Chocolate Berry Trifle

With juicy fresh berries, chocolate cake and decadent eggnog mascarpone filling this trifle is sure to be a hit with your guests! And because it's a no-bake, make-ahead dessert it'll be a hit with you too!

Ingredients:

2 - 12 oz chocolate (store bought) cake rolls, chilled

3.4 oz pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

1 1/4 cups eggnog

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup icing sugar

8 oz mascarpone cheese

Zest of 1 or 2 oranges

2 tsps vanilla

3 tbsps seedless raspberry jam

2 1/2 cups raspberries

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

plus more berries to garnish

more whipped cream to top or aerosol whipped cream (optional)

Have the cake rolls chilling in the fridge, or they could even be frozen. Whisk the pudding mix and eggnog together for 1 minute, then refrigerate. Whip the whipping cream and icing sugar together on high for 2 minutes or until thickened, and refrigerate. Next beat the mascarpone and add the pudding/eggnog mix. Beat until smooth then add the orange zest and vanilla. Fold in half the whipped cream/icing sugar mix.

Melt the jam in the microwave... it'll only take a few seconds, then mix with the berries.

Assembly:

Cut the cake with a sharp knife in 1/2" slices, wiping off the knife after each cut. Place one or two slices in the bottom of a 4 quart size bowl and stand more around the sides. Add about 1/2 the filling to the bowl.

Fill with the berry mixture. Stand more cake slices around the sides and put a couple on top of the berries too. Now spoon on the remaining filling.

Top with the remaining whipped cream making sure all of the cake slices are covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This can be made up to this point 1-2 days ahead of time.

When ready to serve garnish with more whipped cream and berries. Dig in with a large spoon and serve in bowls.

Serves 10 - 12

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Classic Toad in the Hole

What? Toads?!? No just pork sausages in a fluffy inside, crispy outside Yorkshire pudding. Serve it with the gravy recipe I've included or simply have it with some applesauce or mustard.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

5 pork sausages or bangers (500 g)

Batter:

4 eggs

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 pinches cayenne pepper

1 cup + 1 tbsp flour

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup water

Gravy: 

1 small red onion, finely chopped

3 or 4 mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tbsps butter

salt to taste

3 tbsps flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

and a dash of Mrs Dash original 

Combine eggs, salt, pepper, cayenne, flour, milk and water to make the batter. Whisk everything together then cover and let rest on counter for 45 minutes to an hour.

While the batter rests brown the sausages in vegetable oil until lightly golden on each side. Transfer them to a 10 X 10" baking dish and pour the remaining oil from the pan into the baking dish. Brush all over bottom, sides and the sausages. You may want to line up the sausages in the dish for even slicing and serving or just toss them in willy-nilly like I did 🤪.

If you choose to make this gravy, nicely brown the onion and mushrooms in butter 5 minutes. Add the salt and flour, then whisk in the broth, worcestershire sauce and the balsamic vinegar. Stir in the seasonings and simmer for about 5 minutes then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and pour the batter over the sausages.

Pop the dish in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Cut and serve with a good bit of gravy or whatever you choose. 

Serves 4-5

Eton Mess with Yogurt

And if your Lemon and Blueberry Pavlova doesn't work out the way you'd hoped there's always Eton Mess, an English dessert traditionally made with whipped cream.

All you need is some crumbled meringue, berries (with a little sugar) and a dollop or two of yogurt.

I took some of the berries and mashed them for a quick sauce to top it off with.

Link to the Lemon and Blueberry Pavlova
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2018/08/lemon-and-blueberry-pavlova.html?m=1

Cheesy British Toad in the Hole

No actual toads were hurt in the making of this meal!

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsps bacon fat and/or olive oil (in the batter)
2 tbsps bacon fat and/or olive oil (in the pan)
5 pork sausages (I used cheddar and bacon sausages)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (gouda, cheddar)
2 green onions, sliced

Lightly brown the sausages, cooking on medium 12-15 minutes. Set aside.

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Beat eggs, milk and 2 tsps bacon fat together, make a well in the flour and add in the milk mixture. Beat on high using electric mixer, about 2 minutes.  Then fold in the cheese and sliced green onions.

Place 2 tbsps bacon fat in a heavy 8" skillet like my good old Guardian service. Preheat oven to 450 F and place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes until fat is almost smoking.

Remove from oven and CAREFULLY pour the batter in.
Lay the sausages on top. You can sprinkle a little more green onion too if you like.

Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F for 10-15 minutes. Then turn oven off and leave it to dry for 10 minutes.

Serve with mustard, relish or chutney.

See the ooey gooey cheese!

Yorkshire Pudding

Success! I finally made a yorkshire pudding that turned out the way it's supposed to. 

Here's the Five Roses Flour recipe I used:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp roast drippings (in the batter)
2 tbsps roast drippings (in the pan)

Note:
I only had 1 tbsp of drippings so used olive oil for the rest.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine flour and salt in a small mixing bowl, set aside. Beat eggs with a fork and add milk, along with 2 tsps roast drippings.  Mix well and add to dry ingredients.

Beat at high speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. (Hand mixing probably won't work) 

Pour 2 tbsps drippings into a 9 X 9 baking pan. Place it in the 450 F oven and heat until almost smoking hot, about 5 minutes. Pour the batter in and immediately return to oven.
Bake until puffed and brown, 15 minutes.

You shouldn't open the oven door but I had to take a quick picture : )

Reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking 12 minutes more.

Turn off oven and let pudding dry an additional 10 minutes.

Serve this beauty immediately.

Traditionally served with roast beef.