Mormor in Swedish literally means 'mother mother' or mum's mum. A simpler translation would just be grandmother :) This chocolate pudding is so delicious and a nice, light chocolatey dessert. When my mormor and I made it for a family gather it was a bit hit! Also, this chocolate pudding could not be simpler to make as there is no hassle with gelatine. This also means that this recipe is great for vegetarians. I have yet to try the pudding with a non-dairy milk, but I am keen to try making it with almond milk or chocolate, soy milk.

Ingredients 

6 dl of milk (semi-skim, preferably whole milk; lactose free milk works fine too)
5 tbsp cornstarch
5-6 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tsp of vanilla (to taste)
Granulated or caster sugar for dusting

Cooking 

1. Add the milk, cornstarch, sugar and cocoa powder in a pan. 
2. If you decide to use lactose free milk, add another half tbsp of cornstarch at this point.
3. Let the mixture cook through on medium heat, whilst constantly mixing. This should not take more than a minute or two. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick custard. You will now that it is finished when it comes much harder to stir. 
4. Add the vanilla. 
5. Pour the mixture into a medium to large bowl. 
6. Dust some sugar on top to prevent a skin from forming. 
7. Let chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. 
8. Serve with whipped cream. 

These are my decadent chocolate muffins aka chocoholic's dream muffins. I made these for my chocoholic dad's visit. He's not a big fan of frosting, but I wanted these to be rich, indulgent and inviting enough for a dessert. Muffins make me think of brunch or a naughty breakfast, so perhaps mini cakes is a better way to think of these treats. Using chocolate instead of cocoa powder really makes chocolate makes so much richer and fuller in flavour. Plus, I think using real chocolate in the batter simply makes for a moister cake. Pair these with a big glass of milk and you're in for a real treat.

Ingredients 
125g dark, baking chocolate
75g of butter, cut into cubes
3 eggs
70g of icing sugar
2 tbsp almond flour
3 tbsp of plain flour
1 tsp of baking powder
60g of white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 250C. 
2. Melt the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl at 30 second increments. After each 30 seconds stir the chocolate. 
3. Add the butter cubes into the melted chocolate and stir. 
4. Break the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk them at a medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are thick and frothy.  
5. Sift in the icing sugar, almond flour, baking powder and plain flour. Fold it in, combing well but try to retain as much air as possible. 
6. Add the melted chocolate slowly. After about half is mixed in the rest can be put in all at once. You need to start slowly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
7. Dust the white chocolate chips in a little flour and then mix in. Alternatively, add them on top. 
8. Divide the mixture into the lined muffin tins.  
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until well risen and firm. Check with a knife, it should come out clean. 
10. Serve warm and with a glass of cold milk. 

I absolutely love cupcakes. They are much simpler to make than a cake. Plus it comes in individual serving sizes, which means no sharing! Banana and chocolate chip is a classic flavour combination, and for a lighter option these cupcakes are great without the frosting. Bearing that in mind, cream cheese frosting is a delicious accompaniment. These recipe can also be baked in a loaf tin for a classic banana bread. You can frost bread too; don't worry.

Ingredients
2 bananas
1 1/2 dl sugar
1 egg
50g melted butter
2 tsp of baking powder
4 tbsp of cream
2 1/4 dl of milk
1 tsp of vanilla essence, sugar or extract
150g (or more!) of chocolate chips, optional

Baking Time!

1. Preheat the oven to 175C. 
2. Mush two bananas with a fork and then mix them with the sugar. 
3. Add one pre-mixed egg. 
4. Pour in the melted butter and cream. 
5. Add 2 1/4 dl of flour with the vanilla and baking powder. Mix well at a low speed. 
6. Finally, add the chocolate chips. Make sure to mix some flour with the chips prior to adding them to mix to prevent sinkage. 
7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. 
8. A knife show come clean out of the cupcakes when they are finished. 

1. Combine the flour and salt together in a bowl. 
2. Add cubes of cold butter into the flour/salt mixture and combine with your hands. 
3. Run the mixture through your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. There should be no butter lumps. 
4. Alternatively combine all these ingredients in the food processor. 
5. Stir in or add in the water slowly, just enough so the dough combines.
6. Finally, wrap the dough in the cling film and let it chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until you need it. 
7. Roll out with a rolling pin OR merely place the dough in the dish and press it out evenly with your fingers. 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C or 180 fan. 
2. Saute the red onion and mushrooms on a medium heat, until the onions have softened. Put them to the side. 
3. Fry the chicken with a generous sprinkling of paprika, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. The seasoning depends on how much chicken you decide to use. Make sure that the seasoning (sans chilli flakes) cover all the chicken. Make sure to season on both sides. Then add chilli flakes depending on how hot you like it. 
4. Add the onion and mushrooms and then pour in the cream. 
5. Slowly pour in the water/flour mixture and bring to a steady simmer. 
6. Let the filling simmer for 5 minutes. 
7. Once the filling has finished simmering, pour it into the crust-filled pie dish. 
8. Cover the pie with cheese and the peppers. 
9. Finally, let bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. 

Serves 6. Approximate cooking and prep. time: 1 hour. 

Nigella captured my heart when I as a little girl. People joke about her over-the-top sensuality and rather ridiculous descriptions of her food. I find that despite her rich vocabulary, her food is still simple, easy to follow and definitely not unapproachable. The warmth in her personality certainly adds to the warmth of her food. When I finally have my own flat, I hope to have an entire room dedicated to cookbooks just like hers. I may have to settle for a bookshelf though.

This cupcake recipe is from one of my favourite cook books, Nigella's "How to be a Domestic Goddess." I got the book for a bargain at a charity shop. Charity shops are an excellent place to find cook books without having to pay £20+ for one. I have slightly adapted the spices for the cake as well as omitting any raisins or nuts. If you are a fan of raisins or nuts, feel free to mix them in with the carrots. You should coat them in a bit of flour before adding them to the mixture to prevent them from sinking during the bake.  White chocolate chips would also be a deliciously decadent addition to this this recipe.

This vegetable soup sings of autumn. It is rich, decadent and full of hearty flavour. A soup does not need to be complicated with lots of different species to be delicious. I love spices, but sometimes simple is best. Garlic, salt, pepper and brown sugar are enough to make the vegetables shine. Serve with a big slice of hearty bread to mop up all the soup remnants. A cheesy toasty would make another great accompaniment.

Ingredients 

Pre-bought puff pastry
Half a head of broccoli (boiled)
1 packet of smoked salmon (about 120 grams)
Approximately 4 tbsp of cream cheese
50g  of feta cheese cubes
Pepper to taste
1 egg (for wash)

Cooking Time!

1. Roll out your puff pastry onto a baking tray with parchment paper. 
2. Cut off about 2 inches of pastry and set aside. 
3. Cut a square into the pastry so that it looks like a frame.
4. Make sure not to use a sharp knife because you do not want to cut all the way through the pastry. 
5. Using a cooking brush, paint egg wash onto the entire pastry sheet. 
6. Use a fork to make holes onto the pastry and then bake in the oven at 180C fan for 10 minutes or until the base is lightly golden. 
7. Check to make sure than the pastry is not rising in the middle; you may need to poke it again whilst it is rising. 
8. Once the pastry is out of the oven, spread the cream cheese onto it (avoiding the 'frame'). 
9. As long as you have a thin coat that is enough, but you can always add more if you like. 
10. Then layer on strips of the smoked salmon. 
11. Then add the cooked broccoli and sprinkle over the feta cheese in small crumbs. 
12. Season with salt and pepper. 
13. Take the remaining pastry and cut it into 8 strips. Theses may look tiny but I stretched them out and it was fine. 
14. Two pieces will form the large pieces of the lattice. 
15. Two halves form the next strips. 
16. Two quarters form the outer strips. 
17. Lay the second layer over the first as shown above. 
18. Use the egg wash to 'glue' down the lattice strips and then 'paint' over the entire lattice.
19. Bake the tart in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is nice and golden on top.