Mmmm honeycomb...

Well, it's not really honeycomb but it is known as such (it is also known as Cinder Toffee and Hokey Pokey... think I'll stick with the honeycomb).

I've always loved honeycomb. Al will vouch for me choosing Cadbury's Crunchie bars when given the choice. I love how the bubbles melt on your tongue and the slightly burnt sugar hints. The way the texture of the honeycomb and the texture of the chocolate are so different from each other is almost impossible to resist.

This recipe was taken from Nigella Express which I got for christmas and was a lot easier than expected. Alas, it is not chocolate coated but you can cover yours in chocolate if you wish (and if it lasts that long).

Ingredients

100g Caster Sugar

4 tbsp Golden Syrup
1 ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Method

Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and mix together, you mustn't stir while the pan is on the heat.

Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo, then turn to a bubbling mass the colour of maple syrup (approximately 3mins).

Remove from the heat and whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and turn immediately onto a piece of reusable baking parchment or greased foil and leave to cool.

Once set, bash up into chunks and enjoy. Store in an air-tight container.

It's so simple and takes no time at all! I think mine was cooked ever-so-slightly too long and tastes a little burnt, it's not unpleasant but it's something to note for next time. Delicious and really good for gift-giving.

**The pictures are a bit rubbish because they are taken on my phone**

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Beef and Chorizo burgers...

Well, there would be pictures but we kind of ate them before I remembered. Woops. They were really nice though.

Pretty simple recipe which I made up on the spot and it came out really well.

Ingredients:
400g of good quality minced beef
3" long piece of spanish chorizo (in small cubes)
1 tbsp of cumin seeds
Good pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp of tomato pureé

Method:
Just mix all the ingredients together (it's easier to do this with your hands) making sure that all the ingredients are evenly spread. Then shape into 4 burgers making sure they are firmly packed so they hold their shape.

Place on a baking tray and cook them in a preheated oven (200°C) for about 20-25 minutes. You may wish to grill them and there'll be a lot of oil (mainly from the chorizo) so grilling would help reduce the fat.

That's all there is to it.

We served ours in english muffins with salad and roast new potatoes. They were really good.

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Pirates and breakfast...

An interesting mix I'm sure you'll agree.

As any one of my friends will tell you, I am a pirate. Honest. I also love food (obviously) and as everyone says, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When I discovered that I could combine piracy with breakfast well, I was the happiest Cap'n on the seven seas!

For christmas, my brother bought me a Pirate Toast Stamper. Now, for anyone that hasn't had an encounter with such a wonderful beast (and can't work it out from the picture) then I shall explain...

First, you find yourself a piece of bread (white works best) and, if you're a student you check it for mould and over-rigidity. Once you are happy that it is edible you take the toast stamper and press it firmly into one side of the bread. You then remove it (there is even a warning telling you not to put the plastic stamper in the toaster *smacks forehead*) and place the bread in the toaster and set it to a darkish setting ("Pirates like it chaaaaarred") and toast it. When it pops up, you get an awesome Calico Jack image emblazoned on your toast. What could be better?

Okay, so it's not some amazing piece of technology but it's a bit of fun. You have to remember not to spread the butter and jam/honey/chocolate spread/whatever you have on toast, over the image because that kind of defeats the point.

My second pirate based breakfast find was Weetabix Disney Pirates. I wandered into one of the many pound shops around here and they were staring at me from across the way. I simply had to buy them.

Weetabix and Disney have teamed up to bring this magical cereal to our shelves and cupboards. They're basically like Cheerios (or what I remember Cheerios being like - I've not had them in about 10 years as I don't eat Nestlé products - but that's another story), but in the shapes of little skulls and little crossbones (you may have to use your imagination a little, but you'll see it).

They're quite tasty and don't taste too sugary (despite being sugar coated). I like the fact that they're wholegrain too...it makes me feel less like I'm eating crap. I generally have mine with some satsuma on top to add a bit of interest to it all and they make a nice addition to my generally boring cereal collection.

So, picture me in the mornings trying to decide which piratey breakfast will set me up for the day!

Linds

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