Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie

Just after I moved house and finished unpacking I had a real hankering for pie, so whipped up this tasty treat. I don't usually post savoury recipes to the blog, but this IS a bake so I thought it would be good to share.

This pie is fairly quick and very simple, and have I mentioned yet that it's really tasty? It's really tasty. The photos really don't do this justice! I cheated and used ready-to-roll pastry, but you guys already know that pastry is my baking weakness, right!? One day I will have a go at making my own puff pastry, and you'll be the first to know when I do, but for now, ready-to-roll works perfectly.

Ingredients: 
1 large chicken breast
2 rashers of bacon
half a leek
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsps cornflour
150ml chicken stock
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 packet of ready to roll puff pastry

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 (approx 190 degrees) and take your pastry out of the fridge.
2. Chop the chicken and bacon into chunks, and finely slice the leek.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and stir fry the chicken until slightly golden, add the bacon and leek to the frying pan, stirring until the bacon is cooked and the leek has softened. Add the cornflour to the pan and stir well to coat all of the pieces. Slowly stir in the chicken stock, then allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minute until it reduces and thickens. Season with the pepper then pour this into a pie dish.
4. Roll out the pastry to around 6mm thick, then lay this over the top of the pie filling, tucking in the edges to seal. Cut two slits in the top to allow the steam to escape, then brush with a little milk.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on top. All the pie to cool for a few minutes before serving (I had mine with mash, roast carrots and parsnips, and minted green beans. It was gooood!)

Happy Thoughts
x

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Happy Bacon Week! What, you didn't know that it was Bacon Connoiseurs Week this week? That's OK. Clearly you just love bacon every week.

I originally made these cupcakes as a birthday gift for my friend Angel, because he loves bacon. The cupcakes themselves had quite an odd - but not unpleasant - taste. The frosting and candied bacon were amazing! Overall, bacon+ cupcakes=win

I found the original recipe here, and only made some very small amendments to it! Hope you like!

Ingredients:

For the candied bacon:
4 rashers of streaky bacon
100g dark brown sugar

For the cupcakes:
4 rashers of bacon
75g magarine
80g brown sugar
60 g maple syrup
1 large egg
350g self raising flour
60ml milk

For the frosting:
150g butter
75ml maple syrup
400g icing sugar
Pinch of salt

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1. Start off by making your candied bacon. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees.
2. Cut the uncooked bacon into bitesized chunks and lay on the greaseproof paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Flip the bacon pieces over, then cover in the sugar and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has caramelised. Leave the bacon to cool slightly on the tray before transfering to a wire wrack to cool completely.
3. Put aside the 12 best looking bits of candied bacon to use as decorations for your cupcakes. Eat one or two bits to make sure they are OK (chef's duty!), and pop the rest to one side-we'll come back to those later.
4. Now, onto the cupcakes - time for more bacon!! First, reduce your oven down to gas mark 4 / 180 degrees and line a cupcake tray with cases.
5. Fry your remaining rashers of bacon until crispy. Put any fat/dripping into a bowl and into the fridge to solidify. One the bacon rashers are cool enough to handle, pop these into the blender with the reserved candied bacon and blitz into small chunks, (like tiny chocolate chips, but bacon.)
6. Beat the margarine,solidified bacon fat, brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, and beat until well combined.
7. Fold half of the flour into the mixture, followed by all of the milk, then fold in the remaining flour. Finally, fold in your crispy bacon bits.
8. Spoon the batter into your cupcake cases, filling each around 3/4 full, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown all over and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire wrack.
9. Once your cupcakes are cool, time to make the frosting. Beat together the butter and maple syrup until combined, then add the icing sugar a little at a time until you have a thick, smooth frosting. Pop the frosting into a piping bag and pipe swirls onto each cupcake, then place one of the reserved chunks of candied bacon on top.
10. Eat and marvel at the sweet and salty bacony goodness!

Happy Thoughts
x