RSVP Magazine with Claire’s Tasty Thursday

Today #TastyThursday was launched with RSVP Magazine featuring my food blogs 🙂 Look out for this today and every Thursday x

I initially began speaking with RSVP and a few other publications at the beginning of October and many telephone calls, emails and meetings later the decision was made to work with RSVP and today this went live for the world to see 🙂

I am beaming, I could not be happier with how this blog is going, Being nominated in the food category for a UK Blog Award 2015 (no news yet as to weather I have made the next round) was incredible and if I get to the next round I think I may actually burst with excitement and now this, My food in a real life national publication for the world to enjoy 🙂

RSVP choose a super simple, super christmassy food blog to begin with and I was thrilled with this as it is currently the most viewed this week and the one I am receiving emails and enquiries about daily 🙂 Here is the link to view this http://rsvpmagazine.ie/blog-claires-smooth-silky-bake-christmas-chocolate-tart/

x x x Claire’s Smooth and Silky No bake Christmas Chocolate Tart x x x

It is a scrummy treat any time of the year but with the addition of Baileys and the lushness of this I think it should be saved for a super time treat 🙂

2014 has been an incredible year, I am actually emotional looking back at it and all the amazing moments and I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings 🙂 This year I began working with TV3, began my own weekly Radio show, Started this my new baby Clare with the Hair, became ‘The Face’ of Boudoir Darlings and we created a Charity Calender with monies raised going to Clare’s Wish Foundation (a charity who grant wishes to adults with life limiting illnesses), Nominated in the UK Blog Awards and now working with RSVP. So many changes, so many new ventures yet all enjoyed and loved so much.

The cover of Boudoir Darlings / Clare’s Wish 2015 Calender http://www.boudoirdarlings.ie/

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Clare’s Boozy Banana Trifles

Wow it has been a whole 3 day’s since I last blogged 🙂 Shame on me!!

Today we bring you a Christmas treat that everyone can enjoy and best of all you can get this ready in advance and it is so simple and easy for anyone to attempt to make , I love ‘Clare’s Boozy Banana Trifles’ and for the kiddies you can leave out the booze and add more toffee sauce 🙂 Its a winner in home x

x x x x x Clare’s Boozy Banana Trifles x x x x

Makes: 6 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g pot double cream
• 7 tbsp Baileys (use the home made one I showed you last week)
• 250g chocolate brownies (about 6 pieces/9oz)
• 3 bananas
• 500g pot custard
• 6 tbsp toffee sauce
• 25g Dark chocolate

PREPARATION

Whisk the cream with 1 tbsp Baileys, leave to one side. Divide the brownie pieces between 6 glasses, breaking them up to fit nicely, then drizzle each with 1 tbsp Baileys. Slice the bananas and place on top, follow with the custard and Baileys cream, dividing equally, then drizzle with toffee sauce and finish with the grated chocolate.

Top Tip: Make this booze free, just use more toffee sauce. Use other cakes on the base and even swap the fruit. Imagine a Madeira cake base, some desert wine as the booze with strawberries. Same idea with a twist x

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

My 1 minute / Home-made Irish Cream Liqueur

It is officially ok to talk all things Christmas and the other day I brought you a Chocolate tart that required zero cooking, well today I bring you a classic Christmas drink that you can make at home in about one minute 🙂 Sounds too easy, well read on!! it is actually a one minute super tasty classic Christmas drink that anyone can make at home.

For years my mum would make this every single Christmas and long before the brands were adding almond , hazelnut or all the other flavours, my mum was doing this. Looking back on Christmas of yester-year and remembering the hours and days and months of work that went into making a great family Christmas, I find it mad now when people say, shopping before Halloween is too early, seeing Christmas things too early spoils Christmas but in my home as a child and I know I am not the only one, The Christmas cake was started months in advance of the big day, many homes made their own beers and wines and this Irish cream liqueur 🙂 and all this was started in the summer time!! I have not made this for years and my mum kept her version a very well kept secret 🙂 but today here is mine and trust me , it is so simple and make for great Christmas gifts.

Love this and Enjoy with or without the chocolate swirl x

Why, you might ask, would one choose to make this iconic liqueur instead of buying it off the shelf ? Because 1) it’s incredibly easy 2) it’s cheaper, and 3) once you try it, you’ll never go back to shop-bought.  And plus is that you can control the ingredients: ease up on vanilla extract; go heavy on the chocolate syrup, or lighten the sugar and/or fat content if you’re watching calories.

In a cute bottle, some fancy ribbons and you have home made Christmas gifts anyone would be happy to receive

This makes lots x

Ingredients

2 cans of Evaporated Milk

2 cans of Condensed Milk

1 can of Irish Whiskey (use the Condensed milk for a lighter mix and a can of Evaporated milk for a real punch of whiskey flavour)

1tsp Instant Coffee

2 tsp Chocolate Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and with a hand held mixer, mix well for 2-3 minutes. Pour into sterile bottles and store for up to three months.

I love to swirl chocolate syrup in a glass and pour this in, or add some grated dark chocolate to the top.

Super simple yet always fabulous x

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Claire’s Smooth and Silky No bake Christmas Chocolate Tart

It is Christmas so forget calorie counting, pointing, adding up syncs or any other way you look after your waist line 🙂 It is the season of complete, guilt free over indulgence, Honest!!

Like me are you the one cooking the Christmas dinner? if so you know that the cooker in under super pressure trying to get the bird cooked, the million and one vegetable accompaniments cooked and all the other loveliness you are serving your family this Christmas so today I bring you a tried, love and tested Claire’s Smooth and Silky No Bake Christmas Chocolate Tart. I tested and tried this with berries, orange and my favorite and the one we will be having on Christmas day, The tart flavored with Irish Creme liqueur, after all,  is there a home in the country without a bottle of two open over the Christmas season.

Makes: 8 servings

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Total Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g pack all-butter biscuits
• 100g butter
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g dark chocolate (Good quality, not cooking etc)
• 100g milk chocolate (Good quality, not cooking etc)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 200ml whipping cream
• 2 tbsp Irish Cream Liqueur of choice and a large glass for drinking (it is Christmas after all)

PREPARATION

1. Crush the biscuits by putting them in a large, strong, plastic food bag and bashing with a rolling pin. Melt the butter with the syrup in the microwave, then stir in the biscuits. Press onto the base and up the sides of a 12 x 36cm rectangular tin (or 23-25cm round flan tin) and pop into the fridge while you make the filling.
2. Break up the chocolate and put in a large bowl. Melt in a bowel over a pan of water on Medium, stirring halfway through. Stir in the Creme Liqueur, vanilla extract, then sift in the icing sugar. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then fold into the melted but slightly cooled chocolate. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Chill for at least 2 hrs but you can keep this in this for up to 2 days.
3. Just before serving, remove the tart from the tin and slide it onto a flat plate (loosen edges first with the tip of a small pointed knife). You will find it easier to remove the tart if you leave it at room temperature for 30 mins.

Top Tip: Warm your knife in hot water before slicing for a nice smooth finish. If using other flavors such as orange zest or another flavored liqueur’s then add these at the time we added the Irish Creme Liqueur.

Serve with some crushed amaretti biscuits on whipped cream, fresh fruit or a scoop of ice cream with a drizzle of Irish Cream Liqueur. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤