Recipes

Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownie

Lauren CarterLeave a comment

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 100g hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 300ml unsweetened soya milk
  • 100ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method:

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
  • Line a 20 x 20cm tin with baking paper and set to one side
  • Add all of the dry ingredients, apart from the dark chocolate and hazelnuts, to a bowl
  • Add the dark chocolate to a bain-marie. Simmer on a medium heat until the chocolate has melted
  • Add all of the wet ingredients to a measuring jug
  • Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients and stir to combine
  • Add the hazelnuts to a food processor and process until a coarse crumb is formed
  • Gently pour the batter in to the tin
  • Decoratively arrange the hazelnut crumb on top of the mixture
  • Put the tin in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until firm
  • Once baked, remove from the oven and set to one side. Allow to cool before slicing and serving

This recipe serves 8.

News

The Booths Family Christmas Traditions

Lauren CarterLeave a comment

Today the Booths festive brochure is released. Every year the launch of this beautiful, hardback book is a much-anticipated moment in the retail calendar. It’s a celebration of local people and producers packed with seasonal inspiration and stories.

Finally, I can reveal that I will be featured in the “Family Christmas Traditions” section sharing a memory of my Nana. Family and friends already know that Pat played a huge part in developing my passion for food. Being given the opportunity to honour her in this way is wonderful.

If you want to try my Christmas Cake recipe, you can find it here.

Recipes

Chocolate & Pistachio Shortbread

Lauren CarterLeave a comment

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

  • 200g plain flour
  • 150g pistachios
  • 150g dairy free butter
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Method:

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 177 degrees (gas mark 4)
  • Line a large tray with baking paper and set to one side
  • Remove the shells from the pistachios. Add the nuts to a food processor and process until a fine, flour-like crumb is formed
  • Add the dairy free butter and golden caster sugar to a bowl. Beat until a smooth mixture is formed
  • Add all of the dry ingredients, apart from the dark chocolate. Using clean hands, bring everything together to create a dough
  • Put the dough in the fridge and allow to rest. This will take around 30 minutes
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll out on a lightly floured surface around 10mm thick
  • Using a 40mm circular cutter, cut the dough in to 12 circles
  • Place the circles of dough on the lined baking tray. Put the tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown
  • Once baked, remove from the oven and set to one side
  • Once the shortbreads have cooled, add the dark chocolate to a bain-marie. Simmer on a medium heat until the chocolate has melted
  • Decorate with melted chocolate and pistachios for a final flourish

This recipe serves 12.

Recipes

Carrot Cake

Lauren Carter4 Comments

Here’s how to make it…

For the cake mixture:

  • 300g self-raising flour
  • 200g light brown sugar
  • 50g finely grated carrot
  • 50g sultanas
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 300ml unsweetened soya milk
  • 300ml sunflower oil
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 300g icing sugar
  • 300g dairy free cream cheese
  • 25g pistachios
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method:

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
  • Grease two 20 x 20cm cake tins with a little sunflower oil and set to one side
  • Add all of the dry cake mixture ingredients to a bowl
  • Add all of the wet cake mixture ingredients to a measuring jug
  • Pour the wet cake mixture ingredients in to the dry cake mixture ingredients and stir to combine
  • Using a ladle, evenly divide the batter between the two greased cake tins
  • Put the cake tins in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer can be inserted in the centre of each and removed cleanly
  • Once baked, remove from the oven and set to one side
  • While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Add all of the frosting ingredients, apart from the pistachios, to a bowl and stir to combine. Loosen the mixture with a little soya milk to reach your desired consistency
  • Once cooled, remove the cake from the tins and sandwich together using half of the frosting. You may need to cut the cakes first to create an even surface
  • Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake using a pallet knife or a piping bag
  • Remove the shells from the pistachios. Add the nuts to a food processor and process until a coarse crumb is formed
  • Decorate with the pistachio crumb for a final flourish

This recipe serves 8.

Recipes

Confit Tomato & Garlic Polenta

Lauren CarterLeave a comment

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

  • 250g polenta
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 50g dairy free butter
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • A handful of parsley
  • A drizzle of rapeseed oil
  • A pinch of sea salt & black pepper

Method:

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
  • Add the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic  to an oven proof dish along with the balsamic vinegar and a generous drizzle of rapeseed oil
  • Add the dish to the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft
  • Remove the dish from the oven and set to one side
  • While the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic are cooling, prepare the polenta. Add the polenta to a large pan
  • Gradually add twice the quantity of boiling water. Stir continuously on a medium heat until the polenta is smooth and all of the liquid has been absorbed
  • Carefully remove the garlic from the dish and peel. Using a fork, mash the cloves until a smooth mixture is formed. Add the garlic to the polenta then stir to combine
  • Add the dairy free butter and nutritional yeast then stir to combine
  • Finely chop the parsley
  • Once the dairy free butter has melted, season to taste then serve alongside the tomatoes
  • Decorate with the parsley for a final flourish

This recipe serves 2.