Hollandaise Sauce

My darling Hubby made me the most amazing breakfast in bed on Saturday morning, it was just going to be poached eggs on toast until I joked that hollandaise sauce would just make it perfect.

What a Princess wishes, a Princess gets !

Hubby returned with two perfect poached eggs on toast, with the most amazing hollandaise sauce I have ever had and fried pancetta, it was delicious. I know I am a very lucky girl and trust me I do appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, I adore my Husband and all he does for me.

Getting a hollandaise sauce right and finding a good recipe can be tricky, this one is just perfect.

Buon appetito

• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 6 peppercorns

• 1 dried bay leaf

• 2 eggs, yolks only

• 125g/4oz butter

• lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

  Put the vinegar in a small pan with the peppercorns and bay leaf. Reduce the vinegar over a high heat until there is only 1 tbsp left. Strain the peppercorns and the bay leaf from this reduction.

  Put the egg yolks in a food processor with the vinegar reduction.

  Gently melt the butter so that the butter solids fall to the bottom of the saucepan.

  Turn the food processor on and slowly pour the butter on to the egg yolks with the motor still running. The sauce will start to thicken. When only the butter solids are left, stop.

  If the sauce is too thick, add a little hot water.

  Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.

Rosie's Millionaires Shortbread

My beautiful daughter Rosie has a friend that makes the most amazing cakes, My favourite having to be by far Millionaires Shortbread.

Rosie has recently made my Chocolate Fudge Cake for her boyfriends family and decided to have a go at the Millionaires Shortbread and it was gorgeous, not that I got much, just the off cut, off the end, as she took the rest to her boyfriends !!! I suppose some is better than none.

Rosie has asked me to put the recipe on the blog for her and hopefully next time she makes it I may get a little bit more, I can hope.

Buon appetito

(Link below is for the Chocolate Fudge Cake)

(Photograph taken of Rosie by her Friend Sam)

http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2010/07/fabulously-simple-chocolate-fudge-cake.html

Base:

• 200g (7oz) shortbread biscuits, crushed
• 25g (1oz) butter, melted

Filling:

• 150g (5½ oz) butter
• 150g (5½ oz) dark brown soft sugar
• 397g can Carnation Condensed Milk

Topping:

• 200g (7oz) milk or dark chocolate, melted

You will also need:

• 18cm (7in) square brownie tin, lined with baking parchment.

1. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and then lightly press the mixture into the tin to make an even layer. Chill for 20 minutes.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan and stir over a medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. To make a golden caramel, add the condensed milk, stirring continuously, until the first bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from the heat as soon as it comes to the boil.
3. Spread the caramel evenly over the crumb base and then cool and chill for about half an hour. Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel, smoothing to the edges.
4. When the chocolate has hardened a little, cut into squares.