Chicken Liver Pâté

Ingredients

225 g chicken livers
175 g butter (at room temperature)
50 g butter, for melting
30 ml brandy
10 ml mustard powder
¼ tsp mace powder
¼ tsp dried thyme
(or 1 tsp if fresh)
2 cloves garlic, crushed

225g 8oz Chicken livers

175g 6oz Butter at room temperature

50g 2 oz Butter for melting

30ml 2 tbsp Brandy

10ml 2 tsp Mustard Powder

¼ tsp ¼ tsp Mace powder

¼ tsp ¼ tsp Thyme (or 1tsp if fresh)

2 Cloves of crushed garlic

Method

  1. Melt 25 g of the butter in a heavy frying pan and fry the chicken livers for about 5 mins until cooked through.
    Keep stirring and turning.
  2. Remove from the pan and transfer to a blender or sieve, and process to smooth.
  3. Melt 150 g of the butter and add to the blender.
  4. Rinse out the pan with the brandy, then add that to the blender too.
  5. Add the mustard, mace, thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
  6. Tip into a pot and melt the remaining butter to pour over and seal the top of the pot.
  7. Leave to get cold until serving with hot toast.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

(Amounts can be halved and you'll still get plenty!)

You'll need a large mixing bowl (with a mixing spoon) plus a baking tray (and tea spoon).
A wire cooling rack would also be useful.

Ingredients

1¼ cup 250 g butter or margarine, softened
2 cups 400 g sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups 300 g unsifted plain flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
½ tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

  1. Cream the butter (or margarine) and sugar in a large bowl then blend in the eggs and vanilla.
  2. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and stir the mixture together.
  3. Stir in the nuts, if desired.
  4. Drop the mixture, by teaspoon, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
    Do not over bake. The cookies will be soft. They puff up while baking and flatten while cooling.
  5. Cool on the cookie sheet until completely set (about 10 minutes) then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 4½ dozen.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cook oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 165℃.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
  5. Mix in the quick oats and chocolate chips.
  6. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
  8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Chocolate Fudge Topping

    Ingredients

    75 g sugar
    75 ml evaporated milk
    100 g dark chocolate
    40 g butter
    2 or 3 drops vanilla essence

    Method

    1. Put the sugar and evaporated milk into a pan. Bring it gently to heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
    2. Bring to the boil.
    3. TAKE OUT THE SPOON and boil without stirring for 6 mins.
    4. Remove from the heat and stir in the broken chocolate.
    5. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
      • Leave to cool before using.
      • Stirring causes granulation, which make the mixture feel gritty.
      • If doubling the amounts, boil for an additional one or two minutes.
      • Best warm.