If you follow Cardwave on social media you may have noticed that we’re rather partial to a sweet treat or two, and love any excuse to indulge in homemade goodies - birthdays, charity bake offs, or just because! We wanted to do something a little different this year to show our gratitude for your continued business and support, and decided to share our joy of food with you by putting some of our favourite recipes in this limited edition cookbook! You’ll find something for everyone in our bytesize cookbook with delicious recipes from around the world. We hope you will enjoy trying out some of our recipes and invite you to share photos of your creations on our social media pages. Bon appétit!
Starters/Sides/Snacks Pitta Bread Pizzas
Amy
3
Pizette Di Melanze (Aubergine Pizzas)
Emma
4
Parmesan & Mustard New Potatoes
Anne
5
Sausage Rolls
Jack
6
Meat & Fish Chilli Con Carne
James
7
Chicken in Honey and Caraway
Anne
8
Sweet and Sour Pork
Paul
8
Shell Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce
Dan
9
Salmon Teriyaki
Tracy
10
Thai Green Curry
Siobhan
11
Shepherd’s Pie
Lewis
12
Zubuchon (Roast Pork Belly Roll)
Eden
13
Spanish Style Chicken Bake
Tracy
14
Chicken Pasta Bake
Lois
15
Naked Pasta
Ade
16
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Blanca
17
Pastavasaux
Nel
18
Spaghetti Carbonara
Sylwia
19
Make Your Own Pasta
Emma
20
Pasta
Sweet Treats Piernik (Polish Gingerbread)
Ola
21
Sernik (Traditional Polish Cheesecake)
Basia
22
All Butter Shortbread
Diane
23
Chocolate Fridge Cake
Pete
24
Mince Pies
Kirsty
25
Christmas Tree Crispy Pops
Lucy
26
Gingerbread
Kirsty
27
Panna Cotta
Emma
29
Texas Peach Cobbler
Miguel
30
Chocolate Brownies
Sally
31
Italian Biscotti
Emma
32
Banana Bread
Martin
33
Malteser Cake
Toni
34
Beverages Raspberry Fizz & White Christmas Mojito
Lisa
36
Hot Chocolate Winter Warmers
Emma
37
2
Pitta Bread Pizzas Ingredients:
4 wholewheat pitta breads
4 tsp sun-dried tomato purée
3 ripe plum tomatoes - diced
1 shallot - peeled and thinly sliced
85g chorizo (or other meat, for example ham) - diced
50g mature cheddar - grated
Method: Heat oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6 and put a baking sheet inside to heat up. Spread each pitta with 1 teaspoon of tomato purée. Top with the tomatoes, shallot, chorizo and cheddar. Place on the hot baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the pittas are crisp, the cheese has melted and the chorizo has frazzled edges. Scatter with basil, if you like, and serve with a green salad.
“This healthy, light recipe is very adaptable, choose whatever toppings you like and if you prefer white pitta bread again this is fine” Amy
Starters / 53
Pizzette Di Melazane (Aubergine Pizzas) Ingredients:
Aubergines
Tomato passata
Mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan
Oil
Salt
Oregano
Method: Oil a tin. Cut the aubergines into round slices of approx. 1 cm thick. Add a spoonful of passata and a pinch of salt onto each slice. Add a sprinkle of oregano, a teaspoon of parmesan and a slice of mozzarella to each slice. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 180°C.
Emma (pictured right) was lucky enough to spend a week this Summer in Tuscany learning how to cook traditional Tuscan dishes of which a few are included in this book. “These are a great starter or side dish to have as part of an Italian meal” Emma
4
Roast Parmesan and Mustard New Potatoes Serves 4 Ingredients:
1kg new potatoes - quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
50g fresh Parmesan - grated
Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C / Fan 160°C / Gas Mark 4. Place the potatoes on a large baking tray and toss with oil. Place on the top shelf of the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the mustard, then add the parmesan and toss again. Return to the oven and roast for a further 5 minutes until golden.
Starters / 5 5
Sausage Rolls Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 red onion - peeled and finely sliced
1 sprig fresh sage - leaves picked
6 quality pork sausages
1 handful breadcrumbs
Fresh nutmeg - for grating
250g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg
A little milk
Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook gently for about 20 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add the sage leaves, cook for a couple of minutes more and then spread out on a plate to cool. With a sharp knife, slit the skins of the sausages and pop the meat out. Put it in a mixing bowl with the cooled sage and onion mix and the breadcrumbs. Add a good grating of nutmeg, then scrunch well with clean hands to mix together. On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin and cut it lengthways into 2 long, even rectangles. Roll the mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the centre of each rectangle. Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal the join. Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through.
“Lamb or beef sausages work just as well in this recipe if you don’t fancy pork” Jack
6
Chilli Con Carne “Here’s one of my favourite recipes. My uncle picked it up while he was travelling around Chile and it’s the best chilli I’ve tasted” James Ingredients:
2 tbsp unrefined molasses sugar
2 tbsp oil
2 onions - chopped
2 small red chillies (hot ones!) - seeds removed and chopped
1 red pepper - deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (if you have it, if not you could add a little chilli powdertaste first though!)
1kg braising steak - cut into small pieces (or you could use minced beef, not the cheap sort though!)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tins red kidney beans
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
50g plain chocolate - chopped Salt to taste Juice of 1 lime
Method: Heat half the oil in a large heavy based pan or flameproof casserole dish and cook the onions, pepper, garlic and chillies gently for 5 minutes. Transfer contents of pan to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the pan, turn the heat up high, then add about a third of the meat and brown it well (if you are using mince you can add it all at once). Remove the meat and brown the remaining 2 batches. Return everything to the casserole dish and sprinkle in the flour, spices and sugar. Stir in the tomatoes, Tabasco and chocolate. Stir well and bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to a casserole dish and put in the oven to cook for 1-1½ hours at Gas Mark 2 (150°C). Stir in the beans and cook for a further 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt, add the lime juice just before serving. Serve with rice or jacket potatoes. Starters / 75
Chicken in Honey and Caraway Serves 6
Method:
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
6 chicken legs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and black pepper
Honey
2 tbsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp lemon juice
Wash the chicken legs. Remove the excess fat and trim to the knuckle. Put the legs in a baking dish, pour over the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon some honey over each leg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken pieces and cook for about 45 minutes in the oven until cooked.
Sweet and Sour Pork Serves 4
6 tbsp water (approx.)
Ingredients:
1 onion - peeled and finely sliced
1 green pepper - deseeded and finely sliced
Oil
Salt
Flour
Diced pork - excess fat trimmed
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2½ tbsp malt vinegar
1½ tbsp tomato puree
Method: Place the diced pork in a dish along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and coat well. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge. Place the cornflour, sugar, vinegar, tomato puree, water and remaining soy sauce in a jug and mix. Heat a little oil in a wok. Toss the pork in some seasoned flour and then fry in the wok until cooked. Remove the pork from the wok and keep warm.
Fry the onion for 2 minutes before adding the pepper, fry for a further 2 minutes, occasionally tossing. Don’t overcook, you want the pepper to still be crunchy. Stir the contents of the jug before pouring over the vegetables in the wok. Keep over the heat and continue to stir until the sauce thickens - add more water if required.
Add the cooked pork to the thickened sauce and stir thoroughly prior to serving with your Add a little more oil to the wok before adding choice of rice or noodles. the onion. 8
Shell Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce Ingredients:
2 boneless 1lb shell steaks
3 large cloves of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh chopped savoury* (or 1 tsp dried), plus sprigs for garnish
½lb shiitake mushrooms - stalks removed
½ cup dry red wine
½ tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup homemade beef stock
½ tbsp olive oil
Method: Rub both sides of the steaks with salt, pepper, and savoury. Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet over a medium-high heat; add garlic cloves and steaks. Lower heat to medium, and cook steaks 4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Transfer steaks to a cutting board to rest. For the sauce: Add the mushrooms to the pan, raise heat to high, and sauté for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl. Discard the garlic and fat from the pan. Add the red wine and stock to the pan. Reduce over a high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until ½ cup of sauce remains. Combine with the mushrooms. Cut the beef crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices, and serve with mushroom sauce on the side.
“If you can’t find any savoury, try a mixture of thyme and garden mint” Dan
Starters / 95
Salmon Teriyaki Serves 4
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Ingredients:
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
250g long grain rice
Low calorie cooking spray
4 large, skinless, boneless salmon fillets
8 tbsp light soy sauce
Shredded spring onions to garnish
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
For the salad
4 tsp sweetener
2 tbsp of rice vinegar and light soy.
8 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
1 tsp sweetener
Root ginger (2cm) - peeled and grated
1 large cucumber and 1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
Method: Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, drain well and keep warm. Prepare the salad. Place the vinegar and soy sauce in a large bowl and add the sweetener. Toss the cucumber and carrot ribbons in the dressing and leave to stand at room temperature until needed. Preheat the grill to high and lightly spray a baking sheet with low calorie cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the soy sauces, sweetener, mirin, ginger, chilli and garlic together until the sweetener has dissolved. Add the salmon and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the salmon to the baking sheet then tip the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat. With the baking tray about 10cm away from the heat, grill the salmon for 15 minutes, brushing it every few minutes with the simmering marinade, until the fish is cooked through and glazed. Garnish the salmon and rice with spring onions and serve with the salad.
10
Super Easy Thai Green Curry Serves 4
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
Ingredients:
Juice of 2 limes
½ bunch basil - roughly chopped
½ bunch coriander - roughly chopped
1 red chilli - roughly chopped
Rice, to serve
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 star anise
1 aubergine, cut into small chunks
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
Handful of babycorn
450g raw king prawns - peeled
Method: Heat up the coconut oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the star anise and aubergine, fry for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and half the coconut milk. Stir to melt the paste into the coconut milk, then increase the heat to high. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, toss in the baby corn, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, then drop in the prawns and simmer for 2 minutes until they turn pink and are fully cooked. Take the pan off the heat and chuck in fish sauce to taste, along with the lime juice and coriander. Top your curry with the red chilli. Serve with rice.
“It's worth making enough for 4, as any leftovers are great for taking to work for lunch or freezing for later. For a change, replace the prawns with chicken, beef , tofu or simply vegetables of your choice” Siobhan
Starters / 511
No Fuss Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion - chopped
2-3 medium carrots - chopped
500g lamb mince
2 tbsp tomato purée
Large splash Worcestershire sauce
500ml beef stock
900g potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks
85g butter
3 tbsp milk
Method: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then soften the onion and carrots for a few minutes. When soft, turn up the heat, crumble in the mince and brown, draining off any excess fat as you cook. Add the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, then fry for a few minutes. Pour over the stock, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 minutes, uncovering halfway. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C / Fan 160°C / Gas Mark 4, then make the mash. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain, then mash with the butter and milk. Put the mince into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash and ruffle with a fork. The pie can now be chilled and frozen for up to a month. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges. (To bake from frozen, cook at 160°C / Fan 140°C / Gas Mark 3 for 60-80 minutes until piping hot in the centre. Flash under the grill to brown, if you like.)
12
Zubuchon (Roast Pork Belly Roll) Ingredients:
3kg pork belly - cleaned, skin and excess fat removed
3½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 stalks lemongrass (white part only)
1 bulb garlic - peeled
2 bell peppers - sliced into strips
Method: Generously season the pork with salt all over - put more salt on the meat and less on the skin. Lay skin side down. Arrange lemongrass, bell pepper and garlic in one line at the belly’s centre and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roll belly into a log and tie with cooking string. Brush skin with the rest of the olive oil. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven (380°F) for 3 hours. Remove foil and bake for another hour. Turn on broiler and broil pork until skin becomes crispy while turning the belly so that all sides are broiled.
Starters / 513
“The first circle is the crackling skin that’s so crispy, it’ll shake your soul away to a distant universe. The second circle is the buttery soft, melt-in-your mouth meat that is so tender . The third circle is filled with the infusion of lemongrass, garlic, and bell peppers that will give you an other wordly sensory experience” Eden
Spanish Style Chicken Bake Serves 4
75g chorizo (preferably picante)
Ingredients:
8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion - cut into 8 wedges
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 medium red onion - cut into 8 wedges
½ tsp dried oregano
• 500g new potatoes - quartered length-
1 green pepper - deseeded, cut into
ways
strips
• 8 garlic cloves - unpeeled
Flaked sea salt
• 8 medium tomatoes - quartered
Freshly ground black pepper
Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6. Put the onions, potatoes, garlic and tomatoes in a large roasting tin and season with sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Toss everything together lightly and roast for 20 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, skin the chorizo and cut the meat into thin slices 5mm is about right. Put the chicken thighs on a board and carefully slash each one 2 or 3 times with a knife. Season all over with black pepper. Mix the paprika and oregano together and set aside. Take the roasting tin out of the oven, scatter the chorizo over the veg and turn everything a couple of times. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and chorizo and sprinkle with the paprika and oregano. Season with a little salt and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Take the tin out of the oven. Holding one corner carefully with an oven glove/cloth, lift the tin a little so all the juices run to the opposite end and spoon and drizzle the juices back over the chicken. Tuck the pepper strips loosely around the chicken and vegetables. Turn the oven up to 220°C / Fan 200°C / Gas Mark 7. Put the tin back in the oven for 20 minutes or until the peppers are just softened and the chicken is golden and crisp. “As you eat squeeze the garlic out of the skins and enjoy the deliciously soft and fragrant flesh. Just don’t kiss anyone afterwards!” Tracy 14
Chicken Pasta Bake (Saturday Night Pasta) Ingredients:
For the sauce
Butter, for greasing
50g butter
250g penne pasta
50g plain flour
1 onion - roughly chopped
750ml hot milk
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100g Parmesan - coarsely grated
2 large tomatoes - deseeded and cut into small cubes
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method: Preheat oven 220°C / Fan 200°C / Gas Mark 7. Butter a shallow 1.75 litre ovenproof dish. Cook the penne, with the onion, according to the packet instructions. Drain, refresh in cold water and leave to drain again in the colander. Toss the chicken strips in the paprika and a little salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and quickly fry the chicken over a high heat for about 2 minutes until golden-brown and just cooked through (you may need to do this in batches). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chicken to a plate and set aside. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and whisk together to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually add the hot milk, whisking over a high heat until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Allow to boil for 4 minutes. Stir in the mustard and half the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and onion to the sauce in the pan and stir together. Spoon half this mixture into the dish, arrange the chicken strips over the top and spoon the remaining pasta and sauce on top of the chicken. Scatter over the tomatoes and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until piping hot and golden-brown on top. “A wonderfully comforting dish, this can be made ahead and will go down really well with the family!” Lois Starters / 515
Naked Pasta Serves 3-4 Ingredients:
75g dried pasta per person (Macaroni is best)
8 rashers of thick cut bacon - sliced into strips
Sliced mushrooms
Large onion - diced
Peppers - diced (optional)
Olive oil
Method: Fill a large saucepan ¾ full of water and bring to the boil. While you’re waiting, put your biggest frying pan onto a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and stir-fry until soft but not caramelised. By this time the water should be boiling vigorously, add a few drops of olive oil to the water and then add the pasta. Add the bacon to the frying pan and cook until it turns a pale pink colour, then add the mushrooms and (optionally) peppers. You may find that the content of the frying pan looks a little ‘wet’ - don’t worry, most of this will have reduced by the time the pasta is cooked. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it well and then add it to the frying pan. Stir well, until the pasta is glistening. Divide the content of the frying pan between four bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan if you’re posh or grated cheddar if you’re not, and serve.
“A quick and easy recipe that can be thrown together with store cupboard basics and whatever you find in the fridge. It was christened ‘Naked Pasta’ by an Italian friend of mine, because it wasn’t dressed in anything! Enjoy” Ade
16
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into cubes
1 tbsp salt
¾ tsp ground white pepper
3 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half*
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8oz shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
6 tbsp butter, divided
4 cloves of garlic - minced, divided
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1lb fettuccine pasta
1 onion - peeled and diced
8oz sliced mushrooms
3 roma (plum) tomatoes - diced
⅓ cup plain flour
½ cup soured cream
Method: In a large skillet, over a medium heat combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 cloves garlic, and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes and soured cream. Serve over cooked fettuccine.
Starters / 517
Pastavasaux (pronounced pastavazor) Ingredients:
16 rashers of bacon (any) - chopped into small chunks
1 can of beans (I use baked beans, but any beans can be used)
4 jars of double concentrate tomato purée
1 large jar of passata
3 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
Bag of pasta shells
Method: Fry the garlic cloves in olive oil in a large pan. Add the bacon and brown. Add all the tomato sauces and beans. Reduce the heat and cook very slowly until you have a thick soup like sauce. Cook a bag of pasta shells and mix into the sauce when soft. “Voilà! A cheap, warm, filling meal, given to me by my Grandad. Just to say this is so much better cold the next day, not that I ever have any left over!” Nel
18
Spaghetti Carbonara Serves 4 Ingredients:
100g pancetta - rind removed and finely chopped
50g Pecorino cheese - finely grated
50g Parmesan cheese - finely grated
3 large eggs - beaten and seasoned
350g spaghetti
2 garlic cloves - peeled
50g unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method: Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water, add the spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked). Squash the garlic with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it. While the spaghetti is cooking, drop the butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic. Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard. Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet. Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later. Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated. Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed. Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and some ground pepper. “If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.“ Sylwia Starters / 519
Make Your Own Pasta Serves 1 (increase the ingredients per person serving) Ingredients:
100g “00” flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Method: Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the egg into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth and add a pinch of salt. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined. Knead the pieces of dough together - with a bit of work and some love and attention they’ll all bind together to give you one big, smooth lump of dough! Wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour before you use it. Make sure the cling film covers it well or it will dry out and go crusty round the edges. Dust your work surface with some ‘00’ flour, dust the pasta with flour if it sticks at all and roll out with a rolling pin (unless you have a pasta machine). If you're making pasta like tagliatelle, lasagne or stracchi you'll need to roll the pasta down to between the thickness of a beer mat and a playing card; if you're making a stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, you'll need to roll it down slightly thinner or to the point where you can clearly see your hand or lines of newsprint through it. Once you've rolled your pasta the way you want it, you need to shape or cut it straight away. Pasta dries much quicker than you think, so whatever recipe you're doing, don't leave it more than a minute or two before cutting or shaping it. You can lay over a damp clean tea towel which will stop it from drying. Boil water in deep pan and cook for around 3 minutes until ready to your taste.
20
Piernik (Polish Gingerbread) Ingredients:
For the filling and glaze
140g unsalted butter, plus extra
200g plum jam
300g clear honey
225ml double cream
100g light brown sugar
140g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids),
375g self-raising flour
3 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Edible gold powder (optional)
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground pepper
3 large eggs
finely chopped
Method: Heat oven to 160°C / Fan 140°C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Put the honey, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat until fully melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Put the flour and spices in a large bowl and mix everything together. Once the liquid ingredients have cooled, whisk in the eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients, whisk together to form a smooth batter - avoid over mixing as this can lead to a dry cake. Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice the cake into 3 layers. Spread the jam across the two bottom cake layers, then reassemble the cake and set aside while you make the glaze. Put the cream, chocolate and honey in a medium pan and cook over a low-medium heat until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth, pourable mixture. Put the cake on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined baking tray and pour over the glaze, making sure to cover the entire cake. Use a fish slice to carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate and allow the glaze to set. To decorate, dust with a little edible gold powder, if you don’t like iced cakes this cake will keep for up to 5 days. “Once iced, enjoy within 3 days - just keep in the fridge, but remove before serving and eat at room temperature” Ola Starters / 521
Sernik (Traditional Polish Cheesecake) Ingredients:
Filling
Crust
5oz butter
2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs - separated
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
5oz butter
2lbs dry curd cheese or Twaróg or
2 large egg yolks
Quark cheese - passed through a sieve
3 tbsp soured cream
or processed in a blender until smooth
Method: Make the Crust In a large bowl or food processor, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in or pulse cold butter as for pie dough. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 egg yolks and sour cream and add to the flour-butter mixture, combining or pulsing only until combined. If the dough is too dry, add an extra whole egg. If the dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate for 1 hour. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch pan with butter. Roll pastry dough large enough to line the pan and come up the sides. Fit “If you have leftover dough, roll it into pencil shapes into pan, making a crimped or to decorate the top of the filled cheesecake” Basia rolled edge. Make the Filling Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until well incorporated. Thoroughly mix in the cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the cheese mixture. Pour the filling into the pastry crust-lined pan. If you have leftover dough, roll into pencil shapes and lay them diagonally across the top of the cheesecake. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is only slightly wobbly. Don't let the top brown. Allow to cool fully before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. 22
All Butter Shortbread Ingredients:
4oz plain flour
2oz cornflour
4oz butter
2oz caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
Method: Sieve the flour and cornflour together. Cream the butter until soft then add the caster sugar and beat until pale and creamy. Work in the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time. Bring the mixture into a ball before rolling out into an 8 inch circle. Place the rolled out shortbread onto an ungreased baking tray. Pinch around the edges and prick all over with a fork. Cut through into 12 slices with the back of a knife and sprinkle with caster sugar. Chill for 15 minutes in the fridge before baking in the oven at 160°C until golden brown (approx. 35 minutes). “As an alternative you can always make shortbread shapes” Diane
Starters / 523
Chocolate Fridge Cake Ingredients:
250g digestive biscuits
150g milk chocolate
150g dark chocolate
100g unsalted butter
150g golden syrup
100g dried apricots - chopped
75g raisins
60g pecans - chopped (optional)
Method: Use cling film to line a 20cm (8in) shallow, square-shaped tin. Leave extra cling film hanging over the sides. Bash the biscuits into pieces using a rolling pin. (Put them in a plastic bag first so they don't go everywhere!). Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the broken biscuits, apricots, raisins and pecans (optional). Spoon the mixture into the tin. Level the surface by pressing it down with a potato masher. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set. “Marshmallows, honeycomb and meringues all work well as alternative fillings - just chop them into small chunks and mix in with the melted chocolate mixture” Pete
24
Mince Pies Ingredients:
4oz plain flour
1oz hard margarine (such as Stork)
1oz block vegetable fat (such as Cookeen)
Pinch of salt
Cold water
Mincemeat (the sweet, not the meat, variety!)
Icing sugar for dusting
Method: Rub the flour, margarine, vegetable fat and salt together using a pastry cutter or your fingertips to create a fine breadcrumb consistency. Add a small amount of water and stir into the mixture using a knife. Continue to add small amounts of water until the mixture starts to come together. As soon as the mixture starts to bind put the knife to one side and use your hand to bring the mixture together into a ball. If the pastry is still a bit crumbly add a splash more water. Don’t add more water than you really need and avoid over-handling the pastry. Dust some flour onto a clean work surface and a little on top of the pastry, and proceed to roll out (turn 90 degrees after each roll to avoid the pastry sticking - dust with more flour if needed). Once rolled out use cookie cutters to create the pieces needed for your mince pies. Place the pastry circles into each cupcake mould and use a couple of teaspoons to spoon mincemeat into each pastry case - take care not to overfill the cases as the mincemeat will expand during the cooking process. Once filled place the pastry toppers on top of the mincemeat. Glaze with a little egg-wash (beaten egg) should you wish (I don’t bother). Bake in the oven at 170°C until the pastry is light golden brown (normally around 20 minutes or so, but it will depend on the size of your pies and your oven). Enjoy hot straight from the oven, or allow the pies to cool slightly in the tin before removing and placing on a wire cooling rack to cool fully. Leftover/cooled pies can be stored in an airtight container for a few days or even frozen. Pies can be reheated by placing in the oven for 5-10 minutes. “Enjoy them hot, or cold, on their own, or with cream, or brandy butter, or custard, or ice-cream!” Kirsty Starters / 525
Christmas Tree Crispy Pops Ingredients:
200g marshmallows
3 tbsp golden syrup
100g Rice Krispies
6 ice-cream cones
500g icing sugar
½ tsp green food colouring
Sweets and sprinkles, to decorate
6 lolly sticks
Method: Melt the marshmallows and golden syrup in a pan, then stir in the Rice Krispies. Working quickly, pack the mixture into ice cream cones and push a lolly stick into the middle of each one. Chill the cones for 1 hour until completely firm. Mix icing sugar with green food colouring and enough water to make a thick icing. Dip the cones into the icing and decorate with sweets and sprinkles. Prop up on a wire cooling rack to set.
“Kids, big and small, love making… and eating these festive treats” Lucy
26
Gingerbread Ingredients:
400g plain flour
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
180g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g soft dark brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar
1 large egg
125g black treacle
Method: Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Put the butter and sugars in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and cream on slow speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat in the egg and treacle, scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn the mixer back down to slow speed and slowly add the flour mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time, stopping often to scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Once an even dough has formed, take it out of the mixer, divide into three and wrap each piece in cling film. Leave to rest overnight in the fridge. When you are ready to bake the cookies, take the dough out of the fridge and leave to soften for about 10 minutes, and preheat the oven to 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3.
Starters / 527
Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 4 mm with a rolling pin. Cut out your gingerbread man shapes (or any other shape you choose) with the biscuit cutters. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes. Leave the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
“Gingerbread makes great Christmas tree decorations - they look and smell very festive. Simply decorate biscuits with icing and Christmassy sprinkles, OR prior to baking cut out holes in the gingerbread and fill with crushed boiled sweets to create stain-glass window effect decorations. Remember to make a little hole in the top of the biscuit prior to baking so you can thread through some ribbon or string to hang your decorations up� Kirsty
28
Panna Cotta Ingredients:
“This is such a simple pudding to make and can be prepared a night in advance, a great dinner party treat” Emma
1 litre of double cream
6 tbsp sugar
4 gelatine sheets
Pinch of salt
Vanilla pods (if desired or you can add other things such as Baileys liquer, coffee, lemon rind)
Method: Put the cream in pan with the sugar and a pinch of salt and vanilla or other addition. Put on a low heat and stir for 15 minutes until it comes to the boil. Soften the gelatine in cold water as per pack instructions (normally 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatine to the pan. Stir until it melts. Divide the mixture between 12 lightly greased ramekins/small dishes. Leave to cool and then put in the fridge for several hours before serving.
Serve plain Panna Cottas with a caramel sauce or fruit coulis.
Starters / 529
Texas Peach Cobbler Ingredients: Batter
Filling
6 tbsp butter
4 cups ripe peaches - peeled and sliced
1¼ cups plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp baking powder
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. To prepare the filling, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Set aside. To prepare batter, place the butter in an 8 inch square baking dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the butter melts. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla; add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into the baking dish (over the melted butter), spreading evenly (but do not stir). Spoon the peach mixture over batter, gently pressing the peaches into the batter. Bake for 40 minutes in the oven. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Demerara sugar, return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden.
30
Chocolate Brownies
Gently melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water.
Ingredients:
Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until they start to look a bit like caramel.
225g dark chocolate - roughly chopped
225g butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
200g light brown soft sugar
170g plain flour
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
½ tsp baking powder
DO NOT TAKE OUT OF THE TIN YET!
Pinch of salt
Put the tin on a wire rack to cool for at least 3 hours. When the time is up, turn out of the tin and cut into equal slices/squares
Method: Liberally butter a 20cm square tin (loose -bottomed or use greaseproof paper) and preheat oven to 160°C / Fan 140°C.
Starters / 531
Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix together, but don’t overbeat as they may coagulate! Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold through.
Be patient! It’ll be worth the wait! Sally
Italian Biscotti Ingredients:
350g plain flour
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
160g whole almonds
16g baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence
50g melted butter
Method: Mix the flour, sugar and salt together and make a well in the middle. Add the egg and melted butter and mix well. Add the baking powder and continue to mix together until a dough forms, start kneading with hands. Chop the almonds into 3 and add to the mixture. Add flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the surface when kneading. Make the dough into a log shape and cut into 6 pieces. Roll and flatten the pieces to form strips 3 fingers wide and 1 finger deep. Line 2 trays with greaseproof paper and place the strips apart on the tray. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Brush each piece with egg wash and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and cut into diagonal strips and spread the pieces around the tray. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
“These biscuits are great dipped in a sweet pudding wine (Vin Santo) or try them with coffee or tea” Emma
32
Banana Bread Ingredients:
Method:
1½ cups plain flour
Combined all the dry ingredients together.
¾ cup brown sugar
Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ripe bananas.
1 tsp baking powder
Blend all ingredients thoroughly.
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs - beaten
Line 2 loaf tins with tinfoil and divide the batter into the tins equally.
½ cup butter - melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 ripe bananas - mashed up
Starters / 533
Bake at 175°C for 50-60 minutes.
“Check bread halfway through and cover with tinfoil to prevent burning if necessary. Enjoy!” Martin
Malteser Cheesecake Ingredients: For the base
For the filling
•
100g digestive biscuits
•
800g cream cheese
•
200g Maltesers
•
200ml soured cream
•
125g melted butter, plus extra for buttering the pan
•
200g icing sugar
•
Couple of drops of vanilla extract
•
100ml double cream
•
150g roughly crushed Maltesers extra whole ones to decorate the top if desired
Method: For the base: Butter a 20cm spring form pan with melted butter. Whizz the base ingredients in a blender until they are like fine breadcrumbs. Pour this crumb mixture into a bowl and add the melted butter. Mix everything together then tip into the spring form pan. Press it down so it is level and compact with the back of a large spoon then put the tin in the fridge for a good 30 minutes to firm up. For the topping: Put the cream cheese, soured cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat together until combined. In another bowl whisk the double cream until it forms a medium peak. Pour the whipped cream into the bowl with the cream cheese, soured cream, icing sugar and vanilla and gently fold together. Add the crushed Maltesers and fold to combine. To assemble: Take the tin containing the biscuit base from the fridge and tip the creamy mixture over the top of it. Spread it around to level and then bang the tin a couple of times on the work surface to make sure it touches the base mixture evenly and there are no gaps. Place in the fridge for an hour or two to set. Once ready to serve, remove from the fridge and press the Maltesers into the topping if using. Cut and serve. “Try not to eat too many Maltesers while you're making this. Not easy!” Toni 34
Starters / 535
Lisa’s Lush Cocktails Raspberry Fizz Ingredients:
Fresh raspberries
Raspberry gin liqueur
Prosecco
Method: Add fresh raspberries to a fluted glass. Add a good measure of Raspberry Gin Liqueur. Top up the glass with Prosecco. Enjoy! “My favourite cocktail at the moment is this Raspberry Fizz” Lisa
White Christmas Mojito Serves 4-6 Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lime
8 mint leaves
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp white rum
1 tbsp coconut rum
¼ cup canned coconut milk
Sparkling water
Pomegranate arils for serving
Method: In a glass, muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the leaves have broken down. Fill the glass half way with ice. In a blender, combine the white rum, coconut rum, and coconut milk and pulse until smooth. Pour over the ice and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water, mint and pomegranate arils. Cheers! 36
Hot Chocolate Winter Warmers All serve 4
Hot Chocolate Orange Ingredients:
8 tbsp drinking chocolate
1 litre of milk
100g dark chocolate orange bar, crushed (reserve ½ tsp for topping)
4 tbsp squirty cream.
Method: Place the drinking chocolate in a pan with the milk and the crushed chocolate. Heat gently, stirring until the mixture is piping hot and the chocolate has melted. Pour into 4 mugs, top with squirty cream and scatter over the reserved crushed chocolate.
Toffee Fudge Hot Chocolate Ingredients:
8 tbsp drinking chocolate
1 litre of milk
4 tbsp toffee dessert sauce
4 tbsp squirty cream
25g chocolate coated fudge bar, sliced
Method: Place the drinking chocolate in a pan with the milk and 3 tablespoons of the toffee dessert sauce and heat gently, whisking until piping hot. Pour into 4 mugs, top with squirty cream and scatter over the sliced fudge bar. Starters / 537
Chai Latte Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
Method:
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
Gently heat all the ingredients in a pan.
10 cardamom pods, crushed
When hot, strain and remove the cardamom.
½ tsp ginger
3 tbsp clear honey
8 tbsp drinking chocolate
1 litre of semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp ground cinnamon to dust
Pour into 4 mugs and dust with the cinnamon, if using.
(optional) 38
Cardwave Services Ltd 6c Hopton Industrial Estate Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2EU United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1380 738395 Fax: +44 (0) 1380 738399 info@cardwave.com www.cardwave.com
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