Bacon & Banana Cookies - Heston Blumenthal at Home

Hello again, and welcome to another journey to Hestons kitchen where we will be making Bacon & Banana Cookies. Oh yes, MAD, but true... You're thinking, Banana, & Bacon, what are Heston and Harrison thinking? Well... you'll find out!

Makes approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients

40g streaky bacon (which is approx. 5 rashers)
220g plain flour
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
120g Cold unsalted butter, cubed
260g Caster Sugar
2 Large eggs
60g Dried bananas, roughly chopped

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

2. Place the bacon on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and place the tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the tray and pat the bacon dry with pieces of kitchen paper. When cool enough to handle, cut the slices into small pieces.

3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set to one side.

4. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment(although I used a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes).

5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix until well incorporated.

6. Add the sifted flour to the creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture.

7. Continue to mix for 3-5 minutes until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and a dough is formed. Add the banana and bacon and continue to mix for 2 minutes.

8. Using an ice-cream scoop, portion the dough into balls (approx. 40g per ball). Place them on a parchment lined baking tray, roughly 5-10 cm apart.

9. Place the tray in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and crispy at the edges.

10. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the tray for a few minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

NOTE: The cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight tin.

Credit for this recipe goes to Heston Blumenthal

If you would like to buy the book for this awesome recipe and more strange recipes like this, please click here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heston-Blumenthal-at-Home/dp/1408804409

A Special Thanks again to HarrisonsCookings other Official Taster: MUM!

Please comment, G+ this and SHARE on Facebook and Twitter!

THANKS FOR READING :) 

The Great British Bake Off - Strawberry and White Chocolate Cream Cake

YOU LIKE? Sorry for the inconsistency in posts lately, I have been doing a LOT of video editing... But, I'm back! AND... as you can see I've opened the Great British Bake Off book again with another blissful cake!

Ingredients:

For the Sponge:

• 150g good-quality white chocolate, broken up
• 200g unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed orange (OR orange juice)
• 200g self-raising flour
• 
  

For the Filling and Topping:

• 400g ripe strawberries 
• Finely grated zest and juice of ½ unwaxed orange (AGAIN OR orange juice)
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar 
• 200ml double or whipping cream, well chilled
• 50g good-quality white chocolate, to decorate
• 2 x 20.5cm sandwich tins, greased and the base lined with baking paper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of steaming hot but not boiling water (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the hot water) and melt very gently, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until it has melted.

2. Put the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and orange zest and whisk on high speed until the mixture is very thick and mousse-like, and the whisk leaves a ribbon-like trail when lifted from the bowl. This takes about 4 minutes. Give the chocolate and butter mixture a stir, then add to the egg mixture and stir briefly – it should be just combined. Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold in using a large metal spoon.

3. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sponges are light golden brown and springy to the touch. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. When ready to assemble the cake, wipe the strawberries with kitchen paper and hull. Save one-third (the good-looking ones) for decoration; thinly slice the rest into a bowl. Add the orange zest and juice and the sugar and mix gently. Leave for 10 to 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. 

Meanwhile, whip the cream until thick.

4. Set one sponge, browned top down, on a serving plate. Spoon the sliced strawberries and juice onto the sponge to cover evenly. Spread half the whipped cream on top. Set the second sponge, browned top up, on the cream. Carefully spread the rest of the cream over the top, then decorate

with the reserved strawberries, cut into halves.

Keep the cake chilled, in an airtight container, until ready to serve (up to 12 hours). Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving and decorate the top with curls or gratings of white chocolate like I did. Maybe even add some icing sugar over the strawberry's!

If you would like to buy this book go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-British-Bake-Off-Victoria/dp/1849902682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334860224&sr=8-1

A Special Thanks to HarrisonsCooking Official Taster: Hayden!

THANKS FOR READING! :)

The Red Lion in Horsell

On an uneventful Wednesday night, a rare event occurred, that would potentially change my life. For ever. This is what happened:

I went... to the RED LION!

Thanks for WATCHING! :)

Crispy Lemon Sole with Potted Shrimps and Cucumber - Heston Blumenthal at Home

 

Heston is at me again, with another mind fuzzing, mouth watering, luscious, scrumptious, delicious recipe: (posh voice) Crispy Lemon Sole with Potted Shrimps and Cucumber, yes oh so fine... Anyway this recipe is a great one because it is very quick and easy. Now when I say easy, I mean it, when I say quick, I mean it, when I say... nevermind. 

CRISPY Lemon Sole with POTTED Shrimps and CUCUMBER

SERVES 4

Ingredients

4 Slices of white bread

Salt and black pepper

4 Lemon or Dover sole fillets, skinned

2tbsp of Groundnut oil

250g of Potted Shrimps, can be bought from the shops

5g of Dill

1/2 a Cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 110°C

2. Cut off the crusts of your white bread and between 2 sheets of clingfilm, and using a rolling pin, roll to a thickness of 2mm. Remove the clingfilm and season the bread.

3. Place the fillets of fish on the bread and trim the fish and bread to ensure that they are both the same size. You will have 4 pieces ready to go...!

4. Heat the oil in your frying pan over a medium-high heat, then place the fillets bread-side down in the pan and saute them until golden-brown and crispy. (approx. 3mins)

5. Remove from the pan and place the fillets, fish-side down, on a tray lined with baking parchment/paper. Place in the oven. (5 mins approx.)

6. Put the potted shrimps in a small saucepan and warm them gently over a low heat until the butter is completely melted. Finely chop the dill and add it to the shrimps with the cucumber. Season.

7. Place the Potted shrimps in the middle of the plate, put the lemon sole, fish-side down on top of your shrimps. Drizzle the remaining shrimp butter around the plates. YOU'RE DONE!

PLEASE comment if you made this, and how hard you found it!

THANKS FOR READING!

Triple Cooked Chips - Heston Blumenthal at Home

Well here we are again, in 2012, with good news. Heston stopped by with his new book: Heston Blumenthal at Home!

Yes I know, you're sweating with excitement, and yes I know it says it in the title, and yes again I know that you're getting bored of the 'yes I know thing', its supposed to be funny...

Ok... on another note lets get started on the post. Which as you read in the title is chips, good TRIPLE COOKED CHIPS, from the renowned chef: Heston Blumenthal, as it says in the title, from his book: 'Heston Blumenthal at Home',as it says in the title.

YES OK NO MORE ABOUT THE TITLE!!!

Right, let us start: 

TRIPLE COOKED CHIP

Sorry for the rubbish photo... Took it with Mums phone!

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

1kg of Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into chips (approx. 2 x 2 x 6cm)

Groundnut or grapeseed oil

Sea salt

Method:

1. Place the chips in a bowl under running water for a couple of minutes to wash the starch off.

2. Place 2kg cold tap water in a large saucepan and add the chips. Put the saucepan on a medium heat and simmer until the chips are almost the edge of collapsing (approx. 25-30 mins depending on the potatoes)

3. Remove the chips with care because they will fall apart VERY easily, I learnt that the hard way, and leave to dry on a cooling rack. Place in freezer for at least an hour to remove the moisture.

4. Heat your deep-fat fryer with it half-full with your oil (10cm) to 130°C. Fry the chips in small batches until a light crust forms or the edge of the chips are turning a golden-brown colour, remove from the oil and leave to drain on kitchen paper.

5. Put the potatoes on a cooling rack and place in the freezer for 1 hour, if you dont want to serve them immediately keep them in the freezer, for a day or two.

6.Heat the oil in the deep-fat fryer to 180°C and fry until they are completely golden. (approx. 7 mins)            

Drain and sprinkle with sea salt.

This may seem like a massive hassle, but it's really easy, and the end result is stunning!

PLEASE comment if you tried this at home!

HAPPY COOKING!