Irish Coffees, Crispy Pies and Mrs. Pattmore’s Scones: Kitchen Wonders For The Weekend

Shut down those computers and catch that bus home because a weekend of treats awaits you. Last week we brought you our weekend chocolate treats and whether you're heading to the cinema or trotting to your local, there's always time for these weekend wonders! 

Friday Night with a Irish Coffee In Hand

Spending your Friday night curled up in front of the fire? Perk yourself up for the Late Late tonight with a gorgeous Irish coffee. It’s the perfect treat for a relaxing evening after a hard week slaving away in the office. Make sure you have thick stemmed glasses to avoid an accident.

Ingredients

60 grams of double cream (very cold)

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Three shots of Jameson whiskey

300 mls of freshly ground coffee

A sprinkle of nutmeg

Method

Heat your thick stemmed glasses with a drop of boiling water.

Lightly whip your cream in a large bowl.

In your glasses mix pour one and a half shots of whiskey into each cup before adding one tablespoon of brown sugar to each.

Mix well before adding your hot coffee.

Dip a spoon into boiling water before placing your cream onto the surface of the coffee. This will allow it to sit on the surface.

Top with a sprinkle on nugmeg and enjoy! 

 

Saturday is a Day for Jamie Oliver’s Spinach and Feta Pie

The Her.ie girls are obsessed with anything to do with the fabulous Essex boy and this Spinach and Feta pie from his 30 Minute Meals series is only fabulous. After knocking it up in our kitchen last weekend we can only recommend its simplicity and even looking at the picture has us drooling! It’s perfect for a Saturday afternoon with your other half.

Ingredients

100g pinenuts

Five eggs

300g feta cheese

50g cheddar cheese

Dried oregano

One lemon

A knob of butter

400g prewashed baby spinach

One pack of filo pastry

Cayenne pepper

One whole nutmeg, for grating

Method

Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn the oven on to 200 degrees celsius. Put a medium ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat. Put the standard blade attachment in the food processor.

Put the pinenuts into the dry ovenproof frying pan to toast, tossing occasionally. Keep an eye on them. Crack five eggs into a mixing bowl and crumble in 300g of feta. Grate in 50g of Cheddar.

Add a pinch of pepper, a couple of pinches of dried oregano, zest of one lemon and a lug of olive oil. Once the nuts are light golden, add them to the egg mixture and mix well.

Put the empty frying pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of butter and pile in half of the spinach. Gently push and move it around and add more as it wilts down.

Make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom and when there's room, start adding the rest, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, take the pastry out of the fridge. Lay a large sheet of greaseproof paper, approximately 50cm long, on the worktop, rub a little olive oil all over it, then scrunch it up and lay it out flat again.

Arrange 4 filo pastry sheets in a large rectangle, overlapping at the edges, so they almost cover the paper.

Rub some olive oil over them. Sprinkle over a good pinch of salt & pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Repeat until you have three layers. Don't worry about any cracked bits. Remember to keep stirring the spinach.

Once the spinach is really nice and dense, take the pan off the heat. Add the wilted spinach to the egg mixture and grate in ½ a nutmeg.

Mix well. Carefully move the greaseproof paper and filo into the empty frying pan so the edges spill over. Push it down into the sides of the pan, then pour in the egg mixture and spread it out.

Fold the filo sheets over the top and let them fall where they will. Put the pan back on a medium heat for a couple of minutes to get the bottom cooking, then put the pan into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. 

 

Sunday Scones with Strawberry Jam and Vanilla Cream

Get in the mood for Sunday’s Downtown sobfest with some scones that will make you feel like you have your own Mrs Pattimore banging away in the kitchen.

Ingredients

235 grams of self-raising flour

160mls of milk

One pinch of salt

25 grams of sugar

One egg

25 grams of margarine

Method

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius and warm your baking tray inside.

Sieve your flour and salt into a large bowl and stir into the sugar.

With the tips of your fingers, rub in the chilled margarine.

Add three quarters of the milk and mix into a soft dough. If it is too dry, add the rest of your milk.

Flour your board and rolling pin.

Knead your dough softly to remove the cracks before rolling the dough out until it is one inch thick.

Cut into scones with a cutter dipped in flour.

Place on your preheated tray and lightly brush with one beaten egg.

Bake for ten minutes.

Cool on a wire tray.

Meanwhile, whip your cream with a two drops of vanilla extract.

Serve your warm scones with a dollop of strawberry jam and cream and enjoy!