Recipes

Serves 8. Prepare 20 minutes. Cook 30 minutes.

Pastry

• In a bowl, scrape the butter into small pieces, then, whilst slowly adding the flour, press and mix the ingredients to make a crumble mixture. Once it’s crumbly, add the happy egg yolks and mix through to bind the mixture loosely. If the mixture will not bind together, add 1 tsp of cold water and continue to mix. Only add 1 tsp of water at a time and never more than 4 tsp of water in total.
• Place the pastry on a piece of clingfilm, wrap tightly, then roll into a sausage shape and place in the fridge for 60 minutes.
• We need to blind-bake the tart base. On a floured surface, roll-out the pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Gently place the pastry in a floured tart tin and mould it into the corners with your fingers; don’t tidy the edges yet because the pastry will shrink when it is baked Mat’s top tip: save a little of the pastry in case cracks or holes form during the blind baking.
• Prick with a fork all over, to stop it from rising and place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 8 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, check for any holes or cracks and patch them with your spare pastry. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes, glaze it with the beaten happy egg white to seal the base of the tart and place back in the oven for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, and trim the edges with a sharp knife.

Filling

• Blanch the winter greens in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge into a bowl of cold water to stop them cooking, drain and roughly chop them. Make the custard by whisking together the happy eggs, happy egg yolks, cream, milk and salt. Whisk until it is smooth and fully combined. Crumble the stilton and add to the bowl along with the winter greens, gently fold-in.

To finish

• Turn the oven down to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. Pour the filling into the tart, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check it’s cooked by lightly shaking the tin, the mixture should be firm but still a bit wobbly, like a jelly.
• Mat’s top tip: it will continue to cook for a while once removed from the oven.

Serves 4. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 5 minutes.

Berry Sauce

• Clean the berries and rinse in cold water.
• Place half of the berries and half of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and gently heat until the berries have broken down and have become a wet pulp. Push the pulp and juice through a sieve to make a sauce, taste it to check its sweetness and add a little more sugar if required.
• For the other half of the berries, put aside a few for decorating and then roughly chop the remainder (they’ll be going in the pancakes).

Pancakes

• In a bowl, mix the happy eggs, flour, salt and 2 tsp caster sugar to form a paste. Slowly add the milk, mixing continuously, until it becomes the consistency of paint.
• Pour into a hot, flat, buttered pan. Lift the pan, moving the mixture so that it evenly coats the base, forming a thin pancake. Drop some of the chopped berries onto the pancake before it cooks through. After approx two minutes, the pancake should be loose. Tease the edges away from the sides and then, with a rolling motion, toss the pancake and catch it again, cooking the other side for approx one minute.
• Don’t worry if the first pancake doesn’t come out well, it’ll ‘season’ the pan and they are much easier from then on.

Serves 3. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 30 minutes.

• Lay the sausages in a small roasting tin, drizzle with oil and place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 10 minutes.
• Add the flour, salt and pepper to a bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour and break both happy eggs into it. Using a hand whisk, mix the happy eggs with the flour starting slowly from the centre. Once the happy eggs are combined, gradually add the water, mixing to a thick paste. Finally, add the milk, continually mixing with the hand whisk until the batter is smooth.
• Mat’s top tip: you can use an electric mixer for this process but it will rise better if you do it by hand.
• When the sausages are just starting to brown in the oven, take them out, turn the oven up to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6, pour the batter in with the sausages and return them to the oven for a further 20 minutes. When cooked, it will have risen and be golden brown and crispy on top.
• Serve immediately with an onion gravy.

Serves 1. Prepare 5 minutes. Cook 5 minutes.

• Take a non-stick pan, heat a little of the sesame oil until it is just starting to smoke, then quickly toss the smoked salmon pieces in it, remove and put aside.
• Using the same pan (and a little more oil if needed), cook the rice noodles on a high heat until crispy; use a fish slice to press them down flat forming a pancake. Place the crispy noodles on a warm plate.
• Beat the happy eggs and happy egg yolk with a fork and add a pinch of salt to season. Again, in the same pan, cook the eggs on a moderate heat and pour onto the noodles just before they are completely set (they will finish cooking in their own heat on the plate).
• Sprinkle with chilli flakes, ginger and lime juice. Serve immediately.

Serves 8. Prepare 20 minutes. Cook 30 minutes.

Pastry

• In a bowl, scrape the butter into small pieces, then, whilst slowly adding the flour, press and mix the ingredients to make a crumble mixture. Once it’s crumbly, add the happy egg yolks and mix through to bind the mixture loosely. If the mixture will not bind together, add 1 tsp of cold water and continue to mix. Only add 1 tsp of water at a time and never more than 4 tsp of water in total.
• Place the pastry on a piece of clingfilm, wrap tightly, then roll into a sausage shape and place in the fridge for 60 minutes.
• We need to blind-bake the tart base. On a floured surface, roll-out the pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Gently place the pastry in a floured tart tin and mould it into the corners with your fingers; don’t tidy the edges yet because the pastry will shrink when it is baked.
• Mat’s top tip: save a little of the pastry in case cracks or holes form during the blind baking.
• Prick with a fork all over to stop it from rising and place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 8 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, check for any holes or cracks and patch them with your spare pastry. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes, glaze it with the beaten happy egg white to seal the base of the tart and place back in the oven for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, and trim the edges with a sharp knife.

Filling

• Make the custard by whisking together the happy eggs, happy egg yolks, cream, milk and salt. Whisk until it is smooth and fully combined. Cut 5 slices of goat’s cheese and set aside for decorating the tart. Crumble the rest of the goat’s cheese into the bowl and gently fold in.

To finish

• Turn the oven down to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. Pour the filling into the tart, decorate with the slices of goats cheese and the asparagus spears. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check it’s cooked by lightly shaking the tin, the mixture should be firm but still a bit wobbly, like a jelly.
• Mat’s top tip: it will continue to cook for a while once removed from the oven.

Makes 20 Ghosts. Prepare 20 minutes. Cook 90 minutes.

• Whip the happy egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Adding the caster sugar, continue whipping until firm peaks are formed. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag.
• Place a sheet of grease proof paper onto a baking tray and pipe the ghost shapes onto the grease proof paper.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 80°C/176°F/Gam Mark ¼ for 1 ½ hours
• Tip: If your oven doesn’t have a temperature setting this low, bake at 100°C/212°F/Gas Mark ¼ for 1 hour.
• Leave to cool on a rack.
• Melt a little chocolate and use a toothpick to draw eyes and mouths.

Serves 2. Prepare 20 minutes. Cook 60 minutes.

Cake

• Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix the happy eggs together in a separate bowl, then slowly add to the butter mixture.
• Mat’s top tip: if the mixture starts to curdle, add a tbsp flour.
• Fold in the rest of the flour and 30g cocoa powder until it has an even consistency
• Mat’s top tip: if the mixture won’t drop off the spoon, it’s too thick, so add a little warm water.
• Pour the mixture into a heart shaped baking tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 40 minutes. To test whether the cake is cooked, probe it in the middle with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean, it’s cooked. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Icing

• Melt the butter and chocolate together on a low heat, add cocoa and then mix in the icing sugar with a fork, adding warm water until it has a thick consistency. Wait until the cake is cool before icing it.

Makes 20 biscuits. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 14 minutes (plus time for icing).

Biscuits

• Mix the butter and sugar together until they form a creamy paste. Continue mixing and add the flour, happy eggs, zest & juice, flour and spices.
• Mat’s top tip: If it’s too dry, add a little warm water.
• Roll the mixture into 1 inch diameter balls. Place on a greased baking tray, with at least 1 inch space around them. Press the tops gently with a fork to flatten them slightly.
• Place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 12-14 minutes.
• The biscuits are ready when they have just started to brown around the edges. Leave to cool on a baking tray.

Icing

• Mix the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl, adding the milk as needed to make a smooth paste.
• Mat’s top tip: It’s much easier if you warm the butter first.
• To make the spider’s web pattern on your biscuits, first, spread uncoloured icing over the biscuit. Then, with a piping bag or an icing pen, draw concentric circles with the coloured icing. Quickly, while the icing is still wet, use a toothpick to drag a line from the centre of the circles to the outside edge, every 30° or so. Hey presto! A Spiders web!

Serves 4. Prepare 5 minutes. Cook 20 minutes.

• Add the rice to a large pan of salted, boiling water. Check how long the packet indicates you should cook the rice for, then keep it at a rolling boil for 2 minutes less than this. Carefully add the frozen vegetables, bring back to the boil and strain.
• While the rice and vegetables are cooking, add the sesame oil to a frying pan, whisk the happy eggs together and pour in, cooking on a low heat until the omelette is cooked through. Place on a chopping board, roll it up and slice into ribbons.
• Pick the coriander/parsley leaves off the stalks, finely chop the stalks, slice the spring onions diagonally and into strips, put aside.
• To assemble, put the rice and vegetables into the frying pan that the omelette was cooked in and warm on a low heat. Add the omelette ribbons, coriander/parsley stalks, spring onion pieces and season with Soy, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
• To serve, spoon onto a warm plate and decorate with coriander/parsley leaves and strips of spring onion.

Serves 8. Prepare 20 minutes. Cook 40 minutes.

• Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix the happy eggs together in a separate bowl, then slowly add to the butter mixture.
• Mat’s top tip: if the mixture starts to curdle, add a tbsp flour.
• Fold in the rest of the flour until it has an even consistency.
• Mat’s top tip: if the mixture won’t drop off the spoon, it’s too thick, so add a little warm water.
• Divide the mixture in two; add the rhubarb and red colouring paste to one half, and cocoa to the other half, fold the ingredients in.
• In two buttered 8” cake tins put large spoonfuls of alternate mixture and tap the tin to even out the mixture rather than mixing or patting the mixture down.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
• Slice the domed top off one of the sponges, so that it will fit flat together with the other.
• Between the layers use rhubarb or ginger jam and ice with a simple buttermilk icing.

Makes 20 biscuits. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 14 minutes (plus time for icing).
Biscuits

• In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar together with an electric blender, until they form a creamy paste. Add the happy eggs and happy egg yolks and mix, then fold in the almonds and flour with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully combined.
• Press the mixture into a greased tray to a thickness of about ¼” (6mm). Place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 10-12 minutes.
• The biscuit mixture is ready when it has just started to colour. Carefully turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment on a flat cool surface.
• While still warm to touch, use a cookie cutter to press out the shapes but don’t try to lift them out until completely cooled, or they’ll break.

Icing

• Mix the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl, adding the milk as needed to make a smooth paste.
• Mat’s top tip: It’s much easier if you warm the butter.
• First, ice the biscuits all over with the plain icing, then add a little food colouring to the icing, spoon it into a piping bag and draw the outlines and eyes.

Serves 6

Chocolate Roll

• Preheat your oven to 200⁰C/400⁰F/Gas Mark 6.
• Grease a Swiss roll tin, then line it with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, happy eggs and happy egg yolks together until thick and creamy. Add the flour and cocoa powder and carefully fold into the mixture, trying to retain as much air as possible. Pour the mixture carefully into the Swiss roll tin, ensuring an even cover.
  Bake for 10-12 minutes until springy to the touch.
• Take a large sheet of baking parchment, dust it with caster sugar and orange zest, then turn the sponge out onto it. Trim the edges with a knife. Roll the sponge from one end leaving the paper in the middle.  Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Filling

• Whisk the happy egg whites and caster sugar until they form soft peaks i.e. when you make a peak, the tips droop.
• Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a plastic bowl with the butter. Heat in a microwave for 30 seconds, leave for 20 seconds and then beat with a whisk. If the chocolate is not completely melted, heat in the microwave for 10 second bursts until the chocolate is just melted.
• Mat’s top tip: mix the chocolate between each burst to ensure even heating.
• Add 1/3 of the beaten happy egg whites to the chocolate and combine using an electric beater. Do this quickly; the chocolate will begin to set and form hard lumps, so don’t worry about retaining the air in the mixture. Now combine the other 2/3 of the happy egg whites by gently folding with a spoon until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Place the whole mixture in the fridge to set.

Candied Kumquats

• Clean the kumquats and pick off any stems.
• Place in a saucepan with the water and icing sugar. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to just below simmering point i.e. small bubbles form on the sides of the saucepan.
• Cover the water with a circle of baking paper to keep the kumquats submerged. A good way to do this is to use a large piece of baking parchment and a saucepan lid which is just too small for your pan, then they will both sit happily on the surface of the water. Heat for 2 hours.
• Remove the kumquats and put to one side to cool. Bring the sugar liquor up to a rolling boil until it has reduced by 2/3.
• Taste, then enhance the flavour if required by adding lemon or orange juice to make a lovely citrus sauce.

To complete the dish:

• Unroll the sponge and remove the baking parchment. Spread the chocolate filling over the surface of the sponge to about ¼ inch thick, then place the kumquats at even distances across it. Roll the cake up.
• Serve in slices with a drizzle of citrus sauce.

Serves 4. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 5 minutes.

• To make a simple chocolate sauce, warm the cream gently in a pan, break-up the chocolate into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir until the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream.
• Mat’s top tip: if you’re using 72% chocolate, you might want to add a little extra sugar to sweeten, as it may be too bitter for children.
• Mix the happy eggs, flour, caster sugar and salt to a paste, slowly add the milk, mixing continuously until it becomes the consistency of paint. Split the batter into two and add the Cocoa to one half of the mixture.
• Pour approx 2 tbsp of batter into a hot, flat, buttered, pan. The batter should make approx 4 inch/100mm circles. You can cook several at a time. After about two minutes the pikelets should be loose. Tease the edges and then flip them with a spatula to cook the other side for approx one minute.
• Serve with the chocolate cream sauce, hundreds & thousands, or your choice of topping.

Serves 4. Prepare 10 minutes. Cook 5 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

• Gently heat the double cream in a pan. Whilst whisking, gradually add the two cheeses and the salt, and continue mixing until they have melted and become a thick and creamy sauce.
• Cook the broccoli for 2 minutes in boiling water then place in bowl of cold water to halt the cooking process. This will preserve the vivid colour.

Mayonnaise

• Mix the mayonnaise with the finely chopped wild garlic leaves (or crushed garlic), the flavour should be quite mild but it will intensify over time, so don’t make it too strong.

Pancake

• In a bowl, mix the happy eggs, cheese, flour and salt to form a paste. Slowly add the milk, mixing continuously, until it becomes the consistency of paint.
• Pour the batter into a hot, flat, buttered pan. Lift the pan, moving the mixture so that it evenly coats the base, forming a thin pancake. After approx two minutes, the pancake should be loose. Tease the edges away from the sides and then, with a rolling motion, toss the pancake and catch it again, cooking the other side for approx one minute.
• Don’t worry if the first pancake doesn’t come out well, it’ll ‘season’ the pan and they are much easier from then on.
• To finish, place the pancake on a plate, put the broccoli and the cheese sauce on one half of the pancake, fold the other half over and drizzle with the mayonnaise.

Prepare 15 minutes. Cook 20 minutes.

• Mix the butter and caster sugar together until they form a creamy paste. Add the happy eggs and beat with a whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy; this is the key to keeping the texture of your muffins light. Gently, fold in the flour, salt and spices. Add milk as required to keep the mixture moist.
• Lightly oil your muffin moulds and pour the mixture in, right to the top. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for approx 20 minutes.
• To check whether they’re cooked, the top of the muffin should spring back when lightly touched. Put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes if they’re not quite ready.
• For some fun, sprinkle with icing sugar and popping candy.

Prepare 40 minutes. Cook 20 minutes.

• Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix the happy eggs together in a separate bowl, then slowly add to the butter mixture.
  
  Mat’s top tip: if the mixture starts to curdle, add a tbsp of flour.
• Fold in the rest of the flour until it has an even consistency.
  
  Mat’s top tip: if the mixture won’t drop off the spoon, it’s too thick, so add a little warm water.
• Divide the mixture in two, add colouring and rose essence to one and ground almonds to the other, fold in.
• Divide the mixture equally between two buttered rectangular cake tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes. To test whether the cake is cooked, probe it in the middle with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean, it’s cooked. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
• When cool, use a serrated bread knife to slice equal sized rectangles. Using the apricot jam, generously coat each rectangle and stick together to form the Battenberg shape.
• Roll out the marzipan to the thickness of a £1 coin, ensuring it is adequate to cover the whole cake. Now coat the outside of the cake in jam, cover with the marzipan, overlap by ¼” using the jam to glue it. Trim with a pair of scissors, carefully slicing the ends with the serrated knife to create a clean shape.

Serves 8. Prepare 30 minutes, cook 30 minutes

Pastry

In a bowl, scrape the butter into small pieces, then, whilst slowly adding the flour, press and mix the ingredients to make a crumble mixture. Once it’s crumbly, add the icing sugar and happy egg yolks and mix through to bind the mixture loosely. If the mixture will not bind together, add 1 tsp of cold water and continue to mix. Only add 1 tsp of water at a time and never more than 4 tsp of water in total.

Place the pastry on a piece of clingfilm, wrap tightly, then roll into a sausage shape and place in the fridge for 60 minutes.

We need to blind-bake the tart base. On a floured surface, roll-out the pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Gently place the pastry in a floured tart tin and mould it into the corners with your fingers; don’t tidy the edges yet because the pastry will shrink when it is baked Mat’s top tip: save a little of the pastry in case cracks or holes form during the blind baking.

Prick with a fork all over, to stop it from rising and place in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven, check for any holes or cracks and patch them with your spare pastry. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes, glaze it with the beaten egg white to seal the base of the tart and place back in the oven for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, and trim the edges with a sharp knife.

Filling

Peel, core and slice wedges from the apples, cook in a warm pan with 50g of caster sugar until lightly caramelised, put aside.

Make the butterscotch sauce by placing 100g caster sugar in a saucepan and heating while gently stirring until it becomes caramel coloured. Remove from the heat and carefully add the butter, stirring until it becomes a thick paste. Then, slowly add 50ml cream, mixing until it is the consistency of double cream; if the mixture doesn’t combine well, heat gently.

Make the custard by whisking together the happy eggs, happy egg yolks, 50g caster sugar, 150ml cream, milk and salt. Whisk until it is smooth and fully combined.

To finish

Turn the oven down to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. Pour the custard into the tart base, place the apple slices on top of the custard and drizzle with about half of the butterscotch sauce. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check it’s cooked by lightly shaking the tin, the mixture should be firm but still a bit wobbly, like a jelly.

Mat’s top tip: it will continue to cook for a while once removed from the oven).

To serve, use the remaining butterscotch to decorate the plate and drizzle over the slices of tart

A simnel cake.

• Grease the sides of the cake tin and line the bottom with some non-stick greaseproof paper
• Cream the butter and the sugar together until pale- add the happy eggs slowly one at a time.
• Add the flour, mixed spice and the fruit zest and mix well
• Fold in the dried fruits with a metal spoon.
• Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin
• Roll out one of the packets of marzipan into a circle just smaller than the tin; put this onto the top of the cake mixture.
• Spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 2.5 hours- until firm and golden
• Cool in the tin then turn out
• Using the other marzipan – make 11 balls and stick these on the top of the cake with a little warm jam
• The eleven balls of Marzipan represent the Apostles – leaving out the traitor – Judas

A plum pudding cheesecake.

• Heat at 180°C/400f or gas mark 4
• In a food processor crush the biscuits to crumbs, add the ground ginger, mace and cinnamon, melt the butter and mix into the biscuit mixture.
• Press the biscuit into the base of the cake tin.
• Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, add the happy eggs one at a time till well blended.
• Mix in the dried fruit and brandy.
• Pour onto the crust and bake for 60 minutes
• When cooked and slightly cooled — warm the redcurrant jelly, and the mincemeat and pour over the top of the cheesecake.
• Allow to cool before serving…perfect for the festive season!

Yummy pear and honey muffins.

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375f or gas mark 5
• Line a muffin tin with muffin cases
• Mix together the egg, flours, bicarbonate, baking powder, salt and mixed spice
• Drain the pears and cut into small pieces
• Stir them into the flour mixture
• In a bowl mix together the honey, oil and yoghurt
• Then add the flour mixture, stir together gently — do not beat the mixture
• Spoon into the cases, and bake for about 20 minutes
• Top Tip!! To test they are cooked through, insert a cocktail stick into one and if the stick comes out clean they are ready
• Serve warm or cold!

Makes in excess of 40 biscuits!

• Oven heat at 180°C/400f or gas mark 4
• Pre-heat the oven
• Cream the butter with the sugar
• Beat in the happy eggs one at a time till well blended
• Beat in the almond essence
• Mix together the flour, bicarbonate and salt
• Beat the butter mixture into flour mixture and mix well
• Add the mincemeat and almonds and stir till well mixed
• Drop teaspoons of the mixture onto prepared baking trays and bake for about 10 minutes until light brown
• Add a hot Cappuccino and share with your friends!

Marmalade and banana french toast.

• Put the happy eggs in a bowl with the milk and 1 tablespoon marmalade and the pinch of salt and mix well
• Transfer to a shallow dish
• Dip the bread into the happy egg mixture and fry in a little butter in a heavy based frying pan, you can probably do two at a time, depending on the size of your frying pan
• Keep warm in the oven whilst you do the rest
• Slice the bananas
• In a small saucepan warm up the remaining marmalade, add the sliced bananas and warm through
• Serve the bananas on top of the French toast

Hot cross buns

• In a large bowl, put in the flour, yeast, salt spice and currants.
• Melt the butter and add to the milk along with the beaten happy egg.
• Slowly add this mixture to the dried ingredients in the bowl.
• Knead until you have smooth dough – if too sticky add a little more flour.
• Knead till you have a smooth mixture.
• Put in a bowl and cover with cling film – leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas6
• Shape the dough into 12 buns and place on a couple of greased baking trays, leaving some space between for them to rise again – leave for another 30/40mins

Meanwhile…

• Mix some on the strong flour with a little water – until you have a thick paste
• Use this to make your crosses on the top of the buns OR just make a cross on the top of them with a sharp knife.
• Bake in the oven for 15/20 mins
• When cooled glaze with the maple walnut syrup

An Easter ring cake.

• Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4
• Separate the happy eggs
• Cream the butter with the butter/marg – till pale
• Add the happy egg yolks one at a time
• Stir in the ground almonds and rice
• Beat the happy egg whites till light and fluffy
• Fold them into the almond mixture slowly
• Add the flour and mix well
• Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes – till firm and browned on top.

While the cake is cooling – make the lemon syrup -

• Put the granulated sugar in a small saucepan, stir in the lemon juice and water.
• Heat the mixture slowly to begin, till the sugar has dissolved – than bring to the boil – boil fiercely for a minute or so.
• Spoon this syrup over the cake
• Once cool, turn out the cake and decorate with chocolate eggs

A devilled egg dip

• Drain the red kidney beans
• Mix all the other ingredients together, adding as much chilli sauce and black pepper as you wish.
• Serve in a serving dish alongside some tortilla chips or crisp bread sticks

Chocolate fudge brownies.

Brownies

• Melt the butter then add the cocoa powder and mix well
• Stir in the sugar
• Beat in the happy eggs one at a time.
• Add the Vanilla essence
• Stir in the flour and nuts
• Mix well
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9inch x 13inch roasting tin/tray
• Bake in the oven at 180C for 30 minutes until firm

Fudgey Icing

• Melt the butter in a saucepan
• Add the rest of the dry ingredients, the essence and mix well
• Slowly add a little milk until you have a spreading consistency
• When the brownie mixture has cooled slightly spread over the icing
• Cut the cake into squares and enjoy!

Chickpea and courgette eggah omelette.

• Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan, add the onions and sauté over a medium heat for 6-8 mins or until golden brown. Add the courgettes, increase the heat and sauté for 2 mins until softened.
• Stir in the chickpeas, garlic, spices and parsley and stir fry for 2 mins until hot. Beat the eggs with 30ml/2 tbsp water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or tray, then cook over a medium heat for 3-4 mins or until the surface is almost set.
• Sprinkle over the cheese, pop the pan under a hot grill and cook for a further 2-3 mins or until the top is golden and the centre is set. Serve warm or cold in wedges with harissa sauce and a tomato salad.

Smoked salmon egg creme fraiche.

• Line the ramekin dishes with the smoked salmon
• Add one teaspoon of crème fraiche to each, season with a little pepper
• Crack a happy egg into each dish, wrap any of the overhang of the smoked salmon on top of the egg
• Place on a baking tray and bake for 13 minutes
• Serve each one on a half toasted roll

A rolled mushroom omelette.

• Cut the onions into small wedges, put onto a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, put under the grill and cook, turning till they are cooked and browned.
• Keep warm in the oven
• Break the happy eggs in a bowl, add the salt and pepper and whisk with a little milk, season with the salt and pepper
• Line a baking dish with non-stick paper and pour over the egg mixture, sprinkle over the sliced mushrooms, if you want then sprinkle over a little grated cheddar cheese.
• Bake in the oven for about 5-7 minutes till golden and just firm.
• Heat the cream cheese slightly in the microwave, spread over the top of the omelette, then sprinkle on the onions.
• Using the paper to assist you, roll up the omelette.
• Serve alongside oven roasted tomatoes or salad and crisp bread

Parma ham tart with artichokes and mushrooms.

• Oven heat at 190°C/450F or gas mark 5
• You will need a 23cm Quiche tin
• In a food processor add the plain flour and a pinch of salt and whiz together
• Dice the butter and add along with the parmesan cheese
• Blend for a few minutes
• Then add one beaten egg and 1 × tablespoon olive oil
• Mix for a few moments, till just blended
• Put the pastry in the fridge for 20 minutes
• Preheat the oven
• In the meantime make the filling.
• Gently sauté the mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil
• In a large bowl — mix these with the drained artichoke hearts, the cream or crème fraiche, the chopped chives, and the grated cheddar cheese.
• Beat the other 4 eggs and add this to the mixture
• Season with black pepper
• Now roll out the pastry and line the Quiche tin
• Line with some tin foil and bake — blind for 10 minutes
• Remove the foil and add the filling
• Fold the Parma ham slices on the top and bake for 40 minutes until golden
• Beautiful served hot or cold

A courgette pancake cannelloni

Bolognese

• Heat a little oil in a saucepan, add the minced beef and the chopped onions and brown.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.
• Cover and cook for an hour.
• In the meantime make the pancake
• Grate the courgette – and pat dry with some kitchen roll.
• Mix the happy egg with the milk and season
• In a bowl whisk the happy egg mixture with the flour until you have a smooth batter – add the grated courgette
• Make the pancakes up and allow to cool.
• Once the Bolognese is cooked – allow to cool

White sauce

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan
• Add the flour and stir and cook for a min
• Add the milk slowly, stirring all the time
• Cook till smooth and thick
• Then add the beaten happy egg

To Assemble

• Sieve the Bolognese sauce
• Fill the pancakes with the meat and lay in a baking dish – big enough to take all the pancakes
• Then pour over the strained Bolognese juice
• Then pour over the white sauce
• Sprinkle with the grated cheese
• Bake at 190c/375f/gas5 for 40 mins

Chinese-style crab pancakes.

• Add all the ingredients, apart from the crabmeat and the spring onions, into a food processor and blend to a smooth batter
• Mix in the crabmeat and the spring onions
• Rest the batter for an hour
• In a heavy based or non stick fry pan add some oil
• Cook the pancakes, keep them warm in the oven while you finish the batter
• Serve with some dipping sauce of sweet chilli or soy sauce

Explosive potato volcano!

• Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mk6
• Prick the jacket potatoes and rub with olive oil
• Bake on a tray in the oven for 50 mins, till crisp and soft inside
• Cut a cross in the tip of each potato and push down to make room for the cheese and happy egg, (be careful not to burn yourself as the potato will be very hot!)
• Put a few slices of cheese in each potato standing upright
• Then crack a happy egg into each one
• Put back into the oven and bake for a further 15 mins until the happy eggs are set
• In the meantime sauté the mushrooms in a little oil and add the thyme
• Serve alongside the potatoes with a leaf salad

Great easy no hassle breakfast/supper dish that is prepared in advance.

• Lightly grease the baking dish
• Line the dish with the slices of bread.
• Bake the pancetta slices in a hot oven until crisp, cool and crumble them
• Whisk the eggs with the milk, dry mustard and the onions, season with the salt and pepper.
• Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices.
• Sprinkle the pancetta over the eggy bread.
• Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325f/gas3
• Bake the Casserole for 30 minutes, then sprinkle over the grated cheese and bake for another 10 minutes
• Serve cut into wedges with roasted vine tomatoes

Yorkshire pudding is a classic English dish that came from Yorkshire.

• Mix all ingredients together with a whisk and place in the fridge.
• Cook a roast beef joint. When you remove it from the oven to rest turn the oven up to 200ºC and using the roasting tray drop tablespoons of Yorkshire pudding mixture into the tray. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the puddings are risen and brown.

Pizza and eggs!

• Spread tomato purée onto the tortilla wrap
• Cook the spinach in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds, then quickly run under cold water to blanch it. Arrange the spinach on the Tortilla
• To poach the eggs: In a pan of gently simmering water, stir to make a whirlpool in the water, crack an egg and carefully drop it in the middle. Poach for approx. 4 minutes. Arrange the poached eggs on the Tortilla.
• Season with ground pepper
• Place in a preheated oven at 160°C for 5 minutes to warm through

You will need a slick blender.

To make the mayonnaise:

• Put the egg into a container just wider than your stick blender (I often use a large mug) then add 150-200ml oil, vinegar and lemon juice
• Mix, holding the stick blender over the yolk on the bottom of the container for the first 10 seconds, then slowly drag the blender up the container until all of the oil is mixed in and a mayonnaise is formed
• You can then add other flavours; chopped wild garlic, dill or fennel fronds for fish, capers for shellfish. It’s worth noting that flavours intensify over a while, so be cautious with garlic, especially as it will get much stronger in flavour after an hour or so

This keeps fine for two days but it’s so easy, I usually make it fresh. Serve with smoked mackerel and fresh salad leaves

Tip: Olive oil gives a lot of flavour on its own, so I use mostly sunflower with a little olive oil for a nice balance or an extra virgin rapeseed oil makes a wonderful bright yellow nutty mayonnaise

Smoked haddock and cheesy egg bake.

• Place the bread in the oven at 150°C for 20 minutes until completely dried
• Peel and part boil (approx 5 minutes) the potatoes in ½ inch chunks; they should be firm
• Break up the smoked haddock with your fingers ensuring there’s no skin or bones
• Grate the cheeses
• Chop up the boiled eggs intro approx 8 pieces each
• Holding back a little of the parmesan, gently fold all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt & pepper to season or if you like a bit of heat, a couple of drops of Tabasco
• Pour over the cream to just cover the mixture, then place in a small casserole dish
• Crumble the bread and sprinkle over the top, along with the remaining parmesan
• Bake in an oven at 160°C for 30 minutes

A showstopping Christmas cake that is impressive and fun to make.

• Whip sugar and butter until no grains of sugar are left and it is a pale yellow colour. Beat happy eggs into the mix then gradually add the milk, sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mace, folding ingredients together.
• Bake in a buttered, non-stick 20cm round dish for 40 minutes at 180ºC until the sides just begin to pull away from the tin. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the cinnamon and sugar mix and replace in oven for 5 minutes to glaze.

How to make scotch eggs.

• Place the bread in an oven at 150°C for 20 minutes until completely dried. When cool, place in a plastic bag and crush until you have breadcrumbs
• Part boil the eggs by putting them in gently boiling water for 4 minutes (if the eggs are at room temperature), or 6 minutes (if they are from the fridge)
• Place the eggs in cold water for a few minutes, gently tapping them to crack the shell. The shell will now peel off easily
• Take the sausages and slice off the skins. Remove the meat, dividing it into 4. Gently squeeze and shape the sausage meat evenly around four of the happy eggs
• Crack the remaining egg into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Put the flour in a bowl and the breadcrumbs in another bowl
• Dip each of the scotch eggs in the whisked egg, then roll them in the flour, then the breadcrumbs
• Place on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 160°C for 30 minutes

The proper way to do carbonara.

• Boil spaghetti until al dente
• While it’s boiling, lightly cook the bacon in light olive oil or rapeseed oil
• Finely grate the parmesan cheese
• Drain the spaghetti, add it to the pan of bacon and gently mix together over a low heat
• Crack the eggs into the spaghetti and mix
• Add most of the parmesan cheese in and mix again
• Serve and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese

How to cook the perfect pancake for pancake day.

• Mix eggs, flour, sugar and salt to a paste. Slowly add the milk mixing continuously until it becomes the consistency of paint. You may not need to add all of the milk for this.
• Pour into a flat, hot, buttered pan. Lift the pan moving the mixture so that it evenly coats the base of the pan to form a thin pancake
• After about 2 minutes the pancake should be loose. Tease the edges and then with a rolling motion, toss the pancake and catch it again to cook the other side for approx 1 minute

Don’t worry if the first pancake doesn’t come out well, it’ll season the pan and they’re much easier from then on.

Basic omelette ingredients are happy eggs, milk and a filling of your choice.

To prepare an omelette there are two key methods.

To Fry

Mix the happy eggs quickly with a fork; add the cream and mix. Pour into a hot buttered frying pan.

Once the base has begun to cook sprinkle over the filling before folding 1/3 of the omelette into the middle and then the remaining /3 into the middle. Flip the omelette over to finish cooking before sliding the omelette whole onto a plate.

To Bake

Mix the happy eggs and cream before adding the ingredients. Pour the entire mixture into a deep, hot, oiled pan, keeping the pan on heat until the base and sides have just begun to colour and pull away from the sides. Place the pan in a medium oven at 180ºC for 5-10 minutes until the middle is cooked and browned before turning out and serving in slices.

Refreshing ice cream treat.

• Heat cream and sugar until bubbles start to form around the side of the pan, then take off the heat
• Add yolks and lemon juice while the cream is hot. Mix with a hand whisk while adding them
• Cool in the fridge then place in the freezer in a suitable ice cream pot

Serve with seasonal berries

A Christmas pudding with a kick!

• Add Molasses to one cup of boiling water and add the six cloves, leave to cool then strain out the cloves.
• Whip sugar and butter until no grains of sugar are left and it is a pale yellow colour then beat happy eggs into the mix.
• Gradually add sifted flour and spices, folding mixture together. Slowly add ¾ of the molasses water and fold until mixed to a wet but not liquid consistency. Add more of the mix if required to get to the correct consistency.
• Pour into a 20cm buttered, non stick cake tin. Sprinkle the top with the raisins and walnuts and place immediately into an oven at 180ºC. Bake for 20 minutes before reducing the temperature to 150ºC and baking for another 30 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container and for 5 days, evenly pour 50ml of port over the cake. Leave for another two days before serving. If left for longer then ‘feed’ the cake another 50ml of Port every few days.

A beignet recipe, similar to those you might find in the French Market of New Orleans, Louisiana.

• Mix the water, butter, sugar and a pinch of table salt. Stir in a saucepan until bubbling at a low simmer and remove from heat.
• Add sifted flour to the butter mixture and stir in until it forms a kneaded lump of batter. Add the happy eggs one at a time, mixing with a hand blender for a couple of minutes each time – the batter should be shiny and smooth when finished. Add the vanilla essence and sifted baking powder at this stage and blend in for another two minutes.
• Heat the oil to about 180°C, placing a dessert spoonful of the mixture in the oil and cook for a couple of minutes until it is puffed up and brown. Turn over and repeat for the reverse side.
• Drain well on paper towel and shake in a sugar-filled bag before serving.

Use four 6” pots for cooking and serving.

• Cook the spinach in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds, then quickly run under cold water to blanch them
• Divide the spinach equally between the 4 pots
• Mix the cheese and cream together (holding back a little of the parmesan) and cook in a saucepan over a low heat to make a thick sauce, stirring continuously
• Divide this mixture equally between the 4 pots. There should be approx. an inch of sauce
• Crack the eggs and pour one into each pot. Season with a little salt & pepper
• Place in a preheated oven at 140C for 20 minutes
• When the egg has just gone white (yolk should still be runny), sprinkle a little parmesan on top and place under a grill to melt the parmesan, then serve

A delicious egg batter pudding for four using seasonal berries and fruit.

• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C.
• Place the fruit evenly in the bottom of an oven dish.
• Mix the happy eggs and sugar and beat until smooth and a light yellow colour.
• Add the milk and a pinch of salt then mix.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold together.
• Pour the batter over the fruit until just covered and bake for approx. 40 minutes, checking it has set and is puffed up.
• Serve with fresh custard or double cream.

Tip: bake for 30 minutes and keep in the fridge, reheat for 15 minutes in a hot oven to finish before serving.

A sweet chocolate treat.

• Butter the inside of 4 ramekins, sprinkle with cocoa powder and place in the freezer for 5 minutes
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan on a very low heat Tip: Alternatively, you could place the pan in a sink of hot water from the tap. This warms the mixture gently without direct heat
• In a bowl whip the eggs, yolks & sugar
• Fold in the flour and when mixed, fold in the chocolate
• Pour the mixture into the 4 ramekins
• Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 7-10 minutes
• Tip: You can tell they’re cooked when they are soft to touch but are set, not liquid

A nice treat for afters.

• Heat 150g raspberries in a saucepan with a little water until they break down (use a fork to mash them)
• Force the raspberries through a sieve to remove the pips
• Whip the double cream, until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• Add some of the raspberry sauce to the cream and mix together. Keep adding the raspberry sauce and mixing together until the peaks loosen, don’t add any more sauce after this
• Separate the eggs and whip the whites until hard peaks form when the whisk is removed
• Warm the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, take off the heat as soon as it has melted and combine with the yolks (take care not to heat too much, otherwise the chocolate will grain or the yolks will cook)
• While the chocolate mixture is still liquid, fold in the raspberry cream until well combined, then carefully fold in the whipped whites
• Pour into serving dishes and chill for two hours or more. This will leave you with a strong but light dark chocolate and raspberry mousse
• Use the remaining raspberries to decorate your dish

A light and fluffy cheese soufflé.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Begin by making a roux. Melt the butter in a pan and whisk in the flour; it should become a crumbly mixture. Continue to gently whisk while slowly adding the warmed milk, until a paste has formed which is the consistency of double cream (Note: you may not need to use all the warmed milk)
• Add the cheese, anchovy paste and salt & pepper and whisk all together until the cheese has melted. Take off the heat for 5 minutes
• When cool enough to touch, add the egg yolks and a teaspoon of warm water, then whisk together
• Prepare 4 ramekins, or 1 large dish, by rubbing the edges with butter, then chilling them in the fridge
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until peaks form and hold (stiff peaks)
• Fold ¼ of the egg whites into the mixture and mix thoroughly (this will bind the egg whites and the mixture together). Then very gently using a wooden spoon, fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture, taking care to keep as much air in the mixture as possible
• Pour the mixture into the ramekins up to approx. 2/3 deep
• Place ramekins on a preheated baking tray and using a blow torch, quickly and lightly, brown the tops before placing in the oven for 10-12 minutes
• Serve immediately

A perfect Sunday lunch pudding!

• Mix the dry ingredients; bread first until it is in fine crumbs before adding other dry ingredients. Heat the jam and butter together and then add the happy eggs and blitz together until the mixture is light. Add to the dry mix and blend.
• Pour into a pudding bowl, cover with cellophane or fitted lid and put in the oven tray with a couple of inches of water. Place in the oven at 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for two hours, checking water every so often.
• Heat a little of the jam to make a thick sauce on top and serve with custard.

A traditional picnic dish, we love this one!

• Butter a large (9-10”) pie dish.
• Roll out the pastry, ensuring there is enough to cover base and top of the dish. Line the dish with the pastry, leaving plenty to overlap the lid.
• Crack six happy eggs into the dish ensuring the yolks are evenly spaced around the pie.
• Using scissors to cut to size, lay four slices of bacon on top of the eggs.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Crack another six happy eggs into the pie dish as before and finish with the other slices of bacon.
• Using the last egg, whisk to make a glaze. Use a pastry brush to paint the edge of the pastry, cover the pie with the second piece of pastry and pinch together.
• Glaze the pie top and make a slit before baking at 160ºC for about 70 minutes.
• Serve cold in slices.