Valentine Berry Cutie Pies

February being the month of love and all, I've had my mind very much on baking treats for the man of my dreams hubster this weekend.



I do like to spoil him from time to time.



It's not all pasta and chocolate which he just adores hates . . . I do try to cook to please him now and then . . . well . . . if I am being honest, pretty much most of the time. They do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!



These little strawberry tarts are fabulously easy and look so impressive when done. Especially if you use my method of lining the tins, which I stole borrowed from my friend Julie, the PC consultant. It works really well with all sorts of things . . . cookie doughs, pastry, etc. (You haven't lived until you have made little chocolate chip cookie dough tartlettes, filled with dulce de leche and topped with a dab of chocolate buttercream icing. Scrummo!)



Anyways, I digress.

Little strawberry tarts. Butter pastry. Sweet strawberry, jam and lime filling. Topped with a cute little heart.



The Toddster loved them! (with some squirtie cream) I am thinking though that a bit of clotted cream would not have gone amiss . . .



*Valentine Berry Cutie Pies*
Makes 24 mini muffin sized pies
Printable Recipe

Dainty delicious little pies, perfect for a little tete a tete with the one you love.

butter for buttering the pan
12 ounces strawberries
2 tsp cornflour
2 TBS strawberry jam
the finely grated zest of 2 limes (I use my microplane fine grater)
1 pound of all butter pastry, or ready made sweet shortcrust pastry, chilled
a little plain flour for dusting


Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter a 24 section mini muffin tin (pampered chef makes one) or two 12 hole mini muffin pans. Set aside.

Roughly chop the strawberries. Put them in a mixing bowl and then gently stir in the cornflour, jam and lime zest.



This is how I do it: I pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough. Roll into balls and then press the balls into the muffin tins with my Pampered Chef Pastry press thingie, but you could also use the end of a rolling pin, or wooden spoon, floured, or in a real pinch, your thumbs.) Fill each little shell with a bit of the strawberry mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into little shapes as you wish. (I cut mine into hearts) Place one shape on top of each tart.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes before loosening with the tip of a knife and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

If desired dust with some icing sugar to serve. (I forgot to do this before I took the pictures!) Share them with your honeybun.



No Mitzie . . . I'm afraid they are not good for little dog's waistlines . . . no matter how cute the little dog may be.



Baking in The Cottage today, some delicious Vanilla Glazed Apple Bars.

Popina Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a cookery book I have had in my bookcase for a few years now. The Popina Book of Baking, by Isidora Popovic, published by Ryland, Peters & Small. I think I picked it up in Waitrose one day when I was grocery shopping, having immediately fallen in love with the looks of that tart on the cover.



Popina started out in 2000 with a grant from the Prince's Trust and a stall in London's Portobello Market. Their delicious goodies now grace the shelves of many, many gourmet food shops. They specialize in hand-made, organic, additive free sweet and savoury baked goodies, using the finest seasonal ingredients. I've never had the opportunity to taste any of their products . . . but this book, I guess is a way of being able to savour some of their delights in your own home kitchen.



Today I baked the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the book. I didn't change anything from it. I only ever very rarely do the first time I bake something as I want to see what the recipe artist intended first off . . . before I grab the ball and run with it. (I know . . . for someone who is trying to lose weight, I'm very, very naughty to say the least . . . )



These are big cookies and they look really puffy . . . but they are amazingly crisp. The picture in the book showed really flat cookies. Mine were not flat, so I don't know . . . no matter . . . they are delicious anyways.



I didn't get any molten chocolate . . . probably because I used chocolate chips . . . if I had used real chocolate I would have had oodles of molten chocolate goo, which probably in the wrong hands could be rather dangerous . . . a minute on the lips and all that . . .



If you are looking for a lovely fat, crisp chocolate chip cookie filled with lots of milk and dark chocolate goodness, this is the cookie for you.
I think when I make them another time I will add some sultanas or dried cherries. I like a bit of fruit in my chocolate chip cookies . . .



And perhaps some chopped toasted pecans. Those would be a really delicious addition . . . although having said that they are pretty yummy without any additions . . . truly. With a glass of cold milk . . . ummm . . . deeply satisfying, fresh out of the oven.



I can't believe it took me two years to bake something out of this book . . . I think I'm going to try the Cherry Chocolate Truffle Brownies next . . . do you think I should??? Dare I????



Ohhh . . . might be deliciously temptingly dangerous, don't you think??? (Other tasty offerings include such delicious treats as Cheshire Cheese and Apple Straws, Pepper, Pecorino and Thyme Tartlets, Wholemeal Spelt, Carrot, Apple and Pumpkin Seed Muffins and that tasty tart on the cover??? It's a Nectarine and Summer Berry Tart!)



*Popina Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies*
Makes 12 large cookies
Printable Recipe

You can use regular chocolate chips, or cut up your own chocolate for these. Any way you do it, they are fabulous. Eat the cookies warm for some molten chocolate scrummieness!! From the Popino Book of Baking. Plan ahead as the dough needs to chill in the refrigerator before baking.

120g unsalted butter at room temperature (generous half cup, about 4 1/4 ounces)
165g of soft light brown sugar (8/10 cup packed, or scant 14 TBS packed)
1 TBS golden syrup (can use golden corn syrup)
few drops vanilla
1 large free range egg
210g of plain flour (Generous 2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
60g each dark and milk chocolate, chopped (1/3 cup each, or use chocolate chips)

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the syrup, vanilla and egg, beating it in well. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet ingredients, mixing in well. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Shape the dough into a roll, 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.

Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap. Cut into 12 equal slices. Arrange the cookie dough discs onto the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of space in between for spreading.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cookies are pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes. Serve warm for a real taste treat. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.



In The Cottage today, a delicious Blackberry Cobbler.

Don't forget to enter my Blogging Event, Come Dine With Me! You can read all about it in the post just below this one. The more the merrier!!

Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookies

I just love to take recipes that are familiar and well known, and then adding a little twist to them, just to make them that little bit scrummier. (Are you tired of that word yet? How about moreish???)



Anyways, peanut butter cookies. Nothing out of the ordinary there. I mean how can you improve upon perfection??? Crisp peanut butter cookies, stogged full of peanut butter flavour . . . a crisp sugar coating . . .



How two of those perfect little babies, sandwiched together with melted chocolate???? mmmm . . . oh so good. Especially with a nice cold glass of milk.



Perfect. Lunch box goodies. You can't get much better than this!



Well . . . you could spread single cookies with melted chocolate and then sprinkle them with chopped peanuts . . .



But, I didn't show you this did I??? shhhh . . . mum's the word. I didn't do this. I didn't eat them all up either. uh uh . . . wasn't me.



*Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookies*
Makes about 18 double cookies
Printable Recipe

Classic cookie with a delicious twist! Bet you can't eat just one! Perfect with an ice cold glass of milk!

175g of plain flour (1 1/4 cups)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
200g peanut butter (3/4 cup)
(don't use natural peanut butter)
125g of dark soft brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla
Demerara sugar for rolling (turbinado)
6 ounces chocolate chips (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter, until well mixed. Add the brown sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until all the ingredients are well mixed, making sure you scrape up from the bottom of the bowl.

Put the demerara sugar in a small bowl. Scoop out the dough and shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll each ball into the demerara sugar and then place onto the baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Using a fork press the balls flat, first pressing one way and then again diagonally from the first marks. It will or should look like little squares. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in the microwave, following package directions. Sandwich two cookies together with a bit of the melted chocolate in the middle. Allow to set before eating. Store in an airtight container.



Over in The Cottage today, an amazing Chocolate Mint Snacking Cake . . . another tasty treat from my Big Blue Binder.

Lemon Glazed Cinnamon Scrolls

There was a similar recipe to this printed in the January issue of Sainsbury's magazine, which is usually a very good magazine . . . in fact it is generally one of my favourites. In fact I generally pounce upon it as soon as it pushes it's way through my post box and I devour each page slowly as if at a feast . . . I just can't wait to see what Nigel Slater is up to each month. (This issue is spicey treat!)



The instructions on this recipe however . . . left a great deal to the imagination. (Not one of Nigel's I hasten to add! He would never let us down so . . . ) There was not even a baking temperature was included. If one didn't have a sound knowledge . . . as simple as they are . . . one might have been quite confused.



Marie to the rescue. I do have a sound knowledge of baking and lots of experience and have made many similar things to this, and often and so I sorted it out. I can only think that it must have been an oversight on the part of Sainsbury's as they are usually very good . . .but then again, nobody is perfect, mais oui! (Not even me! ☺)



These are perfect little flakey bites . . . stogged full of cinnamon sugar and glazed with butter and demerara sugar before baking. (The sugar is my own addition to give added crunch)



Baked until golden brown . . . and then glazed with a tangy lemon drizzle icing, these would be perfect a hot drink for elevenses . . . or for a special tea with the gals, or even just when you feel like indulging yourself just a tiny little bit.



After all the holidays are almost upon us and there is nothing like a tiny bit of self indulgence to bring a smile to one's face and a lift to one's weary feet!! Nom! Nom!



*Lemon Glazed Cinnamon Scrolls*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Perfect little puffed bites, stogged full of cinnamon and glazed with a tangy sweet lemon drizzle. Delicious!

1 package of all butter puff pastry
2 heaped tsp of ground cinnamon
4 TBS of demerara sugar (Turbinado)
2 TBS butter melted
more demerara sugar for sprinkling
For the glaze:
8 TBS of sifted icing sugar
the juice of half a lemon

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.

Unroll your puff pastry, leaving it on the liner paper. Combine the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over top of the pastry. Starting at one short end and using the liner paper to help you, roll up tightly as a jelly roll, up to the centre of the pastry. Flip around and then repeat from the other side, again meeting in the middle. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 12 equal slices. Place evenly spaced and leaving at least 3 inches between each, onto the baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and brush each with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with some of the demerara sugar

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until crisp and golden brown, checking after 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth, only adding enough lemon juice to give you a smooth drizzle. Drizzle decoratively over the cinnamon slices. Allow to set before serving. Store in an airtight container.



Cooking in The Cottage today . . . The French Wedge, a delicious salad with a tangy dressing, roquefort cheese, toasted nuts and creamy slices of avocado!

Super Jam and some Scrummy Flakey Jam Rolls

I just love it when a young entrepreneur has a great idea and is able to make something of it. Such was the case of a young lad from Scotland, Frazer Doherty, who was taught how to make jam by his Scottish gran when he was 14 years old. Somehow he managed to market it and since then has gone on to sell millions of pots of the stuff. He calls it Super Jam.



I was sent several jars to try out recently and I have to say . . . I am not surprised! It's fabulous jam, and best of all it is not made with sugar, but grape juice. It also makes good use of the so called "Super Foods" such as cranberries and blueberries, which truly makes it a super jam in ever sense of the word.



We love jam in this house and if our jam can be that little bit healthier for us so much the better and I have to say with all honesty I was very impressed with this jam. I was sent a bottle of Strawberry, a bottle of Raspberry and Cranberry, and a bottle of Blueberry and Black Currant. I love that is is all fruit and all natural. I also loved that it is quite, quite delicious!



I am always cooking with jam as well (as you know) so I took the opportunity to use some of it in these tasty Flakey Jam Rolls . . . deliciously flakey and buttery puff pastry spread with jam and nuts and rolled up and baked. Oh my but they are some good too.



I used the Raspberry and Cranberry Jam in these and they were absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious. I have a confession though . . . it wasn't until I had them in the oven that I realized that I had used a box of short crust pastry instead of the puff pastry . . . but nevermind, they turned out fabulous anyways! Kind of like Pop Tarts but without the icing. I love it when my mistakes turn out incredibly edible!



We have enjoyed the two other jams on our toast and crumpets and they are also quite scrummy. Many thanks to Nell for sending me these tasty jams to try out. If you would like to know more about the Super Jam company and Fraser Doherty hop on over to their page. There are all sorts of tasty tidbits there . . . including a Super Jam Cookery Book, and a cool iphone app!



Flakey Jam rolls
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Buttery, delicious and flakey jam rolls. Need I say more???

One sheet of all butter puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions
1/4 - 1/2 cup jam, heated to loosen (I like to use raspberry or strawberry)
Scant handful dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Melted butter for basting
Granulated sugar and demerara sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the defrosted pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the surface lightly with granulated sugar. Brush with some of the butter and use a fork to prick pastry in 4 or 5 different places. Spread the warmed jam evenly over top. Scatter the top with the walnuts and cranberries. Cut into six rectangles and roll each rectangle up horizontally like a jelly roll. Place on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to cool before eating. Store in an airtight container.

Jam Drops

I got myself another baking book the other day. (Don't roll your eyes!) I know . . . I didn't really need one, but this one looked really yummy, the price was right and I am a sucker for any Australian Women's Weekly cookery book. They are that good! Seriously.



I was not disappointed with this one either. It arrived yesterday and then I went to bed with it last night. (Sorry Todd! I often go to bed with cookery books.) I devoured each and every page. The pictures are fabulous and the recipes all look really scrummy, but then it is called The Cake Stall. Scrumminess is to be expected!



I decided to bake these cookies today. They immediately grabbed my attention. We love jam in this house and if we can have it stogged into the middle of cakes or with cookies, we are in seventh heaven!



The original cookies look so pretty . . . with raspberry jam petals and apricot jam centres . . . but I wanted to use up the rest of my blueberry jam and some lemon curd that I had. Blueberries and lemon go very well together, and so that's what I did.



They may not be as pretty as the others . . . but what they lack in looks they more than make up for in flavour . . . buttery almondy short biscuits with the flavours of lemon curd and blueberry jam . . . ohhhh so luverly!!



Really! (I got my book from Amazon.uk. It has a hard cover like a real cookbook and was a lot cheaper than the cover price.)



*Jam Drops*
Makes 24

Very pretty cookies, resembling flowers with jam petals! You can use whatever kind of jams you wish. I have even used lemon and lime curds with success.

125g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
110g of caster sugar (1/2 cup)
120g of ground almonds (1 cup)
1 large free range egg
150g plain flour (1 cup) sifted
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
110g of raspberry jam (1/2 cup) for petals
2 TBS apricot jam for centres

Preheat the oven to 180*C/.350*F/ gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Set aside.

Cream together the butter, vanilla, sugar and ground almonds until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and lemon zest. Stir in the flour to make a soft dough. Shape heaped TBS of the dough into round balls and place them onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between for spreading. Flatten them slightly with your hands. Using the end of a wooden spoon make six indentations into the biscuits. (One in the centre and five around the outside.) Fill each hole with a little jam using raspberry jam for the petals and apricot for the centres. (Don't be tempted to over fill them. It will run over when they are baking and create a mess.)

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown on the bottoms and nicely set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on wire racks completely before eating. Store in an airtight container.

I love this book, there are tasty sections such as The Lemonade Stand, Gifts for Mum, Treats for the Kids, Tis the Season, Grandma's Kitchen and Jams and Preserves, as well as the usual glossary, conversion charts and index. Some other recipes includePassionfruit Buttermilk Cake, Chocolate Freckle Slices, Fig Mince Pies, Crunchy Bubble Bars, Apple Cinnamon Tea Loaves, Date and Walnut Rolls and many, many more, all triple tested Good old fashioned flavour that can never be replaced by a packet. £10.53 from Amazon.



Over in The Cottage Today some delicious Easy Peasy White Batter Rolls!