Sweet Heat Round Up

I was so delighted with the response to the first Sweet Heat Challenge. I have to admit when I hit the 'Publish' button for the post announcing Sweet Heat I was a little nervous....what if nobody else shared my love and possible addiction to chillies?! I was also a little concerned as there are a lot of other fantastic monthly blogger challenges happening just now so it can get a little overwhelming trying to participate in them all! As it turned out though I had nothing to worry about and I can happily say Sweet Heat's Launch was a success! Turns out there are plenty of you out there that like a little bit of spice in your life and are up for a new challenge.

So without further ado here is the roundup of Sweet Heats first challenge featuring condiments with a kick.....

 

First up is Michelle from Food, Football and a Baby who made this delicious looking Spicy Green Tomato Chutney......

Next, Susan from Susan Eats London made this amazing tongue-tingling fiery Panamanian Hot Sauce.......

From 41Feasts, Nicola made this fantastic, finger-licking BBQ Chipotle Sauce..….

My contribution was my deliciously sweet and spicy Tomato & Chilli Jam........

Emma from Soupier raised the bar by using Scotch Bonnet Chillies in her definitely spicy Scotch Bonnet Chilli Caramel (or Jelly)....

And Janice from Farmersgirl made a sweet and fabulously fruity Pineapple Chilli Jam.......

Next up and new blogger Matthew from Salty Plums continued with the fruity theme and made this wonderful looking Spicy Crab Apple Jelly........

And last but certainly no means least, Claire from War And A Fancy Piece made a favourite of mine, her version of a classic Moroccan side dish, Zalouk......

Thank you to everyone that participated – you all made such fantastic condiments for this challenge and I was so delighted to have you on board and insprired by your amazing recipes. Which brings me to announcing the winner of this months challenge!

As mentioned in the original post introducing Sweet Heat, to celebrate the launch, one lucky entry would win a spicy little prize. I have to say straight away that it was really difficult to pick just one as I honestly loved all of the entries and plan on trying them all, but I had to be fair and stick to just one post so this months winner is …..... (drum roll please!)...... Emma from Souperior with her Scotch Bonnet Chilli Caramel (or Jelly).  Congratulations Emma! On it's way to you is a copy of The Hot Book of Chillies by David Floyd  - a lovely book with all the information on chillies you could ever want as well as some fantastic recipes and sources for where you can buy some amazing chilli products – I hope you enjoy it!

I'll be posting next months challenge on November 1^st so keep your eyes open for that...all I can say is it is particularly suitable for this time of year.......can you guess?!

Creepy Cupcakes {Red Velvet}

Halloween is less than a week away so it's time to start with some Halloween treats. Up first are my creepy cupcakes which I just couldn't resist making, and what cupcake screams Halloween more than any other?!....It has to be some vampy, blood red, Red Velvet Cupcakes. I couldn't resist and ended up using both the original cream cheese icing as well as some ordinary icing that I coloured rather brightly for the ultimate finish in these Creepy Cupcakes.

As usual I turned to my favourite tried and tested book for this recipe so this is from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook which I adapted a little for my own tastes. I used half the quantities for the cream cheese icing and iced 6 with that, then for the remaining 6 I just made up some ordinary icing. If you want to do as I did, half the quantities below for the cream cheese icing then make enough ordinary icing to cover the other 6 cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

60g unsalted butter, at room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 large egg

20g cocoa powder

2 tbsp liquid red food colouring

½ tsp vanilla extract

125ml buttermilk

150g plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 ½ tsp white vinegar

For the Cream Cheese Icing

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese, cold

For ordinary icing

150g (approx.) icing sugar

1-2 tbsp water

Red, black & orange food colouring

Edible glitter & sugar to garnish (plus some fake spider web & a spider or 2!!!)

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. (If you don't have a freestanding mixer use a hand-held electric beater).

Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly beat. Turn the speed up a little then slowly add the egg and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.

Add the cocoa to the mixture and continue to mix until evenly combined then add the red food colouring and vanilla extract (and prepare to be delighted as you watch the mixture transform!). Mix well until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl down every now and then so that it is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to low speed the add half of the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed then add half of the flour and continue to beat until mixed in. Add the remaining buttermilk and repeat the process until both the buttermilk and flour have been evenly mixed in. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and then increase the speed and mix briefly until everything is well mixed and you have a smooth batter. Turn the mixer off then add the bicarbonate of soda and the vinegar and continue to beat until well mixed. Turn the speed up and beat for a further minute or two.

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (with my oven 22 minutes works perfectly every time) and a skewer comes out clean when put into the center of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

To make the cream cheese icing sift the icing sugar into the bowl of a mixer then add the butter. Using the paddle attachment slowly beat them together until the mixture comes together. Add the cream cheese then beat until it is well mixed and you have a smooth icing. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed then beat the icing for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat as it can quickly become runny. Spoon the icing on top of the cooled cupcakes and smooth with a spatula then decorate as you please. (For the blood drizzle, I quickly made a syrup from equal quantities of sugar and water that a boiled for a few minutes then coloured with red food colouring and drizzled over once cooled.)

For the ordinary icing sugar sift the icing sugar into a bowl then add roughly 2 tablespoons of water to create a thick but spreadable icing. Divide the icing into 3 bowls and colour each one with red, black and orange. Top the cupcakes with the icing, letting it spill over the edges slightly then finish with some edible glitter and/or sugar as desired. Leave to set before serving.

Chocolate Chilli Pots {with a surprising garnish}

I couldn't resist taking part in this month's We Should Cocoa challenge. By sheer coincidence the same month that I launched the Sweet Heat Challenge, We Should Cocoa announced their monthly mystery ingredient to be none other than chillies! How could I resist?!

I had recently been testing out another 30 Minute Meal from Jamie Oliver's book and had tried his chocolate pots. As delicious as they were I found them a little too strong for my liking....but then I had an idea to adapt them to use milk chocolate and chillies and so my Chocolate Chilli Pots were created! I like to serve them with some thin biscuits which are perfect for dipping into the oozy spiced chocolate – think of them as a grown up (and much better) version of Choc Dips!

As for the surprising little garnish, for the past month I couldn't get the idea out of my head of trying chocolate covered chillies! Yes you heard right, chocolate covered chillies.....not strawberries, oranges or biscuits but chillies. So I couldn't resist for this challenge trying it out and using them to top the chocolate pots. It sounds crazy but you have to trust me on this one and seriously give it a go – the combination of the chocolate pots with the chocolate covered chillies will (possibly literally) blow your socks off! I like the sweetness of white chocolate as it cuts through the intensity of the chilli heat but feel free to try using milk or dark chocolate – either way you have to give it a go! So there you have it – Chocolate Chilli Pots with Chocolate Covered Chillies.....you can't get more chocolate & chilli than that!

200g milk or dark chocolate (whatever is your preference)*

300ml single cream

small knob of butter

pinch of salt

1-2 dried chillies

For the chocolate covered chillies:

2-3 long chillies

85g white chocolate

Bring a large pan of water to a simmer then add put a bowl over the top. Keep the heat low so that the water is barely simmering and make sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate, cream, butter, salt and chillies and heat gently, stirring as you do, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is silky smooth. Leave the mixture for a while to infuse before pouring into ramekins or espresso cups. For me they taste best at room temperature but you could serve them warm or cold – just whatever your preference is.

For the chocolate covered chillies, melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water then once perfectly melted and smooth remove from the heat. Dip the chillies in so that they get a good even coating then lay down on a baking tray covered with baking parchment. Once they are all coated in the chocolate pop them in the fridge to set. When ready to use simply slice them up. I like to put a few on each chocolate pot then leave the remaining chillies out on a board so people can help themselves.....this is wickedly special!

*If you dark chocolate is your chocolate of choice why not try dark chocolate infused with chilli with a little extra chilli heat and flavour!

Pink Cupcakes for Breast Cancer Awareness

As more and more people are becoming increasingly aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think in this day and age pretty much every single person knows at least one person that at some point in their life has been affected by cancer in some form or another – whether it be personally, a family member, friend or colleague. Since it is such a good cause – and one that is important to me, a week ago before heading back to Scotland I decided to invite some girlfriends round for a play date, lunch and some sparkly pink cupcakes to mark the occasion.

I stuck to my standard fail-proof recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook for Vanilla cupcakes that I topped with light and fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Icing that I coloured a beautiful girly pink and of course in my true style, finished each cupcake with a sparkly sprinkle of edible glitter!

Pink Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

120g plain or all-purpose flour

140g caster or berry sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp vanilla extract

120ml milk

1 egg

Icing:

250g icing sugar

80g unsalted butter, softened

25ml milk

few drops vanilla extract

pink food colouring

edible pink glitter (optional)

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix slowly until everything is combined and you have a sandy consistency (if you don't have a KitchenAid use a hand-held electric beater). While the mixer is running, slowly pour in half of the milk and mix until it's just incorporated. Add the egg to the remaining milk along with the vanilla and continue beating until it's mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is properly mixed but be careful not to over beat the mixture.

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (with my oven 22 minutes works perfectly every time) and a skewer comes out clean when put into the center of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of a free-standing mixture or large bowl, then add the butter and beat on a low setting until it comes together. Turn the speed up a little and continue beating until it is well mixed and there are no lumps. Turn it back down to low then add the milk, vanilla and a touch of pink colouring. Mix until it is well combined and smooth, then turn up to a higher setting and beat for roughly 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.

Once the cakes have completely cooled ice them with the buttercream icing then sprinkle over some glitter if using and serve with plenty of cups of tea!

For information on breast cancer care in the UK click here; for Canada click here and for the US click here.

Moroccan Meatballs with Peas - Random Recipe Challenge # 9

I was so disappointed to have missed last months Random Recipe Challenge, especially since the theme was magazines and cut-outs (which I have a ridiculous amount of stacked up in the wardrobe in our spare room), so I was determined to take part this month. Apparently Dom at Belleau Kitchen had the same idea as before I knew it, the theme had been announced and I had been paired up with Susan at The Spice Garden. You see this month to make sure no one was cheating we had to pick a book and then a random page number for the person you had been paired with. I have to admit I was mildly terrified....It's one thing picking your own random recipe but to have someone else do it for you – well there was no escaping your fate. Susan and I immediately got in touch and I have to say I was impressed with the number of books she had – 71 - a lovely, manageable number but plenty of choice for selection.... I chose number 24 for her. It was then my turn to let her know how many books I had.....all I can say is I think I more than shocked her! 593 was my magic number (actually I have 596 but 3 are baby food books, which I was not cooking from!). I didn't dare tell her I have roughly the same amount tucked away in storage and that this number was just the books I have immediate access to! So after emailing her with my number, I waited very nervously for a response.....please let it be something manageable and not The French Laundry or The Big Fat Duck! You see while I have no problem with a challenge (since that's exactly what this is) the day before Dom announced this months theme, my plans had somewhat changed and I had unexpectedly booked a plane ticket home for the following week! Time therefore was limited and while I did promise to myself if it was a complicated recipe I would take it back to Scotland and attempt it there, I was hoping to have it done before I left. All I can say is thank you Susan – you were more than good to me! In the end Susan picked book number 254 which turned out to be Just One Pot by Lindsay Bareham – amazing! She then picked page number 147 which was Moroccan Meatballs with Peas – even more amazing! I don't think I could have picked a better recipe if I tried! As it turned out I had all of the ingredients other than the lamb so I decided to head straight to town to pick some up – no point wasting time, we were having this for dinner that night!

The recipe sounded so good but there was no photograph of it – no problem though, I continued on following the instructions, still delighted with the choice. It was definitely an easy dish to make and not too many ingredients which is always good for a mid-week meal,however I must have made my meatballs bigger than she suggests as I got roughly 20 instead of the 30 that she says you'll get. That being said I honestly wouldn't have wanted them any smaller, especially by the time they were cooked. The overall dish was good, but I don't think I'll be in a huge rush to make it again. Don't get me wrong, the meatballs were delicious, the only criticism of the dish for us was that there were far too many peas in it. Now I know the dish is called Moroccan Meatballs with Peas so I should have known better, but next time I would do it with half the amount of peas. There also wasn't too much gravy (as she calls it) but it was delicious and simple to make. I served it with a quick and easy lemon and pine nut couscous which went really well with it and turned it into a filling main course.

So there you have it – I survived my first Random Recipes Challenge and it was not just a case of survival, it was a success! Thanks to Dom for hosting and to Susan for picking this recipe. I'm embarrassed to admit it was my first time cooking from this book, but it's now off the shelves and waiting to be used again!

Moroccan Meatballs with Peas

Serves 2

2 red onions
about 25 mint leaves

1 tbsp cooking oil or half butter and half oil
250g/8oz minced lamb

½ tsp ras al hanout
½ tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp sultanas
1 egg yolk

½ tbsp runny honey
250g/8oz frozen peas

½ chicken stock cube dissolved in 300ml/ ½ pint boiling water
squeeze lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the onions in half and thinly slice 3 halves. Heat the oil in a large frying pan then add the onions. Saute for roughly 5 minutes until they are starting to soften and colour slightly. Add the ras al hanout, sultanas, honey and 250ml of the chicken stock. Stir well then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer then cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the lid and cook for a further couple of minutes until the onions are soft, the sultanas plump and the liquid has reduced to make a gravy. Season generously with salt.

Grate the reserved onion and chop the mint leaves. Put the lamb, onion, half of the mint, cumin, salt, pepper and the egg yolk into a bowl. Mix well using your hands until everything is well combined. Make the meatballs by rolling the mixture between your hands. You want them to be the size of cherry tomatoes (mine were a little larger) and should get roughly 30 meatballs from the mixture.

When you are ready to cook the meatballs, add the remaining stock to the gravy and return to a boil. Add the meatballs, arranging them in between the onion slices and allow to cook for several minutes on each side until they are golden all over and cooked through. Add the peas and remaining mint and cook until the peas are just tender. Taste to check the seasoning and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

Butternut Squash & Pear Soup

I did warn you that there might be a few recipes popping up for soup, but I was happy to see that it seems that it's not just me that is such a soupie, so here is soup number 2 of the season!

I recently received a large bag of pears from a family member whose tree was overloaded with the most perfect, juicy and delicious pears, so I instantly made up a big batch of this soup. It has a subtle hint of curry which I think just rounds it off perfectly but if you prefer you could miss it out. This soup is so delicious and elegant it would make an ideal starter for an Autumn dinner party. The pear crisps finish the soup off beautifully but you can easily give them a miss and serve it with either a drizzle off extra virgin olive oil or some crème fraiche or cream. Another perfect Autumn soup.

Tomato & Chilli Jam

I was so excited to announce the launch of Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops Sweet Heat Challenge this month. Chillies are by far one of my favourite ingredients ever – to the point I think know I am addicted(!) so starting a monthly chilli challenge seemed like a good idea (especially because I know I am not alone with this chilli addiction!!). For the first month the theme was Condiments which I was very excited about, the only problem I had was trying to narrow down my choices of what to make. In the end I went for a favourite of mine – Tomato & Chilli Jam, using not one but two of my favourite ingredients.

I had two tomato plants this year – they were both disasters! Far too much rain in June and a cool July lead to the most pathetic tomato plants you have ever seen! They tried – poor things- and after a lovely August and 2 weeks in September I did get a few from each plant but really nothing compared to what I had hoped for when I eagerly bought them in June! My chilli plants however were a completely different story! They were late in ripening due to the weather but when they did, boy did I have a bumper crop of chillies to get through!

I got the inspiration for this jam after reading a post by Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen, so thank you Janice! This jam is so good – especially if you are a chilli lover, as it does pack a punch, although you could easily cut down on the amount of chillies used (or of course add more for a spicier version!). This jam has a Thai influence with the ginger, garlic and my secret ingredient – Kaffir lime leaves which just round it off perfectly. The best way to describe it is as a cross between a sweet chilli sauce and a tomato and chilli jam....whatever it is, it's fantastic! It is delicious served with cheese and bread (or crackers) but I've also enjoyed it with grilled chicken, prawns, fish and even just some prawns crackers!

Makes approx. 750ml

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 red chillies

2-3 green chillies

6 fat cloves of garlic

2 lime leaves, stems removed

2 thumb sized pieces ginger

1kg fresh tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 tbsp fish sauce

300g sugar

125ml cider vinegar (or you could use red wine vinegar)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan then add the onion. Cook gently for roughly 20 minutes until golden brown and starting to turn sticky and caramelized.

While the onions are sauteing put the chillies, garlic, ginger and lime leaves into the bowl of a food processor and mix until everything is finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and pulse until everything is mixed together but still has some texture. Add the tomato and chilli mixture to the onions then add the fish sauce, sugar and vinegar. Stir well then gently bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down a bit and allow the jam to simmer away for roughly 1 ½ hours, stirring from time to time and skimming off any scum from the top if it forms. As the time goes by the jam should go from a runny almost salsa-like mixture, to a thick sticky and sweet delicious jam.

When the jam is ready pour it into sterilized jars and seal while still hot. Leave to cool completely before enjoying however way you please.

*If you would like to participate in this months Sweet Heat Challenge, check out the initial post here. You have until October 25th to send your entry!

Grilled Pears with Gorgonzola

This is such a simple, easy to make lunch but the taste of it will blow you away. The crispness and subtle hint of garlic paired with the creamy, tangy Gorgonzola and finished with the softened juicy pear is out of this world – just simple, uncomplicated good food at its best.

Serves 2

Ciabatta bread, cut into thin slices – as many as you want!

Olive oil

Small clove of garlic (optional)

2 pears, cut in half

Wedge of Gorgonzola at room temperature

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a griddle pan or griddler (paninni press) to high. Drizzle the sliced bread with a little olive oil on both sides then quickly toast on the hot griddle until golden and toasted. Rub a little garlic over the toasted ciabatta then set aside.

Using a teaspoon remove the seeds and core from the pears. Drizzle with a little oil then place cut side down on the hot griddle.

Pop the ciabatta and the Gorgonzola onto a serving plate or cutting board as soon as the pears are ready add them to the board as well. Grind over a little pepper then serve at once. You won't be disappointed with this one!

{If you like you could also add a little handful of rocket on the side dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This also makes a lovely elegant starter.}

Chicken Stock From A Roast & A Delicious Soup

I'm just going to warn you now that for me soup season is in full swing so that means there will be quite a few recipes appearing over the next few months. I would apologise for this, but being such a soupie I see it as a good thing – bare with me if you disagree!

So to get things started I am going to begin by posting my recipe for Chicken Stock. When I was younger we would go through to visit my Granny and she would always have some homemade soup waiting for us. Years later after she had passed away no matter what recipe of hers I tried, I could never get the same smell from my memories when I had been a little girl, walking into her house after our 3 hour car journey to get there. Then a few years ago I decided to make my own stock for the first time, following a roast chicken dinner, and it hit me.....as soon as the stock started boiling away and the delicious smell of the chicken hit my nose I was transported back in time. For all of these years it wasn't the soup I had been smelling, it was the stock she had made up first! In retrospect I should have realised cause once I smelt it again and was taken back in time it occurred to me that her windows had always been steamy, and normally her back door would be open due to the 3 hours of simmering and boiling the stock and the amount of condensation in the kitchen! Anyway I was just so delighted to have finally worked out what it was and since then I try and make my own stock as much as possible. Now by no means do I only use homemade chicken stock for my soups – more often than not I use good quality bought stock – however if I ever have a roast then I will definitely make my own – it's so easy and really worth the effort. All that's really required is some time on your side.

Chicken Stock

This recipe is a basic one and works for chicken and turkey. The water quantities are unspecific due to the fact you just want enough cold water to cover the chicken (or turkey) bones and the vegetables that you have added.

Carcass of 1-2 chickens

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

1 leek, white & pale green part only, roughly chopped

2 carrots, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

2 stalks of celery, cut into 3 or pieces

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

2 bay leaves

Small bunch of parsley

4 sprigs of thyme

10 whole black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Cold water – enough to just cover the chicken

Put all of the ingredients into a large stock pan and bring to a gentle boil, then leave to simmer for 3 hours. If you like you can skim any fat or residue from the top every now and then as the stock cooks, however I tend to wait until it has chilled as it makes it much easier. Remove from the heat and allow the stock to cool completely for a few hours. Strain and discard all the bones and vegetables, then leave for a few more hours or overnight and remove any fat that settles on the top then. Put the stock into containers and keep in the fridge or freezer until needed.

Sweet Heat Monthly Chilli Challenge

Following in the same lines as We Should Cocoa, No Croutons Required and Breakfast Club (to name a few!), I am delighted to announce a new monthly challenge featuring non other than one of my favourite ingredients - Chillies! Sweet Heat is a monthly bloggers challenge that anyone can participate in where the star of the show is of course, the chilli!

The monthly theme will vary from a type of dish, a special ingredient to combine with chillies or a cuisine, but no matter what, the star ingredient will always remain the same. Mild, fiery or blow your head off hot, fresh, dried, crushed or ground - the choice is yours! Each challenge will last roughly 1 month so you have plenty of time to work out what you want to make and participate.

Of course as with all challenges there are a few rules you need to stick to when taking part in this challenge....nothing as scary as a Trinidad Scorpion Butch T (trust me - you'll want to check that out!), just a few things to note!

The Rules:

• You must mention the Sweet Heat Challenge in your post with a link back to this site (and when applicable the host site).
• Send your post url, your name and a photo (if possible no bigger than 300 pixels please) of your creation to vanillacloudsandlemondrops@hotmail.co.uk by the 25^th of every month.
• You can create your own recipe or make your favourite recipe but please credit the original source if using someone else's and you must write your own directions for the recipe.
• You can enter as many times as you like.
• The round up will be on the 1^st of every month which will also include the next months challenge.

To celebrate the launch of Sweet Heat for the first month there will be a spicy prize for my favourite entry which I will announce on the round up.

So challenge number 1! To get things going I'm easing us all in gently with the first month with a large category that has plenty of options where there is no escaping the fact that chillies are the main ingredient. Please welcome....Condiments! That means anything from sweet chilli sauce, your own favourite hot sauce, a chilli relish, ketchup or even a hot and spicy salsa will fit the bill. The options are endless so go grab your favourite chillies and start cooking.

{If you are interested in hosting in the future please email me at vanillacloudsandlemondrops@hotmail.co.uk}