Hello November! I hope you are all well? Did you like October’s recipes? I hope you enjoyed making them too. Did you try the cauliflower cheese soup? If you did, I hope you loved it as much as we did.
This month I have got 3 bonfire night recipes for you all that are luscious and seasonal too. My first recipe is my unbelievably scrumptious Welsh rarebit. As you probably know by now I love anything with cheese so this recipe is one of my absolute favourites. Delicious!
My second recipe is my bonfire night toffee apple muffins. If you’re not too keen on toffee apples then these are sure to entice you. They are so scummy and really fun to make with little ones too. Perfect for bonfire night and seasonal too, not just because I’m making toffee apples in November but because apples are perfectly in season this month.
My third recipe is my leek and pancetta macaroni cheese with buttery kale. Leeks and kale are in season this month so this recipe is perfect for November and such a winter comfort. Don’t get me wrong, macaroni cheese on its own is amazing but if like me you have leftover leeks and pancetta that needs using up, then they are the perfect addition. Plus, buttery kale is always a great side dish if you ask me, especially with a knob of butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Yummy!
I really hope you enjoy my recipes and I will see you all in December with some deliciously seasonal festive recipes that I can’t wait to share. Until December, have fun baking!
Bonfire Night Welsh Rarebit
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g grated extra mature cheddar
2 tsp dijon mustard
250ml pale ale
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp chopped chives
50g butter
50g plain flour
Sourdough bread
Method
To make this unbelievably delicious Welsh rarebit, in a small saucepan gently warm the ale and then set aside. Use another saucepan and over a medium heat melt the butter until it begins to gently foam, add the flour and stir everything together, cooking for 1 minute. Whisk in the warm ale in several additions to make a thick sauce, then whisk in the cheese to create an even thicker sauce. Stir the mustard, worcestershire sauce and chives.
Heat your grill to the highest setting and place slices of sourdough bread on a flat baking tray and grill on one side until golden brown. Flip the bread over and lightly grill, then top each one with the cheese sauce. Place back under the grill and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling, serve immediately for a yummy bonfire night dinner.
Bonfire Night Toffee Apple Muffins
Makes 12
Ingredients
250g cooking apples
150ml vegetable oil
175g dark brown sugar
175ml whole milk
250g self raising flour
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
150g butter
500g icing sugar
100ml toffee sauce
Toffee chunks
Toffee sauce-to decorate
Method
To make these amazing toffee apple muffins, preheat your oven to gas mark 4 and line a12 hole muffin tins with tulip paper cases. Add the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla extract together to a large mixing bowl and whisk until they are all combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, place the flour and sugar and mix until fully combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. Peel, core and chop the apples into 1cm chunks. Add these to the muffin mixture and mix until the apples are evenly distributed. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes until well risen and cooked all the way through. Once cooked, leave to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy, then sift in the icing sugar in additions and mix well. Stir through the 75ml toffee sauce and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a swirl nozzle. Pipe big swirls of icing on top of the cooled muffins and then drizzle over some toffee sauce to each one. Top each muffin with some toffee chunks and then serve for a delicious bonfire night treat.
Leek and Pancetta Macaroni Cheese with Buttery Seasoned Kale
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g macaroni pasta
350g extra mature cheddar-grated
1 large leek-sliced
250g pancetta
500ml whole milk-warmed
1.5 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp plain flour
1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
300g kale
Butter
Salt and pepper
Method
To make this indulgent winter comfort dish, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and then add the macaroni. Cook for 10-12 minutes until it is virtually cooked. In a saucepan, heat a knob of butter and add the leeks and pancetta and cook until the leeks are tender and the pancetta is lightly golden. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to gas mark 5. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour and mix to make a roux. Cook the roux out for 30 seconds, then in additions whisk the warmed milk into the roux to create a smooth sauce. Whisk in the mustard and season with black pepper. Now add the grated cheese and allow it to melt. Stir the cheese through to make a thick cheese sauce.
Add the leeks and pancetta and then gently stir through the drained macaroni. Transfer to a large baking dish and cook for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. When the macaroni cheese is nearly cooked, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the kale. Once cooked, toss the butter through the kale and season well with salt and pepper. Serve the macaroni cheese with the kale for a truly delicious comforting winter warmer.
Shopping list for all 3 recipes
Check your cupboards first as you may have a lot of these already
650g grated extra mature cheddar
3 tsp dijon mustard
250ml pale ale
Worcestershire sauce
Chives
200g butter
75g plain flour
Sourdough bread
250g cooking apples
150ml vegetable oil
175g dark brown sugar
675ml whole milk
250g self raising flour
2 large free range eggs
Vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
Toffee sauce
Toffee chunks
300g macaroni pasta
1 large leek
250g pancetta
300g kale
