Gluten-free walnut brownie recipe

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Friday, 26 January 2018 12:19

Written by Northern Living

There are some recipes which are simply better without flour. It is one of them.

Ingredients:-

120g/4½oz butter

3 eggs

170g/6oz sugar

100g/3½oz walnuts, roughly chopped

Method:-

(1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Line a 28cm (11in) brownie tin with baking paper.

(2) Suspend a bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom) and melt the chocolate and butter, stirring a couple of times until the chocolate is just melted.

(3) In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the eggs, sugar and 1 tsp of salt until very light and fluffy and doubled in volume. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, and when it is incorporated stir in the walnuts. Pour into the tin and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180C, until the surface is firm but gives a little when you touch it. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares. 

Biodegradable single use drinking straws - Why not?

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Wednesday, 24 January 2018 09:59

Written by Northern Living

One of the trending concerns of 2018 in the use of single use plastics and their impact of the environment, especially the oceans. Plastics in everyday life are almost unavoidable and pubs and restaurants unfortunately are not entirely immune from the problem. This year four of the major pub chains have already announced that they will be withdrawing plastic drinking straws for their retail operations. Which initially sounds like a very positive step. However there are certain drinks, especially cocktails, which are simply not the same without a straw.

There are several alternatives to plastic straws. Glass, Stainless Steel and the dreaded soggy paper strew, we've probably all had poor experiences with. Leaving to paper straw behind both metal and glass straws present a considerable cost and certain obvious health and safety issues.

Here is a real alternative which is relatively low cost and environmentally friendly. Single use straws manufactured from Polylactic Acid (PLA) are broken down by micro-organisms in a composing environment over a relatively short period of time. The constituent released Lactic Acid is metabolised by the microbes and there remains no polymer material in the environment. A win – win. There are limitations and correct disposal is key. PLA which finds its way into the oceans will remain, so these straws and other products manufactured from PLA need composing. So counter to intuition the correct disposal route is presently your household green bin. But with the assistance of local authorities green bins could quite easily be provided to food and beverage based bushiness.

This is not an affiliate link, simply an example of biodegradable straws which are already available in the UK - Allance Online

Perhaps we should be encouraging our favourite restaurant and the pub on the corner to embrace them and do their bit for the environment? 

Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Sunday, 21 January 2018 08:46

Written by Northern Living

This chocolate and banana treat is enough to know it won't stay in the cake tin for long. You might want a lock on the kitchen door!

Ingredients:-

50g (1/4cup) Butter, melted and cooled slightly

60ml (1/4cup) Sunflower oil

3 Over ripe bananas, mashed with a fork

150g (3/4cup) Light brown sugar

1 Large, free range egg

1tsp Vanilla extract

125g (1cup) Self raising flour

60g (1/2cup) Cocoa powder

1tsp Baking powder

1/2tsp Salt

150g (1cup) Chocolate Chips

Method:-

1. Preheat your oven to 175C and grease a loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
2. In a large bowl mix together your mashed bananas, melted butter, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until combined. Sift your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt over the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir through 3/4 of the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate chips and bake for 60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out mostly clean. Remember there are chocolate chips in there so you may have to test the cake in a few places to ensure you're not just hitting melted chocolate.
3. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice while still warm and sticky, enjoy and try not to eat the whole thing.