Escargot (French Spiral Pastries with Cinnamon and Rasins)

1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon & brown sugar to taste

1/4 - 1/2 a cup of raisins

Brioche pastry (because I am lazy)

1. Warm the Milk: Warm the milk in the saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. It should not actually be boiling.

2. Make the Egg-Sugar Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk them into the dry ingredients. This will form a thick paste. It's fine if the paste looks crumbly or smooth; the important thing is that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3. Add the Milk to the Egg Mixture: Pour a little of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the milk slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. It's ok to switch back and forth between pouring milk and whisking if you can't manage both at the same time.

When all the milk has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set a strainer over a bowl and place this near the stove.

4. Heat the Pastry Cream: Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk

constantly. At first, the pastry cream will look very thin and frothy, but it will start to thicken after a few minutes. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, pause whisking every few seconds to see if the cream has come to a boil. If you see large bubbles popping on the surface, whisk for a few more seconds and then remove the pan from heat.

5. Prepare the Dough & Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven based on the directions for the dough. Spread the dough out so it is a long rectangle. Sprinkle it with cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins and add the pastry cream.

6. Roll: Roll your dough up and then slice it. I sliced about two inches apart. Place your little escargots on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven until they are golden.

7. Enjoy! If you want to be very proper, you can glaze them as well! 

:)

Oreo Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/3 of a cup of cocoa powder
• 2 ½ cups of flour
• 2 1/4 cups of white sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 ¼ of a teaspoon of salt

Wet ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 of a  cup of  warm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups  of milk
• 2/3 of a cup of coffee
• 2/3 of a cup of vegetable oil

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Grease your muffin tins
3. In two separate bowls, mix your dry ingredients in one and the wet ingredients in another
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix them with a hand mixer (or do it old school and get your wooden spoon out)
5. Pour the batter in your muffin cups (about half to 3/4 of the way full.. mine rosse like crazy)
6. Bake for about 15 minutes (stab them with a knife and make sure it comes out smooth just to be sure) and them cool before icing

For the Oreo Icing

Please note I suck at measuring things and I always encourage you to taste as you go. I made wayyyy too much icing but, this is APPROXIMATELY how much of what I used:

• 100 grams of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons of softened butter
• 3/4- 1 cup of ground oreos (plus full oreos left aside for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons of icing sugar 

Once you have iced your cupcakes, garnish them with an oreo cut in half! Ohm nom. 

Garlic Bread with Mozzarella & Roasted Tomatoes

This sauce is heavenly and I always make extra to have with cheesy garlic bread :)

Baguette

Mozzarella

Garlic 

Fresh basil 

Roasted tomato sauce 

Salt & pepper to taste 

1. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees celsius (460 F) 
2. Slice a baguette in half as though you were making a gigantic sandwich :) 
3. Rub the garlic cloves all over the bread. Then crush the garlic and sprinkle it over the bread. 
4. Slice the mozzarella and lay it over the baguette then top it with salt and pepper. 
5. Leave it in the oven until the cheese is melted. In the meantime, heat up the sauce and chop the basil.
6. Top the cheesy garlic bread with the sauce and basil and enjoy!

Chocolate Milkshake

2 cups of chilled full milk

3 scoops of chocolate ice cream

3 teaspoons of chocolate sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of cocoa powder

Whipped cream

Blend & top with whipped cream!

Double Chocolate Cookies

1 cup of flour

1/2 a cup of cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

1/2 a cup of softened butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of baking chocolate (melted)

1/4 a cup of dark chocolate (coarsely chopped)

1/4 of a cup of white chocolate (coarsely chopped)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius & line your cookie tray with paper.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and mix well before adding beaten eggs. Slowly add in the melted chocolate.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
4. Combine the separate mixtures and then add the chopped chocolate.
5. Drop the cookies on the sheet (about 2 tablespoons of dough each and 3 inches apart).
6. Bake them for about 15 minutes.
7. Brag to all of your friends that your cookies taste better than the ones at Starbucks. 

Gouda Cream Sauce

3 cups of pasta shells

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

3/4 of a cup of milk

1 cup of grated gouda

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 a teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Fresh parsley for garnish

1. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter and add the nutmeg. 
2. Pour in the milk and whisk combined with the flour. 
3. Once mixed add in the gouda and stir. If the sauce gets too thick, add some milk, if it is too watery, at a bit more flour. 
4. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper before pouring it over the pasta and garnishing with parsley.

Beer Battered Fish & Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce

A recipe borrowed from my extremely close, personal friend, Jamie Oliver :) 

*Due to being a moron and getting burned with hot oil, I feel the need to remind you of what you already know - never put water on burning oil. Whenever cooking with hot oil, always have a fire extinguisher handy or, if your oil should catch fire, cover the pot or pan with a damp cloth, turn the heat off and let the fire go out by itself. 

1 cup of plain flour

1 cup of beer

2 egg whites whipped

Salt

4 250 gram fillets of haddock or cod (I used skinless)

Enough cooking oil (canola, sunflower, etc) for your fish to be at least half submerged

And all you need for my potato wedges 

For the tartar sauce, mix together everything in a food processor:

3/4 a cup of mayonaise

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

1 spring onion

2 small pickles

A few sprigs of dill

2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Since the chips take longer to make, I suggest doing them first and only cooking the fish when your potatoes are about 75% done. 
2. Begin heating the oil while you wash the fish and dap off all the moisture with a paper towel. 
3. Combine the whipped egg whites, beer and flour and mix well before dipping the fish in the batter and dropping the fillets into the oil. 
4. You want the oil to be hot enough to brown the batter but not burn it and not cook the fish enough. 
5. Once the batter is golden and the fish seems cooked inside, take the fish out and let it cool on paper towel. 
6. Enjoy!

Chocolate Fondant Cake

1/2 a cup of dark chocolate

1/2 a cup of butter

1 cup of icing sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 tablespoons of flour

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (425 Fahrenheit) 
2. Melt the chocolate and butter and whisk together the mixture (don't burn it!)
3. Beat the eggs until they are frothy and add them along with sugar and mix well before adding the flour.
4. Grease your muffin cups or ramekins before filling them 3/4 of the way up with the fondant mix. 
5. Bake them for about 11 minutes and let them sit for a moment before gently flipping them and serving.  
6. Top them with fruit and or whipped cream!

Mini Doughnuts

400g white flour without yeast

150ml milk

20g fresh yeast

40g sugar

50 unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

1. Dissolve the fresh yeast and sugar in warm milk.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl only around the edges so the middle is hollow.
3. Stir in the yeast, add slightly beaten eggs, softened butter (cut into cubes), lemon zest and vanilla extract to the centre of the bowl and slowly mix in the flour and knead 1-2 minutes.
4. Add a pinch of salt and knead the dough. You want to keep it a little wet but slightly firm. 
5. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise (in a warm place) for 2 hours or until almost double or triple the size.
6. Roll out the dough with the help of a roller on a slightly floured surface until the dough is about 1 cm thick before using a cookie cutter to make circles (about 6 cm diameter) and then a much smaller circle in the middle.
7. Place the doughnuts on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and cover with a cloth and let them grow in a warm place until double the volume.
8. If you want to bake the donuts in the oven, after doubling the volume, place the pan in the oven preheated to 170 º C.
9. If you want to fry them, heat some oil and fry them before letting them cool on paper towel.
10. And then, I sprinkled mine with icing sugar :)

Aubergine, Feta & Sundried Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese

An aubergine (eggplant)

A red onion

Feta

Sundried tomato pesto

Fresh bread

Garlic 

A drizzle of balsamic vinegar 

A sprinkle of sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Wash and finely slice the aubergine and leave it to marinate in some olive oil, a tiny bit of balsamic, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, sugar and sundried tomato pesto.
2. While it marinates, chop the onions and saute them in some olive oil until golden. Take them out and place the aubergine in the pan until it is cooked. 
3. Once the aubergine is ready, spread sundried tomato pesto on each side of the bread and fill your sandwich with aubergine, feta and the onions. 
4. Toss the bread in the pan and let the sandwich get toasty.

Mushroom Risotto

A recipe adapted from one by Diane, A Broad.

1 1/2 cups of risotto rice

1 finely chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons of butter (optional for vegans)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

6 cups of veggie stock (chicken or beef if you prefer)

2-3 cups of the mushrooms of your choice (I used a mix of dry porcini mushrooms and Swiss brown mushrooms)

3/4 of a cup of dry white wine

1/2 a cup of parmesan cheese (optional for vegans)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Begin by heating the stock in a pot while you wash and chop your mushrooms, mince the onion and garlic
2. If you are using dried mushrooms, place them in boiling water and cover them for about 10 minutes and then add the leftover broth to the stock and place the no longer dehydrated mushrooms with your other mushrooms
3. Pour the olive oil into a pan and cook the onions and garlic. 
4. In a separate pan, add the mushrooms and let them get golden, then season them with salt, pepper and some finely chopped parsley.
5. Place your rice in the pan with the onions, pour in the stock (I usually don't put it all in at once), wine and butter before covering it with a lid.
6. Be sure to keep stirring your risotto, you never want it burnt or so sticky and hard it barely moves. Keep it hydrated by adding stock as you go and keep tasting it. 
7. Once it is about 3/4 of the way done, toss in the mushrooms and some parmesan & parsley (leaving the rest for garnish)
8. Serve!

Coconut Garlic Shrimp

About 200 grams of shrimp

1-2 eggs

1/4 a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 a cup of bread crumbs

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 stalk of parsley

2 - 3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of onion powder

Butter

Sunflower oil (or any generic cooking oil)

1. Wash the shrimp well (make sure they are shelled...if not, shell them) and put them aside
2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs
3. Fill another bowl with the flower
4. Finely dice your garlic and parsley
5. And fill a third bowl with the garlic, parsley, coconut, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and onion powder - mix well
6. Pour oil into a shallow saucepan and turn it to a high heat
7. Dip the shrimp one by one first into flower, then into the egg, and then into the bowl with the garlic, parsley and bread crumbs before dropping them in the pan
8. Cook the shrimp until golden and then lay them on paper towel

Tip: They taste pretty awesome with freshly squeezed lemon
 

Cheddar Fettuccine Alfredo

fettuccine

1 shallot

1/2 a cup of cream

fresh parsley for garnish

3 tablespoons of butter

1 clove of garlic

1/2 a cup of cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1. boil the water for the pasta while you melt the butter on a medium heat
2. as you cook the pasta, toss in minced garlic and shallots and let them cook
3. add the cream and let the sauce boil for a moment before taking it off the heat
4. add the cheese, salt and pepper
5. mix the pasta in the sauce, garnish with parsley and serve! Don't let it get cold!

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing

A heavenly recipe from Spinach Tiger

Ingredients

• 3⅓ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cups Hershey’s dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
• ⅔ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1⅓ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces butter (3 sticks)
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 eggs
• FROSTING INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa
• ½ cup regular unsweetened cocoa
• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar 5
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces butter (2 sticks)
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese

Instructions

1. Sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt into a bowl.
2. Put flour mixture all the rest of the ingredients in mixer and mix for 3 minutes.
3. Pour into cupcake pans or three cake pans.
4. Bake at 350. Cupcakes take between 15-20 minutes. Mini bundt cakes take 20-25 minutes. One large cake takes between 50-55 minutes. Layer cakes take anywhere from 35-50 minutes.
5. FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
6. Mix together butter and cream cheese. Add salt and confectioner’s sugar and mix well. Pour in heavy cream which will begin to thin the frosting. Once the frosting is at the consistency you like, add in vanilla and mix until done. You can make the frosting a day ahead, cover with plastic and once ready to frost cakes, take out for 30 minutes.
7. NOTE: This makes ample frosting, but I always double this recipe because I like to use a lot of frosting.