Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Posted in Recipes, Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

These delicious, light pillows of soft lemony sponge couldn’t be easier to make, just put all the ingredients into a food processor or mixer and whizz for 1-2 mins. Done! The lemon curd filling turns ordinary cupcakes into something really special.

Lemon curd is widely available to buy but I urge you to give making your own a try – it is absolutely yummy, really easy to make and will keep for approx. 2 weeks in the fridge. Great to use as a cake filling but also delicious and very ‘moreish’ spread on fresh bread as an alternative to jam! Continue reading →

2Sep2015

Flapjacks

Posted in Lunch, Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

These tasty, healthy ‘back to school’ flapjacks are quick and easy to make and perfect for a lunch box or snack. I like to put these in my teenage daughter’s school lunchbox along with some cheese, fruit and a sandwich. They are great for anyone who has to eat ‘on the go’ and / or re-fuel after exercise when you want to try to avoid sugary snacks. You can play around with the basic recipe and add fruit, nuts and / or seeds depending on what you have available or just to vary them according to your own tastes. The recipe uses coconut oil which is a good, healthy source of saturated fat and oats which provide a slow release of energy. Continue reading →

12Aug2015

My Grandmother’s Orange Cream

Posted in Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

Ok so you are feeling under the weather, not sure what you want to eat but know you should eat something. What you need is my Grandmother’s Orange Cream. This recipe is one that has been handed down through the generations in our family and is the ‘go to’ dish for anyone who is ‘off’ their food or just not themselves. It is tasty, nourishing, goes down so easily and gently that you are guaranteed to feel a little bit better after eating it. Of course, you don’t need to be feeling ill to eat it, this is delicious any day of the week, in fact this is my daughter’s favourite dessert. Make it in one large bowl or in smaller individual bowls or glasses just like you would with jelly. Continue reading →

1Aug2015

Mini Pancakes

Posted in Breakfast, Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

Wondering what to have for a lazy breakfast this weekend ? Why not treat yourself and try these easy to make pancakes. These are a real favourite in our house for breakfast, lunch / brunch, we love them too with Bucks Fizz on Christmas morning every year. They are quick and much easier to make than the thin traditional pancakes and I bet that once you master these you may never bother with the thin more labour intensive pancakes. These are easy for kids to make too – not a bad rainy day activity? They are wonderfully versatile… you can serve them with crispy bacon & maple syrup, a squeeze of lemon & some sugar or your own favourite toppings e.g. golden syrup, chocolate spread, raspberry jam etc. You do need to have a reasonably good non-stick pan that you use only for making pancakes and / or omelettes. The recipe will make approx. 20 pancakes but the mixture will keep overnight in the fridge, if you don’t want to make them all at once or rather eat them all at once! One thing guaranteed is that whatever number you make, they will all be eaten! Continue reading →

16May2015

Quick (sugar-free) Chocolate chip cookies

Posted in Fit Food, Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

This is a recipe from Derval O’Rourke’s cookbook ‘Food For The Fast Lane’ and is great for using up very ripe bananas that have been abandoned in the fruit bowl. There are only 4 ingredients so the cookies are very simple and quick to make as well as tasty. If like me you are trying to cut back on sugar these cookies are a great guilt-free alternative and are delicious (and filling) with a cup of tea!

(Makes 6 cookies)

Ingredients

2 bananas peeled and mashed

50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) chopped

40g porridge oats

25g desiccated coconut

Method

Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/gas 3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet.

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to mix everything together. The bananas will bind the mixture so make sure to give them a good squeeze with your fingers. When the cookie dough has formed, roll it into balls, and place them a few centimetres apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the cookies slightly.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the tray before removing to a wire rack. These are best kept in the fridge where they will last for 2/3 days.

17Mar2015

Moroccan Spiced Orange Cake

Posted in Recipes, Sweet Treats by Niav Halpin

I came across this recipe (by Clodagh McKenna) for a flour-less orange cake in a Christmas magazine last year and kept it as it sounded so appealing. It is so simple to make – the ingredients are combined to make up a batter which is just poured into the tin and then popped into a cold oven. (Having said that when I was making the cake for the first time I didn’t spot that until it was too late and I put it into a hot oven, however it was absolutely fine.) It doesn’t look promising when it comes out of oven but wow does it taste gorgeous. Soft, moist, orange flavour, dark brown on the outside and a rich yellow gold on the inside and so so light. I have made it twice recently and it disappeared faster than any cake I have made. Enjoy!

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