Slow Cooked Cola Pork

When I uploaded a photo of this delicious cola pork to Instagram yesterday I was inundated with requests for the recipe.  To be totally honest with you, this is probably one of the easiest meals I've ever made but easily one of the most impressive.  God bless whoever invented the slow cooker I say, meltingly tender pork is merely minutes preparation away, and you know, ten hours of cooking.  With this meal, the longer the better in my eyes.  I often pop this in the crock pot before I go to bed and shred it the next afternoon.

Slow Cooked Cola Pork

Ingredients:

1.5kg pork shoulder, skin and fat removed

1 bottle cola

1 bottle barbeque sauce (I use Jack Daniels Smokey sauce)

2tbsp chipotle paste (I use Trees Can't Dance)

Method:

Cut the pork shoulder into two equal sized pieces and place into the slow cooker.  Cover the pork with cola until almost covered, leaving the top part poking out.  Cover the remaining visable pork with the bottle of barbeque sauce and chipotle paste, pop the lid on and set the cooker to high for ten hours.

After ten hours remove the pork from the sauce and leave to rest.  Place the sauce into a large saucepan and reduce by at least half depending on how you like your gravy, this could take up to 45 minutes.  Once reduced shred the pork and add it back to the sauce and stir to coat.  Serve the pork on lightly toasted buns.

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Orange Blossom & Pistachio Cake

My it's been a busy week for us Brits hasn't it?!  At least, it has been for poor little me.  Markets to attend, Birthdays to celebrate, cake clubs to partake in, jubilee street parties to organise and last but not least a fierce cold to fight off.  All this in the space of a week has lead to a very tired Katie, the only thing to perk me up is knowing I discovered this gem of a cake.

I made this cake for the Newcastle branch of the famous Clandestine Cake Club movement currently taking the UK by storm.  The theme was English country garden and despite the fact you'd probably never find pistachios nor oranges in a typical English garden I felt it sounded too delicious to overlook.  To tie it into the garden theme I decided to crystallize some beautiful yellow roses to adorn the top of the delicious cake, but if you can't be bothered to paint flowers don't worry, this cake is just as yummy without them.  

Pistachio & Orange Blossom Cake

(from Bake & Decorate - Fiona Cairns)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

175g unsalted butter, softened

100g unsalted pistachios, toasted

70g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

200g golden caster sugar

zest of 1 large orange

4 large eggs

70g ground almonds

2tsp orange blossom water

For the syrup:

Juice of 1 orange

45g golden caster sugar

1tbsp orange blossom water

For the frosting:

250g mascarpone

zest of 1 large orange

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1tsp orange blossom water

30g golden caster sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C fan.  Lightly butter and line a 20cm springform cake tin.  Grind the toasted pistachios in a food processor till fine.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy and slowly add the eggs, one by one mixing between each addition.  If the mixture begins to curdle add 1tbsp of flour between each egg.  Fold in the almonds, pistachio and remaining flour followed by the orange blossom water.

Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: tip the orange juice, sugar and orange blossom water into a small saucepan and heat till boiling.  Reduce the liquid until thickened and syrupy.

Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle over the reduced syrup.  Leave in the tin till completely cooled.

Turn the cake upside down on a cake stand so the bottom now forms the top.  Beat together all the ingredients for the frosting and spread it on evenly with a palate knife.

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Lemon Meringue Freezer Cake - Forman & Field Jubilee Bake Off

A few weeks ago, along with several other bloggers I was invited to whip up a jubilee inspired treat by the lovely people at Forman & Field.  Of course I accepted, any excuse to bake a delicious cake.  As the weeks flew by and I got sucked into Pet Lambs busiest period of the year the cake off totally slipped my mind.  Oh crumbs, I thought, all of those elaborate bakes I was planning just seemed like too much at the minute, so I started to think simple.  I came up with a variation of the Lemon Ice Box Cake I made way back in 2009, I simplified it to the point it can be whipped up by anyone in ten minutes using ingredients readily available from your local shop.  

Despite the easy of preparation this cake is a real show stopper.  So fresh and light I can just imagine enjoying this cake in the garden, sipping on Pimms with your closest friends.  And if you're planning a jubilee party, like me, your neighbors need never know just how simple this cake is. Just place it upon the table and await your praise!

Lemon Meringue Freezer Cake

Ingredients:

1 home made vanilla loaf cake or a shop bought Madeira slice.

1 jar good quality lemon curd

1tsp vanilla extract

600ml half fat creme fresh

6 shop bought meringue nests

Method:
Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.  Slice the Madeira cake into slices around 1" thick and use to cover the bottom of the tin, pushing any scraps into the gaps.

In a large bowl mix the creme fresh with the vanilla before crumbling the meringue nests into the bowl, stir to combine.  Spread half of the cream mixture over the cake base and top with spoonfuls of lemon curd, getting the curd right into any nooks and crannies.  Cover with the remaining cream and smooth the top with a spoon.  Cover the time in cling film and freeze overnight,

Remove the frozen cake and quickly dip the cake into a sink half filled with hot water.  Release the tin, place onto a cake stand and decorate with summer berries.  Enjoy in the garden with wine or Pimms.

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Ma'amite Popcorn

I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and with the Queens Diamond Jubilee approaching I seem to be spoilt for choice.  Stunning patriotic style branding is just everywhere at the moment and I'm not sure how much more my kitchen cupboards can take.  My absolute favorites are the gorgeous Hope & Glory Golden Syrup tin (which I already have plans for) and the adorable Ma'amite Marmite jar.  

I do admit, I have a bit of a Marmite addiction.  Nigellas Marmite spaghetti is a staple in our home when the cupboards are bare and Marmite and cheese on toast is a breakfast favorite.  I'm always looking for ways to incorporate the delicious yeast spread into my diet so when someone mentioned they saw Marmite popcorn on sale at a craft fair I couldn't rest until I gave it a go. 

Marmite Popcorn

Ingredients:

50g popping corn

a good glug olive oil

a knob of salted butter

1 - 2 tbsp Marmite, depending on how strong you like it

Method:

Pour a good glug of olive oil into a medium pan and place over a high heat.  Drop a few pop corn kernels into the oil and wait for them to pop.  Once they start to pop pour the remaining kernels into the pan and cover with a lid.  Shaking every few seconds wait for the popping to slow down and remove from the heat.  Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.

Rise and dry your pan (save those dishes) and place a good knob of salted butter and the Marmite in the bottom.  Place over a medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until melted.  Pour the Marmite mixture over your popcorn and toss until each kernel is coated with the sticky sauce.  Enjoy immediately.

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Nutella & Raspberry Fondants for World Baking Day

Did you know that this Sunday May 20th is World Baking Day? I sure did, but I just couldn't rest without letting the rest of the world in on the excitement.  If you want to get in on the fun the rules are very simple, all you have to do is bake a cake, take it somewhere silly and snap a photo.  Upload your crazy cakey picture to Twitter and add the tag #caking or simply submit it here and away you go!

Want some inspiration? How about these uh-mazing Nutella and raspberry fondants, they really are something else!  Serve hot for a superb warm and gooey centre or cold the following day, these little cuties will knock your socks clean off!

Nutella & Raspberry Fondants

(Adapted from Eat Little Bird)

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

100g cocoa powder

200g caster sugar

185g unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 punnet fresh raspberries

1 jar Nutella

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C and liberally butter the cavities of a deep muffin tin.

Mix the sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy before folding through the flour and cocoa powder.  Add the melted butter and mix till combined.  

Pour a tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cavity, just enough to cover the base of the tin.  Place a heaped teaspoon of Nutella into each hole before covering with more batter.  Press three raspberries into the top of each fondant and bake for 10 minutes.  You want the sides of each cake to be cooked but the top and middle to be gooey and liquid.

Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before lifting out with a butter knife.  Enjoy warm with lashings of cream.

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