BACON EGG TART

I havent cooked this much in a long time. Another day, another goats cheese recipe….Arabella and my bones must be getting super strong from all the calcium.

I love recipes with only a few ingredients, especially when it is pouring with rain outside and you dont want to have to go to the shops. Luckily I had all I needed in my fridge and cupboard to make this yummy dish.

Ingredients for 2 people:

1 tbsp olive oil
Half an onion, halved and thinly sliced
160g lardons
5 tbsp of breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
125ml single cream
100g goats cheese, crumbled or chopped into small pieces
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 C / gas mark 6.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, onion and lardons and cook until the onion is translucent - around 5-10 minutes (it took me 7 minutes to be precise).

When it is ready, tip the bacon and onion mixture onto a plate and set aside.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream together until combined.

Then stir through the goats cheese and some pepper. I didnt add salt as the lardons are salty however you can if you want.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base of the frying pan.

Scatter the bacon and onion mixture on top.

Finally pour the egg and goats cheese on top.

If your frying pan is oven proof, put it in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the eggs are set and the top is golden. I was unsure whether our pan was oven proof - I just risked it and thankfully it was fine! If you dont have a oven proof frying pan, you can grill the tart with the oven door open and the handle sticking out (for the same amount of time as above).

When ready, remember the frying pan handle might be hot, remove from the oven and eat up!

I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by this recipe - it actually tastes like a quiche but lighter and better (and easier to cook). Arabella and I both enjoyed it and it would go perfectly with a green salad. If you were a vegetarian, you could always substitute the bacon for spinach and you could even serve this for breakfast or brunch as well as for dinner. 

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CADBURYS CREME EGG BROWNIES

Arabella decided that she wanted to do some baking this afternoon. I then thought it was the perfect opportunity to make the Cadburys creme egg brownies I have been thinking about since finding the recipe on the Internet a couple of months ago. Although in typical fashion I ended up doing all the cooking and all the eating - she chose barbies and haribo - and now I feel like a heffalump!!

This wasnt my most successful recipe as I didnt use the right size dish and I had to cook the brownies for lot longer than suggested and they didnt look as "pretty" as I was hoping. However if you like chocolate, you certainly wont be disappointed!!

Ingredients for around 12 brownies:

185g unsalted butter

185g best dark chocolate

85g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

3 large eggs

275g golden caster sugar

6 Cadbury creme eggs, cut in half (easier said than done)!

Preheat the oven to 170 C and grease a 20cm square baking tray (as I mentioned my tray wasnt big enough). I also added a layer of baking parchment as it is easier to remove the brownie at the end.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together either in the microwave or in a bowl over boiling water (what I did).

Break the 3 large eggs into a bowl (Arabellas job!) and add the 275g of sugar.

With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy like a milkshake. This should take about 5 minutes and the egg and sugar mixture should have a paler colour and have doubled its original volume. I was very excited to use my new hand mixer for the first time!

Once the chocolate and butter is melted and cooled, fold it into the eggy mousse.

Next sieve the cocoa and flour over the chocolate and eggy mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.

Then gently fold into the mixture.

Then pour into the baking tin.

According to the recipe you cook for just 15 minutes before you add the creme eggs however I found this was no way long enough. Instead I would suggest cooking for 25 minutes.

Then take out the oven and press in the halved creme eggs (due to my smaller dish I could only fit in 4.5). These were pretty messy to cut!!

Then according to the recipe you are meant to cook for just another 5 minutes however I cooked for another 15 minutes. I would suggest checking after 10 minutes and seeing how its doing.

Finally set aside to cool and then cut into squares and enjoy!

No marks for presentation but 100% chocolately!! Wow! I added a little bit of vanilla ice cream and it was totally delicious - obviously I overdid it so am feeling like a fat little piglet but it was worth it. I will admit I prefer my Break-Your-Diet-Brownies but these are a great alternative and perfect for Easter. I dont know how I am going to resist them tomorrow as I am having a 500 calories day….I might have to lock them in the safe!!

PS It is even better the next day after being in the fridge….I think I am going to overindulge today!!!

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