A picnic fit for a royal
It's hard to believe that our future King, the gorgeous Prince George will be celebrating his first birthday later on this month.
We are joined by former Chef to Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, Darren McGrady who has created numerous dishes to mark the birthdays of Princes William and Harry over the years.
He is rustling up a royal picnic menu fit for a king or a queen, and each of his dishes has a special royal memory attached to it, which Darren will discuss as we go along.
Catch up with the last week of This Morning on ITV Player
Loaded potato skins
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients
8 large baking potatoes1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions1 cup crumbled cooked crispy bacon1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese1 cup mozzarella cheese1 cup (8 ounces) sour creamOil for deep frying
Method
Bake the potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly.
Cut in half lengthwise and then half again so you have 4 pieces. Scoop out the pulp, leaving ½ inch in the shell.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees and drop the potatoes in. Cook until golden brown and remove to paper towel to cool and drain off excess oil.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, skin side down. Season with salt and then top with the cheddar, spring onions, crispy bacon, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and skins are crisp. Serve with the sour cream.
Chocolate biscuit cake
Makes: One 6 inch round cake – 8 portions
Ingredients
4 ounces dark chocolate.(for the cake)4 ounces granulated sugar4 ounces unsalted butter (softened)1 egg8 ounces Rich tea biscuits½ teaspoon butter for greasing8 ounces dark chocolate (for coating)1 ounce chocolate (for decoration)
Method
Lightly grease a 6 inch by 2 ½ inch cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper
Break each of the biscuits into almond size pieces by hand and set aside
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten
Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate and add to the butter mixture whilst constantly stirring
Beat in the egg to the mixture
Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is unmolded
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of chocolate
Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire
Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife
Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature
Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck it to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate
Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake
Caramel banana bread
For the cake
½ cup plus 1 tbs unsalted butter¾ cup light brown sugar2 eggs1 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium)1 ½ cups self raising flour1 tsp baking soda¾ cup sour cream1 tbsp milk1 tsp vanilla paste
For the frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter1/2 cups light brown sugar1/8 cup sour cream1 1/2 cups icing sugar1 tsp vanilla paste
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep cake tin, 18 x 9” or two 9x deep cake tins.
Prepare the sponge by creaming the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and banana and beat together. Stir in the flour, soda, sour cream, milk and vanilla paste until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
Pour into the prepared tray, smooth out and bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes or until the sponge springs back when touched and is a golden brown
Allow the sponge to cool completely before frosting
Prepare the frosting by melting the butter and sugar in a pan. Stir without boiling for about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla paste.
Leave the frosting to cool slightly and thicken
Spread a little of the frosting on top of one of the cakes, then place the other cake on top. spoon more frosting on top
Cut into fingers and serve