Chocolate Cherry Trifle

At the end of a busy year we all need chocolate!!

And this pudding is a superb alternative to Christmas pudding which many children (and adults) are not too keen on! The other key benefit with this is that your little cooks can make it, they might need a little help with melting the chocolate and making the jelly but the joy for them in contributing to the Christmas Lunch or Boxing Day supper is worth it.

So enjoy this - we have made this in every after-school cooking class in and around London at the end of term, which our Mix & Munch cooks loved....I am sure you will too!

We don't take nuts into schools but this dish is wonderful with slightly roasted pistachios sprinkled on top!

And for the grown up cooks - you can add some liqueur onto the cherry's in the ramekins for a boozy hit (just remember which ones are for adults and which ones for children!)

You can make the jelly/custard/brownies from scratch or buy them all ready made - whatever is easier for you!

* Picture courtesy of our fabulous cooks at 
Fitzrovia Community Centre After-School Cooking Club

Cherry Chocolate Trifle

Serves 1 person (in a ramekin) 

2 tbsp ready-made custard 

2-3 pieces of milk chocolate - in pieces

1 small chocolate brownie

4-5 tinned cherries

2 tbsp ready made jelly

1 tbsp double cream (whipped)

5g icing sugar (sieved)

grated chocolate/sprinkles/gold spray to decorate

 1.       Put the custard into a pan with the chocolate pieces. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted into the custard. Cool.

2.      Break up and arrange the brownies in the base of the ramekin.

3.      Drain the jars of cherries (keep the liquid) and scatter over the brownies. Add 1 tbsp of the liquid

4.      Add the jelly on top

5.      Spoon the cooled chocolate custard over and chill while you make the topping.

6.      Lightly whip the cream with sieved icing sugar until soft peaks form.

7.       Add on top of the trifle.

8.      Decorate with grated chocolate/sprinkles/gold dust

Chicken Tagine - A reminder of the sunshine of Morroco!

To keep the summer vibes going and memories of our family holiday to Morocco alive - we have made this wonderful tagine in some of the School Cooking Enrichment classes we have held this Autumn term.

Its a dish full of Moroccan flavours; - the sweetness of apricots & honey with the tang of preserved lemons, the smoky paprika and cumin finished with the light zestiness of parsley and coriander.

We don't take nuts into schools but this dish is wonderful with toasted flaked almonds dotted on the top

Serve with a Raita salad - Greek, full fat yoghurt and grated cucumber, with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of paprika

Use chicken on the bone as it adds much more flavour to the tagine during the hour plus of simmering it. You can easily remove the bones before serving once its cooked!

Recipe for 4-5 people

2 chicken thighs

2 chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions (sliced)

4 garlic cloves (crushed)

2 peppers

100g dried apricots quartered

2 preserved lemons (deseeded and cut up into small pieces)

500ml chicken stock

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can chickpeas

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tbsp paprika

2 tablespoons of honey

Chopped parsley & mint & coriander to garnish

For a veggie option replace the chicken with the same weight of lentils and use vegetable stock instead of chicken

1.       Cut into strips the chicken breast and cut some of the chicken from the bone - heat half the oil in a pan and brown each side of ALL the chicken (including the bits on the bones) and set aside.

2.      Slice the onions and crush the garlic and use the rest of the oil and heat to a medium heat and add the onions and garlic and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft.

3.      Slice the peppers, chop the apricots and lemons

4.      Increase the heat and add the peppers, apricots and lemons.

5.      Add the spices.

6.      After a few minutes once you can smell the spices add the chicken, chicken stock, honey, tomatoes & chickpeas.

7.       Season and bring to the boil.

8.      Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.

9.      Garnish with chopped parsley and mint.

10.  Serve with couscous/rice and a salad

Strawberry Mouse - A taste of Summer!

This super easy, delicious and fruity mouse was such a hit in our after-school cooking classes last week that they didnt survive the journey home. Many were eaten before parents were shown or a taste could be given!

The smell of the strawberries as you mash them in this recipe is divine - the little cooks loved smelling such a sweet, inviting smell.

You can use defrosted frozen strawberries or fresh ones!

A touch of sugar brings out the flavour of the strawberries as the sugar draws out the fruits liquid and sweet juice.

Strawberry Mouse

Enough for one person in 1 ramekin

2-3 large soft strawberries (washed)

1 tsp icing sugar

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

1/2 tbsp whipped double cream

Meringue – half a nest

Pieces of mint

1.        Mash strawberries with the back of a fork

2.       Sieve and add the icing sugar to them

3.       Add the yoghurt and mix

4.      Break in the meringues and stir

5.      Fold in the whipped cream

6.      Add to the ramekin and put a piece of pieces of mint on top

7.    Put in the fridge for half an hour. Ready to eat!

You can use alternative fruits - raspberries, blueberries, mango, banana - frozen or fresh to create a refreshing and beautiful mouse!