Mary Berry Apple Cake

We have had a plethora of apples on our tree in the garden this year. After giving some to the neighbours and packing some away, we still have a bag full. So at the weekend I made Mary Berry’s Apple Dessert Cake which was absolutely delicious, according to my colleagues who finished it on Monday. As it uses melted butter, it isn’t the easiest batter to handle, particularly as the apples are sandwiched between two layers of cake mixture but by working quickly, it was easy enough to achieve the desired result. If only I didn’t like cake so much……

APPLE DESSERT CAKE

225g (8 oz) self-raising flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder 

225g (8 oz) caster sugar 

2 eggs

½ teaspoon almond extract

150g (5 oz) butter, melted

350g (12 oz) cooking apples, peeled and cored

25g (1 oz) flaked almonds

Spread half this mixture into the prepared tin. Thickly slice the apples and lay on top of the mixture in the tin, piling mostly towards the centre. Using 2 dessertspoons, roughly spoon the remaining mixture over the apples.

This is an awkward thing to do, but just make sure that the mixture covers the centre well as it will spread out in the oven. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1¼–1½ hours until golden and coming away from the sides of the tin.

Spread half this mixture into the prepared tin. Thickly slice the apples and lay on top of the mixture in the tin, piling mostly towards the centr

This is an awkward thing to do, but just make sure that the 

More marmalade

Despite my love of oranges, I have come late to marmalade making. Mum always made a few jars when the Seville oranges appeared in the greengrocers but for some reason, I never followed her example, possibly because Mr and Miss Glis prefer Marmite on toast.  But last year, I took the plunge and surprised myself by making a successful batch. So last weekend, when I saw a net of Seville oranges in Morrisons, I decided to make another lot.  And I was glad I did as not only did the house smell lovely but the end result is very tasty

Marmalade

1kg Seville oranges

2 lemons

1.5kg sugar

2L water

1. Wash the fruit and cut in half. Remove the pips and tie in a muslin square.

2. Thinly slice the fruit skin and place the strips in a large bowl. Add the bundle of pips, cover with the water and leave overnight.

3. The following day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for an hour until the skin is soft.

4. Remove the bundle of pips from the pan and allow to cool.

5. Add the sugar to the pan and squeeze any residual juice from the bundle of the pips

6. Bring the pan to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly for about 20 minutes or until setting point is reached

7. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into warmed jars and sealing

Trying to make a Collin Street Bakery Cake!

Although I made my traditional Christmas cake this year, I also embarked on a different culinary journey. Many years ago, a friend who knew that I loved fruit cake gave me her unwanted gift of an American “Collins Street Bakery” Cake. It was so delicious, packed with dates and nuts that I made several attempts to recreate it but sadly, with limited success. And then this year, Google came up trumps…..I discovered a recipe that purported to deliver a cake tasting like the real thing. I’m delighted to say it wasn't far off, (as far as my taste buds remember)!

My version of Collin Street Bakery Fruit Cake

200g shelled pecans

200g candied cherries

200g candied pineapple

200g dates

100g flour

100g butter

100g sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2tsp vanilla extract

2tsp lemon extract  (optional)

1    Grease and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 130⁰C

2    Save a couple of nuts and cherries for the top of the cake. Chop the rest of the nuts and fruit into medium-size pieces.

3    Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4    Beat in eggs.

5    Sift together the flour and baking powder fold into butter-egg mixture.

6    Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Blend in fruit and nuts.

7    Pour batter into prepared tin, placing saved fruit and nuts on top.

8     Place in oven and bake approx. 1.5 hours in loaf tin

9.    When done, remove from oven and cool in the tin before turning onto a cake rack.

Red Velvet cake

A power cut earlier in the day meant I ended up baking the layers of Nerea’s red velvet birthday cake while trying to watch Silent Witness last night. I’m not entirely convinced that the grunge colour is sufficiently virulent but I followed the recipe and used what seemed to be an awfully large quantity of colouring just to achieve the shade it is! And because of the lateness of the baking hour, I had to leave the frosting until today. But despite its colour, I’m looking forward to tonight’s tasting session once it’s iced! Now where are the chopped nuts?

Red Velvet Cake

Cake ingredients

150g butter, softened
300g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, separated
250g plain flour
25g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2 level tbsp good quality cocoa powder
250ml buttermilk
Red food colouring (use 2 tbsp liquid colour or 1/2 tsp thick red food paste)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Frosting

2 large egg whites
250g caster sugar
50g golden syrup
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract

1.Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of 2, 9 inch/23cmcake tins and line the bases with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg yolks, one b y one, beating well after each addition.
3. Place the flour, cornflour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a sieve resting on a plate. Measure the buttermilk with the food colouring and mix together. It should be very red, so add more if you need to.
4. Sift one-third of the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs mixture until just combined, then pour in one-third of the buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Continue, combining a third at a time, until both are incorporated.
5. Whisk the egg whites and salt in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until stiffish peaks form. Add one-quarter to the batter and mix. Add the remaining egg whites in three stages, folding them in gently with a large metal spoon until just incorporated, leaving as much air in the egg whites as possible.
6. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda until it bubbles up, then gently fold this into the batter. Quickly pour the batter into the two prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cakes feel slightly springy on top.
7. Leave in the tins for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the tins, running a table knife or a palette knife slowly around them to loosen them, and invert them onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the white frosting, 

1. Place the egg whites, sugar, golden syrup, salt, cream of tartar and water in a stainless steel or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. (The base of the bowl should not touch the water.) 

2. Bring the water to a steady simmer. With a hand-held electric beater or a balloon whisk (to build up your muscles!), whisk the mixture until you have shiny, satiny soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and continue to whisk for a further 2 minutes – it will get a bit stiffer. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
3. Immediately ice the middle, top and sides of the cake with a palette knife, fluffing the frosting up to form little peaks all over the cake. You need to work fast to ice the cake, as the icing sets very quickly. Leave for at least 30 minutes to allow a thin crust to form outside a creamy interior.

Cranberry and Walnut cake

Trying to rid ourselves of all the delicious things we bought for the Christmas festivities before entering our well-intentioned (but likely to be short lived) period of fasting and abstinence, I made a cranberry and walnut loaf using up some fresh cranberries and the last few walnuts in the bowl.  I used an American recipe and once I’d converted cups to metric weights, it took moments to whip up the mixture.  It baked really well, although that may in part be as a result of my new oven, and tasted fantastic, the cranberries adding just the right amount of sharpness!

 

Cranberry and Walnut Loaf

Ingedients

250g (10 oz) SR flour

150g caster sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g (4 oz) chopped cranberries

50g (2 oz) chopped walnuts

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

180ml fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

 

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.

2. Grease a 23x12cm (9x5 in) loaf tin.

3. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a roomy mixing bowl. Add the cranberries and walnuts, and stir to coat with flour.

4. Mix together the egg, oil, orange juice and orange zest in a separate bowl.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until just blended. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin.

6. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool down completely.

Optional

Drizzle with orange glace icing

 

Nursery Pudding!

On Tuesday evening, a friend came for dinner.  I was just preparing a baked cheesecake dessert when Andy, who was catching up on a cookery show, spotted that one of the featured dishes was a steamed, treacle pudding.  He immediately suggested that I cease production of the cheesecake and serve a syrup pud instead as “B would enjoy it”.  Other, stronger, women would have told him to make it himself but sad, sweet-toothed individual that I am, I was tempted myself.  Enough said! Several hours later, we tucked into sponge and custard and the cheesecake was ready for the freezer!

 

Treacle Pudding by Angela Hartnett

Ingredients

180g/6oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

3 tbsp golden syrup

180g/6oz plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

3 free-range eggs

180g/6oz Demerara sugar

1 tbsp black treacle

Preparation method

1. Grease a 1litre/1¾ pints pudding basin with butter. Put the golden

syrup in to the bottom of the basin.

2. In a separate bowl, using an electric hand whisk, mix the flour,

baking powder, butter, eggs, sugar and treacle until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into the basin and cover with a piece of greaseproof

paper.

4. Take a piece of tin foil and make a pleat down the middle, then place

this over the top of pudding basin and tie it in place like a lid. The

pleat allows the foil to expand during cooking.

5. Place an upturned saucer or a ramekin in a deep saucepan and sit

the pudding on top. Add boiling water until it comes half-way up the

basin. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently to stream the

pudding for about 2¼ hours, topping up the water as necessary.

6. To check if the pudding is cooked, insert a metal skewer into the

pudding. If it comes out clean it is ready.

7. Carefully remove the pudding from the pan. Loosen the edges by

running a knife around the pudding and turn out onto a plate

Green Tomato Chutney

When we returned from the States, our triffid like tomato plants were laden with fruit. A lot of them were ripe so I soon converted them into tomato sauce, but a good quantity were green and unlikely to redden. It was clearly time to initiate Operation Green Tomato Chutney. I used an amalgam of an ancient recipe that my Mum used (as dad always had lots of unripe produce) with one of Nigel Slater's  and I think the results were excellent, particularly as the white wine vinegar is a less dominant flavour than the malt vinegar mum used to use. 

Ingredients

1kg green tomatoes 

350g onions

100g raisins or sultanas

250g light brown sugar

1 medium sized, hot red chilli

1 tsp salt

2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

300ml white wine vinegar

Method

Halve the tomatoes. Put them with the peeled and roughly chopped onions into a large stainless- steel or enamelled pan with the raisins, sugar, chilli, salt, mustard seeds and vinegar. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about 2 hours giving the occasional stir to reduce the risk of the chutney sticking. When the chutney has thickened and the fruit is soft, spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

Comfort food

Last week I was home alone and, not having anyone to feed other than myself, I decided, purely on the spur of the moment,  to make a rice pudding. As instant foods go, it's hardly an ideal choice item, taking about 2 hours to cook, but as a comfort food, it is one of the most wonderful. I followed my mum's ancient recipe substituting semi-skimmed milk for the full fat she used. While it was cooking, filling the house with a nutmeggy fragrance, I stripped wall paper, knowing  that my reward would be a delicious, creamy pudding once I'd finished 

Ingredients

60g/2¼oz pudding rice

600ml/20fl oz semi skimmed milk

2 tbsp caster sugar

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

15g/½oz unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

jam, to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

Wash then put it into a wide ovenproof dish

Pour in the milk. Add the caster sugar and stir together. Grate some nutmeg over the top and dot with the butter.

Place in the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours, or until the pudding has a golden-brown skin and the rice is tender and creamy (the longer you give it, the more thick and sticky it will become).

Serve warm, with a spoonful  of jam

Al fresco dining!

To continue with the theme of heralding summer, we’ve just enjoyed our first outdoor meal (fell- walking packed lunches excepted!).  Inspired by Saturday Morning Kitchen again, we jointly prepared asparagus with grapefruit and then sat in the garden with our new camping table and a small glass of chilled white wine to enjoy lunch “al fresco”.  The birds were twitter-pating and the distant bells from either the cathedral or a local church were ringing, no doubt celebrating a marriage on a sunny afternoon.  It was a welcome half hour of sheer indulgence at the end of a very busy week

Warm white asparagus salad with grapefruit zest vinaigrette 

Ingredients
1 free-range egg
1kg/ 2lb 4oz white asparagus, peeled and woody ends discarded
1 white grapefruit
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
6 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp chopped chervil leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
griddled green asparagus
chargrilled bread

Preparation method

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil over a medium heat, add the egg,
return to the boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10
minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water, then crack and peel the
egg. Finely chop the cooked egg and leave to one side.
2. Divide the asparagus into four equal-sized bunches and tie each
bunch with kitchen string to secure. Bring a pan of salted water to the
boil over a medium heat, add the bunched asparagus and simmer for
5-8 minutes (depending on the size of your asparagus) until tender,
but with just a little resistance when pierced with the top of a knife.
3. Grate the zest from the grapefruit, reserve a pinch and put the rest in
a small bowl. Peel the grapefruit, then take out four segments, cut
each one in half and leave to one side, juice the rest of the grapefruit,
pressing it through a fine sieve into the bowl with the zest. Add the
mustard and mayonnaise and whisk together until well blended, then
whisk in the sunflower oil in a steady stream. Stir in the chopped egg
and chervil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove the asparagus from the pan and drain briefly on a plate
lined with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Remove the string and
put the asparagus onto four serving plates. Spoon the dressing over
the top and finish with the reserved grapefruit segments and a
sprinkling of the reserved zest.
5. Serve with griddled green asparagus and chargrilled bread
.

(Although I adore grapefruit, I’m no longer “allowed” to eat it because of its reaction with one of the tablets I take so although we made the dressing with a small quantity of juice, that could no doubt be  substituted for a mix of orange and lemon juice. I also swapped the flesh for green grapes which worked fairly well)

Prep dishes and other non essential washing up!

Andy prepared a delicious squid dish last week, and having arrived home very late and quite exhausted that evening, it was so welcoming. It was something that we’d seen prepared by Ken Hom on Saturday Morning Kitchen and being “fish eaters”,  had captured our attention. Andy is a much more meticulous cook than I am so is invariably the butt of good humoured jesting.  I mean, really,   besides  Andy and pretentious chefs on TV programmes, who actually uses prep dishes? But unnecessary washing-up aside, it was a simple but incredibly tasty dish which will be featuring on our menu again

Stir-fried squid with chilli and basil 

Ingredients

450g/1lb squid, fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen)

175g/6oz fresh or frozen petit peas

1½ tbsp vegetable oil

4 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic

3 tbsp finely sliced shallots

2-3 small red Thai chillies, seeds removed, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tsp sugar

handful fresh Thai or ordinary basil leaves

Preparation method

1. Using a small sharp knife, split the squid’s body in half. Remove the

transparent bony section. 

2. Wash the halves thoroughly under cold running water and then pull

off and discard the skin. 

3. Cut the tentacles from the head, cutting just above the eye. 

4. Cut the squid meat into 3.5cm/1½in strips. 

5. If you are using fresh peas, blanch them for three minutes in a large

pan of boiling salted water, drain and set aside. If you are using

frozen peas, simply thaw them and set them aside.

6. Heat a wok or large frying-pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the

oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic and

stir-fry for one minute, or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted

spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

7. Add the squid to the pan and stir-fry for one minute. 

8. Tip in the shallots, chillies, peas, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar

and continue to stir-fry for three minutes. 

9. Add the basil and give one last stir. Turn the mixture onto a platter

and garnish with the reserved fried garlic.

One a penny, two a penny......

With Easter round the corner and spurred on by the success of my Simnel Cake, I’ve embarked on Hot Cross Bun production. I’d bought some fresh yeast in the reduced aisle of the supermarket so resorted to the old fashioned method of hand kneading instead of using the bread maker. After an extended rising period in the airing cupboard, (I was enthralled by a catch up session of Shetland), I soon had them knocked into shape and proving in a more visible place. The smell of spice when they were baking was simply glorious and they tasted just as good!

Dough Recipe

14g dried yeast or 30g fresh yeast

500g white bread flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon mixed spices

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

185ml warm milk

40g butter

200g mixed dried fruit

Icing for crosses

100g icing sugar

lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven at 200 ºC

2. In a bowl combine the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 125 ml warm water. Stir and leave in a warm draught-free place for 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy and light

3. In another bowl sift the flour, spices, remaining sugar and butter. Rub in the butter with your fingertips and add the dried fruit.

4. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and 185 ml of warm milk to make a soft dough.

5. Dust with flour a surface and turn the dough over it. Knead for 15 minutes until smooth, adding more flour if needed. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap or with a damp tea towel.

6. Leave the bowl in a warm place free of draughts for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size.

7. Turn the dough on a floured surface, knead to deflate. Shape the Hot Cross Buns into 12 balls. Place them on a greased baking tray touching each other. Leave in a warm place for a further 20 minutes until doubled in size,

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden

9. To make the crosses: mix the icing sugar and lemon juice into a paste. Fill a piping bag and pipe crosses over the buns. 

Simnel Cake for Easter

I made a mini  Simnel cake today.  I actually made two but only finished one with its topping of lightly toasted almond paste and eleven symbolic almond paste balls (depicting the disciples without Judas).  Historically, it was made to be eaten during Lent on Mothering Sunday but as we’re going to Scotland for Easter, I thought it would be a special treat for us to be able to feast on fruit cake after a hard day walking on the beaches of Tiree, hence the baking!  It smelt so good, it was hard not to cut a slice to test it!

Easter Simnel cake by Mary Berry

Ingredients
100g/4oz glacé cherries
225g/8oz butter, softened
225g/8oz light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
225g/8oz self-raising flour
225g/8oz sultanas
100g/4oz currants
50g/2oz chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice
For the filling and topping
450g/1lb marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/280F/Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in
cake tin.
2. Cut the cherries into quarters, put in a sieve and rinse under running
water. Drain well then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.
3. Place the cherries in a bowl with the butter, sugar, eggs, self-raising
flour, sultanas, currants, candied peel, lemon zest and mixed spice
and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the
prepared tin.
4. Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the size of
the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the
remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen,
evenly brown and firm to the touch. Cover with aluminium foil after
one hour if the top is browning too quickly. Leave to cool in the tin for
10 minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling
on a wire rack.
6. When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam
and roll out half the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Press firmly on
the top and crimp the edges to decorate. Mark a criss-cross pattern
on the marzipan with a sharp knife. Form the remaining marzipan
into 11 balls.
7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls
around the edge of the cake. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten
egg and then care

Happy Easter

I must bake!

Compelled to bake following from the Borrowdale Teabread conversations of yesterday, I rushed home and soaked my dried fruit in tea ready to bake this evening.  That simple act of preparation, although essential for my longer term plans, didn’t go anywhere near to satisfying my immediate need to bake.  So I looked at the carrots in the fridge with a critical eye and before too Iong, had a carrot cake cooking gently in the oven. I brought some into my meeting in Chorley today and despite not having a topping on it (the healthy option), the reaction was very positive.

 

Carrot Cake Recipe

175g  muscovado sugar

2 eggs, beaten

125ml oil

175g SR flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp nutmeg

150g grated carrot

100g sultanas or chopped walnuts

 

Light oven to 170degrees/Gas 3

Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin

Beat the egg into a bowl.

Add the oil

Stir in the sugar and mix well.

Sieve  the flour, bicarb and spices and stir in gently. Add the carrots and fruit or nuts and mix well.

Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until springy to the touch

Borrowdale Tea Bread

The power of suggestion was alive and well in the office today.  Waiting for things to reboot following an IT installation, Richard was telling us of the Borrowdale Teabread he’d made at the weekend. After we soundly berated him for failing to bring in tasting samples, he shared the recipe with us.  It’s actually very similar to one I have apart from the addition of some marmalade.  By the time the computers were whirring again, we were all feeling incredibly hungry and I’d made a mental note to soak some dried fruit in tea tonight. So that’s what I’ve done! 

Borrowdale Teabread

200g raisins

200g sultanas

1 mug of strong, hot tea

200g muscovado sugar

400g SR flour

1 egg

2tbsp marmalade

1. Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea overnight 

2. Light the oven at 180C/Gas 4 and grease and line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin

3. Beat the egg and add to the dried fruit

4 Mix the sugar and flour into the fruit mixture.

5. Stir in the marmalade

6. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for about an hour 

7. Cool in the tin

8. Serve with butter and/or tangy cheese such as Lancashire or Wensleydale

Jam or preserves?

Stirring in the sugar

I find the process of jam making to be somewhat unpredictable, the alchemy of reaching a setting point involving a mysterious science that requires a greater deal of precision than I usually apply when cooking. But, I’m delighted with the results of the jam I made yesterday. Saturday afternoon saw me topping and tailing the gooseberries ready for the big boil!. Despite following  the recipe instructions to the letter, particularly over the wrinkle test, I still fretted about the texture for most of the afternoon and was completely taken aback when a spoonful of the cooled jam appeared perfectly set

Wrinkle test

It's set

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Ingredients

1 kg/2lb 4oz gooseberries

1 kg/2lb 4oz granulated sugar

150ml/5fl oz water

Preparation method

1. Wash, top and tail the gooseberries, discarding any that are damaged. Place a saucer into the freezer.

2. Put the gooseberries and 150ml/5fl oz water into a large pan or preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the fruit is softened.

3. Stir in the sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes before testing to see if set.

5. To test whether the jam has set: take the saucer from the freezer and drop a small spoonful of jam on to it. Allow it to cool for a minute then push your finger through the jam – if it wrinkles it’s ready; if not,

boil for a few more minutes. Continue testing until the jam is ready.

(Always remove the jam from the heat while you’re testing so that if it’s ready you won’t overcook it.)

6. Meanwhile, sterilise the jam jars - first wash the jars in soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip-dry, upside down, on a rack in the oven set to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Leave them there for at least half an hour while you make the jam.

7. Once the jam is ready, turn off the heat, skim off any scum and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes.

8. Spoon the jam into clean sterilised jars and seal tightly with screw top lids while the jam is hot.

Banana and Rhubarb Muffins

We cut our first harvest of rhubarb today and there was enough to make both a crumble (well what would YOU make?) and something else!  Discover a ripe banana in the fruit bowl and what to make?  A little investigative work on t’interweb and I found a recipe for banana and rhubarb muffins. Perfect for taking on our walk tomorrow and perfect for soothing my persistent itch to bake.  I’m always satisfied by the alchemy of baking; mix a few disparate ingredients together, add heat and produce a magic result. And in my case, delicious banana and rhubarb muffins! Result!

Banana and Rhubarb Muffins

Makes about 12 muffins.

Ingredients

2 medium eggs

160ml milk

60ml vegetable oil

300g Self Raising flour

170g granulated sugar

1 medium mashed banana

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 stalks of freshly chopped rhubarb

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.

2. Stir in the milk, vegetable oil, and the mashed banana, and set aside.

3. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

4. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture stirring just to combine, (the batter will be lumpy).

5. Add the rhubarb, just to combine, do not over-mix.

6. Fill paper muffin cups about 3/4 full of batter.

7. Bake at 200° C for about 20 minutes (or until a cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out clean).

Carrot and Coriander Soup warms the heart

  

I may have been away to warmer climes for just a few days but I definitely “felt the cold” on my return  (I suspect the unscheduled return to winter weather with temperatures below freezing was responsible but I want to believe that I’d adapted readily to living in a warmer climate).  Anyway, it was so cold today, hot soup was on the lunch menu.  Using some rather tired looking carrots and celeriac from the bottom of the fridge along with a few onions and herbs, I made a pot of carrot and coriander soup and deliciously warming it was too.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

450g/1lb carrots, sliced

(optional: 1 root peeled and chopped celeriac)

1 tsp ground coriander

1.2 litresl/2 pints vegetable stock

large bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions and the carrots (and celeriac). Cook

for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.

2. Stir in the ground coriander and season well. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the

vegetables are tender.

4. Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth. Reheat in a

clean pan, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.

Chicken and Cheese

We enjoyed a delightful meal with Alex, Bill and Fiona on Monday as a post birthday, pre-travel trip celebration for Alex.  Originally scheduled for Sunday, we’d had to postpone because I was unwell: unheard of, but true. As always, it was an entertaining evening with enjoyable conversation around the table. In honour of absent daughters, I made Nigella’s Spanish chicken and chorizo which seemed to go down well and Fiona and Bill very generously brought us a delicious selection of cheese from the famous Shills of Cockermouth. It’s fair to say by the end of the meal we were replete!

SPANISH CHICKEN AND CHORIZO

Ingredients

2 tablespoon(s) olive oil

12 chicken thighs (bone in with skin)

750 gram(s) chorizo sausage (whole if baby ones or cut into 4cm chunks if regular sized)

1 kilogram(s) New potatoes (halved)

2 red onion(s) (peeled and roughly chopped)

2 teaspoon(s) oregano (dried)

1 orange(s) (zest)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Put the oil in the bottom of 2 shallow roasting tins, 1 tablespoon in each. Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil, then turn skin-side up, 6 pieces in each tin.

Divide the chorizo sausages and the new potatoes between the 2 tins. Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then grate the orange zest over the contents of the 2 tins.

Cook for 1 hour, but after 30 minutes, swap the top tray with the bottom tray in the oven and baste the contents with the orange-coloured juices.  

The search continues.....

For over 40 years, I’ve been searching for an oaty biscuit recipe that re-creates biscuits like those a school-friend’s mum used to make.  I remembering asking her for the recipe several times but maybe it was a family secret as sadly, it never came my way.  These delicious “melt in the mouth” shortbreads  ( pretend they’re healthy as they contain oats!),  go some way to fulfilling the challenge as  the texture isn’t far off but they still need some adjustment to  the taste.   I shall definitely bake them again as they are so easy to make but my search continues

Oat and Vanilla Shortbread Cookies


Makes about 25


Ingredients

200g (7oz) butter, softened
100g (3 ½ oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g (7oz) plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
100g (3 ½ oz) porridge oats

Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF), Gas mark 4. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then stir in the oats and bring the mixture together to form a dough. Using a sheet of cling film to cover the dough, roll it into a log about 30cm (12in) long and 6cm (2 ½in) in diameter. Allow to chill in the fridge, covered in the cling film, for about 30 minutes until firm. Remove the cling film; slice the log into rounds about 5mm (¼in) thick and place slightly apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until light golden brown and dry to the touch. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Bradders' Bakery

Should I be worried? Andy has decided to take up baking, inspired by the recent Great British Bake-Off.  He recently announced his intention of making a Bakewell Tart and although he’s an excellent cook, he’s not a widely experienced baker so I thought that his choice might be overly ambitious.   I’m delighted to say the results were excellent, the only issue being that in the recipe he used, the almond flavour wasn’t very strong. He then baked a delicious chocolate and mocha loaf which was equally successful and incredibly tasty. My reign as Queen of the kitchen may be over!

BAKEWELL TART

PASTRY

125g plain flour

75g unsalted butter , cold and diced

25g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

1 egg white

FILLING

2 heaped tbsp raspberry jam

150g unsalted butter , at room temperature

150g caster sugar

2 tsp almond essence

3 eggs , beaten

1 egg yolk

150g ground almonds

1 lemon , zested

1 tbsp flaked almonds

1. To make the pastry, tip the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor with a pinch of salt. Whizz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1 tsp of cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disc, cover with clingfilm and chill for no more than 1 hour. n Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness. Line a 20cm fluted tart tin with a depth of 31/2 cm. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

2. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Cook for about 20 minutes until the pastry is a pale golden colour. Take out the beans, brush the inside of the pastry case with a little egg white and cook for a further 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Spread the jam in an even layer over the base of the pastry case. Cream together the butter and caster sugar. Gradually add the beaten eggs and egg yolk. Fold in the ground almonds, almond essence and lemon zest. Carefully spoon the mixture over the jam and spread out levelly

4.  Bake for 20 minutes. Scatter with the flaked almonds and continue to cook for a further 15-20 minutes until golden and set.

5. Cool to room temperature, dust with icing sugar and serve with pouring cream or custard.

 Mocha Marbled Loaf Cake

For the Cake

250g unsalted butter, softened

250g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large free-range eggs, at room  temperature, beaten

250g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

For the chocolate mixture

30g cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milk

For the coffee mixture

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder or  granules, dissolved in 1 tablespoon   boiling water

2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

For the ganache

100g good-quality white chocolate

80ml whipping cream

20g unsalted butter

cocoa powder

1x 900g loaf tin, about 26x 12.5x 7.5cm, greased and lined with a long strip of greaseproof paper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a large freestanding electric mixer. Beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until very creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla. Keep beating (scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time) until the mixture is much lighter in colour and very fluffy in texture.

2. Gradually add the eggs, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of the weighed flour with each of the last 2 portions of egg, to prevent the mixture from curdling.

3. Sift the remaining flour and the salt into the bowl and gently fold in using a large metal spoon until you can no longer see any streaks or specks of flour.

4. Transfer half the sponge mixture to a second mixing bowl. Sift the cocoa powder onto one portion of sponge mixture, add the milk and fold in until completely mixed, with no streaks of cocoa.

5. Add the cooled coffee liquid into the other portion of sponge mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

6. Spoon both mixtures into the prepared tin, adding a spoonful of each alternately and scattering the chocolate chips over the mixture between each layer. Gently bang the tin on the worktop to eliminate any pockets of air, and gently smooth the surface. Marble the 2 mixtures by drawing a chopstick or round-bladed knife through them, swirling it.

7. Bake for 1–1 ¼ hours until well risen and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set the tin on a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes, then carefully turn out the cake and leave to cool completely.

8. For the ganache: finely chop the chocolate into even-sized pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and butter until hot but not boiling, then pour in a slow, steady stream over the chopped chocolate. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes, then stir gently until melted and smooth and glossy.

9. Leave to cool and thicken, then stir gently – don’t overbeat or the mixture will separate. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder.

TIP:  Keep it simple and finish the un-iced cake with a dusting of icing sugar and then the cocoa powder