No Dough Halloumi Pizzas with Spiced Carrot, Puy Lentil and Feta Salad.

So, it's Wednesday - hump day - but we've certainly not hit a bump in the road here. No slump in eating a week full of tasty autumn dishes will be had! Who said that all hearty, warming Autumn meals have to be unhealthy? Well not this one, no siree. Here we have a very flavoursome; very delicious and nutritious dish comprising of a scrumptious salad and a very different and very delightful no dough pizza. No dough? I hear you say with a touch of horror in your voice but, I must assure you that these little pizzas are really quite addictive and you honestly would not have a clue that the base was made from a combination of ground cashews, oats and grated parsnip - it is unbelievably moist and doughy! Topped with a scrummy tomato and sage sauce; slices of salty halloumi; wedges of sweet caramelised red onion and a sprinkling of crunchy pecan nuts and you have yourself  a lovely little snack or the perfect partner to this tasty salad; complete with its earthy puy lentils; refreshing flavours of lemon and mint; creamy crumbling of feta and the gleaming star of the dish; the luscious lightly spiced roast carrot batons. Yum.

I decided to try these no dough pizzas after watching Jason Vale whip them up on Lorraine a couple of weeks ago. You can find the original recipe here however, I have made a few tweaks to make it more autumnal; with the replacement of basil with sage in the tomato sauce and the use of caramelised red onion and pecans to top the pizzas rather than cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.

Recipe

Makes 4 servings... or 2. It's healthy afterall, why not help yourself to an extra portion? Nobody will ever know!

For the Halloumi Pizzas:
Base:
100g oats
120g cashew nuts
A pinch of salt and pepper
2 large parsnips, peeled and grated
Sauce:
2 cloves of garlic
14 cherry tomatoes
A large handful of fresh sage leaves
160g sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to season
Topping:
250g halloumi
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
20g pecan nuts, chopped

For the Spiced Carrot, Puy Lentil and Feta Salad:

2 tbsp. olive oil                                                                   

1 tbsp. cumin powder and 1/2 tbsp. cumin seeds  

500g carrots, peeled, halved and cut into batons

1 tbsp. clear honey or maple syrup
250g pouch cooked Puy lentils 
1 red onion, finely sliced 
½ lemon, juiced 
large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped 
100g lamb's lettuce
100g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C and start by preparing the pizza base. Place the oats, cashews, salt and pepper in a blender and whizz for 10 seconds to form a 'flour'. Now, pour the flour into a mixing bowl with the grated parsnip and mix, scrunching until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. 

2. Next line a large baking tray/ sheet with baking paper. Divide the base dough into 4 and flatten each one with your hands onto the baking tray, forming a round. Place the baking tray into the oven and cook the pizza bases for 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. Now move on to preparing the spiced roast carrots. In a shallow roasting tin, toss together the oil, the ground cumin and cumin seeds, carrots and some seasoning. Roast for 30-35 mins, turning halfway through cooking. Once softened drizzle over the honey or maple syrup, stir and roast for 5 mins more.

4. Whilst the carrots are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce. Into a blender, add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, sage, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. 

5. Caramelise the red onion. Into a small saucepan, heat the red onion in oil until softened. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved and the red onion sticky- stir through the balsamic vinegar. 

6. Spoon the sauce onto the cooked pizza bases and spread evenly leaving a small gap around the edge. Arrange the slices of halloumi on top and finish with the caramelised red onion and a sprinkling of chopped pecan nuts. 

7. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finish the salad. Gently heat the lentils in a frying pan with the onion, lemon juice, remaining oil and some salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly while the carrots finish cooking. Toss the dressed lentils with mint and lamb's lettuce and lay the warm spiced carrots on top before scattering with the crumbled feta. Serve a pizza alongside a big pile of salad and enjoy!

Thank you for reading!

Smoked Cheddar Mac 'n' Cheese.

Onto the second autumn warmer dish of the week: Smoked Cheddar Mac 'n' Cheese choc full of Roast Parsnip, Butternut Squash and Leeks and topped with a Hazelnut, Mature Cheddar and Chive Crumb. Wow... this is possibly the most indulgent Macaroni Cheese I have ever made. A gloriously rich smoked cheddar sauce envelopes the soft macaroni and lovely autumnal veg whilst, a crunchy hazelnut breadcrumb blanket sweeps the top. Decadent, hearty and divine. I can't help but also want to add a BBQ hit the next time I make this dish as I feel that a BBQ flavour would perfectly compliment the smokiness of the cheese sauce. How I will do this though I am not yet sure. If you are a meat eater I feel like going all out with a mountain of BBQ pulled pork to adorn the top would be nothing short of a brilliant idea whilst for the veggies out there like myself; I am really rather tempted to create some kind of tear and share bread oozing with fruity BBQ sauce, gooey mozzarella and garlic butter - a bit like this mouthwatering recipe here, as you can really never go wrong with a big ol' wedge of garlic bread - add in molten mozzarella and BBQ sauce and oh my, we mean business!

Recipe

Makes enough moreish mac to fill four hungry beliies!

For the Smoked Cheddar Sauce:
600ml whole milk
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
A pinch of salt
200g mature cheddar, grated 
150g smoked cheddar, grated
1/2 tsp. English mustard

For the Mac 'n' Cheese filling:
300g macaroni
1 tbsp. each of unsalted butter and olive oil
1 large leek, cut into chunks
1 large parsnip, cut into chunks
100g butternut squash, cut into chunks

For the Crumb Topping:
50g chopped hazelnuts
50g breadcrumbs
50g mature cheddar, grated
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
1 large tomato, sliced

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C, fan 180°C and start by cooking the vegetables. Into a roasting tray add your parsnip and butternut squash chunks and drizzle over 1 tbsp. olive oil or how ever much you need to coat the pieces lightly. Roast for around 25-30 minutes until tender, bronzed and caramelized and at the same time cook the leeks. Into a medium saucepan melt the unsalted butter and sweat the leeks until softened for around 10 minutes. Once cooked pour the leeks into a bowl and set aside. Also set aside your roast parsnips and butternut squash.

2. Now prepare your mac 'n' cheese. bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni for approximately 10 minutes or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain completely.

3. Whilst the pasta cooks; prepare the cheese sauce using the same saucepan you used to cook the leeks as some of the lovely flavour will be left behind in the saucepan and will add extra yummy flavour to your cheese sauce. Heat the milk in a small saucepan or a jug in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Into your medium pan used to cook the leeks, melt the butter, stir in the flour to form a paste and cook over a low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes until the roux (flour and butter paste) is golden in colour and remove from the heat. Add the hot milk a little at a time, stirring vigorously until all the milk is added and the mix is fully combined. Return to the heat and heat on a medium heat, stirring continuously for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt.

4. Stir in all of the cheese until melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the mustard and mix in the macaroni, leeks, butternut squash and parsnip. 

5. Combine the breadcrumbs, chopped hazelnuts, grated cheddar and chives in a bowl and scatter over the mac 'n' cheese before arranging the slices of tomato decoratively on top. Pop in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the mac is bubbling and the crumb topping is crisp and lightly bronzed. Dig in!

Thank you for reading!

Tofu, Sweet Potato, Chick Pea, Apricot and Spinach Tagine served with Lemon and Coriander Cous cous.

So with Autumn now howling at our doors with the nippiest air and chilliest breezes; I have decided that I definitely need some warming up and as such, last week saw the addition of a fluffy blanket to my bed; the donning of a hat, gloves and scarf set every time I ventured outside my front door and ofcourse the creation of a whole host of amazing Autumnal  dishes to fill my belly. Consequently, I have whipped up a weeks worth of hearty, warming Autumnal meals using all kinds of scrumptious seasonal ingredients to warm you up on the coldest of October nights which, I will be posting the recipes for throughout the coming week. 

We kick off the week celebrating meat free Monday although, as a vegetarian myself everyday of the week becomes a celebration of meat free! Nonetheless, hopefully even the most carnivorous of readers would enjoy this flavoursome dish although, if you are a devout meat eater and absolutely must have meat in your dish then my Mum and Dad do assure me that lamb is delicious in this tagine so, if you've got any left over from your Sunday roast, feel free to pop it in!

I must admit I am not a humungous fan of tofu myself and although I gladly golloped down this tagine with a smile on my face, I would probably make it with Quorn pieces next time just because I prefer their flavour and their ability to absorb all the yummy tastes of whatever dish they are added to. I also can't help thinking that some chunks of veggie or regular sausages in this recipe with a big ol' pile of buttery mash would make a bloomin' beautiful casserole. If you are a tofu fan though then this tagine will be right up your street, no changes needed; it is magnificent; full of flavour and healthy and the lemon and coriander cous cous is wonderfully refreshing, lemony and light and a fabulous contrasting accompaniment to the hearty, rich tagine. Sprinkle on the toasted almonds and you're good to go!

Recipe

Makes 4 portions of scrummy tagine!

For the Tofu Tagine:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

400g sweet potato

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. runny honey

2x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

575ml vegetable stock

400g tin of chickpeas in water, drained and rinsed

100g dried apricots, cut into quarters

300g Tofu, cut into medium chunks (I used Cauldron Marinated Tofu Pieces, available from Sainsbury's) Note. alternatively use Lamb chunks, sausage pieces or Quorn pieces

200g spinach, fresh or frozen

pinch of salt and pepper to season

For the Lemon and Coriander Cous Cous:

300g cous cous

375ml hot vegetable stock

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander

Extra chopped coriander and toasted flaked almonds to garnish

Method

1. Start by preparing the tagine. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, sweet potato, ginger, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for a further 5 minutes.  

2. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, runny honey and vegetable stock. Add the chick peas and apricot and season well. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes, adding the frozen spinach and tofu for the last 10 minutes. 

3. Whilst the tagine finishes cooking, prepare the cous cous. Into a bowl, add the cous cous and pour over the vegetable stock. Leave for 5 minutes and fluff up with a fork. Stir through the lemon zest, juice and chopped coriander. 

4. Finally, serve a big dollop of tagine with a mountain of lemon coriander and coriander cous cous and scatter with toasted flaked almonds and chopped coriander. Tuck in!

Thank you for reading!

Onion Bhaji Burger with Bombay Potatoes, Cucumber and Mint Raita, Mango Chutney and Rocket.

As it's National Curry Week I thought why not try a bit of a different style of dish to celebrate with which combines my love of burgers with my favourite accompaniment to a curry - the delicious onion bhaji. As a vegetarian, it's nice to see more and more quirky dishes becoming available on restaurant menus including; a whole host of different veggie burgers in many burger restaurants however, in not many have I seen an onion bhaji burger and boy would they be a welcome addition to the menu as you can pack them full of flavour and texture, just as I tried to do with this recipe. Into my soft, pillowy brioche bun I housed a crunchy, lightly spiced onion bhaji topped with oodles of sweet mango chutney which sat on a bed of refreshing mint and cucumber raita; punchy bombay potatoes and a sprinkling of crisp rocket leaves - well it's always worth attempting to get a bit of a healthy, nutrient rich ingredient in there somewhere but, something about the doughy burger bun, deep fried bhaji and creamy yoghurt raita tells me that there is no shortage of calories in this recipe. Nevermind though, a little bit of what you fancy does you good as my Nana always used to say so with that in mind, if you do fancy giving these onion bhaji burgers a go then please do; please enjoy; please indulge in onion bhaji burger heaven and please let me know what you think!

Recipe

Makes 4 utterly moreish bhaji burgers and without too much faffing about, that's what we like to hear!

For the Onion Bhajis:

2 medium red onions

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

100g gram flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. curry paste or powder (this time I used medium curry powder as I already had a pot in the cupboard but, feel free to use any powder you fancy- mild, medium or hot - or any paste as I have also tried these with Patak's Tikka Masala paste and a Tesco Goan Massala paste before and all have been yummy)

vegetable oil for frying

For the Cucumber and Mint Raita:

150g natural yoghurt

2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint

8-10 slices of cucumber chopped into small chunks

For the Bombay Potatoes:

450g potatoes, peeled

15g fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic

2 large tomatoes, 1 chopped into quarters and one into slim wedges

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

3/4 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 large onion, chopped fairly finely

2/3 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. chilli powder

A handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

4x Brioche burger buns

Mango Chutney (I used Tesco Finest Mango and Apricot Chutney which was delicious)

A sprinkling of Rocket Leaves

Method

1. Start by mixing together all of the raita ingredients with a little salt and pepper to season; then spoon into a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Note. Next, begin preparing the bombay potatoes. This recipe is scrumptious however, I am aware that it has a long old list of ingredients so, feel free to empty your store cupboard and trial whatever spices you already have in this recipe and keep trying and tweaking until you are happy as I am sure as long as you have enough spices to give a bit of a kick you will probably not require every single spice that I used but, if you do want to make this recipe in full then the good news is that your spices will keep for a long time in the cupboard so that you can make this recipe as many times as you like!

2. For the bombay potatoes, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil; place in the potatoes and boil until just tender. When cool enough to handle, chop into 2.5cm cubes.

3. Now blend together the ginger, garlic and quartered tomato until smooth.

4. Next, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook over a medium heat. Once the cumin starts to darken, add the onion and cook for a minute before adding the ginger, tomato and garlic mixture; ground spices and salt. Sauté gently for one to two minutes or until the garlic smells cooked.

5. Add the tomato wedges, stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes before tipping in the potatoes and cooking for a further 5 minutes to allow the potatoes to absorb the flavours. Set aside.

6. Now prepare the bhaji mix. Finely chop one onion and thinly slice the other. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the curry paste or powder, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Add about 150ml of cold water to make a thick batter and stir in the chopped and sliced onions until they are well coated.

7. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Add a tiny speck of batter, if it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough. At this point, add a heaped tbsp. of onion mix to the pan to make 1 onion bhaji (feel free to add more if your pan is big enough). Cook the bhaji for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly bronzed and crisp - about 3-4 mins before draining on kitchen paper and keeping warm until you have prepared all of the bhajis you need.

8. Finally, heat the bombay potatoes through, stirring in the fresh coriander and plate up your burgers. Onto the base of your burger bun- spread 1-2 tsp. cucumber and mint raita and onto the top of your burger bun- spread 1-2 tsp. mango chutney. Now onto the base add your rocket leaves; a small dollop of bombay potatoes and your onion bhaji. Place on the mango chutney covered top and hold your mammoth of a burger together with a cocktail stick. Serve with whatever you fancy- sweet potato chips are a great accompaniment. Last of all, get stuck in!

Thank you for reading!

Thai Peanut, Butternut, Red Pepper and Spinach Curry.

Well, October is now well and truly upon us and my goodness has it turned chilly outside. To warm up last week I tantalised the old taste-buds with this very delicious Thai peanut curry which just so happens to be the perfect autumnal recipe to tuck into over the coming week as it is National Curry Week and there really is no more scrumptious dish to celebrate with. A creamy, subtle peanut sauce packed full of lovely butternut squash chunks, red pepper pieces and bundles of spinach; served alongside Thai jasmine rice and scattered with fresh coriander leaves and crushed salted peanuts. Perfection.

Recipe

Makes one piping hot pan full of Thai peanut curry to dive into and enjoy!

200ml boiled water 

2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. tomato purée
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. light soy sauce 
1 tsp. light brown sugar
Small handful fresh coriander
2 red chillies, halved and deseeded
4 garlic cloves
1cm piece fresh ginger
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
300g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks (not too big!)
200g red pepper, core and seeds removed
100g frozen spinach
400ml tin coconut milk

salted peanuts to garnish

Method

1. Stir the peanut butter into a jug containing 200ml hot water until it dissolves, then stir in the tomato purée, lime zest and juice, soy sauce and brown sugar and set aside.

2. Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside as well. Chop the stalks as finely as you can and chop up the chilli, garlic and ginger nice and small too.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or good-sized pan and fry the onions quite briskly for a few minutes, so that they catch slightly. As soon as this starts to happen, add the butternut squash and red pepper and stir-fry for a few minutes. 

4. Stir in the chilli, garlic, coriander stalk, garlic and ginger mixture for 1-2 minutes, then add in the lovely creamy coconut milk. Stir once more, then add the peanut butter mix and cook at a brisk simmer for 20-30 minutes, adding the frozen spinach half way through, until the sauce has thickened slightly, the spinach is cooked and the butternut squash is tender. 

5. Finally, serve alongside some Thai Jasmine rice and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves and some finely chopped salted peanuts. All done and dusted, now sit back, relax, snuggle up under a blanket, stick on the telly and enjoy!

Thank you for reading!

Cinnamon Apple and Salted Caramel Duffins.

Omnomnom. Have you ever seen such Autumnal sugary goodness? This recipe legitimately bundles up autumn all nice and cosy and snug in a pillowy duffin and I quite frankly cannot get enough of them. A soft and doughy doughnut muffin 'aka duffin' wrapped in a crisp, cinnamon sugar blanket; encasing a salted caramel centre and topped with a little hillock of sweet, cinnamon apple chunks. Oh my my. Please and thank you, yes I would very much like one of those whilst I frolic happily in a pile of crunchy autumn leaves.

Recipe

Makes 12 little bundles of sweet, cinnamon sugary, duffiny goodness!

For the Duffins:

210g plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
165g caster sugar
1 large egg
188ml buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

65ml sunflower oil

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

100g Unsalted butter, melted

200g caster sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

For the Apple and Cinnamon Compote:

1 Granny smith apple peeled and diced into very small cubes

20g butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

20g brown sugar

A splash of water or apple cider

For the Salted Caramel:

125g light soft brown sugar

75ml double cream

1/2 tsp. sea salt 

Method

1. Start by preparing the duffins. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ Gas mark 4 and sieve the plain flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. Add the freshly grated nutmeg.

2. Next, whisk the buttermilk, large egg and sunflower oil together and add the vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients slowly into the dry ingredients and stir using a spatula until just combined.

3. Take a 12-cup muffin tin and use a little oil to lightly grease each hole in the muffin tin. Spoon the duffin mixture into the muffin tin holes, filling them two thirds full. 

4. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and well-risen and until the surface of each duffin springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. 

5. While the duffins are baking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low-heat, pour into a bowl and set-aside. Now, add 200g caster sugar to another bowl and stir in 2 tsp. cinnamon to create the cinnamon sugar.

6. Remove the muffin tray from the oven once the duffins are cooked and gently lift the duffins out onto a wire cooling rack. Immediately dip the duffins into the melted butter, coating fully and then roll in either the sugar or cinnamon sugar to liberally and evenly coat them before allowing to cool completely on the wire cooling rack.       

7. Whilst cooling, prepare the apple and cinnamon compote. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and a tiny splash of water and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. 

8. Add the apples and cook until soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

9. Next prepare the salted caramel. Heat the brown sugar, ½ tsp. salt and cream in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bubble for a few minutes as it thickens, then leave to cool. I find it easier to fill the duffins while the caramel is still a little warm though as when it is completely cool it becomes very thick and harder to work with.

10. Once the duffins are cool, use a cupcake corer, apple corer or sharp knife to gently remove the centre  of each duffin, creating a hole. Finally, fill each duffin with 1-2 tsp. salted caramel and top with a mini tower of roughly 1 tsp. apple compote and indulge and enjoy immediately!

Thank you for reading!

Coffee and Walnut Cake.

It really has become very autumnal over the last few days. There's a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in. I settled into my cosy bed last night with a big wedge of this scrumptious coffee cake and my Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book and could not have been happier on a Sunday night. Now I love autumn. I love wrapping up warm in big chunky scarves and toasty oversized beanies and coats. I love stomping my boots through crunchy leaves of burnt orange, forest green, copper and bronze. I love woodland walks with the wind nipping at my rosy cheeks and twigs snapping under my feet. I love clasping my hands around a mug of hot chocolate towered high with a mountain of cream. Autumn and Winter are definitely my most favourite times of the year and also the times which really offer the best of the best grub I do believe- with big hearty, warming meals and indulgent cakes and desserts to tuck into and as such, I felt like a nice, BIG slice of this coffee and walnut cake was definitely an essential for a lazy September Sunday.   

A moist, mellow flavoured, mouthwatering crumbly coffee sponge dotted with walnut pieces, sandwiched together with lashings of sweet, fluffy coffee buttercream and finished off with crunchy praline walnut halves and mocha bean and walnut white chocolate shards. Simply delicious.

Recipe

Makes 1 humongous and tantalising 3 tier naked layer cake, could anything be better than that?

For the cake:

265g unsalted butter
265g light brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
4 1/2 tbsp. strong black coffee 
265g self-raising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
175g walnut pieces

For the coffee icing: (For the most marvelous and moreish icing that you just cannot stop dipping your finger in/ eating whole overflowing spoonfuls of/ restrain yourself from licking the whole entire bowl spotlessly clean of:)

230g softened unsalted butter
400g icing sugar
2 tbsp. strong black coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the white chocolate, mocha bean and walnut shards:
100-200g melted white chocolate
Mocha beans and walnut pieces and halves to scatter onto the melted chocolate

For the walnut praline:
100g caster sugar
8 walnut halves

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C and grease and line the bottom of 3x 20cm loose-bottom cake tins.

2. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in the coffee.

3. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in until fully combined. Fold in the walnut pieces.

4. Pour equal amounts into the prepared cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes minutes until bronze, risen and the surface springs back when pressed lightly with a finger. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 10-20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

5. Prepare the chocolate shards. Melt the white chocolate in a pyrex dish over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, pour onto a parchment/ grease proof paper lined baking tray. Spread the white chocolate using a knife, spoon or palette knife to form a smooth slab of chocolate. Scatter with mocha beans and walnut pieces or halves. Allow to firm up, refrigerating if needed to ensure that the chocolate is solid. Once hardened but still slightly soft, the chocolate can be cut into triangles or shards. Alternatively, wait until completely solid and the chocolate slab can be snapped into shards.

6. Prepare the praline walnut halves. In a saucepan over a low-medium heat, warm the caster sugar until the sugar melts and dissolves to form a glossy, deep bronze caramel. Stir through the walnut halves and use a spoon to transfer the hot toffee coated walnuts onto a parchment/ grease proof paper lined tray or baking sheet. Allow to go solid. Note. work quickly when dunking the walnuts as the toffee praline hardens almost instantly as the toffee cools.  

7. Prepare the icing. Add the softened butter to a bowl and sieve in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and coffee. Beat together until thick, pale, smooth and creamy. Sandwich each layer of sponge together with icing, covering the cake entirely and scraping the sides with a clean palette knife to remove excess and create a naked layer look. Top with the white chocolate shards and create a border of alternating mocha beans and praline walnut halves.

Alternatively. for a more rustic, simple look just create a border of plain walnut halves and mocha beans around the cake edge. Simply wonderful. 

8. Grab a slice!... or maybe just gobble up the whole thing! Can anyone really ever have too much coffee cake?

Thank you for reading!