Baked Camembert with Garlic and Rosemary

If you're going to treat yourself, do it properly.

There is nothing more comforting on a winter's day than an oozing baked Camembert with warm, crusty bread for dipping. You may be wondering why this Camembert looks like it has exploded - the wooden edging just cracked open in the oven and I am really glad that it did - it meant we got to eat some extra flavoursome cheese that had started to go crisp mmm, but don't worry, the middle was still perfect.

I have posted a Camembert recipe before here and made some rather delicious ham, cheese and chive bread to go with it which you can find the recipe for here. Both were delicious but this time I decided to try fresh rosemary with the Camembert rather than thyme and it was very tasty - although I would recommend either herbs! I also didn't have as much time so I bought some fresh ciabatta from the supermarket to heat up in the oven for dipping in the cheese, but if you do have more time or if it is a special occasion, you should definitely try out the above bread recipe - super quick, easy and yeast free!

Serves 2
- 1 whole Camembert
- 2 fresh garlic cloves
- few sprigs of rosemary
- caramelised onion chutney
- ciabatta

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Remove the Camembert from its packaging and with a sharp knife, make a few slits on top.

3. Slice the garlic and tear the rosemary leaves in half, then push both into the slits.

4. Place the Camembert back in the wooden box and onto a baking tray in the middle of the oven - bake for around 15 minutes or until fully melted in the middle. Place the ciabatta in the oven and bake for the same amount of time.

5. When done, slice the ciabatta and serve immediately - open up the Camembert by removing the top with a knife, then dunk the ciabatta in, and top with a generous amount of chutney!

Enjoy :)

Bacon and parsley beef burgers

I love making beef burgers from scratch, mainly because I get to smoosh raw beef mince around in a bowl with my hands (haha), but also because it just tastes so much better! You can put any herbs you want in and can even stuff them with cheese (I want to stuff the patties with gorgonzola or brie next time mm). When I've made these in the past I've always added breadcrumbs for extra texture, and used a beaten egg to bind the ingredients but this time I didn't add the breadcrumbs and I just used a dash of olive oil instead of egg and it worked fine and hey, I saved an egg... I love the flavour that the smoked bacon gives and parsley compliments it really well (and its my favourite herb).

I apologise for not having any good pictures of the beef burgers when they're cooked - the electric lighting does not agree with my camera and it is almost impossible to take still, clear photos. So they looked far better than in the picture below! We served the beef burgers on ciabatta, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Delicious Friday night treat!

Makes 2 large beef burgers, or 4 small/medium
- 300-400g beef mince
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp garlic granules
- 3 rashers smoked bacon, fried and chopped
- lots of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- dash of olive oil for binding (plus extra for frying)
- whatever bread/bap you want and fillings like cheese, salad and sauces!

1. Mix together the mince, onion, garlic, bacon, parsley and seasoning in a large bowl until evenly combined.
2. Break into 2 or 4, drizzle with olive oil, and shape into patties.
3. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add the beef patties, cooking for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (cut one open and check!). Cook for less if you like them rare and longer if you prefer them well done.
4. Serve in ciabatta/bap/bread with the fillings and sauces of your choice.

Enjoy :)