Easy Chocolate Fudge

Thanks Nigella.

Ingredients
350g/12oz dark chocolate, at least 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped
1 x 397g/14oz can condensed milk
30g/1oz butter
1/2 tsp pure peppermint oil

Method
1. Place the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt into a heavy-based pan over a low heat and stir until melted and well combined. Stir in the peppermint oil.
2. Pour the mixture into a 23cm/9in square tray, smoothing the top with a wet palette knife.
3. Let the fudge cool, then refrigerate until set.
4. Cut into small pieces approximately 3cm x 2cm/1¼in x ¾in. Cutting 7 x 7 lines in the tin to give 64 pieces best achieves this.
5. Once cut, the fudge can be kept in the freezer - there's no need to thaw, just eat straight away.

Try these alternatives:
Omit the peppermint oil:

Add 160g crushed unsalted nuts of your choice.
or
use 1/2 the recipe - using 175g white chocolate with 30g peanut butter and 15g butter mixed through. The other half of the recipe complete as normal. then marble the two halves together - it is delicious.

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My Goodness, My Guinness Cakes

Despite the addition of Guinness, these cakes are not at all bitter; instead, the beer adds richness and moisture, and balances the sweetness of the sugar. Working from another Nigella recipe, this one the Guinness Cake from Feast, I substituted brown sugar for white to add depth of flavor, and made tiny cakes instead of a large one in a springform. Topped with a cream cheese glaze, these are a crowd-pleasing, not-too-sweet dessert (and, if you call them muffins instead of cupcakes, and play up the beer angle, you can easily pass them off to guys). They're also super-easy.

Cake

• 230mL Guinness
• 120g plus 1 tab, unsalted butter
• 100g unsweetened cocoa
• 340g dark brown sugar
• 180g sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tab vanilla extract
• 300g SR flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Glaze*

• 250g cream cheese
• 125g confectioners' sugar
• 85mL milk

Preheat oven to 180oC; butter a muffin tin.

Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.

Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add milk, and beat until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.

*To create a thinner glaze, use a tablespoon or two more milk; for a topping more akin to icing, use less milk, and perhaps more sugar. In either case, add a little sugar or milk at a time, mix, and check for desired consistency.

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Fwd: St. Patrick's Day Night's Dinner

Cabbage & Bacon Fry Up - Jordi's Version.

100mL olive oil
20cm 'branch' rosemary
4 garlic cloves, peeled & bruised
8 rashers of smokey bacon, cut into 5 strips
8 new potatoes, 2 cm cubed, not peeled
2 medium onions
8 cabbage leaves, rolled up then finely finely sliced
100mL Guinness
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place cubed potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Drain.
   
2. In a large non-stick fry pan, place the oil, rosemary & garlic, heat on a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. This infuses the oil with the flavours without an intense heat which avoids burning of the sensitive leaves and cloves. Remove the rosemary and garlic and reserve (they will be used later)
   
3. Turn the heat up, place in the bacon and fry (with spatter guard) on high until the bacon is crispy and cooked. Now the oil is really infused with lots of flavour.
   
4. Fry the well drained potatoes on medium a heat to really crips them up and infuse them with the great flavours that you have just created. This will take about 10 minutes, stirring them from time to time to toss them in the oil for an even browning. Drain in a colander or on kitchen paper.
   
5. Find a safe way to dispose of the oil and pour out all but 40mL of oil. Fry the onions over a medium low heat so taht they start to caramelise and take on the flavours of the great oil. Add the bacon, rosemary and garlic, keep cooking for another minute.
6. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for about 3 minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt.
   
7. Pour over the Guinness and prepare yourself for a wonder sizzle and steaming of the kitchen as the cabbage turns bright green - it's now ready to serve on your plate.
8. Top with crispy fried potatoes. Serve with some freshly steamed or boiled carrot slices and of course a great pint of Guinness.
   

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Chocolate truffles

You'll need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.

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Serves 30

Cooking Time Prep time 20 mins

Truffles
250 ml (1 cup)	pouring cream
425 gm	dark chocolate buttons
25 ml	brandy
400 gm	milk chocolate buttons
For dusting:	Dutch-process cocoa

1	Bring cream to the boil and pour over dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add brandy and stir until smooth and glossy, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Roll into small balls (2 tsp each), working quickly to avoid ganache becoming too warm and unworkable. Return to refrigerator for 2 hours to set.
2	In a double boiler, melt milk chocolate then cool slightly. Using a fork, dip the ganache balls into the melted milk chocolate, shake to remove excess then dust in cocoa and return to refrigerator. Refrigerate overnight.

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