Hazelnut Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Strap yourselves in, because this is a good one!

Brownies are consistently what I turn to when I need to bake something easy and delicious. And there are SO many different flavour combinations that I never get bored making them.

I recently saw a recipe for fudge-topped brownies and it just seemed like such a smart idea that I had to try it my way. I have a fond history with traybakes that use brownies as a base, because I think my mint-topped brownies are probably my favourite bake to eat.

The fudge portion hardens to a silky smooth layer which is just delicious. And obviously I added Nutella, chopped hazelnuts and edible glitter.

Ideally, I wanted the chocolate topping to be white chocolate to give a satisfying colour change, but I totally messed up melting it and it all kind of went to hell. Next time!

Pita Bread

It has been thundery and rainy most of the day and that is scheduled to last over the weekend. So what better use of your time than to learn to make pita bread! The muggy weather is perfect for getting the dough to rise, too.

This couldn’t be simpler! Even if you don’t regularly bake bread, this is still very achievable. The method for making the dough is fairly standard – add wet to dry, kneed a bit, allow to rise, knock back, shape and bake.

The cavity in the centre - a perfect curry receptacle!

I like the seeded aspect – Nigella seeds would be scrummy, but I only had poppyseeds to hand. Next time I might make them with sesame seeds and a little sesame oil. Pita breads are amazing dipped in curry, but you could also fill one with honey sesame chicken for a delicious lunch.

Hazelnut Rocky Road

Some people complain about the current heatwave that we are having, but I LOVE it. The only thing that is a little difficult is cooking things in the oven because the kitchen gets slightly sauna-like. So here's a no-bake traybake- a super sweet and nutty rocky road.

You know I can’t help myself adding Nutella and nuts to everything. And traybakes are no exception! Nutella is smooth and creamy and delicious and basically, once I realised that you could sub out some chocolate and butter for a little Nutella, my baking world became a little larger.

These are great little squares, perfect for making with little ones as there's not much heat or cooking involved. I think they make a very cute addition to a party table or are also great for taking into work. 

They're very sweet and a little crunchy and a little chewy and very, very delicious.

Northern Irish Vegetable Soup

Some foods are so ingrained in your growing up that you don’t even notice them. Wracking my brain a few St Patrick’s days ago, I couldn’t think of any typical Irish/Northern Irish foods to make for the occasion. This would have been perfect, but for me it wasn't "traditional Irish fare" it was just what my mum used to cook for dinner in the winter.

So the other day I was really hankering for vegetable soup. Proper vegetable soup. I had a quick look on the online grocery stores for the soup mix packs which are ubiquitous in Northern Ireland. They basically have the mix of pulses or a mix of the vegetables needed. I couldn’t find any, so I did what any self-respecting Northern Irish girl would do – I called my mummy.

She knew what I needed, and I ended up buying the ingredients individually. But all that means is I have enough dry ingredients for so many future bowls of soup. Winner!

This is a very quick and simple dinner, all in you’re talking an hour for it to cook (with one instance of overnight soaking) and you can leave it to simmer away on its own for most of that.

I served mine like my mum does – with some shredded roasted chicken and some wheaten bread. I made the bread while the soup was cooking, because Irish bread is all about instant gratification – no rising time required.

makes 4 generous bowls of soup

Passionfruit and Coconut Cake

Good weather calls for good cake!

And have I got a summertime treat for everyone. This is a kind of tropical version of the lemon curd cake I’ve posted previously. This just feels so summery and would be the perfect end to a fancy picnic. Fresh and zesty and nutty – and super easy to make!

Gather your ingredients, yo!

Passionfruit, coconut and sponge is just the best little trio you could ever imagine. Try it and then try to tell me I’m wrong.

Black Forest Gateau

I'm posting this well in advance of the weekend so you can use the week days to gather the ingredients. Because you will very much want to make this when you have a spare hour or two.

I never really knew what was going on with a Black Forest gateau. It sounded like a very dated 70s dessert to me, something you bought in the frozen section for a Sunday roast dessert. I don’ t really know where I got that impression from.

Because it’s basically a super chocolatey cake with booze and cherries and cream. It’s like a darker/autumnal version of a Victoria Sponge. The Germans do know what they’re at when it comes to chocolate, so I thought I would give it a go for my annual Eurovision party. Germany, represent!

I’ve basically gone with my favourite chocolate cake recipe for the sponge and altered it with the flavours of the Black Forest. Traditionally, the Germans love a stiff drink, so kirsch is the booze of choice. I didn’t have any of that, and I didn’t want to blow anyone’s head off, so I decided to substitute in what I had. Ginjinha is a sour cherry drink which is common in Lisbon, with lots of little places selling shots of it for a euro. It’s sweeter and less alcoholic than kirsch so it seemed like a nice introduction to the boozy cake.

If you’re doing a dry thing or making it for kids and don’t want to add booze, just substitute in more cherry juice.

You could also make this as a yummy set of cupcakes, I had leftovers of everything and so it was easy to whip up a couple..

Greek Feta and Red Pepper Dip

In need of a little mid week treat?

You all know I have a complete love affair with Greek food. It is everything Irish food would be if we had a better climate, I think.

Dips from the shop never stand up to the ones you make yourself, and I always prefer to make my own. So when a dip is as easy to whip up as this one, you’ll never look back. Really, there’s no way to make this more complicated than throwing ingredients into a food processor.

Served with warm pita bread it’s a meal all of its own, but it is also delicious as a little side to a Greek feast.

And here's one I prepared earlier! Spanakopita, feta dip, and aoili.