Home made beefburgers

I am relieved that I can honestly say I have never bought a value burger from any supermarket. In fact, I rarely buy any sort of burgers and do my best not to buy any processed food.

So, in light of the current horse meat in burgers scandal, a few thoughts.

1) support your local butcher
2) buy locally reared meat (or at the very least know where it comes from)
3) make you own burgers

Add a finely chopped onion to som minced beef. Season with herbs, e.g. Basil, sage, thyme (whatever you like). Add a beaten egg and mix together with your hands.

Shape into beefburgers and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cook by either grilling or frying.

Serve with a ciabatta roll, cheese, slice of beef tomato and a dollop of mustard mayo (mix mustard and mayo together).

Eat!

(Apologies for the photo quality - the first burger got eaten very quickly and this one didn't last long either).

Mary Berry's carrot cake

I warned you there would be a lot of Mary Berry coming up!

This cake is delicious and moist, and much easier to make than I thought. And I am counting it as one of my 5 a day.

Measure into a large bowl: 225g self-raising flour, 2tsps baking powder, 150g light muscavado sugar, 50g chopped walnuts, 100g grated carrots (mind your fingers!), 2 mashed ripe bananas, 2 large eggs and 150ml sunflower oil.

Beat until smooth and turn into 8 inch deep round cake tin, base lined with baking parchment. Bake at 180C (160C fan) for 50 - 60 minutes.

For the topping, beat 175g full fat soft cheese, 50g softened butter and 100g sifted icing sugar.

Decorate with walnuts.

Enjoy!

Mary Berry's Victoria sandwich

Quite a lot of my posts from now on are likely to start with "Mary Berry's..." - I am currently working my way through her Baking Bible, which was a wee Christmas pressie from my father-in-law.

I have been following Mary's all-in-one method. Up until now I creamed the butter and sugar before folding in the flour. However everything has turned out perfectly!

For the Victoria sandwich, mix together 8oz butter, 8oz sugar, 8oz self raising flour, 2tps baking powder and four eggs.

Divide mixture into two greased and lined eight inch sandwich tins and bake at 180C (160C fan oven) for about 25 minutes.

Traditionally, a Victoria sandwich is sandwiched with strawberry or raspberry jam; however his one was sandwiched with buttercream. (2oz butter and 8oz icing sugar), then dusted with icing sugar.

It didn't last long.