Review: Le Bun at The Zetter Hotel, Clerkenwell, London

Founded by bright sparks Andy Taylor and Tim Talbolt, Le Bun is a fusion of French and American food. They're usually based in a food truck but until 20th December they have a residence at The Zetter hotel, Clerkenwell.

The burger queen Hannah of course knew all about the pop up so when I suggested a lunch date, this was her first suggestion. We also talked Lily into popping along too - not that anyone needs much persuasion to go out for a lovely lunch!

After much deliberation Hannah and I decided to opt for the Le Truffle Cheeseburger. Rich aged beef brisket and chuck patty was smothered in a layer of American cheese and truffle mayo before being topped with crunchy lettuce leaves in a toasted brioche bun. It was simple yet effective. Sometimes you really don't need to make a burger all singing and all dancing. The bun held the juices together perfectly and the lettuce gave it a satisfying crunch. My one gripe was it wasn't really served medium rare and would have been better a bit pinker in the middle.

Lily went for the Le Cherve vegetarian option. A giant slab of blowtorched goats cheese was placed on top of tangy pickles and juicy confit tomatoes. Good enough to turn this loyal meat eater green with envy!

The fries were nothing to write home about. They went down a treat but didn't stand out. A tad anaemic looking but the truffle mayo was their saving grace. I could have scoffed pots and pots of that stuff!

The Zetter hotel as a venue was very cool - admittedly this is the first time it's ever came on my radar. It felt very retro and I loved the interiors. I've heard that they have a cracking bar with some lethal cocktails so I'll probably be back to sample those!

Have you sampled Le Bun yet?

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3 simple ways to eat your morning porridge

Now that the days are cold and dark, a bowl of cereal in the morning just isn't going to cut it. I personally need something a bit more substantial and warm to heat up my chilly bones. Enter the humble porridge. Alpro got in touch and sent me over a little care package* including their oat original drink. Rich in fibre and low in fat, the milk substitute has no added sugar and is naturally lactose free. With this healthy alternative, here are three simple toppings that help to jazz up my porridge in the morning.

1. Blackcurrant jam and juicy blackberries

Nothing quite like a big dollop of jam in the middle of your porridge to sweeten it up. That sweet tooth still needs to be fed at breakfast! I'm loving blackcurrant jam for a change. It doesn't taste as sugary as strawberry or raspberry. Pop in some fresh fruit help you get one of your five a day.

2. Apple and cinnamon

This combination just screams the festive season to me. I'm a cinnamon monster this year and put it on everything. Apples and cinnamon are one pairing that just get each other. They go fantastic together.

3. Chopped nuts and bananas

This may be my favourite one of the bunch. The chopped nuts add great texture with the stodgy oats. Bananas? Maybe the best breakfast fruit out there right. I could eat a good couple of bowls of this before work if I had time. And a big enough stomach.

What is your favourite porridge topping?

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Recipe: Mince pie cupcakes with Lindt

I'm well and truly emerged in the Christmas spirit now so decided to bake up a storm in the kitchen. Enter Mince Pie Cupcakes with Lindt chocolate teddy bear toppers* because we all need a little bit more indulgence in the festive period. I had a feeling these would spectacularly fail or be positively amazing! Thank god it was the latter. The recipe is adapted from my new favourite baking book Lola's Forever.

Makes 6 muffins or 10 smaller cupcakes

Ingredients:
140g self raising flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
150g soft baking spread
75g soft light brown sugar
75g soft dark brown sugar
3 eggs
175g mince meat

Cream cheese icing:
60g butter
1 tsp of vanilla flavouring
1/2 ground cinnamon
175g icing sugar
400g cheese cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Shift the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl before setting aside.

3. Put the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy.

4. Continue mixing and add the eggs one at a time. Add the mincemeat and mix until fully combined.

5. Slowly add the shifted dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

6. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases - filling them 3/4 full.

7. Bake in the pre-heated for around 20-25 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on them. pop a sewer in them to see if they're baked, it should come out completely clean if they're ready.

Cream cheese icing:

1. Beat the butter until smooth then add the cinnamon and vanilla.

2. Shift in the icing sugar and then add the cream cheese and beat until it's smooth and glossy. be careful not to overmix!

3. Decorate the cupcakes once cooled and add a little teddy bear on top. Then tuck in!

Eat alongside plenty of chocolate. The Lindt chocolate reindeer* and Father Christmas* went down a treat. What's Christmas without a little indulgence?

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