Red onion & goats cheese canapés

baking

These delicious bite size tarts are best served warm, fantastic excuse to have some friends over for a catch up and nibbles!

You'll need...
For the cheese pastry
75g butter
200g plain flour
50g mature cheddar
Dried cayenne pepper

For the filling
25g butter
600g red onions, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Dried sage
125g goats cheese

To Make...
Make your pastry, Pour the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs
Grate the cheese into the mixture, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Make into a dough, add a splash of cold water if it is too dry
Put into clingfilm and into the fridge for 30mins
Roll out until it is quite thin into baking paper and cut out circles using a pastry cutter
(I managed to get 30 circles out of it)
Grease a cupcake tray and push the circles into the tray, shape them as you go
Bake for 20 mins at 180oC
Leave to cool on a wire rack

Make the filling, Melt the butter in a large pan and add onions
Add the balsamic vinegar and sage to the pan and stir well
Season well and leave to simmer for 30 mins
Allow to cool

Make your canapés, spoon in some of the onion mixture into the tarts and put them on a lining baking tray.
Roll up a spoonful of goats cheese into a ball and flatten into a disc shape, add to the top of the tarts
Bake them again for 15mins at 180c
Serve straight from the oven and add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for an extra kick


Three french hens

Ashley Thomas at home
I know it's far to early on in the year to be talking about Christmas, but I'm so excited about my Christmas range for Debenhams this year that I've just got to share a little bit of it now.
My collection is inspired by "The Twelve Days of Christmas" the famous English Christmas carol. Here's my three french hens egg cups. Aren't they adorable! 
I'll be posting more about the collection soon.
Exclusively available at Debenhams for a limited time only.
Click here to shop online

Carrot Cake

baking
 

8oz self raising flour
5oz muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 carrot
1 banana
2 large eggs
150ml sunflower oil
2oz walnut halves

For the topping
2oz butter
4oz icing sugar
6oz soft cheese
Walnut halves to decorate

To make...
Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl
Grate the carrot into the bowl and mix throughly
Mash the banana and beat into the mixture
Beat the eggs and add to the bowl along with sunflower oil, mix together really well until smooth
Break up the walnut halves into the bowl and stir well
Turn into a greased 20cm cake tin and level the surface
Pre-heat the oven to 180oc
Bake for 55 mins
Leave to cool, meanwhile make the topping

Warm the butter in a microwave for 30seconds until half melted
Sift in the icing sugar and add the soft cheese, mix together until smooth
Leave in the fridge to chill for 15 mins
Once cooled spread over the cake and decorate with walnut halves

Vintage rose bedding

Ashley Thomas at home



My new vintage rose bedding is now online. This floral design was inspired and painted from my collection of vintage china. With a colourful polka dot, stripy reverse you can change the design over when you fancy a change.

Exclusively available at Debenhams, click the link below to shop online.

www.debenhams.com

Coffee Eclairs

baking
You'll need…

For the Choux Pastry...
50g Butter
150ml water
100g Plain flour
3 medium eggs, beaten

For the filling and icing...
150ml Whipping cream
50g sieved icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water

To make the Choux Pastry…
Put the butter and water into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, then bring to the boil
Remove from the heat and quickly add the flour, stir really fast until mixture forms a ball in the saucepan.
Put into a large bowl to cool
Beat the egg into the cooled mixture a little at a time with a wooden spoon or electric whisk
Preheat the oven to 180oC, grease a baking tray and run under a cold tap to leave a film of water on the tray.
Pipe choux pastry onto trays about 10cm/4 inches long
Bake for 20mins
Remove from the oven and make a slit down one side of the eclair.

Whip the cream and fill the eclaires when they are cold, just before eating so they stay crisp.
Make the coffee icing by mixing the icing sugar and coffee and spoon the icing over the top to finish.

Afternoon Tea Sets

Ashley Thomas at home

My new ceramics collection for Debenhams has started to appear online.
These afternoon tea sets include a teacup and saucer and a cake plate. They come wrapped in a little gift set. Designed with vintage inspired florals and geometric patterns they will really add a quirky touch to your dining room cabinet.

Shop online