online video food recipes

New Year Nougat

31/12/2014

Chewy and yummy and so simple to make. With ruby red cranberries and bright green pistachios, it's my jewel encrusted New Year Nougat. You'll need:

375g Caster Sugar
25g Glucose Syrup
175g Honey
2 Egg Whites
100ml Water
15ml Vanilla Extract
100g Pistachios
115g Dried Cranberries
2 Sheets of Wafer Paper

You'll also need a sugar thermometer

Chocolate Fudge

24/12/2014

This is a great treat to make. Even if you've never cooked or baked before - it's so easy to make and doesn't need any specialist kit! You'll need:

200g Dark Chocolate
200g Milk Chocolate
100g Icing Sugar
25g Butter
397g Condensed Milk (1 Tin, typically)

You'll also need a sugar thermometer

I don't normally suggest eating your Christmas Decorations - in fact, usually that's very bad, and as well as harming you could get you on the naughty list. These biscuits? They'll defo get you on the other list... for around a dozen biscuits (cutter size defines!) you'll need:

110g Butter
110g Caster Sugar
1 Egg (small)
200g Plain Flour (If you're egg is too big, you may need an extra 10-15g Plain Flour)
1/4 Tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon

Some boiled sweets
Food Colouring

Becky's Channel

Cranberry Mince Parcels

20/12/2014

Mince Pies - may not be familiar to everyone - but if you've not tried them the mincemeat (in this case, completely vegetarian!) is a wonderful chutney-like filling of spiced, sweetened fruit - in this case Cranberries. So easy to make, and here served in a modern parcel rather than in traditional shortcrust case. For around 40 parcels you'll need (this will make the mincemeat... which stores for 2 weeks).

300g Fresh Cranberries
30g Dried Cranberries
75g Currants
75g Raisins
75g Soft Light Brown Sugar
Juice & Zest of one Clementine
2 Tbs Honey
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Drops Almond Extract
60ml Port (Ruby ideally - but Tawny is fine too)
25ml Brandy

Camembert & Cranberry Parcels

11/12/2014

Hot cheese and jam? Yeah, doesn't sound very posh - but this is a really easy way to impress. Strong camembert melts and intermingles with cranberry in a crunchy topped, soft bottomed (?!) parcel. YUM. For eight parcels you'll need:

540g Filo Pastry (12x oblong sheets - you'll cut them into 24 squares)
250g Camembert Cheese (1x 10cm diameter)
250g Cranberry Sauce (1 Jar)
30g Butter (Melted)
Splash of juice (Cranberry or Apple) or water

Cheat's Mille-feuille

10/12/2014

Mille-feuille is French for a 'thousand leaves' - a nod to the many layers of this dessert, and specifically the thin layers within the pastry layers. Using ready-made ingredients this is ready from fridge to table in 15 mins. For 6 people you'll need:

300g Puff Pastry (shop bought is often 340g portions - that's fine!)
300 ml Double Cream
300g Jam (Raspberry here)
1 Egg
Icing sugar to decorate

Christmas Pudding Truffles

9/12/2014

Simple to make, stunning to look at, delicious to eat - they'll quickly become a firm Christmas tradition in your home... I bet'ya! Whether you use leftovers, or buy a pudding just to make them - you'll love them.

325g Christmas Pudding
125g Dark Chocolate
40g Icing Sugar
2 tbs Vanilla Extract
2 tbs Golden Syrup

100g White Chocolate
Writing Icing

3D Cookie Christmas Trees

5/12/2014

The simplicity-to-impressiveness ratio of these little fellas is all in your favour... so easy to achieve the wow factor. Don't feel guilty for eating something that's so good to look at - you can always make more! For at least one tree (ten cutter stack) you'll need:

For the biscuits

110g Butter
110g Caster Sugar
1 Egg (small)
200g Plain Flour (If you're egg is too big, you may need an extra 10-15g Plain Flour)
1/4 Tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon

To decorate

250g Royal Icing Sugar
40ml Water
Silver sugar balls
Extra Icing sugar to dust over the top

Mulled Wine | Winter Cider | Spiced Cranberry Juice & Spiced Apple Juice

3/12/2014

There is no Winter day that can't be improved by a shot of hot punch - alcoholic or non-alcoholic. But the basis of this whole range of Festive favourites is Mulling Syrup... and here's how to make it. For 500ml (which will make 2 litres of the final drink) you'll need:

Mulling Syrup:

250g Sugar (Demerara, but any you have at hand)
1 Litre Water
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Vanilla pods (split) (or 2 tsp Vanilla extract)
5-6 Cloves (or Allspice berries)
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 inch of fresh Ginger (Sliced)

For Mulled Wine:

Add 750 ml Red Wine
500 ml Orange Juice
250 ml Water
Shot of Brandy

For Winter Cider:

Add 1 L Cider
500 ml Water
Shot of Brandy

For Spiced Apple:

Add 1 L Apple Juice
500 ml Water

For Spiced Cranberry:

Add 1 L Cranberry Juice
500 ml Water

Chickpea & Coriander Burgers

3/12/2014

Simple chickpea burgers - fresh and zesty with gently warming spices and aromatic herbs. Filling, healthy and incredibly moreish. Two for a main, one each for a starter - for four you'll need:

400g Chickpeas (Drained should be around 250g)
1 Lemon
Bunch of Coriander
1 Egg
100g Breadcrumbs (Breadcrumbs aren't clean. If 'eating clean' swap these for chopped or ground almonds)
1/2 Red Onion
1 tsp Ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper

Totally Sacha Adventures: Prague, Czech Republic

2/12/2014

Cobbled streets, fairytale style architecture, charming people and famous Christmas Markets - just the place to get in the festive mood. Every corner you turn in Prague you'll find a sight even more beautiful than the one you just left behind... here's a look at my long weekend in the capital of the Czech Republic.