Big Night In
Turn the tables on the ‘awesome’ Big Night Out and celebrate the arrival of the Big Night In. Thaks to cookbook author Katherine Bebo staying in is no longer the boring, vanilla or lacking-in-fun choice
Bebo has created a collection of mouth-watering menus to help you turn your home into the perfect nightin venue for hosting family and friends.
Whether you’re having only a few people over, or are bringing together a larger group of friends, pick out your perfect menu and prepare your best night in yet!
Following are two of her recipes:
CHURROS
Sometimes referred to as Spanish doughnuts, churros are traditionally scarfed in Spain for breakfast (sure beats a bowl of muesli) or as a midmorning snack. Hot chocolate is the dipping ‘sauce’ and sometimes they’re sprinkled with sugar. Mmm!
Unless you’re planning on your dinner party becoming a sleepover, serve your churros as a delectable dessert (this sauce is waaaay thicker than a hot chocolate) that your friends can share. One taste and all etiquette relating to double-dipping will go out the window as everyone dips and devours with abandon.
Ingredients
■ 1⁄2 tsp salt
■ 200g/11⁄2 cups strong white flour
■ 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
■ 260ml/generous 1 cup water at around 70C
■ 400ml/13⁄4 cups sunflower oil, for frying
Dipping sauce
■ 100g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped
■ 120ml/1⁄2 cup double cream
■ a thermometer
■ a piping/ bag fitted with a star nozzle/tip (optional)
Method
Beat together the salt, flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add the water and beat quite vigorously so that there are no lumps. Let sit in the bowl while you prepare the oil.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan and bring to 180C .
Spoon the dough into a piping/ pastry bag (fit it with a star nozzle/ tip if you want ridges). Twist the piping/pastry bag and hold with one hand. Gently squeeze out the dough to a 5cm piece and snip with scissors
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Whisky & blood orange cream
■ 200ml/3⁄4 cup double cream
■ 20ml/4 tsp whisky or brandy
■ juice of 1 blood orange
■ 2-3 Tbsp caster sugar
■ 28 x 20cm baking pan, lightly greased
Method
Preheat the oven to 150 C Gas 2.
Place the butter, chocolate, milk, whisky or brandy, sugar, vanilla and coffee in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally for 6 minutes or until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Pour into a large bowl, sift in the flours and cocoa and beat until smooth.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Let cool completely in the baking pan, then remove.
To make the chocolate ganache icing/frosting, heat the chocolate, syrup and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, for the blood orange cream, whip the cream, whisky or brandy, blood orange juice and sugar until light and fluffy and set aside.
When the cake has cooled, spread the chocolate ganache icing/ frosting over the top and let set. Cut into bitesized squares and either top with the blood orange cream or serve it on the side, along with the candied oranges, if you like. — Serves 10