Peanut Butter Pretzel Popcorn

I'd like to consider myself a bit of a cinephile, a total homebody who's idea of a perfect night is spent on the sofa, curled up in front of a great film with a cat on my lap.  Those who follow me on Twitter probably already know that my genera of choice is horror, I was brought up on scary movies and it's an obsession that has only grown bigger with age. Now, if there's two things that go hand in hand, it's a great horror film and a overflowing bowl of popcorn.  It even works as something to hide behind if you're of the more squeamish natured.  Popcorn will protect you from Jason, I promise.

I always pop my own corn at home, store bought just doesn't cut the mustard with me. It never has the flavour punch I need, and don't even get me started on that awful sickly caramel number. Gross!  Not only is it super cheap to make your own popcorn but it's fast and the flavour combinations are endless.  One of my favourites is this peanut butter pretzel number. It's moreish, sweet and the pretzels add just enough crunch to stop you getting bored.  Perfect.

What is your favorite movie to enjoy with a big old bowl of popcorn? Any other horror addicts out there?

Peanut Butter Pretzel Popcorn

Ingredients:

• 60g popcorn kernels, popped in hot oil.
• 200g salted pretzels
• 150g honey
• 60g golden caster sugar
• 125g creamy peanut butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 226g bag of mini Reeces peanut butter cups

Cooking Directions:

1. Place your popped popcorn and pretzels in a large bowl, mix them together and set aside.
2. Heat the honey, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the peanut butter until melted and runny.
3. Pour the melted peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and stir to combine ensuring all of the kernels are covered. Stir through the Reeces Cups, season with a sprinkling of salt and serve.

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Fully Loaded Nachos

Isn't it just the worst when you're sat in a bar, waiting for a huge plate of nachos to arrive? Dreaming of lashings of fresh guacamole, mountains of melted cheese, cascading mounds of pico de gallo.  You're drooling right about now, aren't you? You're so ready for this meal, you could burst, then the waiter plops down the saddest plate of crisps you've ever seen. Store bought guac, jarred salsa and woe betide, disgusting gritty cheese sauce.  What's the point in life, why would you do something like that to the majestic nacho?!  Well, screw that, make your own and never be disappointed again.

It might seem like a lot of work, making your own guacamole and pico de gallo but trust me, it's worth it and hardly takes any time at all.   Plus, did I mention it's delicious and a million times better than store bought?

For some strange reason some people aren't big fans of coriander or jalapenos, Weird right?  So don't feel like you have to cover your nachos in the green stuff.  I absolutely love it so added a tonne at the end. Not only does it taste freaking amazing but it makes your nachos look bloody mouthwatering!

P.S. little tip, never EVER put lime in Blue Moon. I learned that the hard way, orange slices only. 

Fully Loaded Nachos

Ingredients

• For the Pico De Gallo :
• 3 tomatoes deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion finely chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1tbsp chopped coriander
• salt & pepper


• For the Guacamole :
• 1 large, ripe avocado
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1tbsp lime juice
• salt & pepper


• To Assemble the Nachos :
• 1 bag lightly salted tortilla chips
• 150g grated cheese (your choice)
• 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 150ml sour cream
• 1tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 jar pickled jalapenos

Cooking Directions

1. First of all, make the pico de gallo but mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. For the guacamole, place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Check the seasoning and set aside.
3. To assemble the nachos, spread half of the bag of tortilla chips over a large ovenproof plate or tray and sprinkle with half of the grated cheese and half of the black beans. Top with the remaining nachos, cheese and beans, place into a preheated oven (170°C) for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Dollop spoon fulls of the pico de galo, guacamole and sour cream on top of the nachos and sprinkle with chopped coriander and pickled jalapenos.
4. Serve with an ice cold beer and a good film.

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Vanilla Marshmallows

It's snowing again! Just when the sludge had melted and the roads were finally clear its all began again. I wish I could be among those pick cheeked snow lovers, willing blizzards to blanket their street in white fluffy loveliness.  I wish I could frolic in the garden, building snowmen and starting snowball fights with the neighbors.  Unfortunately, snow is the coldsore on the face of business ownership!  I find myself grimacing out the window, hoping it sods off in time for the busy weekend ahead.  So, everyone, join me in crossing your fingers and wishing for rain. Just this once!

But, I might as well make the best of it.  I mean, it looks pretty falling from the clouds and I much prefer the cold to the sun.  I guess today is the day I finally get around to trying my hand at home made marshmallows.  Boy am I looking forward to my first cup of hot chocolate, studded with little fluffy icebergs of vanilla filled goodness.

Vanilla Marshmallows

(Adapted from BBC Good Food)

Ingredients:

50g icing sugar

50g cornflour

9 leaves of gelatin

450g granulated sugar

1 tbsp liquid glucose (find it in the baking aisle)

2 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract (or any other flavour you desire) 

Pink food colouring (optional)

Method:

In a bowl, mix the icing sugar with the cornflour and set aside. Dissolve the gelatin in 150ml hot water in a heatproof jug. Line a 20cm x 30cm tin with baking parchment and dust with some of the icing sugar mix. Put the granulated sugar and liquid glucose in a heavy-bottomed pan with 200ml water. Cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely, turn up the heat and boil until the mixture reaches firm ball stage on a sugar thermometer (125C/256F) - around 10-15 mins. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a little of the mix into a glass of very cold water - if it sets into a squidgy ball, it's ready. While the sugar is boiling, use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites until stiff. When the syrup reaches the right stage, pour it into the jug with the gelatin water; be careful as it will be very hot and may bubble up. 

Continue whisking the egg whites while pouring on the syrup in a steady stream, then adding the vanilla extract - the mixture will go shiny and start to thicken. Continue whisking for about 10 mins until very stiff. Pour the egg white mixture into the tin and leave somewhere cool and dry to set for at least 2 hrs until firm. 

Lay a large sheet of baking parchment on a chopping board and sprinkle on the remaining icing sugar mix. Turn the marshmallows out and cut into squares, rolling them in the sugar mix. Keep in an airtight container but best eaten on the day.

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Madeleine's, sweet sweet Madeleines!

“One day in winter, my mother offered me some tea ... She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called petites madeleines, which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell ... I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses ...”
Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time.

Say's it all really. I recently bought a vintage Madeleine tin in future preparation for a SMS recipe which, much to my dismay, hasn't been picked yet. I simply could not wait however many weeks it may take for the object of my desires to make it onto the upcoming list so I shlomped upon the sofa, laptop in tow, to find a yummy recipe. The one that caught my eye is that of the wonderful Heston Blumenthal, he claimed that he used this recipe to woo his wife. Well, that's good enough for me!

Makes 10 (I got 12)

125g unsalted butter, plus a little for the mould
100g icing sugar
40g ground almonds
40g plain flour, plus a little for the mould
3 large egg whites
2 tsp best-quality honey
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Salt

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Melt the butter over a medium heat for a few minutes until it starts to sizzle and has a nice nutty scent — beurre noisette. Strain and set aside.

Sieve the icing sugar, ground almonds and flour into a bowl. Using a fork, whisk the egg whites into the dry mix. Next, add the honey and continue to whisk. Incorporate the warm — but not hot — beurre noisette and lemon zest and mix until homogenous. Add a little salt to taste.

Leave the madeleine mixture to rest in the fridge (covered with clingfilm pressed onto the surface) for at least an hour. Resting the dough is important, as the gluten relaxes and produces a lighter result.

Butter a madeleine mould and lightly dust with flour. (This double coating really works as a nonstick surface — you don’t want to be struggling with removing the madeleines while the tea is stewing.) Fill the moulds with the madeleine mixture and return to the fridge for half an hour to rest again (please be patient).

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, turn out from the tin and leave to cool on a cake rack for 5 minutes before serving.

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