I do love a good stew, especially now the nights have grown cold. Having something warm and comforting to come home to is just the ticket after a hard nights work. I made this last Monday when you need something extra special to get you through that first day of work. I served it in a giant Yorkshire pudding as it was international Yorkshire pudding day. I used lamb chops that I bought at the foreign food market for this. I’m not sure they were really the right cut, as they were a bit thin so I will try something else next time. But by the time they had cooked they were soft and tender and the stew was full of flavour. Lovely lamb stew served in a giant Yorkshire pudding with an episode of Downton Abbey to watch and Monday isn’t looking so bad.

Ingredients

Stew

500g of lamb chops

1 carrot

1 onion

1 stick of celery

3 potatoes

1 bay leave

1 small bunch of fresh herbs (if not used dried)

1/2 a large courgette

3 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

440ml of Guinness (or dark ale)

2 liters of stock (I used vegetable)

Yorkshire pudding

140g plain flour

4 eggs

200ml milk

Directions

The start of a good stew is always a good stock. I never throw away any meat bones without making them into stock.  Add an onion, some celery, a carrot, and a few cloves of garlic to some water boiling water and it’s done. You can also save all your vegetable peelings and scraps in a little pot in the fridge and add those in too. I store all my stock in the freezer, so I always have some on hand. If you don’t have stock you can just use the cubes instead.

Cut your lamb into bite sized chunks, then toss in seasoned flour. Fry them on a medium heat in a little oil until the sides have browned then remove from the pan. Do this in small batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

Chop your onion and garlic and fry off in the meat pan for a couple of minutes, then chop and add the carrot. Fry for a further minute before adding the carrot, onion, garlic and meat chunks to a large saucepan. Add the  Worcestershire sauce, herbs,stock, and can of Guinness, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat as low as possible. Let the stew simmer for an hour,stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick on the bottom. Then chop the potatoes and courgette add them in too. Simmer for another hour or two. I know this sounds vague but it depends upon the cut of the meat. It needs to be cooked until it is soft, tender, and falls apart from the bone. Add salt, pepper and more herbs to taste.

For the Yorkshire pudding I used Gordon Ramsay’s recipe and it never fails me. To make the batter, put the  flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper, then pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Then put some oil into the tins and put them in the oven to heat up. I used some of those little disposable round foil tins that you seem to find everywhere. They only have a 2cm inch edge but it didn’t seem to stop them rising.  Once the oil is hot, pour the batter into the tins. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Fill with your stew and serve immediately. Voilà delicious lamb stew.

Last Sunday morning I was lying in bed trying to decide what to have for my breakfast. I was craving french toast, but wanted to amp up the volume and change it up a bit so I hit upon that old British classic, bread and butter pudding. What could be better than lovely custardy french toast slathered in even more, lovely vanilla custard. Part breakfast part dessert; I am not ashamed to admit that I ate the whole thing over the course of the day whilst watching episodes of Columbo on Netflix. I’m not sure if I should be rather ashamed that I am turning into my Nan, but I am not. It was a lovely way to spend the end of the weekend on a cold rainy day. Next time I might add a few berries or some Nutella to mix it up.

Ingredients

French Toast

1 1/2 loaves of bread (Morning toast bread from Paris Baguette)

300ml of cream

300ml of full fat milk

3 eggs

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

4 tablespoons of sugar

Half a stick of butter (for frying)

Custard

6 egg yolks

1 egg

75g white sugar

25g of flour

4 teaspoons of corn flour / cornstarch (They sell it in all Korean supermarkets, it’s got a picture of corn on the front)

500ml of milk

1 tablespoon of Vanilla syrup

A few drops of vanilla extract (you can use the extract, the syrup or a vanilla pod)

Directions

Cut your loaf into 3/4 of an inch thick slices. I made mine using a fresh loaf but if you let it go stale for a day I am told it’s even better. In a large bowl beat together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla until mixed together. Heat your pan to a low/medium temperature and throw in a knob of butter. Dip a slice of bread into the custard mixture, let it soak up those juices, then turn it over to do the other side and throw it into the frying pan. Depending on the size of your frying pan you will be able to cook 2-3 slices at a time. After a few minutes it should be golden brown on the bottom side. Flip it over and do the other side for a few more minutes. Making sure that the custard has set in the middle, remove from the pan and cook the remaining slices. When all of your french toast is made, cut into triangles and arrange in your dish. Then make the lovely custard.

To make the custard whisk your egg yolks and egg with the sugar until it has become a very pale yellow. Whisk in the flour and corn flour until it has combined then set aside. Heat the milk and vanilla on a low heat until it has just started to boil then take it off the heat and whisk for 30 seconds. Slowly mix the hot milk into the yolk and flour mixture until it has combined then pour it into a saucepan. Put the custard on a very low heat and whisk it continuously until it begins to thicken. This will happen all at once so make sure you keep an eye on it or it will curdle. Once it’s thickened into custard you can remove from the heat and pour it all over the french toast.  Sprinkle the top with sugar and bake in the oven at 180ºC for about 20 minutes, until the sugar has browned and you have a lovely bread and buttery goodness on your hands. Serve with extra maple syrup if you have a seriously sweet tooth.

It may have taken me 29 years but I have finally made the best dessert ever. I have found true heaven in cheesecake form. I know I claimed the same when I made my lemon cheesecake but this one is even better. My lovely boyfriend brought me a rather large stock of Malteasers back from Hong Kong, when he went on a boys’ rugby trip last month. I fancied making a dessert with them and was rather tempted by the Lorraine Pascale cake, but making a cake is such a lot of hard work in this weather. So I had a quick search on pinterest for Malteasers and came across a picture of a Malteaser and Toblerone cheesecake. Sadly I am not the genius who came up with this winning combination. However when I clicked on the link there was no recipe to be found. So I created this one myself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, I devoured the last one in mere hours and I’m pretty sure that the same thing will happen the next time I make it. It may seem a little cruel to include Malteasers in a Korean food blog but Whoppers are available here which are very similar, if not get your friends and family to get you some or order them online, they are amazing.

Ingredients

3 tubes of oreos

2 bags of malteasers

3 small Toblerones (100g)

300g of cream cheese

200ml of whipping cream

2 tabelspoons of peanut butter

1/2  a stick of butter (60g)

1 tabelspoon of vanilla extract

100g of icing sugar (sugar powder)

Directions

Crush the Oreo’s into fine crumbs. I used a blender as it’s mush quicker as they are all in separate packets. Melt the butter in a saucepan then mix in the Oreo crumbs. When combined pack into your tin. Soften your cream cheese in a bowl then mix in the peanut butter. Grate the Toblerones into this mixture, and crush 1 bag of the Malteasers and mix it in too. In a separate bowl whip the cream until its thick. Add one tablespoon of vanilla extract and the sugar powder and stir until it has dissolved into the cream. Add the cream cheese peanut chocolate mixture to the bowl of cream, and make sure everything is mixed together. When ready, spoon the mixture on top of the Oreo base. Flatten the top with the back of a spoon. Take your second bag of Malteasers and push them into the top of the cheesecake so only half of each one is showing. Put in the fridge and leave to set for at least 4 hours.Voilà  the devilishly decadent cheesecake of your dreams.

Continuing with my plan of Valentine’s Day inspired recipes, I thought I would try my hand at making melt in the middle chocolate puddings.  A chocolate pudding oozing with chocolatey goodness, is certainly one way show your one true love how much you care. They are also a lot easier than you would think to make, it’s just all in the timing. My first was too runny, my second too hard but the third, fourth, and fifth were perfect. This recipe is from the one and only Gordon Ramsay. Although I did change it a little as I used milk chocolate so I had to put a tablespoon of cocoa powder in the mixture to make them look better (sorry Gordon).

Ingredients

100g of butter (plus extra to grease)

3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (2 for dusting, one in the mix)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

100g of good quality chocolate (I used Belgian from the bakers mart but Tesco’s finest at Homeplus will work well too)

120g of white sugar

100g of all-purpose flour (the buksul one with noodles and dumplings on the front)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160˚C/Gas 2.

2. Butter two large ramekins, about 7.5cm in diameter, then dust liberally with cocoa, shaking out any excess.

3. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk, and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the mixture and gently fold in, using a large metal spoon. Divide between the ramekins about 3/4 full and bake for 10 -12 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they are done when the mixture has risen and comes away from the sides.

5. Turn the chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream or cream.

If you would like any extra help you can watch Gordon in action in this video.

I had never made a lemon meringue pie before. I’m not all that sure if I’ve even eaten many. However all that changed today when I made my very first one. In one of the books I have been reading with my students the main character makes a lemon meringue pie and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind ever since. I had seen ready-made pie crusts at the Pinoy Mart but when I went to get one they were all sold out. Undeterred my lust for this lemony treat lived on, and I finally picked up some ready to roll pie pastry at the foreign food mart in Itaewon. It was actually quite cheap, 6,500 for a pack of two. Yes I could have made my own pastry, but it’s not really the easiest thing to make and frankly life is just a too short. However I will have to master it sooner or later if I wish to achieve my dream of winning The Great British Bake off! I have to say, that considering this was the first I ever made  one and it was cooked in a toaster oven I nailed it! Watch out Mary Berry….

Ingredients

Pastry

Ready to roll pie crust (if you want to make your own, then good luck to you)

Lemon Filling 

3 lemons (zest and juice)

100g of white sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of corn flour

85g of butter

100ml orange juice

100ml of water

Meringue

4 egg whites

200g of white sugar

2 teaspoons of corn flour

Directions 

Take the pastry out of the packet, unroll it and fit it into your tin. In an ideal world my tin would have been bigger but C’est la vie. Bring the pastry over the edge and trim off the excess. Using a fork prick the surface of the pastry all over the pie.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. The instructions said 12-15 minutes but mine was done in a about 8, so keep an eye on it.

To make the lemon curd put the corn flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a saucepan and stir. Add the orange juice and water then turn on to a medium heat. Continue stirring, until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until the butter has melted, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When the mixture has completely combined, turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and a small pinch of salt until they have quadrupled in volume and form soft peaks. Add your sugar to the egg whites 2 tablespoons at a time and keep whipping on your highest setting. Some folks have enough elbow grease to do this by hand but I am not one of them. I got my mixer from Gmarket for a mere 27,000 and it’s the best thing I ever did. When all the sugar has been incorporated they should form stiff peaks which are shiny and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour then set aside. Warm up the lemon curd until it just begins to bubble. Then put the warm curd into the pie case and put blobs of the meringue all around the outside of the pie making sure to cover the crust. Cover the middle last so it doesn’t sink.

Put the pie in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes. I did 10 minutes on 150 then another 10 at 100. Your oven times will vary but this worked for me. Just keep an eye on it to make sure you don’t burn the top. When the pie is done take it out of the oven and leave to set for 2 hours. I was a bit of an eager beaver so my lemon curd was not perfectly set but it tasted damn good and that’s the main thing. Voilà there you have it scrummy yummy homemade lemon meringue pie.

So this would have been posted last Friday but I managed to mess it up. I’ve made this pie so many times before I’m not sure how I managed to screw it up so badly. I’m not saying that I didn’t eat it and it wasn’t delicious, it was just wasn’t a perfectly formed pie. Clearly my diet has gone to hell but I can’t help if my body requires copious amounts of delicious treats. In fact I have been very been very fortunate and have lost 3 of my 5lbs despite the Cornish pasties, cheese and banoffee pie etc. Although I would say that is due to the fact I have only been eating a cucumber and green pepper soup for my  lunch. I won’t post the recipe as it’s not particularly good. I thought  I would be inventive and make a lovely green gazpacho but sadly the colour is far superior to the taste but the pounds seem to be shifting so I’ll stick with it for now (only 4 days until England/Italy).

On to the banoffee, this is one of the most gorgeously sinful desserts in my personal repertoire and it always goes down well at dinner parties. Its very rich and sweet and not everyone’s cup of tea  (although even my boyfriend  Niall manages to eat a slice or two despite his dubious claims that he does not like desserts!)

Ingredients 

Base

200g digestive biscuits (if you don’t want to make your own base, I have seen premade ones at the foreign food mart)

75g of butter

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Filling

200g of brown sugar

75g of butter

100ml of milk or cream

1 – 2 bananas

Top 

350ml of whipped cream

chocolate shavings

Directions

To make the biscuit base first put you digestive biscuits in to a bag them bash them with something heavy until they resemble bread crumbs. In a saucepan melt the butter then stir in the biscuit crumbs and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Make sure the crumbs are completely coated in the melted butter. Then press and pack them down into your pie tin. I got mine at Daiso. If you can’t find one then use any large flat bottomed dish.

Slice your banana into pieces and arrange on the bottom of the pie crust.

Then pour the toffee sauce on top making sure all the slices of banana have been covered.

To make my toffee sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan then put in the brown sugar and cook for around five minutes until the butter and sugar have combined properly. Add the cream or milk and cook for a further 5 minutes, the sauce should be a lovely golden brown. At that point, let it cook for a further few minutes just so it reduces slightly. Take the sauce off the heat to let it cool down. Stir it for a few minutes to help this process. You should feel the toffee sauce thickening as it cools. Dont let it cool too much, as you still need to be able to pour it on top of the bananas.

After you have topped the base with bananas and toffee you need to let it set. I would recommend doing this for at least three hours – overnight. If you don’t do this you will have problems taking out the slices. If you’re just making it for yourself then you can put the cream on top and get stuck in as soon as the toffee has set. Top the pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Voilà an amazingly scrumptious dessert.