Salted Caramel and Chocolate Brownie Mini Trifles

I'm on dessert duties this year for Christmas and I intend to take this great responsibility very seriously. So far the list includes mince pie ice cream, limoncello sorbet, mincemeat frangipane and these guys. I did a little trial run with a few slices leftover from a batch I made for work colleagues.

An old brownie recipe but simply transformed into a speedy dessert, with lashings of extra caramel, booze and chocolate custard. So I cheated and melted dark chocolate into some shop bought custard but it just goes to show how versatile these mini trifles can be. Make your own brownies, buy some brownies, make your fillings or buy some too, it really doesn't matter.

You could bung everything together in one big trifle bowl, or I served mine in a selection of jam jars and small tumblers...whatever I could find in the cupboards.

S A L T E D   C A R A M E L   A N D   C H O C O L A T E   B R O W N I E  
M I N I   T R I F L E S
(Makes 6 generously sized mini trifles)

4 slices of my salted caramel stuffed brownies (approx 400g), recipe here

500ml chilled ready made vanilla custard

100g dark chocolate

250ml double cream

25g icing sugar

3tbsp strong baileys coffee

salted caramel sauce for drizzling round each glass

1 large bag of maltesers

• Bake the brownies as per recipe and allow to cool before firming up in the fridge for an hour or two to slice into neat mini cubes. I like to make these the night before.
• Heat the custard in a small pan over a gentle heat with the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and cover with a layer of cling film over the surface to prevent a skin forming whilst it cools.
• Whisk together the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form.
• Crush the maltesers in the bag with a rolling pin.
• To assemble, layer even helpings of brownie cubes between each glass, coffee, half the crushed maltesers, drizzle caramel round the inside of each glass and top with further layers of chocolate custard, the whipped cream and scatter the remaining crushed maltesers. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

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Mac n Cheese with Anna Mae's & Lactofree

I never make mac n cheese at home. I don't think I trust myself not to add more cheese than white sauce and not to eat it all from the pan. There's no sharing when it comes to mac n cheese, its got to be unadulterated and extremely decadent.

So when Lactofree invited me to a masterclass hosted by Anna Mae's to learn how to make their lacto free version, I was a little sceptical to say the least. But I love Anna Mae's and I genuinely love Arla's Lactofree range so was convinced to give it a try.

A little background aside, a few years ago I suffered problem skin. Along with a few treatments and some changes to my diet, I'm pretty much over it. And Lactofree milk was the most obvious improvement for me. So any way to reduce some of the triggers in my diet has got to be good. Aka let's eat all the mac n cheese and still have lovely clear skin!

On the menu for the evening was mac n cheese topped with beef short rib and pickled red onions; deep fried mac n cheese balls with chipotle mayo; and doughnuts with butterscotch sauce. Stuff of dreams!

We started off by making our own white sauces, left to our own devices with adding in our preferred amount of cheese (in my case probably a whole block) before adding in the mac and sour cream to ensure it was super creamy. Topped with bbq beef short rib, sour cream and coriander, it was out of this world kinds of great!

Any mac n cheese left was scooped into balls, wrapped and smothered in breadcrumbs and fried. The sauce we made to dunk them in was a mix of cream cheese, coriander and chipotle paste. I managed to smuggle some of these home and had to fight for a share for lunchboxes the next day with the man friend.

And of course, not forgetting dessert: the doughnuts with a super quick and simple butterscotch sauce. These tiny balls of wonder were deep fried, tossed in sugar and then smothered in butterscotch. You'll see my elegant shot of my 'small' serving, but in reality I ate closer to a plateful.

No pressure in flipping the doughnuts in the fryer!

Everything in each of the recipes was fully free from lactose, from the Lactofree butter and cream in the butterscotch sauce to the cheese and milk in the mac n cheese.

So I suppose I ought to share a recipe. I'm super excited to make this mac n cheese over the weekend. I've never picked onions before and I absolutely love them and we've loads of beef in the freezer ready to roast away.

R I B S   A N D   R E D S
L A C T O F R E E   M A C   N   C H E E S E
T O P P E D   W I T H   B E E F   S H O R T   R I B   &   P I C K L E D   O N I O N S
(Recipe from Anna Mae's and Arla Lactofree, serves 4)

For the ribs:

6 thick cut short ribs  |  350ml red wine  |  1 onion, roughly chopped  |  1 carrot, roughly chopped  |  1 celery, roughly chopped  |  1tbsp tomato puree  |  4 garlic cloves  |  1 litre beef stock

For the pickled onions:

1 red onion, finely sliced  |  1tbsp sugar  |  1/2 tsp salt  |  3/4 cup cider vinegar  |  4 black peppercorns  |  2 cloves  |  1 bay leaf

For the mac:

400g macaroni  |  50g plain flour  |  50g Lactofree spreadable butter  |  1 pint Lactofree whole milk, warm  |  300g Lactofree cheddar, grated  |  1tsp mustard

For the sour cream:

4 tbsp Lactofree cream cheese  |  2tbsp Lactofree cream  |  juice and zest of one lemon

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees.
• Season the short ribs. Place in a roasting tray with the rest of the ingredients. Cover with foil and roast for 4 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.
• Add the pickled onion ingredients to a jar, cover with vinegar. Keep in the fridge till ready.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil 20 minutes before the beef is ready. Cook the macaroni until just cooked. Drain thoroughly.
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan over a low heat, add the flour and stir to make a paste. Cook for a few minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Slowly add the milk, continually whisking as you go. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the sauce covers the back of a wooden spoon.
• Continue to cook on a low heat and add the cheese and mustard. Continue to mix until melted before adding the cooked macaroni and gently fold together.
• In a small bowl, combine all of the sour cream ingredients together.
• Transfer your mac n cheese to a serving bowl, top with short rib, pickled red onions and a big dollop of sour cream.

Thank you to the Lactofree team for letting me loose with all the cheese and to Anna Mae's for all your mac wisdom. So excited to recreate!

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Christmas Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I wouldn't say that gingerbread cake is the most synonymous with Christmas for me, I love it all year round. But in lieu of not making an actual Christmas cake this year I decided to make it so. With the minimal amount of decorating I am patient enough for.

This super moist, gently spiced gingerbread cake is layered with a big thick layer of cream cheese frosting and topped with a mini rosemary and cranberry Christmas tree. The addition of some strong coffee into the mix helps give a rich flavour which I love with the ginger.

This layer cake is now a firm favourite within the family. I almost definitely deviated from the recipe and made it in one giant deep cake tin and simply sliced it in half once cooled to save on washing up. Even better still, this recipe is a one bowl method that Mary Berry would be proud of.

C H R I S T M A S   G I N G E R B R E A D   C A K E   W I T H  
C R E A M   C H E E S E   F R O S T I N G
(Makes a 3 layer 8 inch cake, or 2 layer 10 inch cake)

For the cake:

375g plain flour

200g golden caster sugar

1tbsp ground ginger

2tsp ground cinnamon

1/4tsp ground nutmeg

2tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp salt

2 eggs

240ml vegetable oil

180ml molasses

240ml freshly brewed hot coffee

For the frosting:

225g full fat cream cheese

225g unsalted butter, softened

345g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

Rosemary and dried cranberries to top, optional!

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line your baking tins.
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a large stand mixer and give a quick whisk on a low speed to incorporate.
• Add the eggs, vegetable oil and molasses and whisk once again, this time of a medium speed, until well combined.
• Add the coffee and gently fold together until smooth.
• Divide between the prepared baking trays and bake for 18-20 minutes in the 8 inch tins or 20-25 minutes in the 10 inch tins. Once baked, a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before upturning onto a wire rack to cool fully.
• To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth on a medium speed of a stand mixer.
• Sift in the icing sugar, give a super gentle fold with a spatula to avoid a dust cloud before beating on a low speed. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat for up to 5 minutes until fluffy.
• To construct the cake, layer the bottom layer of the cake on a large plate. Top with a big dollop of frosting, smoothing round with a palette knife before adding the other layer(s). There should be enough frosting to sandwich a 3 layer cake including the top layer - I had loads leftover, but decided to do a super thick middle layer only. 

Decorate with sprigs of rosemary and dried cranberries to make a christmas tree. Alternatively, lashings of glitter or a dusting of icing sugar for snow would also work.

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Tandoori King Prawns with Godello - M&S Regional Food and Wine Pairing

Sophie loves food? Check. Sophie loves wine? Also check.

I was thrilled when Marks and Spencer invited me to an evening of regional food and wine pairing a few weeks ago for their wines of the world campaign. I would say that I'm pretty talented at pairing food and wine together, as in I drink wine with my food a lot and absolutely I love it! But jokes aside, it was super interesting to learn about different wine regions and exactly why certain wines go with certain foods.

The evening pretty much felt like being on a jet set world tour with a heap of wines from England, France, Spain, Argentina and South Africa all made especially for M&S. It almost felt like speed dating. The aim of the game was to pick a favourite and pair it with our own dishes at home testing out our newly polished food pairing skills.

Starting off in England with the Marksman English Sparkling Brut Blanc de Blancs 2011, we learnt the difference between sparking wine and prosecco. Prosecco is made in big vats and can be on sale from as little as 12 months after grapes are picked. Sparkling wines like the Marksman are fermented for much longer in individual bottles with yeast and sugar. This traditional method helps to give a super toastiness and really fine bubbles which feel almost like a mousse on the tongue. Retailing at £26 a bottle, this is definitely more of a festive treat but certainly one I'm looking forward to with breakfast on Christmas day this year. Its truly the perfect match for smoked salmon or seafood canapés as the acidity and bubbles will blend perfectly together.

Moving onto France and another favourite of mine the Florent Rouve Viré-Cléssé 2014, a Chardonnay produced in the Burgundy region. Its crisp, citrus and mineral taste are the perfect balance to cut through the salt and fat of dishes with chicken or cold meats like Serrano ham. I'm not usually one for Chardonnay, but with a generous helping of ham I was definitely swayed by the peach flavour. I've definitely learnt that I can enjoy this type of grape with the right meal.

Next up, South Africa and the Paul Cluver Late Harvest Riesling 2014. Although I may have a  super sweet tooth, I'm not usually one for super sweet wines like a Riesling. But hear me out as M&S have converted me with a humble slice of mature cheddar alone. This late harvest grape introduces some fungus into the mix from something called noble rot. This helps to shrivel the grapes up and increases the intensity of sugars. The result is a golden honeyed flavour as the yeast in the wine making process can't ferment all of the sugars. Its surprisingly fresh and not cloying. From here on my ultimate indulgent Friday night's home alone will involve me consuming blocks of mature cheese with this stuff. Umami here I come.

And my absolute favourite, Castillo de Monterey Godello 2015 from Spain. Of all the glasses laid out in front of me on the table I found myself keep going back to glass 'number 6', one of the cheapest of bottles from the evening at £9.50. This zingy, fresh and light wine is perfect to cut through oil and saltiness in a variety of different dishes like seafood and cold meats. I've been really getting into prawns recently so decided the ultimate match would be some spicy prawns.

A super speedy side or starter, these prawns can be marinated in advance ahead of a dinner party and presented on a nice platter. Although I'm not one for frills, so I threw these together on the weekend for a late lunch because it's excusable to drink wine with lunch on the weekend!

I loved just how much the citrus of the wine cut through any oiliness of the prawns. As spice tends to make alcohol taste hotter the mint yogurt dip is the perfect accompaniment. And, marinating included, can be knocked up in under 30 minutes.

T A N D O O R I   K I N G   P R A W N S   W I T H   M I N T   Y O G U R T   D I P   &   F L A T B R E A D S

300g large king prawns

1-2tbsp tandoori spice mix, depending on taste

3 tbsp natural yogurt, plus extra to make a dip

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

handful of fresh mint

handful of fresh coriander

flatbreads to serve

Tandoori spice mix:

1tsp each ground ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper

• In a small mixing bowl, add the tandoori mix, yogurt and lime. Mix well and season. 
• Remove the prawn shells and devein, leaving just the tails.
• Marinate the prawns in the spice mix in a large shallow dish for 10-15 minutes.
• Heat a large griddle pan with a little oil and gently toast the flat breads until a little golden on each side. Wrap in tin foil to keep warm and set aside.
• Add the prawns to the griddle pan and grill for 6-8 minutes ensuring to turn and brown each side. 
• Serve the prawns hot with the flatbreads dunked in the yogurt topped with mint and coriander.

And so for future wine pairing endeavours, I will ensure to match fruity with meats and fish and sweeter wines with lots and lots of cheese!

For more info and pairings, visit the Marks and Spencer International Wine Guide here.

Thank you Marks and Spencer for having me and for sponsoring this post. I've learnt loads and can't wait to try some new food and wine pairings!

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