent roll dough, but here I provide a recipe for you to make your own crescent roll dough from scratch at home.

So you can either go the easy route, or prepare the whole recipe for yourself from scratch.

I have given a scratch version for this recipe here, but the yeasted dough is a home-made equivalent of canned, refrigerated crescent roll dough and you can substitute the commercial product for my dough recipe to make this a very quick and easy to make appetizer.

Serves: 20

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

2 sachets active, dried, yeast (about 1 tbsp)
180ml (3/4 cup) warm water
100g (1/2 cup) sugar
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
100g (1/2 cup) shortening (or a 50:50 mix of lard and butter)
550g (4 1/2 cups) unbleached plain (all-purpose) flour

For the Pinwheels:

65g (1/3 cup) butter or margarine, softened
100g (3/4 cup) onion, finely chopped
8 rashers (slices) of rindless bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method:

Add the yeast and water to a large bowl then stir the yeast to dissolve. Add the sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and half the flour and beat to combine. Now add all the remaining flour and blend until smooth. Using a spatula scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl towards the centre then cove with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in volume.

Mix together the butter, onion, bacon and parsley in a bowl.

Once risen, knock the dough back then divide into eight equal-sized portions. Roll each portion out into a rectangle about 6mm thick.

Spread 1/8 of the butter mixture evenly over each dough rectangle. Fold the dough up into a roll along the long edge.

Cut each roll into 4 or 8 pinwheels, then arrange each pinwheel on a baking tray. Flatten the tops slightly then cover loosely with a cloth and set aside to raise for 20 minutes.

After this time, transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (375ºF) and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Server warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake Recipe

Now that Christmas itself is well and truly over, it's time to turn our culinary attentions towards the New Year, both New Year's eve parties and a few traditional dishes to bring you luck for the New Year itself.

I many traditions, circular foods, particularly if served on New Year's day, represent good luck as the circle is never-ending. So, if you want to offer your guests good luck for the forthcoming year, why not serve them a piece of this delicious cake?

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

500g (16 oz) devil's food cake mix
500g (16 oz) sour cream
3 eggs
10 miniature peanut butter cups, foil wrapping removed
75g (1/2 cup) dark chocolate, chopped
125g (1/2 cup) creamy, smooth, peanut butter

Method:

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, sour cream and eggs until the batter is smooth.

Pour half the resultant batter into a greased and floured ring mould (bundt cake tin). Cut each of the peanut butter cups in half and arrange these evenly over the cake batter.

Top evenly with the remaining cake batter then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC (350ºF) and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake emerges cleanly.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake and gently shake out the cake. Set aside to cool completely.

When the cake has cooled, combine the dark chocolate and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and blended with the peanut butter.

Take off the heat and drizzle the mixture over the cooled cake.

Note, that if you have a stoneware ring mould you can cook the cake in a microwave by cooking on full power for about 12 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre emerges cleanly (cooking times will vary, dependant on the power of your microwave).

Banoffee Tarts Recipe

Christmas is over and now I am starting on a few New Year recipes for you.

Today is an interesting dessert based on a classic Banoffee Pie that can be served either as a dessert or as a nibble.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the Shortcrust:

150g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
25g (3 tbsp) ground rice
finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
50g (1/4 cup, packed) dark muscovado sugar
150g (3/4 cup) butter

For the Caramel (Banoffee) Sauce:

60g (5 tbsp) light brown sugar
60g (4 1/2 tbsp) butter
50ml (1/4 cup) cream
For the Filling:

1 1/2 large bananas
4 tbsp banoffee sauce
225ml (1 cup, scant) double cream
sifted cocoa powder, for dusting
1 dessertspoon fudge sauce

Method:

Begin with the shortcake: In a bowl, mix together the flour, ground rice, lemon zest and sugar. Rub the butter into this mixture until the combination resembles fine breadcrumbs. Lightly work this mixture together to form a soft ball of dough (if the mixture is too crumbly, add just a little lemon juice until it comes together).

Divide the mixture into six and press into the base and sides of six greased, fluted individual flan moulds. Prick the base lightly with the tines of a fork, then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC (350ºF) and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the shortcake is cooked through and lightly golden. Allow to cool as you prepare the filling.

For the banoffee (caramel) sauce, melt together the butter and sugar in a small pan over low heat, stirring frequently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream and continue heating gently, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the sauce is thick and bubbling. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

For the filling: Once the bases and sauce are cooled, carefully turn the shortcake bases out of their baking tins and arrange in the centre of six serving plates.

Peel and slice the bananas and evenly distribute the rounds between the shortcake cases. Spoot about 1 tbsp of the banoffee sauce over each tartlet.

Whip the cream until it holds its shape then spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle and pipe over the banana and caramel mix.

Dust with the cocoa powder. Drizzle over the fudge sauce just before serving.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Recipe

I talked a little about comfort food yesterday. Today's recipe is both comfort food and indulgence rolled into one — a must for any chocaholic out there. A rich chocolate cheesecake topped with chocolate cream topping served on a chocolate wafer crumb base.

What could be more indulgent than that. Of course, this is great any time, but decorated with dried or stewed cranberries it makes a wonderful treat of a Christmas recipe. If you garnish with a sprig of mint, then it also makes a superb recipe for an Easter tea-time treat.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

For the Base:

180g (1 1/2 cups) chocolate wafer crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
50g (4 tbsp) butter, melted

For the Filling:

4 tbsp dark chocolate, chopped
4 tbsp whipping cream
660g (24 oz) cream cheese, softened
200g (1 cup) sugar
40g (1/3 cup) baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping:

150g (1 1/2 cups) dark chocolate, chopped
4 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

For the base, combine the wafer crumbs and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the butter, then press the mixture into the base and half-way up the sides of a greases 22cm diameter springform cake tin.

Transfer to the centre of an oven pre-heated to 170ºC and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool. In the meantime, reduce the oven temperature to 160ºC.

Melt the chocolate for the filling in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Take the pan off the heat then stir in the cream, beating to combine. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Sift over the cocoa powder and beat well to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated into the cream cheese mixture. Finally stir in the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate and cream mixture.

Pour the resultant filling over the crust then return to the oven and bake for between 45 and 50 minutes, or until the filling is cooked and its centre is almost completely set.

For the topping, melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Take off the heat and stir in the cream and vanilla. Mix well to combine the spread this mixture over the filling. Allow to cool then transfer to the refrigerator and chill over night.

The following day, carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan. Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate.

Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Corn Pudding Recipe

I know that I have not been posting in a while, but that is because we received some bad news a few weeks ago. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, so things have been a little bit fraught of late, what with hospital visits and waiting for her to get appointments for chemotherapy and then surgery.

Because of Christmas things are now on hold until the 13th of January and we are waiting. Things are quite bad, but my wife's spirits are good and for now we have decided to try and maintain things being as normal as possible. So I am returning to making postings on my blog and website over the Christmas period.

As you might imagine, we have both been craving a little comfort food, so today's recipe is a classic American one for a corn pudding. Essentially creamed corn in a custard base. This is a traditional American accompaniment for festive holiday meals, particularly Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.

I was originally going to post this as a Thanksgiving recipe, but I am posting it now as a Christmas recipe instead.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

400g (15 oz) tin of creamed corn
400g (15 oz) tin of sweetcorn, drained
6 tbsp salted butter
50g (4 tbsp) brown sugar
6 tbsp plain flour
4 large eggs
1 tbsp baking powder

Method:

Mix together the creamed corn, drained sweetcorn, sugar and eggs in a bowl. Beat until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Melt the butter in a small pan (or a microwave) and stir into the corn mixture. Mix the flour with a little water to form a slurry then add to the corn mixture. Finally stir in the baking powder.

Turn the resultant mixture into a 2l (2 quart) casserole dish that's been well greased with butter.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC and bake, unlidded, for about 60 minutes or until the corn pudding is firm and the top is nicely golden brown on top.

When ready, the centre of the pudding should be just set and should not jiggle.

Serve hot as an accompaniment.