Iced Christmas Puddings - MS Word document for downloading

I first came across Iced Christmas puddings in Australia. A friend served a delicious one, which was ever so simple and made in the bought ice cream container:

1. Soak about 100g (4oz) mixed dried fruit overnight in 4 fl oz (125ml) brandy.
2. Then stir into a pint of double cream.
3. Scoop out about half a carton of vanilla ice-cream, returning this scooped out ice-cream to the freezer
4. Add the brandy mixture to the ice cream in the container, smoothing out as a layer.
5. Freeze until firm.
6. Top up the container with as much of the reserved ice cream as possible.
7. Freeze until required.

To serve: to turn out, dip the container into very hot water for about 5 seconds. Loosen the pudding by twisting a fork in the centre, before turning upside down over the serving plate. Serve immediately.

The photograph is for Iced Christmas Pudding (from BBC “Good Living” with
Jane Asher), ready to go in the freezer. Read more »

No-Cook Chocolate Cake - MS Word document for downloading

This versatile recipe can be used either as a cake or as a dessert and you can use any biscuits, broken or other wise. Bear in mind that if you don’t have a processor, ginger biscuits can be very difficult to pulverise! For No-Cook Chocolate Cake, the biscuits can be chopped as much or as little as you want. The raisins add an extra flavour which is very pleasant.

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 5 minutes

One 7″ (18cm) round tin

Chilling time 1-2 hours

If served as a dessert, I like a little cream with it (you might have guessed!). Read more »

Chocolate (Walnut) Brownies - MS Word document for downloading

Measuring out the ingredients accurately does take a few moments with these delicious Chocolate Brownies, but then you just mix them altogether ever so quickly, even if you are not using a food processor. This recipe makes two trays - pop one batch in the freezer, where it will stay happily for 4-6 months, if it gets the chance!

This also makes a delicious pudding, served warm, with a little cream.

A friend asked me yesterday how I had the energy to do all the cooking I do when I get in from school and where do I find the time? It’s simple, really. I try to make good use of oven heat and my time. So, if, for example, I was reheating one of the casserole dishes, like the Devilled Chicken, I would only need to prepare vegetables to accompany the first part of the meal. I might decide to make these Brownies and cook them in the main oven with the chicken, serving a small portion as a pudding that evening. Read more »