Nigella's Chocolate Salame

I follow Nigella on Instagram and this was one of her Recipe of the day last week. The recipe is here and I can confidently say that this is not only delicious but it's the perfect gift at Christmas. I decided that this year I would make proper Italian chocolate salame as it has that extra special quality and richness that our chocolate biscuit cake misses out on and I think it's the creaminess from the eggs. It will slice straight from the fridge and goes perfectly with some after dinner espresso.

I watched this video on how to string the salame, made one and a half quantity of the recipe to produce one medium and two smaller salmae as gifts. If you are giving them as gifts and want a nut free version I think it would be acceptable to add digestive biscuits, dried fruit and some glace cherries as an alternative :) 

Whoopie Pies

These little cakes are a bit of a special treat, they are the prefect birthday surprise or maybe if are looking for a spectacular centrepiece for a coffee morning or bake sale. 

The chocolate cakes are soft and delicate while the buttercream filling is not too sweet but a light and fluffy delight, this combination is makes for a really sumptuous treat. 

For those of you that are new to Whoopie pies, the recipe originates in 1920s Pennsylvania, USA. It is said to be of either Dutch or German Amish origin and they tell of their children shouting Whoopie upon discovering the baked pies in their packed lunches, hence the name. I think that story is so sweet and when my children see that I have made a batch they shout Whoopie too, they are really that good. 

White Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake)

I am a huge fan of chocolate (no surprise to my regular readers!) and if it's possible I am an even bigger fan of cheesecake! What better than a delicious slice of creamy and indulgent cheesecake after a sumptuous meal. This recipe is not cloying nor is it too heavy, just the right combination of rich, fragrant and a subtle hint of white chocolate sweetness. In fact I made this cheesecake twice before I got a chance to photograph it, the first time it was eaten in it's entirety  before you could say Cheese :)

5 Ingredients Oreo Cheesecake - No Bake!

On our family holiday this summer we travelled to the beautiful Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare. We stayed in a nearby hotel and enjoyed a couple of nights of sumptuous eating and glorious rest.
 

Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare, built in 1425.

 One meal stood out as being particularly glorious, a meal of pan fried fresh hake in a buttery sauce with creamy potatoes and braised red cabbage, to round out the whole experience I had the most delicious Oreo Cheesecake for dessert.

Oreo Cupcakes

Delicious aren't they, soft with a bit of crunch. Now don't be fooled into thinking that these are difficult to make, au contraire my friends. I wouldn't tempt you with such mouthwatering photos and then set about putting you to work for hours in the kitchen. 

Tiffin Christmas Wreath Cake

Oh tis the season to be indulgent! This easy no bake tiffin wreath cake is the perfect centerpiece for your festive celebrations.   

Crumbled biscuits, dried fruit and nuts are all coated in a buttery chocolatey mix, chilled and then topped in velvety white chocolate. What more could you want for your christmas day dessert! 

Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake

So I wanted to bake something outstanding for a recent birthday celebration, the recipient is an out and out chocoholic...me! 

I figure that it should be something special - this is very important, it should be extremely easy to make and with minimal washing up - which this recipe is.

Also it had the added benefit allowing little hands to help with plenty of chocolate covered spoons to lick.  

This cake is alarmingly easy to make, no electric mixers involved, just good old fashioned saucepans and a mixing bowl. The method is simple and there is nothing fancy on the ingredient list.

I love that is isn't too sweet but so moist and moreish! I promise you that the bundt tin you bought -in my case, at our local German discount store in the reduced to clear basket! - and haven't really used will come to life with this perfect celebration cake.  

2- Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is inspired by All About Home Economics by Deirdre Madden, which has been my faithful companion since my first year in secondary school, so that would make it erm (counts on fingers)....25 years old...oh that's a shock....I need to sit down.... no wonder my copy is in tatters!
When my mother went to buy a copy of this text book, she couldn't buy it secondhand (yes we had hand-me-down school books, very pre-boom times). Everyone kept their copies, it was such a brilliant comprehensive text book packed with recipes, sewing basics, how iron a shirt, basic nutrition and everything in between. As it happens this text book has been reprinted in the last few years and is available to buy again, nothing like a little nostalgia and a good cause.

Easy Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake looks good and it tastes great too, guess what...it is really easy to make!! This is so easy to make and decorate that I made two of them for my childrens teacher, the perfect end of year thank you!!

The sponge mix is an all in one - put everything into a bowl, mix it up - and the chocolate buttercream is a doddle to make.

Nutella Bread with Tutorial

I've made this bread a LOT recently! It makes the most impressive centerpiece and it will certainly impress your family and friends. The bread is light and airy and the Nutella is rich and creamy, the perfect gift or treat for your loved ones.

Halloween Graveyard Cake

I think that our Hallowe'en party is going to be extra special this year, how could it fail with this spook-tacular cake as it's centerpiece! There is nothing better than a chocolate cake covered in even more chocolate and decorated with crushed Oreos - devilishly good!

Chocolate and Black Bean Cupcakes

I've been meaning to share this beautiful recipe with you for a couple of weeks now, I wanted to share it with you around the time I posted my Chunky Black Bean and Chicken Soup recipe adapted from A Girl Called Jack. It seemed appropriate that your dinner and dessert should both contain black beans and dark chocolate...yum!

Chocolate Muffins

The only warning I can give you is, don't burn your mouth when eating these straight from the oven, yeah they're that good.

Easter Speckled Egg Truffles

These tasty no bake treats are just the perfect size for your cuppa on Easter morning. Who says that your egg has to come from a cardboard box!

No Bake Chocolate Nests

An Easter treat that all the family can help make (and eat!!). These beautifully simple rice krispie treats are the perfect reminder to spend some family time together in the kitchen. 

Lego Movie Cake (Design Creative Cakes by Sharon)

This is just a short post to let you know about a brilliant YouTube channel I found while searching for some inspiration for my son's birthday cake.

I stumbled upon this very detailed tutorial on YouTube from the very talented  Creative Cakes by Sharon. Sharon made it look so doable (that's a word... right!!!) That I just couldn't resist.

How to Make a Merida Doll Cake

My daughter fell in love with the film Brave -since that the book has been read over and over again -so much so that she can rhyme it off by heart. It was the feisty Merida that really caught her attention -the bow and arrow wielding princess that rides bareback through the wilds of Scotland shooting at targets and climbing sheer rock faces!

4 Ingredient Red Velvet Cookies

Over the school mid term the children and I spent some time in the kitchen, we baked a couple of cakes and by total accident we discovered this recipe for cookies!

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

I have been working on my photography recently, trying to improve my composition and the overall feel of the title shots. Tricky work and like any food blogger I wanted a certain look for my blog and most importantly do the food justice.  

Last last year I joined my local camera club with the sole intention of getting a better understanding of how my camera worked. It had that nasty habit of doing exactly as it pleased - I wanted to have more control of the finished image. I had these great ideas in my head about how the finished shot should look, but I couldn't translate them into workable photos- very frustrating.  

Chocolate and Vanilla Tart

As chocolate plays an intricate part of romance and being wooed in general I thought that this was the perfect dessert for a romantic meal for two. Last year I posted this recipe and a vegetarian meal of Butternut Squash and Feta Filo Parcels as the main course. I thought that I should spruce up the photography for this decilate and fingerlicking of dessert in order to it justice. I think that no romantic meal is complete without chocolate and this is my pièce de résistance for any meal..... a dark chocolate and vanilla pie served with soft whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar....perfect!