Hot chocolate season is here!!

Nothing better than spending those chilly winter evenings on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket with your hands around a warm cup of hot chocolate! Nope, nothing beats that! Every year I have to invent new recipes to satisfy my cravings, and this year is no different. You have to give these a try, seriously you have no idea what you're missing out on!

 Terry's orange hot chocolate.

Ingredients: (makes 2 mugs)

• 2 mugs milk
• 1/2 packet of Terry's orange mini's (85g)
• Whipped squirty cream

Method:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Turn the heat down to low. Add in the chocolate and leave to melt for a minute.
2. Whisk until throughly incorporated and pour into serving mugs.
3. Let it cool for a minute and top with whipped cream and a terry's mini segment.

Yes! It's as easy as that!!!

After Eight mint hot chocolate.

Ingredients: (makes 2 mugs)

• 2 mugs milk
• 6-8 slices After Eight chocolates
• Whipped squirty cream
• 2 candy canes to decorate

Method:

1. Heat up the milk in a saucepan. Turn the heat down to low. Add in the chocolate and leave to melt for a minute.
2. Whisk until throughly incorporated and pour into serving cups. 
3. Let it cool for a minute and top with whipped cream and a candy cane.

Hope you enjoy!

Habeebah xxx

Easy peasy prawn biryani

Do not get intimidated by the title. I can guarantee you saw the word biryani and thought nope, no way! that's not for me. But trust me, this is most definitely the easiest biryani you will ever make! This recipe was originally from Sorted Food which I've tweaked slightly, but check out their website and YouTube channel for amazing simple and delicious recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (feeds 4-6)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 cm piece root ginger
• 1 green chilli (finely sliced)
• 3 tblsp olive oil
• a knob of butter
• 1 handful cashew nuts
• 15 king prawns (de-veined, head off and shelled) (I get mine from Sainsbury's)
• 4 tblsp sultanas

Spices:

• 5 cardamom pods 
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Freshly chopped coriander and red chilli to garnish

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180℃. Sauté the onions, finely sliced garlic and ginger, green chilli, cashews and sultanas in 1 tblsp olive oil for 2 mins.
2. Add spices and prawns. Turn the heat to a medium low and cook for 3-5 mins until the prawns turn pink. (If using ready cooked prawns, 1-2 mins is fine)
3. Cook rice in salted water for 12 mins and drain.
4. Add a knob of butter to prawns, rest of the olive oil, half of chopped coriander and cook for a further 5 mins. Season with salt according to taste.
5. Place a layer of rice at the bottom of the dish. Next top with some of the prawns mixture. Repeat layers and then cover with foil. 
6. Place in the oven for 15 mins and garnish with coriander, chilli and caramelised onions. 

Caramelised onions:

1. Finely chop 1 red onion and sauté in a pan with 1 tblsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of lime juice. Let the onions cook on a low heat until translucent.

Hope you guys try this out, send me pics if you do!

Habeeebah xxx

Spiced pumpkin and oatmeal cookies

I can't believe its been more than a month since I last posted on here. I've been a little busy with university, placement and the endless assignments, whilst trying to savour the couple of weeks I had off for the summer. And in the midst of all this, exam season is slowly creeping up but at least there's some exciting news too. Autumn, my favourite season is nearly here! Can we please all just take a moment with me and be excited for cosy jumpers, early evenings, pumpkin spiced latte, knee high boots, candles, lipstick in all shades of plum, berry and crimson and fuzzy socks. Writing this is just making me feel all warm inside, seriously that's how much I can't wait, and especially when the clocks go back, those walks home back from uni are the best, earphones in, a coconut mocha in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Ahhhhh. So, to get you into the Autumn spirit try out my favourite cookies of all time; spiced pumpkin and oatmeal. They are seriously soft, moist and perfect with a mug of hot chocolate. The canned pumpkin in the recipe is from Americandy which you can buy if you live in Leicester, but if not then try Ocado or Waitrose.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour 
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
• 2 tsp gingerbread syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200℃ and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. 
2. In a bowl beat together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Next add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and syrup. Beat everything well together.
3. Sieve in the flour and add in oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. At this stage add in raisins if desired. 
4. Drop spoonfuls onto the parchment and flatten slightly with the back of a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool and dust with icing sugar.

Habeebah xxx